Sunday Sentiment: A Reflective Moment

A glimpse into my summer.

Right now, I am...

:: enjoying my tea after a long day outside.

:: watching Momma and Bee (my grandmother) reading newspapers in the living room.

:: smelling the fresh summer breeze that is drifting through the windows of the kitchen.
:: looking forward to sleeping well tonight.

:: wishing for time this week to bake a pie with my fresh-picked wild blueberries!

:: hearing clicking keyboards, crinkling newspapers, the breeze of the fan, and the news on television.

:: feeling tired, but satisfied with my work in the garden today.

:: reminding myself that I have to finish sewing place mats for my future apartment.

:: rejoicing in the discoveries I made yesterday. Wonderful cookbooks dating from the 1920's to the 1960's found at a local yard sale!

:: laughing at our silly dog who rode across the lake today in the kayak, wedged between my legs.

:: being calm. My new Sunday night ritual is to rid myself of negative energy, and meditate to bring positivity to the week ahead.

:: happy to be at home in New Hampshire on this glorious July day.

:: working on a number of projects, most notably quilted place mats to match my Boleslawiec pottery.

:: noticing that I am in the mood for a second cup of tea-- not surprising, but also not a good idea before bedtime.
:: inspired to do so much, and realizing that I have an entire year ahead of me to do it!

Sunday Sentiment: Summertime Adventures

June 16: My cousin invited me to sing the closing song at her wedding. It was a very emotional event, as her father (my Uncle Dan) passed away in late March. It was also my debut performance singing for people outside of my friends and immediate family.

July 4: A dear friend invited me to join him in Boston for Independence Day. We enjoyed the city all afternoon, and in the evening we attended the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

Halfway through the performance, a lightening storm caused the forced evacuation of the Esplanade. 15,000 people were evacuated into the Storro Drive tunnel in Boston. After 25 minutes we were allowed back out, at which point the Boston Pops played their signature piece "Stars and Stripes Forever". Confetti rained down on us, and the fireworks began.

During the lightening storm and evacuation, the rain held off. As soon as the fireworks started, it DOWNPOURED. But it was a blast (literally)!

July 14: A picnic in Prescott Park along the Piscataqua River with some friends from college. We called it a "reunion" because some of us had since graduated, but I prefer to think of it as the first of many friendly gatherings. Each contingent brought something to add to the feast. I came with my own lettuce, local tomatoes & zucchini, homemade garlic vinaigrette, fresh oatmeal bread, homemade peach-plum jam, and grapes.

All in all, it's been a pretty fabulously eventful summer so far.

Sunday Sentiment: Project Wishlist Update

In January, I posted a list of projects that I wanted to accomplish. Now let's check in to see what I've finished this year so far!

Knitting:

• Mug cozies-- Scandinavian pattern for Lily
• Fingerless mittens for Ethan
• Mittens for Daddie Working on it.
• Cabled headbands
• Baby sweater with locally farmed, dyed, and spun wool
• Socks!
• Fair Isle sweater
• Sweater with Scandinavian pattern
• Tablerunner for Momma

Sewing:

• New potholders-- quilted
• Quilt for Claire Finished!
• T-shirt quilt for myself Working on it.
• New swing dress for Spring semester Finished!
• Undergarments! for swing dancing, etc. Working on it.
• More farmer's market bags for Barb, Emily
• Aprons for myself Finished!
• Altering of old dresses Finished!
• Denim skirt Finished!
• Dog bed for Chessie

Other:

• Rag rug
• Hooked rug from scraps Working on it.
• Tin lanterns
• Cross-stitch finished! Working on it.
• Seal and label seed packets from last year Finished!
• Start seedlings for the Spring & Summer-- egg cartons
• Frame drawings
• Make more candles-- tapers, columns, and votives
• Homemade shampoo Finished!
• New batch of handsoap

Hmmm, it looks as though I'd better get going on my knitting! I think sewing is so much faster for me that I tend to prefer it. But I want to improve my knitting skills, so I ought to start some new projects soon.

