Friday, No Finishes!

 

This week I have not finished things as much as worked on finishing things. I did make more masks and actually sold some, so that will help with new threads and things I am running out of for my regular sewing. I think I need to get ones done with the material I have for kids and then just make a few if someone needs some, but I have too many unfinished projects and things I havnt had time to make. I also saw a need for quilts for the fire victims and need to start using my quilter and get some tops finished.

I do keep busy with the boys on the weekend and here it is Friday and tomorrow is a day with the boys. I spent the day cooking and made a batch of apple crisp for the boys, theirs has some sugar and a brown sugar topping. I make mine without sugar, so thought it would be fun to make them a special treat.

Last Saturday we went to Jamestown and spent the day at the forts. This time we were able to get a spot in front of the cove, so great views. The boys had fun playing on the beaches and a picnic in the trailer.

On Sunday we headed to Connecticut and took them to Esker Point. There were only a few people in the parking lot and no one at the picnic area. We went across to the street and walked on the beach and decided to head to Groton long point for lunch. It is a beautiful area at the mouth of the Thames river and we watched the ferries as they came and went.

Our last stop was Fort Griswold, another place the boys loved. Lots of exploring and even a bit of history. Nick likes to hear the stories and Alex wants me to read the signs for him, so a bit of learning too.

I hope you enjoyed a bit of our adventures and have a some fun adventures of your own. Stay safe and healthy and enjoy. your weekend. Hopefully I will get back on track and start finishing my projects this week.

Holiday Happenings!

This has been a whirlwind week, as I am sure it was for everyone. I wouldn't say it was the perfect Christmas, but I enjoyed time with the family and that is all that counts. I have been working on a new project, already planning for next year, so that will be done for next week.

The good thing is Bill is home, the bad thing is, Bill is home, lol. We are able to get out and enjoy a few nice days and he is working on the bathroom, so we might actually have it done in the new year.

One fun thing we got to do was, see the otters on the pond. I noticed people getting shots of them, so we went to check it out and I was able to capture this guy, finishing up his last fish.

Afterwards, we got some time at the beach. We had the beach to ourselves and lots of area to explore, but the wind got too cold, so just an hour of treasure hunting. The pink piece is in the shape of a heart, that was my treasure of the day.

I also get to enjoy the winter birds who are visiting my feeders. This is a Dark eyed Junco.

We also found some old graveyards, I love the old stones. This one was  in the Hopkinton cemetery, I loved the saying on the large stone. It is a shame that so many are so worn, the sayings are worn off.

And in Jamestown we got to explore an old graveyard with a lot of nice angel stones.

And of course there was Christmas. Bean got a little Zealous while I was wrapping and started opening one of Nick's presents. He was not too happy about getting yelled at, but thrilled when he got his own.

We had the kids over Christmas Eve and let them open their presents then. The boys loved their guitars and we decided to keep them here, I don't mind if they want to be noisy. We had Christmas dinner at the kids, and I save a few presents for them, but none of my pictures came out well.

Yesterday was a rest day, though I had a ton of laundry and things to catch up on, but the rest of the time, I rested. Today it was time with the boys. We took them to a thrift store, which they had a ball exploring, then a picnic at the point to watch the ferries, then time on the beach. As usual the wind picked up and it got colder, but the boys definitely got worn out. Alex fell asleep and Nick said he was going to go home and chill.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I look forward to creating in the new year.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend was good and bad. On Saturday we stayed home, it was raining and we had to wait for my wood to come in, so Bill could work on that. Well, it did not come until 7:30 at night, so too late to use it and that didn't matter, because the wood is junk. I wanted rustic wood, but this was so rough, Bill got a splinter, picking one up. Their were 8 boards in a box, and they were all crooked, so they went back today. We will just get our own wood and do the sanding and painting, not worth the cost of finished when they did a horrible  job on the wood.

Sunday was our day to get out. The bad thing was, I was sick, a combination of fighting off the latest flu and inhaling toxic smoke. I could hardly breath and I was coughing, so I took some med and headed out for the day. The med cleared up my lungs but I am still sick, but at least I can breath a lot better.

We headed to the apple orchards in Connecticut, but our first stop was an old prison building. We always see them on the way and I wanted to get a few photos. There are several building complexes along the road, but this is the only one without fencing. It is falling apart and all the windows are broken, such a shame to let buildings like this go to waste, lots of beautiful architecture on them. Also a bit creepy.

Of course we stopped at the orchard next and I got a large bag of apples and a few pears, they weren't as good as last time. Golden delicious are Bill's favorite, so half the bag is filled with those.

