Bits and Bobs

I thought I’d share this today. Maybe someone needs to hear it because I think I’m getting bolder in my older age. 

Yesterday I visited my new gynaecologist. She went through a series of questions and then asked me to do the inevitable: undress waist down, put your feet in the stirrups, and pull a sheet over yourself. I obliged. When she returned I told her that her receptionist had twice reminded me to mask up. The doctor nodded gravely and said “we just want everyone to be safe.” When she lifted the sheet she couldn’t stop laughing. I had placed a mask over my lady bits.

😊😊😊

Home A Jig

When the kids were young and we were heading home from somewhere, hubby or I would recite the nursery rhyme : “home again, home again, jiggety jig.   

Our son shortened this to “home a jig” and it stuck. 

So, yes, from our archaeological jaunt to our Boothbay Harbour adventure, we are home a jig at last.

Boothbay Harbour town limits was unexpectedly, immensely crowded and Shore Hills rv park had mixed up our site— and was unapologetic and rude about it—and we ended up aways from the water and woods. 

But these disappointments were short lived as we sought out the area trails for hiking. 

We’d wandered a couple BRTL (Boothbay Region Land Trust) paths before but we decided to check off as many as we could in six days and it proved to be awesome!

       The walks went from wild coasts to woodlands

                            

Above is the cove on a trail that our NB friends joined us on. Midway we donned swimsuits and had a chilly but gorgeous swim here. 

And another day we got a long kayaking in and even a canoeing. The latter adventure put us with lobster buoys and curious seals.

 

A fav pizza joint and some thrift store finds topped off my trip:

Card table sized linen with partial cross stitched area

Two long curtains: one pure linen, the other gingham checked, $2 each.

A tall basket and a whack of pewter set me back just $20! 

Today is a huge laundry day and I hope to make it down the trail for blueberries for a pie. 

Glad to be home to process memories and sleep in my own bed. We realized three seasons on the mattress that came with the rv is 2.5 too many. 

Digging Maine

                               Students sifting 

The bay

 This site is where we’re digging. Beautiful, rugged, amazing.

 Do I like the digging and sifting?

 I’m in love! It’s gritty, tiring, sweaty work but hey…

Maybe I’ll even go back and get my Masters in Archeology! 

The students on the dig are young and enthusiastic and bursting with energy. 

The profs are generous with time and patience. 

                                   The dig

Archaeobotantist extraordinaire 

There’s a lot of measuring and counting and observing too. But all good in my opinion. 

       At this Neolithic spot I found an extremely old seal’s tooth—

       as well as deer teeth and fish bones. 

The biggest finds we’re two big pots!

On our first day, a team from CBC came to film and interview the students. The piece is due out Fall 2023.

    

Hubby and I. Tired but happy. 

The dorms, 20 minutes away, are clean and well made and the staff friendly. Today was the official final day of the dig. The students filled in the holes they had dug and bid farewell to the bay. Bittersweet but THEY have been here all month. 

Friday we head out to Boothbay with the rv and two 

friends who will camp beside us. It’s too soon to leave here but adventures lie ahead.

Living the dream

Mainely about Maine

Hubby and I are packing up the rv and cleaning house for the house sitter. We’re headed to Maine.

If we didn’t live in Canada I think I’d pick Maine.

We will spend one week at an archaeological dig site—- where hubby will be instructing ways to store finding data (yawn) ——and I will be digging. 

Yahoo!

I’ve always wanted to and now, at 52, I’ll be starting it.

After that we will spend some time at glorious Boothbay Harbour. 

I just love this special place. 

Then hubby will be quite out of vacation days and we will return home and welcome my folks for a stay.

During the “cold spell” I got it in my mind that I needed a Halloween rug to work on. I sketched out a headless horseman and Ichabod Crane silhouette and began hooking. I’m calling it HOLLOWEEN.

I’ve packed this for cool evenings in Maine.

I have a gorgeous wool from the Wool Studio that I had in mind for the background but it needed more of a bright glow, so I hooked a row of orange around my horse first.

The wool is Hocus Pocus.

Isn’t it great?

You can beat $24/yd folks.

Visiting my sister in Charlotte NC was lovely. We decided we’d do a book study together from a distance and this is what we chose:

Sister goes to an organized church service weekly; I’ve long been out of that scene but am still part of Church. So we are very different in the way we worship Jesus but we’re going to find out more about each other’s faith journeys. 

My little table in the shared back yard of our rental space has a happy basil, poinsettia, and pregnant onion. The ranunculus is up but no sign of a flower. Hmmm.It will be nice to have a big yard again but this little bit of green gives me smiles.

 

Vacation time to get away

After almost 3 weeks with parents and family in NC we are back home and starting to chill out.

What a superb time though! Walks, bike rides, card games, ocean and pool dips, seafood, bbq,water moccasin and alligator sitings, lake swims, and family! 

The last few days we celebrated my dad’s 80th at Montreat, a mountain retreat area not far from

Asheville. Twenty-five of us stayed rented out a small inn and had a blast. Dad and Mom even climbed the Lookout Peak with us.

I took few photos because I was so busy.

I’ve gotten a couple raffle ticket “orders”— thank you!

When we left NC it was 94 and extremely humid. When we landed it was 70!

 The cooler temps have put me in the mood to hook a Halloween rug. Maybe I’ll design one. 

Unless someone has a favourite 

pattern recommendation?

Raffle Rug Tickets

 

Here is another photo of our beautiful rug!!

US residents may purchase tickets with certain stipulations as shown below. 

This geometric rug is approx 22x33”. Local NB hookers have made it in support of Villa Madonna Retreat House. 100% of profits will go there. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5, US or Canadian. The draw is Sept 13. 

If a US resident wins the rug they are responsible for shipping, less $20 which our guild will pay. 

I can take US cheques only. We don’t have international money transfers.

If you would like tickets please email me for my physical address at     kcmrugs@gmail.com

After I receive your cheque I will photograph and email a picture of your tickets. 

Thanks!!

Smiles and Tears

 Our fundraiser rug is near completion and we’ve got tickets printed for the raffle

The border is several rows of black and one of the blue. Looks nice. 

Our evening group celebrated year’s end with a potluck. Can I say I’ve missed a good potluck? From salmon to rhubarb bars, chili and gourmet cheeses. And wines. I am a preacher’s daughter who grew up in Virginia and church potlucks were well deserving of anticipation! 

We even exchanged belated Christmas gifts. 

The woman in the last photo is out 96 year old member who had been at the church hall for six hours the same day doing  refreshment prep for a funeral! 

Does anyone else hate changes? I find them so hard, especially when I’m going through a low time. Thankfully this is not one of them. I think I keep holding my breath hoping things go back to normal but am realizing that they’ve been forever altered, no matter how much the sun shines again. All that to say that I think I’m starting to mourn losses of the last two years… people, pet, friendships… and I’m going to allow that. “A time to mourn.”