Almost Time

It seemed as I got down to the wire that my heels were dragging a bit on taking the final stitches in this quilt. The love story behind it all touches my heart so deeply. I plan to give the gift to Jeff at work on Friday. As their special day approaches it is such fun to see the widening grin on his face each day. They are both so excited. LM and I have promised to conjure up a perfect Cape Cod summer day for August 7th, as they celebrate their love. I think I'm as excited as they are about this wedding.
The dedication label......
Very busy week happening here. I have a party to attend tonight........good friends, beautiful home and view, perfect summer day. Unfortunately, LM is teaching a workshop so will be unable to attend. I'll survive, I am sure. LOL
Isn't it wonderful to have such lovely fruit available right now? I'm loving the peaches this year and
this week melons have been so delicious.
If you can't come to New England for a vacation this year, click over to Erin's blog at I Heart New England. This week she is 'taking' us on a delightful jaunt to Kennebunkport, ME. Have fun!

A Very Special Day

My baby turns 40 years old today!! It seems so hard to believe, considering the fact that I'm still in my 20's....how did that happen?? Anyway, he's son extraordinaire, a loving husband, and the most adoring father to Teddy. And, by the way, he loves squirrels and squirrel stuff....long story, we think it's genetic and that's way too complicated to explain. It's my brother, Ev's fault!! LOL We're a quirky family, and we love it.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jason. I love you, and you make my heart and soul so grateful everyday. See you Saturday for the big celebration.

Layin' low

There seems no escaping the very oppressive weather which has hung over us for all of July....the hottest July ever recorded here, thus, the beaches have all been packed. I don't think I have ever seen this many people on Lighthouse beach......even with all the great white shark sighting reports.
Yesterday, I visited a longtime dear friend in N. Truro and we shared a lovely lunch and catch up conversation, and then stopped to visit a lovely pottery shop, but I was soon on my way back to LM's to just rest. The heat has really gotten to me and I've been exhausted. LM's house has no AC so sitting still near fans, and a tall glass of water, seemed the only way to cope. Around dinner time we heard thunder and headed for the beach to watch a storm but it fizzled out.
Today we did very little except nap twice, shop for some fresh fruits, fish and veggies, and I made the dedication for the quilt. It is finally ready to be sewn on, and time is short for me this week. Every night I have an obligation after work but I'll find the time to do the necessary sewing.

I'll leave you with wishes for coolness (well, we all know you are ALL very cool), and several flower photos I took last week at our favorite local homemade ice cream shop. I really loved this hanging wax begonia.
Zinnias.....I adore them but they are so prone to being eaten by insects! Their colors are so vibrant.
Oh, and here is my new car!! Loving it alot.

Peace and love to all....for some reason today, I feel so very fortunate and appreciative for all I have, especially my darling LM. He NEVER ceases to amaze me with his caring. He went out of his way this weekend to make things comfy for me, despite the heat and humidity, and I got through it, now I am home in my AC and am choosing to believe my nice weatherman who just told me I will wake up to coolness tomorrow morning. Ahhhhhhhh.

Time with Samantha and Teddy

We're really locked into some very hot and humid weather here....it doesn't seem to bother the wee ones too much.......Ms Samantha has been busy playing outside in her little pool and one night last week we finally got a chance to spend some time together.....we had a nice dinner at a local waterview restaurant, and then she an her Mom helped me with grocery shopping....first trip in my new car (pictures coming). It's such fun having little conversations with the sweet girl, and tonight we hope to go for a walk or to the playground as the evening cools down.
Last Saturday, this funny one was my entertainment for the morning as his parents were both working. It was a stifling hot day....the worst yet. Teddy entertained me, and took me back 38+ years to when his daddy did the same thing.....wearing my shoes around the house. We read books, assembled and disassembled toys, played with the Etch-a Sketch (what a great toy that is), we sang a few songs and he helped me with some yoga poses. After several hours, Teddy just fell asleep and he was soundly sleeping for 2 hours or more. I do believe Nana had some sleep after a nice meditation and a bit more yoga.



The rest of the day was spent trying to stay cool in LM's very warm house. We did take a long evening ride in my new car and really enjoyed having the sun roof open to the evening air. The scent of a hot summer night took us both back to riding in a convertible on a teenaged summer night...heading out for a date. Really fun, with my favorite date.
Sunday evening found me home again and really struggling with the heat. I do have an AC unit but have not put it in because I just felt I would destroy all the progress I've made with my hip and back.....well....after a cold shower and having all the fans on, I was still unable to even lay down in my wet bed....the humidity had everything soaked. I finally just got up and bit the bullet.....dragged the AC unit across the living room (very large) and hauled it up to the window. EEEEEEEEK. I did it.....within an hour, RELIEF was mine. I'm a bit creaky from the lifting. and I know I should not do it, but in a moment of desperation, it had to be done.
I feel very fortunate to now have a cool dry retreat at the end of the day.

