by Susan | Dec 12, 2021 | On My Mind
It never fails. I’m so focused on WHRL’s Winter Tree Festival that Christmas decorating at home takes a back seat. I finally managed to get a simple wreath up yesterday with a rustic Merry Christmas sign Paul carved the other year. Sunny and mild, Hannah...
by Susan | Oct 3, 2021 | On My Mind
These first days of October are ones of coming to terms. That summer is over, and I must retire my sandals. That that the days of dipping my toes in the surf have passed. That my porch days are becoming a rarity. That the hummingbird who visited my feeder ten days ago...
by Susan | Aug 30, 2021 | Hannah, On My Mind
As a parent, I’ve oddly been missing that back-to-school vibe. For the first time since 2004, I haven’t participated in the shopping and gear-up for another school year. The rhythm is off now that Hannah’s a college grad. After returning from Denison...
by Susan | Aug 12, 2021 | On My Mind
Yesterday was a wonderfully exciting and rewarding day. The tale starts back in April. I work at Women for Healthy Rural Living one day a week. I’ve been involved with WHRL since 2005 in one form or another – volunteer, board president, and now staff. All...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2021 | Hannah, On My Mind
It’s hard to believe that I’ve had this wonderful girl in my life for 22 years. Although the weather was gloomy, we still celebrated with our traditional lobster dinner – margaritas, 1.5-pound lobsters, cheesy potatoes, cheddar bay biscuits, and a...
by Susan | Jun 27, 2021 | On My Mind
Last week I shared my discovery of the Song Sleuth app for identifying birds by their song. I’ve had more fun playing with this tool, learning about the less obvious birds in my backyard. A reader mentioned that they use the Merlin app for this. I’d played...
by Susan | Jun 23, 2021 | On My Mind
Some days are just out of kilter. From the moment you wake, you feel out of sync with the world. Or something frustrating happens that derails the rest of your day. When this happens, my girlfriends blame it on Mercury in retrograde (apparently, it’s not). I...
by Susan | Jun 12, 2021 | On My Mind
Do you enjoy the Downeast Thunder Farm BLOG? Don’t want to miss the latest news? Subscribe to receive an email notice for new posts. Including: Free bird, animal, and butterfly felt patterns for download Notices for new Downeast Thunder Farm SHOP felt, pattern...
by Susan | May 25, 2021 | Family, Hannah, On My Mind
Denison Graduation 2021 was a whirlwind of a week. We arrived home last night, and I woke this morning so tired that I could barely think straight. The adventure started last Wednesday with Gidget in tow. She’s very attached to us, and we were hesitant to put...
by Susan | May 16, 2021 | On My Mind
We were blessed with a glorious weekend. I bounced between work, house cleaning, and yard cleanup loving just being at home. I feel accomplished. The tide was out when I headed into town. I paused to photograph this white-tail deer crossing the river. The view of...
by Susan | Apr 19, 2021 | On My Mind
On my last visit with my mom, she sent me home with two quilts from my maternal grandmother. I finally pulled these out of the bag to take a closer look, remembering the quilts from grandma’s guestroom beds. I called dad to see if he knew any more about them....
by Susan | Apr 10, 2021 | On My Mind
After posting this video on Facebook yesterday, I’ve had lots of questions about our pond. My favorite one is “Did you look to buy waterfront property?” 😂 I know what you meant, Carol, but I got such a kick out of this as I’m not sure...
by Susan | Apr 2, 2021 | Hannah, On My Mind
I received an exceptional package in the mail today. Hannah sent a birthday gift on Monday for my birthday on Wednesday. She was horrified to learn that USPS 2-day Priority mail isn’t – and was disappointed her package wouldn’t arrive on time. But...
by Susan | Mar 31, 2021 | On My Mind
Mary sent me this picture of how she’s packed up the Monarch butterflies she’s created for springtime gifts for family and friends. I shared Mary’s work before with her Covid Christmas tree. I LOVE this presentation – such a cool idea. Thanks...
by Susan | Mar 10, 2021 | On My Mind
A year ago tonight, the notice came that the US’s borders were closing due to COVID-19 and Hannah’s study abroad program in Denmark was shutting down. We had 48 hours to get her out of the country and on her way home. It was a crazy scramble. The fear and...
by Susan | Feb 24, 2021 | On My Mind
“There is always in February some one day, at least, when one smells the yet distant, but surely coming, summer.” – Gertrude Jekyll Today was that day.
by Susan | Dec 26, 2020 | On My Mind
My first felt ornaments were the family of owls that grace the top of my blog. I had such fun creating those that in January 2012, I designed my first bird pattern – the Black-capped Chickadee. Since then, I’ve designed and shared (for free download) 207...
by Susan | Dec 25, 2020 | On My Mind
A lovely Christmas day is coming to a close. The best part of this holiday was spending yesterday with Hannah cooking Christmas dinner. Our tipsy-looking Christmas tree has been such a bright spot the past few weeks, standing watch over carefully wrapped presents. On...
by Susan | Dec 24, 2020 | On My Mind
In the light of COVID-19 turning our lives upside down, I’ve had an unusually quiet December with plenty of time to plan for a peaceful Christmas at home with Hannah and Paul. Gifts have been wrapped and under the tree for a week (except for the one languishing...
by Susan | Dec 20, 2020 | On My Mind
Gidget is such an integral part of our lives that it’s odd to think that this is only her fifth Christmas with us. We celebrated the season with a new Christmas scarf and an impromptu photoshoot. It took a few takes and the promise of a cookie to get her on...