Afterwards I noticed a pull over at the river and then a sign, I can't pass by a historic cemetery. We walked around and I took a few more photos, sadly a lot of the graves are sinking into the wet ground. 

Since I was feeling better, I decided to head down to Groton and enjoy the views from the beaches. On the way I saw a tall stone tower, so we took a side road and headed up to see what it was. What we found was Fort Griswold. It was the site of a battle in the Revolutionary war, involving Benedict Arnold. This is the tower that I saw, it was erected later, as a monument to the men who fought in the wars.

We walked through the gates and entered into a large depression surrounded by earthen mounds. There was a door and an opening, so we checked it out.

It was a tunnel, that led to the other side.

On the other side was the area were the men were stationed with the guns and lookouts for enemies coming up the river. The tunnel was their escape route, they could run up and through, to the area we started in, to protect them from incoming fire.

On the edge of the banks, we could enjoy the views of New London and the ferries.

Some of the buildings are still there, the old furnace, where they heated up the canon balls, so that they would burst into flame, when they hit.

And the powder house, were they stored the munitions. It was a fun place to visit and I left a rock at the gate and it was found by a wonderful family, so they posted a photo of their little boy on DSmiles4miles on Facebook. It is fun for us too, when someone posts and we get to see the smiles.

Our last stop was  Eastern Point beach, it is at the end of the Thames River, so it is a nice spot to relax and enjoy the views and of course the boats and ferries, come and go.

A fishing boat coming past the Haunted lighthouse.

And to end the journey, a funny story. Maybe not for one seagull though. I was taking photos of these two guys, fighting for some reason and the other gulls seemed to be egging them on. Just as I was readjusting my focus, the one gull threw the other one off the roof and the gull went falling down the side. It was comical, especially when the poor guy got up and walked off, the flew away, no harm done. I also left a few rocks on some ledges on the house, on the backside, rough sea areas are not good places to hide things.

I hope you all had a good weekend. I am working on finishing a few more pillows and a new stitchery of the month.

Monday Work and Wanderings!

The fun thing about a new month is a new design from Kathy, from her One Stitch at a Time Club. This month was a fun spring design and it was something nice that I could work on this weekend and finish today.

I Colored in the bee black and yellow with my art markers, I like the touch of color. I also added the saying. I think this would be a fun inspirational piece for someone who needs a lift, during a bad time. I also added some lavender so I can use it as a sachet, as well.

My flash was acting up, so I had a hard time getting a good shot.

I also realized that I forgot something on my new bunny piece. I forgot his whiskers. I wanted to add them last, so the good thing was, I could add them on with a needle. They are not permanent, but I like how it gives it a 3D look.

Saturday Bill was sick again, so we stayed home and he rested. On Sunday I wanted to get out so we took a ride to Connecticut, so we could enjoy the views from the car, it was cold out. We sat for awhile and watched the boats coming and going, the ferry coming in and a fishing boat, going out.

As we drove out, I noticed the college, it is an extension of UConn for Marine studies. The grounds are beautiful and they have a lot of beautiful old stone buildings, so we drove in and took a look around.

This is the Branford House Mansion, now it is used for weddings and other venues and you are allowed to walk around the grounds. The bad thing is, the geese leave messes all over, so you have to watch where you walk, lol. You can see the moon, up above.

There is also a small lighthouse on the grounds and the perfect place to enjoy the views of Long Island sound. It was nice to get out and nice to see something new, I will definitely go back when it is warmer. I couldn't get great photos since my fingers were freezing. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wanderings!

We were blessed with beautiful weather this weekend, so I took full advantage and got in some outdoor time. On Saturday we went to Groton and headed to the point to enjoy the views of the Long Island sound and watch the ferries come in and out.

It was foggy over the ocean and the ships were hidden until they got closer. The smaller ferry coming in from Block Island, passing by the haunted light house.

In contrast to the fog, the river side was sunny and blue. The main ferry, heading to Long Island, as it passes the house on the rocks.

We headed to Bluff point for a hike and encountered more fog, with sun on the inland side.

Once we got the the point, we enjoyed some time on the beach. The fog was lifting, so we got to enjoy the  beautiful views.

We took the full hike, which is 4 miles and a few stops so Bean could enjoy the beach areas.

Sunday was another beautiful day and so warm, I had to take off my coat. We went to the Barn Island  Reserve and got to enjoy the full walk. The walk goes along the salt water marshes and through the woods. You can see the path to the left and the wooded areas, then it continues on around that entire area, off in the distance.

The trail ends at the old farm homestead, stonewalls and cellar holes can be found in the wooded areas. We ended at the entrance to the farm, where we turned around and got to enjoy going through the areas again.

