Nor’easter on the Way

Get ready! Bombogenesis heading our way!!! A nor’easter with strong winds and heavy rain is coming. We cannot complain though as we have been having gorgeous autumn weather. The foliage has been disappointing, but the temperatures have been amazing.

This photo was taken last Thursday while on a walk with friends at Webb State Memorial Park in North Weymouth. We had brought our chairs, and it was warm enough to enjoy our picnic lunches and to catch up with each other. 

Six of us were able to gather, but we also ran in to two other happy retirees who were enjoying the park. We are hoping that we might sneak in one more walk/ picnic this season so the rest of our  group might be able to join us. We are a big group of happy retirees who all worked in the Weymouth Public Schools. All were exceptional, dedicated educators who are now enjoying the next chapter of their lives. Carol, second from the left, has done a fantastic job through the years of keeping us together. I’m blessed to be part of two wonderful groups of teacher retirees who regularly get together as much as the pandemic has allowed. We all miss out restaurant gatherings, but no one at this point feels comfortable with indoor dining. Fingers crossed things may improve by spring.

I’m happy to report that my quilting mojo is returning. I actually finished quilting a Halloween piece while watching two football games on Sunday afternoon. Both the Patriots and the Buccaneers had victories. I stitched the binding last night, so after adding a few more embellishment it should be ready for a post later this week. I also finished a very time consuming Halloween cross stitch piece that I will FFO later today or tomorrow.

To give you an idea of how long cross stitch takes to do, this little pillow represents three full evenings of stitching. I still have to add the candy and finish filling in the pumpkin. Isn’t this needle minder adorable!

Look who is back. There were six more in the front side yard. Good grief.

Finally, under the category of What’s Up with That??? Look what I spotted on the top shelf in the cereal section. The small strip across the bowls reads, “Made with DUNKIN’ coffee.” Rushed for time in the morning? Then pour yourself a hearty bowl of Caramel Macchiato or Mocha Latte! Goodness gracious!!!

Stay safe. Keep smiling. 

Who Ya Gonna Call???

 Isn’t this display fun? It is in front of the Brewster Ambulance Service at the intersection of routes 18 and 53 in Weymouth.

We have been having a glorious stretch of weather. Last Friday, I met friends for breakfast at the Strawberry Faire in Norwell. You could chose to eat inside the restaurant, but there is also a seating area outside. The tables are well spaced and as always the food was delicious. The only downside was the crowded parking space. I parked across the street and waited for kind souls to let me cross the busy road. 

On Tuesday morning, the Crosstown Quilters Guild held a meeting in the parking lot of the Pond Plain Improvement Association hall. Forty-five ladies showed up.

Yesterday, my Wednesday night quilting friends came for lunch in my backyard. They have resumed getting together, but I have not joined them. My doctors have advised me to continue to be very careful, and so I shall, but it was wonderful to see them. Maribeth’s brought this sweet little paper pieced beauty that she had recently completed.

Finally, William Shatner on Wednesday blasted off into space on a Blue Origins flight to boldly go where no ninety year old had ever gone before. I have been a fan of  Star Trek since James T. Kirk, commander of the starship USS Enterprise, took the helm when the series first aired in the 1960s. It seemed entirely fitting that he was given the opportunity to travel to the edge of space. I wonder what Mr. Spock would make of it all?

Live long and prosper.

Two Stories to Make You Smile

 Do you remember how I wrote about some songbirds up in my flute teacher’s trees who sang along all through my lesson the other day? Well, I decided to open the windows on my sunporch to see if the birds in my neighborhood would enjoy listening to me practice. It succeeded beyond my wildest imagination, but my musical talent didn’t attract songbirds, but rather a group of turkeys!!!!!!!!!!

It’s a blurry shot taken through the porch screen, but there were seven contented turkeys listening to my concert. They absolutely were not there when I started practicing. I was facing in a different direction, so I didn’t see them until I turned to pick up my next book. I was laughing so hard I could hardly play. Heh? Do you think this says something about the quality of my playing??? You can be sure that I did play a lively version of “Turkey in the Straw” for my appreciative audience. ;-) I’ll try it again tomorrow and let you know what happens.

