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Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

End of the School Year BUSY-ness

Friday, June 27th, 2014
The end of the year insanity began with States in Cross Country.  Here's Eli receiving the baton in the 4 x 800 m. relay

The end of the year insanity began with States in Cross Country. Here’s Eli receiving the baton in the 4 x 800 m. relay

Good thing my blog allows me to write posts then schedule them out into the future!   It has been insanely busy.  Here’s a smattering of the early June busy-ness!

The kid in mid-stride, airborne!   The team was happy to not finish last at States, as the fast runners were doing other races and not the relays.

The kid in mid-stride, airborne! The team was happy to not finish last at States, as the fast runners were doing other races and not the relays.

And Eli passing TWO other teams/kids in the final lap!

And Eli passing TWO other teams/kids in the final lap!

Then the Track and Field team end-of-season picnic and awards at a waterfront park in Rockport, Maine.

Eli with teammates Melissa K. and her sister Emily K.

Eli with teammates Melissa K. and her sister Emily K.

Then there's the garden.  I need to see if I can get the weed whacker working (ugh, I am NOT mechanical), but here I hacked out the dead rugosa rose stuff.  Fortunately, there are a lot of "runners" that are growing well.

Then there’s the garden. I need to see if I can get the weed whacker working (ugh, I am NOT mechanical), but here I hacked out the dead rugosa rose stuff. Fortunately, there are a lot of “runners” that are growing well.

And here's my hilarious helper, tethered to the pine tree so he can wander but not wander off!

And here’s my hilarious helper, tethered to the pine tree so he can wander but not wander off!

And my beloveds, Sven (the gnome)  and Phineas (the phlamingo):

Whimsy in your life is a good thing.  Thanks so much to Joshua and Ashley for the best mother's day gift EVER!  I keep moving the pair about.  TOTALLY LOVE THIS!

Whimsy in your life is a good thing. Thanks so much to Joshua and Ashley for the best mother’s day gift EVER! I keep moving the pair about. TOTALLY LOVE THIS!

Then on the final day of school, after Eli’s last exam, we attended a memorial service for one of his Cross Country teammates, Forest P., who died a week ago from a brain tumor at the age of 18.  His parents got him a tutor, though, and he was able to graduate along with his class (though of course he was way too ill to attend the ceremony, he died just a few days after).   His father wanted the teammates to come do his practice run route near their home where the reception after was held.  When Forest and a friend would come in (usually within 10 feet of each other), everyone would shout “Run, Forest, run!”  so we did.  Sigh.  So impossibly sad:

Members of the team including the coach head out to run for Forest

Members of the team including the coach head out to run for Forest–kids are to the right of the lady in the rose suit

And Friday night was the delayed Wrestling potluck and awards.  Eli received a new award, the Chris Remsen award named after a legendary Camden high school athlete.  Given the description, I'd call it an all-around best award: best athlete, scholar and teammate.

And Friday night was the delayed Wrestling potluck and awards. Eli received a new award, the Chris Remsen award named after a legendary Camden high school athlete. Given the description, I’d call it an all-around best award: best athlete, scholar and teammate. [We postponed the dinner/awards because asst. coach True’s house burned down two nights before the original date.  Luckily though they lost their dog, they and infant son are fine.]

And the team:

the 2013-14 Camden Hills Regional High School Wrestling team, champions yet again

the 2013-14 Camden Hills Regional High School Wrestling team, champions yet again

Let the summer begin…it looks to be as busy for Eli and me as this past week!

At long last, a place for Eli’s medals!

Friday, June 6th, 2014

Taking a brief break from the NYC fun, I thought I’d share some shelves I made for Eli to hang his MANY sports medals.  Eli clearly did not inherit his athletic prowess from me, but he s ure works hard to use all that he has to its best, and it shows.   He had so many medals from Tae Kwon Do, Soccer, Cross Country, Wrestling, and Track and Field, that his lamp started to fall over (He had them draped around the shade.) So we came up with a plan to make shelves similar to what I put in our kitchen here and in the boys’ bedrooms in Camden:  brackets from the big-box store plus pine planks.  To hang the medals, though, I added cup hooks and dowels cut to length:

The shelves installed

The shelves installed; they look rather like a shadow, but there are dowels underneath hanging from cup hoods.  Hubby opened up the “C” shape so the dowels can be more easily removed for adding more medals. 

Supervised by the master of the house:

Pigwidgeon supervising installation

Pigwidgeon supervising installation.  He approves.  He’d approve more if he could have some more kibble.

With medals hung, sorted by sport and year.  The wrestling pins need their own display--that's the next project.  And we think Eli is going to put his deceased running and wrestling shoes up on the shelf!

With medals hung, sorted by sport and year. The wrestling pins need their own display–that’s the next project. And we think Eli is going to put his deceased running and wrestling shoes up on the shelf!

As J.K.Rowling so aptly wrote, “Mischief managed!”

 

 

Coming Home

Saturday, May 31st, 2014

Some things never change, and some change slowly, beautifully, unfolding one petal at a time.

Dog walkies must happen.  If we simply let him out to run about, this little knucklehead would be galivanting around the countryside and get lost.  So we take turns tethering ourself to the beloved  pug waiting for him to do his business.  Ahem.

Dog walkies must happen. If we simply let him out to run about, this little knucklehead would be gallivanting around the countryside and get lost. So we take turns tethering ourselves to the beloved pug waiting for him to do his business. Ahem. And Smiling at all the smiles he evokes when people see him, including us!

