Sundays are for Us
We are well into October, and with that comes my favorite season: FALL!
I love the leaves changing to their vibrant hues, the cool temperatures, my boys in orange taking the field, and everything warm and pumpkin coming to shelves and counters everywhere.
My boyfriend also loves fall, but he's more concerned with Premier League soccer and Alabama football.
Fall Saturday's down south are sacred, and no matter how many miles we are from Neyland and Bryant-Denny, some things just can't be changed.
I enjoy his Saturday ritual of getting up around 6:00am and watching his soccer games, then by the time I get back from my morning runs he's hopefully in a good mood and it's about time for kickoff somewhere!
I am perfectly fine designating every Saturday for his sports because Saturdays are for the boys, but Sundays are for us - unless your boy watches NFL too, in which case I feel for you!
Sunday has become our day for exploring, shopping, and any other weekend activity that comes to mind. Our time in Boston is not that long, so we have really enjoyed taking time to embrace New England culture. A few weeks ago we went apple picking, and this weekend we are headed to Salem to make all of my Hocus Pocus dreams come true!
A few weeks ago I decided, and Lee begrudgingly agreed, to embrace our time in New England and participate in a long-standing fall tradition, apple picking. Now, down South we do all kinds of picking: pumpkins, blackberries, peaches, strawberries, homecoming queens. You name it, we pick it, but apples were a new experience.
The orchard was about as cute as it could be, and had everything I expected like hay rides, cider donuts (If you've never had one you're missing out!), and the cutest little petting zoo! We walked up and down the rows grabbing apples, not having a single clue what the differences were, (there were like 12 kinds of apples to choose from) and having the best time. He laughed because the apples in my arm's reach were all gone due to the number of little kids, but there were plenty near the bottom. Luckily, the orchard also had the cutest wooden ladders to clamber to the top for the perfect apple.
We walked away with a half dozen cider donuts and about 40 apples to take home. There were probably four more, but Lee enjoyed eating his fresh off of the tree.
From these apples I've made two pies, one crumble, 30oz of apple butter, 10 afternoon snacks, and around 6 packages of frozen apple slices for the winter. I've enjoyed working on my baking skills and it's amazing how good a fresh apple is compared to those at the store!
Apple picking was a really great experience, but I would have to agree with Lee next time when he says the large bag might be a bit too big! If you've never been and you happen to be in the North East I suggest you Google a great orchard near you and head out for a few hours of adventure.
This Sunday we headed up North to one of the things I was most excited about: Salem!
I love Hocus Pocus and all things witchy! The history and craziness has always interested me and I was thrilled that we were only a short drive from the town. Thankfully, Lee was okay with this excursion due to his obsession with The Crucible.
Please note his obsession is with the movie, not the book. If you know him, this makes sense.
If you are ever in New England in October I highly suggest heading up to Salem for their Haunted Happenings. Little kids and adults alike were wearing the cutest costumes, and some of the witches looked like they could have easily been a Sanderson sister! Which, speaking of Hocus Pocus, it made the Halloween lover in me so excited to take a picture in from of Allison's house! We didn't make it to Max's house since it was a little off the beaten path, but it was still exciting!
Beyond that, it was such a great experience to be around so many homes and areas that can claim to be older than the majority of the states in the country!
Gravestones that were put up in the 1600's, homes built in the 1700's, and even the home of the judge who presided over the Salem Witch trials!
The Salem Witch Trials memorial was probably the thing we actually enjoyed the most! For almost 10 minutes I heard, "Because it is my name!" (movie quote), and "Where is John Proctor!?". He had me giggling and trying to quiet him the entire time, but I loved how much he enjoyed it.
Even if I wasn't interested in the whole witchy aspect of Salem, the history of the town was just as amazing. Lee and I spent at least an hour walking around the roads behind the main area looking at the old houses, admiring the bricked sidewalks, and enjoying the colors and feel of fall. I really loved Salem, and there were some cute restaurants and breweries that I think would be great to go back and enjoy as well.
There's a lot to this cute town, but I would be lying if I said I didn't love the creepy feel of it all. Besides, who doesn't love a good Bewitched statue?
I love my Sunday's with Lee, and knowing how important his Saturday's are to him is fine with me. I find plenty of things to do on Saturday's like train for my half marathon, read, blog, and catch up on my Netflix shows. We have our own things, and I'm glad neither of us feel compelled to give them up.
Saturdays may be for my boys, but Sunday's are for us.
Love, Lilly
