A chilly gray morning and a bowl of steel cut oats with maple syrup and walnuts was the order of the day. yum  I worked up an appetite doing battle with a ginormous freaking spider in my bathroom sink who would not be washed down. Honestly, I am happy to relocate a daddy longlegs outside but for this sucker, I boiled water on the stove, pretended it was oil and threw it from the ramparts.

I'm spending my Labor Day weekend, well, laboring. Labors of love. I pruned my hydrangeas. I am finally finishing up the quilt for Monica's little boy - remember he was supposed to be a girl? And I made that sweet little pink quilt? Here is the little boy quilt. Kind of a modified rail fence using some flannel strips I had, I think from Joanne's.

And, I got an oilcloth delivery yesterday so I will make up an order of three XL beach bags. Look at the two new patterns I got. Black with cherries and an aqua with dogwood. Yummy colors and they'll make lovely bags. Email me if you want one. Things are slowing down and soon I'll stop working for the season so I've decided to work on Dr. Lu's quilt and my quilt guild challenge maybe, a new pattern or two from the quilt show and some UFO's. Sounds totally too ambitious but I'll enjoy the process.

So, before my friends came up from Mass last weekend, I put my studio in order. I had a pile of boxes in there from my storage unit that I was determined to go through. They were labeled "photos" and when I girded my loins (and don't you love that turn of phrase) and opened the first one, there on top was my wedding dress. All thought screeched to a halt and time stood still for an instant. And I taped the box back up and now all of the boxes are in the back of my car. LAME! I thought I was prepared. Not! And those boxes are still there a week later.

Then this past week, I had to go into Boothbay Harbor to transfer my safe deposit box and accounts so they are closer. I don't like going to my old town because it brings back memories. I have never driven by my old house and studio. I can't bear to see it - still miss it so much. And I know it's silly to miss a house but I do. So, I open the safe deposit box and there on top is my divorce decree. How in the world did it ever come to this? I ask myself. I still feel shocked at the knowledge that I am not married anymore. When oh when oh when will I cut loose this giant piece of rotting baggage that is tethered to me?

Now, before you hold a pity party for yours truly, I want you to know that I am really fine. I am content. I have wonderful loving friends and family. I have conquered my fears. And I like living alone - well not really alone because I have my girls. This is a minor setback and I think I will just drive those boxes back to my storage unit and deal with them next summer. By then I'll be ready. I'm sure of it.

hydrangeas on my sweet little porch

Happy Birthday, Micah!

Many happy returns to my grand-nephew today! Seems like only yesterday my sweet Annie was this age and now she is this big guy's mama.

What happens at camp, stays at camp!

Art by Chrissy Rose

Oh, what a weekend. My three BFFs came up from Mass and much hilarity ensued.

Gloria knew about this shop from someone she met on the bus. It is called Quilt'n Fabric and here it is. The owner told us about something called Row by Row and you can read all about it here. Briefly, there are over a thousand quilt shops in the country participating. You must go to at least 8 shops and ask for the free pattern, sew them up and make them into a quilt of at least 8 of the rows. Fun, right? Since I have absolutely no pending projects - hahahaha! I am planning to do it.

After a brief stop to admire Somes Sound, our next stop was Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor. It was peaceful and beautiful and I kept thinking how much my mum would love it. Maybe next year I'll bring her here.

Somes Sound

Asticou

We took a walk along the shore path before dinner and it was just as I remembered it. The fog rolled in while we were walking and that cool air combined with the smell of the ocean, well there is nothing like it and I love it so much. We did the trail backwards and ended up at the pier in the center of town.

Red boat in front of the ghosly ship - a picture poem

Could not resist taking a picture of this little guy enjoying his ice cream cone.

We did a little shopping and met up with Aisley for dinner at McKays for an absolutely fabulous meal. She is Gloria's granddaughter, super sweet girl, and she pulled out one of my little wallets and generously modeled it for me. I LOVE seeing people using the things I make!

So that was all yesterday and today we took a little hike to Hunters Beach.

On the way to the beach. See those tree roots? That is the path! And there is nothing like filling your pockets with beautiful rocks for the hike back up. Doh! I did that. We listened to a babbling brook on our way down to the beach and that was replaced by the sound of the waves on the stony beach. Could have stayed there all day.

And, check it out: There were loons in the water! And they spoke to us. What a gift. 

Hunters Beach

Everywhere you go on the island, there are towers of rocks. Everywhere. I took about a gazillion pictures of them but I'll just share this one.  Next stop was breakfast! Two Cats was the perfect place and we had the most wonderful smoked salmon on a homemade biscuit. Yum We had a twenty minute wait but it passed quicklly in their garden.

After breakfast, we stopped at Judy Taylor's studio in Seal's Cove and spent an open mouthed 45 minutes enjoying her paintings. And by that I mean they are jaw dropping stunning. Here is her new studio, floor not done but lighting is and the pictures are hung.

Look at this one of her niece. Amaizng.

I dropped Gloria off at her summer digs, surrounded by wild flowers and blueberries and even a clawfoot bath in the garden with hot water! Parting is such sweet sorrow.

And made one last stop on my way out of town at Sewing by the Sea, a wonderful shop. Picked up another Row by Row pattern. 

Their row, two ways.

