Amazing Tablescapes

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1931.  This plaque is on the original facade. . . .

Hygge

“To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty,
a picture which was never seen before and which shall never be seen again.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

🍁For those of you who follow Morning Musings you know that I spent a week in the English countryside last May.  Walking on the Lake District paths along moss-covered stone walls, through pastures of sheep and cows, over hill and dale had a profound affect on me.  I've always loved being outside.  Whether it's hanging clothes on the line, gardening, or hiking in the woods, I've always felt it to be a place I belonged.  The first thing I do in the morning is open the blinds and whenever I can I open the window to my bedroom bringing the outdoors in.

🍁Upon my return from England I began seeing articles, blogs, and books on the value of getting close to nature and realized I needed to be even more intentional about it.  I was introduced to Emma Mitchell's blog, Silverpebble, through Twitter and am excitedly awaiting her newest book, The Wild Remedy:  How Nature Mends Us - A Diary, due out in January.  About it she writes:

This is a diary of the curative effect of my walks in green places & is full of my illustrations. I hope it will encourage others to get outside.

Winchester Get-Together - August 2018

The Take Joy Society's August get-together was in Old Town Winchester, VA today.  First we did the requisite shopping.  Our first stop was Peacock Antiques. . . .

Williamsport Get-Together - June 2018

Today the Take Joy Society visited Williamsport, Maryland, a small town at the confluence of the Potomac River and Conococheague Creek.  Williamsport grew up along the Great Wagon Road, that ran from New York to the Carolinas, where a ferry was established in 1744 to carry settlers heading West across the Potomac.  By 1834 the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal passed through Williamsport to transport coat and other supplies between Cumberland, Maryland and Washington, D.C. and was why we visited the town today so we could take a ride on a replica launch boat which were used around 1900 for leisure and business on the canal.

Our first stop was the Canal View Candles & Barrel Company where you could find innovative handcrafted items made from barrels.

Then it was across the street for lunch at Desert Rose Cafe, named after the owner. . . .

Mercersburg Get-Together - April 2018

The Take Joy Society outing yesterday started in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania with lunch at Flannery's. . . .

Berkeley Springs Get-Together - March 2018

George Washington bathed here!  But that is not why the Take Joy Society visited Berkeley Springs, West Virginia today. . . .

Chambersburg IceFest Get-Together - January 2018

We arrived in Chambersburg just after 10:00 while the temperatures were still at the freezing mark.  It was a good day to tour the IceFest in downtown Chambersburg, PA. . . .