A Find

So, I happened to be in Machias a couple of days ago visiting my sister-in-law, my niece, and my nephew. I rarely get to see them, so it was a real treat. At one point we decided to check out one of the local thrift shops, Sue's Thrift Store & More (oh yes, so much more!). It was here that I discovered this absolutely divine skirt.

 

 

Yes, that's right, my friends. I am staying up till all hours, wasting time and energy to write about this skirt. Why? Because I pretty much pee myself with delight each and every time I look at this thing! Unfortunately, my pictures cannot do it justice. Let me just assure you all that the colors and patterns are simply sumptuous. A feast for my eyes. Red, blue, turquoise, salmon, coral, soft greens, hints of yellow. I don't want to stop looking at i! If I thought my body could handle it, I think I would eat this thing up. Does this not convey to you my intense love for this skirt? Are you getting the idea here, folks? I shelled out six dollars for this thing. Now, I'm used to my hometown thrift shop where most days you can stuff a plastic bag full of clothes for the bargain basement price of two dollars! I'm a thrifty girl! So I knew I had truly fallen in love when I came to the conclusion that I would happily trade three whole bags of used clothing for this one gorgeous skirt.

I wish I were a great photographer so I could do justice to my sweet skirt. I really do. But you get the idea, right? You can tell that this is a great skirt. And tonight, I decided I just couldn't keep a love like this all to myself. I needed to share. And maybe, someday, you'll see me and my skirt strolling down the street together. Slowly. Just enjoying one another's company.  And then you'll know what I'm talking about.

Here's one last  look.

What do you think? Isn't she a beauty?

Stopping Time

Today my son Kieran turns five. And I have really mixed feelings about this.

Let me back up a little bit. When I first held my child in my arms, I knew I was in big trouble. I realized I loved this little boy so intensely that I would have to learn to live with the fear that something might happen to him. I was now truly and utterly vulnerable.

Last week, as Heron, Kieran and I were slowly making our way on the Schooner Trail at Shackford Head, the fact that my little boy was turning five hit me like a ton of bricks. Now, I do realize what year it is. I do remember the date of my child's birth. But somehow the idea that five years had passed, and what that meant, was a revelation to me. Time is moving too fast. And the kicker is that I've been with this kid since day one, literally! We have been constant companions for five years. And instead of wanting to boot this kid out the door to school, I'm frantic that I don't have enough time with my son, things are going to change, and poof! It's over! He's gone!

Maybe it was the fact that I could actually send Kieran to school next year (we aren't) that kind of spooked me. The fear of our lives changing. The fear of me being without him and him without me. The fear of letting him go. But really, what choice do I have? Every day as parents we have to let them go a little.  I know, intellectually, that this needs to happen. And it should. I don't want Kieran to stay five forever. But in my heart, honestly, (as I shared with my husband this evening through another snotty crying jag ) sometimes I'd be happy to stay right where we are.

But I'm a big girl. I know how things are supposed to work. And besides, this isn't just about me (although that would make my life so much easier sometimes). I can't stop time, nor do I really want to. I guess I just need to go through my own stages, too, as a parent. As happy as I am about Kieran being five, and all he's accomplished, I'm definitely grieving a little, too.

With all of this, there is such sweetness. I feel like I'm falling in love with Kieran again and again, each time I look at him. Drinking him in. Reading him extra books at bedtime. Walking home from art class slowly, hand in hand. This exquisite love. I am so thankful to him for it. It is absolutely worth any pain or sadness I will, or would ever, have to endure.

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy.

The View from Here

It is absolutely, blissfully, fantastically beautiful here in my neck of the woods. Here are a few shots of what we are lucky enough to be seeing and experiencing today.

Kieran against the backdrop of Passamaquoddy Bay and Deer Island, New Brunswick.

My rubber wellies ( I scored them for 50 cents at the local thrift shop awhile ago and hardly ever take them off) against the backdrop of Passamaqouddy Bay and Deer Island, New Brunswick. And there's Patrick to the left.

My bare-bottomed boy in his rubber boots. He rarely takes his off either, though we just scored a pair of summer crocs (the real ones) at Marden's.

My sweet, furry (or not quite so furry since we had him sheared!) dog son. He totally digs the beach!

Lindy by the Sea herself in very large shades she scored at Marden's yesterday. I love them! The combination of my clothing choices and these sunglasses are making me feel very hippie housewife today. I kinda like it.

Aren't we lucky to live here? I think so. I sorta feel like I'm on vacation every day. Of course, I don't have to get up and go to "work," in the most technical sense of the word. Kieran and I are free to wander around this beautiful island we live on. And we sure do!

