New horizons - Wonderful memories

Wow - I just cannot believe how time has flown since my last post. It's been almost seven months! I've been so busy - first working on our house to get it ready for sale (24 years worth of acquiring stuff!!), then having it on the market (well, OK, that part was only three days - phew!), and now packing to move. I have soooooo missed writing and feel the NEED to take a break from packing boxes of china, to post some news and memories.

After over 24 very happy years in our wonderful antique home, Tranquility Lodge, we are moving to new digs. If all goes according to plan, Jack and I will close on both our old and our new house on June 30th, becoming first-time art gallery owners on Cape Cod! I cannot wait to begin my exciting new project - setting up and decorating a new home for us, our family and our friends to enjoy.

That being said, leaving Hingham is bittersweet, as we have so many truly wonderful friends and acquaintances here. We will be back to visit our friends and the town, frequently (for one thing, we'll need to visit Bloomy Rind for the best cheeses and sandwiches around, and I'll still be getting my hair cut at Zona Salon, in Hingham Square). This is a charming and beautiful town, and we have been lucky to live in such an amazing house! It's just that, now that all three of our kids are grown and out of the house, it's time for us to explore new horizons. Change is good, even if it's also sometimes both sad and happy at the same time.

Someday, I plan to write a memoire of our time here at Tranquility Lodge, including the history of the house. For now, however, here are some highlights of our personal events here.

Jack and I fell in love on our first date, and began looking at houses after only seven months together. We also fell in love with the first house we saw (obviously, we're not ones to waste time), a beautiful antique colonial in Hingham, MA, which is a lovely town on the shore, just 1/2 hour South of Boston. We first saw the house in February, under a blanket of white snow, not even realizing how gorgeous the grounds were until we moved in in May.

We had officially become engaged the night before our move, and announced this to our families at the end of a long day of closing on two houses, then moving into the new one. We started our life in the house with champagne, and will always remember it as a place where our three children were raised, many special occasions were celebrated...and much champagne was consumed!

The house was painted battleship grey, which we later

softened to a gentle taupe grey.

(The tacky aluminum storm door got deep-sixed the very next day!)

...and announced our engagement.

Giles staked his claim on lawn-mowing duty by monograming the grass. That beautiful antique gazebo has seen many wonderful gatherings of family and friends since then.

We went to Portugal on our honeymoon and came back with 350 lbs. of hand-made tiles...

...which we then installed in our kitchen renovation.

Our first Christmas in the house.

A couple years later, Madeleine was born.

Then, Drake was born.

Lots of messes for me to clean up...

Over the years, so many Halloween costumes sewn by yours truly.

And Christmas memories...like looking for Santa Claus.

Easter egg hunts

...and decorating our egg tree.

Birthdays...

...and family gatherings

So many 4th of July parties!

The parade went right by our house. One year the parade was dedicated to the Desert Storm troops.

We will never forget all the incredibly FUN 

parade/barbeque gatherings here, 

with so many dear friends 

and family of all ages.

First Giles, then later Madeleine and Drake, all graduated from Hingham High School.

We've done lots of renovations on the house...

...and decorating

Over the past 24 years, Tranquility Lodge has been featured in numerous decorating books and national magazines, as well as on HGTV. It has also been on many tours, benefiting local charities, and annually on the Hingham Arts Walk.

(Photos by Nan & Monty Abbott)

Preparing to be on the Garden Club's "Secret Gardens of Hingham tour". Jack built stone stairways and walls. I designed and refurbished all the flower beds and borders.

Giles and Mia got engaged at our house at Christmas.

Madeleine turned 21 while at Lesley College...

...and we celebrated Drake's acceptance to the Culinary Institute of America.

We've had so many FUN times here with friends, family, neighbors!

Our first grandchild, Taylor!

Our second grandchild, Sophie!

Then & Now: Our Family!