Randomness

Scott and I are headed out this weekend sans teenagers to climb this mountain (Kitahdin) in Maine.  OK, well maybe not the entire way to the top (which takes 10 hours roundtrip) but at least some of the way.  I am not a mountaineer but I'm going to give it my best shot.  I'm already planning where to eat afterward...is that wrong?

These are my artist trading cards that I just finished last night that I plan to pop in the mail this morning as part of Karmama's Artist Trading Card Swap...I'll be eagerly watching the mail next month to see the 35 different artist trading cards I will receive in return.

my morning glories finally decided to bloom

my fall decorating so far...lackluster to say the least ...but I'm hoping to get motivated soon..

and finally I'm including this picture of Calvin...apparently someone left their toothbrush laying around....

That all I've got...my Mom is coming to stay at our house this weekend to keep the teenagers in line...should be interesting...

Scenes from the Common Ground Fair

So we're back from a whirlwind weekend in Maine.  We managed a full day at the fair and and an overnight visit with some friends near Freeport , a trip to LL Bean, and 3 picnics (the only way to feed 3 teenagers without going bankrupt).  We crammed Scott and I, Cameron, Isaac and Emily (Cameron's lovely girlfriend) into our Toyota Matrix, a tight fit for sure.  Emily and I left the guys in the hotel room the first night and did a little shopping (so nice to have a girl around).

The weather was beautiful and the fair did not disappoint:

beautiful display at one of the farmer's market vendors

so many different pumpkins

fleece for spinning

groovy smoothie-makers

loved the name of this granola vendor (Grandy-oats), and their van

Isaac and Scott at the beautiful picnic spot

I got this paparazzi shot of the teenagers...they hate when I take their pics

I had to save the best for last...this sign is not a joke...I saw the wedding dresses...on the same floor as the guns....crazy eh?

The drive home today was long...over 5 hours...the guys spent the whole time talking about how they would both like to have motorcycles some day.....I think sometimes they are trying to see if they can drive their mother slowly insane with worry.   Emily listened to her Ipod and watched the scenery go by...why didn't I have a daughter?

Dreadlocks, Birkenstocks...and Wool Socks

We're leaving tomorrow afternoon to attend this Fair in Maine. It is awesome.  We have been going almost every year since our boys were babies.  They called it the "hippie fair" when they were young.  

It is full of exhibits and free workshops on everything from beekeeping to gardening to solar energy to building a wood-fired pizza oven (I need one of those).  There are animals, gardens, the most amazing food vendors and every bit of the food ingredients are sourced locally.  My favourite part is the farmer's market....the most beautiful flowers, honey, garlic, jam, soap etc.  I will take lots of pictures...prepare yourself.

The people watching is sublime...everything from super rich New Englanders...to hippies who live on a bus.

My favourite Common Ground Fair story was the year that Cameron was about 4 yrs old and it was really hot so we ducked into one of the display tents to get out of the sun.....we didn't know that they were showing a movie on "home birthing"...and we walked in at a very crucial moment in the movie...Cameron's eyes got huge and he said in a very loud voice "what are they doing to that lady on the movie".  We slunk out of that tent..quickly.

These people make my own family look normal...

It's back.....tonight!  I love this show so much, it is hilarious. Every week I have a new favorite character...usually it's Phil...or Manny..or Cameron.  It seems in the last few years the only thing on tv has been hospital dramas or crime dramas...and frankly I have enough drama in my life I don't want to see murder victims or emergency surgeries,  I just want to be entertained.  Modern Family is the best.

Seniors gone wild....

So if you are one of the few who haven't seen the viral video of this cute senior couple learning how to use their new webcam....enjoy...

After watching the video I've come to two conclusions; you can still be madly in love even if you are old....and apparently men never get over their boob obsession no matter how old they get.....both of which I found oddly reassuring.

Dog Psychology 101

This picture is what Calvin does when he hears someone come in to our yard.  He spends most of his days napping in the screen porch but if he hears something outside he sneaks up to the screen door and peeks out. If they don't look interesting to him he lays back down and continues to nap.  If he sees a bird at the feeder he wags his tail....he cracks me up.

