Posted on

Down in the “pits”

Well, not actually. Not plural, it’s only one “pit”. And down being a physical location rather than metaphorical. We were on the patio tonight by the fire pit with a couple glasses of wine and the song “Smoke Gets In Your Hair” running through my mind.

It’s a beautiful place to be here on this evening, the last one of Spring 2016 as tomorrow is the first day of summer. And full moon is at 7:04 am. Wonder what that congruence will bring for the day. Not sure, but I’m up for it whatever it is.

And up for a return to regular blogging, for now at least. I found myself posting on someone else’s blog tonight that I liked reading hers even though I failed to comment and interact much. I also wrote that I found my blog (only read by Hubby and a bunch of spammers) a form of a scrapbook and one that I really enjoyed reviewing. Then, I proceeded to “review” my online scrapbook and found that I hadn’t been doing much blogging and had no good photos to review. So — promising to rectify the situation, here I am. And here is tonight’s Facebook photo and a couple from my “Scenes from a walk” Facebook post this week.

And I do think I have discovered the problem. Facebook posting has taken the place of my blog, but it’s not presented nearly as well and is not so easy to review. So — lookout blog world, here I come.

Down in the pits
Down in the pits
walking feet
walking feet
Scenes from a walk 6-16-16
Scenes from a walk 6-16-16
Posted on

Ridgefield’s largest sugar maple

And it’s a big one! Thursday was a beautiful day for a walk. It turned out to not be really great exercise as I was enjoying the weather too much and stopping too many times for photos. But, at least winter appears to be gone and it’s good weather for long walks in town.
Here’s Ridgefield’s largest sugar maple — from a 2008 survey and contest.

It's a whopper!
It’s a whopper!
Posted on

First Fruits – and Completed Commitments

Today was a busy Saturday.  Hubby was up early for a swim.  I was in town to visit Ridgefield’s Summerfest on the way to a rehearsal.  Lunch on the patio of a local restaurant.  Trip up north to the pond supply store.  Home to sit on the deck and read (Hubby) and knit (me) for a while.  Then gardening for Hubby and baking for me.  Then dinner cooked on the grill.  A run to the grocery store for missing ingredients for cupcake frosting.  A stop at the Carvel!!!!  And home to frost cupcakes and watch le Tour de France.  Whew!  No wonder I’m tired and Hubby is sleeping in the chair with his computer in his lap.

Some random thoughts and photos before I close the lid on this laptop and head off to bed . . . . . . . . . . .

This picture is of some of the first fruits of our garden (gathered and eaten today), though we’ve had some zucchini prior to today.

First fruits

In the completed commitments category are the two quilts made for the two new homeowners of the Linden Place homes built by Housatonic Habitat for Humanity.  The home dedications were in June and I made a quilt for each of the two homeowner families.  I haven’t heard that a CO has been issued for either home, but I’m sure they are anxious to move in.  Here is a photo of me by our pond with the two quilts in my arms.  They are about to be loaded into the car and driven to the dedication ceremony.

Me and the Linden Place quilts

I really enjoyed the quilting and finishing of these quilts.  They were done in beautiful weather and in my wonderful quilting “studio”.  Doesn’t this look like a great place to work?

My quilting studio
View from the "drivers seat" as one of the quilts is being quilted

 

Posted on

Power . . . . . and Hurricane Irene

. . . to paraphrase the pastor from church this morning who was interviewed for the local “online” newspaper about Hurricane Irene and asked about power

Power, yes I have power.

I have power of compassion.

I have power of community.

It’s electricity I don’t have.

Posted on

Happy 4th of July!

Ridgefield’s fireworks were last night.  A beautiful night for them — hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Went to the high school grounds early, sat and read, ate hot dogs and iced cream, the viewed the fireworks.  I put my camera on a tripod and took some pictures.  Arriving home, I made gin and tonics and we took them out to the deck to star gaze.  What a wonderful evening.

Oooh! Aahhh!
Posted on

Memorial Day 2010

To celebrate all the veterans of foreign wars – to all the saints who from their labors rest.

Happy Memorial Day 2010.

Old Glory leads off the parade
Old Glory leads off the parade

Our town has a Memorial Day parade.  The first part of the parade is loaded with the veterans, some of them still able to proudly march down the street, others being proudly driven in convertibles, pickup trucks, you name it.

It was a beautiful, sunny day — perfect weather for parades and picnics.  The navy jet swooped the parade route 4 times.  With USA painted on the underside of the wings of the white plane and the screaming of the hornet’s engines from about 2000 feet overhead, it was quite a site.

The back half of the parade must have contained every kid in town (just kidding)!  But it felt like it.  From girl scouts, boy scouts, and brownies to every little league team that exists, they all paraded by.  The local paper’s website says that thousands lined the streets to watch the parade.  With all the kids, coaches, Moms and Dads, I think the parade contained thousands also.

Posted on

It’s a frog’s life

You always hear that about dogs but, in our yard, I think maybe it’s a frog’s life.  There are three out on the rocks enjoying this beautiful day here in Connecticut.

It's a frog's life
It's a frog's life

I wonder if they have any worries?  Where is my next bug coming from?  Not around here — the pond draws bugs like crazy.  They have all become so tame that perhaps they should worry about the stupid humans stepping on them as we walk around the pond with cameras in our hands.

I’m thinking today that I might like to be a frog with a few fewer worries.  Sister # 2 was taken by ambulance to the hospital last night — she’s having what they think are TIAs (mini-strokes).  Sister # 1 rode with her and I can tell by her voice over the phone that she is just sick with worry.   I am mentally making a packing list and hubby is checking the cost of last-minute flights in preparation for my going back out to the Midwest.   In the mean time, I’m starting on some things I wasn’t going to do right away with the thought in mind that they also couldn’t wait until I got back here again if I do leave.    I’ve been back a week and two days, though parts of my mind and heart have not left there yet.  When will this little family get a break?   Just when I thought things were maybe settling into our “new normal”.

Posted on

Home sweet home

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home  —   —   —

home-sweet-home

Back at the end of April, I set an arbitrary deadline to be home for Memorial Day weekend, and I made it.

I said good-bye to Des Moines, Iowa, but just for a short time —   —   —

"goodbye Des Moines, for now"
"goodbye Des Moines, for now"

Sunday, the first day I was here, was not great weather wise, but neither hubby nor I cared.  We spent the day relaxing, watching the rain, and went out for dinner at Southwest Cafe, one of our favorite hangouts.  I also picked some wildflowers from my garden —   —   —

wildflowers-from-my-garden

And on Memorial Day, hubby and I went to the parade here in Ridgefield.  Lots of armed service veterans at the front of the parade followed by the town firetrucks.   Some wisdom from the back of the truck —   —   —

Never Forget
Never Forget

Lots of flags too — waving everywhere — every parade unit — half the people on the street — almost all of the kids —   —   —

fire-truck-flag

And, the last thing packed into my bag before I left was a crocheted gift from my sister’s friend  —  some kitchen towel wisdom — and probably the only reason that I have been able to hold it together the past 9 1/2 weeks — faith.

kitchen towel wisdom
kitchen towel wisdom

“All things are possible for those who believe”.    Without the faith and prayers of my hubby, friends, church friends, and the church prayer team, I don’t know how I would have come through the last few weeks.  And the prayers continue . . . . . . .