Thanksgiving is over and I'm sad because for the first time in many years I did not get to make the ten hour drive to Delaware to spend time with my family and friends. I knew I was coming down with something, and then we were hit with a big snowstorm all the way down the I 95 corridor. I haven't felt so wiped out and I'll for a long time. Maybe it was the flu? I've never had the flu before, but it seemed so much worse than just a bad cold. Still needing to take naps and trying to get my appetite back.

So,  I took it easy, enjoyed the snow covered winter wonderland here in Maine, and realized I had made the right decision to stay home.

So many folks lost power for days and that was difficult when Thanksgiving guests were arriving, tables were set and food was unable to be cooked. Our power was out for a short time, mostly during the night. I have to say that there are benefits to a warm dog who won't leave your side and sleeps right up against you!

Waves

September chill in the air this morning. I hear the leaves rustling in the wind and know that it won't be long before there are no leaves to rustle! For now they are still green and full, but the wind is pulling at them and they will lose the battle.

School has been going for a few weeks and I am settling in. I love teaching, but hate all the "stuff"... paperwork, new assessment initiatives, pressure to document everything, behavior problems that take awhile to get addressed, low morale of hardworking teachers that give their all and then get kicked.

So when I come home, if I have any energy left, I escape into my own artistic pursuits. I enjoy painting waves lately. They are soothing, exciting and mysterious. Waves come and go with a hypnotic rhythm. They hide things underneath and then churn them up and spit them out in a white foam.

I have two wave paintings that I've done that will be on exhibit (and for sale) at the Brunswick 10 x 10 show. If you are in the area, come see the show. There are wonderful pieces of art for your visual enjoyment! Food and good company too!

http://www.10x10brunswick.org/

Sometimes I get bogged down about all the things I need to do and some of it is piddly stuff that doesn't need to be done right away. I use it as an excuse not to do other things! Today I put some  mundane tasks aside and played with my art stuff!

So happy that I got going early and finished a bracelet. I have been making some polymer clay beads and finally put them out on a plate to see how they would look together. After deciding that I liked what I saw, I put them together and made this chunky bracelet! It will be available for purchase on Etsy.

July Evening

What's more peaceful than eating dinner on a lobster dock whether you are munching on juicy lobster, savoring clam chowder or licking the salt on your french fries? The sun was setting, a band was playing  "Jimmy Buffet" and good friends were laughing and blessing me with their company.

Summer in coastal Maine! Glad we moved here.

Hello on a beautiful July afternoon. The rain seems to have abated, the flowers feel it's safe to lift their colorful heads again, and I bought a new humming bird feeder today! A friend told me to buy the pre mixed powder rather than boil my own sugar water (which I had been doing). She says it lasts longer and doesn't spoil like sugar water. We'll see.

Friends have been visiting which is fun but can also suck your time. I find it easy to procrastinate and do the fun things and let the necessary chores fall behind. Being a teacher is great with long summer vacations, but as the years have gone by, that summer vacation seems to get shorter and shorter.  I always think I'll accomplish tasks that have been put off, and then I see that so much time has already passed!

Anyway, it's a lovely time of year here in a Maine. I hope you are enjoying your summer days wherever you are!

Bracelets Completed!

 

So glad that it's February break and I had time to go to the studio. I did have to trudge through snow and big trapped puddles of water. Guess it's time to prepare for mud season and get a good pair of boots on sale. Having a week off from teaching is lovely even if we did have several snow storms. 

If you want to see more of my jewelry, you can go to moosewinks.etsy.com.

My son and I drove to Portland on Thursday and saw a laser light show that was connected to Pink Floyd's "The Wall". What fun to be reminded of my teenage years with my very own teenager! I did notice that I am getting older and couldn't take all those flashing lights for the entire time. Had to close my eyes. It was cool being in a planetarium and experiencing this.

November Begins in the 60's in Maine

I can't believe how beautiful it is today. Warm, sunny and bright and feels more like September than November. I had breakfast at my favorite place Betty's in Bath with friends this morning. Afterwards off to the Bath farmer's market to enjoy fresh produce and some fine guitar and violin music. I bought a nice bunch of assorted dried mushrooms that can be used for a long time in many types of dishes. Really enjoy those. I hear they are good for you too.

I spent a little time in my studio which is a peaceful happy place for me! I made a few beads and finished off a few bracelet ends. I'm happy to report that I did sell one of my paintings at the 10 x 10 show in Brunswick in September. That's a rewarding feeling, although I kind of miss that piece. Guess I'll have to do some more painting!

So today I am sitting, resting a bit from a busy week of teaching middle schoolers and hoping the spray foam insulation guys do the job right this time.  They are upstairs now and have been for several hours. It's a long story, but after our house fire they did a terrible job of insulation. It took us a year to figure out how shoddy a job it was and now after several inspections they admit it was bad and they are redoing it. We have a bunch of stuff that had to be moved from the upstairs to the downstairs and that's a big pain. We are living in chaos and mess (again). Very disconcerting. Upsetting that people you trust take advantage of you and don't do a job right but still charge you full price. And then you don't even know you are losing heat and paying for a problem. The original contractor should have been back to inspect but never did. Ready to write some letters of complaint, but that takes energy and time and sometimes I think there are better ways to spend my energy and time!

Anyway, the bright spot is that today is gorgeous, it's a restful Saturday, we are having dinner with friends tonight and God is in control.