I Like Thursday: Chicks, Chocolate and Quilting

Ooh, wow - I spent an amazing week on Cape Cod with my chicks!  A few of the group couldn't attend, but those of us that could make it had terrific weather and good times all week.  

Every day was an adventure:  day-trips to Chatham, Wellfleet and Truro.  Long walks on the beach.  We enjoyed the sunset every evening and even roused ourselves out of bed one morning to see the sunrise.  Even that was an unexpected adventure:  5:45am and traffic was backed up on Bracket Road between the high school and Nauset Light beach.  From our vantage point two cars behind a cop car (with flashing lights) we could make out people walking down the street in the morning gloom.  So I hopped out of the car, jogged up past the cops, joined the end of the procession and asked them what they were doing.  Turns out we caught Senior Sunrise - an annual tradition of the seniors in the beginning of the school year to walk from the school to the beach for the sunrise.  Interesting tradition!  

I Like Thursday: Family Throwbacks

Another I Like post full of throwbacks.  I hope you don't mind. 

My mother, sister and I continue to sort through boxes of slides this summer in the hopes of keeping the best ones and making digital copies (and documenting when/where/who).  It's been a fun trip down memory lane, with a bunch of OMG-remember-this? plus a few who-the-heck-are-these-people?

It's so great to see Dad beaming.  I remember him as a happy guy.  I have so many cousins from both sides of the family - it's fun to see them so young.  And me with that afro?  I cried when I got that perm because it was so tight - but it makes me laugh, now.

I Like Thursday: Summer Stuff

How has your summer been going?  Mine has been too hot.  The grass in my yard is burnt, the squash flowered but no fruit and somebody's been eating my zinnias.  Delays on my black-and-white quilt means it won't be done in time to submit to local fairs.  Bummer. 

But this is a post of likes - and there's been all sorts of good things this summer. 

I Like Thursday: Treasures

Not much blogging lately.  I've been busy trying to catch up on all the gardening I put off in March and April.  Then this stupid shoulder has wiped me out.  But there's progress!  And some fun stuff - so I've pulled together an entry for LeeAnna's I Like Thursday.

First up - last week I saw a deer very cautiously step out of the woods into the side yard.  I suspected she was being extra cautious because she had a fawn.  I was right!  Can you see it in that photo?  Rob and I were amazed at how TINY it was.  And it was so wobbly and unsure of itself, we figured it had to be newborn.  

We saw both of them a few days ago (I see Mama haunting the edges of the yard almost every day).  Baby has grown a lot already!

I Like Thursday: Some History - Ancient and Otherwise

When am I not busy??  It's time to catch up with LeeAnna's I Like Thursday with some good things that happened recently (distract you from your doomscrolling for a bit).

My mother and I met up with some friends at the Harvard Art Museum a few weeks ago.  I was impressed with the size of the Grecian wine cups.  How full did they fill them?  I guess if you're too drunk you couldn't drink out of the flat ones?  You may have to enlarge to read the quote that was on one display - but I found it rather humorous. 

I Like Thursday: Springing Spring

It's been a while since I've written:  good stuff, bad stuff and just plain life stuff.  A few recent photos reminded me of the things I like.  The snow has melted (and we even have a bit of green grass in our front yard!).  

Rob took me out to hike around Buffham Falls.  As you can see there's plenty of water!   (You can also see Rob is less than thrilled I'm including him in the photo.)

I Like Thursday: Sewing, Snow and Skiing

Wow - the last time I liked up with I Like Thursday was at Christmas.  I've been busy, I guess!  Yeah, lots of good stuff going on.

The new year means a new season of Project Quilting challenges:  three completed and three to go.  I've been squeezing in the challenges between the Midnight Garden quilt: a week for the PQ challenge, then a week of sewing triangles (and playing with layouts).  I've accomplished a lot in six weeks!

Snow!  Let's see... first was the Snow Ball at the end of January - a 12 hour contra dance event (I made it through most of the first nine hours before I tuckered out).  It was a blast!

Blogiversary #14

 Happy blogiversary to me - I'm 14 years old!  

The year flew by!  A bunch of baby guinea pigs, good family get togethers, a chunk of time spent with my mother, a summer spent digging in the garden.  Not enough time sewing and I wanted to spend more time with my friends - but looking back it was a good year doing things I enjoyed with people I love.

Thank you, readers, for coming along for the ride.  I appreciate your comments and feedback (both written and in person!).  I'm looking forward to another year of family, friends, piggies and quilts.

I Like Thursday: All Sorts of Cookies

A quick little I Like post full of cookies to share with Lee Anna's I Like Thursday.

This year Thanksgiving weekend was focused on cookies.  I made cookie dough before Thanksgiving, baked cookies the day after Thanksgiving, then attended the family cookie swap party on Sunday.

I dusted off an ancient recipe for date filled cookies to swap.  I remember the cookies were always really big, so I worked to make three smaller rolls.  I had to make extra filling to accommodate the larger surface area - but they came out quite nicely.  The other goodies will be gifts - stuffed figs, caramels, berger cookies and white chocolate dipped ginger molasses cookies.

Halloween Happenings

We had unseasonably warm weather on Thursday for Halloween.  I thought I would be going on a solo mission to the town center.  But last minute, my sister was able to come with her partner and brought our mom.  I also convinced Rob to come, so we were a crowd!  