I hope you are enjoying the view from wherever you are today! And if you are so moved, show me!

New Summer Skirt and Some Weekend Fun

This past weekend was a fun one. My very oldest (we first met in kindergarten) and one of my very dearest friends, Becky, came to spend a night with us.One of her three boys, Justin, kept her company on her journey Downeast, as well as her sweet little Havanese puppy, Zeke. Zeke is actually largely responsible for me being the happy mom of my dog son, Patrick. I took one look at a picture of Zeke, fell in deep love, and decided I must have a little fuzzy pup, too!

Now, just like Becky and me, Patrick and Zeke are the best of friends. And although one would assume Zeke would grow tired of Patrick trying to "have his way with him" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) all of the time, he never seems to mind much. He realizes that Patrick is just going through a faze, and he cheerfully humors Patrick his rather exuberant humping and pumping ways. Friendship at its best!

Kieran poses with  Zeke and Patrick (he's the one with his tongue stuck out) while they take a break from mauling each other. Aren't they the cutest?

While Becky and I caught up,  Kieran enjoyed the company of Justin, who is eight. They spent the bulk of their time creating castles and practicing musical numbers to perform for us. The themes of their songs covered subjects such as ice cream and aliens taking over the earth. Heron, always happy to host,  treated us to a delicious meal of Indian food. I believe it was chicken tikka, but honestly, I don't remember. I do remember, however, that it was absolutely yummy!

On Sunday, after Becky, Justin, and Zeke departed, Kieran spied Heron watering some broccoli seedlings he had just planted in the garden. He decided he wanted daddy to sprinkle him with the hose. His dad agreed, and he ran off to put on his shorts. It was truly one of the hottest days we have enjoyed this spring, and Kieran was really embracing it in his little short shorts!

Kieran patiently waits for Heron to finish watering his seedlings.

Kieran in his little gray shorts.

 
I took the opportunity to finish up a skirt I had been working on. I basically followed the easy A-line type skirt pattern in One-Yard Wonders, but made it a bit longer and added a little pocket.

I added a little blue bias tape detail on the pocket. I think the pocket was a nice addition that I will actually use.

The pattern was pretty straight forward and easy. However, it called for the pattern to be cut on the bias, which is great. But I'd never cut a pattern on the bias before, so I cut out the front piece of the skirt wrong. And as I didn't have enough material to start over, I actually had to sew the fabric back together and place the pattern on the material properly and cut it out again. This means that there are a couple of interesting seams across the front of the skirt, but that's okay. I think it looks pretty cool that way!

I think I would definitely whip up some more skirts from this pattern. It sewed up incredibly quickly and has a simple elastic waist band.  And isn't the fabric pretty? Another Marden's find. What do you think? Like it?

My Two Dollar Chair

For quite awhile now I've been fantasizing about a comfy, cozy, smallish, wing back-typish chair. This would be the perfect chair in which to knit, drink my morning (and afternoon) coffee, and just in general act as my base of operations. A throne, if you will, for the queen of the household. The nerve center of the home operations.

The other factor (and it's a biggie) that makes this chair a fantasy chair is that it is cheap. Really cheap. Like yard sale or thrift shop cheap. But never in my wildest dreams did I think my dream chair would only cost two dollars...

This is the story of my two dollar chair.

My chair! My beautiful two dollar chair! And my adorable Patrick. Also, please note thrift shop pillow featuring hand embroidered mushrooms. And if you will, please kindly ignore those pesky dust bunnies. These little beasts tend to come out of hiding when I've moved all the furniture around.

After a pleasant breakfast at the Blue Iris (yummy little local bistro) with my brother-in-law, Damon, his main squeeze, Molly, and Kieran (my almost-five-year-old son) we cruised down Water Street headed for home. We had almost passed the New to You Thrift Shop when I spotted The Chair. I yelled "STOP", which Damon did, right in the middle of the street. I then pushed the door open and sprinted across the street at full speed, heedless of oncoming traffic (this is not as dangerous as it might sound, considering where I live). A note pinned to the chair read, "$2 or BO". What? Could this really be true? Only two dollars or best offer? It looked to be in great shape, and when I hefted it it seemed nice and sturdy. There must be something wrong with it, I thought.

So, I commenced to sniff the chair all over. I mean ALL OVER.  Passersby might have thought me crazy, but when thrifting and yard-saling, sniffing the goods is essential. Amazingly, the chair passed my thorough sniff test. I then crossed my fingers and began to gingerly lower my rear end toward the chair, my mind racing. Would it be comfortable? Would the springs be worn out? Would I feel the well-worn imprint of the previous owner's butt? None of these would allow the chair to qualify as my dream chair. After what seemed an eternity, my rear finally touched down on the chair cushion. I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.  No wonky springs, no sag, no butt imprints. It passed my comfort test. Chair, you will be mine!

