The view from my window this morning. And, no that is not the sun - it's my flash. And yes, my windows are all leaking.

I title this picture:  "MOMMY, GET IT OFF ME!"

here it comes

The snow has started and oh so beautiful it is  . . .

Yesterday, I woke up to a sunny Portland, just a dusting of snow on the tops of cars.

My first stop was the Portland Museum of Art. They have a fab new exhibit called Gather up the Fragments, the Andrews Shaker Collection. Really well done and organized by the Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Mass. Supposed to be the most comprehensive collection of Shaker materials ever assembled and I believe it. No pictures allowed - sorry. The most interesting things were the "gift pictures." I didn't realize the Shakers had religious visions; they called them gifts and painted them. Totally cool. What I REALLY was there to see though were the Madeleine de Sinety photographs. Really outstanding and if you have the chance, you must go and see them. They are there until December something. This one, First Communion, graces the cover of the program. You can see more here if you like: http://www.madeleinedesinety.com/

So, what a difference a day makes. This is the scene I woke up to this morning in little Jefferson, Maine, and the one I prefer. I turned on the radio to hear the first bars of Handel's Messiah and ran out in the cold to take this picture of the sun on the opposite shore. There was even a loon out front. It doesn't get any better than this.

Guess where I am tonight

I've made my annual overnight pilgrimage to Portland on a cloudy day where the rain tonight is supposed to turn into a little snow. Woohoo! I'm so excited! Here is the view from my room at the Eastland Park Hotel. Love this funky old place right at the top of the Old Port. 

Went to the Top of the East for a glass of wine. Best bar in town with a panoramic view of Portland. Every time I come here though, it's completely socked in, I swear.  But, love to see the lights come on in the Port City. 

Check out the Eastland Park in her glory days:

Doesn't look a whole lot different now - more trees maybe. Off for Thai tonight . . .

So, the bandage came off last night and I started with the Vitamin E oil. Looks good, right? Still doesn't work too well but definitely on the mend. Yay

Had to share this picture I took when I was at the drugstore yesterday. Look at this cute little guy.

Sue and I went to Belfast yesterday because I decided I simply had to have more oilcloth before I headed south and the place to go is the fabulous YoMama'sHome. After lunch, we visited a new quilt shop called Fiddleheads. I was so impressed I forgot to even take any pictures. What a beautiful shop. It's in downtown Belfast and has a lovely selection of the usual upscale quilting cottons and some that were new to me, including a line called Art Gallery. Gorgeous - and nice to see something new.

And, here are the girls. All decked out for hunting season in an attempt to prevent some slack jawed yokel from shooting them. And, I mean that in the kindest possible way . . . 

Lastly, a shout out to my Dad this morning. Mom is winging her way to Turkey for a couple of weeks and Dad is batching it. Hope he doesn't starve . . . Hi Daddy!

Stitches out!

Stay tuned . . .

well, i should have known i wouldnt be able to control myself if i went to a quilt show. even if it was a little bitty show held at a firehouse. the backroad quilters guild - and backroads is a good description - in west gardner held a sweet little -as in tiny- quilt show and i made the trek there yesterday. that, combined with a trip to alewives, my fave quit shop, put me over the edge and i had to sew. HAD TO. as in compelled. HAD  TO. first of all, here are a few of the quilts from the show.

the guild must have made this for the firehouse 

i thought this was cute and original

and this french braid was very nice 

i had to do something i could handle one handed so rotary cutting was out. hmmmm so, after consulting a few patterns and books in my "studio," i cut a piece off my roll of oilcloth and voila. a cute little wallet was born. don't think i care too much for the pearl snaps. . . Anyhoo, here is is.

so, my hand is definitely feeling the use afterwards but stitches come out tomorrow - the ones in my hand, not the bag - so i'm feeling like it was ok. i mean, come on, no sewing for three weeks. that is just so not a reasonable expectation and i plan to inform the doctor of this fact - again.

have to say i had a moment of pure joy last night when i walked the doggies thru the dark woods and looked up at the winking stars. need more of those moments. we all do.

brault said, perhaps we misjudge other people's loneliness because we're so seldom with them when they're alone.  deep, right? but seriously, i like that.

here's the haps

i do not want my dear sweet friend susan to worry about me so here is a quickie post. it is such a pia to type with one hand, thats all, so enjoy the pics. i am fine, thank you for asking.

lots of rain since last night - here is the creek running by my cottage out to the lake. have to say it makes such a lovely gurgly rushing sound as it wends by ...

ran into my friend dan at the office supply getting his manuscript copied and bound, ready to send to his publisher! yay dan! (you owe me 5 bucks)

creepy self portrait - got my hair done (finally) today. woohoo - you can see the freaking useless hand in the foreground the omnipresent jigsaw puzzle in the background. oy

Beauteous Lu

La Doph

As you can see, they are saying - make that imploring - mummy is about to drive us out of our ever loving little doggy minds. please Dog, heal that hand and get her out of the house!

love you, susan, and thanks for thinking about me...

ask me about my day. go ahead

just had to show you last night's sunset. nature's crescendo

So not fair

Well, I had a huge disappointment today when I went to have my stitches out and they wouldn't do it. Apparently, I have been "overdoing it" and, sparing you the medical mumbo jumbo, my wound hasn't closed. I told him I live alone and what am I supposed to do but, I'm back in a bandage and the sling. Arrrrghghgh  I go back in a week. And, I'll tell you what I told the doctor:  this SUCKS!

Most awesome little dude rockin' my world these days - - - Sweet!