Here’s another installment of  Yes, There Are Good People. Earlier today I went to CVS to straighten out a problem with a prescription. There was quite a line of customers at the pick up window, but I was further down at the drop off window. The pick up window wasn’t moving and while I was waiting I saw an older woman talking to the clerk. The older woman seemed upset, but I couldn’t hear what was being said. Suddenly a young man in line spoke up and said not to worry as he would pay for the lady’s prescription. He headed to the clerk and paid for the lady’s prescription as well as his own. The lady was very grateful, but he said with a big grin on his face, “It wasn’t that much. Don’t worry about it. I do some bad things from time to time, so I try to something good once in a while to make up for it.” :-()

Have a great weekend. 

Pumpkin Picking Weather

 

Today’s weather was about as perfect as an autumn day could be. . . a perfect pumpkin picking day. That’s the name of this cross stitch pattern by Priscilla Blain of Stitching with the Housewives. I have a link to Priscilla’s blog in the right column where I list some of the blogs that I enjoy. My intention is to stitch a Halloween ornament to hang on each hook. 

I had been stitching on the September cottage seen in my previous post and this pumpkin piece for the last five or six weeks. I do stitch each night and for me, cross stitching is a slow but satisfying process. 

If only the weather had cooperated yesterday morning when members of the Crosstown Quilters Guild gathered in the parking lot of the Pond Plain Improvement Association for a socially distant, outdoor gathering. It was not a regular meeting, but many ladies showed projects they had worked on since the last time we gathered in March of 2019. There were some beautiful quilts! Unfortunately, about twenty-five minutes in, thunder rumbled and the darkening skies gave way to steady rain. Oh, well, the get together was very short, but it was worth it to see familiar, friendly,  albeit masked faces. :-) Hopefully, the weather will cooperate the next time we gather.

Funny, true story . . . I am still being very, very Covid careful, but I am continuing my weekly flute lessons. Sometimes we have had lessons in my teacher’s two car garage with the doors wide open. The ceilings are high, and you would not believe how amazing the acoustics are; it’s as if we are in a concert hall! The other day was gorgeous, and so we had the lesson on her deck. Here’s the funny part. At least one bird was chirping along happily throughout my entire lesson. . . No kidding!!! He, she, or they didn’t even seem to mind when I missed a note or blew a clinker or had to repeat a section  ;-). My friend and flute teacher Donna says the birds chirp and sing along whenever she plays her flute out on her deck.Who knew that birds like Bach and Mozart? I practice inside my house, but I’m going to start practicing on my sunporch to see if the birds at my neighbor’s feeder enjoy Bach, as well. On that note, I will wrap this up ;-).

Please stay safe. 

Wool Applique, a Cross Stitch FFO, and Miss Emma, Too!!!

 

I saw this wool applique kit on two floss tube episodes, and even though I have a number of pieces that I have yet to finish, I ordered “Festive Fall Simply Square” from Buttermilk Basin. [Warning : Do not visit the Buttermilk Basin website lest you fall down the wool applique rabbit hole. The site is packed with irresistible kits.]  Anyway, back to this piece. It was smaller than I imagined it would be, but it was quick to stitch and it looks cute on the top of my tiered tray. It comes with a little stand on which I will be able to display other tiny  pieces.

Continuing the wool applique theme for a moment. The kits and projects from Buttermlk Basin are   simple to stitch, and as I already suggested, way too cute. They come with clear instructions, and there are  a number of tutorials on Youtube which woulds show you how to get started. Anyone would find the kits from Buttermilk Basin and other wool applique shops enjoyable and satisfying to stitch. They are a world apart, however, from the designs and projects created by Sue Spargo which call for a variety of specialty stitches and a wide range of threads/yarns. I enjoy both types of wool applique, but the Sue Spargo version calls for far more time and effort, and I might add cost.

