Who's doing any art lately?

The answer would be- not me!

I did buy a bunch of trim to fix up some tableclothes (they've been around awhile and need something new about them) and lace to finish my quilt. I did finish reading about Elizabeth (the first) and Mary (Queen of Scotts). I do need to scan a bunch of cards into the computer, along with some old snapshots my grandmother had from back in the 60's and 70's, but have I done it yet?

Don't feel much like doing it now, that I can tell you.

And its Friday-last week was busy and I want to just hang out this weekend-maybe do some art-maybe paint my bathroom door yellow...maybe do nothing at all.

I love the different options available.

This is last Sunday afternoon-Dave, Harley and Katie in the boat up on Rust Pond in Wolfeboro.

Off to Worcester

This is a great old photo of Mom, my Nana and my Aunt Elsie- I guess way back in the late 1940's since Mom looks like she's still a teenager. Anyhow, I shouldn't say but Mom is now in her later 70's and needs to have a cataract removed tomorrow morning- so Katie and I are off to Worcester to drive her about...hope it goes well, on all levels- but anyhow- will be home later in the week...

This is what summer is all about!

Who are those people in this photo- Playing in the fog ?

A DAY AT THE BEACH- EVEN IF THE FOG DIDN'T LIFT WHILE WE WERE THERE- IT WAS STILL WARM AND FUN!

today I was ...

1- Tired and could have slept until noon
2- In a mood to lounge on the screen porch and read my next book- a boigraphy that compares/contrasts Queen Elizabeth I with Mary Queen of Scots (I know, I am geeking out)
3-Frustrated because I tried to pick up my studio a bit and some of the stamp boxes are too full-
4-So my family says I buy too many stamps and that annoyed me since they don't see it my way (collection...creativity...maybe if the addition was done and I had the whole room for a studio rather than 1 wall- but then I'm lucky to have the wall and the great shelving Dave built me)...
5- Sad and missing Dad since Barbara has her old boyfriend for a guest this weekend and he has some qualities of my Dad
6-wishing I had a thin sexy body
7-glad it was such a gorgeous day with LOW humidity
8- glad to see I have 2 bids already on my latest eBay sells
9-tired again although its not very late

another weekly update

Love my new stamps I bought on eBay-they're some older borders by Hero Arts!

OK, another week has buzzed by. Time for another update:

1) hot weather this week- except Monday when Katie and I did lunch (the yummiest which I wasn't expecting) at the Remember When Diner, ran errands at Target and the Grocery Store, dropped the vac off to be fixed

2) Sunday was nice though- went to the lake and started reading Emily Post's 1915 book about driving from NYC to San Francisco- really interesting

3) Tuesday Katie went off to visit with Nick. Harley and I took a road trip to Absolutely Everything.

4) At the lake in Wolfeboro- Wed. and Thursday. Thursday I also had book club- the book was Chasing Shakespeare by Sarah Smith- loved it. I just finished it today. Thursday Katie had a bad day at the lake since when we got there her uncle was out in the boat and letting others use her life jacket and tube- without asking!

5) Watching the first Bourne Identity movie which we recorded off TNT- am enjoying it.

6) Wondering when Project Runway will start up again.

7) This was Street Fair week- we went today since yesterday had to work at the Lake Host Job and it was unbelievably HOT. Got a bit of fabric, a couple of books, and 2 old Somerset Studio Magazines for 25cents each. (The hospital street fair in Wolfeboro is a summer tradition- its fun to nd pick through all the stuff)

8) Has been too hot to do much art in my studio as it has only the skylight and that room gets so hot- I tried- sweat off a few pounds- and I did do the trails on my butterflyies on my quilt...now I need to figure out how to finish the quilt!

9) Been looking for some Hero Arts flower borders- older stamp sets and had a pretty good finds-see the photos- got these on eBay. Me and my stamp addiction. Never mind all the new stuff coming out- I want, I want, I want. Stampers Anonymous has some great new Tim Holtz stamps, waiting for my xmas Hero Arts, still want a couple sheets from Oxford IMpressions....oh, to have loads of extra cash...

10) Still haven't planned our vacation thought we have a date- Aug.17th.

11) Its Saturday night and we're cooling off. That's a good thing. But I want a really good chocolate cake right now- and of course there's nothing in the house...

Another week to recap and some things I want to say

Almost August- scary. 4 weeks till I got back to school- and they will fly but its still a long time off. Want to make it full and rich and fun.

