~Linda's Stuff

Lunch on the Water

2012-01-24T18:29:00.001-05:00

This is the view from Harpoon Harry's.

We boated there this afternoon and
sat on the outdoor deck to eat.

The clouds and sky were so pretty!

Lucky

2012-01-20T12:17:00.000-05:00

My mom's birthday is this coming Sunday.

She would have been 86.

One thing we loved to do together

is go to a casino.

Once a year we'd drive

to Foxwoods in CT.,

stay overnight,

and play slots

to our hearts' content.

We even managed to go

when she was fighting cancer

and it cheered her up so much.

Here is a poem I wrote about one such trip:

Lucky

When we went to Foxwoods

a few years ago,

my mom had such a successful

time playing the Lucky

Seven machine

I remember the grin

on her face when I

found her in the non-

smoking casino

standing like the Statue

of Liberty with her hand

up flagging me down.

And there were

the three red sevens

lined up like soldiers.

After she was paid her 1,199

coins,

we meandered around

other casino rooms

and eventually settled

at a different bank

of machines: she in

front of a Lucky Seven

and me a 5X Diamond

a few seats away from her.

I can still remember

her calling out to me

every time she won:

the three green sevens,

the three purple sevens,

and twice more

the three red sevens.

Everyone around her

was cheering her on.

The only ones she

didn’t get were the pink

sevens that paid 500 coins.

Just before leaving

we walked through

one more time

and she put a $20 bill

into yet another

Lucky Seven machine

and, of course, this

time she got the pinks.

I should have known

then that this winning

day was going to be

our last good time

together at a casino.

But there was no message

in the clanging bells

announcing her success

that less than a year

later she’d be in the hospital

too weak to even

put her own cannula

into her trach

never mind a quarter

into a Lucky Seven

slot machine.

The other night my sister

texted me:

"Maybe we will be able to

go to Immokalee? For

lunch and a little slots in

honor of mom! I know she

would approve."

"Excellent idea! Let's do it!

I texted her back."

So, with mom in our hearts

we went yesterday.

My morning started with this.

It felt like my mom's spirit

filling me!

We entered the casino

with high hopes even though neither of us

is particularly lucky like our mom was.

And we did great for awhile

but, eventually gave it all back.

But, that's okay.

We both felt lucky,

lucky to have the chance to spend the day together

lucky to have a hundred extra dollars to waste,

lucky to have had our mom.

Good Morning

2012-01-15T07:34:00.001-05:00

I love waking up into an orange world. I quickly grabbed my bathrobe and phone then went out on the porch to take some pictures and let that light carry me into the day.

An Evening Walk

2012-01-12T18:30:00.002-05:00

I am still enamored with Florida sunsets!

And I'm loving this new app!

Playing Around

2012-01-12T14:31:00.002-05:00

Just experimenting with a new app called Picture Show. It allows sharing to a Blogger account.

These poinsettia plants are still going strong on our porch.

Two Beaches

2012-01-11T09:20:00.001-05:00

On Monday we went to Cayo Costa.

Here, Kylie and Danielle are searching for cool shells.

Cayo Costa can only be reached by boat so it was practically deserted when we were there. My husband and son sitting in the shade talking away.

Kylie's sand castle

Yesterday we went to Ft. Myers Beach and Kylie had fun

turning cartwheels on the sand.

And Grammy snapped away in between the umbrellas and people.

Two beautiful beaches.

Two beautiful days with family.

A Little Story

2012-01-09T08:10:00.001-05:00

Between sunrise

and moonrise

a little girl and her grandfather

went fishing.

The end.

Go to SkyWatch Friday to see more skies from all over the world.

Fore!

2012-01-02T20:46:00.000-05:00

Kylie and I went mini-golfing at Fish Cove today.

She played better than me!

Fun!

The sun was hazy and low in the sky so when Kylie got sick of me taking pictures of her, I took one of Charlotte Harbor.

We played the easier eighteen holes today but will go back for the more challenging ones soon.

Goodbye

2011-12-30T20:29:00.003-05:00

Goodbye Christmas wreath

Goodbye water going into the "hibiscuit" plant.

Goodbye today.

Goodbye 2011.

Happy New Year!

Go to SkyWatch Friday to see more skies from all over the world.

Fashion Show

2011-12-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

Kylie got some new clothes for Christmas.

While waiting for our baby back ribs to cook, we asked her to model them.

At first she was all shy.

But it didn't take her long to get into the swing of it.

Even her new PJs had a turn.

I tried to find outfits that would be appropriate for cold New Hampshire when she returns home.

Not an easy task in sunny Florida!

This will be good for Florida without the leggings but fine for NH with them and a white turtleneck.

Definitely for NH. My daughter said she needs jeans but, as you can see from her expression, she much prefers girly, frilly dresses.

This is so her!

This is actually the skirt

to this little peasant outfit.

And, finally, this ensemble was a birthday gift from her cousin Michelle last week. She wore it all day yesterday but mostly without the sweather since it was in the 80s. The hot pink (her favorite color!) camisole underneath is trimmed in lace.

Holiday Magic

2011-12-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

Fooling around trying to get some bokeh produced some cool results.

This is the tree's reflection in the glass door of our entertainment center.

Here's what I was doing:

I put my camera on aperture priority.

The only lights on were the Christmas tree lights and the TV.

I held my hand in front of the camera, focused on it to make the background all blurry, pulled my hand away, then quickly clicked the shutter button the rest of the way down.

I didn't get my hand out of the way fast enough on this one but I love the effect of my fingers playing with the bokeh.

Happy Holidays!

Fun with Kylie

2011-12-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

All set for her Florida birthday party and eating flowers!

Learning to swim. She can now do it!

Goofing around with Gunka, her great grandfather

Having a pedicure

Helping Grammy trim our Christmas palm tree.

Instagram

2011-12-11T14:57:00.002-05:00

I'm taking an online photography course called The Art of Composition.

This week's assignment is to shoot square pictures and Tracey Clark, our instructor, suggested we download Instagram for our phones.

So, I did.

What fun!

Each day of this eleventh week of the course we have to shoot a different scene in a square.

Thursday: A Square in a Square

Yes, these are my veiny feet with the second toe longer than my big toe!

