Another Awesome Adventure

As we were driving to a meeting of the Quilters' Connection Guild in Watertown on Thursday evening, my friend Edith mentioned that she intended to visit the Sudbury Art Association Holiday Market the next day. I volunteered to ride shotgun and our friend Laurel also joined us. We left at 9:30 and an hour later we arrived at the market which had two floors of lovely crafts. I purchased a warm pair of mittens, a box of cards, and a small ceramic tree under which you could place a battery operated tea light. So much for buying gifts for others; these items were all for me!

Next, we stopped at The Wayland Depot which had a small selection of gifts. I couldn't resist this handmade in England cute little coin purse. The tag read, Stitched by the Sea . . . (with a nice cup of tea!)

We also stopped in Marlborough at Wayside Sewing which though it appeared quite small on the outside had quite a bit of wonderful fabric. I would definitely visit this quilt shop again. It is in the same block of stores as the Wayside Country Store.

We worked up quite an appetite doing all of that shopping, so we headed to Longfellow's Wayside Inn Restaurant in  Sudbury. Although I had often photographed in that area, I had never eaten at this restaurant and neither had Laurel or Edith. It was wonderful, and we all would highly recommend this special place. The lunch prices were reasonable, the food was delicious, and our waitress was delightful. 

According to the Inn's website,

"Longfellow's Wayside Inn is the oldest operating inn in the United States offering

 comfort and hospitality to travelers along the Boston Post Road since 1716."

The barn across the street from the inn was open . . . and yes, that meant a little more shopping!!! We each managed to find another item or two. 

It was another totally, awesome adventure. :-)

Three Days of 5D Weather!!!

For the last three days we had been experiencing dark, drizzly, damp, dreary, dank, miserable weather. I'm pretty sure that my sunny disposition would not do well in places that regularly receive a great deal of rain. The only bright spot was Tuesday when I met a lovely group of fellow retired teacher friends at a local restaurant for lunch.

With the impeachment hearings droning on in the background, I did manage to make these five Christmas stockings which I will donated at our next Crosstown Quilters Guild meeting. The fabric had been donated, and I scooped it up. There was just enough to make these five stockings. I sure hope that this will put me on Santa's nice list.

And oh be joyful . . .  the sun is shining brightly this morning.

Storm at Sea and Crosstown Quilt Guild Meetings

On October 22nd, David Sirota presented a workshop at the Crosstown Quilters Guild in Weymouth. The subject was his "No More Tears Paper Piecing" version of the Storm at Sea quilt pattern. I can attest that there were no tears as he led us through his "easy" paper piecing method. David is a wonderful instructor.

At today's meeting, Jeanne Y. showed her completed piece.

I also showed mine. I was very happy with my choice of a deep blue batik with purple, fuchsia, and green swirls which created a sense of movement.

The show and tell section of the meeting was as always great fun. Joyce D. made this flag quilt to donate to Anne M.'s efforts. Anne collects quilts and pillowcases to be given to the children of soldiers being deployed. Back to Joyce . . . Joyce made not one, but two flag quilts for this very good cause. 

After our business meeting, show and tell, and refreshments, it was time for our speaker, Elizabeth Sylvan. Let me just say, WOW! WOW! and another WOW! What amazing quilts she showed us. As seen on the easel, she created an amazing landscape from fabric pieces right before our eyes. She took us step by step through her process, and it was fascinating. Be sure to visit her website to see her schedule and some of her work in her galleries.  Her presentation captivated everyone in attendance.

I've Been Reading . . .

Brrrr . . . it was cold last night and this morning. You can't fool me; winter must be right around the corner! I still had a few blooming plants in large containers on my porch, but the cold finished them off. Unfortunately, that also meant that the soil was frozen solid, so I was unable to dump the plants and dirt into my compost piles. Not to worry, it's bound to get warmer some day this week, and I will take care of it then.