I'm always so impressed with the decorations.  This buffet was my favorite.  A ghostly twisted Mad Hatter tea?  Down the street from them is a rocking graveyard which is always fun to see. 

I Like Thursday: Pigs, Poets, Pumpkins, Prancing and Paddling

Whew!  Lots going on in the last two weeks!  So many great things to make me happy.  Let's see - the Powerpuff Girls are settling in.  There's been much loafing when they're not fiercely demanding treats.

There really is a guinea pig in that photo... the first week Bubbles tried to hide under everything. 

They're learning to beg properly and they're enjoying the three level cage - everyone has favorite spots.  And they were pretty excited to check out the cleaned cage.

I Like Thursday: Random Goings-on

Mostly likes to share with LeeAnna and friends at I Like Thursday.  

Quilting cleanup projects are on deck, which are my favorite sewing projects to work on.  However, I'm not getting anywhere!  Better weather has lured me to spending time in the garden.  I dislike the lack of sewing, but I'm enjoying the gardening.

A tale of two sunflowers - both of these were planted at the same time.  The one near the house took off - the head must be about a foot wide.  The one closer in the photo struggled and the seed head is maybe three inches.  It's pretty, though!

Major dislike - my phone flaked out.  I spent tons of time working on it, thought I fixed it, then three days later it randomly shut down and refused to reboot.  A week later I spent another two days setting up a brand new phone.  Lots of teeth gnashing.  Not fun.  I'm aggravated over learning a new UI and sound setup.  Ugh.

I Like Thursday: Kayaking, My Clan and a Claw

Ooh - a mid-month I Like post!  I finally got around to hitting the highlights of my trip to Cape Cod the last week in July.

It was a great time and the weather mostly behaved.  I brought my kayak and got out a couple of mornings.  Sunday morning was so calm and still - would you believe this photo was taken out in Cape Cod Bay?  It was quiet, too:  I could hear the water lapping on the shore.  The water was clear enough, too, to see my shadow on the sand below.

I Like Thursday: May's Finishing Touches

Gardening seems to be taking up most of my spare time, so I don't have much to show for my quilting creativity.  Projects are clamoring for my attention.  May has been a wonderfully productive month with so many things I enjoyed (and to share with I Like Thursday).

Rob had been telling me of a covered bridge in Greenfield (after our covered bridge adventure last December).  Friday's weather was so nice, he took me on a quick tour along the Green River.  We came across a lot of people enjoying the sunshine and the cool water.  I can certainly imagine plunking myself down by the water for a quiet afternoon.

I Like Thursday: May Musings

May!  Already so chock-a-block full I'm writing my Like post before the end of the month!  Time to share with LeeAnna and friends at I Like Thursday. 

Ahhh... first kayak outing of the year.  A beautiful evening, and early enough in the season the pond wasn't choked with weeds.  I love being able to explore the nooks and crannies along the edge of the pond (and check out the beaver lodges). 

I Like Thursday: Winding Down 2023

December has been enjoyable, with lots of likes to brighten my month!  I met up with three of my friends to swap goodies and stories.  I also met up with my hiking buddy for a hike around Tully Lake.  The best part - being introduced to the fun of skipping stones on the ice.  I had no photos or videos of our experience, but check this one out.  The sound the stones make were really cool!

The family cookie party!  So good to see aunts, uncles and cousins.  Making the gingerbread houses is a hoot.  So many different designs.  The one in the upper left makes me laugh - the roof has two big bites and the gingerbread man is missing both his head and a leg!

Blogiversary #13

Lucky thirteen!  Goodness, where does the time go?  It was a light year - I wrote about half the number of posts compared to past years.  Fingers crossed that's just a blip. 

One of the reason there weren't many posts:  we only had one pair of guinea pigs to write about all year.  But be reassured - there will be piggy posts soon!

I Like Thursday: November Thanks

November was a rock-and-roll month.  I pushed myself to get things done and to prep for my mother's move.  Whew.  Now I need to slow down and take a break (which is often easier said than done).

Lots of success, though; lots to like and be grateful for.  Good things to link up with LeeAnna at I Like Thursday.

I spent a chunk of time reupholstering chairs, refurbishing a Singer 201 and refinishing the cabinet.  Isn't the purple handsome on the chairs?  I even had enough to cover the sewing machine cabinet's bench.

I Like Thursday: October Occurrences

October has slipped by - it's time to share some of my joys with LeeAnna and friends at  I Like Thursday.

I enjoyed the fall colors, as muted as they were.  Leaves dropped almost as fast as they turned.  There was a lot of green well into the month but at this point it's rusty or bare trees.

Rob and I finally made a trip to The Clark, which we had planned weeks before, but life kept getting in the way.

I managed to squeeze in two trips to the pond to kayak between the rain and windy weather.  My sister joined me last Friday (with amazing 75° weather!). Not nearly enough paddling this fall, but I was happy we got the chance to go out.

I Like Thursday: September's Summary

Ooh - what a September!  I have lots to share with Lee Anna and friends at I Like Thursday.

Kicked off the month by catching up with old friends and co-workers.  I started my first programming job with these guys.  Two of them were new hires with me.  The third guys I jokingly call my work husband - we've been working together for more than 30 years.  Nuts!

My tall friend moved to Japan years ago - I haven't seen him since 2003.  He was in the states for a few weeks, so we took this opportunity to all get together.  I'm so glad we made this work.