Friday Finish!

 I am still working on finishing my two quilts, but almost there, just the binding left. I decided to take a break and try an idea I had. I was thinking of making penny ornaments with needle felting and fill them with balsam. Not so sure they will work with balsam, it might fall out and what I had thought in my head, didn't quite work out, a bit cutesy. I tried to put too much in a small space and didn't have enough room for detail. But, it was fun to do and helps me to decide on what to try next.

Last weekend we spent a day with the boys. On the way to the farm, I remembered the alpaca farm had an event for the weekend, so we stopped there first. The boys loved seeing the alpacas and I got myself a few bags of wool felt, from the alpacas.

Nick got to try out weaving on a loom, he loved it.

Then we went to the apple farm, always a fun place for the boys.

The boys got their own bag to pick and take home. Nick loves apples and Alex enjoyed helping him by picking out of a few of his own.

On the way home we stopped at the mill. Next month they will open for demonstrations, so we will go back.

The boys had fun exploring.

Sunday we decided to go  to Groton, Connecticut. We stopped at the point and enjoyed watching the boats and ferries.  Then we went for a walk at the boardwalk that follows the river. It was a nice walk without crowds.

We also spent some time at the beach this week. So much nicer without the crowds, even though it can get a bit chilly. Today I found some nice treasures, a piece of pottery and the top of a red glass bottle, probably from an old perfume bottle. 

I hope you are all doing well and safe from teh storms that have come through. We are getting the rains tomorrow, so a good day to stay in and finish my quilts. 

Friday Finishes!

I hope this post, finds everyone in good health and in good spirits. I do miss getting out more and shopping, I am fortunate enough to have lots of supplies to keep me busy for months. Our state has closed all state parks and camps, so I am not sure if we will be able to camp off season, which is my favorite. Our trailer is also stuck at the factory, they shut down the day it was due off the line, so even when they can open, it will still take time to ship it here. I wasn't going to use our old one, but I may if we can camp locally.

I do not understand the closure of state beaches and parks, they are the biggest areas to keep your distance and now people will be congregating at the town beaches and smaller parks, which is more dangerous. Luckily I know how to avoid people and hidden areas, so hopefully we can get out this weekend.

I was able to finish a few stitcheries this week. The first is one that is offered for free, by Theodore Cleave. It was perfect for Easter and since it is larger, I made it into a mini wall hanging. It is about 9" x 11".

I also received the monthly stitchery from Kathy Schmitz, another fun Easter piece. This time I reduced the design and made two, lavender pillows. They were fun to do and I like how they came out.

We did find a place with no people last weekend. We went to the Boy Scout camp, which is closed for the season. The camp is on a beautiful lake, with lots of roads and trails. We found a new area with camps and a pathway and enjoyed being outside without worry.

This part of the camp is older and had some leftovers from the 30's and equipment for clearing out the newer areas.

We ended our walk at the main camp. There were a few more people that had come in, so we avoided them and waited for a couple to leave the little beach, so Bean could have some play time. It was nice to get out and nice to get some fresh air exercise. I hope all of you are finding ways to get out and stay safe.

I wanted a nice photo of the guys and Bean was acting up, and of course, the minute he poses, Bill acts up, lol.

Weekend Wanderings and freebie fun!

This weekend we spent some time at the beach and I got a few pieces of glass, but not as much as in the spring. The next day was a day with the boys.

We took them to the orchard so I could stock up on apples and I let the boys pick the apples and get their own bag to take home.  Nick checked each apple for bad spots, before he picked them and Alex had to check with Grandpa first, before we put it in the bag.

They loved the tractor ride, but Alex was a bit nervous at first,  with the bumpy ride. We let them pick out their own pumpkin to take home and Alex had to get in to make sure he got the right one.

We ended the day with time at Pachaug state park. The day had warmed up so the boys got to go for a swim and play in the water. The highlight for me was when Nick told me, he was having the best day today. The low point was when it was time to go, Alex threw a fit and was carried away, kicking and screaming, and it ended up with him spitting at Bill. I think he was over tired since he didn't get a nap.

To the left of this photo is the camp we were thinking of going seasonal at, now I wish I had. I had forgotten how beautiful it is there and there is a long river to paddle on.

Sometimes I like to make something simple and fun for the holidays. A friend gave me some old bottles and I decided to decorate them with fun labels. There are lots of places that offer free ones. I just printed them out on copy paper, let them dry overnight, then I put them on with antique decoupage. This way I can wash them off, after the holidays and add other antique medicine labels.