Friday: A Circle in a Square

This is kind of abstract. We were at The Home Depot and I had to wait while my husband was ordering materials so I walked around looking for circles. I liked this picture best. The yellow circle is the top of a metal bar that was holding in 2x4s.

Saturday: Negative Space in a Circle

I was hoping for a spectacular sunset since we've had one just about every night in the month and a half we've been in Florida but, of course, no luck! Instead, we ended up with this brooding sky.

Sunday: Lines in a Square

This is the reason we went to The Home Depot. We are enclosing the underneath of our new stilt house. Gary is so talented when it comes to stuff like this even though he's never been a carpenter. I'm his helper. Anyway, I deliberately blurred the edges and set the focus on the ladder. I'm not even sure why but I kind of like the result. There is just something about the lines and shape of the ladder that pleases me.

There are three more days. We have to do shadows, color, and a self-portrait. I'm not crazy about that self-portrait one! But I'll be back with my results.

Enjoying Retirement

2011-12-06T20:30:00.001-05:00

We've been doing a lot of boating and see dolphins every time we go out.

This is Cayo Costa, a peaceful island we boat to. The beach is pretty much deserted and is full of cool shells.

A sandman! I saw it as I was walking along the beach. Actually, now that I look at it more closely, I guess it's a sand woman!

Yesterday, my sister, Nancy, and her husband, Bill, went with us. We had such a beautiful day.

And look! We're having babies! Our banana is pregnant.

I'm still dazzled by the sunsets.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-11-27T14:52:00.001-05:00

We've been way too busy.

Fun, though!

Boating

Thanksgiving. I cooked.

Company

Getting ourselves settled in our new home.

Here are a few journal pages I've been doing with a little help from my two favorite girls, Kylie and Michelle:

Hopefully, this will be a quiet week!

The Island for Sunday Scribblings: Vote

2011-11-18T11:45:00.002-05:00

Kitchen island, that is.

We'd been thinking of getting one for awhile, now, so when we saw one for a decent price at Walmart, we bought it.

Then had to put it together.

It took us about an hour. Not too bad.

But, when we got it into the kitchen,

we couldn't decide where to put it.

It almost didn't fit.

Gary liked it here:

But, I thought it looked better this way:

Neither of us liked it here:

Or this way:

He voted to put it here:

But it didn't look good from the other direction:

All evening he'd put it one place then I'd change it.

Then he'd switch it back.

Then I'd move it again.

This morning he tried it like this:

And it felt right!

Phew! We finally agreed!

Ahhhh!

2011-11-17T09:11:00.001-05:00

We went to Cayo Costa,

a mostly uninhabited island

reachable only by boat.

We walked,

looked for shells,

ate our lunch.

Gary fiddled with the boat,

I sat and read.

This is retirement.

Check out SkyWatch Friday for more awesome skies.

Good Night

2011-11-14T20:08:00.001-05:00

I can't get enough of the sunset from our porch. When we lived in NH, the sun slipped behind Mt. Forist around 3 in the afternoon without fanfare. In Maine, there are too many trees in the way. A real sunset is such a treat.

Yes!

2011-11-11T10:37:00.001-05:00

Now that we are settling into our Florida home, I've managed to find a crafting spot

and have started journaling again.

I started this page in September just before moving to our new park model then abandoned my journal for almost two months.

When Michelle and Tori were at camp, they asked if they could do a page in my journal and I was more than happy to let them. I'd packed away most of my crafting supplies so they were pretty limited but managed to do a great job, nevertheless.

Michelle did the page on the left and I used her background to journal this week.

I love how Tori summarized the weekend for me!

Thanks, girls!

Maiden Voyage

2011-11-09T07:52:00.000-05:00

Since our Florida home is on a canal, we bought a new boat. It arrived Saturday evening and we got it into the water yesterday.

We spent the day breaking the motor in and ended up at Rum Bay for lunch. It was so beautiful and relaxing.

I enjoyed watching the birds diving for food,

the dolphins swimming near the boat.

I read for awhile

and took pictures:

Captain Jake

And when we got home, I saw the almost-full moon smiling in the sky.

A Few More Pics

2011-11-08T06:55:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning sunrise from our porch. Our house is on stilts so it's cool to be nice and high.

A rare, quiet moment.

I love her eyelashes!

Erin making birdie friends at Busch

My two girls having fun at Busch Gardens

Kylie at Cabbage Key. We boated there for lunch. It's where Jimmy Buffett wrote "Cheeseburger in Paradise."

The inside of the restaurant is covered with $70,000 in money. There are bills attached to the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Every year they donate $10,000 of it to a children's charity in Ft. Myers.

Kylie is Visiting

2011-11-02T22:17:00.001-04:00

She and I went for a walk and the pool lured her in. Of course, she had to get wet

and play in every puddle.

She lost her first tooth!

Erin and Kylie looking for cool shells at Ft. Myers Beach

Grampy and Kylie goofing around at Busch Gardens.

Goodbye Hello

2011-10-30T08:34:00.000-04:00

My husband took this rainbow photo a couple nights before we left Maine.

I went to the beach for one last visit.

The sunrise on our last Maine morning for this year.

Before heading to Florida for the winter, we stopped at our son's house in southern NH. It was beautifully sunny when we got there so I went for a walk.

I had to lie on the ground to get this shot.

Some late blooms.

Another picture taken by my husband. I was sitting on Nathan's dock reading and waiting for the sunset.

I love the view from his home.

It rained for two days after we got to Florida but last evening the clouds gave way just in time for the sun to smear the sky with pink.

A Bokeh Quest

2011-10-21T17:16:00.001-04:00

It was beautiful here today so this afternoon I took my camera on a bokeh quest.

I'm taking an online photography course called The Art of Composition and this week we have to focus in on something and create cool backgrounds of blurriness and bokeh.

Bokeh is those bubbles of light in the background. Our instructor suggested using aperture priority set at it's lowest. So that's what I did.

It helped that the sun was low in the sky and shining through the trees.

I've got a favorite. Which one is yours?

Finally!

2011-10-19T15:17:00.000-04:00

I broke the little adaptor for my SD card that I use to transfer pictures from my camera to my computer. Finally, yesterday, I bought a new one.

Not much has been happening, though.

We are settling into our new home and loving it.

