testing, testing, 1,2,3

I have nothing against long rows of pictures, however, I wanted to have my pictures appear in a grid-like fashion. Hence the title. Did it work? Let's see, ah it's getting there.

Sunnies!

This was a volunteer flower and it mades its growing spot right next to our doorstep. If you know me well, you know I love Sunflowers! The big or rather mammoth kind. When I saw the stalk growing right next to our front door I was pleased as punch (don't you say things like that when gushing about flowers?). Just a slice of my piece of nirvana!

Up in the Air

Sometimes life seems to be up in the air. Having had the summer off and now I am looking head to what the Fall brings. I have some ideas that are in the infant stages and I will be encouraging them to develop into bigger and prosperous entities. Maybe that is why I love mobiles. They are objects suspended in the air and move and flow as the breezes blow them. I try to live my days as if I am a mobile, stationary yet flexible.

Getting started

Sometimes it is difficult to gain the momentum needed to get started. When there isn't a deadline, start date any sort of guidelines, getting going can be a challenge. Every morning I get my coffee, turn on my computer and go blank. I can't remember what it is I was looking forward to finding in the vast landscape of the internet. So, I check my email, look at what exciting things people posted on Facebook (ha) and feel a gnawing that I am supposed to be doing something else. I have a plan that is floating around in my skull, but today, right now I will end this and write it down.

Studios

The differences between my husband and I. His "studio" is filled with hard metallic, sharp edged, electronic items. My "studio" is full of soft, crinkly, wet, and natural objects. Very different rooms between the two of us. However, we both create fantastic new objects from all the parts. Our spaces are a curtained doorway apart so we sing to the same songs, have discussions and sometimes work in silence. The need to create is strong between us and our son too. We can spend days making things and showing one another our new creations and the boys understand one another and I understand only mine, but try to see the magic of a motor making a pen balance a ...

Look what I can do!

This summer of transition for me has been full of sanding the house, garage and barn, swimming, napping, sewing and painting. I found what I love to do! I love to sew and I feel that I am good at it, so it is doubly satisfying. I reorganized my sewing room, studio, office, whatever room and made the closet a place for my Wares. I find that setting up the scene is as much a part of the process as the cutting and sewing or prepping and painting. I enjoy my environment to be beautiful, to me.

Peace

There has been a sense of peace coming over me out of nowhere within the past few weeks. A calm that is internal and a feeling of well being, happiness and relaxation. It isn't a feeling I am really acquainted with, but I welcome as it arrives. In reflecting on the last few weeks I know that I have been improving our home with scraping, sanding, filling and painting, cleaning out unneeded items, swimming with my boy, pursuing new ideas in sewing, painting and self improvement. I attribute all of those changes to the unfamiliar feelings of well-being and happiness. The way life should be!

A beautiful place to stay!

Rockland vacation house
This is a friends house....really beautiful and cool place!

Boats

Bald Rock Mountain

The day was sunny, clear and breezy and my son and I decided to go for a hike up to a spot with great, vast views. We pulled into the parking lot, parked in the shade and began our hike up the hill. The horse flies dive bombed us while we walked and we swatted at them with our found sticks. I guess we did a good job combatting them because they left us alone for the rest of the walk. The smell of Balsam wafted from the forest, the earthy smell of rotting wood reached our noses, the birds called through the trees to one another, it was peaceful. Then we reached the wooded trailhead and hiked the steep ascent to the bald rock where we had views all the way to Bar Harbor, Cadillac Mountain and Owls Head and many, many islands. Then a multi-masted schooner sailed into view giving us a peek into the past, what it looked like before the time we live in now. Breathe taking, peaceful and together with my boy.

Oil an apropos topic

While at an evening event I spied something on the horizon, big, lit up and did I mention big, really big! No it wasn't one of the giant motor cruisers, it was bigger than life. It was and still is an oil drilling rig that is here to have its thrusters replaced. My son and I decided to get a better look the next day and walked one of our favorite walks on the breakwater. Looming off to the left was a giant ship with a coast guard ship to make sure boaters don't get within a 100 yard radius of it. I hope they are putting together something to fix the spewing well in the south while "fixing" this drilling ship.

First weekend of summer

From the street Solstice festival to the evening on the lake, Maine has beauty and photo opportunities to offer. Today is the solstice and to celebrate the longest day of the year we went to one of our favorite beaches for a picnic of Curried Chicken Salad and a swim in the river that leads to the ocean. I may be covered in sand still, but I don't really care and I just might bring my sandy feet into my bed. I can't fully absorb the beauty of our home and do not understand why more people don't visit us.