Here are a few places with labels, but you can find more by searching on the internet.

My Two Cents

Kitty Baby Love

Weekend Wanderings!

I just realized I hadn't posted yesterday, lol. When we do things on the weekend, I will post on Monday and still do projects on Friday.

We had a fun day with the boys. We took them to the orchards to pick peaches, but by the time we got there, they were picked out for the day. They only allow so much picking each day, and between getting ready and then picking up the boys who also dawdle, we never make it in time.

They did have lots of Blueberries though, so the boys helped us pick 4 quarts, enough to enjoy and some in the freezer. They were disappointed that we couldn't take a tractor ride, but they still got to play on one.

Next we stopped at the launch area, for some play on the tracks and rock throwing. I think they could spend the day throwing rocks in the water, their favorite activity. The tracks are not in use now, so a great place to relax and enjoy the views.

The last stop was at the farm to see the sunflower fields. The boys had fun walking along the paths.

On the other side of the road were more fields of sunflowers, a beautiful place to explore and enjoy the farm. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I am finishing  up my runner, so I can take it to camp with me.

Weekend Wanderings!

We had another weekend with rain, on and off, so we were able to get out when it stopped. Last weekend my son came by and snuck off without Nick, if we ask, he gets upset and wants to go with them. This time I called and did FaceTime with Nick and asked  him if he wanted to go out with us and he was eager to go, so hopefully his fear of leaving his parents is over.

We too him to Connecticut since I wanted to get some more apples, but we decided to stop by Mohegan Park to check it out. It was a beautiful place to visit, paved walkways around the pond, treed archways and two playgrounds. Nick had a blast and loved walking and playing at the park.

We also found this rock garden on the trail, it is a Connecticut girl scout group that is participating in Kindness rocks. Nick wanted to take more, but I told him to chose the one he liked the best and he took that one that said boo. Further along we found a larger stone with pink butterflies so I let him take that home to his mom for her garden.

Of course he loved the apple orchards, especially since he got to ride in the tractor cart. We let him have his own bag and pick some apples to take home.

And some time to be silly, a fun way to end the day.

Sunday was another overcast day but I wanted to go on a foliage ride, so we headed north to the top of our state. There were a few trees turning and we enjoyed a nice view from the state park.

Next we headed into Connecticut, and I couldn't resist getting a photo of this house, they really like halloween horror. I cut the photo in two so you can see it better.

There was more on each side, it was that big. A cellar door with a creature trying to get out and on the other side a flying witch and skeleton horse with rider. 

From there we headed into Putnam, I always love to stop at the waterfalls and stroll on the river walk.
I did enhance this photo, there wasn't much color, so I made my own, it will be like that next week, lol.

We saw this little guy, sitting on a rock at the edge of the river.

A family of ducks was resting on the edges of the river.

And this fun sculpture, it is called 4 people, not a very creative name, I think Family makes more sense;)

We walked down and I got a shot of the old mill from the backside. I read that they may make them into condos, would be nice to see it restored.

It was a nice walk, but Bean had to walk on a leash, not his favorite thing, so on the way home, I saw a launch sign, which means a place to stop and play. We took a look and it was a beautiful area and I saw a beach down a path, so we took him there to play. A nice way to end the day. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, today was catch up on cleaning and working on my angel.

Weekend Wierdness!

This weekend was another beautiful weekend, sunny skies, at least until we hit the ocean, and the views went as far as the shore, the ocean was blanketed in fog.

We decided to go to Fishermen's memorial and the lighthouse, since we enjoyed it so much when we were camping. The breakers were busy, everyone was out enjoying the waves and fishing, so we didn't stay long. We headed to the lighthouse beaches and enjoyed one beach by ourselves and collecting rocks. I wanted to take photos of the surfers, but I couldn't see them, lol.

Then we headed to the other side, it was even more fogged in, but still a beautiful place to sit and just enjoy the waves and fresh breezes. A few kayakers were going in and we did spy a group, further out when the fog lifted a bit.

What is this? Bill carrying a surfboard, maybe he is going to give it a try?

But no, I spied a board coming towards us and I said, where is the surfer, then his head popped up. The currents and waves were so strong, the board was flying by sideways and so was the surfer. Bill was trying to get the board, but the waves were crashing on the rocks and pulling the board down the shore and the surfer was trying to follow it, but he couldn't see it or where he was going. Bill finally got a chance to grab the board and yell to the surfer so he knew he had it and help him back to shore, just in time to avoid the rocky outcropping he was headed for.