Our son and his girlfriend came over to visit for a couple days last week and that was fun...but I never even took a picture!

My daughter stopped by...and again I forgot to get the camera out.

I did take it to the beach with me, though.

This is the scene I see as I pedal up to the bicycle rack and begin walking toward the beach.

Can you hear my heart beating a little faster as I get closer?

Then, there it is!

I had such a great walk!

I also love getting up early and sitting in the peaceful morning light.

And, surprise, there are still flowers blossoming!

Any surprises in your life, lately?

A Walk Along Marginal Way

2011-10-12T17:36:00.002-04:00

On Sunday my friend Deirdre, her daughter Tori, and I took a ride down to Perkin's Cove in Ogunquit, Maine. We walked along Marginal Way for about forty-five minutes. It was 87 degrees and so beautiful.

The wonderful weather and holiday weekend brought so many people out that we had a hard time finding a place to park. Luckily, one of the restaurants offered valet parking. So we pulled up, went inside, put our name on the waiting list, went for our walk, then went in to eat appetizers before claiming the vehicle. There were signs advertising parking for $15. All we had to do was tip the valet $5. A good deal and I had great crab cakes.

Another Tuna

2011-10-09T11:22:00.001-04:00

This is his sixth one of the season. One more and he'll tie last year's record. This one was 75 inches long and weighed in at 285 pounds.

Tori, my friend's daughter (left) and my niece Michelle challenged each other to kiss the fish but neither did it.

Afterwards we went to the Pier at Old Orchard Beach to walk around and eat junk. The girls had deep fried Oreos! Gross! But they loved them.

All Moved In

2011-09-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

It took six days.

Who knew we had so much stuff!

But, we're settling in and finding our comfy spots.

This is mine this morning:

It rained all day yesterday so I was pleased to see the sun peeking in through the blinds when I got up.

With any luck, I'll make it to the beach this afternoon. I haven't been for a week. It'll be nice to get back into a normal routine and make this new home of ours feel comfortable.

Where's your favorite comfy spot?

Bits and Pieces

2011-09-22T08:21:00.001-04:00

My MIL returned home last Friday and is doing well. She has a lilt in her step that we haven't seen in a long while.

The closing on our new park model is tomorrow. We've already reserved a U-haul truck for Saturday. I'm praying this is the last packing and unpacking I'll have to do for a while!

And we might have a buyer for our fifth-wheel. Keeping our fingers crossed on that.

One night last week my husband suggested we go to the beach to watch the full moon rise and I took a few pictures, of course.

We got there too early so walked along the beach and saw this cool sandcastle.

The pink sky was so pretty behind the silhouette of the rollercoaster.

The pier from a distance. We had planned on sitting at the end of it but it was closed during the week.

And up closer. I like how the pilings are reflected in the water.

There are still some beach roses blossoming.

The pier from a different angle behind the dune grass.

And, finally, the moon rose bright and full.

To see more awesome skies click on SkyWatch Friday

New Home and 800th Post

2011-09-16T15:49:00.002-04:00

We've decided to get rid of our fifth wheel camper and buy a park model.

I took a few pictures this morning when we were there with the realtor.

This is from the outside. I like the size of the porch. I'll be able to put a couple chairs and a table on it.

When you walk in, you are in the hard room. The seller is leaving the couch, easy chair, and rocking chair. We'll be able to put our washer/dryer in the far right corner.

The winter braces are still up because it wasn't used at all this summer. In fact, it's three years old and has only been used a few times.

There are sliding glass doors leading from the hard room into the living room.

The couch faces the doors. I'm not crazy about this couch but I can live with it.

The bright, sunny kitchen is at the front. It's a nice size with a dining area and lots of cupboards.

The bedroom is at the back and has plenty of storage. I like the reading lights since reading in bed is something I do every night.

His and hers closets and drawers are at the foot of the bed.

This is the view from the bedroom. It's really quite spacious.

So, we're keeping our fingers crossed that everything works out. We've signed a purchase agreement and given a deposit. And the seller gave us permission to turn the electricity and water on to make sure everything is working.

And, 800 posts! That's a lot! My first one was four years ago and I had no idea what I was doing. Even though it's a quiet blog with only a few readers, I still enjoy keeping it up and having a place to document my life.

Oh, No!

2011-09-14T10:09:00.002-04:00

It's starting!

Colors are fading.

Flowers are dying.

Leaves are changing.

Autumn is slowly taking over.

What changes are happening in your world?

It's Time For Another Full Moon

2011-09-12T21:17:00.000-04:00

I went to the beach twice today.

The first time was this afternoon and I rode my bike there.

I only took one picture with my iPhone:

There is a sailboat in the distnace. That's what I was photographing. Honest! It wasn't that guy's naked torso. Really!

After supper, I drove to the beach so I could catch the rising full moon.

I was early so started fooling around with my camera taking pictures of the setting sun.

I had my Nikon with me this time and was trying to focus in on the grasses so the backgrounds would be all blurry.

Then I turned around and there was that big pink moon already up!

It was so pale, it was barely noticable!

I took about 30 pictures and they were all about the same with the moon getting smaller and higher but brighter.

On my way back, I turned around and played around a bit more.

Good bye, Moon!

10 Years

2011-09-10T12:46:00.001-04:00

Oh, say, can you see

By the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed

At the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars,

Thru the perilous fight

O'er the ramparts we watched

Were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets red glare,

The bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof thru the night

that our flag was still there.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free

And the home of the brave.

In Every Direction

2011-09-07T07:31:00.003-04:00

To my right

To my left

Straight ahead

I love the beach at this time of the year. The tourists are gone and it's so peaceful.

To see more incredible skies visit SkyWatch Friday.

Sitting at J's Oyster House

2011-09-01T20:04:00.003-04:00

Gary got his motorcycle back, finally, so we took a ride up to Portland, Maine and sat outside at J's.

The sun was shining, the sky was blue with wispy clouds, and the temperature was in the 70s. So perfect!

I didn't have my SLR but took a few pictures with my iPhone. This is looking out at Portland Harbor.

"May you have fair winds and following seas"

To see more skies from all around the world check out SkyWatch Friday

Irene?

2011-08-30T07:49:00.001-04:00

She went west of us so we only got a couple inches of rain and wind. There was some minor damage around and we went without electricity for about 14 hours but nothing to complain about.

