more fun and games

I am not a social person. I have a history of having a few drinks BEFORE going out, just to get up the nerve to be in a group of people. I hate crowds and avoid them whenever possible. I even park far away to keep away from the crowded parts of parking lots (wow, I sound a lot more crazy when I actually put it out there!). The point is that I don't understand times, like now, when Hubby and I are inundated with social engagements!

They're not major things, like weddings or family reunions, but they seem to be piling up. And now we've added a baseball game to the mix!

Our bakery friends have never been to Fenway Park in Boston. To be honest, I'm not sure how it is that this will be my fifth time going! But Ian and Jason are both from Ohio, and the Red Sox are playing the Cleveland Indians in August, so the four of us thought it would be fun to go. We're even spending the night in Boston! Crazy.

We just found out about a charity thing at one of the art foundations a friend is involved in, plus the concerts we're attending in July. There was something else...basically I'm exhausted just thinking about the fact that we have something going on pretty much every weekend in July! How does this happen!?

I have decided to try out Jillian Michaels' online program. I got a great deal on a 6 month subscription. Maybe it will turn out to be lame. Maybe it will finally get rid of these last 10 pounds. Maybe it will drill into my head the things I need to do to continue a healthy lifestyle. I'll keep you all updated...in case any of you cares. 6 months seems like a long time though...

Today, I'm hoping to get out into the garden to finish my garden (my peas and beans are in need of some support). I also have 2 Rocky Mountain Junipers to plant somewhere before they die in their little pots.

Last night we went to see a tiny art opening for some locals. We went because our friend Ian had some photos up. The venue is an old church they are restoring. It's still a church, in that you can get married there...but it's non-denominational, and I don't think they still have regular services there. More like a Vegas chapel! :) It's beautiful, at any rate. And seeing art up, made me want to do something. It's not hard to find inspiration around here, but i sure wish I could find some motivation! I did finish my first 9 shot roll of 120 film using Hubby's Ansco. Unfortunately I have to drive 3 towns over to get it developed...and if I ever want more film. Not sure when that will happen.

And that's about it in my world. Tons of stuff to try to get done today...let's see if I can make the most of my day off this week?!

gardens and cameras

I've been up to the same...work, some gardening, some socializing.

The garden is growing. Peas need to be trellised, as to the beans. I think the broccoli is not coming up. The beets may be shadowed by that giant pumpkin plant. And all my peppers (jalapeno and banana) died when i planted the seedlings and none of the seeds i sowed directly seemed to take. I really wanted at least some jalapenos, and they are so easy to grow, that i think I will try to find seedlings or more seeds at a garden store. My little cilantro forest is growing quite nicely, however!

I've been in love with photography, on and off. I've not used a regular film camera since we got our digital. I played with my pinhole camera, but it's such a new experience, I don't consider it a way to keep my hand in film photography. But i have been itching to do so.

Well, we had a couple friends over for drinks the other night, and one of them is very into photography. We are going to see some of his stuff this week, actually, as he is showing some stuff at a show at a local church. He's also the friend who just scored a whole darkroom set up for $50 at a yard sale!! Anyway, while he and hubby were in the studio, boy talking (and Laurie and i were girl talking in the living room), Hubby showed Ian his old camera which has merely been a decorative element in his studio. He found it at one of those neighborhood church yard sales, years ago. Ian said he could fix the sticky shutter and get it back to us. A couple days later, he showed me how to load the film and gave me 2 rolls to play with!! We'll see how they turn out. Just 9 pics per roll, so you'd think I'd have used them up by now!

Anyway, that reminded us of an old camera that I had bought about 10 years ago at a big community yard sale, for $10. I couldn't even remember where I had put it, but I knew that it worked because i had used it before. Ian asked what kind it was. I said, 'something German.' He said, 'is it a Voigtlander?' I said,

'YES! That's what it is!' His eyes lit up and so I HAD to try to find it. It hit me, where I had stashed it, and went to get it. Having the old cameras out inspired me (again) to try photography (again).

So, once i get some stuff taken and developed, maybe I will have something fun to share (after I scan it, of course).

Finally...

Not a great picture, but I've been sort of trying to figure out what to do with this bit of embroidery I did on my handmade paper. I settled on the idea of framing it. Of course, I don't have a frame for it, but I did have this matte not being used. I mounted the piece on brown card stock, then the matte to the card stock. I like it, BUT...there's a slight imperfection on the paper that I can't stop staring at! I thought maybe it was a bit of adhesive, but it won't go away (and I use water based products, but i can't get that spot off...could it be that i never noticed it there until I 'framed' it??)

Anyway, there it is...still just sitting around my studio like a lot of stuff.

I also, FINALLY, re-listed a bunch of etsy stuff.

Here's how my site looks now:http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyDearest.

So far, I've just re-listed my cards. I'm planning on going through my paper bowls and other vessels...take some better pictures, photograph some of it packaged up, that sort of thing. That'll be a bigger project, though, so who knows when that will happen!?

I've been wanting to get my film camera back out again, as I've said before. I did find out that my sister has an enlarger that is probably still in our parents' basement, but since she is in Bermuda for a Wampanoag tribal event (http://bernews.com/2011/01/champion-of-st-davids-ties-dies/) ...they are going this year to honor her fiance's recently deceased mother... I will wait for a bit to ask her about it.

As far behind as I have been in getting my etsy shop back up and running, I'm thrilled with the tiny bit I did today...get that ball rolling, right?

what!? pictures!?

So, this is what I woke up to Friday morning. A head full of humidity!! I have decided to just stick with my plan to grow my hair out this summer, for one last donation to the Locks of Love people, before going back to my short hair forever. At least it will save me some cash this summer, but my sanity will be greatly compromised if we get more days of humidity (which we will).

