Wow! Who could have ever predicted that we would be asked to stay home for at least 2 week? Who could have imagined that schools, restaurants, hair salons and beaches would all be closed? It is a strange thing to not know when you are going to hug the people you love again. It is strange to be told to stay 6 feet away from people that you usually hug when you see them. It is strange to have meetings cancelled and to wave to your neighbors from a far. It is really strange to not be able to buy Toilet Paper.

I am very blessed to live in a beautiful area where I can go for a walk away from a lot of people.

I have a freezer full of food and a pantry that my daughter calls the “bomb shelter”. By that she means that I have just about everything that I need to be well fed for quiet awhile. I do not take for granted that there are a lot of people who don’t have this advantage. I also like to cook and typically make everything from scratch. When we couldn’t find bread that we liked I baked my own.

Before the governor told us ask us to stay home we gathered in a backyard and practiced social distancing so that we could see a face other than the ones we live with. It was a chilly, breezy day on the coast of Maine but it was fun to talk to good friends and commiserate about the stress and uncertainty that we were all feeling. We talked about the programs we were binge watching and we had a cocktail to reduce the stress.

Now we are all staying home…. only going out to the store for necessities. I haven’t shopped in over a week and don’t plan to until it is absolutely necessary.

I have been making masks for family members – I have a lot of fabric and I love to sew. If I can’t feed the people I love I will make them masks.

So while we wait for the curve to flatten and the numbers to go down and the weather to warm up we will just have to do what we can to stay calm. My quarantini’s help.

Stay home, stay safe, stay sane and most of all stay well. This to shall pass and soon we will all be visiting and hugging and seeing the people that we love the most!

Be Kind….

Faith in ME

If you are a lover of dogs you understand that everyone has a once in a lifetime dog, Gracie was that to us.  Gracie was our second chocolate labrador retriever and she wasn’t at all what we expected.  Gracie was calm, quiet and gentle.  That is not to say that she didn’t have her wild moments, or that she didn’t take us on a merry chase from time to time but overall she was the easiest puppy we ever had.

Gracie grew up near the ocean and one of her favorite things to do was to run into the waves.  It could be the middle of the summer or Christmas morning if we took her off of her leash she was in the water jumping over the waves.

Gracie also had a pool in the backyard. One of her favorite summer time treats was taking her lap in the pool.

Last week we had to say goodbye to our sweet girl. To say that our hearts are broken doesn’t seem to express the level of sadness that we feel. We shared every day with her for over 11 years and if we could have had a few more it would have been wonderful. Dogs come into our lives and brighten our days, greet us with love and affection whether it has been 10 minutes or 10 days since they have seen us. They love unconditionally and we love them back just as much. I can say that we gave Gracie a good life but whatever we gave her can not measure up to the love and companionship that she gave us. I will miss her snuggling on my feet under my desk, I will miss her putting her head on my lap an telling me it is time to stop sewing and to go to bed. I will miss her knocking my i-pad closed when she wanted my attention. I will miss her!

Her little companion Stella is missing her and doesn’t seem to understand why she is gone. The rides in the car are a bit lonely right now.

Thank you Gracie for being our sweet girl.

Be Kind….

Faith

Well obviously not writing my blog.  I have been making quilts and doing a lot of cooking.  I have had both of my knees replaced and I have been enjoying life in Maine.

I have been making quilts – because that is what I do, I make quilts.  Here are some pictures of quilts that I have made.

I have also done a bit of traveling. My sister-in-law Gail had a big birthday this year so we went to Florida for a visit.

We went to Boston for a couple of games. First the Bruins…

Then the Red Sox…

And finally we had some visitors for the Fourth of July – like we do most years. It was wonderful, the weather was amazing, the food (in my humble opinion was awesome) and the company was stellar. Such a wonderful family tradition.

So that is where I have been. I hope you are enjoying your summer – I am still making quilts and will have some more to show you soon. Some new and different things that I am working on. Lots of hand applique in these new quilts which takes me a lot longer, but I love the results.

Enjoy the warm weather and remember….

Be Kind

Faith

Last weekend we had our annual neighborhood picnic. It is a potluck picnic and the food is always delicious and plentiful. One of my contributions was a large Charcuterie board. I love making them because you can really make a meal out of it if you want.

It was a wonderful party and such a nice way to visit with neighbors that you don’t see every day.

Later in the week Chuck and I grabbed sandwiches, a bottle of wine and our beach chairs and went to the beach for dinner. It was a lovely evening and the beach as usual was beautiful.

On the way home we drove along the coast for a bit and the sun was just starting to set. The colors of the sky were amazing. I couldn’t resist taking some pictures.

The next wonderful surprise was my hibiscus blooming. These flowers are about 10″ wide. They are so beautiful and such a nice bloom for late in the summer.

I never take for granted the beauty around me. The days are getting a bit shorter and the nights are getting a bit cooler. I love the change of seasons but I am enjoying the second half of August. It is lovely in Maine.

Remember to stop a admire the flowers…

Be kind….

