The heat

More photos from Lava Beds in California. Today was HOT here in NH and it felt like the heat at the Lava Beds. I spent my afternoon floating in the lake rather than going into lava tube caves, but both are very cooling.

Part of the crater rim of an old valcano.

Katie on the trail that circles the crater.
And below, this is a lava field that's like 2000 years old. Surprised that there are so few plants in rough black lava terrain-its like the lava flow collected here 200 years ago.

More lava fields. I still have lots of photos to show you, so much for showing any photos of the art I've done this summer... but I love sharing my trip, just as much as I love seeing pieces of other people's trips. Till tomorrow-

Roadtrip Friday

Katie and I planned an end of summer vacation road trip-off to do some fun girl things before summer ends. So yesterday we went to the New England Aquarium in Boston, a favorite place for both of us. It was a gorgeous day in the city, sunny, warm but not hot, wow. Except that the parking garage at the aquarium is soooooo expensive, we had a great trip into the city.

This guy above here is the cuttlefish- a Cephalopod related to the octopus and squid. I love these little guys. First they have fantastic camoflage-look how much he blends in with the sand, and they also flash these lights through their skin when they want to stun their prey. He wasn't too flashy yesterday, but the last time I went on a school field trip last fall, he was.
And here's my beautiful baby girl.

Gotta love the jellyfish. I ish I had a big tank in my bedroom to watch them as I fall asleep at night.

Can you find the sea dragon in the photo below?

Love this photo! Love these jellyfish here below.

Ok, after the aquarium we left Boston and drove to the Burlington Mall in Burlington, MA to have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and to check otu the mall. Here's my piece of pineapple upsidecake cheesecake. YUMMY!

And Katie enjoyed her peanutbutter chocolate cheesecake.+

How do you pick when this is the cheesecake counter window?

So after that we hit my newly found stamp store, Trader Joe's, Costco, got home I was beat!

Today was gorgeous too getting really warm. Went up to the lake and cooled off in the water along with all my in-laws. Now I'm home in my cool AC house- turned that on before we left. Tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same, maybe even warmer. Gotta love summer-just wish it lasted longer.

Organizing

Ok, I still have lots of summer vacation photos to share. After a brief intermission, let me show you these few from Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California near Oregon. It was very desert like there, but the cool thing is they have these caves which formed from tube left from lava flows. Here's a caving sign I saw.

Entrance to one of the caves, this one I believe was Skull cave, which was deep-though not long, with an ice floor. The caves were nice and cool compared to the heat of the sun outside, and we only did easy caves, because they had higher ceilings and weren't so clastriphobic. The harder caves, we were told, had more uneven bottoms and you might even have to crawl in parts, so we stuck with easy. However, some easy caves had pretty rough floors and we did have to do some ducking in spots. Still, they were very fun.

Above and below this-Two photos of some wildflowers I discovered at Lava Beds.

Below-Our morning sky. I went up to Merrymeeting Lake, where Katie is Lake Hosting this summer. (Lake Hosts check boats for weeds to be sure invasive species don't get introduced to the lake). I love this lake; its about 10 or so minutes from our house here in NH. I wish I could live on the lake, but I'm not in that earnings bracket. Anyhow, I went to MacDonald's and got us breakfast sandwhiches (I know, not nutritious) and drove over to the lake and we ate in the car-her trying to warm up. Had a nice visit with my daughter for about an hour. I lake hosted the last 2 summers a morning a week and I really miss it. It was a great way to make some play cash and sit by the lake, but on these cloudy morning it could get get cold. Too cold.

Anyhow, today I ached all over (actually did last night when I finished round 2 of tile making) and had a headache. Must be a little bug, maybe picked it up at the town hall healthcare meeting Tuesday. Puttered about the house, and started rearranging my studio shelves as part of my long term cleaning and reorganizing effort. That's where I get stuck, how to organize my ever bulging stuff into limited space. Hmmm. Need to get some more plastic bins from Walmart, stopped today and bought a couple but need a few more. Right now I have some bins of trim on the top shelves, but being only 5 feet, stuff on the top items don't get very used and I want to move them lower, but still need space to keep my very used rubber stamps lower. Well, one decision I did make was to move the Christmas stamps up top because (as I used to have them) they can just come down when I use them. Oh to be able to throw things away, then I could really clean out, but this summer with the economy its not the most profitable to sell things on eBay so why sell some things for a lot less than they'd bring when the economy is good. But organizing is a dilemma, it doesn't come naturally to me that's for sure. So what to move to the top, what to keep, and how to reorganize. Any ideas? (Of course the room was neat enough to vaccuum earlier today and now its a disaster, of course. Why does cleaning usually mean its not clean while you clean?