The air was cold and blustery while walking Emma this morning, but you will not hear me complain as I relish the cold, fresh air. I'm an asthmatic and always feel my best when the flowers die and the ground freezes. Bring on the cold and snow :-)

 

This brings me to my first recommendation, Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. I'm not sure where I first learned of this book; perhaps from one of the many blogs that I follow, but let me just say that this is a wondrous debut novel. I would rank it right up there with A Gentleman in Moscow as being an incredibly satisfying reading experience. Of course, having asthma, I related to the narrator, eleven-year old Reuben Land, a serious asthmatic, as he tells the story of his family's journey to find his older brother who had broken out of jail after having been arrested for killing two young men. Besides his older brother, Reuben's family consists of a dad with the seeming ability to perform miracles and his precocious younger sister Swede, the most memorable little literary girl since Scout Finch walked the streets of Maycomb. You will love Swede, this talented wordsmith and writer of epic adventures.

I usually don't read the critics' comments at the beginning of a novel but prefer instead to form my own opinions of a novel. This time, however, I totally concur with the words from the San Francisco Chronicle on the top of the cover .

"Peace like a River serves as a reminder

of why we read fiction to begin with."

If you enjoy the writing of Ivan Doig, you will definitely enjoy the storytelling of Leif Enger.  (By the way, if you are not familiar with Ivan Doig, give his novels a try. I would start with The Whistling Season which is my favorite.)

Another novel which I recently finished and enjoyed is The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor. She is the author of The Girl Who Came Home, a story of a survivor of the ill-fated Titanic's maiden voyage. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter is actually the story of two women who lived one hundred years apart. One, Grace Darling, was a young woman celebrated throughout
England as a heroine after she and her father, the keeper of the Northumberland Light, went out in a fierce, raging storm to rescue survivors of a shipwreck.

I admit that I was drawn to this novel by the cover and having read another novel by this author. Lighthouses are a favorite subject of mine to photograph, and the stories of solitary women who often manned the lights in days gone by always intrigue me.  I think you might enjoy this lighter novel as well.

Note:  I have added a search feature to the right hand column of my blog. You may enter a word or phrase to find a blog post. For example, if you put in "Hibiscus Quilt Finished," it will take you to the post where I gathered the steps for my recently completed hybiscus quilted wallhanging.

Last thing, Tuesday was Voting Day, and so that meant that two of my young cousins did not have school. They, their mom, and I had a Ladies Lunch Day!!! They arrived with their plans for the afternoon all set. First, we had a yummy lunch at the Strawberry Fair restaurant in Norwell. Next, it was on to The Christmas Place in Abington. It's a tad early to think about Christmas, but the girls were afraid that their next half day in December would be a parent conference day, and they would not be able to come for Ladies Lunch. We have been going to the Christmas Place on a Ladies Lunch Day for the past five years. The first time they were ages eight and five. They still enjoy picking out an ornament and other sparkly things, posing beside the "How Tall This Year" Santa yardstick, and posing for a photo with their mom in front of the swinging penguin band. :-)

When we returned to my home, Miss T. decided to have some "Crafting Fun with Auntie Janice," and together we made a kitten themed pillowcase for her.

Well, that is it for now. I am heading upstairs to begin quilting my "Storm at Sea" piece which was begun in a workshop at our last Crosstown Quilters Guild meeting with David Sirota.

National Redhead Day

"You'd find it easier to be bad than good

if you had red hair. People who haven't red hair 

don't know what trouble it is. "

Anne of Green Gables

My friend Kathy, a fellow redhead, sent me an email telling me that today is National Redhead Day. Who knew??? What an awesome day to celebrate!!! As far as I know, there is no National Blonde or Brunette Day.

"Redheads are sunshine

mixed with a little

hurricane."

When I checked into this day, I discovered that there is another Redhead Day. It is the name of a Dutch summer festival that takes place during the first weekend of September in the city of Breda in the Netherlands. Also,  World Redhead Day is celebrated on May 26.  Wow! Why haven't I ever heard about this before???

