Life with Lilli

I've been working with some rulers that Paula loaned me.  I used them to roughly copy a pattern from a class that she took from Margaret Solomon Gunn, an award winning quilter and wonderful teacher that happens to live in Gorham, ME!

First, I used the template rulers to draw my pattern on paper.

Next, I used Frixion pens to draw the pattern on my practice fabric.  It came out a little different than the paper one, but that's just how it happened.

From here, I attempt to use the templates to "draw on the lines" with thread.  It's a damn lot more difficult than I anticipated, partly because of my tendency to be a perfectionist.  However, this project is helping me let that go...at least a little.  Otherwise I would be ripping out every.single.stitch!  I have to constantly remind myself...this is practice.

August 3, 2019

Close up of the center

After almost a month, I made it back to the cellar to work a little more.

August 31, 2019

Now...everyone that knows me, knows I'm my own worst critic, never happy with anything I do.  However, I have to say...although this is far from great, it's not terrible either.  

Once the stitching is completed and I bury all the ends, I'll iron it and Voila, the pink marks will should disappear.  I think I might make a wall hanging so I can compare my first piece with the ones that follow.

Thank you Paula for loaning me all of the templates I needed and for not needing them back in any kind of timely manner.

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Fun at Camp 2019

Saturday, 8/10...It's time for one of my favorite weeks of the summer!  Pequawket Pond...here we come.

We left the house at 12:20, 73* and mostly sunny skies.  We stopped to let Jane and Austin out; Wendy and Dan went to the lake to visit Heather and Steve.  We left there at 12:47, stopped at AJ's in Waterboro for Frojoe's, then stopped at the scenic outlook in Cornish to enjoy our muffins from McDonalds.  We picked them up when we got breakfast this morning.  

Surprisingly, we were the only ones at the outlook.  

We left around 1:40 arriving at camp at 2:07.  For the second year in a row, Gina (the owner) was there.  We knocked and knocked, then went in and called out several times with no response, however, the bedroom door was closed.  We unloaded our things onto the porch and sat there for awhile, wondering what the heck to do.  Eventually, Gina came out and apologized, said she was hanging a blind in the bedroom.  We suspect she was napping.  No big deal, it is her camp, after all, just kind of weird.  She's a talker and didn't leave until 3:00!  Everything was in order by 4:00, except my things.

We took pretzels, pub cheese and drinks onto the deck and did some reading.  It started to sprinkle about 4:45, so we came inside and did some more reading.  I finished "A Trick of the Light" by Louise Penny, one of my favorite authors.  

We cooked crab cakes for dinner, which we ate along with a salad at 5:30 at the inside table because it was chilly.  Gina stopped back around 6:00 with a repaired screen for the front door.  

We sat on the deck in our sweatshirts for half an hour or so, coming in at 7:45 because we were cold.

On the ride here we saw a bald eagle drop into the road right in front of us and scoop up something...roadkill maybe.  We heard the loons, too.  Perfect first day "upta camp".

Sunday, 8/11...Sunny skies and a breeze this morning.  We sat on the deck in our sweatshirts reading until 9:00, then we had breakfast.  

We left at 10:00 and drove to Sherman Farms for corn and green beans.  The wind was blowing straight out of the NW so it was cool.  We returned to camp in an hour, sat on the beach in my shorts and t-shirt.  Turned out warmer than I thought...woohoo!...so I changed into my suit.  We read till 12:45, then had lunch on the deck.

11:20 am

Back to the beach by 1:30 and didn't come up until 4:00, when I finally changed my clothes.  I made iced coffees, we sat on the deck to read and eat our cookies from Keeping' it Local.  Sat on the deck till 6:00 when we started dinner.  It was warm enough to each on the deck - steak tips, potato salad and fresh corn.  

Bill made a fire while I did the dishes.  We sat by the fire and had s'mores while a jet ski terrorized the lake for an hour. ;o( 

Fairly nice sunset.  

7:55 pm

Bill came in at 8:30 to shower, I came in at 8:45 and showered.  New faucets in the bathroom and the sink might be new, too.  The shower actually drains fairly well, finally!  

We saw three loons today.  The skies were clear but we didn't see any meteors, probably because the moon was nearly full and very bright.

8:35 pm

Monday, 8/12...Bill was up early at 6:15, I got up at 8:00.  Had coffee on the deck, then breakfast on the deck around 9:15.  It's predicted to be the warmest day of the week! ;o)  

Typical camp day.  Bill blew up the floats, not as windy today.  We were on the beach by 10:40, read for awhile, got hot (woohoo) floated.  Came in around 12:45 and had lunch on the deck.  

After lunch we sat in the sun, then the shade, then the floated again till 3:45.  Came in and changed our clothes, sat on the deck and had our iced coffees.  I called the library to renew my book, finished my book my Lisa Gardner "Gone" and started one by Paul Doiron "Stay Hidden".  

We continued to sit on the deck till dinner, had spaghetti and meatballs at 7:00.  It was a beautiful night and nice and quiet.  We took showers and since the Sox were losing early, we watched American Ninja Warrior.

No meteors tonight and no pictures today...

Tuesday, 8/13...Took our annual rainy day trip to No. Conway.  Bill got cigars, I got a new Life is Good t-shirt and Bill got swim trunks from Synergy.  

