busy end-of-summer times.

My friend, Susan, came up from South Carolina for a visit (there she is across from me) and I met her, her mom, her friend, and her sister for lunch at the Gardens. It was a gorgeous Maine day and it was so wonderful to see her and meet her family. I miss seeing that face on a regular basis!

Inspired by the recent quilt show, I have been mad for sewing lately. My friend Sue and I got on a backpack kick recently and here are a few for your perusal. (The little ones are Tinkerbell, for a couple of little niecies . . . )The picture didn't come out on my favorite one but here is the fabric. Isn't it gorgeous??

I got this pattern at the quilt show. How cute is this?? This one is for Genevieve. Sweet! Still waiting for measurements on some of the little girls . . . (hint hint)

So, Leslie and Tom and Will and Anna came up to the Lake for a few days and left this morning after a tooooooo short visit.  So sad to see them go!

Anna and I worked on her book bag for school, a tradition with us. It came out beautifully. She is an excellent sewist!  Here she is hard at work.

Also visiting from Virginia, my friend Stacy, husband Pat, their kids and grandkids. I can't believe I didn't get one picture of that gang. It was rather a hectic period so you'll have to make due with this:  

Well, it seemed like there were that many of them . . . anyhoo,  Also visiting me were David and Gloria and I want to show you the picture David shared with me of Gloria. She is such a goddess.

A farewell lobster dinner last night and just about everybody hit the road this morning. I'm so grateful for each and every one and feel so lucky to have them in my life. Thank you guys for coming to Maine!!

Next up:  Mermaid Sue jets in from Miami!!

Sue and I spent the morning at the quilt show seeing more fabulous quilts and perusing the vendors. Here are some more images - I can't help it, I just have to show you. Really awesome show.

So we hit the road about noon and were back in Maine about an hour later at which time we were famished. I missed the turnoff for the Yorks so I said, ok I am taking the next exit and we are going to eat at the first place we come to. I turned off at Kennebunk. And we drove. And drove. And drove and drove and drove. OMG just when I thought we were going to have to resort to cannibalism (although I did not tell Sue that), we came into the jam packed touristy Kennebunk and I pulled into a parking place at Bartley's Dockside. Just in the nick of time!  

 Whatever you do, never ever ever go there. It SUCKED. Do you hear that Bartley's? You suck! The food was adequate, the waitron was a weirdo and it was a total rip-off. Check it out, I got a caesar salad with seared scallops. The menu said a plain caesar was $7.95. Then, you could have it with lobster or chicken or whatever for different prices, the price with scallops being $12.95. Well, I got the bill and they charged me $7.95 PLUS $12.95. How crazy is that? First of all, $7.95 for lettuce?? $12.95 for a handful of pitiful little scallops?? Rip-off! When I got home, I looked at the reviews for this place on TripAdvisor and most everybody else hated it for the same reasons. NEVER GO TO BARTLEY's. Ok, done with that.
Now, Mr. Jasper Jax has been visiting me and the girls for a week while his mom and dad went on vacation so we bid him adieu this morning. Buh bye Jazzy! Good boy!

A few more

I wanted to show you some of the quilts done as a project by SAQA to take a look at homelessness in America and all it's implications. I thought they were so powerful.

 (The quilt below: devastation from Katrina - I recognize the hashmarks on the wall)

 

 This was the quilt I voted for. Look at the woman and her child, then look again and see the other woman and her child reflected. brilliant

Look at the sunset over Damariscotta Lake on Wednesday night. And how lucky am I to live in such a magical place.

So, Thursday morning early, I met my friend Sue and off we went to Manchester, New Hampster for the World Quilt Show. Goose bumps just saying the words!
Took us a little over two hours and then we checked into the Radisson (awesome) where the show is being held.
We spent the rest of the day doing what we do best:  Drooling over the quilts and spending money on quilting necessities.
Here are a few and aren't they fabulous:

We're off for a quick breakfast and then more quilts. Life is good!

 Had our annual home owners association meeting at the Lake today. This is my first year as President and other than forgetting a few times to follow up a motion and a second with "all in favor" and "all opposed" it was pretty cool. Haven't led a meeting in many years and have never had the title "President"  before.  Woohoo.  Went to lunch after at King Eider. I love those guys. They are so good to me and I got to thinking on the way home about my handbook and how sometimes we forget to be in the present positive moment, if you know what I mean. So here it is again.

HANDBOOK 

Health:

1.          Drink plenty of water.

2.          Eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess and dinner like a beggar.

3.         Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is  manufactured in plants.

4.         Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

5.            Make time to meditate.

6.         Play more games.

7.         Read more books than you did in 2009.

8.          Be in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9.          Sleep for 7 hours.

10.         Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:

11.         Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12.         Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13.         Don't overdo. Keep your limits.

14.         Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15.         Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16.         Dream more while you are awake.

17.         Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18.         Forget issues of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19.         Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20.          Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. 

21.         No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22.         Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23.         Smile and laugh more.

Society:

24.          Call your family often.

25.         Each day give something good to others.

26.         Forgive everyone for everything. 

27.         Try to make at least three people smile each day.

28.         What other people think of you is none of your business.

29.         Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in 

              touch.

Life:

30.         Do the right thing!

31.         Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32.         However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

33.         No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

34.         The best is yet to come. 

Words to live by 

Head Shots

* * * 

Back at the Salt Shed and I've got cherry tomatoes up the wazoo!  Look at my first harvest.

I made a yummy couscous with basil and pine nuts and, of course, cherry tomatoes. So, picked even more today and what the heck to do with them all?

This is what and I have met the nicest people stopping by to take a few here and there (and one lady who took about a pound). Sharing the wealth!

Here's one more picture. It's Sophie saying, do you dare me to jump in? Well? Do ya punk? And, in she went.