Blue Bird

The end of the school year dinner was hosted by the director of the school. Her house is situated on some open land, the yard worked into bushy gardens and the field lined with bird houses, specifically blue bird houses. Apparently, the swallows and blue birds have a home sharing arrangement, according to the lady of the house. I have been practicing sitting and doing nothing. There are so many times when I feel a sense of uneasiness and discomfort within my own skin. Walking out the front door to sit in my bright green Adirondack chair and just sit, feel the breeze, listen to the wind blowing the wind chime and catching a glimpse of a red tail hawk gliding above and breathing in the stillness. What does this have to do with the blue bird... happiness!

I wish there was smell-a-vision

Every time I set out on a bike ride I smell scents that are rivals to the beautiful flowers that emit them. Inside my mind I utter, "I wish I could send this scent, I wish there was smell-a-vision." The roses, the lupines, the fields of wild flower honey scent excites my sense of smell. Just imagine.

Look at where we live!

The title exclamation is uttered at least twice a day by my husband and I. The hills, the ocean, the fields, the lack of people and buildings all reasons why we love where we live.
It was a warm sunny evening after a cool cloudy day and we decided to climb up one of our favorite "view" spots. With cold pizza, a sandwich and pepsi in tote we walked up the hill. The wildflowers are in full bloom due to the early summer weather we have had this year. There were Rugosa Roses, daisies, buttercups, strawberry flowers, lupine and more I cannot identify. On top of the hill is an old, but renovated, tea house from a time gone by. It has a sod roof and beautiful field stone siding and a view that captures my breath. What did we each utter while sitting and eating our makeshift picnic...."Look at where we live!"

Who cooks for you?

Every night, well almost every night, a Barred Owl or two sit outside my window asking me the same question, who cooks for you? I sometimes wonder this myself. Sometimes it's Cappy's, Applebees, Tamarind, Subway, The Badger Cafe and more. When I am ill my boy cooks for me. He cooks the best omelet I have ever had and can butter a delicious slice of toast too. I ask you, who cooks for you, all?

The black one.

The black one and her meowing is missing from our house. The song will have to change. The cow-cat wonders where she is and meows to fill the silence. Where is the black one who annoyed us to no end. I will look and call and wonder where she went. She is back again and up to her antics: knocking pieces of jewelry off the dresser at 5 a.m., getting under foot at every turn I take, incessantly grooming herself shaking the entire bed. Good to have the black one back.

88 degrees and swimming at the Mill

The Mill is a big hit in summertime. It is a gathering place for all the neighbors and friends to strut their stuff and drink a beer and have some smokes, oh and to swim! One day last summer while baby-sitting for a friend who lives near the Mill I was graced with a show of a 30+ year old man wagging his penis and trying to pee on a friend(?). I hurriedly brought the little girl inside to avoid having to explain what was going on...I didn't really understand myself. Today the usual crowd gathered, I wanted to get a closer photo but thought it would be better to be far away. On the edge of the watering hole just above the raging water, where the Mill creates its energy, a baby sat in its stroller. Mom and Dad did cannon balls off of the bridge. I admit it is fun doing cannonballs off the bridge. My son and I do them frequently when the Mill is not so busy. It is a treat to ride our bikes to the Mill with towels around our necks and splash into the cool water.

Oh did I mention...

Did I mention that the abandoned house had an array of what I think is Iranian magazines strewn about the room. Hmm? 1990, abandoned house...what does it mean, who were they and why did they leave?

Early morning and long noisy night!

It was a hot day yesterday so I opened our bedroom windows all the way. I was awakened by a sneeze, my son's allergies are raging right now, and then closed my eyes to hear a "HOOT!", then another "HOOT!" and then another "HOOT!", then I lay awake awaiting the next owl call, but it did not come. I did however hear an ensemble of loons from the lake nearby, cows bellowing on the farm down the road and then, and then...my cat! She knew I was awake and the crazy desire to be rubbed-fest began. Wide awake tossing and turning I couldn't wait for the first Cock-a-doodle-do!

Old Abandoned House

Something that has always fascinated and intrigued me is abandoned, run down houses. On a bike ride yesterday I rode by a house I have driven by many times. I noticed a broken window and a curtain flapping outside the window. I rode past it and then turned around dropped my bike and bushwhacked my way to the window. Oh my god! The house was abandoned, there was a "fainting" couch, a desk, an upright piano and papers all over the floors. Right below the window was a magazine from 1990 in Persian. I walked around the house hoping to see more: the bathroom: broken tub, and one pink foam curler on the floor, the bedroom: two beds, mattress on spring frame, and one of the beds was up on the end and papers and clothes all over the floor. I tried to get around further but I heard a noise and the bushes were so tall I couldn't get around. Next time I will bring my clippers. More bike rides to come and hopefully more houses to wonder about why the people left all their items and where they are now.