This week's Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Ways to Beat the Heat.

It's no secret that I am NOT a fan of hot, humid weather….well actually the hot part doesn't bother me, it's the humid part that makes me cringe when I see the week long weather report forecast for this week.  There's nothing we can do about it though other than to make the best of it right?  Here are a few of the things that I do to stay cool.

1.  Go to the ocean.  Not only is the water refreshing, but there is usually a sea breeze that keeps it a little bit cooler.

2.  Put up the pool.  The last 2 years we have not done this, but after this summer, no matter how much Ken grumbles, that pool is going up!

3. Early evening reading under the shady trees….before the mosquitos make their appearance.

4.  Office work in the a/c.  I get more office work done in the summer for just this reason..LOL

5. Summer sock knitting.  Courtney's been wanting a pair of socks, so this will become my beach knitting

6.  Early morning walks, before the humidity is high enough to melt a soul

7.  Move to Iceland…(it's looking more and more attractive…grin)

8.  Go for a car ride.  Ken and I do this on the weekends now and then and usually end with an ice-cream/frozen yogurt

9.  A cold shower aways makes me feel better

10..and my favorite, a Lemon Drop martini when the late afternoon heat subsides a bit and the geese are quietly honking in the pond across the road.  Very peaceful and enjoyable….here's the recipe:

Lemon Drop Martini

3 ounces citron vodka
1 ounce triple sec
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon juice
Place all ingredients in a shaker with enough ice to make it good and cold…and shake, shake, shake
…use the lemon after it's been squeezed to coat the rim, then dip in sugar. 
…and enjoy!!! (I guess I should clarify…this will serve 2)

What do you do to keep cool…I am always looking for new ideas because I am not tropical. 🙂

It's looking like this summer is going to be a very hot and humid one, which is not unusual for New England, but the continued humidity up in the Mount Washington Valley is very unusual until just the last few years, and this year it has been relentless. (anyone who still does not believe in global warming is in denial, just sayin')

Yesterday Ken and I took a trek down to Pine Point Beach in Scarborough Maine for some relief and some sun.  It's a beach that I have never been to, but my daughters have and they raved about it.  It's only a short hour and 15 minutes away which was even more attractive.  Parking is ten dollars and well worth it as they have clean bathrooms and a little snack shack.

After spending a week on the Cape last year, Ken and I decided that once the girls were finished with college, we were going to move a lot closer to the ocean…hopefully in Mashpee.  I figure if the humidity is going to be a common occurrence up here in the Mountains, then we may as well go closer to the ocean that I love, where a sea breeze frequently keeps it a bit cooler.

Of course visiting a beach would not be complete without a picture of my favorite birds.  Funny little scavengers..LOL.  We are going to make a weekly trip to the beach this summer.  Ken has become more tolerant of visiting the beach now that I bought an umbrella to give him some shade to read and do crossword puzzles.  Who knew something so small could get him to go…I should have bought one years ago!

How was your weekend?

Rain dripping from eaves
Sounds nature's poetry.
We speak and write to
Explain to ourselves.
Deng Ming~Dao

It certainly has been rainy here as of late.  Pitter patter, misty weather with frequent downpours in between the wet mists.  I don't mind the occasional rainy day because it does give me some quiet time to do some of the things that I love, but we have had so much rain that everything is starting to feel moldy, even if it really isn't.

Now that my back is feeling oh so much better I have finally been able to sit behind this lovely spinning wheel again.  It's been such a long time …. I fell in love with spinning all over again!  I'm only spinning for short periods, but I enjoy each one of those minutes.  I know what I will be doing this weekend…how about you?

One of the downsides of not getting much exercise this past winter was a little bit of a weight gain, bummer.  Not much mind you, but I am trying to tackle it before it gets away from me and in doing so, I have been searching the internet for good recipes to help keep me on track.

Now, my picture above is not the best, but I cant rave enough about how good it is!  This breakfast pizza is a crustless egg pizza.  Similar to a frittata, but not quite.  I got the recipe from Kalyns Kitchen.  My picture is not quite as appetizing as hers because I broiled it a tetch too long, but still it was amazingly good.  Who knew turkey pepperoni could taste so good?

If you are looking for a very filling and satisfying breakfast that only takes a few minutes to toss together, this one fits the bil.  Yum!

….or should I say, someone new is soon to arrive!

Little Finnley Allen Spalding is due to make his arrival early this coming December.

Last April I had an early morning dream.  In my dream, my son Miles, his wife Jen and her son Jax were all in it and they were all so happy.  No particular reason, just all so happy.  Now, it was strange to have all 3 of them in my dream, but even stranger that I would remember this dream.  When I poured my coffee at breakfast, I looked at Ken and said, "I think Jen is pregnant." Ken just laughed at me.

