Weekly Ramblings!

 

Nothing to show this week, I think I might have had one hour to work on a stitchery. I have a few things I am working on, but with Bills appointments and doing double the work at home, not much time or energy for myself. But I have been getting out, which I do need, good for my health and good for the spirit.

One thing I did this week was, buy Nick a used bike. It is a nice bike and I got it for a good price, but it was bigger and heavier than I realized. He loved it and rode it, but was really nervous about falling. I told him, if you are falling, jump off and let the bike fall, a few dents won't hurt it and he is more important.

I did get a new one for his birthday this month, similar type but less heavy, so hopefully it will be just right. 

One good thing with Bill's appointments is, they are in nice areas. After his first doctor appointment, we went to Watch Hill in Westerly. Bill enjoyed sitting at the wharf while I walked up and down the beach.

The tide was going out, but not a lot of glass on this beach. The point is the site of an old fort.

I walked on one side of the beach, but the paths across the dunes were closed off, so when I got to the end, I had to backtrack until I found a path I could cross. 

His physical therapy was in a town with old mills and a river walk, so I enjoyed walking around the river. Much better than sitting in the waiting room.

And another day we spent a few hours at my favorite glass beach. Not as much as I usually find, but still nice to walk and find some treasures along the way. 

And today we set up our trailer on my favorite site. We had a yard sale and made enough to pay for a month at the campground in Connecticut. Our site is on the river, so I can paddle and ride my bike in the surrounding, state forest. I have a quilt that I can hand quilt and my art bag, so hopefully I can find time to get back in shape and time to be creative. It will be easier than finding places that Bill can enjoy, since he can relax at our site while I am out and now that he is more mobile,  he can take short walks around the campground.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We will be staying overnight on some nights, but mostly day tripping to camp. We have to hire a pet sitter for Moki's shots, so that adds up if we are gone a lot. 

This is our site, tomorrow we will put up a screen tent and rugs. The bush hasn't come in yet, so not as lush yet. But, it will be great for bird photography.

Working on!

 

This week went by, way too quick. Lots of plans and as usual, only a few things got done. I have several projects I am working on and a quilt I got ready to hand quilt. We will be leaving our RV at a camp next month, so we will be able to spend days there and overnights when we feel like it. It will be easier since Bill doesn't have to drive around and he can relax, and I can get out and bike and paddle, right from our site.

One of the projects I started is a new painting. I wanted something simple and a change to try a pattern from a painting site. It will be a nice summer piece, but the instructions are written with a small photo of the finished piece. I am just looking at the photo and trying to copy it and some of my old skills are coming back to me. The pattern was smaller than my canvas, so I added more water and I will paint in some whale parts.

We got a chance to enjoy some time at the beach. My happy place.

And a few beach finds. This week the tide was high in the afternoon, but the waves threw up a few nice pieces.

And on another beach at the southern coast, I went for some photos of birds, but no luck. As I walked back to the truck, an Osprey flew overhead, carrying a fish. We followed it to the area that I had seen a nest and found him in the nearby marsh. It was a beautiful area with a lot of birds, and across from the fishing fleet, so we will definitely go back for the day.

I hope everyone had a nice week and can enjoy getting out this weekend.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I finished another pillow with the monthly design by Kathy Schmitz. The original design had a date and it included a grouping of designs you could add. I loved the cat and dog and thought it would be a perfect gift for my cat sitter. I made the dog a bit more pointy to look like Bean and faces, since the original was blank.

I added lavender, she asked me for some more lavender pillows and she just had some minor surgery, so a happy present while she recuperates.

I also got a chance to make a few masks for the boys. Nick wanted some crazy colored fabric, so that is what he got.

We also got a chance to spend time on the island. We took the RV so Bill could sit and enjoy the views with a few walks along the paved road. Of course I spent the majority of my time at the beach. I got a nice little stash to add to my collection.

The lightening wasn't great and I was getting tired, but I took a few quick shots of the action going on in the marsh area. There is an Osprey nest there and he was swooping back and forth, looking for fish, but too fast to catch him as he got closer.

I hope everyone had a good week and have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish and Feathered Friends!

 I actually made time to finish a project. I received the new design from Kathy Schmitz's club and of course I wanted to do it right away. This is the first one, a house design in which you can change the bottom part, this one has the rabbit. I am making one more for my cat sitter so that is next.

I was also able to get out for a few days, loving the warmer spring weather. One day we went to a local beach. I get out for a walk and bird watching and Bill enjoys the views and the fresh air. And Bean gets to go too, he loves the beach.

Another fun thing was watching the Ospreys, this is one of my favorite, that I took. He was eating a fish and got a bone stuck in his throat, which made him gag and shake his whole body. This is how he looked when he was done shaking.

His mate was in the nest, screeching at him to bring some to her, but he was being greedy. She finally gave up and flew to the inlet to find her own dinner.

The next day we went to the island and I spent some time beach combing, while Bean played and had fun on the beach. 

