My sister sent this to me. Of course, as a sewist, I naturally follow all of these rules. 

So, Josh and I walked to Local 188 on the west side and shared a seafood paella and people-watched from our table on the sidewalk before the concert. It was absolutely fabu and you must give it a try next time you're in Portland.

And, let me tell you Ingrid Michaelson rocked the house y'all! She was amazing and best of all, I won't think about my husband anymore when I hear Ingrid Michaelson on the radio, especially after her punk rock version of The Way I Am. I'll think of dinner with my nephew at Local 188 and a fabulous show at the State Theatre in Portland. 

Yay for happy new memories!
The concert was sold out and I immediately lost track of Josh and couldn't even find him after the show but we eventually made contact by phone. My only complaint is that it was positively sweltering in the theatre with all those bodies. Great great show though. We had to rush home this morning so I could be at work on time. This is what we saw on Highway 1:

Only in Maine: The Way Life Should Be!

Well, it's been a long and busy day and we haven't even come to the Main Event yet! Josh and I drove down to Portland today for a concert tonight. We stopped for breakfast with none other than my near and dear friend, Gloria!  Yay! Can't believe we only saw her for an hour or so but she'll be back . . . and  by the way, we ate at Chrissy's in Damariscotta and two thumbs up! Excellent breakfast.

making Josh smile

We made a stop at JoAnn for some necessaries and then in Portland, we took a walk around town and hit a few shops before we went to the Museum of Art for a couple of hours.

Next, on to our hotel: The Inn at St. John, a Victorian railroad hotel dating from 1897 and claiming to be the oldest continuously operating inn in Portland. Other than the fact that it is surrounded by the homeless and drug addicted, it is just great. oy vey

Here is my little room - key word little - but clean and comfy and a TV that has real channels. That work. Wow! And airconditioning! I have to share a bathroom with strangers but the guy that checked us in said they are very nice. I take that to mean they don't appear to be axe murders, but one never knows, does one?
I'll tell you about dinner and the concert later. If you don't hear from me, my neighbor really was an axe murderer!  haha

Things are quiet at my house this morning. My sister, Becky, arrived Sunday night and I drove her and Ryder to the airport yesterday for their trip back to California. We had a nice lunch at DeMillos, a Portland institution.

I got home in time to water my plants and have a swim. Check out the ugliest tomato plant ever - and the most prolific. It has been giving me three or four tomatoes every day for a month or so but now it is churning them out by the dozen!

And, look at what I picked up at the Post Office today. New oilcloth in a yummy lavender color. Soon to be a new Genevieve Bag. Fabulous!

Josh, said to me yesterday, so things will be back to normal now with everyone gone. I thought, hmmmmm, normal is when you leave, buddy! Don't get me wrong: I love my nephew and I love having him here and I'm not in a hurry for him to go. It's just that normal for me has become living alone. I've been on my own for three years now - not my choice and I never expected to be - and I have become a stronger person because of it. Just like with driving, I choose to love it because I do not have a choice. So, I choose to love living alone. The love of these things extinguishes the fear. My affirmation from Louise Hay today says, I utilize the treasures within me-joy, peace, love, and wisdom-and I find only good before me.

My sweet Anna left yesterday after a way too short visit. We worked on a knitting needle roll-up while she was here and didn't it come out so cute! She is an excellent sewist and wish we had more sewing hours together.

In other news, Ryder and I spent an hour in the dollar store while Anna got her hair cut, where we came across this book about using rap to communicate with teenagers or some such. We had some laughs and then met up for lunch with Anna and Josh.

cousins share chocolate mousse at King Eider

And, we made a stop to drop off some more of my bags at About Face. Look how nice they look in the shop. Sweet!

 I was trying to catch up with some emails this morning and clean my house, and cook breakfast, complaining to myself that I was tired and overwhelmed, blah blah blah, when I realized what a fabulous summer it has been so far and how lucky I am to have such a loving and giving family.

In contrast, last summer my divorce was final and I was forced to move from my home and studio and sell or give away many of our things. I felt so alone and cried most nights, longing for all that I lost and for the unbearable sorrow of letting go of my husband, my home, the boats, the RV, all of the trappings of my previous life.