Down the coast, turning inland at the blueberry fields and then home sweet home where Sophie was kind enough to welcome me with a gigantic crater dug right next to the steps. oy that dog

So I said good-bye to the girls this morning (they were NOT happy) and headed north on a rainy day. My favorite radio show of the week, In Tune by Ten, was on and I felt so content, ensconced in LaToya with the heater on my feet and meandering the back way through little inland Maine towns and coming to the coast at Belfast, then scooting up Route 1 through old villages like the one below and I think that is Searsport or maybe Bucksport. Like going back in time. Well, except for the cars and RVs. And the electrical wires. And neon. Okay, so the buildings are old. Anyhoo . . .

I crossed the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and man that sucker is high up. I pulled over and took this picture before proceeding. It spans over 2,000 feet from shore to shore and from the NARROW one lane you drive on, it is 135 feet straight down. Wow. I wanted to take a picture on my way across but started feeling kind of scared! I reminded myself that I was NOT afraid and relaxed and kept going but couldn't really pull my concentration away from that one NARROW lane to snap a photo off to my side. A couple of years ago, I challenged myself to go to the top of one of the towers - they have a fast elevator that takes you up the 420 feet. I am proud I did it but I will not do it again. Ever. They built this bridge out of lots of local granite in less than a year. Doesn't that seem kind of well, hasty? Zoiks!

it was a lovely ride down east and I arrived in about two and a half hours at Gloria's little house. Yes! My friend, Gloria, is visiting for a month and she is staying in a lovely little house surrounded by flowers and puppies and doh! I took no pictures because we were hungry and got right back on the road to ride a quarter mile up the road to Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard and OMG had some fabulous haddock chowdah and split a ginormous lobster roll. (My friend Stacy, lobstah roll afficianado, would never have allowed that and yes Stacy, you are right - I could have mos def eaten one of my own!)

the kitchen, with lobstahs in the foreground

Gloria admires (salivates over?) the roll - fabulous!

Our view of Bass Harbor from Thurston's

Sated, we set out for the first quilt shop of my trip. But I shall leave that and the rest of our day for tomorrow's post  . . . 

I swear I have not retouched this photo. This is what my sunset looked like two nights ago. Makes you want to break into song or write a poem or something, doesn't it? So gorgeous. And here is this morning. Fog lifting but we had rain overnight and more is forecast. This has been such a cool August. I haven't been swimming in weeks. No complaints though. It's lovely.

I'm off on a little adventure this morning. Going down east to Bar Harbor, where I haven't been for years. Wendy is coming to stay with the girls so I will be free as a bird. Woohoo! Road Trip!

You will be missed

Robin Williams died yesterday. Such a loss.

So, I was on my way to the annual mid-summer sale at Alewives - represent! - and I had the most random thought. Just popped into my head. I thought well thank goodness I'm not still married to him. And I felt happy thinking that. Super happy. Make that jubilant! I have not had a day without thinking about my husband since he left, and we're talking years now. I think about how much I miss him and how much I hate him but this is new and I take it as a positive sign. I mean, when I thought it - thank goodness I'm not still married to him - it was heartfelt. I really am so much better off. And apparently I know it deep down, I'm not just trying to believe it. So, yay for me!

As I said, I was on my way to Alewives and here is proprietor, Rhea, appropriately in the batiks section. As you probably know, Alewives is my most fave fabric shop in the whole world and I did some serious damage there as always. In fact, I went back two days in a row!  ha!

My friend, Stacy, and her family are visiting Maine for the week and since my friend is camera shy, here is a picture of Joy and her two corgies. She stopped by Stacy's rental to say hey on her way from Virginia to a week downeast. These next pictures are taken at Beth's farm stand. I couldn't resist because it is just so beautiful there.

Stacy's box

Just picked corn

Look at these gorgeous onions!

Beth's

So, that's all I got today. It's going to be another beautiful day in the 70's here in Maine. I'm going to have breakfast with my girlfriends and then spend the day with Stacy and family. I am feeling such gratitude for the love and affection of my friends. Friends in my own right, nobody to relegate me to the corner while he sucks the life out of the room. Thank goodness I'm not still married to him.  Yippee!!

Well, I had a super fantastic visit with my niece and my grand-niece. Each of the girls made three pillows. Annie, who has the magic touch with modern fabrics finished her three and I did not take even one picture - what's wrong with me? And, Lucia made a squirrel pillow for herself and two clover pillows for daddy and brother and she did a fantastic job. She is a natural with the sewing machine and I visualize bigger and better projects in her future!

hard at work

clover pillow

Lucia and Annie love seafood like I do and we had a great lobster feed on their last night. The child cleaned out her lobster like a pro. Ate every little leg.

Grand-niecie, Lucia, and her mum are visiting me and I couldn't be a happier Zia! Sewing, swimming and eating are the order of the day so stay tuned for an update . . .

Happy Anniversary, Mummy and Daddy!

 Congratulations, you crazy kids!  

Not much to report as I've been a busy little bee lately, sewing my fingers to the bone - well, not really - and enjoying the ever changing view from my windows. We've had foggy misty hazy mornings and beautiful cool sunny days, more like the fall than late summer.

A waterskiier ghosts by above and below, what looks like campers in canoes. That's my umbrella in the foreground.

Giving way to sunny blue afternoons.

My workstation

I'll need to stir myself today and do some housework and shopping. See? Told you there wasn't much to report.