 Later in the day however I texted Miles, asking him about my hunch.  He called me later that day with a little chit chat and then said.  "Mom, you know that question you asked?"  HOW THE HECK DID YOU KNOW?????

LOL…they don't call it mother's intuition for nothing. 😉

We are all excited for the arrival of another little boy into our family!!

It's been a little while since I did Ten on Tuesday, but I really like this week's topic…10 Favorite Things To Do When You’re Alone.

I don't get much time alone where I am not working, but I have to say that I really enjoy those stolen moments when it happens and this is what I love to do best.

1.  Sew.  Years ago when I was first married, sewing was the mother of necessity.  I stitched curtains and sewed for the kids and when I didn't have to do that any longer, the sewing machine was put away for many years, until the last few years.  Now that I don't have to sew, I enjoy it even more.

2.  Knit.  My love of knitting is what brought me to my current career and how I met so many of my dearest friends today.

3. Walking and listening to tunes.  It's been a little while since I have been able to walk as much as I would like to, but when I am able there is nothing that I enjoy more than the sun shining on my head and energizing tunes singing in my ears.

4. Blog reading.  I don't get to do this very much either, but when I have a few extra minutes alone, I love reading different craft and food blogs getting new ideas and recipes.

5.  Sitting out in the yard watching the birds after dinner with a glass of wine and a book or knitting.  I love my little bird friends.

6.  Visiting fabric stores.  I always come home inspired…maybe a little too inspired judging by my fabric stash.

7.  Sitting on the beach with a good book.  I don't get to do this very often any longer as going to the beach is not nearly as easy, but I am looking forward to when I live closer again.

8.  Watching endless house hunters/international house hunters even if they are re-runs.

9. Organize and sort with no interruptions and no one checking out what I am tossing away.  It's no fun otherwise. 😉

10. Staying up ultra late and waking up to quietness.  I wouldn't like that all the time, but every now and then it feels a little decadent.

…as much as I enjoy stolen moments alone, I can honestly say I don't love being home alone at dinner time, that is when I miss my family most.  How about you, what do you like to do when you have a little alone time?

   
As I have mentioned in the last few posts, May and June have been a whirlwind of activities with Hannah's prom and graduation, the birth of a new grandson and the announcement of another one on the way.  We also helped Miles and his wife move into and paint their very first purchased home and in between there were birthday celebrations along with Mother's Day and Father's day, various knitting projects and a new puppy.  I kept thinking I could do a big photo blog post and then go from there but finally gave up on that idea, so….I will start with today, Independence Day and a beautiful red sock to accompany the weekend.

Anne Podlesak, who is not only my friend, but a very talented designer, has been working on an e-book of amazing patterns.  Tomorrow she will be releasing the first pattern from the book, Icarus.  There is also going to be a KAL on Ravelry, so you might want to check it out.  The yarn that she used for this pattern is a new base for me, Sumptuous Sock Yarn (a MCN blend) and the color is a new one I created for this sock.  Anne chose the name, Girl On Fire, and I loved it!  Anyone who purchase the pattern will be given a credit for the pattern if they choose to purchase the e-book when it is completed.

Also to celebrate not only the holiday, but the completion of my colorway page (by tomorrow), I am going to have an Independence Day weekend Sale.  The sale will run from noon (est) tomorrow until noon (est) Sunday and will include 10% off of all items and free shipping on total sales over $200.00.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Dad

WOW….May just flew by and here it is the 11th of June already!  I was going to do a round up post of the happenings in May, but I think I will just wait and do it at the end of June because June is going to be as busy as May.

One thing I did manage to do was to finish my Bluebelle sweater.  I was frantically trying to get it finished to display at Squam Art Fair and I almost made it.  I did however find some perfect buttons made by Melissa Jean.  I love both of these buttons, but I am leaning more towards the one on the left.  What do you think?

Pattern:  Fellows Cloche by Amy Herzog
Yarn:  Woolen Rabbit WW Kashmir
Colorway:  Clara Bow (October 2013 Yarn Club Colorway)
Needles:  US size 6

This pattern designed by the very talented Amy Herzog was part of the 2012 Yarn Club line up.  The theme as you know was the Roaring 20's and Amy had told me she wanted to design a Cloche.  Perfect I thought…I love hats!

The design while simple is full of texture.  The brim is knit in a linen stitch with a series of short rows to create a brim that was typical of that era.  The yarn base that she chose, WW Kashmir was perfect for this hat.  It's very soft, but not so soft that it would lose it's shape.

In particular I love the back of this sweet hat.  So VERY 20's.  I could see
Daisy Buchanan wearing a hat like this, couldn't you?  Speaking of which, I can't wait to see the new Great Gatsby movie!

The yarn colorway is called Clara Bow, who was well known in her day for sporting a lovely cloche atop her head.  It was a fun mailing and an even funner knit!

Have a peaceful weekend!!