Today he is off to the vet for his vaccinations and to get some medication for a pesky ear infection.  He trots right into the vet's office being friendly with everyone....I don't think he ever considers that he should be nervous, (or maybe he's not that bright after all).  The problem comes when it is time to go home...I open the hatchback door of our station wagon say "ok, ok" in an excited voice so he'll jump in......and I wait....and he stares at me...and the stand-off begins.  I've tried treats and everything....even climbing in the back of the car myself (this is embarrassing)....but he just sits there and stares at me, refusing to jump in. He weighs about 100 pounds so lifting him up isn't really an option.  So I sit on the bumper of the car with the hatchback up, and him sitting on the pavement beside me, for awhile...and eventually he gets bored and jumps in.

I'm not sure what a dog psychologist would tell me but I guess it's just one of his strange quirks, wish me luck.

Testosterone station

Did you ever wish you had a man-brain?

Last night  at 11 pm we had an impromptu visit from Cameron ....who attends university  and lives approximately a 1 hr drive from home. He started a new job from 5:45 am til 9am Mon-Fri  at a fancy hotel....and he needed his dress clothes....like his suit pants, dress shirts...and ties.  

Should I add that the job started the next morning and this was the first time he thought of this?

I started on a rant of  "why can't you be more organized ?", "did you register for all your courses?", "did you get all your student loan forms sent in?", "don't forget your orthodontist appt on Monday"....." why do you never return my texts"...."make sure you wear black socks with your suit", etc, etc.

He was practically running from the house when he left.....and I had a headache.

After he left Scott and I settled down to watch tv.....and he said "Did Cameron tell you that when he was almost home he stopped at the local gas station to fill up his car...and there was a handicapped older man (who lives in a group home in our little town) and he was starting to walk home....with his walker...and it was dark so Cameron stopped and offered him a ride, throwing the walker in the back seat?".  The old guy proceeded to tell Cameron his difficult life story...and Cameron didn't want to hurry him out of the car...so he was about an hour later than he planned getting home.

Uhm....no he didn't tell me anything....I was too busy telling him all the things he wasn't doing right....

Sometimes it sucks being the mother.

Simple Things Sunday

zinnias from the garden

 I'm participating today in Simple Things one photo from the week that made you smile.

10 on the 10th



tiny frog on my clematis blossom





old barn

  

lots of pottery ready to be shipped to fill an order



anenome

Calvin....doing his Bob Dylan impersonation

no, I don't plan on paddling...can't you see I'm busy...

more frog....

I told these birds to pose like this

busy day in the cat world

bowls, bowls, bowls

The shy farmer....

So our neighbors are away for the entire month of September and they hired Isaac to look after their animals for the month....he has to feed them twice a day...6:30 am before school and again around 5 pm.  

When Scott and I were first married we had  sheep, goats, horses and chickens...it was a lot of work but entertaining as well.  Now we are positively mainstream....one dog...and one cat, my "chores" consist of dumping some kibble in a bowl a couple of times a day...and I like it that way.  

I went with Isaac last night while he did the barn chores to get a few pictures of the animals.  "For your blog?', he asked.  "Yes", I said.  "Well don't put any pictures of me on there", he said.  "I won't", I said (not really meaning it).  I then proceeded to sneak around like the paparazzi with my zoom lens.........

oops, I guess I lied...don't tell Isaac...

The day the lady went crazy and painted all her chairs......

I like beige....and taupe....and brown.....cream is my friend....but for some reason I decided to paint each of my kitchen chairs a different color.  It started last week when I bought this farmhouse table that my brother-in-law made.  Then I looked at my kitchen chairs that were 20 years old...and a little worse for wear..and thought maybe I'd paint them for now and eventually buy new chairs to go with the new table.  When I look at the before pictures...I'm not sure.  I think my old kitchen looked restful, serene.....when I look at the after pictures, I think.....when did the circus come to town?

after

before

before

after

There she goes with that camera again....

Isaac grade 11


This morning at 7:30 am.........
Me: "Isaac, go stand in front of the hydrangea bush and let me take your picture
Isaac: "sigh....we do this EVERY year......"
Me: "uhm...that's kind of the point"

So my baby has only two more years of high school....where has the time gone?  And our oldest started his third year of university today ( I didn't drive to his apartment and lurk outside the door so I could get "first day of school" pictures of him)....see even I have my limits.