I also got to enjoy some more birding.

And we spotted two nests that were occupied. 

And last but not least, we had a wonderful Easter Day with the boys. We had a hunt for the boys and they loved finding all the goodies that I hid for them. I hope you all had a wonderful week and a wonderful weekend ahead.

Easter Blessings!

This week has been a slow week for crafting, and more of a whirlwind of caretaking, along with my regular routine and of course caring for the fur babies. Bill had to go back in and have his medicines adjusted at the beginning of the week, but he is doing well now and hopefully things will only improve.

As for me, I am doing way too much in a day and wearing myself out. To top it off, a package was delivered and left in the driveway and it was a 40 pound box of printer paper. I had no choice but to bring it in, so paying for that now and fighting off a bug. 

I have been working on some new projects, so I make sure I have some time for myself and creating. I did get to enjoy an hour this week, walking along the river and taking photos. Bill's therapy will be here, so when he goes for visits, I can go for walks in the area. The bike path is close by and a couple of old cemeteries, so something fun for me to do, instead of sitting in the waiting room.

Across the street is an art gallery and someone decided that the tree needed to keep warm this winter.

On the other side is the river, with a waterfall. The area was once home to mills. 

Looking up river you can see the bridge to cross the river and a covered dock to sit and relax at.

It is a great place to enjoy watching the wildlife.

And when I got home, I got a nice surprise. I had made a friend some masks and she sent me a big box of roving. I love the colors and the glitter in the multi-colors in the back, there area some gorgeous maroons and purple in that, and I might even try a little dragon with it.

I hope you are all blessed with good health this Easter.

Friday Finish!

 I want to thank everyone for your kind words and prayers. Bill finally came home and he didn't even last a day, he was back in the hospital. In the short time he was gone, they were out of beds, so he was put in the basement, which didn't make me happy. The good news is he is back and doing well so far. He is on lots of meds for now and next week we will start the office visit for his knee and then back to his regular heart doctor for some new problems that need to be addressed. 

It seems this year has not been good for most of us with Covid, missing family and health issues, so we can only take one day at a time and enjoy each moment we have. Yesterday my body finally gave out, my arm is messed up and that threw my back off more, so the added work load is a bit too much. But, I am good enough today to do a few things and hopefully I can get out for a bit tomorrow,  I do need my outdoor time.

Since I was stuck on the bed most of the day, I decided to finish my needle felting project. I decided to make an egg and decorate it with a little scene. Of course what I had in my mind, is not what came about, but it was still fun to do and I learn, what not to do, next time. 

The photo isn't great, it always makes the wool look grainy, but is is much softer looking in person. I didn't want to waste roving, so I made an egg shape form with wool batting and stuffed it with some stuffing, so not a perfect egg shape.

I try to spend my quiet time on the porch, a few minutes of fresh air and a few visitors, always lift my spirits. One day a Juvenile Red Shouldered Hawk was soaring above the field, behind us, and I caught him just as he dove down, into the field.

I was also able to get out for a little shopping therapy. I found a rustic bird house for my yard.

And a sparrow has taken over the tin house, so hoping the others will be occupied soon. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and may health and joy, be with you and your family.

Friday Finish!

 

This has been a tough week, a lot can happen in a few days and Bill is back in the hospital. He developed blood clots that went to his lungs and got pneumonia, so he was rushed to the hospital and has been there since. He is doing good but they are keeping him until he levels out and his lungs clear. With his knee surgery, coming home would be hard since he cannot walk well, but also sick and weak. So, I am glad they are keeping him, he is getting good care and it is easier on me. 

I have been keeping busy with the house, catching up on cleaning and getting as much as I can done, so I am hoping I can get out and enjoy a few nice days and have some me time. In the meantime I make time for me by watching tv and working on projects. I was able to finish one this week, a stocking design, by Cheri Saffiote. This was a fun one to do and I think it would make a nice gift idea.

Another thing I do for myself is, sit on the porch and enjoy the birds that come to visit. I also have some unwanted visitors, the local squirrels. I swear they are sitting in their nests, watching for the moment I put food in the feeders. I let them feed at the other feeder, but not at the porch one. For the first time, this little guy showed up. He isn't as brave as the squirrels, and took off, a few seconds after I got a shot.

I also try and walk around the yard and play with Bean each day. I noticed the neighbors had a lot of birds in their backyard, so I snuck through the bush and caught this robin.

And a new regular to the feeders is the Red Bellied Woodpecker. They are twice the size of the Downy. I don't always get a nice sky, so I cheat and use the new sky filter in Photoshop. The deeper blues make a nice background for the lighter birds.

And of course my regular visitor, the juvenile Downy Woodpecker. He was the first to visit and is quite comfortable eating, while I am on the porch.

With warm weather this week, I am hoping to get out for some hikes and maybe catch some of the birds, that are coming back from the south. There has been a lot of sightings of the Blue Herons and Ospreys this week, so they are heading home and nesting. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and experiencing nice weather in your part of the country.