Monday, August 25, 2008

The Last Days of Summer

Last night, My Handsome Prince and I watched Elizabethtown. While not a great movie, two things I found relative. One was family, quirky, different, in-laws, yet family. The other was the way each of the main characters captured moments. One captured last looks, the other pretended to have a camera and take a picture. Moment captured today, Robin, on our walk, thunder booming, demonstrating the way to avoid getting struck by lightening, down on her toes, duck and cover position, but heels up. The last days of summer.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Last Days of Summer

For almost a mile before the Monkton entrance to the NCR trail, the cars are parked, some legally, and some illegally. The police are out ticketing, people are walking with their tubes, bikes, coolers, small children, and dogs. In a grassy sloped area we meet, close to 50 people to float down the Gunpowder river. There are big tubes, small boats, a pool float, snow tubes, tubes too small for an adult, and a tube for a cooler. I boasted about my bigger and better tube to my sister and then gave it to my daugher who took Apple floating. My tube was the one that was too small for an adult. Pilates has never been so good to know. The water was cold but not unbearable, at least at first. It seemed an endless task to gather everyone in the water to float, somewhat, together. I was quite bitter at first. My expectations high with my family home, , PMS rearing its ugly head, a sugar and caffeine rush, the girls complaining, My Handsome Prince not inflating our tubes, running late and my bigger tube turning into a smaller tube. Could it get any worse? But, floating has a peaceful influence, even with the water full of people. Laughter has a healing touch. Even losing our car key to the river at the end did not disrupte my calmed attitude. Yes, we lost our key, but the random kindness of strangers got us into the truck where I just happened to have another key that I would not ordinarily have. Karma. We ended the float at my sisters house, good food, good beer, good fellowship. A surprise visit by my Auntie, an expected visit with my father, another surprise visit by my mother, and chatting with old friends and making new. Ahhh, the last days of summer.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Last Days of Summer

School starts on Tuesday for Audrey and a week later for Emma and me. I dread the end of these days. I love the feeling of summer days, the relaxed schedule, the house on the shore, and yes, the heat. It's been a good summer. I am looking forward to seeing my family again, having them around more, well, Audrey. Emma is half moved into her new apartment and My Handsome Prince will continue to share his time between two locations. I'm good with that. I have plans to go to the shore as often as possible, september is a wonderful time at the beach. So, yes the lazy days end but fall is all about new schedules, new beginnings, more so than January 1st. Tonight I am meeting my sister, her husband and my husband in Annapolis to see The Wood Brothers. My Handsome Prince will go back to the shore to move Em's last belongings to her apartment. Tomorrow night is possibly another concert, Daniella Cotton and Theresa Anderson. Saturday is the third annual Floatilla down the Gunpowder river at which my family will accompany me for the first time. I am cramming things in, I'd to make it to the Bodyworks exhibit which ends September 1. So I toast to the end of summer and the new beginnings fall brings, cin, cin!
Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Tired

Today I came home and all I wanted was a good, long nap. The dogs barked, I did not get it.

Sometimes when you do something out of your ordinary realm of activities it wears you down. Our trips to Hopkins always do it to me. Let me start by revealing the good news of another 3 months. No change of activity in the lungs, a slight growth in the leg, looking benign in nature, nothing to worry about for 3 months. Yes! All is good.


But, our day started a bit worrisome. A week ago Friday, My Handsome Prince and I were swimming in our pool. And just like that, he thought he broke something in his leg, a connection, the prosthesis, not sure, but movement was almost impossible. He didn't sleep, I didn't sleep. We were supposed to attend a picnic but were preparing ourselves for a trip to Baltimore from the shore. I found some crutches, he found some meds, and a happy medium was found. He spent the week on crutches, everyday feeling a little bit better. We were on pins and needles concerning todays visist, not because of cancer, but reconstructive surgery was definitely not on our agenda. And now it is definitely not. No answer for the pain he felt, but his leg was looked at microscopically. His Dr. asked "Are you going to wean yourself off the crutches?" They got thrown in the back of the pick up.

I think all the stress from the week, worrying about my man, 16 people (including us) at our shore home, the fact that I procrastinated registering for Fall classes until Monday, had me exhausted and needing a nap.

Tomorrow is a new day. My plans? Pilates, cycle, a walk with my puppy, some easy gardening, some laundry, some stitching, a movie, and...you guessed it, a nap.

Monday, August 18, 2008

My Dress

I just finished this dress in time to go to lunch with some friends today. I love the bodice detail but next time I will add the piping.
Posted by Picasa

Friday, August 15, 2008

Michael Franti and Spearhead : Say Hey Music Video

Here's the new man in my life. I tend to listen to someone over and over and over when I first find them. This is the guy we saw in New Orleans. Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Renaissance Faire



I went with my friend, Robin, to the New York Renaissance Faire over the weekend. We went because her daughter is a potter, who exhibits and sells at various Renaissance Faires all over the United States. We arrived by noon on Friday to help set up. We wiped down counters and shelves, unpacked boxes and boxes of pottery, weeded outside the stand, and started displaying her work. I never realized what a tough job it is to do this kind of work. First of all, you have to be invited to be part of a Faire, then you buy a stand, and you want a good location. They don't come cheap. You hump your stuff out every morning of the faire then hump it back in at the end of the day because despite all the peace, love, and harmony amongst the rennies, there is still thievery. All week long, while the faire is closed, you create. She throws pottery and fires all week long to get ready for the next weekend. Incredible. She kept talking about things being back at the house. I finally asked what she meant. Behind the faire is a campground/campsite for the rennies to live in while they are working. She lives in a van with a mattress in the back, tv, cook station and kiln set up outside. There are bath houses for showering, but in reality there is no time for such nonsense until the night before the faire opens.
Some of her goods, bacchanalia goblets.
We spent Friday night in the home of a friend of Robin's daughter. They were away playing Pennsic war games, of which I had never heard. We spent Saturday wandering the Faire, watching the jousting tournament, pulling our chins back up to our mouths upon some of the outfits and outrageousness we viewed in the attendees (teeth sharpened to vampire points?), and had dinner at friend's of Robin's in the area. A quick swim, a few glasses of wine, a lovely dinner and wonderful hosts.
It was a fun weekend. Another girls weekend (two in one year!). I went away with someone new, met new people, experienced new things, and definitely came away with a better appreciation of the life of an artist.