Spring is ssssslllllloooooowwwwwwllllllyyyyyy  arriving in Maine, yes, this late, but it is coming!

The buds on my favorite cherry tree are still tight, but I love them dripping on a sodden day.

The buds on my favorite cherry tree are still tight, but I love them dripping on a sodden day.

And that gnarled, twisted old apple tree that I love so much.  So thankful that despite losing half a dozen trees and the tops of another 30 around our yard, this tree survived last winter's monster ice storm intact.

And that gnarled, twisted old apple tree that I love so much. So thankful that despite losing half a dozen trees and the tops of another 30 around our yard, this tree survived last winter’s monster ice storm intact.

One apple tree is a bit further into bloom...wouldn't this be a spectacular quilt?

One apple tree is a bit further into bloom…wouldn’t this be a spectacular quilt?

Mother’s Day 2014–name that gnome (and flamingo)

Monday, May 12th, 2014
Happy Mother's Day 2014!

Happy Mother’s Day 2014!

What a WONDERFUL day!  Hubby surprised me with a lovely card signed by all the kids and a hand-screened kitchen towel of lupine on snowy white cotton.   He said it wasn’t for the kitchen because getting something for the kitchen for mother’s day wasn’t cool, that we could use it maybe in our bathroom.  But I decided kitchen is GOOD and hung it from an old hay fork pully, (how does one spell that?) and it is cheering up the kitchen.  And on Saturday I dropped in to Megunticook Market to get something, say hi to Joshua, and he offered to cook dinner!  WOOT!

Here's our very own sous-chef plating up our chicken and cashew lo mein.  SLURP!  It's always a challenge to cook in a different environment with different layout and pans, but he did great.  Except for our two-watt stove.  We really need a range that can heat a pan hot enough to sear!  It's on the growing "to do" list!

Here’s our very own sous-chef plating up our chicken and cashew lo mein. SLURP! It’s always a challenge to cook in a different environment with different layout and pans, but he did great. Except for our two-watt stove. We really need a range that can heat a pan hot enough to sear! It’s on the growing “to do” list!

Then, to my astonishment, in ADDITION, he said he and Ashley had a gift.  A gift besides the meal?   So I was told to come outside and close my eyes.   DELIGHT!  Hilarity!   A promise I’d made to myself fulfilled by my oldest son!   I’ve sworn for years I wanted a Travelocity roaming Gnome and a tacky pink flamingo.  Sometimes the gnome would lead the flamingo, sometimes vice versa.

The gnome and Flamingo in their first perch

The gnome and Flamingo in their first perch

But we need to NAME THEM!  I think the gnome may be Sven the Svelte (since he so obviously is not), but the flamingo?  Someone suggested Nathan Lane’s character in Bird Cage / La Cage aux Folles, but Albert is sort of ehn.  Hank Azaria’s charater’s name, Agador is a possibility.   So what do all of you think?   We totally need FUN names.  A bit of swish might be good.

And the family portrait with Mom.  We did this photo two years ago, but this year the black flies were more annoying!   Gosh how they have changed!

Mother's Day 2014

Mother’s Day 2014

Mother's Day 2012--two years ago

Mother’s Day 2012–two years ago

LIFE IS GOOD!   And do suggest names for the gnome and flamingo!

Living Under the Rainbow

Monday, May 5th, 2014

What a glorious sight!  Hubby said look at the sunset, so I dashed for the camera, went out on to our COLD and breezy porch (current air temp is 50 but feels about 42!)to take pics, then turned around and saw this

Sunset to the west, rainbow from end to end over Hope and the midcoast to the East

Sunset to the west, rainbow from end to end over Hope and the midcoast to the East.  The rainbow was so large I couldn’t fit it all in one photo!

So here are left and right:

Rainbow...left side (northeast)

Rainbow…left side (northeast)

Rainbow, right, southeast

Rainbow, right, southeast

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes me want to pull out the paints!

Sunset, west (duh!)

Sunset, west (duh!)

I’ve been busy (what else is new), this time writing an article on  the bane of my quilty existence, for Machine Quilting Unlimited, but don’t know if it’s OK to tell you the subject, so I will refrain for the moment!

Eli’s track season is in full swing–here is the last meet.  At least we went prepared this time:  long sleeved shirt, fleece lines vest, winter down jacket, gloves, hat with earflaps and stadium blanket.  And needed it.  By the time we left the field it was 39, with wind chill about freezing or below!  How the kids could function in tanks and shorts is beyond me!

Eli at the end of the 400 metre, ran it in about 57 seconds which, given the cold, was pretty good!

Eli at the end of the 400 metre, ran it in about 58 seconds which, given the cold, was pretty good!

Javelins in the ground

Javelins in the ground

A mistake of a photo, but I kinda like it....

A mistake of a photo, but I kinda like it….would abstract well into a quilt….

Not the best photo, but it is rare that I actually get Eli and the javelin in the same photo!

Not the best photo, but it is rare that I actually get Eli and the javelin in the same photo! Though it looks light, it was pretty late in the afternoon and using the Sport setting doesn’t always work well that late in the day, but I need to remember to re-set the camera to sport and TRY! 

And Eli was the first leg on the 4×400, which of course is the last event of every meet which means we stand around for hours in the cold!

Getting ready for the 4x400

Getting ready for the 4×400

And more of the sunset, because who can resist those colors?   I’ll share more about my Amaryllis before too long!

The view from the end of the front porch, looking west

The view from the end of the front porch, looking west

What a SKY!

What a SKY!