Sealing in the Love

Last weekend, I spent a lot of Saturday sewing the binding onto the quilt for Jeff and Laurie. Being a very hot day, it seemed strange to be sitting with all that fabric on my lap, but being still and lost in the rhythmic stitching, I was not conscious of the heat at all. LM captured these photos. I think he's as excited about this gift as I have been with the creation.



Ms G performed some inspection duties and has deemed the quilt the perfect place to take a nap. I suspect Jeff & Laurie's dogs will find her scent of great interest.
Another very hot and uncomfortable weekend here!

Chairs have Tails, and a Peek at the Quilt

This chair, a gift from his children, was Dad's place of comfort the last few year's of his life. He called us all and took calls, read his mail and his beloved Boston Globe, and had many a nap in this chair. Some months back, Dad's chair came to Cape Cod. For awhile it was the vantage point for chipmunk and squirrel central in LM's kitchen, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings it became my comfy place to read the paper and have my tea, while a certain gray person draped over the arm. With LM's favorite wing-backed chair looking very worn with age, it made a move to the kitchen corner, and Dad's chair migrated to the living room. Since this move Dad's chair has grown a gray tail! We are completely baffled as to how this happened, and know full well, Dad would be rolling his eyes at what has become of his chair (he always feigned annoyance at our silly cat prattle, but we know full-well, that he LOVED hearing our tales of tails - and of those not with tails - oh yes, Trish and Sam's dear Bob, the manx (tailess), sat with Dad often in the chair). Ms G uses the chair, or I should say the floor under it, as her point from which to watch our every move. She can see the entire living room, kitchen, dining room, and front and back doors from this point, thus assuring that we are doing her bidding....most likely about to serve cat treats, sit down (lap opportunity), or get ready for bed (her fave).
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A week ago tonight it was finally time to pick up the quilt from the quilter. Kindly person she is, she let me know she would be on-Cape visiting her daughter, and I could pick up the quilt nearer to home in lieu of driving all the way to southern RI.
First stop after retrieving the quilt, was dear friend, Sue's house in Sandwich. Her beautiful garden greeted me and proved a lovely place to take the first photos.

Sue was sitting on her back deck sewing amidst even more beautiful flowers. We immediately took the quilt to the side garden for its photo session and were watched, or should I say, scrutinized by my "godcat," Jaxson, through the screen.
Here it is....I am really thrilled with the outcome....
The back is a little more conservative.
We were quickly off to have a nice supper at Cafe Chew in Sandwich, but not before Jaxson exhibited his messing up the dining table skills. He is such an impish beauty.
In other news....I got my new car, a Toyota Camry, on Tuesday....personally delivered with flowers and a sweet card by none other than LM, who, by the way, spent a day doing all the legwork related to my new acquisition. I love it and will take photos this weekend.
Hope everyone is coping with all the heat. It has been just awful here....dark, foggy, damp and hot. The sun better shine for the wedding on August 7....I will be presenting the quilt to Jeff and Laurie soon.

Long Island Trip

LM works regularly for local car dealers, moving cars between dealerships and sometimes bringing cars here for customers who purchase on line. When he got a call last week to pick-up a car on eastern Long Island, NY, he knew there was only one co-driver he wanted to share that trip. Seeing it was a work holiday for me, here was his chance to finally show me one of his favorite places...the North Fork of eastern LI. We set out from his house just after 4 am on Monday morning. This is the sun coming up at Cape Cod Kia as we picked up the car we would drive to the island ferry in New London, CT, to take us across LI Sound to Orient Point.
We planned to take this ferry but after arriving early, they put us on the freight boat.....
Waiting to depart, and set out on the Thames River which leads to LI Sound....beautiful morning of what would be a record-breaking hot day on LI

Just leaving the dock - looking back on New London
Just across from our departure point, is the Electric Boat Company, submarine division
As we were pulling out, two tug boats were about to launch a submarine which had probably been in for repairs. Very interesting and intense moments as the tugs worked, tooted and moved the sub.
The smaller boat is a Coast Guard boat which had guns exposed on deck as it guarded the launch process.
We moved along pretty quickly and there were beautiful sites along the banks