Faith

Almost every year for the past 15 or so years all of our children and their children have joined us for the Fourth of July. We spend time at the beach, we swim in the pool, we cook, we eat, we dance and we share. We make memories of summertime spent in Maine. It is a very important reunion for all of us and we always make the supreme effort to make it happen.

Some of us spent the afternoon reading and some braved the cold water to boogy board. The waves were not great but it is always fun.

This is an example of an after beach snack. None of us had any lunch and we still had to make dinner so we snacked. This is a tray that I purchased from Pier 1… it is huge and can be used for all sorts of gatherings. There was enough food to feed our very hungry crowd.

We always enjoy the company of family and the beautiful location that we live in.

I truly hope that this is a tradition that we continue and hold dear for many years to come.

Enjoy your summer and

Be Kind…

Faith

Fortunes Rock Beach

I can’t believe that February is almost over!  I had a hard enough time wrapping my brain around the fact that it was 2016 and now February is almost over.  I have been very busy since the beginning of the year.  Mostly sewing – some of the pieces I can show you and some I can’t.

I made quilts for my niece and nephew who live in Georgia.  They were fun quilts to make and I love giving quilts to people that I love.

Victoria with her Quilt

Hunter all wrapped up in his bandana quilt

There have actually been days this year when it was warmer in Maine than it was in Georgia.  Crazy weather for sure, but at least when it does get cooler they will have a quilt made with love to snuggle up in.

A few years back I participated in a block swap – these blocks came from all over the country.  I finally decided to figure out how to get them put together into a quilt top.  Here is a picture of the top all assembled.  Now I need to quilt it.  This has been a fun quilt to work on because I would never choose these colors to work with but I am happy with the final product and I know that quilting it will make it look even better.

I also finished a baby quilt for a young couple who are very good friends with my son.  I love the Hunters Star pattern and this went together very easily.  What fun I had making this in red, White and Blue.

mohair and silk scarf

This is a scarf that I knitted up – it was fun and fast but sort of different.  The yarn is so fine that it was more like knitting with thread than yarn.  The needles are large so it goes very quickly and I have one more scarf to make.  The next one will be mine.

Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the most important happening in the month of February.  It is our darling daughters birthday month – and I do mean month – we are required to celebrate for the entire month.  We went out to dinner and had a wonderful time.

Elizabeth and Garrett

Chuck and me

So that is just a little bit of what I have been doing during the month of February.  March will be here in just a few days and then the prospect of Spring, which may or may not arrive on time in Maine this year.  I love all of the seasons but the colors of Spring are so soft and subtle.  One of my favorite colors is spring green – all of the budding leaves and the peek of flowers.  Oh it will be so beautiful  – but first we need to conquer March.

Enjoy the mild weather and keep your fingers crossed that it stays this way.

Be Kind…

Faith

I have been very busy.  I have sewed, canned, cleaned, played, shopped and celebrated a birthday.

This past weekend I canned 10 pints of dill pickles.  I can’t wait to try them but I like to let them sit for a few weeks before I open and taste them.

I have started a new project – It is yet another Hexie project.  It is English Paper Piecing from the book The New Hexagon by Katja Marek.  Every month a new block is released – it started in January but I didn’t get clued in until recently so I am a little bit behind.  Thankfully it is not a race, but it is something that I want to complete so I will continue to stitch away.

Center of first Hexie – lots more to add.

This is the fabric that I started with. Fussy cut to make the first Hexie.

I spent the weekend making myself a new bag.  I am a sucker for bags with lots of pockets and compartments.  I saw a post on Facebook – it was a pattern for sale on Craftsy called The Bionic Gear Bag.  Let me tell you, if you a sucker for a bag with a place for everything this is the bag for you.  It is designed by Sally Thompson – it is wonderful.  There is a tutorial on line to tell you how to put it all together and I made it in a few hours.

The Bionic Gear Bag closed

The Bionic Gear bag opened!

This bag has a slot or pocket for everything.  Since you are making it yourself you can really customize it to take care of whatever needs you have.  It holds threads, pins, needles, scissors, rotary cutters, thimbles, rulers, snips, purple “thangs”, pin cushions and tons of other stuff you can fit in the bag.  It all zips closed to hold everything in its proper place.  It is wonderful!

We went to the nursery to find a new tree that will be planted at the end of the month.  Of course we brought our puppies with us.  They love riding in the car.

I saw this sign and loved the message.

My son gave me a new toy… it is a dehydrator.  I am going to use it to dry some of my herbs.  I have a lot of Sage, parsley, thyme, and chives to dry.  How nice not to have to buy them and not know where they came from.  I will also try some fruits and maybe beef jerky if I am so inclined.  It should be a fun new toy and remarkably it is a gadget that I didn’t already have.

new toy!

Soooo…. that is what I have been up to lately.  Next weekend I think that I am going to make some homemade Salsa.  It is always a hit and I used the last jar weeks ago.  I will admit that I was hoarding it – just didn’t want to crack open the last jar.

Enjoy the summer – the weather here has been perfect.

Be Kind….

Faith