Sunday Sentiment

 Yesterday, our family suffered a great loss. The youngest son of a family friend tragically passed away in a swimming accident. He was just 24, but had already lived a full and adventurous life. Although he grew up in a different state and we didn't get to see him very often, I thought of him almost as a distant older brother. Every year at Easter, he and his brother would join us in our egg hunt. After he and his family moved away, we only saw him once or twice a year-- at Christmas or Easter. Once, when I was seven or eight years old, we visited his new house in Vermont. We went to a play, and I rode with him and his brother on the way there. They told me that every time you passed a graveyard, you had to hold your breath until it was out of sight or the dead people would come after you. I think I believed that story until I was eleven or twelve years old. I remember he liked to collect camels figurines when he was young, and I saw his collection once. I wish I had gotten to know him better as I got older, because I so enjoyed hearing about his exploits and adventures in college and beyond. I last saw him in 2009 at the joyful occasion of his graduation from college. I hope that as his family and friends mourn the loss of him in this life, his gentle soul will continue to live on and comfort them until they meet again.

Sunday Sentiments: A Taste of Living Green

Do you recycle? Absolutely. Recycling is mandatory in my town, but even if it wasn't required, I'd still do my best.

Do you do you laundry with hot or cold water? Cold water. Occasionally I use warm water to deep-clean bedclothes, but only about once a month.

What kind of light bulbs are in your house? I have always used compact florescent or energy efficient bulbs. I also use LED lights whenever possible.

Do you compost? Our family composts nearly everything. We've got three composters for food waste, and at least two for garden debris. I'm sure if we measured it, our weekly compost would amount to more than our weekly garbage for the landfill.

What kind of vehicle do you drive? As a poor college graduate, I had the budget to purchase only a pre-owned car. My personal vehicle is a 1999 Subaru Outback. We live in rural New Hampshire, and unfortunately, there is no public transport. I usually walk when I need to get around town, but if I need a grocery store, a bank, or a pharmacy I have to take my car.

Do you use plastic or reusable bags when grocery shopping? We almost always bring reusable canvas bags when grocery shopping. Occasionally we will run out of bags from home, but I always ask for paper if they need to bag my groceries. That way, we can recycle the paper at home.

What are three ways you conserve energy?
-I limit the frequency of my showers, as well as the length of each shower. With five people in one tiny bathroom, it can run up an energy bill pretty quick!
-Whenever possible, I hang my clothes to dry them. In the summer, I use both the clothesline and my drying rack so that I can dry two loads at a time.
-I walk to work nearly every day. My work is only a block away, so it makes it easy to save gas and the environment.

Sunday Sentiment

1) If you had the power to make one thing better, what would it be?

 If I could improve anything, I would make people more understanding. Not only would they be able to gain knowledge, but that knowledge would help them to be more tolerant and accepting of others.

2) What makes a great blog?

A great blog is colorful, eye-catching, engaging, and has a positive message.

3) What was the inspiration that brought your blog to the blogosphere?

I needed a way to express my feelings and share my life with others. Since its establishment, it has become an outlet for my emotions, blessings, and creative energy.

4) Stay at Home Daughter or Working Girl?

As I recoup from college for the summer & get ready to move to Washington DC next spring, I will be at home. I plan to work in a variety of positions over the course of the next 12 months, but I also have plenty of time to work around the house.

5) Favourite blog post that you have read over the last week?

I really liked a post from my friend Alexa, who was describing her experiences reenacting.

6) What easily ticks you off (puts you in a bad mood quickly)?

I don't like being patronized. I have a young personality, and I like to be silly with my family and friends, but I know when to get down to work. When someone tries to direct me, control my actions, or baby me, I have a hard time keeping my cool.

7) How many children do you have?

None! But in the future I want to have a few :-)

8) Is there anything you have ever regretted writing on your blog?

There are some things that I have thought long and hard about posting, but didn't. I always make sure that my posts are appropriate while still conveying the truth of my emotions or opinions. There have been a few things on my blog that may seem controversial, but my hope is that I never write in a way that might offend someone.

9) What’s your favourite blog post you have written this year so far.

I am proud of my post about tolerance. I was having a difficult semester at school, and running into a lot of moral conflict with friends. I didn't want it to escalate between us, so I decided to write out my feelings on the matter (my writing is much more eloquent than my verbalizing) and I had quite a bit of positive support from friends and family.

10) Do you ever enter other bloggers competitions, and have you ever been lucky?

I have a few times, but not with any great enthusiasm. One day I hope to enter one of my historical dresses into a competition. But that is still in the works.

11) What was your last blog post about?

Baking soda! You should read it.