Me at the lake (though I know you can't tell its the Lake)

Recapping last week-

1- had an aweful eBay night last night- not that I had a lot listed- 5 items- sold 4- which I am happy about but I can be greedy and wish I had gotten a bit more cash
2-another rainy Monday today the 30th. Last Monday was rainy too and we did a movie day at home with our DVD
3-painted the downstairs bathroom box and decorated it-see the photo! (Though its not a very good one)
4-Last Tuesday did Boston, which I already told you about
5-Wed. hung out at the Lake my mother-in-laws in Wolfeboro and read Harry Potter
6- Thursday we did the dentist and then a spot of shopping and went to the Lake
7-Friday was work day-hot, humid, rather restless in the afternoon-its hard to do art when its hot and humid and your paper feels wilted
8-Saturday we hung around and went to Laconia to go to Lowe's and buy paint to finish painting the upstairs doors. Had a great meal at T Bones and found a kayak.
9-Sunday morning went back to buy the kayak but the folks were SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RUDE that we left without it. Hung up at the lake again in the afternoon. Reading Emily Post's trip across the US in 1915. Interesting.
10 Read the Ghost Walk about the cholera outbreak in London in the late 1840's. The first part was really good but then he changed gears in the second half and went on about epidemics and the third world...kind of a high horse sermon.

This week is pretty open- may kayak Wed. morning with some firneds, but otherwise open. Today is again- raining and VERY humid. Want to go shopping- and need to drop off the va. cleaner as its got some kind of electrical power problem...keeps losing power... Think Katie and I need to do some fun trip this week at some point...want to finish my quilt too...

watching the old Harry Potter flicks on DVD- we're on 3, which I am really enjoying right now. Ordered a book on Marie Antoinette by the woman who wrote Ahab's Wife- that was a very good book and am hoping I enjoy this other book just as much.

So much for now. We're thinking about a few days away later in August- before school- Philly, Montreal- or way Down East. We'll see once we plan but at least we have some dates set aside.

Its HOT

WAYS TO BE COOL!


THINK ABOUT WINTER- JUST 4 OR 5 MONTHS AGO AND THE SNOW AND THE COLD TEMPERATURES AND WEARING HATS, SCRAFS AND A COAT...






BETTER YET, A FAST BOAT RIDE WITH THE WIND WHIPPING THROUGH YOUR HAIR AND YOUR BATHING SUIT WET FROM A SWIM THE COOL REFRESHING LAKE!

OR A COLD DRINK LIKE THESE IN A COOLER IN BOSTON...

FINALLY, THINK ABOUT SITTING IN A COOL AC ROOM WITH A CUP OF HAZELNUT GELATO (ANY FLAVOR WILL WORK) AND ENJOYING THE TASTE AS IT MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH.

Feels very July-ish- hot,humid, home alone and bored but its too hot to do much of anything. No ambition. Worked this morning- actually did a few house chores and read a bunch of my latest book- the Ghost Map-enjoyable science reading- finished Harry Potter on Wednesday which I really really enjoyed- Now Katie and I are going through the movies to rewatch them. I would love to be at the lake today- well, my mother-in'law's on Rust Pond in Wolfeboro, but Katie was working at our local lake (Merrymeeting where I want a house) and I hung home in case it stormed but now she's at a friend's and I waiting for Dave. Did spend yesterday after the dentist and Wed. on Rust Pond so I can't complain, can I?

Playing Tourist in Boston

I LOVE Boston- and today Katie, my friend Joanne and myself went and played tourist- something I never do- its always some reason why you go into the city- not just to see the sites.

So today we parked at the Museum of Science- took the T to Fanneuil Hall, went for lunch at the new Boston Hard Rock restaurant, walked around, got our National Park Passbooks stamped, saw a few sites on the Freedom Trail- though I still haven't made it to Paul Revere's House or the Old North Church- and then took a Duck Tour- which was a blast. The whole day was a blast.

Stopped at Fudrucker's for Burgers for dinner on Route 1 on the way home- never ate there either. Check out some of my photos from my day at playing tourist.

From our Duck Tour- love the reflection.

MMMM-Gelato at at Fanneuil Hall.

Above, Fanneuil Hall and the new Hard Rock sign.

Our Duck Boat- The Charlie River- our captain was Ray Bee- everytime he howled we would quack- no other Duck Boat we passed ever Quacked Back at us.

