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| This strip of fabrics is where it all started |
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| I love the swirls of orange and green |
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| Purple works its way in nicely |
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| Old-fashioned patterns ~ one treasured piece left from long ago |
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Pocketful Of Posies
I have been sewing, piecing together scraps of fabric. In need of a project, one that didn't require a lot of planning but used lots of patterns and bright colors, I turned to fabric I inherited from my daughter. Flowers in pink and purple caught my eye. We are a long way from spring outside but inside I can work with flowers to my heart's content ~
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Home Again
I am back in Maine. My son and grandson drove me to the airport early Saturday morning. Kenneth was sound asleep in his car seat when I looked at him one last time. I didn't want to leave. My son had said from the beginning that I could change my ticket and stay longer, and I had packed everything I would need to stay at least ten days. There has been no word on my lost luggage, so it made sense to stick to the original schedule - not that I think it would have been any easier to leave days later. Maybe people thought my red eyes indicated I had a bad cold. I do feel badly about not being able to talk to the nice man who sat next to me on the first leg of the trip. He tried to make conversation and I could only manage one word answers before I needed to turn back to the window. I knew this would be hard. I didn't know how gut-wrenching it would feel to leave, to be so far away....
There were flight delays up and down the East Coast throughout the day due to bad weather, but I had only an hour delay in departing Charlotte, North Carolina. We were told just before landing in Portland, Maine that it would be an instrument landing and once outside I could see why. There was the thickest fog I have seen in years. It wasn't an easy drive, but Ken did a good job getting us home safely.
I'm home, but I left my heart in San Francisco....
There were flight delays up and down the East Coast throughout the day due to bad weather, but I had only an hour delay in departing Charlotte, North Carolina. We were told just before landing in Portland, Maine that it would be an instrument landing and once outside I could see why. There was the thickest fog I have seen in years. It wasn't an easy drive, but Ken did a good job getting us home safely.
I'm home, but I left my heart in San Francisco....
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Take Your Chances
This post is for my husband, who wants to see a picture of me with our grandson. Here you go, Ken. I've been smiling at Kenneth all week. Oh, and before I add the photo...you've bought my lottery ticket for Saturday, right? Good. Here you are. The good-looking fella behind us is my son Peter~
The yellow blouse is new. My luggage is officially lost. When I arrived at the airport Saturday evening the airline said my bag had been scanned in San Francisco, so if I couldn't find it someone else must have picked it up by mistake. Seventy-two hours later the airline told my son that they'd received a number of calls about missing luggage, which apparently was subject to delays and cancellations even if passengers successfully completed the trip.
It has been hard for me to wrap my head around the problem. I have never spent so much time planning or care packing for a trip. I wanted to look and feel good all week. I packed my favorite clothes and two new blouses I'd been saving for a special occasion. I packed my best skin care products, my most comfortable shoes, and outfits that coordinated in layers. It has been cool but my sweaters are somewhere out there, so I've been wearing a coat I didn't expect to need once I was off the plane. I had to have something other than the clothes on my back so I picked up three tops and two pairs of jeans Monday, none of which fit especially well. I may never check luggage again ~ I can throw a few of my own clothes in a carry-on and look better than I have this week.
It has been an opportunity to practice "release," my word for the year. Either I picked the perfect word for 2014 or this year is going to be an exercise in futility. I have had a hard time letting go of my disappointment. My son thinks my luggage will turn up, and I appreciate his optimism, but I'm not so sure. There were items that can't be replaced, and oddly I've been better able to make peace with that than how uncomfortable I've felt all week. I don't get a do-over of this trip.
I did take Kenneth for a walk into town today. He loves the motion of the stroller. The newest baby equipment is amazing ~ the same carrier that snaps into the car seat can snap just as easily into the stroller. Kenneth was content as long as I kept moving, which helped me walk off the calories of that coconut cupcake~
I have spent a good part of the week watching this precious baby sleep~
The yellow blouse is new. My luggage is officially lost. When I arrived at the airport Saturday evening the airline said my bag had been scanned in San Francisco, so if I couldn't find it someone else must have picked it up by mistake. Seventy-two hours later the airline told my son that they'd received a number of calls about missing luggage, which apparently was subject to delays and cancellations even if passengers successfully completed the trip.