An unusual lighthouse in the background
Another pretty lighthouse....this is a very rocky area
After an hour or so, approaching Orient Pt, LI
LM's been extolling the beauty of eastern LI to me forever, so I was thrilled to finally see it. It is mostly agricultural with the loveliest little villages, acres and acres of sunflowers in bloom, quaint farm stands and inviting inns, and then there are the vineyards and sod farms. Really lovely! We were on a mission so had to keep going but scenes like this whetted my appetite for the 3-day, non-working stay we have coming up in Southold, NY (just next to Orient Pt) on Sept 11-13. We'll be staying at the beautiful Shorecrest Inn, which we got a glimpse of this trip. On that trip we will see much more and be able to explore backroads and get down to have a look at The Hamptons area on the southeast part of LI.
We continued west to Port Jefferson, NY to pick-up the Saab which I would drive back. Being the last day of a holiday weekend, the traffic was very heavy, and we had a long wait at the Port Jefferson ferry to get back across to CT....VERY LONG....in 98 degree heat. It was an adventure, to say the least. Upon finding we had to wait at least 4 hours, we parked and walked in the broiling sun to find a place for lunch and some AC. We lucked upon this beautiful restaurant, and had a very delightful 2 hrs. My brain being fogged in by the heat, I forgot to take a photo of the beautiful Seafood Salade Nicoise I enjoyed, not to mention the dessert overwhich I lingered on every tiny spoonful: sweet cornmeal cake with local blueberries and peaches, accented by homemade vanilla honey gelato!! LM had a beautiful lobster roll accompanied by heavenly fries, and enjoyed a sorbet assortment...peach, watermelon and blackberry. Mmmmmmmmm. As I waited in a line for the ladies room, a sweet woman asked me if she could confide in me for a minute (we'd exchanged smiles and compliments on the food). She told me that she was there with her family and her best friend from childhood, whom she'd just been told, has only few weeks to live. She just needed to tell someone before returning to the table. We hugged and shared comforting thoughts. You just never know when you smile at someone, where it will lead.
Finally, we tore ourselves away from the lovely restaurant and its cooling AC, and made the long walk in blistering heat, to the car and make the try at getting on another ferry....getting there was so hard as the traffic in this tiny town was overwhelming and we had to circle through many tiny little streets to get into the ferry line. FINALLY, they let us on....
Here we are lined up about to drive on to the ferry, but not before another 1 hr wait.
We were safely back on Cape Cod by 10:30 Sunday night and although it was long and very hot, we had such fun. Everything with LM is an adventure and fun.
Now we cannot wait to go back for our 3 day B & B stay on Long Island in September...we saw the Inn and it is BEAUTIFUL.
Today we are going to a seaside reunion of LM's foster family who raised him from the age of 5. Should be fun. He has one foster sister left and they remain close as they live here in Hyannisport. He was so lucky to be taken in by that family.
Big news for me anyway....I bought a new car yesterday. My dearly loved 2004 Kia Spectra is nearing 71,000 miles, making a few noises and in need of a timing belt, so when I had the chance to buy a beautiful slightly used Toyota Camry at a good price from one of the dealers he drives for, we jumped at it. Pictures forthcoming.......it's a pretty silvery green!

Let's Go to the Beach - Cooling Off

We're havin' a heat wave here on Cape Cod......Sunday, the 4th, we had a lovely day....despite some unusually high temps for this sandy elbow we live on. Capping off a perfect day, LM and I drove to nearby Red River Beach in South Harwich on Nantucket Sound to walk along the water's edge for an hour or so....it was about the only place we could find a cooling breeze and it felt so good to have our feet in the water and feel the waves slapping against our very warm selves.....it was peaceful and fun, as we walked along, hearing the laughter of many who lingered late into the day drifting on the breezes, along with the soaring terns and gulls. Come along with us for a bit.......

As always, when near the water, LM must scan for fish.....he got back to the car before me, and this was the scene as I made my way up the beach.....do you suppose he was scanning for bikinis, too???
"Just looking for fish, Sweetie"
Quickly, we were on our way home to sleep early, as we were arising at 4 am to launch our car trip to Long Island on Monday....very long day, and scarily hot, but very beautiful and worth every second. As always, LM makes every trip an adventure. Not too many photos of that day but I will post what I have tomorrow.
Keep cool everyone. This is such a beautiful summer so far......not sure why but there's only been
1 and 1/2 nights of cramping/pain since last Sat. What a relief. Thanks for the comments and comfort. You are all the best.