Recapping the last few days

Last week was busy- just so I can keep it straight:

1. visited mom and stopped at Trader Joe's and Costco
2. worked at school 2(part) days doing curriculum- also set up my room
3. saw Ratatoule (spelling?) and saw Harry Potter Order of the Pheonix again- this time in Imax 3D
4. got the latest and last Harry Potter and have been reading away
5. worked on my quilt- all the butterflies got sewn on
6. had a banner and record eBay day- sold about $120 in rubber stamps and sold the older iPod for $80
7. hung out at the lake 1 day
8. went to Lowell, MA and to LOwell National Historic Park
9. did some stamping
10. visited some friends Sherry and Keith Friday night- stayed out LATE for me and needed to sleep late on Saturday- of course the fact that Sat. clouded in made sleeping very condusive
11. had lunch with another friend Dee down by the water in Portsmouth and played tourist
12. went to a wine tasting with some people from work

My Quilt

Have been slowly working on a quilt for my bed. Its made from 1930's design fabrics- and these photos are in early working form. I cut strips and sewed them together, and then when I went to the quilting sale back in June (at Keepsaking Quilting) I found these pre-cut 1930's prints butterflies, which I have sewn on randomly around the top. There aren't tons of butterflies, and they are small, but I don't want to overdue it. I have since put some light top stitching on between strips and I want to do some flourish butterfly tails to show that they are in flight. I also want to get some lace so when I put it down on the backing, the edge with have a small lace trim. The quilt is mostly purple (since my bedroom is a light grayish-lavender color), with some green and yellow, a few smal splashes of orange too.

another gray day

But not a bad day. Hung out all morning- finished reading The Breakers by Minette Walters, a good British mystery. Then Katie and I went to Portsmouth and met Joanne to see Ratatoulle- was a cute movie. Then Katie did the mall when I went with Joanne to a wine tasting that Jack put together- a few of us from work were there and learned all about how to swirl and smell wine, and tasted a lot of the wine types you can make at this place- learned a lot, decided what I liked- need to get up and find my list to tell you which I'm not going to do, but never had been to a wine tasting before and I enjoyed it. Wanted to do some crafty work today- it was the plan, but with the gray morning I decided to hang on the couch and read was so much more exciting. I did do a minor bit of stamping but then Jo called and we decided to do the movie- which was fun for all 3 of us...so it was a good day for all.

mini-roadtrip

Mini-road trip to Lowell, MA today. Katie and I had planned to go to Boston and do a duck-tour, but the weather was a bit wet and who wants to pay $50+ for a rainy duck-tour when you don't need to? So we decided to go get a stamp in our National Park Passport Book and we went to visit the Lowell Mill National Historic Park. Wow- downtown Lowell was much more funkier than I expected- I thought more of Worcester- rather tired and worn, but no, not what we saw. That part of Lowell was arty and had a big variety of stores, restaurants, etc.

The Mill Museum was interesting- can't imagine working one of those loom machines for 13 hours a day-5 days a week and 10 hours a day on Saturday. What a week. And LOUD! They had a room with lots of looms-just some of them working. That was loud. Then they had the boarding house to show how the girls lived- now that wasn't my style- but they talked about the unrealistic many of the girls ideas of what it meant to be a factory girl in one of the Mills. Interesting- and- unknown to me- the Jack Kerouac scroll of his famous book (which I have read but didn't care for)- On the Road. Wow- major long typewritten scroll with his corrections and hand written notes. Was cool. Katie used an old fashion manual typewriter and kept saying "Where's enter?" I had to show her how to use it- and she had to punch the keys harder to get a clear type-an experience for her.

Photos are some of the "art" we saw today- including a giant dragon with a CD scaley body and a display of "dresses" hanging over one of the canals- to show the mill woman. Oh by the 2- two quilt museums in Lowell - shopped the store of 1- will need to stop in sometime on the way to Mom's and take a peak inside since today we were beat after our museum stops.

Recap last week-look ahead this week

Last week I accomplished/enjoyed the following:

1. worked on the Grandma's House book
2. framed my art prints I bought in 2002 in Quebec-and hung them up in my bedroom
3. started appliquing butterflies on my bed quilt
4. staretd reading the Breaker by Minette Walters-love it
5. Did my summer trip to Pop's Clamshell for dinner- a trip back in the 50's or a bit later- my childhood
6. Worked out everyday except Friday
7. worked on my tan at the lake FRiday while working and at Barbara's lake a bit yesterday
8. saw Harry Potter- loved it
9. went to book club Thursday
10. ugh- sewed my finger-ouch!
11. lost power on a few house breakers but got them back
12. also got the tv back and fixed
13. had my feet tingle during an electrical storm Monday
14. waited for Katie, drove Katie around, played chauffer mom
15. made some yummy spare ribs on Wed.
16. got a few new clothes at TJ Maxx
17. restrainted myself when Katie went into the DRs without me
18. made more clay tiles

This week coming up:

1. I am working on curriculum of school 2 days
2. I need to go see mom
3. I want to do something FUN and UNUSUAL- thinking about a duck tour in Boston
4. need to get my vac. fixed
5. want to finish my art project
6. want to finish appliquing my quilt
7. have a great wonderful and happy week
8. hope everyone is well

Friday already!