I went to the beach yesterday. It's nice now that most of the tourists are gone. It was so peaceful.

Love this sky and all the layers of the clouds.

Pretty waves

This was an accident but I love how the ocean is all blurry and sparkly. It's even prettier if you click to enlarge it.

I'm happy to report that my MIL is doing much better and might get out of the rehab facility at the end of the week.

Gary got another, tuna, too. This was a small one at just 230 lbs. but it actually fetched more per pound than the 580 lb. one.

It's another beautiful day, today, so I think I'll head to the beach this afternoon after some chores this morning.

It's Been Over a Week

2011-08-26T21:39:00.001-04:00

since my last post.

it's been very busy.

My Kylie girl came for a week and we had such a good time swimming, and reading and going to the playground and playing Bananagrams.

Here she is at the park:

Our friend Deirdre also visited with her two kids. Tori is almost 14 and Ryan is 11 and Kylie had a blast with them.

We went to Fun Town/Splash Town and the kids had so much fun on the waterslides.

This is Tori standing with Kylie under the pirate barrel.

Tori is a gymnast and here she is teaching Kylie a move.

It's been very quiet since they all left.

So I'm reduced to photographing flowers.

Today I pedaled to the beach and took a few more.

But, it won't be quiet for long; now, we have to prepare for hurricane Irene!

A Walk on the Beach

2011-08-17T08:28:00.000-04:00

I was sitting in my camper and Donna was in hers.

It had been rainy for two days.

We were playing Words with Friends on our iPads.

All of a sudden I saw the sun peek through

and couldn't stand being inside anymore.

On my turn I messaged her.

"The sun just came out for a second. I'm getting off

my lazy butt and going for a walk on the beach. Wanna go?"

"Sure" came her immediate response.

We saw these pretty flowers as we prepared to walk over the dunes.

We walked north toward the Pier at Old Orchard Beach.

Donna made a new friend.

After fish tacos we settled on a balcony at the end of the pier for Margaritas. Even though it was still mostly cloudy, there were still many people enjoying the beach.

Then the clouds began to lift.

The sun turned the waves white and sparkling.

We watched the sun set behind the Ferris wheel.

The lights came on.

And the whole world turned pink.

We walked back down the beach in the dark,

drove back to the campground.

She went into her camper and I went into mine.

Then I heard a ding, checked my iPad,

and we continued

our games.

Nautical, Anyone?

2011-08-16T13:41:00.001-04:00

The park model trailer we bought for my in-laws was decorated in a nautical style. Everywhere we looked there was something to do with the ocean.

On the end table

Covering a window

Perched above a window

On a table

Above the door

Above the curtains

Watching from on high

Between the windows

On the floor

In the curtains and on the wall

Holding keys

Crowded on the walls.

Don't get me wrong; I love the ocean but this was overkill!

Luckily, my MIL has plenty of family heirlooms that have replaced many of these things.

Moon Magic

2011-08-14T06:47:00.001-04:00

We spent the whole day with Gary's father.

He's so sweet natured but has short-term memory loss.

We have to repeat and repeat and repeat

everything over and over.

So, after Gary left to take him back to his place and get him ready for bed,

I took off and went to the beach with two friends

to watch the full moon rise

over the ocean.

We all needed it.

Mich had worked all day.

Donna had had her brother visiting all week.

And I just had to get away.

As we walked over the dunes, it was just emerging from behind lavender clouds.

We stood on the sand, chatted, roamed around a bit, and absorbed the peacefulness.

We headed back to camp a little lighter than before.

Camp Ellis

2011-08-12T10:35:00.000-04:00

Camp Ellis is a fishing village at the mouth of the Saco River. There is a large dock area which is where Gary meets the tuna buyer and unloads his catch.

I took a few pictures of interesting sights when I was there the last time.

What We've Been Up To

2011-08-10T13:34:00.001-04:00

Babysitting!

But not Kylie.

My father-in-law. He had a mild stroke last summer and lost his short-term memory. Otherwise, he's fit as a fiddle for 86 years old.

But, my mother-in-law has a UTI and is in the hospital. She normally takes care of him. Now, it's our turn. She's also gotten very weak in the last few weeks so will have to go to rehab for a couple weeks when she gets out of the hospital.

On top of that, Gary's motorcycle broke down for the third time yesterday. We went to get it yesterday and he got halfway home when the same thing happened.

We had to wait an hour and a half in a Walmart parking lot for the tow truck.

Yeah, it's been fun!

Here are a few pictures I took yesterday and today. They have no real significance; I just felt like clicking.

I was sitting in the back seat on the way to pick the bike up and thought this was really cool.

Saw these four birds while waiting in traffic.

Raindrops on red chairs

Jeweled grass

Anyone know what this is? I know lots of flowers but not this one.

Pretty weeds

A Little Journaling

2011-08-05T15:26:00.000-04:00

Very little!

This is the sum total of what I've journaled all summer.

More Wedding Pics

2011-08-01T19:11:00.000-04:00

The bride, Amanda, waiting to enter the church.

My brother, Tim, and sister, Sally

My son, Nathan, and his girlfriend, Danielle

My daughter, Erin, and me

The groom, my brother, Tim's, son, Dustin, and his bride

L to R. My niece, Michelle, my daughter, Erin, and my brother, Tim's wife, Sherrie

The bride, Amanda, waiting patiently for her groom, Dustin, to join her on the trolley that took them to the Town and Country Inn for the reception.

My cousin, Lucy, and her mom, my Aunt Dotty, my dad's sister.

The girl cousins: L to R Alissa, my sister Nancy's daughter, my daughter, Erin, in her reception dress, and my niece Michelle, my sister Sally's daughter.

The boy cousins: Nathan and Dustin

L to R: Ian, my niece Alissa's boyfriend, Bill, my sister nancy's husband, Gary, me, and my sister Nancy

The bride in her beautiful dress

The pretty detail in the back

It really was a great wedding!

Two Great Catches

2011-07-31T13:48:00.000-04:00

On Friday Gary caught a 580 lb. tuna. He fought it for 4 1/2 hours.

And yesterday my brother's son, Dustin, married Amanda in a beautiful ceremony.

Dawn

2011-07-29T11:40:00.001-04:00

The ocean called to me at 4:30 this morning after Gary left for fishing.