Making Tiles

My latest read-#4 in the series. These books are fun sumemr reading-the only problem is I need to read something else because I'd keep reading these.
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Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox Babe. A Tacky but fun tourist spot. The funniest part is someone sat in Paul with a microphone and talked to those of us gazing up in parking lot. Pretty silly. Now they were selling tickets for these trees of mystery- riding to the canopy of the redwood is what that is, but we only walked over to see these classic Americana kitz. These are in northern CA.

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Today was a polymer tile making day. Made a bunch this morning, and since I am alone tonight (Dave out of town for work and Katie off to a movie)-think I might make some more.(I did) Get a big stash going. The only issue is I have to pull everything out and downstairs where I work- since I have more work space, and then it all has to go back upstairs...but its so much fun I can deal with the lugging up and down.

So now found out I have the day to myself tomorrow. So weird, knew this time was coming, but Katie is having a teenage summer of hanging out and going out with friends. It the fact she's going to be a senior and its that time when it happens. But tonight, its only moi, and the critters, and since the boys (my entourage) hang out with me, I'm not excatly alone. I don't mind being alone, but have had a lot of time with it in the last few weeks and its adjusting. So what will I do tomorrow when she's gone all day? Not that finding things to do is hard for me, I'm good at amusing myself.

Well think I'll go make a few more tiles and then I'll watch a movie (or it is Ghost Hunters night) and relax. (First do a bit of decluttering-this house is looking pretty sloopy right now) Oh yeah- that sounds good.

An amazing experience

Today President Obama had a town hall meeting at the high school where I work (Portsmouth, NH). Our principal got us tickets, and so I went. Though I have never been to an event like this before, it was a wild experience. Outside there were protesters and supporters on either side of the street and media trucks all lined up in front of our school. My friend Joanne and I got there early but we didn't have to wait in line since school folks could wait in our own line inside and we got to go through security first and therefore had our pick of seats-I was in the second row!!!!! (We were all like a bunch of kids, so excited) The President is such a dynamic speaker and so good with a crowd. It was amazing! Plus, now I know more about this healthcare debate going on, or least what he's really saying as I heard it from his mouth, and what he says is so absolutely not what the protesters are saying (that he is saying). Wow. Still can't believe I was so close to one of the most powerful people in the world- our president!
Took these photos on my phone.

Today...and then tomorrow

A few years ago I read this book about Julia Child. I loved it. What a great life this woman had.

Then this summer I read this book. I finished it on the plane home from San Francisco. It was good, and what an interesting idea she had.
Today I saw the movie. I loved it!!! Highly recommended- I love how it combines both stories and Meryl Streep does an excellent job playing Julia Child.

And tonight, I got myself organized for my big day tomorrow. I'm off early, to wait in line for probably hours, but I'll get to hear our President speak. You know, what really gets me is thinking is how one the most powerful men in the world will be in the same room (well the the same gym) as me tomorrow. It will be one big adventure- one of these unexpected but great summer memories.

An honor

Just found out this morning that the President will be speaking at the school I work at on Tuesday. And then I found out I can go hear him speak. I am so excited. Never heard a President speak before (I did hear Al Gore while he was campaigning) but this is such an honor. Plus what an event to make the summer a little bit exciting. Wow.

Happy Weekend

More coastal California-though it wasn't very warm or summery here either.
Another very nice day- and since that makes it 6 in a row- a record for this summer, I expect the weather tomorrow will be a washout. They're saying cloudy and some rain, but who knows. I was silly enough to keep thinking it'd be nice and we'd end the summer with real summer weather.

So today was the street fair up in Wolfeboro. All the things they sell go to help support the hospital and its all based on what people donate. Its 2 days (yesterday and today) and I went today but boy were they picked over. I mean, really picked over.I got a few spoons for an art project I have in mind and 2 books-one on embroidery and one novel. Last year I got a bunch of books, but this year, they were already clearing and folding up tables in the tent. Some of the workers were saying they were mobbed this year that the fire department even had to close the parking lot there was too many people. They sure didn't have a lot of stuff left in any of the tents I looked in. So I walked to library and Dave picked me up and I went down to the lake at his mom's and had a couple of beers and chit-chatted out on the dock. Alittle too breezy and cool to swim. Then tonight, Dave took his 2 girls out to dinner in Laconia and we went over to the Weirs-which was hopping on a summer Friday night. On the way home we drive trough Alton bay and it was hopping there too. Like summer is happening some place.Was fun. Realized we need to do the Weirs Beach Drive In one night. Need our comfy clothes and junk food and a night at the drive in watching movies.Haven't been for a few years- but we always went once a summer when Katie was younger.