I have two days off this week, so I chose to TRY to get SOMETHING done yesterday. I did some chores I've been putting off. Here's a fun fact: I'm easily excited by changes at our transfer station. It used to be that only #1 & #2 plastics got recycled...now, they have one bin for ALL plastics #1-7 and cans...then I guess someone else does the nasty job of sorting it all once it's transported off-Cape. AND, now we have a bin for 'office papers', which means 'junk mail'. AND (yes, there's more excitement at the dump!) They moved the cardboard bin to the same side of the 'street' as the other bins! That means no more letting it all pile up in the basement before having hubby take it all (I get nervous the way people navigate their cars around there...I know, 'crazy', but that's me!)

...hhhmmm...i was going to try to make this post less wordy...so much for that!

I also finally straightened out my new soaker hose and snaked it around my veg beds. Which sprouted magically, overnight when we finally got some rain! And, I can always count on the Cilantro to grow!! Hated this stuff when I worked at Taco Bell a thousand years ago...the smell of it when we had to chop it up would close my air passages!! But, boy, do I love it now!!
I also (finally) started work on my next dress. The sheets I'm using this time are fitted sheets. That means I'll have to do some hemming....

...And there was a LOT of fabric scraps after cutting the pieces out. It also meant I needed at least one glass of wine to get me through the first stage. It was just a half hour before hubby was to be home from work, so I didn't even attempt to start sewing. This one might end up in the dump swap shop anyway, because none of the pieced are the same color...sheets tend to wear and fade less around the edges than in the middle. and if there's one thing we all know about me, it's that I am more lazy at sewing than i am at gardening! I didn't bother to try to plan the pieces to match, color wise...maybe next time?

And of course, Moxie is happy just to veg while we all spend the evening together.

She got that bed when she was just 10 weeks old...she couldn't even get up on it without help!! And she loves her scottie/penguin fleece blanket Auntie Steph made for her!! I love her little baby face!!

Looks like rain, but there's bowling, putt-putt golf, poker, drinking and bbq on the books for today!

Hope everyone has a great weekend...whatever your weather and plans!

a day at the beach

I like to go hang out with Auntie on Thursdays, because I don't have to be home early to get up early the next day. Unfortunately, after all the nice weather, we were of course scheduled for some rain this Thursday. None of us were really surprised, as I have this strange curse over me which makes it rain any time I am planning a trip to see her. I thought it had been lifted but I guess that one time was a fluke!!

At any rate, it did rain all morning...hard, with thunderstorms. But by 10 the sun was out and by the time I got out of work at noon, and got to her place it wasn't bad at all! I had brought my new (old) bike and a little picnic lunch of chips, sandwich, lemonade, baguette and mini brie cheeses. I also brought chocolate, but it was too had to bring it, so we waited until later for that special treat.

Her house if just a hop,skip, and a jump from the Cape Cod Canal. They often ride through the trees and over the train tracks to get to the bike path that runs along the canal.

And that is what we did.

Of course, my basket broke off just a few feet into the ride, but i was able to secure it enough to hold my camera and lip balm...everything else had to go into Aunties basket and/or get bungeed to the rack on the back of her bike. On the way back i realized I could use the ties around my beach blanket to secure the basket back to the handle bars...oh, well, at least i was able to help A LITTLE on the way back.

The tide was out, but coming in. The water was too cold for me.

We rode home against the wind, so i certainly got a workout in with that effort!!

Once we got back to her house, we had more lemonade (this time with some added whiskey...i do love my cocktails!!), watched her chickens, ate some more, and chit-chatted the night away!

She's cleaning out her stuff, so poking through old stuff we laughed about old times and the silly things we would (and, I guess, still) do.

And she gave me this super cool hat!!

Eventually, my sister came home (she lives in a place on the property)...more giggling and memories. Then Uncle came home...he told me I should go to drought-stricken countries to bring them some rain. And i finally left them alone around 9 or so...I got home and was in bed by 10!! That is a super late night for me!! Especially since i was up at 4 that morning (I was lucky enough to have a 'late' start that day...I didn't have to be to work until 5 a.m.).

This morning i was, of course, awake by 5. I decided to get my workout out of the way, and boy was i glad. It was a great workout...the weather was cool, the streets and trail were clear, and now i can enjoy my coffee and admire what one morning of rain can do for my sad little garden. It looks as though stuff has sprouted overnight!!

just pluggin' along, still

The lawn needs mowing again. I'm heading into week 4 of my 'running' program. I am desperate to get the recyclables to the dump. I THINK my garden has a few things popping up, but never have time to do more than give it a quick water just before dinner (most nights). I am still trying to get my butt back into the studio to do some crafting or something. My halter dress i wanted to make for the summer concerts we're seeing has still not started to transform (in fact, the pattern is still not even cut). Moxie decided to stop eating normally after getting into the trash when a raccoon decided to knock our trash bin over (not in 7 years have we had animals in our trash!! Moxie's fine, and eating again...i actually think she was just bored with her old food.)

After all of this normal everyday stuff, I have two days off this week. sure i could use the money, but i could also use an extra day off...considering i fell asleep the other night and slept, off and on, for 12 hours and was still tired!!

I'm hoping to get some shots of what's growing in the garden, to post. also, maybe I'll start that dress? I'll definitely be cleaning out the recyclables. And Thursday I'm taking a day to visit a friend and go for a bike ride. Of course, it's supposed to rain, even though it's been perfect weather here for the past week...I'm used to it, though!

sorry for the 'oh, me, oh, my' post...just had to post something!!!