It whispered gray secrets in my ear when I arrived.

Then it tempted me with lavender lace.

It offered a ride to eternity.

And wrapped me in its foggy embrace.

Seagulls wheeled, looking for breakfast.

My heart stood still. My breath stopped.

The pier waited in misty patience.

The seconds passed in technicolor.

The birds danced to the music of the sky.

The sun painted its reflection on the calm sea.

I swallowed its light

then brought it back with me

to savor all day.

You can see more sky photos at SkyWatch Friday

What a Day

2011-07-25T19:21:00.002-04:00

It started out so nice, too.

My husband took off early for fishing so I was able to get up any time and sit around in my bathrobe as long as I wanted.

Then...

I went to Lois' Natural Marketplace.

See that cute polka-dotted charge card holder?

Gone!

Somehow, between leaving the store after paying for my purchases and driving one mile to a grocery store, it disappeared.

I looked everywhere! Went back to Lois' but no luck.

I had to call two banks and two credit card companies to cancel. Luckily, there were no new transactions.

What a pain!

Tomorrow, I have to get a new driver's license after driving two and a half hours without one.

So, when I got home, I needed to relax.

I poured myself an iced mint decaf green tea.

Read the two letters I got from my friend Anne.

Thanks, Anne!

Then fiddled around with the Instant Poetry app on my iPad and made this:

Isn't it amazing how words from a friend and words made into poetry can totally transform a day?

Sad

2011-07-22T11:07:00.000-04:00

My mother-in-law has been going through her old things and came across an envelope with a 1908 postmark:

Inside were four letters written from 1890 to 1914 from a woman named Izell in Colorado to her father in Vermont.

Here is an excerpt from one of them:

So sad that her third little baby boy died.

Sunset

2011-07-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

Through the trees

Sunrise

2011-07-15T08:22:00.001-04:00

I woke up at five this morning and couldn't get back to sleep so decided to go to the beach to catch the sunrise. I was a bit late since I didn't get there until 5:30 and a guy on the beach told me it had risen at 5:13. But it was still beautiful.

As I walked over the dune grass area, it looked like the sun was just rising, though.

This greeted me as I got to the beach.

The stillness...the peacefulness...heavenly!

Love this patriotic beach cottage.

And this wonderful porch.

I want to sit right here for breakfast.

What a great gift I gave myself this morning!

Aunt Dotty

2011-07-13T19:27:00.001-04:00

My sister, Sally, and I took a ride down to Massachusetts see our aunt yesterday. She's our father's sister and the last sibling left.

A couple years ago on another visit, I asked her how her late husband, George, and she had met and she told me the following story:

Aunt Dotty sits
on her red couch
in front of a multi-
colored granny square
afghan.

When I ask, “How
did you and Uncle
George meet?"

a small sunrise
blossoms on her face.

She smiles and says,
“Well, my friend, Sarita,
and I were walking home
from downtown when

her brother pulled up
in his little coupe
and asked if we’d like

a ride. We said sure
and climbed in. The only
problem was that
there was no back seat

and her brother had
a friend with him.

So, Sarita climbed in
the middle and I sat
on George’s lap.”

Here her voice
gets deep and warm
as summer.

“After they dropped
me off, Sarita said
to George, ‘How’d

you like Dotty? Isn’t
she pretty?’ And George
answered, ‘Well, I couldn’t
see her face
but she has a soft
fanny.'”

The were married
for over 50 years.

A Fine Sunday

2011-07-11T08:10:00.003-04:00

It was a blue-sky, low-humidity, golden type of day.

Here's Gary cooking breakfast outdoors:

Later in the morning we took off on the motorcycle with our friends, Don and Mich.

Our destination was this little hole-in-the-wall place:

Flo's hot Dogs is located on Route 1 between York and Ogunquit, Maine. It doesn't look like much but has been featured on The Food Network as one of the top five places in the U.S. to get a good hot dog.

See that caution tape at the top of the door? If you're too tall, you won't fit!

We got there at a good time because the line wasn't out the door like it normally is. Gary and Don were only about ten people back and it only took about ten minutes.

Then, there were those yummy hot dogs. What makes them so special is the secret recipe they have for relish. Soooooo gooooood!

I had mine with a little mayo, that wonderful relish, and celery salt.

Mmmmmm...snappy and spicy!

On the way home we had to stop at a traffic light in Kennebunk and I noticed this sign on the library lawn:

Yes! They're having a Porn Show! ????

I was thinking that someone rearranged the letters but couldn't figure out what the original might have been. Worn Shop? Norp Show?

It's a mystery!

We stopped at Bentley's Biker Bar in Arundel to quench our thirst after those hot dogs and to give our butts a break. Gary's seat is comfortable but, still...

When we got back, we lazed around chatting, eating, and drinking with good friends.

A happy Mich.

Then we fired up the Weber and had ourselves a feast.

A fun time was had by all!

A Bike Trip to Portland

2011-07-09T07:07:00.000-04:00

While Gary was getting the bike ready, I roamed around taking pictures of flowers.

I held my camera on the bike so I could take pictures while we were riding. This is Scarboro Marsh. I love it when I inadvertently catch birds flying by.

We saw several huge ships in the harbor as we whizzed by on the bridge.

The Old Port. These buildings face Portland harbor.

A horrible picture of me in my doorag eating an almond croissant at the Standard Bakery.

All the perpendicular streets in the Old Port are made of cobble stones.

On the way back Gary had to stop at the bait store to get a couple containers of frozen chum. I got a kick out of the sign.

When we got going again, the carburetor started acting up so Gary pulled over and, while he was fiddling with it, I took pictures of the wildflowers.

Some Pics From My Week

2011-07-07T09:05:00.000-04:00

Here's Kylie and her iPod Touch in front of Famous Dave's Barbeque:

She and Michelle having fun on the restaurant patio:

My beautiful sister, Sally, and her husband, Mike:

The view from our outdoor table in Perkin's Cove, Ogunquit, Maine.

Preparing for our baby back rib feast:

Had to go to Berlin yesterday, so took the long way up route 16 so I could see this billboard in Ossippee, NH. Yes! My daughter and granddaughter.

And look what I found growing in between my two barrels of patient Lucys (what my grandmother, Nonie, always called impatiens!). I haven't had pansies for a couple of years!