It has been hard for me to wrap my head around the problem. I have never spent so much time planning or care packing for a trip. I wanted to look and feel good all week. I packed my favorite clothes and two new blouses I'd been saving for a special occasion. I packed my best skin care products, my most comfortable shoes, and outfits that coordinated in layers. It has been cool but my sweaters are somewhere out there, so I've been wearing a coat I didn't expect to need once I was off the plane. I had to have something other than the clothes on my back so I picked up three tops and two pairs of jeans Monday, none of which fit especially well. I may never check luggage again ~ I can throw a few of my own clothes in a carry-on and look better than I have this week.
It has been an opportunity to practice "release," my word for the year. Either I picked the perfect word for 2014 or this year is going to be an exercise in futility. I have had a hard time letting go of my disappointment. My son thinks my luggage will turn up, and I appreciate his optimism, but I'm not so sure. There were items that can't be replaced, and oddly I've been better able to make peace with that than how uncomfortable I've felt all week. I don't get a do-over of this trip.
I did take Kenneth for a walk into town today. He loves the motion of the stroller. The newest baby equipment is amazing ~ the same carrier that snaps into the car seat can snap just as easily into the stroller. Kenneth was content as long as I kept moving, which helped me walk off the calories of that coconut cupcake~
I have spent a good part of the week watching this precious baby sleep~
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Across The Country
Saturday I made the trip to California. Fortunately, when I picked the date in November I chose the one good-weather day to fly in a four day period. Since Thursday two separate weather systems have moved through Chicago and into Maine where cancellations and delays have wreaked havoc for travelers. I left Maine after one storm and before another, and I flew into Chicago just in time to leave for San Francisco before the second storm stalled air travel.
Peter and Claudia and Kenneth met me at the airport. It has been a long time since I held an infant, and I am amazed at everything about him. We are in complete baby mode here and it's wonderful.
There's more going on but for now I will leave you with photos from today. Enjoy ~
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| De-icing the planes |
There's more going on but for now I will leave you with photos from today. Enjoy ~
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| Kenneth isn't rolling over by himself yet |
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| Though he pushes with his arms and legs |
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| He stretches and flexes |
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| And listens |
Friday, January 3, 2014
What's In A Word
Well, it's official. We are buried in snow. I don't actually know the definition of "buried in snow" but I can tell you that we are and there should be a definition that reflects our current situation. And? It's cold, as in we were hoping today that the mercury would reach zero.
We are okay. I ordered oil but yesterday the oil truck driver decided that he couldn't make it up our driveway due to the ice crystal coating. Our oil tank is half full so we should be okay until next week when they will try again. I turned the thermostats down to 62 which, when it's below zero outside, feels comfortable. My hope is that this weather is not indicative of what we can expect for the next three months.
In thinking about the coming year I have followed with interest Carolynn's process in choosing a word for 2014. Some years I choose a word and some years a word chooses me. I waited and waited for a word to come to me for 2013 but it didn't happen; it's not something that can be forced.
This year was different. After I read Carolynn's first post on the topic, a word started following me around. I would think about how to handle a situation and this word would show up. It fit. I didn't want it to be my word ~ it wasn't positive or encouraging, even though it was good advice. I needed a nicer way to say "detach."
I turned to my Angel Cards to see if another word fit the bill for 2014. When I turned over one of the cards, I knew immediately that it was my word for the year, a word that is productive and promising when paired with the right intention. This word has the potential for freedom from anxiety and worry, from obsessing over expectations, from trying to control outcomes, from holding onto things that I have no business holding onto.
My word for 2014 is "release." I have tried it out and it works.
Sometimes I need a reminder to let go ~
We are okay. I ordered oil but yesterday the oil truck driver decided that he couldn't make it up our driveway due to the ice crystal coating. Our oil tank is half full so we should be okay until next week when they will try again. I turned the thermostats down to 62 which, when it's below zero outside, feels comfortable. My hope is that this weather is not indicative of what we can expect for the next three months.
