Category Archives: Living

Getting it Done – a Lazy Sunday

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I planned to do nothing today. It was a bit grey and dreary … a lazy kind of Sunday.

Porch View - Grey-ish Sunday

I woke up late, had my coffee (soon it will be tea in the morning and no coffee but that’s a whole other story) and a rather sad looking pumpkin scone with the texture of a muffin, really. Then went outside because N. was going to mow the lawn … and I decided to weed the little perennial garden that we added by the big rock outside the front door. During the month of August, it went to heck and really needed some TLC!

We’ve been collecting the bits and pieces of scrap metal left behind by the railroad workers who’ve been upgrading the train tracks behind the house. And I decided that my garden needed to be edged with railroad spikes. I love it – and it’s so appropriate for this house that is so close to the tracks! (And we’ve still got a bucket and then some of pieces of metal for N. to practice soldering with!) A little bit of mulch and it will be done. Yippee! What do you think?

"Rock" Garden

After doing nothing this morning, I made a pumpkin pie. I thought I bought a can of pumpkin but it was organic pumpkin pie filling … and the recipe on the back of the can didn’t ask for any sugar so the pie needs a bit more sugar but it’s OK with some homemade coconut ice cream on the side!

We took the dogs for a walk down the street and chatted with neighbors and then I got to sit and knit a bit with a lovely cup of tea on the side porch.

So, for having planned to do nothing done today, I feel like I accomplished a little bit!

PS – We have been working on repainting the front screen door and the fence that surrounds the garbage cans. Though we didn’t do any painting today, we nearly have it done and it looks so much better! Now, on to the back of the house (or the wood shed or the bedroom door and window or …) Here’s the “before” … “after” pictures when we’re completely done!

Before #2

Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gone knitting!

Queen Bee Knits Sale

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My friends here (all two or three of you) and on Facebook, will be happy to hear that I’m having a sale for my friends, only. If you’re not my friend, don’t try to use the coupon code or your computer may explode. (Not really.)

When shopping at my Etsy shop, use this special code to win 15% off the price of any purchase! Yes 15% off! Lucky ducks! Are you ready? Here’s the code: QBKCIRCLE .

Happy shopping … and be sure to shop early. You know, it’s only a matter of time before Christmas and all the other winter holidays!

Gone knitting!

I See Old People

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Another road trip. To Naples, FL, this time … to visit N’s mother who is in a lovely Assisted Living facility here.

Getting old really sucks. All of her friends and her husband are dead. “Nobody” (we interpret this as “nobody who I can remember or really care about) visits her. The aides who work on her wing, at least a few of them, have a HUGE chip on their shoulders and the attitudes make her feel threatened to the point that she feels unsafe at times. I can’t imagine being dependent on people who come into your room (her only home, likely for the rest of her life) with a grimace on their face, people who can’t even grunt out a semi-pleasant greeting, who leave you sitting on the toilet knowing you can’t get yourself up or help yourself. Unacceptable behavior for “care-givers” paid to be helpful.

Visits are getting more difficult and Nanny’s getting more difficult to please as her words are becoming less numerous and more difficult to retrieve. Communication is wacky – with “no” being the first response to every inquiry but often followed by a “yes” or a few words strung together slowly. We’re finding that we have to speak more slowly and distinctly and a lot louder! We are learning a lot about patience and are able to wait much longer for her to figure out how to respond.

I wish there were a way to remove yourself from the world of the living when you feel that your life is no longer worth living and when you’ve got no quality of life.

On the flip side, it incentivizes me and reminds me to get moving and to keep my life and mind active and full today … we don’t know what will happen tomorrow.

Gone knitting!

Wondering …

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… whether to maintain my Etsy shop or move my knitwear items to my website.

… why some people can’t seem to share.

… how people who love each other (or did one day) can be so hateful.

… why people can’t leave their children out of it.

… if it’s going to be cooler today.

… what to have for breakfast.

… to knit or study?

… how to make my love of knitting and people and martinis and little dogs into a business that will support me.

… when I’ll see all three of my kids next.

… how to make this blog more interesting (and get more readers.)