Trip to Kennebunkport

2011-07-03T08:33:00.001-04:00

Last Monday my sister and her husband asked if Id like to go to lunch with them in Kennebunkport.

We passed this cool home. It's called The Wedding Cake House.

An old Train Station now turned into a museum.

An outdoor stone chapel at a Fransciscan retreat.

My niece, Michelle

The Bush Compound at Walker's Point

It's Tuna Season

2011-06-30T14:55:00.000-04:00

This is the earliest Gary (on the right) has ever caught a tuna. This one weighed in at 346 lbs. He fought it for 2 1/2 hours. The tuna buyer cleaned it and chilled it overnight and it'll be on its way to Japan for the tuna auction this afternoon.

Yay!

2011-06-28T20:13:00.001-04:00

I finally made it to the beach today and it was great! The weather was perfect: not too hot but warm enough to be comfortable.

I wrote a letter, wrote two poems, and read for awhile.

Heaven!

This and That

2011-06-24T18:32:00.001-04:00

I've been getting unpacked.

Reorganizing and squeezing everything in from our house which is mostly empty.

Hope it sells soon but with the economy the way it is, who knows. When it happens, it happens.

I haven't even been to the beach yet!

At first when the weather was beauful I was too busy.

Now that's it's raining, I'm ready!

Instead, I've been puttering around and playing on my iPad.

Here's an instant poem I made today. The picture is of my Ocean Park Beach.

Soon!

Another Instant Poem

2011-06-21T19:31:00.000-04:00

A Great Sunday

2011-06-20T21:54:00.004-04:00

Besides being Father's Day, Sunday was also our 40th anniversary.

To celebrate we went for a motorcycle ride with our friends Don and Mich.

First we stopped at the Standard Baking Company in Portland and I had a cranberry walnut scone and took some pictures of the pretty flowers.

Then we headed to L. L. Bean in Freeport to return an outdoor thermometer that always read 65 degrees.

Here's Mich next to the humongous boot outside the main entrance.

After that we went to Orr's Island which is north of Portland and ate lunch on the patio at Cook's Lobster House. I had a haddock sandwich that was huge and delicious.

Just as we were leaving some kayakers rowed by.

I had such a good time sitting on the back of the bike as Gary was driving taking pictures of the beautiful scenery. The lupines were blooming everywhere.

When we got home, my sister, Sally, invited us over for hamburgers and hot dogs on the Weber. We drove over in the newly painted 1979 Ranchero.

When we got back to our campground, we visited with our neighbors, Donna and Ralph and Donna took this picture of Gary and me sitting in her swing. It was the first time all day that I noticd we were dressed like twins!

All in all it was a perfect day (except for that fashion faux pas)!

Zero

2011-06-18T13:33:00.000-04:00

I found the coolest app for my iPad. It's called Instant Poetry. I just download a photo and they supply a bunch of words that I can make a poem out of.

Here's my red bicycle ready to go to the beach

which is what I'll be doing all summer...

...once I finish unpacking everything!

1 & 1/2

2011-06-16T11:39:00.000-04:00

I was standing out in the hall with Tammy, another teacher, before first block this morning.

She said, "It looks like Shakespeare's smoking a butt."

I glanced at my door and, sure enough, there was old Will puffing away...

on a pencil!

I've got a bunch of stickers for the kids to use and I guess they got creative.

2

2011-06-15T14:36:00.001-04:00

Second Block

The office calls my room.

"Mrs. Jacobs, can you come to the office for a minute?"

"Sure"

When I get there, I see a man with a priest's collar standing there.

"She doesn't recognize me" he says to the secretaries.

Then I see his profile and know.

He's my 11th grade English teacher!

I haven't seen him for 45 years.

He gives me a hug and 6 roses

and an apology.

When I was in his class he marked an answer wrong on a test. I felt it was right and spoke to him about it but he refused to change my grade.

I don't remember this.

But he does and says it's bothered him all these years.

He was a first-year teacher and didn't know what he was doing.

I knew what he was doing; he was inspiring me with his dynamic style. I loved his class and how he made everything come to life.

And I knew that's the kind of teacher I wanted to be.

Twenty years ago he had throat cancer and lost his voice so had to quit teaching. He decided to become a minister but the cancer left him with just a whisper for a voice so he can't preach. Instead he collects donations to help people with oil and other necessities.

He continues to be an inspiration!

3

2011-06-14T20:09:00.000-04:00

Getting there!

Tomorrow and Thursday are normal days.

(Well, as normal as they can be!)

On Friday I have just one class for its final exam and the kids will be done by 10:45.

After that I've got to finish cleaning my room. We have to stay until 2:30.

Then, it's home to pick up the last of our things and drive to camp.

Today in second block I overheard one of the boys say, "Darn, I finished the book. I wish I hadn't; it was so good."

He was referring to the dead & the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer.

I'll miss these little moments.

Yesterday

2011-06-09T18:56:00.000-04:00

When I got up, I glanced out my bedroom window and saw the sun trying to force its way through the morning fog.

I stood on the back porch for this. Then I turned around and saw this site:

I bought this sundress for Kylie from Avon. My Avon lady's husband smokes and the dress needed freshening so I'd hung it out the night before then forgot about it. It looked so cute and bright against the gray house in the grayish morning that I just had to take a picture of it.

In the evening I went out to eat with my friend, Dottie and Mary, a former co-worker, now retired.

Here's where we went:

SAALT is a small pub underneath a fantastic restaurant. The restaurant part was closed so we went to the pub.

I love her old announcement board:

SAALT stands for the names of the owners, Steve and Liz and their three kids, Ava, Ari, and Tao.

The restaurant is in an old bank and they've fixed it up so nicely. Here's an old dry sink filled with flowers:

And this bench and all these flowers are alongside the walkway:

And I ended the day the same way I started it...with a picture of the sky.

8

2011-06-07T15:35:00.001-04:00

I started off my day with this beautiful nectarine. It was like eating sunshine.

I felt like taking more pictures when I got to school so I snapped a few out my classroom window.

Some flowering weeds:

The sun just starting to peek through the leaves:

Some beautiful dandelion fluff...truly a wonder of nature! Just look at all that delicate laciness:

And a pleasant reminder to me next to a reminder to them:

Yes, there are only eight days left but that's with block 2 students.

