22 Trips Around the Sun

22 Trips Around the Sun

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...
Look Who’s Singing in My Backyard

Look Who’s Singing in My Backyard

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...
Some Days

Some Days

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...
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Denison University Graduation 2021

Denison University Graduation 2021

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...
Weekend Miscellaney

Weekend Miscellaney

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...
What to do with vintage quilts?

What to do with vintage quilts?

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....
The History of the Downeast Thunder Farm Pond

The History of the Downeast Thunder Farm Pond

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...
Life at the Beach

Life at the Beach

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...
Monarch Butterfly Gift for Spring

Monarch Butterfly Gift for Spring

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...
A Year Ago

A Year Ago

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...
February

February

“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.
Mary’s COVID Christmas Tree

Mary’s COVID Christmas Tree

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...
Gifts From The Heart

Gifts From The Heart

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...
Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

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...
Gidget’s Fifth Christmas Season

Gidget’s Fifth Christmas Season

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...
Hannah’s Magical Dory and Friends Christmas Tree

Hannah’s Magical Dory and Friends Christmas Tree

COVID-19 has changed so many things this year. Possibly the best silver lining has been to have Hannah home since Thanksgiving. As a result, we’ve been able to work together on donations for WHRL’s Christmas Tree Festival. I organize the event for WHRL,...
Senior Year at Denison University Underway

Senior Year at Denison University Underway

It’s 1036 miles from Milbridge to Granville, Ohio. We made the trip to college this year with a couple of stops along the way and moved Hannah into her new apartment suite on Friday. She’s in a building of four-person apartments. Each student has a single...
Party on the Porch

Party on the Porch

Hannah’s 21st birthday yesterday was a quiet day at home, laying low and enjoying life. The menu was the traditional birthday lobster and Hannah’s favorite “cheesy potatoes.” Paul surprised her with a gorgeous “campus cruiser”...
Twenty-one

Twenty-one

Twenty-one. How is it possible that my little girl has grown into this amazing woman. Legos, Disney, and Harry Potter – they seem like just yesterday and have been traded for cameras, lenses, and scripts. Hannah, you’ve made parenting such a joy. Even...