New England: It's Wicked Cool

In the course of my 30+ years on the planet I have lived in many places.  I went to graduate school and met my husband in central Illinois.  I taught college students in south central Kentucky.  I currently live just outside Nashville.  But I was born and bred in New England.

During August I was fortunate enough to go home to visit my family in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, seeing aunts, uncles and cousins that I haven't seen in years.  In some cases it had been nearly two decades!  Whoever said you can't go home again, obviously wasn't from New England.  I was welcomed back with open arms and a cold Sam Adams.  (Always a good choice.)

Being home made me reflect on New England as a whole, and the many things I love about the region.  The lush forests that blanket the landscape.  Pristine mountains as far as the eye can see.  The sun shining on the waters of the Atlantic.  And the utter perfection of a good old fashioned clam bake.

I tried to include a little bit of the beauty and individuality of each state and its history in this bracelet, as well as some of the things the region as a whole is known for.  The charms include all six states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as Boston with a tiny USS Constitution hanging from it, a lobster for its fantastic seafood and fishing industry, a leaf for foliage season, mountain for the White, Green, Longfellow & Appalachian ranges, moose, lighthouse, pilgrim from the early colonies, ships wheel for its maritime and sailing traditions, hiking boots & walking stick for the many national forests, snowflake, and two tiny skiers on a chair lift.

The beads are a mix of Czech glass and pressed glass shells in shades of frost, yankee red and colonial blue.  And even though I just got back a few weeks ago, just working on this made me homesick all over again.  I'd like to indulge in a lobster roll and a Boston Lager to make myself feel better, but sadly I don't trust lobster in Tennessee and I can't find a proper hotdog bun to serve it on down here.  Seriously, why hasn't the rest of the country caught on yet about the joy of grilled split-top buns?

Well I might not have a lobster roll handy, but I do have a beer.  So while I go enjoy that, please enjoy the hilarity that is the Boston Teens sketches from Saturday Night Live, featuring Jimmy Fallon, Rachel Dratch, and Ben Affleck.  You're welcome.