Blogger meetup and other weekend activities

I had a busy Saturday this weekend. First, I had a blogger meetup with Sharon from A New England Life and Susan of From Beyond My Kitchen Window.  I made the arrangements and we were meeting for lunch at Michael's Harborside in Newburyport. 

As I got ready for my meetup, I found myself primping and laboring over what to wear. I had to laugh at myself. You'd think I was going on a first date and wanting to make a good first impression. I ended up choosing jeans and a sweater and wearing no makeup. I thought I should just be myself and it would be fine. This was my very first meeting with bloggers.

I arrived in Newburyport a little early so I decided to explore the historic district. This church's graveyard interested me.

The old homes in the neighborhood were fabulous. I loved their colors, the doors, interesting gates. I wish I'd had more time to look around before lunch.

At noon, the weather was fabulous.  We could have opted for outside dining but I had reserved a table indoors by the window. The scene was beautiful from beyond our harborside table (that's for you Susan)!

The conversation flowed naturally between Susan, Sharon and I.  We talked about our families, kids, pets and of course our blogs! I was so pleased we all got along so well and we discussed doing a day trip to Rockport sometime.

By the way, the food was wonderful at Michael's Harborside. My lobster roll was perfect, not too much mayo, the right amount of meat, and the roll was grilled nicely.

Susan gave us a rosemary plant. The fragrant smell of the herb was wonderful as I drove home from lunch.

Susan had some other things to do Saturday afternoon so she went home and Sharon and I wanted
to do some exploring.  Sharon knew the area better than I did. As we were walking to her car we heard the rumble of thunder. We knew the rain was not far behind.

Sharon took me out by Plum Island and showed me some of the high points of the area. We also went to
Tendercrop Farm.  When we got out of the car, we saw an ominous sky and swirling clouds.

This cloud looked like the beginnings of a funnel cloud. The sky was very dramatic and Sharon and
I grabbed our cameras and started snapping the action above us.

Other people at the farm were also looking skyward to see if the weather was going to take
a turn for the worst.  Luckily, it did not.

It sure made for some interesting shots. A quick change in the weather from the sunny skies of
just two hours before!

I love to be near the ocean when there is a storm but I prefer to be inside!

Cute sign in the shop at Tendercrop Farm. I love the sentiment!  Nice soft color scheme in the display, very beachy!

Lots of flora and fauna on display at the farm and produce, home baked goodies, gifts.

A lovely display at the shop.  I have been looking for a chippy bureau like this for my bedroom.

The thunderstorms followed me home as evidenced by my smart phone.  I still had another party to go to.  I hoped the weather didn't get too bad.

My friend Debbi was having a Kentucky Derby party.  One of her friends brought her hat to the
party along with a rum cake.  Nice job, Linda!

So we all made our picks for the derby. For each dollar put in the pot, you could pick a horse. I, of course, had to go with Derby Kitten who did not win, place, or show.  Debbi is actually going to donate all of the monies (since nobody won) to a horse sanctuary.

Today is Mother's Day and my sister and I had lunch at the Nursing Home with my mom. We gave her an outfit from J Jill. My mom used to always dress up even to go shopping.  So we try to buy her some cute clothes for special occasions. She liked the outfit. She'll be comfortable and stylish in her raspberry sherbet colored tunic and gray pants.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms in blogland! Hope you had a fabulous weekend!