I've got seven days left with my block 3 kids because I won't see them the last day since we have exams for blocks 1 & 2 only. (Block 1 is my planning block.)

And there are only six days left for fourth block since we have early release this coming Friday for graduation.

It's happening slowly but surely!

10

2011-06-04T17:59:00.000-04:00

Went to my retirement party yesterday after school.

Good food.

Good friends.

Good fun.

We played a trivia game and my table won.

My department head read a parody of Shakespeare's soliloquys about me that the whole English department collaborated on.

"To retire or not to retire..."

Good laughter.

And a great gift:

I've been hankering for an iPad and, now, I have one thanks to the faculty who all chipped in.

Good people.

Excellent teachers.

Hard to say good bye.

From That to This

2011-06-01T20:15:00.000-04:00

From that...

To this...

It was hailing golf ball sized nuggets as I left school this afternoon. A few hours later, the sky was all golden.

Finally!

2011-05-31T20:11:00.000-04:00

Yes, I've been doing a tiny bit of journaling and can't wait until I can get back to it daily in just a few weeks.

Happy Birthday

2011-05-30T11:29:00.000-04:00

We had a birthday cookout to celebrate my father-in-law turning 86

and my niece, Michelle, becoming fourteen.

A Pleasant Evening

2011-05-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

My friend, Dottie, invited me to her house Thursday evening to see the ocean of forget-me-nots in her backyard.

We sat on her patio sipping Margaritas, nibbling on tortilla chips with spinach and artichoke dip and chatting away in this beautiful setting.

I also roamed around taking pictures of everything.

She walked me halfway home afterwards and it was like swimming in a lilac lake; the whole town smelled so good from the just-opening blossoms.

It felt good to walk and see all the beautiful spring breaking out everywhere.

17

2011-05-24T19:56:00.002-04:00

I had a horrible day!

First, I woke up at 2:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. Hate that!

Block 1 was filled with correcting a set of essays. I won't miss that!

Block 2 kids were okay but chattier than usual. I controlled myself admirably.

Then came Block 3. One of my boys was being rude so I had to raise my voice to get him to keep his comments to himself. A girl at the front of the room looked at me and told me not to raise my voice again. ! Yeah, I told her to get out. I never send kids to the office but I'd had it today.

Tuesday is lunch duty day. No problems but I hate standing there in front of the kids trying to eat.

Block 4A is Poetry Writing. They are working on a project and it took them forever to settle down and get to work.

Normally, I look forward to Nature Journaling but today they drove me nuts with their whining and complaining about the bugs and spiders and grubs they saw while we were outdoors.

On my way home I got a call from a parent who said, among other things, that she couldn't wait for her daughter to turn eighteen and leave because she couldn't stand her. It made me so darn sad!

Days like this make the 17 I have left seem interminable!

I did manage a couple pictures:

Saw this bird with his breakfast sitting on the garage in the rain before I headed to ~~hell~~ school.

Some pretty blossoms with bokeh in the background.

Blueberry bells. I made the kids wiat for me to take a few pictures of these while they were swatting mosquitoes. Hehe! Teacher payback!

Just Some More Pretty Pictures

2011-05-21T13:25:00.000-04:00

We've had rain for a week so when I saw the sun shining on Thursday afternoon just as my Nature Journaling kids were arriving for class, we quickly got our stuff together and went out for a walk. I took pictures as we went. Here, a clump of pansies in someone's yard.

Bluettes

Apple blossoms, I think, or maybe cherry blossoms.

A pretty pansy sunning herself.

It's amazing what a little sunshine did for us all!

23

2011-05-16T17:00:00.000-04:00

I hated to go to school this morning.

But, I went anyway.

My planning block was eaten up with a block meeting.

Monday is advisory day. That means more preparation.

We had a staff meeting after school.

Every time I looked out my window, it was gray and gloomy so we didn't go out for Nature Journaling.

I had to go to the IGA. I hate shopping!

Then I downloaded some pictures from the last few days and that changed my whole perspective.

Nature is so beautiful!

A Gift

2011-05-11T18:45:00.003-04:00

I got to see my Kylie girl this afternoon and she had a gift for me.

Close your eyes, Grammy!

These are for you!

Aren't they pretty?

Yes, and they match your nail polish!

Thank you!

27

2011-05-10T15:16:00.004-04:00

While I'm standing in the hallway inbetween classes:

Mrs. Jacobs, can I go to the bathroom?

Miss Jacobs, can I go to my locker?

I have to return this book to the library.

What do I do? I got the wrong drink out of the Coke machine.

I'm heading to the restroom.

May I go to guidance?

Here's my note for being absent yesterday.

Can I get some cough drops from the nurse?

It never ends!

But then we went outside and the fresh air was so sweet after that alphabet soup I'd been breathing all day.

I took a few pictures:

I love blossoms!

Not sure what this is.

Fiddlehead fern

A tiny worm on Amanda's finger

May flower

I remember my grandmother, Nonie, telling me that my father used to pick these for her and be so proud of his gift. She'd put them in a vase but they smelled so bad she couldn't keep them in the house for long.

A nice memory on this the 14th anniversary of my dad's death. He was such a sweetheart!

Here we are with him at Silver Lake back in 1959 or so. Left to right: Nancy, Dad holding Sally, me, and Tim

My parents' first anniversary

Oh, Yeah, Spring's Happening!

2011-05-09T16:38:00.000-04:00

I took these outside the school when I was walking with my Nature Journaling kids.

