The Long Hot Summer...

We have had one hot, humid summer, with little rain, and the forecast is for more of the same. Yesterday was cooler but humid so we left all the windows open overnight and it was a cool 65 this morning. I baked a blueberry breakfast cake...

Threw the sneaks on and went for a very long walk.

Picked what blackberries that were ripe. I then took up residence in our living room where we installed a small air conditioner that is the only place in the house bearable. The temps climbed and the humidity rose and it is still miserable at 7:14pm.

Another way we beat the heat this week was to go to the local theater and watch ON Golden Pond on the big screen. There was a question and answer after with the writer and he brought his Oscar (not sure why I didn't take a picture of it. ) The movie was filmed in our town and on the lake here. My favorite movie of all time! If you have never watched it, rent it!

The one upside of the heat today, I hooked! I got more leaves done and a tiny bit of background. I have not settled on the beaks of the birds yet.

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My brother is coming from Mississippi on Tuesday for a week.

I am looking forward to it I haven't seen him in a couple of years!

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On a weird note I heard my cell phone ringing at 6:15. If it was anyone who knew us and it was an emergency they would know to call the house phone. I looked at the number and it is not one I recognize. I worried because there was a message I couldn't understand so I waited. (the number when I tried to call it back it would not go through) tonight I get a call from the same number it is jail! yikes I talk to the girl and she had the wrong number! I was happy it was the wrong number, but I felt sorry for her. She felt bad for calling my number. ( I have no idea why she was arrested but she sounded very young and was very polite and apologized)

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Have a great week!

A Big Birthday....

Thursday I had a big birthday, The day started with a call from my daughter and sweet B who sang happy birthday.

Then the mail box only contained birthday cards!

It finished with dinner out with husband.

The next day we headed to ride the train in Conway that was having a birthday party. Music, cake, and balloons very fun.

That evening my daughter and son in law made me dinner. Amazing steak tips! With lots of Miss B time. We spent the weekend in a B&B near by.

Saturday we yard saled and I found a few treasures ,that old bottle brush tree was 50 cents! A great handmade mug and some tea lights out of a free box.

A lobster feast was up Sat night! So good!

My daughter and son in law not really sure lobster is their thing but

they gave it a great try. Love them both so much!

Then we were off to an old fashion wooden bridge dance!

          The structure inside a covered bridge is always just amazing and how fun to have a dance right on the bridge. And dance we did Miss B just had a blast with all her fun moves!

An amazing gift from my daughter and son in law, the acorn!

My first Alex and Ani bracelet.

The humble acorn holds the potential of the mighty oak. Sometimes, the biggest blessings come in the smallest packages, Recognize and receive the serendipitous gifts of the universe. Miracles come when you least expect them. Open your mind, heart, and soul to receiving life's unexpected blessings.

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I am truly blessed.

Dear Diary...

It has been a long hot summer so far and I am tired of the humid air. This weekend we drove to Maine for a cookout with family.

This was the scene on the way home. It kept getting better and better but it was hard to catch in a moving truck.

Today we are having light rain which we need desperately. This little bird decided he would people watch while eating. This feeder is under cover so he was high and dry. 

I got caught up on laundry and watched old movies.

It just doesn't get any better than this! Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in High Society

It was full of great old Jazz, can you tell I loved it!

I hooked a bit today

And because our freezer door was left a tiny bit open on the hottest

day of the year and everything defrosted ugg..

I have tried to bake and use up as much as I could out of the freezer. Thankfully I had cooked out of the freezer most of the week before so really not a lot was lost.

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I do write in a diary nightly and the rule is it has to be positive. I started it when husband was sick and it kept me sane.

Some days there is so much to be thankful for but other days, I am thankful for getting through the day in one piece.

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I am looking forward to next weekend as we will see my sweet family for the whole weekend how I have missed my daughter, sweet B and my son in law!

Bloom Where You Are Planted.....