Ugh. Study time. Four more chapters. I can do this.

When I Grow Up … I want to be …

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A farmer.

… and a knitter, a spinner and a baker, a potter, a Bed & Breakfast Inn owner, an adventurer, a lover, a singer, a mother-in-law, a grandmother, and probably many other things.

Peas From Our Garden

 

I’m not a very good farmer yet! This year our garden (I am told) was planted too early and the plants were stunted. So, they didn’t really grow. My seeds all died before the plants developed. We did get peas, though! (And some lettuce before it all went to seed overnight!)

There’s an “Open Farm Day” here and this year we took the nephews to visit Winterberry Farm in Belgrade. Mary and her three children are real farmers! They grow everything under the sun and they grow it well. The tomato “house” is amazing, the flowers are beautiful, the animals are happy and healthy (two legged and four legged!) and the children are knowledgeable and so polite. The kids provided tours of the farm and answered questions.

Winterberry Farm Tomato House

Baby Turkey

Do You Know Your Farmer?

Chickens Laying

When I grow up, I want to be like Mary who appears to calmly take everything in stride and is content to be working from dawn to dusk all year long to keep the farm and the children provided for. Baking bread and pies, canning, shearing sheep, spinning the wool, planting and sowing the vegetables, tending the animals (and doling out chores to the three kids because there’s not any way she can do it by herself).

And they have bees from which they make honey! Totally impressive!

We’re off to Portland to find an EZ Pass … when you can’t get to the bank and you’re travelling long distances, it sure does make life easier!

I’ll bring my knitting … don’t worry!

Gone knitting!

 

Laundry Soap Pudding

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Well, we’ve talked about making our own laundry soap and it seems fitting that we would do that here in Maine where because of our proximity to the lake, we feel like we care even more about the earth and what we use on it.

Today we washed (for maybe the first time in their lives) the seat covers on the porch chairs. To be fair, we had to pick two of the same items to see which one cleans better … laundry soap from the store or the soap we made.

No clear results. Our chair cushions were so dirty that we don’t see any noticeable improvement with either soap! Next!? Guess we’ll have to try our clothes and see what happens.

*Queen Bee’s Update* – I’ve got to tell you, this is a great discovery! Not only does this laundry soap really work (clothes are at least as clean as they are when washed in the grocery store soap) but it costs only pennies per load. And it’s easy enough to make and keep! Here’s the recipe:

Grate a bar of Fels Naptha soap into 3 quarts of water. Simmer the water and grated soap mixture until the soap melts. In a bucket filled with a gallon plus 1 quart of water, add 1 cup borax and 1 cup washing soda. Now mix the hot soap mixture into the bucket. Mix well.

That’s it! When you let the mixture sit around it’s going to turn to a pudding-like consistency. It’s not “pretty” but it works and you can buy all the ingredients at the grocery store. We are using 1/2 cup of soap per large load and the clothes are smelling fresh and getting clean! Woo Hoo!

Don’t Bring Your Ferret to Maine

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They say something like, “fish and company stink after three days” and sometimes it’s true. Sometimes it’s not.

My family (thirteen people and eight dogs) was here for nearly a week and there was no “trouble” … no issues, only fun and laughter and cooperation. Everyone pitched in. And we hardly even left “campus”.

It’s bothersome, though, that some people take a visit with others for granted and impose themselves on unsuspecting, welcoming, warm, caring people and then smack them upside the head because they’re unwilling to reciprocate. Or they leave half-consumed beverages to sour in bedrooms. Or they don’t lift a finger to help with cooking and the general upkeep of the house.

Fortunately, we mostly have the experience with friends and family where everyone is willing to strip their beds and even put the sheets in the laundry and they’re more than willing to share with us as we share with them. It’s the exceptions who befuddle me.

On Aging

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Yesterday was my birthday. I’ve aged another year.

Some days I feel “old” and some days I feel young. Thankfully, the days that I feel young still outweigh the other, older days.