As we came back to the area, that shows the view, I spotted a heron feeding in the marsh. I found a pathway to the edge and was able to get a few shots.

Here he is showing off his beautiful wings.

And this is what he looks like, when he is not  hiding his face. Someday I hope to catch one in flight, they are so beautiful but very shy.

I hope you enjoyed going with me,  on my walk. Today is a rest day, I always over do it and wear myself out, but well worth it. A nice surprise came in the mail today, from my friend Laurie. She sent me a beautiful tin adorned with a beautiful punch needle, perfect for storing my supplies. In the back you can see the felted backing she sent, I love it and imagining a beautiful felted scene to make for my beach room. There is also a tiny hat that I can use on one of my characters, a proddy flower, a scrap pile made into a rose shape that has a ball of yarn in the middle and I forgot to add the other gifts, a hand made button bracelet, handmade soap and some teas to enjoy while I create. I feel spoiled but it was a nice pick me up on a down day.

I also took this photo with my new 55mm lens, and I am not happy with the results, time to take it back, they are going to hate me, lol. I want the one I had, but a better one, so I will just wait and save up for a quality lens with anti shake, I realize I need that with my nerve damage, if i want to get clear shots. 

I hope you are all working on fun, new projects. I have my quilt to finish and working on a punched piece for a lap project.

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and Happy Holidays to those who celebrate the season in other ways.

I finished my Christmas pillow and still debating on making a corded edge for the outer edge, I think it will finish it off nicely. Maybe after the holidays, since I have no desire to go to any stores this weekend.

The design is by Bird Brain Designs, the pattern a gift from a  friend.

Today we took Nick out and had some fun at the submarine museum in Groton Ct. He had a lot of fun and enjoyed playing with grandpa.

Going inside a submarine was an adventure for him, a few times he started thinking it was time to get out, but he made it through and had fun climbing through the hatches and up and down stairs.

 We picked up some lunch and enjoyed a picnic at the point. We got to sit on the porch of an old home and enjoy views of the long island sound.

On the way home we stopped in Mystic Village and checked out some shops, Nick was awestruck in the Christmas shop, and I had to watch what he was trying to put in his pockets, lol. It was a fun day and I am sure he is as tired as I am.

Christmas will never be the same for us. We will have the joys of our son and his family, but Danielle will always be missed and a big part of our hearts. I still send her a note or add a photo of her childhood to her Facebook page each Friday. It is my way of keeping her memory alive. This is the card I made for her, for Christmas. May all of you who have lost loved ones, may you find peace and joy in the memories of those who have gone before us.

Wednesday Wanderings!

Well, it really was the weekend, but I had so much going on this week, that I saved some photos to share with you today. I needed a rest day Saturday, just me and Bill, no plans, just go where we want and explore.

Bean is doing well and fitting in with the family, even Moki loves him and the nuzzle and give each Bean loves to play and runs at top speed when I take him in the back yard. Of course, as with most Border Collies, sticks are too tempting to pass up, so we spend most of the time picking up sticks and chasing after them.

Saturday we went to Groton Connecticut. My husband is a test engineer at the Electric Boat, so he knows all about subs and I decided I wanted to go the the submarine museum. It is free to visit and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed all of the displays. They have a lot of history, as well as submarines through the years.

We were visiting inside the museum on the upper level and a real submarine was passing by. I was disappointed that we weren't outside but we got to enjoy watching it and the escorts as they sailed out of the harbor.

The treat was going inside an older submarine. My husband actually worked on it before it was decommissioned.

Inside was definitely close and the rooms are small, I cannot imagine having to be in one for long periods. Throughout the submarine there were rooms with mannequins, depicting the crew and how life would be for them on the boat. It was a bit unnerving since some were very realistic and I kept thinking someone was standing there, lol.

These guys were just creepy, not sure why they were playing cards with masks on and Bill explained it, but I forgot;) The funny story with this is, I kept thinking I was bumping into people on some of the displays and as I was looking at one side I turned and saw another on the other end, so I walked over to it. I was trying to figure out what the room was, when the mannequin moved, lol. It was a real sailor who was touring the boat in uniform and you could say it definitely startled me;)

After the tour, we went for a drive on the back roads and followed the Thames River up to the city of Norwich. The drive was relaxing and there were beautiful views of the river and foliage. We stopped at the park where the river diverges and enjoyed a stroll on the boardwalk.

We kept going on another back road and found another beautiful park in the town of Occum. We also found a nice boat launch, so a future paddling place. The foliage is still not full but it was still beautiful.

They had a walkway that we followed and were treated to a beautiful view of the dam. The areas and towns following the rivers in Connecticut have beautiful old buildings and river parks, so we will be doing more drives and exploring the back roads.