Look at this super cute bag I whipped up yesterday. Haven't used this oilcloth combo before and I love it. Cheery cherries! And I wanted to show you my busy busy Lake on the Memorial Day holiday. Not! I do love my quiet little paradise.

Yesterday, I took the scenic drive down through Waldoboro and Bremen and Round Pond to have lunch with my friends, Carole and Bob, at Shaw's Lobster Wharf.

Not the very best lobster roll but you can't beat the view and the company of course was stellar!

Wind and whitecaps!

It seems the garden grows in inches every day now. I have Lilies of the Valley and Bleeding Hearts everywhere (and note to self, remember to divide these in the fall). The wind has been howling all night and continues this morning. It is wicked cold - only in the thirties with the windchill and I cannot seem to warm my cottage over 64 degrees. Wore my winter coat and mittens when we walked this morning!

gardner's helper

Popped up to beautiful Rockland yesterday with BFF Sue for a visit to Fiore to stock up on the newest olive oil. Chose a lovely Picual from Spain. We visited Clementine's, a new fabric store there - SO CUTE - and I highly recommend you visit. Bought a messenger bag pattern I do not need and some nice long zippers I wasn't able to find at Joann the other day. They bill themselves as "modern haberdashery". 
We had lunch at Archer's on the Pier. Too cold to sit outside but we got a nice corner table where we could enjoy the view. Haddock chowdah and a crab roll. Perfect meal.

view of Rockland from the pier

The harbor - soon that mooring field will be full of boats

So wonderful to smell the sea breeze and look upon the ocean. We agreed it is why we live in Maine, The Way Life Should Be!

So, then home to Sophie and my production line of bags. I have been without inventory for months and it is time for a little nose to the grindstone to be ready for the season.

bag sides with pockets ready to sew

 Sophie is recovering from the loss of our Lucy. She is much happier and engaged and last night brought me Lucy's skunk toy (a gross stuffed animal thingy that Lulu loved) and dropped it in my lap, "let's play!" So, that's a relief.

under the cutting table, keeping me company

And btw, my sister's new book is ready for pre-order on Amazon. HERE is the link, if you're interested.

This is what it looked like at my house at 5:30 this morning! And, it was light when I went to bed last night. I forget how long the days are at this time of year in Maine. Sophie is convinced it's time for breakfast at first light. Not.

Feed me, Mommy. Now.

When I woke up this morning, I looked out my window and a loon was sleeping right off my shoreline. Maybe he sensed my interest because he woke up right after I took the first picture. He spent an hour or more outside my window calling and being answered from across the way before he dove and surfaced out in the middle of the Lake, presumably on his way to a meet-up.

Yesterday afternoon was warm and sunny and Sophie and I went to Moose Crossing and bought Lucy a lilac. My favorite flower. We planted it in the garden in her honor and I got two black fly bites as a bonus.

see Sophie in the back seat?

Today is foggy and gray, supposed to rain most of the day so Lucy's Lilac should get a good soaking. 

The Way Life Should Be

Sweet to be back in Maine, the Way Life Should Be. It is early spring here, the leaves barely out and the temperature cool. Wonderful to sleep in my own bed after so much time on the road. Flannel sheets and down comforter are the order of the day. Heaven.

comfy AND cosy

Unpacked the car and yes, they're back. The black flies are swarming but not biting yet. Oh joy.

in this week's paper

The bleeding hearts are up in the garden and the hosta is just poking through the dirt on this chilly gray day. The dock waits to go in.

Sophie and I had a walk this morning, she trudging behind and me seeing Lucy up ahead, racing through her beloved woods, tearing up the road after a squirrel. Her loss is so painful. I will plant a tree for her this week. I am so grateful to all of the well wishers and those that loved Lucy too and I am sorry but I have not been able to open all of the sympathy cards yet.

I did want to share the cover of the new LLBean catalog with you. Obviously, my beautiful Sophie has a career in modeling that I was unaware of.

It is springtime in New England in all it's glory. This first picture is the dogwood outside my hotel.

Meet G. She is my niece's cat, a stone cold killer, and Sophie's new BFF.

Here we have Zoe and Izzy in my sister's backyard. Sophie doesn't want much to do with them even though they are sweet girls.

After my mom arrived, we headed out to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for a tour of the DaVinci exhibit and a look around. The next shot was taken out the second story window. It is their Japanese Zen Garden. The sand looks like snow. Beautiful.

And the hall has all these dummies hanging around. Leslie says she doesn't like them because it reminds her of when the twin towers fell. I get that. She and Anna hammed it up with one of them for me anyway.

My girl Lucy has been gone a week and I still can hardly believe it. This is what she looked like when we rescued her. She had a good life and she certainly enriched mine. We miss her so much.

Berkeley Springs

My BFF Stacy and I had a quiet laid back visit in Berkeley Springs. We hung out with Sophie, checked out the little town, found a great restaurant: Tari's Cafe, (and if you ever go, you must try it out; it is also an art gallery so lots to take in -visually and orally!- haha), and went to a quilt show - bonus!

The Baths. George Washington's bathtub is on the upper left. No, seriously!

Scenic overlook where you can see Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.

The second day here, Sophie finally wagged her tail and seemed more herself. Thankfully. She does love her Aunt Stacy and they spent the nights together. The house we were in was a bit of a nightmare. There were giant carpenter bees devouring the house and we got swarmed whenever we walked outside. A bit like a science fiction movie.

holes in the cabin from bees

sawdust generated by bees - zoiks!

The Delectable Mountain Quilt Guild had a small quilt displayed in each of the local downtown businesses and then there was the show. Very nice and here are a few of the quilts because I know you want to see them. Nice to get a little quilt-y fix in West Virginia.

I'm writing from Massachusetts today. Sophie and I left West Virginia early yesterday morning and had a 10 hour slog through Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut. Did I miss any? Usually Connecticut is the worst but this spring it was Pennsylvania. Stuck for an hour-and-a-half in the middle of nowhere surrounded by giant trucks. I played the harmonica and Sophie sang along from the back seat. No, really! I swear I am not making this up. Helped pass the time. We were in time for dinner with my sister and bro-in-law and my mom flies in today. It will be nice to be together.

Happy Mother's Day . . .

. . . to my FABULOUS mom!

Nothing like sewing to put one in the moment. And that's what keeps me sane. This will be a quilt for my friend Lu-Elaine, a lover of pastels. (All that pink . . . ugh) I think she will love it. And the next top is for my modern niece, Annie, and was supposed to be delivered at Christmas. I ran out of the gray to piece the back so will look at Alewives for more when I get up to Maine - ah well, the best laid plans . . . Fun (and therapeutic) to work on such different styles and fabrics.

Sophie and I have started the trek north. Lulu was definitely our pack leader and we are feeling rudderless and sad.

ready to go...I guess

Leaving The Fabulous Florida Keys

We ran into heavy rain leaving Florida but after a few hours it cleared and we could see the beautiful springtime greens.

The rolling hills of North Carolina

We've landed here in West Virginia to meet up with my friend, Stacy. We decided to go someplace new this year and are right outside of Berkeley Springs so more on that later when we go into town to "take the waters".

It is so strange to be traveling without our Lucy. I realize Sophie took most of her cues from Lulu and she is lost without her. I hope she will find her own way. For me, there is a huge hole in my life that she filled. I know time heals but we are going to need a lot of it.