packing to go

we are off to "the boathouse" tonight in the middle of the night, so we can catch the early ferry there. Vinalhaven is our destination......

I am really excited to go this year, more so than usual. We are staying in the boathouse, which is my favorite of all of the dwellings we stay in up there. It is the most rustic, and has the most personality... a heavenly shower (the wooden attachment on the left of the building) where the wall comes to neck height and you look out on the cove and have tons of hot water. fabulous.

the inside is kind of comfortable chaos and is one big room with everything....

sleeping is done in two other 'cabins' which are just small structures with beds. there is a flush outhouse up the hill a few steps.

when hanging out in the boathouse or on the porch of it, the water, at high tide, is about 25 feet away. so the doors are typically thrown open and it is an indoor/outdoor space. the boys will spend time hunting crabs and messing around on the rocky beach. I will do the same with them, and hunt beach glass, and knit, and cook, and hang out with our friends Sheila and Paul who are going to join us for a few days.
can't wait.....

f***ing wasp

I stepped on a stupid yellow jacket/ wasp yesterday. Unbelievably painful!!! It is almost 24 hours later and I am still in tons of pain. Who would think a stupid little tiny thing can bring down something as large as an adult.

All I can think is that I am SOOOO glad it wasn't one of the kids! The pain was searing for over 6 hours. I put a baking soda and water paste on it within 3 minutes of it happening. And took ibuprofen too. Still- almost as bad as labor pains, only different (obviously). I had an ice pack on it after about 10 minutes, and kept it there all night, changing it out as necessary.

I had been walking around barefoot (as always), doing some yard clean-up in an area laden with pine needles, and quite woodsy. I took a step, and felt a needle-like pain, lifted my foot and saw a yellow jacket with his butt into the instep of my foot. I pulled him out, threw him, swore, and hobbled into the house. My friend Meg was with me, and she helped me deal with it.

I had a hard time sleeping even when I took the Tylenol with Codeine that my doctor had called in, and Adam had picked up. I forgot that it doesn't do much for me. I slept fitfully and have been up for a while now and it is still incredibly painful. A constant ache and throbbing.

And since it wasn't a bee, the stupid little stinker didn't even die, just flew away, while he left me in agony!

old sweater

I made this a while back....

I don't like it, and for how much work it was, I don't get compliments on it.
SO... I want to rip it out and use the yarn for something that I will love to wear. The yarn is heavenly: a wool and linen blend. I need to decide what I want to knit with it.

dressage weekend

I went to visit my friends Joann and Trish this past weekend.
It was a good mental health break for me- to get away, have open space, and contact with horses.

Trish trains dressage riders and we went to a huge show in Saugerties NY. The facility there for horse shows is amazing, expansive and heavenly for those of us who love horses. Trish had several horses there at the show and did pretty well. One of her riders took grand champion in the pony division for the east coast.

Watching the Grand Prix Freestyle, musical kur, was awesome. The horses moving to the music, with the riders getting them to step perfectly in time to the beat.... so cool.






see the entire 6 minute ride here:

I scream for......

Butterscotch Ice Cream!!!


man is it good! it's been hot and been a good time to make homemade ice cream. This recipe is so good, and deserving of the time.
We made it and mixed in some Butterfingers at the very end. It freezes perfectly in the freezer too, as it comes out not too hard to scoop, but rather just right! mmmm

Butterscotch Ice Cream

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup water.
1 egg yolk, well beaten
1 1/4 cup cream
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a skillet, heat sugar and butter together. Stir until sugar melts.
Slowly add water.
Stirring, simmer for 5 minutes.

Slowly stir a little of the hot mixture into the yolk to raise the temperature, then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in the pan.
Continue stirring over low heat until mixture thickens.

Cool and add cream, milk and vanilla.
Chill and stir freeze in an ice cream machine.

hot air

I woke this morning to the unmistakable sound of a hot air balloon nearby. I love being woken up this way, and will always quickly and eagerly run out to see it.

The boys were already up and playing downstairs. I came bounding down the stairs and yelled at the boys to quickly come with me..... "c'mon... there is a hot air balloon right over the lake... hurry!" they hesitated. I implored "quick!"... they came. the three of us, barefoot, scampering down the road. The balloon was low over the lake, maybe only 30 feet from the water. We watched from a neighbors driveway. They had just gotten out of bed too.

It is always a wondrous sight to me, exhilarating somehow. No matter how many times I get the opportunity to see one up close, it still is filled with excitement to me. I think I have passed that on to my boys, although they don't have so many experiences seeing it, as I did as a child. Growing up, our house was on a well worn path. We seemed to be where balloons headed after taking off miles away. Many of us in the neighborhood, would run out, through backyards, and meet to help them land, often in Carol Anderson's backyard. She had a great landing spot, and the balloonists all knew it. If they missed her yard, they could hit the next strip of land at HillStead Museum. What good morning memories....

Glad if we are on some new flight pattern! I loved it! We did think they were going to end up in the lake, but they were able to keep going for quite a bit longer and off they went.

visiting camp

Emmett and I drove up to visit Eli at camp. We got there just in time to see him send off his rocket that he had been working on in Rocketry. Then we were able to go with him to see him play steel drums. He helped emmett do it too. The boys seemed like they even had missed each other!

Eli seemed to be very comfortable in his environment there which I loved seeing. It is a beautiful setting and a great place for spending a few weeks. I can see the growth in him already!


Emmett and I stayed in the "Bungalow" which is a big, old-time summer lodge. Beautiful.

Around the great room, is a balcony above encircling it, which opens to about 6 bedrooms, and several bathrooms. We stayed in a small room with windows on 3 sides, letting in the cool evening air. Heavenly to sleep in. Emmett loves playing the piano in the great room.