I know that is a tired old saying. But a while a go we toyed with the idea of moving closer to our sweet B. We only have one daughter and one grandchild, they live a hour away.(I know I know it could be worse.) But by the time we see her again 5 weeks will have passed. But.....

I drive only 5 minutes to work and I have 5 more years of work, so

it made no sense to make the move at this time. So we stay and bloom. Last week we hiked to watch the full moon rise over NH. I will tell you coming down in the dark was a bit creepy yikes!

We went to a concert in our local common.

Took a little hike today to profile falls, yes those people at the top scare the you know what out of me.There is a large swimming whole at the bottom and no they can not jump or they will die.

We jumped in the kayak and headed for the blueberries on our favorite pond. We hit a honey hole of beautiful blueberries. We ran out of containers so we had to head home. I am cleaning and freezing them now. I made blueberry scones this morning, with fresh coffee such a great way to start the day.

We have been in the heat and humidity. More than is normal for us

last night it broke and whole hail! I thought it was coming through our skylights.

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I hope your week was a good one and you got to enjoy a piece of the summer.

It Is About The Little Things.....

Sat morning we headed out with friends for a garden tour

put on by a local garden club. While the gardens were beautiful

It was all about the settings. Yes this is what this house looked at everyday.....sigh....

This is a little section of garden by their back deck so lovely

We spied fairy houses at some of the homes,so lucky to have a fairy living near by..

And while there were so many beautiful gardens, I came home to mine. This is by the back door nope no fairies living there.

This is a rare selfie and it makes me laugh, we look so serious. We were on kayaks,I think we were trying to figure it out and forgot to smile.

A great paddle with Loons and their babies coming so close I could have touched the babies. I just sat as still as I could and they swam by, the little babies are a ball of fuzz and make little noises all the time. Pure joy to be so close. One of the adults saw me and started calling I was a bit scared as they are big birds and could hurt me if they wanted,but I kept very still and they forgot about me and continued to dive for fish.

Every Thursday is farmer's market day. A young man was selling his mushrooms so fun to see how he grows them. He is turning his family land back into farm land. He had such a big smile on his face when he was telling me this.  

I got Deanne's new book in the mail and I have spent some porch sitting time reading it. A wealth of information.

I feel the world is spinning out of control, my heart is so broken. So we are staying close to home in our little tiny town and do the things that make us happy. We have found the little things make us the happiest a good meal, a good walk, a paddle on a pond, and great company of family and friends.

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I hope you are all safe and finding your joy.

A Ruby

Summer is in full swing here in NH. Lots of porch sitting..

Concerts on the town common and as always thrifting.

I have taken the best part of 3 days to really clean out my spare room that I use for my wool. I had a car full to take to the thrift store, and really while I was there I had to look around. Lookie what I found! 3.50 for both no cracks perfect in everyway! so happy!

I have also acquired a new hook for my collection thanks to my sweet friend.

My bowl is getting full of great hooks.

I think I have lost my hooking mojo.

Nothing seems right to me, I pull out more than I put in.

So I have found the ruby beholder. It is a tool to help

with color planning. I am hoping it helps me because I need help!

It is mostly used by quilters but I was told a long time ago

it can be a help color planning a rug, we shall see.

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Have a great week.

Home From The Beach

We are blessed with wonderful friends who own a beach house

in Maine, You can't get any better than this...

The sunset from the back decks were lovely this is reflecting in the

river in the back.

We ate and drank very well.

We headed to Kennebunk for some shopping. I though this boat

full of flowers was so cute and they were all over town.

Well since we were in Kennebunk I had to hit camp wool

They have moved just up the street from where they were before and what a good move. Lots of light and space. Of course I bought a bit of wool who wouldn't?

We hit Bentley's for lunch it is a biker bar, but lunch time is very

mellow and the food is great. Husband had a great time.

I took an extra day off so I had the day to

weed the garden, clean out my spare bedroom and get caught up

on my laundry. Back to work tomorrow.

I hope your holiday was a good one.