Needless to say, yesterday was a wonderful day. My youngest brother and his family (plus two boys) was here for the weekend and the full house is a happy place. We had a super lobster feed on Saturday night and spent a couple of days enjoying each other’s company. Last night we had “old family friends”, our new friends for dinner. It was short but sweet and reaching out to people who we enjoy is a treat.

All in all, aging is not so bad.

Gone knitting.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

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My goodness! It’s not often that we’re really hot in Maine (much more normal in Florida) but whew, today is a stinker!

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte – Seurat

I got a lot accomplished today, though not a whole ton of knitting because I keep getting sidetracked by a puzzle on the dining room table. I have a thing about puzzles and I have trouble leaving them without putting in just one more piece! All kidding aside, I really do like puzzles and this one is a great French art … George Seurat’s pointillist piece.


My vest is coming along. I admit that I knitted an entire right side row (which should have been the pattern stitch.) I had to frog the entire row – way too much to “repair”. But I’m making progress. Checked the gauge again today and I’m “on the money” so I’m hoping it will fit, too! (That’s always good when you’re knitting a garment … fit, that is!)

Week two of my Human Biology online class is done. I took the quiz today and did OK. It’s a real struggle for me to take a class and memorize information that has no logical application to my life. I know, I know, I’m human and thus it could be interesting – and it is on one level but also way more information than I think I’ll ever use in my next profession. Why it’s required in order to enter the MSW program, I’m not sure. When they admit me, I guess I’ll find out! 🙂

Well, eight minutes are left for my ebay auction … sure do hope I win! I have a very special person that I want to send it to … I love him/her a ton! 🙂

Off I go to watch the last few minutes … refresh buttons are wonderful!

Gone shopping!

Bedlam Farm Journal … A Recommendation

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If you’ve never heard me recommend Jon Katz and his Bedlam Farm Journal blog, hear me now!

This morning, Jon tells a story about having given a sermon and a talk. While I know minimally about his life history, Jon is sage and doesn’t waste words (while I waste them constantly!) In his post he says, “And I said at both that in America, we are led to believe the world is in turmoil and coming apart and that we must be angry and afraid for our lives, for the weather, for our health, about money, about the rest of the world. I said  I didn’t believe this. I said I believe we need to repair the earth, not make it into a political argument. And we need to live our lives, define our own notions of health – healthy people do not live in fear and anger – and lead lives of fulfillment and self-determination. That is the sacred call to life for me.”

What is my sacred call to life?

I agree with Jon. I believe that we are the creators of our own world. We are responsible for our health and the health of the little patch of world we live in. Here in Maine (and in Florida when we’re there) we don’t waste resources. We recycle everything we can. We use “clean” products and keep adding to our list. We eat as locally as possible and work to improve this, too. I value the friendships and family and remind myself of the blessings that I receive daily (well, some days are dark and ugly … I’m human and accept that I still have some growing to do.)

Canine Cousins on the Couch

When was the last time you played with a paddle ball?

We just had my brothers and sisters and my daughter and her boyfriend and eight dogs here visiting for a week. We really only left the “campus” that is Camp Smedley once – to relive the bucolic childhood that we remember in Tenants Harbor, Maine. Thirteen people (ten adults and three kids) and eight dogs got along (my mom would be so pleased!) for a week in a house on the shores of Lake Messalonskee. The visit was too short and painful when they all left – painfully quiet at first and then we simply longed for the good company of people we care about deeply. Sharing this place that means so much to us with our family was very meaningful and will be stored away in the memory as one of the best ever experiences.

Cousins and Cards!

I know I am on this planet to do something that will make a difference. I may have already made it  … I raised three children to be independent and they know that they need to find their own happiness. They have the tools and the “smarts” to do what they need to do to get there and they are all on their way. I have touched the lives and hearts of children, volunteering in the schools, bantering with my kids’ friends. I have held the hands of friends who were struggling and I have mourned their passing. I’ve tried to be supportive of their loved ones left behind – at least I offered to be available and with an open heart. I’ve shared my talents and continue to share the things I love to do. I think there are still great things that I can do and I am learning about myself and discovering what I am passionate about.

Life is full of blessings and the world is a wonderful place to be … if you just believe it is so.