I still feel like this is the summer that wasn't.

What a gorgeous day it is!

From our afternoon at Lassen Volcano National Park. Maybe some day I'll be brave enough to include shots of me-looking very heavy right now-eek. I can't stand it!
Got to love this week's weather though- it's so beautiful today. Cool, breezy, but clear blue skies. I worked out my garden this morning and ended up cleaning out a bin in my studio-doesn't look like much to anyone else I'm sure, but to me, its such a huge thing to make space and get rid of some of the clutter- plus I found some stickers I can use.

So yesterday I went to visit my Mom and had a really nice visit. We chatted and went out to lunch. On the way home I discovered a stamp/paper arts store that I loved-http://www.inkaboutitonline.com/, Ink about It, just south of Lowell, MA on 495. They carry some great rubber stamps- like B -Line Designs, so I went and spent some more money I shouldn't have, but B-Line Design stamps are hard to find around here in NH. I will go back, in fact I'd love to go back today and get a few more stamps I saw-you know, when you walk into a store that has these stamps you've been eyeing...but I couldn't buy them all- but I was tempted.

Domesticicity

Ok, feel like I should have the 1950's Happy Homemaker woman smiling here (with this post title) instead of these photos- 2 from our recent trip-Chinatown San Francisco views and then a little produce market from when we went to Paris in Feb. No, today is for puttering about the house - and enjoying it! Made brownies and a pasta salad which will be for supper, put laundry away, watched a bunch of tv with Katie. She's beat- got home from her Boston trip last night when I picked her up in Newburyport, MA off the bus. I'd gone to my fav. craft store and Costco and Trader Joe's before that, then we hit Applebee's for salads and home- but she had to be at the lake at 5:30 this morning for a fishing derby, so she's beat- and its the kind of day the sun keeps slipping in and out, and I finally had it with the humidity and turned on the AC's in the house-already feeling better in here. So, just a quiet day- before it all starts up again tomorrow-I think. (Let's see what kind of plans Miss Katie comes up with and then I can see if I go visit my mom or not).

More blue!!!!

To celebrate another day of gorgeous NH weather, here's more Crater Lake and its fantastic blue. Already walked and did some gardening this perfect morning, and this afternoon will head out to pick up my daughter from her Boston adventure...will make a few stops at my favorite craft store and at Trader Joe's to do some stock up on my way to the bus-my poor cat Leo hasn't had Tuna for a week- and he's so unhappy, but he'll only eat the Trader Joe's tuna so he's had to wait since there's no store local. He'll be happy tonight though when I get home. Anyhow, think its time to move onto some other tasks his morning-like a bit laundry and maybe call my mother...au revior till next post!

Blue water and blue sky

Since our sky is so blue and clear today (what a great day to hang out in my screen porch, read my book-The Serpent's Tale, and visit with my friend Vicky) I will post some photos that show you the blue of Crater Lake. BLUE! These photos are untouched in any way, shape or form. It was gorgeous. I liked visiting Crater Lake but I will admit the mosquitoes were bad and the air was hot and we went down to do the boat ride on the lake and the hike up was strenuous-1.1 of steep dusty and buggy trail, but it was gorgeous there. Glad I did the hike, and I made it up in 45 minutes when they said give it 45-1 hour, made me feel good because I did have a hard time catching my breath- but up at 8 or 9,000 feet, that's enough to make breathing hard. Just look at that blue.

Old Town West

This is old town west- that we Don't have here in New England (the land of white churches and old colonial homes). These are snaps from a short stop in Jacksonville, Oregon on our trip. It was a very cute little town- and we were there early, before shops opened and crowds appeared (thank you says my husband). The photos may not be the best but you get the point of the style of this town. I went to one town once in Nevada- maybe called Silver City- that still had the wooden side walks and the Bucket of Blood Tavern-wish they town was a bit mroe wild west like this but still, I liked this town.

So one day of sun, one of clouds, Friday it RAINED, so that was this weekend. Finished reading the White Tiger and started The Serpent's Tale- book 2 after the Mistress of the Art of Death. Did some scrapping, cleaned my house, now Katie is off with some friends and won't be home until Tuesday. Oh dear, its starting, her stretching her wings further and flying off on this little adventures, her adventures. I get it, but still, she won't be home for 2 nights. Guess I better get used to it with college next year. I have plans though- a friend coming by tomorrow to visit and Tuesday I'm going to do my own little road trip to do a Trader Joe's run. Should visit my Mom this week too. Summer is flying by- wow, we're into August already. I can't believe its not about July 15th because that's how it feels.