"I like adventures, and I'm going to find some."- Louisa May Alcott

"I like adventures, and I'm going to find some." Those words from Louisa May Alcott exemplify the journey of the traveling teapot and the Tardis.  It seemed fitting that I should show the Tardis the Orchard House, home of Louisa May Alcott and the setting for the book, "Little Women".

This morning my sister and I took a daytrip to Concord, Massachusetts. The Tardis accompanied us on our latest adventure. Here's the outside of the Orchard House. All dressed up for Fall and looking as homey and cozy as it was in the story of Louisa and her sisters.

And here I am photographing the Tardis. My new riding boots served me well for walking around this beautiful town known for the first battle of the Revolutionary War. Concord also has a rich literary history.

The Alcott's property consists of two buildings, the Main House and the Concord School of Philosophy.

I think if we could have visited in October we would have had full color in this area. Now most trees are barren and the leaves on the ground are brown. I do love the shape of that tree in the foreground.

We were lucky to see some smoke coming from that cool chimney. Louisa May wrote of cozy fires and nights spent with the family gathered around the fireplace.

I really liked the architecture of the Concord School of Philosophy. I took the Tardis for a closer look.

 Tardis rested while I had a look around.

There was a sweet little garden dedicated to "Little Women".

A better view of the small garden and it's placement on the property.

I love old windows, I especially like seeing a lovely lamp illuminated behind a historic window.

We actually got here later in the afternoon just before Orchard House closed so we did not go inside.

So we will back track. Before Orchard House, we went shopping. This chalkboard at Nesting On Main was especially timely as we give thanks at our American Thanksgiving on Thursday. I am grateful for the opportunity to show the Tardis my corner of the world in New England. I am grateful for my sister who is always a willing participant in so many of my adventures. We always have fun together.

Oh, and I am grateful for shops like Nesting on Main in Concord. I am always inspired by the magic of this store.  Nesting is known for their holiday displays and they never disappoint.

Every shelf, every bit of wall space, is carefully planned. The blending of vintage and new is seamless.

As I said I am inspired by their creativity and I often try to replicate their ideas in my own home.

Rustic and bling, it all works beautifully at Nesting.

We took a break from shopping and visited Haute Coffee. My sister opted for the Parisian Hot Chocolate. She is a hot chocolate connoisseur.

And this is Phoebe, she is a sweet fixture in Concord. Today we saw her at Nesting but she actually belongs to the shopkeeper next door to Nesting. Phoebe is quite the wanderer but she can be bribed to behave with cookies.

Tardis really enjoyed his time in Concord and he can put another entry in his passport. Hopefully we can squeeze in one more adventure before he has to leave for his next destination.

Tardis visits Phillips Andover and the Andover Historic District

Tardis has been with me a few weeks and I realized I had not taken him shopping. Since I am big on shopping local I decided to visit my friend Colleen at her shop Brissonte in North Reading. Tardis enjoyed his shopping experience.

We may not want to think about Christmas decorating yet but we sure do need to plan for it.

Tardis really liked the velvet pumpkins. Me too. I have a few at my home on display as we speak.

There are so many pretty things for home décor in this shop. A sprinkling of vintage items too.

Colleen's shop is so much fun. I never go out empty handed. When you buy something you always get a Hershey's kiss with your receipt.

We continued north on Route 28 to the lovely Town of Andover which was incorporated in 1646. We took a walk around the historic district on Main Street. I love all the houses with multiple chimneys. I can imagine they have fantastic rooms with fireplaces.

This house needed some TLC but it was still spectacular. It was a much prettier green than it shows in the photo. It was a little washed out by the bright sun.

Notice the box shape of many of the homes.

Most of the leaves are gone at this point but occasionally you can find a nice golden tree.

I loved this house over by Phillips Andover. Phillips Andover is the very prestigious and pricey school that counts George Bush Sr. and Jr. as alumni.

I think this home is part of the housing of the school. Another boxy home with multiple chimneys.