In thinking about the coming year I have followed with interest Carolynn's process in choosing a word for 2014. Some years I choose a word and some years a word chooses me. I waited and waited for a word to come to me for 2013 but it didn't happen; it's not something that can be forced.
This year was different. After I read Carolynn's first post on the topic, a word started following me around. I would think about how to handle a situation and this word would show up. It fit. I didn't want it to be my word ~ it wasn't positive or encouraging, even though it was good advice. I needed a nicer way to say "detach."
I turned to my Angel Cards to see if another word fit the bill for 2014. When I turned over one of the cards, I knew immediately that it was my word for the year, a word that is productive and promising when paired with the right intention. This word has the potential for freedom from anxiety and worry, from obsessing over expectations, from trying to control outcomes, from holding onto things that I have no business holding onto.
My word for 2014 is "release." I have tried it out and it works.
Sometimes I need a reminder to let go ~
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
2013 In Movies
As I've read through blogs this week, it has become clear that 2013 was not a banner year for many of us. It was a tough year for a lot of people for a lot of different reasons. My hope is that 2014 is better all around for all of us.
My motto is "When the going gets tough, go to the movies." This year was slim on my kind of movies at the theater, though I saw a few good ones. A valid substitute in my house is Netflix. This year my list includes more inspired-by-real-life movies and documentaries than usual. I am serious about picking only the best of the best, so this year I have only nine movies that I highly recommend over all others.
In January I rented The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel because I wanted to see it again [I will own this movie someday]. This movie speaks to me about growing older and not settling for the way life has always been just because that might be easier than making a change. This movie gives me hope that there's still a lot of living left to do. Judi Dench is wonderful.
In April I watched The Intouchables on DVD. I found it hard to understand the premise of the movie when I saw it previewed in theaters, so I passed it by. By the time it was on DVD I had read positive press that sparked my interest. It required a commitment of my total attention because it has subtitles, which was not an issue when I finally sat down to watch it. Totally worth every minute, this is a unique story based on the actual life of a man confined to a wheelchair who hires an unlikely companion. Their story is inspiring. I immediately recommended the movie to a friend who swaps Netflix recommendations with me, and she loved it, too.
In July I saw The Way Way Back at the theater. I have already raved about this movie here.
For our anniversary in September Ken and I saw Still Mine with a friend at an independent theater in Damariscotta, Maine. I had seen previews of this film, which stars James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold, about an elderly couple who fight authorities so they can build a more manageable home in their town in rural New Brunswick. The story is true; the grit and determination are to be admired.
From the first preview I knew I wanted to see James Gandolfini's last performance in Enough Said. His co-star is Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and the story is about first impressions, misconceptions, miscommunication, and how hard it can be to make things right. I liked this movie a lot.
Stories We Tell is a documentary written and directed by Sarah Polley, who interviewed family and family friends to gain a deeper understanding of the life of her mother, who died when Sarah was eleven years old. The story that unfolds on film is pieced together from a variety of perspectives because no one has the complete picture. This is a mystery that is solved right in front of us...
As is the story titled Searching for Sugar Man. I thought I knew what this documentary was all about and started watching it while I was sewing. Halfway through the story took a turn I didn't expect. Now I was paying attention! I enjoyed the music so much that I'd like to have the soundtrack, and I was so interested in the details that I watched the DVD again with Ken.
Over Thanksgiving weekend my daughter and I watched Much Ado About Nothing - the black and white production by Joss Whedon released here in 2013. It's the modern telling of a classic Shakespearean romance. We give this movie two thumbs up.
I will finish my recommendations for the year as I started, with a movie starring Judi Dench. The difference is that Philomena is a true story about a woman and the journalist who helped her search for the son who was taken from her when he was three years old. Yet it's so much more than that. This is a movie about faith and forgiveness and not giving up. It's about searching for the truth, whatever that may be. Have tissues handy. I was the last one out of the theater because I had something in my eye....
