Playing hookey, again.

Have to get away from it all every now and then.  I love the studio, and I love to weave, but I need to find my center out in nature.
Besides, I've promised myself to take kayak breaks every week, all summer.

So come along.  I took a lot of pictures, but saved the best for you.

It was overcast, but the temperature was perfect.  The birds were singing.  What else could you want?

This guy was a tad disturbed, and flew away, probably to distract attention from the nest.

Did I tell you that I love the Adirondacks??

On one side of the small lake, there were some camps, mostly unoccupied.

C'mon.........really???

You better be tying your butt to those antlers, if you walk out on THAT deck.

It threatened to rain, but it turned out to be an empty threat, after all.

I love this little branch with three hummingbird feeders.   I might have to do that at the studio.
They must love these little birds at this camp......see the fourth one hanging up higher on the right?

Better than Paris.......if you ask me........the leaning tree on the lake.

And a perfect reflection.

For a perfect day.

Mr. Bullfrog concurs.

I sense his contentment.  Don't you?

I am tired, but in a good way.

Somehow, the world looks like a nicer place today.

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fabric, flowers and free motion

So this is what I've been up to this week...

Enjoying the beautiful weather and the flowers . . .

a bit of free motion quilting on my Retro Flowers quilt. . .

relishing my new fabric finds from Kansas City . . .

"Bella" ~ I was so thrilled to get this as I've been saving my "Echo" to combine the two lines in one fabulous quilt

"City Scenes" by Jane Dixon for Andover ~ this was so different than anything I've seen lately ~ and I thought it would be a good addition to my basics stash

more awesome basics from Art Gallery

and of course, you have to grab a fat quarter pack at Sample Spree ~ I grabbed 2 ~ "Marmalade" and "Sew Stitchy"

We also stopped at some great shops in Kansas City. Sarah's Fabrics in Lawrence was mind-boggling with amount of fabric!

Quilt Market was awesome. There are tons of great reports all over blogland ~ one of the best is Sara's at Sew Sweetness.

. . Cindy

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Things you'd rather not hear.

Now that's frightening, isn't it????    What could she be referring to????

Well, it's not all bad.
Lots of good stuff going on, as well as not so good.


Good????     15 new sock rugs.   Can we hear it for L?????

They are all on my WEB SITE  and there are more to come.
These are just three of them, to give you an idea.

I picked out my faves.   But honestly, it was hard, they are all so colorful.
They make great bath mats, they are thick and thirsty.

They also make great pet beds....ask Roy, if you don't believe me, or Sydney, or Jinksie, or Miss Puss, or Kizzie, if you can find him.

Good??

Getting visits from the little princess, herself.

What, Hilary????

 Not so good???

A lady in the grocery store, storming by me and other shoppers, MUTTERING, loudly, "59 cents for Campbell's Pork and Beans.......I'm NOT PAYING THAT."

Good?  
Being upright, fairly healthy, still loving what I do.

 

Not good, a lady in the liquor store, who had already checked out, who apparently wanted to stay and chat with whoever would chat with her.........holding up a bottle that she had just purchased.......

and announcing loudly, for all to hear............."yup, if I owned a wine company, that's the name I would pick, cause I LOVE FLIP FLOPS, wearing them (here she kicks up her foot), and everything to do with them, just LOVE them."
Oh, good grief.

Good???   Finding joy in the small things.   Like still being able to crawl into the loom.  You go, O.

Not so good????

Having to leave my acupuncture appointment, because I couldn't stop coughing.


Good???
MORE salad.   spinach, mesclun mix, hard boiled eggs, onion, feta cheese, tomato............yum.

Not so good????
Sneezing with a full bladder, while unloading groceries.    Need I say more????

Good????   Wild flowers blooming all over the yard.  
Planting high bush cranberry bushes, a persimmon tree, and arctic kiwis around my arbor.

See, it wasn't ALL bad.

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Start of another week.

I knew it was going to be hot today, so I got up early, and hit the road with Roy.   As soon as he hears the squeak of the coat closet door, he is READY.

I ended up walking about an hour and a half.  I kind of lost track of the time.

Not that I was really watching it.
But walking along, in the cool morning air, I let my mind wander off.

Have to shout out a thank you to Karen over at This Old House.   She suggested this Easy Walk harness, and I bought it for Roy.   It is a godsend.  Really.
He doesn't pull, he doesn't even want to walk AHEAD of me anymore.   He walks along by my side, kind of like my shadow.
Makes our walks more joyful, let me tell ya.

The view of the Civic Center and the bridge that goes from Glens Falls to South Glens Falls.

Finally got to the studio, all SIX cats were waiting on me, four inside, two outside.

I decided that I cannot afford to keep hiring people to do yard work, so I hauled the Troy Bilt weed whacker out of the shed, put my safety goggles on, and did some yard work.

Let me just say that I HATE weed whacking.  HATE IT.   

I worked up an appetite, so I had a little salad with hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, and blue cheese dressing.

It was delish.  Sometimes when you get hot working outside, there is nothing quite like an ice cold salad, and a cold drink.

I am working off this towel warp, a couple of towels at a time.  I have company, as you can see.

And more company out in the hall.

While I am walking I think of all kinds of things to blog about, but then after the day is done, and I sit here with my lap top fired up, and Roy snoring beside me, I forget them all.
Guess I should be using some special APP on my Iphone to keep me all organized.
Oh, dear.....maybe next week.

Sydney says:   Feel the air, Mom???

And the winner of the dish towel, for her clever comments under my photos, is HILARY, of The Smitten Image.  Hmm, does she want blue? or white?

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Yup, I'm here.

Yesterday was not such a good day.  The cold and  accompanying cough made me feel like my head was going to explode.  I came home, took Roy for a long walk, and slept on the couch in the middle of the day.
Horrors.
Oh, well, I feel better today, cough has calmed down.  I decided to act 'as if' I was hunky dory.  A.O.K.

So I met my daughter at the river, and we went kayaking.
It was a beautiful day, and the sun was healing.

Looking up river.

Looking down river.

The water was like glass.  Easy paddling.

These kayaks were purchased at Dick's Sports.  They were not expensive, but they were worth every penny.  We have gotten so much use out of them.

In the quiet,  we noticed that we had company.

I think he was looking for LUNCH.  It was about that time.
d

He circled, and swooped.

And got closer and closer to the water.

Somehow I managed to snap this photo at just the moment he scooped something up out of the water.

But no matter how long I stare at it, I can't quite make it out.

What's for lunch???  Can you tell??

Whatever it is, was whisked up to  a large nest in the treetops.

I got sunburned, and I am tired.  But it was so worth it.
We went about two miles down and two miles back.

When my mother heard that I had gone kayaking, she shrieked......."Oh, my God, is she crazy??  She's SICK."

No.   No, mother, I am ALIVE.

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