A better look at the house from the front.

                                              And an even closer look at the lovely façade.

Back home we checked out our purchases from Brissonte. A favorite magazine and a little something for the Thanksgiving table.

 

And now for the next event of the day, football. Percy is ready. Tardis will get his introduction to American football and I will turn him into a Patriots fan.

 

Tea at Pauline's

Oh do come in, we've been waiting for you.

 

Kismet the kitten, greeted us at Pauline's lovely home. The living room was cozy and inviting and a perfect respite from the raw, rainy weather outside.

 

 

We dined on shrimp sandwiches.

 

And mushroom sandwiches and curried chicken sandwiches.

Pauline made cream scones and crescent rolls. We had strawberry jam, lemon curd

 and pumpkin butter.

I had to try them all. Everything was delicious!

We had a few tea options. Lady Grey, Boston Harbor and Cranberry Autumn.

Deborah, Kim, and Pauline enjoyed the company of the Tardis. I told them all about the Traveling Teapot and it's adventures.

Kim is my friend from high school and I met Pauline and Deborah years ago in a tea group. In 1997, I joined the Greater Boston Friends of Victoria tea group. The group was active with tea events for about 10 years and then the group dismantled. I have remained friends with several of the ladies and we get together occasionally.

Pauline brought out the desserts.

She set them right in front of me. A little bit of decadence on her amethyst glass cake stand.
We had mini red velvet cakes, lemon squares, chocolate ganache cheesecakes, iced brownies and pretzel bars. I took a doggie bag to my sister who could not attend today's tea.

I had to take a last photo of Kismet who is helping Pauline and her husband Scott heal their hearts from the loss of their cat Whisper. Kismet has found herself a safe and loving home.

The adventure continues with the Tardis and I hope I will have something to blog about this weekend.

Tardis, the Police Box, and a sidewalk tea party

The minute I saw that the Traveling Teapot was the Tardis and a Police Box, I knew where I would take it when it was my turn to host. My town has a police box in our downtown square!

So I set up a tea table and let the Tardis sit atop it so he could look out on Stoneham Square.

 I invited Stoneham's finest but no takers. That would have been fun.

So, my sister Sheila, my friend Jeanne, and Kathy, the shop owner from the business behind the police box decided to take a few photos for you all. Kathy's business is housed in an architectural gem of a building.

I decided to go informal and use paper cups. They did have teapots on them. I did not want to risk breaking any of my precious tea cups plus I was lugging quite enough stuff already. The table, chairs, tea, camera, and of course that precious cargo, The Tardis.

Here's a sister's shot. The tea is Harrod's No. 42. My absolute favorite! It's not easy to procure a stash of Harrod's tea but I have quite a few tins thanks to the kindness of friends who have traveled to London.

Here's a closer look at the very happy Tardis who has found a kindred spirit in Stoneham's Police Box.

This Police Box is a replica of the original box which was not nearly as attractive.

 

Yes, our town is quite old and mainly known as a shoe town way back when.

 

You can probably enlarge the photo to read the history of the Police Box.

Here's the final view of the box as it looks across Main Street at another landmark The Stoneham Theatre. Another beautiful day in New England. Tardis has been so lucky with the weather.

Soon, it will look like this in Stoneham. This is the church that is closest to our Town Common. It always reminds me of a Currier and Ives painting. I thought I might share a few photos from my hometown. These were taken last Winter which was historic for snowfall in the Boston area.

The fire station in Stoneham is always decorated nicely at Christmas time. Santa is in the tower although you can't see him.

The Town Common is illuminated by colorful lights during the holidays.

We have a gazebo on the Common. I would love to see it lit up. This year a local realtor is teaming up with a landscaping company and we will have a skating rink in the Winter months.

Yes in that spot right there. There will be families making memories on the Common.

This will be the scene in a few short months but today we had sunshine and warm temperatures and for that I am thankful. Tomorrow we are meeting friends for afternoon tea in Framingham.

The journey continues for Tardis.