the pursuit of happiness

this weekend was a long one (thanks to the columbus day holiday) and it brought us perfect fall weather. e + i took advantage of the cool, sunny days + decided to go pick a few apples. we headed back to the orchard we visited last year (we're partial to the wine + beer tasting we can do there after we pick), and we grabbed a bushel of numerous crisp varieties. we spent the late afternoon on the porch, looking out over the orchard at the changing leaves + a few quintessential new england steeples dotting the skyline.

a quick reading of the forecast confirmed that saturday would be just as nice + i was SUPERexcited to finally take out my bike. she's a beaut and was one of my roadside treats that i stumbled upon a few months ago. i know, i know, i too am surprised someone would choose to let her go. my friend alyson + i took advantage of the day with ride + picnic along the esplanade. we gathered our group + grilled out in the north end before we headed down to the riverside bocce courts to get our game on. the chill that night reminded us that winter was not far off.

e + i did a little bike loop on sunday as well - dodging octoberfest traffic that morning, before we headed straight for the crowds that afternoon at charlie's beer garden. a re-group on sunday night for yet another grilled dinner was wrapped up with alyson's homemade cider doughnuts + some hot apple cider (with bourbon of course!).

happiness...found.

the road to home.

this summer, my ipod's been repeating this song.
the beat is happy + the lyrics are sweet. but there's just something about it that always makes me tear up.
maybe it's because i think of family, friends, NC, cambridge, my past + my future - all at once.
maybe it's because i remember the afternoon i first heard it (thanks to my friend*), when i had recently opened up my heart again to a home i had long left.
or maybe it's because i think of thomas wolfe's novel, you can't go home again, and i think to myself...how tragic.

"home, let me come home. home is wherever i'm with you. oh, home, yes i am home. home is when i'm alone with you."
- Edward Sharpe + the Magnetic Zeros

*Thanks Steven!