Here are a few more fun photos I took on Wed. evening in my back yard.

Am watching a video on Provence- I really want to go there- its looks gorgeous! Add that to Tuscany (along with several other places) and my list keeps getting longer. But Provence looks like a top spot-one of a few.

Worked at the lake this morning- worked on my tan- but the back of my legs are soooo white. Last night had book club at Tara's, drank a couple of margaritas and stayed up late so I was soooo tired this morning. Came home and napped- I was practically useless. We also went to see Harry Potter V before book club (Katie, me and her latest beau-Nick). I really enjoyed the movie- love the darkness it has- and the story was much improved although not exactly directly the book, better than the book- since I really didn't care for book 5 (order of the pheonix)- it was a needed story but it was long and really dragged at certain points.

Looking at my grandma's house book- think I need to post some new photos since I have been working on the pages some more- new and the ones already posted and they look very different and more finished now. Will try to post.

My two latest reads

My 2 latest summer reads. First I took a trip to Italy/Tuscany and drooled and yearned to go back there. I love Italy. Then I just finished a trip with the Death Merchant- and the unexpected ending- had several laughs and generally enjoyed the read-A Dirty Job that is.

Tuesday, Tuesday

Some more clouds and fog, a bit of sunshine, now its dark like another thunderstorm may be heading our way. Had a fun afternoon out-Katie had to go the doctors, then she and I went to eat at the 99 Restaurant- they have GREAT strawberry shortcakes which she and I split, then we went to TJ Maxx and managed to find a lot of good stuff like shorts, tops, a basket for my kitchen and even a dress for Katie's semi-formal in September. Aren't we good shoppers?

The photo for you to view-my cubbies over my studio work table. I fill it with some stamps and lots of little toys I love. The cubbies are actually from the old post office at the University of NH- I found it several years ago in an antique shop in Dover- and the words- they are names of buildings/dorms on campus. Pretty cool I think.

my house art project

My latest art project- here's some pages that I have been working on.

I call it Grandma'sHouse.

more gloom

Here's Emma- better known as Pie-Pie.

Its Leo out by the deck.

Another day of more gray skies- its become a habit for the weather to be like this lately- since Saturday afternoon at least- plus on the 4th, the 5th, the 6th gave us a big thunderstorm and some dark skies too.

Another week

Another week buzzing by. My overview:

1. hanging out on Monday-feeling a bit under the weather-grocery shopping



2. finishing Bryce Canyon book



3. Kayak on Merrymeeting Tuesday



4. fireworks in Alton Tuesday night



5. July 4th- clouds in the p.m.-dinner at Barbara's- do some cleaning of my studio



6. Thursday- Harley gets groomed, the new DVR gets installed, Dave's home, start house book



7. Last Saturday and Sunday- it was chilly! Dave works on the boat- I made clay tiles and cleaned, etc.



8. Friday- meet Ina- don't work at the lake-go to AE and East of Suez



9. Saturday yesterday- put the boat into the lake- but not lots of sun in the p.m. Had a quick pizza for dinner before bringing Nick home



10. Today is Sunday- cloudy- chilly- though the rest of the country is in the HEAT- we are probably just a few miles from the line- it was a really cold and dark day-Katie went off to Katie B's and I hung out- felt in a kind of poor, poor me mood- worked on the house project (the art one) and vaccuumed up the sand

Check out the photos of Dave and I, Ina and myself at East of Suez in Wolfeboro FRiday night and then on my couch. (I think I look FAT- diet time, though I knew I needed to lose weight- hate having these fat genes)

YAWN

I am tired tonight. Humidity creeping back in. Last night I slept all of about 3 hours- Dave was too asleep when I came to bed- snoring and rolling. Then I woke up with the worst sinus headache at 3:30- took me forever to fall back asleep and then I had to get up to get Harley to the groomer. Poor Harley- hates booming noises- so with fireworks going off and then the groomer- a process he hates...he's exhausted but a bit put off- sooooooooo clean though. Yesterday had a productive morning- finished Bryce photos, started a house project, cleaned up my studio a bit- put laundry away- and then as the sun disappeared and finally turned to rain-went up to Barbara's for dinner and hanging out and visiting...(my 9th grade English teacher told me to watch my ings, and here I was going on.





So today I did some cleaning- worked on the house book, repaired one of the boat seat covers, vaccuumed, did a bit of laundry, ran a couple of errands with Dave and picked up Harley- got the DVR installed (well the direct-tv guy came late and did that) had a pineapple-coconut frappe-did some eBaying-so tonight- I am beat.

Oh yeah- the photo- its how our new lawn is coming in. Rather weedy- put looking pretty good.