Surfer and board, reunited. The bad thing was, it hit the shore a few times before Bill got it and it did get cracked, so he had to give up surfing for the day, I think that was a good idea. The next day we heard that five people got swept off the breakers at Fishermen's, and the storm isn't even close yet. It will be hitting us tomorrow, high winds and rain.

I was taking photos for fun and saw some ducks sitting on a bank, on the little pond. When I got home I noticed an object in the photo, so I blew it up and this is what I found. Real gun, toy gun, maybe a flare gun? I did send a photo to the local police, but no word, so maybe they don't care? Strange things wash up on the shores, especially during a storm surge, wonder what will be littering the beaches next weekend.

Sunday was another nice day and more fog, but it did lift on occasion. We went to Jamestown and had a nice spot at the divers beach. Most people were going out in boats and diving, so the end of the beach was the perfect place to relax and let Bean play.

A team from the Boston Museum was reeling in nets for the day, they were trying to catch fish to take back, but no luck. As you can see, the sun was out on the shore and the fog further out, in the next photo.

There was also a group of kids, who were on the cliff, with a Bungy cord and this is what they do for fun.

The kids wanted to get some pumpkins, so I told them to go to Holmsberg orchards. I guess they are glad they went, looks like they all had fun.

And Nick got to sit on a tractor, it may not move, but he sure had fun pretending he was driving.

I hope you all had a nice weekend. I am still working on a name for the Facebook group, I do like the idea of using a universal name, so anyone, anywhere can join in. I had SmileRI, but that is too local. I  Was also thinking of using the initials DS then mile after the end, in honor of my daughter and in her memory since she always hated seeing people sad and wanted everyone to be happy. So, if you can think of better names or ideas, I would love to hear them, so I can get that set and open up the group. I am going to keep it simple, rocks are one thing, but also small pillows and I have even found some simple ideas that anyone can do, so I will set up folders with ideas too.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity and a lot of tired from no sleep and a day of Nick, and today I am still going and still tired, lol. His dad has a few days off, so I am cleaning and making space in my sewing room for him, so he can work from here. The bad thing is, I won't be able to use my room during the day, but I have plenty to keep me busy.

One thing that I will be busy doing is, lots of stitchery. I belong to Kathy Schmitz's, One Stitch At A Time Club and each month, if you submit your stitchery on Facebook, you get entered into a contest and I won this month and I won a 100.00 gift certificate. What a wonderful surprise to wake up to and of course I have my order in and on it's way. I got stitcheries for fun and some that I can make into gifts. I also treated myself to a kit with threads and fabrics to use in the club.

Saturday was a low key day, I was still dragging, so we went shopping and a few stops at our favorite ocean spots. I really wanted to get out for a walk so we stopped at the rocks and enjoyed the views and the fresh air.

I love the mix of colors on the rocks and do you see the hidden heart in the photo? It is formed from a bed of muscles.

On Sunday we went to Jamestown and Bean's favorite park. The campground opens this month, so we enjoyed some time before it opens. The regular beach was crowded, so we walked along the cliff path and found an opening to a rocky beach. It was the perfect spot to let Bean play off leash.

Bean has no sense and he kept going in the cold ocean water. I told him it was too cold to go in and this is the look I got.

We decided to walk around the campground loop and I noticed a sign for the bird sanctuary. It as a nice walk and I am sure there were some nice birds, but they all seem to disappear when I come with a camera. We found this wonderful old tree on the path, a nice place to walk and enjoy the views on the inlet.

We took a ride up to the lighthouse and it was a lot windier there, and cooler, so we just took a short walk around the main loop. The crazy ducks were swimming in the swells and trying to stay above water.

This seagull did not want to give up his place on the rock, but the incoming tide made the decision for him.

We left, planning on going home and resting and having dinner, but my son decided to come over to visit. Nick was thrilled that we had a new tractor, the old one died and he was so disappointed that he couldn't ride on it anymore. The tractor was the first thing he went to.

Then he wanted to play with Bean, he gets such a kick out of Bean's skills and the two of them are a bundle of energy and laughter.

Bean will go to any length, to catch a ball, wonder how he would do in a soccer field, lol. He has a ball he can throw in the air and bounce off his head, his newest trick to show off with.

To end our day, Danielle's tree is finally blooming, a bit late this year. We also have old apple trees that have finally been blossoming so it is wonderful to see the beautiful pink flowers and the white apple blossoms in the back. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.