Happy October everyone. We have finally arrived at my favorite month of the year. I know it’s been a few days since I left my short messages asking for your prayers, so where do I start?? Well that’s easy really - with what is most important – family. My dad is home and doing well. I got him home late Friday afternoon finally. He had one major test and the cause of his bleeding was determined and it is nothing serious – THANK GOODNESS! I had stocked my parents cupboard and refrigerator with food including some seasonal treats, so they stayed in all weekend and recuperated and eating heartily! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your well wishes and prayers. It meant a lot to me and really helped me during all the uncertainty.
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
Now on the lighter fare! So many of you have asked about my trip to Maine to visit Jill. It was wonderful. Spending time with a dear friend is always a blessing but it sure was nice that the weather was simply PERFECT! Dry and sunny but cool. I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t more color in the trees when I was there, but there was enough to know it is fall in New England and make me happy. Jill is a wonderful host and I had my own king sized bed and on-suite bath! How cool is that? When I got there at noon on Friday, she has a delicious salad waiting and she had stuffed cabbage cooking on the slow cooker for dinner Friday nigh. I grew up eating stuffed cabbage and made it a time or two myself, but not in years since Jay moved out because he was the only other cabbage lover Behind My Red Door. Jill’s recipe was delicious and a real treat.
So you want to know about the shopping do you? We visited these shops on Friday. If they have a website that I could find, I have included it. Otherwise the address is given. The first stop was to Camp Wool on Route 1 in Wells Maine. It was right next door to a little pond and the setting was so quaint. Inside were so many bolts and stacks of cut wool, it was truly mind boggling! The hooked rugs on display were just gorgeous!! She holds classes and retreats in the open loft are upstairs. I only got a few little scraps of wool from the scrap bin but Jill got several pieces so she can start wool appliqué as well. If you love wool, it is worth the trip!
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
From there we headed over to Jeremiah Campbell in Cape Neddick. The grounds outside are just gorgeous. 
Isn’t this inviting? Inside – eye candy! Wonderful furniture and accessories too. I could make a nice wish list here!
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
Because it was late afternoon by then, we rushed over to a cute little store called the Colonial Attic before she shut for the day. This shop is closing soon unfortunately but that meant some things were on sale! Lucky us! 
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
Saturday morning bright and early we made a beeline for a sale at the home of Mike and Mary Descoteaux in Saco (no address on the business card – sorry!) They also do the craft show circuit and are known as Oak Hill Creations. They make their own wooden items and we both found treasures there – VERY VERY REASONABLE!! Now you already know Jill makes furniture so when she says “buy it it~ is worth it” who am I to question her? I’m just sayin….!
Next we headed over to 632 Shapleigh Corner Rd., Shapleigh to Country Treasures. They don’t allow pictures but I snuck this one. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone! We always find a little treasure here. Jill found several this time!
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
And then I set my GPS once again and we made the drive through more of the beautiful Maine countryside to The Country Collection, 230 Sokokis Ave in Limington. I was just captivated by the lovely grounds here. Every single area on the property is so nicely landscaped. It really has one of the nicest settings of any shop I have been to.This sign is on the right as you pull in…
and this is on the left as you pull in….
The shop itself sits close to the road at the bottom of the hill next to orchards. All the sidewalks are cobblestone and granite edged. It really was so pretty and so inviting.
Up the hill behind the shop is this wonderful barn. There are lovely stone walls and more cobblestone sidewalks and patios and little garden areas.
More views of this barn. On the right you can see the shopkkeepers Cape style house. I can only imagine how wonderful it is inside! She told us she mixes her antiques with new pieces and some whimsical prims. 
Here is another barn on the property.
This is the view of the front of this barn. You can see the cobblestone driveway.
And the garden shop. The little annex on the side had some wonderful jugs and other antiques. 
And look at this primitive gate in an opening of a stone wall….
And inside you are greeted by this wonderful seasonal display. Jill says it is set up nicely each season. The shop has prims and some antiques as well. Just a wonderful place to stop!! It made me want to come home and re-do our entire yard and sidewalks and gardens! Mr. Red Door wasn’t going for that though. Oh well….I tried!
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
From there we enjoyed some early foliage 
as we headed to Primitives in Pine in Hollis, Maine. Deb and Jamie make the most gorgeous furniture and the shop has all the accessories you need to finish furnishing your home. And they are the nicest people! I always love stopping here. The property is for sale if you are looking for a gorgeous colonial home on a river in Maine!! Comes with with a great barn too. Mr. Red Door wasn’t going for that suggestion either!