The things don't really matter though, do they? What matters is family and friends and I am rich in both.

I'm with Rose Kennedy who did not agree that "time heals all wounds". She said the wound remains. In time the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone. I'm thankful for the scar tissue another year has left me with and especially grateful for such a stellar summer.

Waiting to take his written test.

HE PASSED! Josh passed the written portion to obtain his drivers license. Now we wait for an appointment to take the behind the wheel test. The wheels of government grind slowly . . .

and then there were none . . . not!

Well, the last of the little ones left Saturday morning at the crack of dawn. I will miss those sweet little voices. The silence after they left was deafening. (And, that is a beautiful thing as well. :)

who gave the baby a beer?

I also moved back into the house after spending two weeks in the hammock out in my studio. I have to say it was very cozy and the smell of fabric upon waking was loverly!

flat out exhausted

So, that left me with Josh and his GF, Sarah. I have to share this picture because I caught him unawares and he was not able to give me his usual glare for the camera.

But wait! There's more!
Picked up my niece, Ryder, from camp yesterday and here she is catching up with  email/facebook/youtube. Poor baby was electronics-free for a month. (The "poor baby" was up until 3am catching up and I know that because we all could hear her. Sigh. No rest for the wicked.)

 In other news, Maine has been experiencing a heat wave and it is AWFUL - except it is probably better than anywhere else - with temps in the high eighties and humid. Supposed to break tomorrow. It does make for a beautiful sunset, doesn't it?

 And, finally, you can now buy The Genevieve Bag at About Face in Damariscotta. Irene tells me they are selling like hotcakes. Woohoo! If you're in their neck of the woods, be sure to stop by and tell them Lizzie sent you.

The Genevieve Bag - small

 Oh, and just so you know, I'm leaving now to pick up my niece, Anna, at the train station in Portland.

just 6 of the loves of my life

and sad to say three of them left yesterday 

Happy Trails

We caravanned over to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and spent a wonderful morning wandering the grounds while the kids played in the Children's Garden and the Garden of the Five Senses. Such a magical place and I highly recommend it if you are ever in my neck of the woods.

stopping to smell the roses

building a fairy house

braving the rope bridge

rowing the skiff

walking the labyrinth

flying with the birds

getting spouted by whales (spouted?)

 

Resting . . . 

 

We went for a late lunch at Bet's Fish Fry ("Free Beer Tomorrow") for her fabulous fresh haddock with dill tartar sauce and ate on the Boothbay village green. Much hilarity ensued with gymnastic demonstrations, dancing, singing and lots of laughs and a few tears. (Hello? they're all five years and under - tears are part of the mix.)

We got a sitter one night and the adults had a lobster dinner - YUM and played games for the evening. Just like old times. 

I love seeing the ones I love so much at my table.

Happy Birthday America

So we packed up and headed for Round Pond for their annual parade on a warm humid day and it didn't disappoint. The little church there was having a quilt show. So sweet the way they had the quilts on display, draped over the pews.

The parade was political as always, Romney being a prime target. 

 Love this one - see the dog on the roof of the car? haha

 There were the usual jabs at the tourists-this one called Slow and Curious (get it?) with a sign that said We're on vacation, isn't everybody? or something like that.

 Here are my sweet little ones. They got a healthy supply of candy thrown at them from the floats.

 Gotta love small town Maine.

 The Lawn Chair Brigade was there again.

 And, quite a few marchers for gay marriage rights.

 This is a picture of a poppy that was all by its lonesome in the parking lot. Beautiful. I got a good look at it because this is where Nat's car broke down and we spent a little time here. (It all turned out fine.)

And, look at these little nuggets waiting patiently for dinner. (It didn't hurt that Annie put a movie on her ipad.) 

I start to miss my husband on days like these and then I realize how much more calm and peaceful we all are without him in the picture. He is the big loser here, missing out on all of this happiness. Shot himself in the foot, didn't he? Lost a fabulous wife and  4th of July at Round Pond with family. That's all I'll say about him. I have better things to do.