I then ran into the shop and without preamble announced "I want that chair!" I handed over the two dollars. I didn't even try to talk them down. I mean, I could have. The sign said "$2 or BO". But hey, I figure two dollars for a chair that didn't stink or sag was a pretty great deal. And I'm a reasonable girl, after all!

After getting the chair home and cleaning it up a bit, I'm a very happy girl. I've rearranged my living room to make a cozy spot for the new addition. Granted, the chair isn't my favorite color. But that's okay with me. I can always pretty it up with a snazzy new lap quilt. Maybe someday I'll even have it reupholstered. Who knows?

I'm not completely nuts. I do know that there are better, prettier, superior chairs out there. Some folks might be mortified at the idea of bringing home a two dollar chair, or laugh at the fact that this thrift shop chair is my fantasy. But the fact that I can be satisfied with less than perfect makes me happy. It's an attitude that keeps my life simple. And that doesn't mean I fill my life or my home with inferior things, or things I don't like. Quite the contrary. But I'm not going to be obsessed or wasting my time or money searching for that perfect thing. I'm gonna wait and let it come to me. And it did!

Dream Chair

On Crafty Gift Giving & Creativity

One of the advantages of being a crafty girl is giving handmade gifts to those I love. There have been quite a few occasions for me to do some crafty gift giving lately, and I managed to get a few shots to share what I've been up to.

Before I wow you with photos of my fine handmade items, I just wanted to say a little something about creativity. My own creativity, that is. For most of my life, I had never considered myself to be artistic. I felt I lacked imagination. And I know for a fact I had imagination in abundance when I was a child. I can still remember some of the wild games I used to play, songs I would make up, even the elaborate hospital for ants I created in the dirt driveway of my childhood home. Now, I seem to recall that there was also a graveyard for the ants behind that hospital...but I'm getting off topic. The point is that I had an imagination! Sadly, somewhere along the line, I lost it.

So, what an absolute gift, a little later in life, to tap into that part of myself that I had assumed was lost forever. That part of me that can create, dream, and imagine. What freedom. I am constantly amazed that my life is full of such lovely, lovely surprises.

And now, on with the show!

A messenger bag for my dear friend Amy's birthday.

A mini name banner for my niece, Grace.

A mini name banner for my just-turned-one-year-old  friend, Cecelia. I went the nickname route, Cece. Those blobs on either side of her name are actually birds.

Mini matryoshka dolls for Grace and Cecelia.

Kieran insisted I take a photo of him holding the doll. And who could refuse that face?

Making stuff makes me happy. Making stuff for other people makes me happy. I am grateful for the twists and turns my life has taken to get me here. Finally.

Making My World Bigger

Shortly after Evan died, I rescued a cat from a local shelter. An older, beautifully marked gray and black gentleman,  Daniel helped to fulfill my intense desire to nurture another living thing. Even though I no longer had my child, I still needed to be a mother. So however pitiful it sounds, sweet Daniel helped fill the bill.

Thankfully, our son Kieran came along. He's almost five now and I have ample opportunities to satisfy that urge to nurture. Truth be told, sometimes too many opportunities, but that's another story!

A couple of years ago, I fell in love with the idea of raising laying hens and having our own eggs. After a few conversations with my husband and a little bit of research, we had 30 tiny, cheeping chicks in our spare room.What business did I have trying to raise chickens? Was I crazy?

The chickens, and Daniel, too, have turned out to be successful endeavors and have brought us much happiness, and even provided us with delicious food in the form of those beautiful, bright orange-yolked eggs. So, armed with these successes, I was feeling a little cocky when I decided that I must have a furry little lap dog. This time the conversation with my husband required a little more finesse regarding my powers of persuasion, but I obtained the okay. After a little research, and a lot of help from a wonderful friend, we were the owners of a sweet little gray/taupe/white Shih Tzu named Patrick. After about two weeks of doggie ownership, I am still pleased with our decision and I'm glad we have him.

There is a point to all of this, and here we come to it. My life has not been easy since I lost my son. I have been challenged in ways that I never imagined possible.  Having another child and opening up my home and my heart to these animals is helping me to heal. It means saying yes to life, to chaos, and to accept the scary fact that not all things are in my control. Very few, in fact. It means learning to live with less fear. It means living in the moment and taking more chances. It means making more wonderful friends and connections in my community. I'm getting there. I'm patting my cat, hugging my child, letting the dog out, collecting the eggs, and holding hands with my husband. 

Kieran and Patrick