We got coffees and chocolate bombs from The Met.

I'm pretty sure we could have shared a bomb but noooo, we each ate one!

I downloaded a book while Bill shopped at Labonville, although he didn't buy anything.  We picked up burgers at Hannaford and got back to the camp around 2:30.  The weather had improved significantly!

After changing our clothes, we went for a bike ride along the Mountain Division Trail.  There was a mix of sun and clouds in front of us but it looked ominous behind us. The temp was somewhere around 81* and it felt a little humid. 

Got back around 5:00 and sat on the deck.

Ate dinner inside around 7:00.  It was a nice sunset.

We watched a moved "Lions to Lambs", staring Robert Redford and Tom Cruise.  It was entertaining but I didn't understand it...at all!  

We are halfway through our six days.  BooHoo.

Wednesday, 8/14...Up about 8:00 to clear blue skies and a light breeze.  We had coffee and breakfast on the deck and hit the beach by 10:00.  

It was HOT in the sun!  We ate lunch, then went out to float around 1:00.  It was an absolutely perfect camp day!  Although there was a light breeze, the pond was very calm and quiet and it felt like we were the only ones around.  

We came in about 3:00, sat on the deck with our iced coffees and read.  

I talked with Wendy, emptied the trash and compost.  Did more reading and had a "fake" beer.   We ate on the deck about 7:00, sat by a fire and watched what we thought was a full moon rise.

Doesn't get any better than a day like today ;o)

Thursday, 8/15...Up around 8:00 to sun and clouds.

We watched a bald eagle fly around the pond and land in one of the tall pines, he stayed about 30 minutes.  We ate breakfast on the deck.  

We left about 10:00 and went for a bike ride along the usual trail and arrived back at the car at 11:00.  Went to the coffee shop in Fryeburg, Fair Grounds Coffee, right at the 3 way intersection.

We sat outside and enjoyed raspberry muffins and lattes, although mine was more foam, less coffee.

From there we went to Weston Farmstead, which we've never visited before.  We bought green beans and a loaf of bread.  It's a very nice place, farm stand and gift shop.

We were home and on the beach by 1:45.  It was windy and cool when the sun was hidden by big clouds but we still managed to float from 2:30 - 4:00.  We sat on the deck with our iced coffees and Keeping' It Local cookies.  

We continued our "not very healthy diet" with tacos for dinner, finished by 6:30 and had a fire but refrained from s'mores. ;o)

We came in about 8:00.  Bill took a shower; I did some packing, then showered and washed my hair.  We watched Bohemian Rhapsody.  

Friday, 8/16...Cloudy when I got up around 8:00 but the rain had stopped.  The sun started to appear around 11:00.  Did some cleaning and packing until noon, ate lunch on the deck.  

We changed our clothes and sat on the beach, the clouds finally disappeared so we floated until 3:00, when it got cloudy again.  I talked with Wendy, we changed our clothes, again, and went for ice cream, got home about 4:30.  We sat on the deck with our iced coffees and read. 

5:15 pm 

 It was chilly so we ate inside.  I took a shower, Bill talked to Dr. Steve, we watched Deadwood on HBO.  We were blessed with a heron flying by today.

Saturday, 8/17...Another week gone by quickly, probably the best weather we have had in several years.

Got up a little after 7:30 and stripped the bed.  Some rain fell overnight, it was overcast and wet.

8:14 am

8:14 am

8:37 am

Had coffee on the deck and watched an eagle land in the tree across the pond.

The eagle through the viewfinder

We ate breakfast on the deck, Bill took a shower, I finished packing, except the fridge.  Bill went to the dump around 10:30 and I ran the vacuum again.  We packed the truck when Bill returned.  Everything was packed by 11:00.  We grilled hot dogs for lunch and ate at 12:30.  

Wendy and Dan arrived around 1:00.  We "minded" the dogs while they unloaded their things. 

Such good doggies

Keeping their eyes on dad

Greg and the girls arrived about 1:50 and we helped them unload.  Greg settled right in, wearing his Camp Sunshine t-shirt and providing the entertainment.  He played his new Kalimba, otherwise known as a thumb harp.

It was cool and windy but not raining.  We stayed until about 4:30, visiting and taking the annual dock photos.  

Good friends

Dogs and photos aren't always easily done.

It was 70* when we headed home.  We stopped at Dunkin Donuts for iced coffees and frosted donuts, got home at 5:45.    I unpacked and started the laundry.  Bill picked up a pizza for dinner.  After a shower, I made the bed and changed the towels.

A wonderful week at camp, let's do it again next year!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Flowers in the Garden

The butterfly weed is doing very well and has even spread.

Love these seed pods and I'm not going to deadhead them.

The coneflowers are the best they've ever been!

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)

Happy Anniversary to Us

While neither of us can actually remember the date we had our first "date", we know it was the beginning of August, 2002.  I say it was the 1st and Bill says it was the 2nd.  Whatever...

I don't think either of us remembered this year until we got a nice card from our friends.  While I'm a slacker and didn't get Bill anything, not even a card (sigh), he was nice enough to surprise me with a card AND flowers.  

I'm such a loser!  I'm going to put it in my calendar, with a reminder, for next year.

Thank you Bill, you never disappoint.  

Thanks for stopping by...
;o)