Well, I can't rake the leaves and so sad I can't perform my favorite fall chore (not!) Oh well, lots of lovely compost lying on the ground, ensuring a beautiful lawn next year. maybe

 Chris came and took my dock out. Seems like only yesterday he was putting it in for the season. On the other hand, it seems eons ago. Not the best summer for me this year - next year will be the bomb!

 Feeling a bit stir crazy with this hand so the girls and I took a ride over to Morses and then to Beth's Farm Market to look at the pumpkins and squash and apples and corn, you get the picture. The giant white pumpkins were absolutely gorgeous. They were making apple crisp but I managed to abstain.

Every fall my husband used to sing "The Autumn Leaves drift by my window. The autumn leaves of red and gold . . . " I used to laugh and laugh. So, there is a good memory, right?  Too bad it is followed with such a sick stomach. Ah well, this too shall pass.
On a better note, I made the best rice dish last night in honor of the autumn. I used a mix of wild and brown and I cooked it in one cup of water and one cup of apple cider. I used chopped green onions, diced apple and some crushed pecans (didn't have walnuts.) It was so good! (I made a piece of salmon to go with it which totally DID NOT so the girls had a yummy breakfast.)
That is all.

gotta hand it to me . . .

Couldn't help myself and took off the bandage last night. Looking good! And colorful. The orange is Betadine, I think. The green is bruising. 4 more days 'til stitches come out. Yay!

bits and pieces

The lake was pink when I woke up this morning. Makes one happy to be alive.

This is what the road to town looks like. We're getting some beautiful fall colors at last. 

 I missed the pumpkin drop this year - forgot it takes me an hour-and-a-half to get ready with one hand rather than my usual 15 minutes. Anyhoo, I wanted to point out that somebody corrected "Victom." I had to laugh. Here is the truck that dropped the giant pumpkins from it's crane and here is the Victom. haha

 And, lastly, this is what I've been spending my time doing. This is my second puzzle in a week - you can see I only have the field and sky left. Oh Joy. Miss Elna (my sewing machine for those of you not in the know) sits in the corner looking sad.

Stitches out in one week. Yay!

Ha! I knew watching CSI would pay off one day. I've been smelling propane gas in my bedroom and at first thought it was because I was running low so I ordered a fill.  Kept smelling it just a little, sometimes not even sure, and it's been warm so I leave the windows open a little at night. Well, I watched CSI last night and there is a propane leak in a gigolo's apartment (spurned chick kicked a hole in the gas pipe to the fireplace) and the CSIs are in there investigating his murder (blunt instrument and then gas poisoning) and one of them drops a cell phone and kabloooey!!

So this morning, I'm in my "office" in my bedroom and maneuvering my ipod touch one handed and I flash back to the show. Yikes! I'm outta there and call the gas company.

Sure enough. I have a leak. The guy says you smell gas, you shut the tank down immediately and call us. Well, I only waited a couple of weeks . . . until CSI saved the day! I knew it wasn't a waste of mind, er I mean time.

IT'S A BOY!!!

Roman Keller

7 lbs, 13 ozs


So excited for Aaron and Carla and CC!!!  Yay!

First off, we are having indian summer here in Maine and just look at the beauty of a summer day in fall on the Lake. Got up to 80 degrees!

Off I went into town in MY CAR to see what was happening at Pumpkinfest. Ah, small town Maine in the fall. Here are a sampling of the pumpkins, and not to put too fine a point on it, but in my mind, pumpkins should be carved - not just painted. So, kudos to those who carved. I have not seen even half of all the pumpkins in town yet but so far Humpty Dumpty is my fave (even tho he is not carved.)

The Reny's Rockettes! No parade is complete without these queens of the dance.

Ok, this truck is going to get annihilated with the pumpkin cannon - 

here it is in the parade - but did someone misspell "victim??"  Big oops!

My little town. After the parade.

In front of the bookshop (and perhaps the author
of "victom" should spend a little time here...)

King Eider's always has a fabulous pumpkin!

And, here are some of the King Eider's crew - Hey Todd!

Ran into my friend, Sue. What? Doesn't everybody like to be snuck up on and attacked with a camera?

* * * * * 

And while I have the mic, what is up with these morons who think it is a good idea to bring their dogs to a crowded event on a hot day where sirens are blaring and horns are honking. You get the picture. Pet peeve. (haha-no pun intended.)


ADDENDUM:

Shriner dies after go-cart accident during Damariscotta Pumpkin Fest Parade

The Associated Press

Posted Oct. 09, 2011, at 5:41 a.m.
Last modified Oct. 09, 2011, at 11 a.m.

             

NEWCASTLE, Maine — A sheriff’s office said an Anah Temple Shriner has died after he was fatally injured when his go-cart toppled off a ramp and he was hit by other go-cart drivers during a pumpkin festival parade in southeastern Maine.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said 59-year-old Marvin Tarbox Jr. was in Newcastle in the Damariscotta Pumpkin Fest Parade on Saturday traveling over a ramp over a sport utility vehicle when the ramp apparently failed and his go-cart flipped over and onto the pavement. The sheriff’s office says at least two other go-carts hit Tarbox when their drivers didn’t realize what had happened.

Tarbox, of Hancock, was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to Miles Memorial Hospital, where he died.

Several hundred people were attending the parade when the crash occurred.

So sad, he apparently was a very nice man, according to other articles. We didn't know what was going on other than a fire engine was blocking traffic at one end of town and an ambulance pulled out of the parade and backtracked to the scene. I don't think anyone on the parade route in the middle of town was aware of what happened, thankfully.