Because I know you are fascinated by this topic, let me share a few more dazzling redhead facts.

Less than 2% of the world's population has red hair. The highest concentration of redheads can be found in Scotland (13%) and (10%) in Ireland.

The rarest hair/eye color combination possible is red hair and blue eyes; most redheads have hazel, green, or brown eyes. (I have blue eyes.)

A 2004 study showed that redheads need 20% more general anesthesia than people with dark or blonde hair. I asked about this once before surgery, and the anesthesiologist confirmed that it was true.

Redheads are supposed to be more sensitive to pain, but I'm not sure that is true.

Final fun redhead fact: we don't go grey. Most redheads will find that their red hair fades to a strawberry blonde and eventually white, but we won't go grey. :-)

Now, less you think having redhead is easy, let me tell you otherwise. When I was in elementary school, one of the police officers who crossed us at the lights would yell, "Okay, boys; okay, girls; okay, Red!" I got used to it, but I didn't like it one bit. Also, grown men driving by would think nothing of yelling out the window, "Hey, Red!" That happened all the time. Now, I admit that when I was little, my hair was very bright, bright red, but grown men should have known better!!! (In September, on National School Photo Day, just for fun, I posted my fourth grade school photo. If you want to see just how bright red my hair was, click here. :-)

So, on behalf of my friend Kathy, Prince Harry, Little Orphan Annie, Anne of Green Gables, we wish you all a very happy National Redhead Day!!!  

A Busy, Busy Week

 Cranberry Pond, Weymouth

Maybe it's Halloween, but Blogger is acting really crazy. I thought for sure that I might have lost all of my previous blog posts, but I was able to retrieve them.  It has been incredibly busy, but it has all been good.:-) Because this blog acts as as my journal, let me share what I have been up to.

Last Monday 10/21- After an early flute lesson in Norton, I drove to Norfolk to meet my cousin's mother-in-law. We have become friends, and we went to lunch at a lovely restaurant in Attleboro, The Colonel Blackington Inn. Next we stopped at Briggs Nursery in North Attleboro. Beside being a full garden center, they also have a gift shop and an eating area. I'll definitely have to go back there next spring. Come to think of it, wouldn't be fun to have lunch there during the winter and be surrounded by plants? Our last stop was back in Norfolk for a walk around the Stoney Brook Wildlife Sanctuary.

Tuesday - 10/21 Crosstown Quilters Guild Meeting - After our regular meeting, "Show and Tell," and refreshments, our own Nancy Hunt was our very first "Quilter in the Spotlight." That was something I dreamed up a last spring. We had David Sirota giving an afternoon workshop, but we wanted a short program for those not taking his class. Nancy graciously volunteered to bring and talk about some of her many projects! Here are a few of her pieces.

Look at this quilt Nancy designed to use her Row by Row license plates. Isn't is fabulous!!!

Here's what I found most interesting. Nancy has taken many, many classes throughout her quilting life. Look at one of her very first class pieces . . . a hand applique Baltimore Album quilt. WOW!!

As I mentioned, David Sirota was our workshop presenter in the afternoon, and I will share more about that in a future post.

Wednesday 10/22 -

Driving by the Abigail Adams birthplace in North Weymouth on my way to meet friends for lunch at the Bay Pointe Inn in Quincy, I nearly stopped to take this positively glowing tree in the Old North Cemetery next to the birthplace. I was running a bit late, so I took this photo the next day. [Fun or at least interesting fact: Mr. Watson of "Watson, come here I need or (I want to see you,)" spoken by Alexander Graham Bell after spilling acid while experimenting on this telephone invention, is buried in Old North Cemetery.] Some day I may just go looking for his grave.

Thursday - 10/24 Meeting of the Quilters Connection Guild in Watertown.