I had purchased the kit with beautiful wool, threads, and embellishments for Sue Spargo’s Squash Squad last August, but only completed four of the nine blocks. I am determined to work on that project and get it completed.

Speaking of completed pieces, here is the “September Cottage” from Country Cottage Needleworks. I usually display the monthly cottages on a metal easel, but not this time. I had purchased this red blackboard with apple last year at Michaels figuring it would eventually come in handy to display a piece of cross stitch and so it has. :-) I love how it turned out! In my next post, I will show you another FFO cross stitch piece of pumpkin picking cuteness that I also FFO’d today.

Now, it wouldn’t be a blog post from me lately without an obligatory bee photo so here is one taken yesterday.

Finally, my sweet Emma went to the groomers on Tuesday. I couldn’t decide which photo to post, so here are all three. :-()

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. As a New England Patriots Buccaneers fan, I’ll have another Sunday of back to back games to watch which means plenty of time for stitching. Brady, Gronk, and the Buccaneers are playing the New England Patriots in Foxboro next Sunday and that should prove to be really something!!!

Stay safe and have a great week.

Housing Boom for the Birds and Some Birthday Fun

Emma and I walk by this tree in my neighborhood several times a week. There were only a few houses at first, and then Tuesday I stopped short. There had been quite a housing boom!!! The next day I brought my iPhone to grab a couple of quick shots. Check out the fireman’s helmet in the front. 

What fun!

Speaking of fun, yesterday I attended a friend’s socially distant birthday party which was great fun. I made party favors . . . yes, colorful masks for everyone!!! No one wants to take any chances at this point.

The B-day girl sent out this meme today. ;-)

Recommendations: 

1) Saturday marked twenty years since that horror filled, sorrowful day of 9/11. If you have Apple+ TV, check out the filmed version of the Broadway hit, Come from Away. This musical celebrates the people of Gander,  Newfoundland, who welcomed 6,600 people when international planes were grounded on 9/11. It is well worth watching. (Forty planes and 8,000 passengers were also diverted to Halifax, Nova Scotia.)

2) Alex Anderson is offering a new paper piecing project on her Youtube channel. I’m planning to join in. 

3) Autumn Jubilee Is Coming . . . Follow the blog From My Carolina Home for autumn themed quilting, patterns, crafts, and recipes.

Let me leave you with this wonderful photo montage. I read somewhere that Queen Elizabeth is only 5’3,” and so she wears coordinating bright outfits so she may be more easily seen. 

 

    

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 Yesterday it was announced that 1 in every 500 people in the United States has died from Covid. The death toll in the United States now stands at 668,000. Please stay safe. Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. 

Birds Do It; Bees Do It / Let's Fall in Love

 Today was another glorious day. As I was surveying my estate this afternoon I pulled out my iPhone to capture one of the roses still in bloom.  Then I headed over to the autumn joy sedum which the bees love.

I was focused on this one large bee when from the corner of my eye I caught another bee coming in fast and then just hovering with wings flapping furiously. Well, the next thing I knew, I had a close up view of how bees do it!!! Mercy sakes!!!

 

 

Well, that was certainly interesting :-).

 

 Take a moment and click on Ella Fitzgerald singing Cole Porter's "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love."   I promise you will enjoy it. What an incredible voice she had . . . There is a longer version also taped in the recording studio where she tries different approaches to the song. This link is to the shorter version.

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I belong to three quilting guilds. Decisions have been made and none of these guilds will be having in person meetings at this time. In one guild's survey over half the respondents said they would not be comfortable attending meetings. Two of the guilds will have zoom meetings. All of this makes me very sad.

Tomorrow (Wednesday), I was supposed to meet friends for lunch, and I had been looking forward to it, but I changed my mind about going. All of these lovely ladies are fully vaccinated. Even though we were going to a restaurant with outdoor seating, it made me uneasy. . . eight people in close proximity around the table. I do have a couple of medical issues that put me in the higher risk category, but I wonder whether I am being too cautious???  I just don't know.

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Covid Deaths

World - 4.55million

United States - 651,000

Massachusetts - 18,298