Weekend Getaway

This weekend couldn't have been better. I don't get to spend much time with my sister, and I haven't visited my aunt in a really long time. So, mix my sister's unexpected weekend off, some gas money from my mom, and a hankerin' to get away, and you get:

A beautiful view of the mountains from the front porch;

A swim in the pool;

Breakfast made with a smile by your aunt and cousin;

Night quading through the woods;

And a large dose of sugar from s'mores (or, "schmoes" in my family) right before bed. Also, Aunt Donna got us Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies instead of graham crackers and chocolate. Try it. Pure genius.


I have spent these last three days trying to catch up on sleep. Monday morning, a coworker held the door for me and said "you look exhausted!" But it was all worth it....for a weekend away with my mom and sister in Vermont.

'Tis the season...for color

Saturdays are for projects. In my house, they always have been. They're for working in the yard, they're for loading up the trailer and going to the dump, they're for washing and waxing your car, they're for trips to the lumber yard - and they're definitely for creative projects. I've inherited a hard-working creativity from my parents. I suppose knitting is part of that - and finishing and painting furniture definitely is. When my mom was younger, she bought unfinished furniture and finished it herself for the fun, and for the challenge. She caned her own chairs, reupholstered furniture, and sanded and polyurethaned all the floors in their home. So a while back, when she called me and told me that she picked up cute chairs on the side of the road for us to paint - I knew she meant business. For a while, Dennis and I only had the four chairs that matched the dinner table set that someone from the Fire Dept had so generously given us when we got married. It got a little tricky when we had people over. So my mom knew that we were looking for chairs; free was good and fix-up potential was best! A couple weeks ago, we started washing and priming them, and I put the first coat of paint on one today (and you can the see door that is her current project). And I am looking for the right fabric to use to cover up the ratty seat cushions. Just haven't found it yet.


The chairs will match the bookcase that I painted last month. And looking at how packed the bookcase is - I have no idea how we managed without it before!

Happy Saturday! Did you do anything creative?

New Beginnings and Fun Surprises...

New beginnings...why are new things so much fun? I've put off starting a blog for a long time - but have succumbed because so many people seem to be having so much fun with theirs (especially the hoards of knitting blogs out there). This blog isn't meant for mud-slinging - its meant for a creative outlet, for absent friends to keep contact, and for fun.

Buddhism teaches that new life and reincarnation does not necessarily mean that we physically die and come back to life - it can be having a new experience, or learning a new thing - and moving on with life thereafter. With each new experience, your life is different. And so, we have this fabulous new technology that not only is fun to use, but can be a useful tool to track (and share) our experiences, and our constant rebirth as creative and intelligent human beings.

* * *

A couple weeks ago, my parents adopted a new kitten who is cute as a button. They had sworn that they wouldn't get another one when I took my cat, Eddy, to live with us, but I knew it wouldn't take long. He was scared at first...but now he runs fast and loose.


I like to keep plants...well, I like to try and keep plants. And I was so delighted when I spied this happening in one of my fave plants:



It is so beautiful, and has come right on time for my theme of new beginnings.


So, if I said that our vacation was a week of outdoor fun, I would be wildly exaggerating. Despite our best laid plans (and the kayak on the roof of my car), we really didn't get out much. We went for a rainy hike on Thursday, and a quick paddle and swim on Friday. It was nice to get away, but the rain wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Although, the sun did shine our entire drive home! But we did make the best of it. We relaxed a lot, and it was a good to meet some of Dennis's extended family. We were planning on visiting the UMaine Presque Isle (North of Ordinary!) to see their science museum. But, it was disappointingly closed for renovation. But we did stop to see the Jupiter, which, along with all other eight plants, is along Rte 1 in between Presque Isle and Houlton. It stretches 40 miles, in a scale model of our solar system. It is pretty neat.




And, we were surprised by a lovely crocheted afghan from his great aunt Geneva. I am usually not a fan of finished crochet projects - but this afghan is breathtaking. And I love every stitch of it.



So now we're home and doing laundry, putting away our vacation trinkets, and sighing with satisfaction about a vacation well done. :)