30: A Poem Written for Three Word Wednesday Using Jitter, Grace, & Thin

2011-05-05T16:35:00.002-04:00

I look around my classroom

at the messy pile of textbooks

at the world and U.S. maps

taped to the wall

at the posters in progress

draped over tables

like Dali’s clocks

at the hundreds of novels

sitting like crooked teeth

in makeshift bookcases

made out of empty boxes

at two plants gasping

for sun and water

at three hot pink recycling

bins and a gray garbage can

at a Purell dispenser

a pencil sharpener

a table with discarded

how-to-write-poetry books

waiting for new homes

at seventeen cranberry desks

four sky blue ones two navy

blue ones and a lone sunny

yellow student desk

at an old TV and VCR

on a raised stand with various

tapes strewn about

at a beige file cabinet

at the poster with flames

Carl King made

shortly before he died

three years ago

at my windows full

of white birch trees

and baby leaves

at a wall hanging

of Shakespeare

a moon poster

four schedules for this week’s

classes taped to the board

at piles of papers

bins with all my assignments

a pewter mug with a bouquet

of pens and pencils

at a mural of four gods

and goddesses painted

over twenty years ago

at bulletin boards

filled with imaginations

and creativity

at a poster that says,

“Poetry is honeycomb

so full that it drips

into a puddle

from which the hummingbird

sips”

at a clock that says

8:31 am and a red second

hand making its way around

taking me one click

at a time closer to the end

at a notepad with the words

grace, jitter, and thin

written in black

that I keep glancing at

wondering how on earth

I’ll ever use them

in this poem

at my fingers jitterbugging

on black computer keys

as I try to find a way

to stop writing when there

are still so many other

things to list about this room

this life this working race

to retirement.

What I'll Miss

2011-05-04T15:14:00.000-04:00

Baby Leaves

Trees Budding

Taking Pictures of the Progress

Daffodils in the Back Yard

The First Sunny Dandelions

The Promise of Lilacs

33

2011-05-02T14:29:00.000-04:00

It was beautiful out but we couldn't go too far into the woods because some kids didn't wear appropriate footwear, as you can see!

We had fun, anyway.

And, now, I'm heading home to read in the sun and BBQ something for supper.

Greedy Nester

2011-04-28T20:12:00.001-04:00

We were sitting on the front porch and my husband quietly said, "Go get your camera." I gently opened the door and grabbed my Nikon then quickly snapped a picture of this robin with all kinds of nest-making supplies. He flew away with his load right after.

37

2011-04-27T08:07:00.003-04:00

We went outside for Nature Journaling again and their assignment was to compare the nice day to themselves.

I wrote a Cleave Poem

that contains two sides. Each side can be read separately or they can cleave and be read together.

Today + Me

A blue sky A pretty sun

and white clouds a few frustrations

through the limbs through the filter

of bare trees of rose colored glasses

A brook schussing rap beat

down the mountain students in the hall

providing a symphony background noises

a fly on my paper well-behaved kids

sunning in the library

green things happy thoughts of retirement

poking their noses spiking in my mind

through dead leaves through ordinary moments

A Ride to Camp

2011-04-26T18:12:00.001-04:00

We took a ride down to camp last Friday. It was too early to open up but we took the braces down and opened the widows and aired it out.

I also got to take a walk on my favorite beach.

And take some pictures of pretty flowers next to the beach.

I took some pictures of my husband's 1979 Ford Ranchero. It went in for a new paint job this week.

On the way home I got a kick out of the name of this deli.

All in all it was a really nice day and not "mediocre" at all!

Memory Lane

2011-04-23T17:05:00.001-04:00

We were a bunch of teenage girls living together

for the summer, working as chambermaids

at a resort called Baker Brook.

We lived in what had once been a restaurant

underneath the motel.

We had a bedroom with 3 bunk beds,

a huge living room, and a kitchen with commercial stove and fridge.

The ladies' room held our sink and toilet.

The mens' room had our shower.

I was responsible for five cottages.

They were cozy with fireplaces

and the same people came back year after year.

In the evenings I worked in the office giving the manager a break.

It was great being on our own.

I worked there for four summers and loved it.

The other night I drove by for old times sake

and things had changed.

First I saw one of my cottages called Maple.

Then I saw Elm and Oak cottages.

Then I saw the sign and office.

By this time I had a lump in my throat.

I glanced across the street at the motel.

I couldn't believe the mess.

The recreation room is on the right. I remember showing movies in there at night and playing ping pong. And it's where the owners would throw a lobster feed for us at the end of the season.

I parked here in front of this door which led down to our apartment.

I reminisced about the past and the good times

then drove away from the sad present.

Some Random Pics

2011-04-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

A wild weather day.

Here's my ivy peeking out at the mess:

And here are little icicles hanging from the telephone wires:

And from the branches of the maple tree:

Notice all the buds. Not!

This guy was out in the horrible weather working across the street.

I liked the sparks coming from the saw he was using.

But, I am on vacation so it isn't a total loss of a day.

Break My Heart

2011-04-19T08:07:00.003-04:00

Anne and I became friends in high school because we both loved skiing.

She was great at it while I struggled but it was fun anyway.

I can still see her swishing down the mountain so gracefully.

And we stayed friends through both our graduations, she the year after me, and through separation while I was at college, and through boyfriends, and engagements, and weddings, and her miscarriage.

Her daughter was born the year after my son.

Then she moved to Florida.

We wrote occasionally and visited once in a while.

Twenty years ago my husband and I and the kids spent a winter in the same town in Florida as Anne and her family and our friendship took off right where we'd left it.

After that, we started writing letters to each other almost every day.

It became a hobby and we'd try to outdo each other with cool sticker designs and the newest postage stamps. I saved all her letters.

Until this week.

We're moving and have no room for the bags and bags of correspondence.

It breaks my heart to have to throw this whole part of her life away.

But, luckily, we still have our friendship! Can't throw that away!

My Mom

2011-04-16T14:17:00.000-04:00

I spent the morning with my mom.

It was hard not to think about her as I cleaned out a storage cabinet she had in the cellar.

She saved everything!

bank statements
paid bills
empty champagne bottles
golf tees
plastic bags
thank you notes
sympathy cards
golf balls

I found these egg boxes filled with, yes, golf balls!

And then this is what undid me.

I found the well-worn dictionary she used to do her crossword puzzles.

And inside, were pieces and pieces of paper with unusual definitions

My mom did not go to college and she never even graduated from high school. This bothered her so much and she always wished she hadn't had to quit.

Looking at these lists and lists of definitions written in her beautiful penmanship straight across the pages brought tears to my eyes.

She was the smartest woman I ever knew and I miss her so much.

39

2011-04-15T16:21:00.000-04:00

Just some random pictures from school today.

Becca's cute little outfit

Amanda's checkered pig and bacon

My sunny windowsill

At their lockers. Check out Joe's platform boots!

Nicole's orange sneakers. Love them!

And, now, I'm officially on VACATION!