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
And last but not least, we headed over Winterberry Barn, 247 Long Plains Rd in Buxton. Jill Russo owns this adorable shop and property. When we arrived, she was outside watering her mums and I asked her permission to take some pictures and she so graciously said I could. Now isn’t this inviting? Her home is just as lovely. I wish I had taken more pictures outside. It just makes you want to peak inside!
And inside is full of all kinds of goodies. Jill and her husband make their wood pieces as well. They are so talented! 
When we got inside I explained I would be putting the pictures on my blog and I told her I found out about her shop from a blog post last fall by a fellow blogger, Birgit of The Primitive Country Bug. Jill knew Birgit of course. Then she mentioned that she read some blogs and then she asked me if I happened to know of the Behind My Red Door blog that she loved! Well of course I was just tickled pink to tell her that I am Behind My Red Door! We had so much fun chatting. 
She even showed the other Jill and I her home> some parts of it are very old and what a wonderful job she and her hubby did on the new kitchen! Jill and I were aaahing and ooohing in every room!! It was our last stop of the afternoon and it certainly was a delightful way to end the shopping excursion.
After we arrived back at Jill’s house, it was time for me to head for home. Thanks again Jill for your friendship and hospitality!
As much fun as it was getting away overnight and having such wonderful accommodations and food and companionship, it was wonderful to come home again. Sometimes it takes a break from home to make you really appreciate all you have been blessed with all over again. It was wonderful to be missed while I was gone. Liliana sent me three picture text messages to tell me she missed me. Okay, maybe it wasn’t her – maybe it was her mommy and daddy - but they still hit the spot. And it felt good when Mr. Red Door called to say he missed me too. And my stinky kid Jen texted me too. Family – they are the best. And it was wonderful to come home to a nice clean and tidy home just the way I left it. Thanks Honey for not leaving pizza crumbs and peanut shells all over the place! Yes, coming home felt good. Home is where MY heart is!
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
After Jill’s visit here a few weekends ago, I mentioned the buttermold she gave to me to add to my collection. I finally hung them this week. They fit perfectly on this sliver of wall by the back door.
And here are the goodies I got in Maine…
I got this wonderful mirror with a shelf and dowel for display. It is just what I needed in the foyer as you come in Behind My Red Door. The hooked rug above it and table square hanging below it are from my trip as well. 
And with the early coat rack Jill made me, the foyer is finally coming together! 
I also brought home this iron candle holder….
…and the leaf sprays in this fall arrangement. I had the corn stalks and acorns already but the softer colors of the leaves were just what they needed. 
and lastly, this little white pumpkin! 
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
On this cool and very rainy weekend, Mr. Red Door and I were originally going to be away on our fall vacation. We plan a driving trip each year to see some sights, lots of foliage and if we are lucky, a friend or two. This year we had plans to go to New Brunswick to see Kathy and Stephen ,and Carolee and Rick, as well as King’s Landing and more if we could fit it in. But when it became clear that Mr. Red Door was going to receive a job offer from this new company, we knew if he accepted it, he wouldn’t have vacation time yet, so instead we contemplated a short weekend getaway. Then as the week unfolded with my dad, and the horrid weather reports for New England came in, we decided it wasn’t to be. Liliana’s Christening is next weekend and I have friends coming on the 17th, and the foliage will be gone by the following weekend. SIGH!
Instead we are doing some woodworking!! In fact I have been working on this post little by little in between the times I am needed in the garage. If we can pull this off, I will be one happy and frankly, VERY surprised gal. DH knows how to run the Shopsmith and use all the attachments and do all the heavy lifting etc. I plan out what size pieces of wood needed to be cut and how they need to be assembled and in what order. But we speak different languages when it comes to joining those two forces. I can see it all clearly assembled in my head and but that is not where his strengths are so explaining it in a way we each understand is our challenge. So we work on this like we have every other challenge in the last 34+ years of marriage!!! Gingerly!
I really hope to have something to show and tell by the 17th of THIS month! Now don’t you go asking me what we are making because a gal has to have some secrets, doesn’t she?
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
I am playing catch up reading blogs this weekend when time permits. I am so enjoying all the fall recipes and decorating and tweaking I see going on. And even more than that, the support and friendship so many bloggers extend to each other – especially in times of need – like you all did for me. Can we live without blogs? Of course. Should they come before family and friends and God or our spiritual beliefs? Of course not. But they can be a wonderful way to connect and inspire and share with others. And I hope you find that whenever you stop by Behind My Red Door.
No matter whatever your weekend holds, I hope you are enjoying some fall goodness because this season is all too short!
Until next time – hugs, Grammy Linda