Friday - 10/25 Monthly quilting weekend in Stoughton. We usually spend the weekend quilting. The room is locked after the last person leaves, and we come and go as we wish. Friday night, however, I got a call that a ceiling pipe had burst in our sewing room. YIKES!!! I flew over to retrieve my things, and fortunately, my machine was not ruined. My projects and fabric were wet, but the washer and dryer took care of that. The room looked terrible. It was a good thing that it was empty as the ceiling tiles that came down were right over the table where my friend Laurel and another lady had been sitting during the day. What a mess!!! The hotel had just complete renovations on that room. Laurel's machine is in the shop as it got totally soaked. Again, we are thankful that no one was there when the pipe burst.

Saturday - 10/25 Since we couldn't quilt, my friend Edith and I went to the Proper Bostonian Quilt Show in West Roxbury.

Okay . . . so far this week, among other things, there has been a flute lesson, another lunch with friends (The Dancing Queens) on Tuesday, and dinner with other friends last night. What does this all mean??? It explains why I don't get nearly as much accomplished as I might like. It explains why I can't seem to lose the pesky ten pounds that I would like to drop. I counted it up; I have been out to eat six times in the space of nine days!!!! Oh, my goodness!!! It also explains why I consider myself to be a lucky lady to have such a fun, wonderful life. :-)

Afterthought: Lest you think that I have a totally charmed life, I am coming up on the anniversary of my second mastectomy; the first was in 2007. I am telling you this to remind you and implore you to get checked. Do not let age or lack of family history of breast cancer dissuade you. Please get checked. I am living proof that early detection does saves lives. I am doing great. This also explains why I try to fill each day with positivity and fun. :-)

"You've Got Mail" Quilt and the Colors of Autumn

Don't you love how other bloggers take artistic photos of their quilts? Sometimes they are draped over split rail fences, hung on the side of a barn, or displayed in some other clever fashion.  I just draped this "You've Got Mail" quilt over a rocker on my sunporch. Trust me; it really does look much better in person. The black binding which you can't see in this photo ties it all together. Hopefully, some older child or teen will enjoy receiving it. The top was done months ago, but it took me forever to get around to quilting it. If only I could stay focused on one project and finish it before starting two or three or more new ones. I'd be embarrassed to tell you how many quilts and other stitch related projects I am currently working on. :-)

"You've Got Mail" is a free pattern from Missouri Star, and you may watch a step by step instructional video on Youtube under the Missouri Star channel.

I did also complete this little wool applique piece since my last post. The kit was from Bareroots Little Stitches, #164 Beeskeps Candle Mat. I worked on it while watching Tom Brady and the Boys win their last three games. Go Patriots!!!

Last Sunday, I went to a fun birthday party for my now fourteen year old triplet cousins. Isn't that unbelievable? Wasn't it just yesterday that they were born? On the way to the party, I made a quick stop at The Quilted Crow in Bolton, and yes, some pretty wool did come home with me. :-)

The foliage was striking in that area, but it is just beginning around here.  This tree is in a cemetery off High Street in Hingham.

I carry my iPhone when I take Emma for a walk and this image is from Cranberry Pond in Weymouth. I'll have to remember to check it out to see if the colors deepen this week. Wasn't it nice of these geese to go gliding by in just the right spot?

I was happy that my decorations survived the wild wind and heavy rain that we experienced this week.

One last thing . . . I needed another yard of fabric for one of the quilts on which I am working, so yesterday  Laurel, Edith, and I went on our own three shop quilt shop field trip: Emma's Quilt Cupboard in Franklin,MA,  Franklin Mill Store in also in Franklin, and Ryko's in Lincoln, RI.

Okay . . . I've already admitted that I have way, way too many projects lined up, but it would have taken a much stronger woman than I am to resist buying a few yards of this gorgeous batik fabric. The coordinating fat quarters that I picked up are from the grunge line, and I may need a few more for the project that I have in mind.  For now, fingers crossed, I'll tuck it all in a project box and work on finishing some of my other quilts first. :-)