My motto is "When the going gets tough, go to the movies." This year was slim on my kind of movies at the theater, though I saw a few good ones. A valid substitute in my house is Netflix. This year my list includes more inspired-by-real-life movies and documentaries than usual. I am serious about picking only the best of the best, so this year I have only nine movies that I highly recommend over all others.
In January I rented The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel because I wanted to see it again [I will own this movie someday]. This movie speaks to me about growing older and not settling for the way life has always been just because that might be easier than making a change. This movie gives me hope that there's still a lot of living left to do. Judi Dench is wonderful.
In April I watched The Intouchables on DVD. I found it hard to understand the premise of the movie when I saw it previewed in theaters, so I passed it by. By the time it was on DVD I had read positive press that sparked my interest. It required a commitment of my total attention because it has subtitles, which was not an issue when I finally sat down to watch it. Totally worth every minute, this is a unique story based on the actual life of a man confined to a wheelchair who hires an unlikely companion. Their story is inspiring. I immediately recommended the movie to a friend who swaps Netflix recommendations with me, and she loved it, too.
In July I saw The Way Way Back at the theater. I have already raved about this movie here.
For our anniversary in September Ken and I saw Still Mine with a friend at an independent theater in Damariscotta, Maine. I had seen previews of this film, which stars James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold, about an elderly couple who fight authorities so they can build a more manageable home in their town in rural New Brunswick. The story is true; the grit and determination are to be admired.
From the first preview I knew I wanted to see James Gandolfini's last performance in Enough Said. His co-star is Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and the story is about first impressions, misconceptions, miscommunication, and how hard it can be to make things right. I liked this movie a lot.
Stories We Tell is a documentary written and directed by Sarah Polley, who interviewed family and family friends to gain a deeper understanding of the life of her mother, who died when Sarah was eleven years old. The story that unfolds on film is pieced together from a variety of perspectives because no one has the complete picture. This is a mystery that is solved right in front of us...
As is the story titled Searching for Sugar Man. I thought I knew what this documentary was all about and started watching it while I was sewing. Halfway through the story took a turn I didn't expect. Now I was paying attention! I enjoyed the music so much that I'd like to have the soundtrack, and I was so interested in the details that I watched the DVD again with Ken.
Over Thanksgiving weekend my daughter and I watched Much Ado About Nothing - the black and white production by Joss Whedon released here in 2013. It's the modern telling of a classic Shakespearean romance. We give this movie two thumbs up.
I will finish my recommendations for the year as I started, with a movie starring Judi Dench. The difference is that Philomena is a true story about a woman and the journalist who helped her search for the son who was taken from her when he was three years old. Yet it's so much more than that. This is a movie about faith and forgiveness and not giving up. It's about searching for the truth, whatever that may be. Have tissues handy. I was the last one out of the theater because I had something in my eye....
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Winter Weary
Baby Kenneth and his mom went home from the hospital on Christmas Day. Both are doing well.
We were without power for 60 hours. It returned at noon on December 26, which meant we had a different kind of Christmas this year. The generator kept us in lights, heat, and running water during the day. The silence at night complemented the total darkness. Just one week after the solstice, we are already weary of winter ~
The meteorologists say tonight's storm is fast moving and will drop several inches in just a few hours.
My youngest traveled back to Boston tonight, where the warmer temperatures mean rain instead of snow. Before he left he asked if I was alright, that I seemed sad. I am alright, and I am sad. The two are not mutually exclusive. It feels as if this year has gone on forever ~
We were without power for 60 hours. It returned at noon on December 26, which meant we had a different kind of Christmas this year. The generator kept us in lights, heat, and running water during the day. The silence at night complemented the total darkness. Just one week after the solstice, we are already weary of winter ~
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| Snow on the roof of the shed |
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| Ice-covered evergreens |
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| Ice crystals gleam |
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| Blue sky background |
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| Sunday night the snow returns |
My youngest traveled back to Boston tonight, where the warmer temperatures mean rain instead of snow. Before he left he asked if I was alright, that I seemed sad. I am alright, and I am sad. The two are not mutually exclusive. It feels as if this year has gone on forever ~
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