Snow Day

There's something magical about waking up to the sound of the wind gusting outside the window, hearing the pings of hail hitting the skylight, and slowly opening the bedroom curtains to expose a world turned white.  I feel like a kid again, ready to yell, "Snow Day!"

As a kid, that meant getting out our ice skates and and heading to "the Pond".  Now, although my choices are a little less physically challenging, I still love that gift of unexpected, unplanned time.

Time to  . . . 

          Work on the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.

Sew buttons on the two cardigan sweaters my friend Margaret just completed. Margaret is my knitting "mentor". In exchange for her help with my simple projects, I sew the buttons on her more complicated ones.

                    Margaret's sweaters are always colorful; just what I need to work on on this gray day.

Yesterday, Margaret showed me how to interpret the directions for this hat project which I got at Fiber College. I love the hand-dyed yarn. I promised to allow myself some time to start this project today. We'll see. Snow Days have an uncanny way of flying by!

And, every Snow Day should include some time for a good book, right? 

Here's my current stash!

In addition to everything else, DH and I spent an hour of our snow day working on travel plans. We're headed to Portugal (a magical place!) and Spain in October. I finally hit "Purchase" and booked the airline tickets today: Boston to Lisbon, Portugal and then  home to Boston from Barcelona, Spain, Can't wait!

                  And finally, this unplanned Snow Day is providing time to catch up on my little blog.

So much to do at Applegate Lane.

Happy Snow Day!

This post is linked to:

Sundays at Home Party at Little Farmstead

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #254 at Bluesky at Home

Amaze Me Monday #298 at Dwellings

485th Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Reflecting on Two Years "Away"

A lot can happen in two years. 

Here's what's been going on while I've been goofing off away from my blog.

I turned 70 . . . OMG!  The Good News:  I celebrated my birthday with my best friend (DH!) drinking champagne on a balcony overlooking the ocean in Portugal!

I taught myself to knit . . . again. My current repetoire consists of scarves and pussyhats.  I'm looking to expand my "collection" once I learn how to knit something that is not rectangular.

I lost 10 pounds . . . and gained it back over the holidays. Freestyle? I can do this!

I danced like no one was watching (thank God) in a pub in Dublin. (No, that's not DH!)

I lost my dear friend, Anita, to cancer.  When will we find a cure for womens' cancers?

I got dreadlocks. Sort of. They're clip on so I can be a part-time free spirit to balance out my latent OCD. (Did I mention that Fiber College is always a great time?)

DH got one too!

I camped. A lot.

I crossed Elton John off  my Bucket List!

In fact, I crossed Liverpool off my Bucket List too!

And I made things . . .

Tote Bags 

and aprons for friends.

Baskets for the library fundraiser.

A memory quilt, with Miss Stella from Gee's Bend.

 Altered Books.

and Sea Glass jewelry.

A busy two years.

No wonder I didn't have time to blog!

Linking to:
 Amaze Me Monday 252 at DWELLINGS - The Heart of the Home
Show & Share #393 at Coastal Charm

Summer Camp for Adults???

 

"A Fall Weekend with friends on the ocean…add fiber, color, food, gardens & beaches…What’s not to love?"    ~from the Fiber College website

Did you go to summer camp when you were a kid? Remember weaving lanyards with colored gimp?  Collecting acorns and feathers? Making baskets? Well, here's your chance to do it again...thirty, forty, or fifty (who's counting?) years later.

 

 

Welcome to Fiber College...where creative women of a certain age come to play!

Fiber College is the "utopian dream" of a wonderfully warm and creative woman named Astrig, and her husband, Steve, who own Searsport Shores Ocean Campground on Penobscot Bay in Searsport, Maine.

 

 

Aside from operating the most beautiful campground in New England, Astrig and Steve garden, raise bees and goats, weave, spin, knit, build, dig clams, teach, create, and cook up a storm.

 

                

And, best of all, they invite other creative souls to share their dream once a year at Fiber College.
 

Fiber College happens every September in Searsport, Maine the weekend after after Labor Day.

 

For 2014, the dates will be Thursday through Sunday September 4-7. You can attend for all four days or just one or two.

 

 

 There's an annual a beach-side fashion show of creations made by Fiber College participants...

                    

As well as classes on everything from bookbinding to basket making... 

 

from paper folding, button collecting, quilting, and photography, to blogging.

 

Our blogging class was co-taught by professional photographer and fiber artist, Gale Zucker (check out her blog at she shoots sheep shots) and professional writer, Beverly Army Williams, whose blog is called PoMo Golightly.

                   

 

There were classes in everything from weaving, dying, knitting and felting...

 

 

to fly-tying and wood-carving.

 Classes were offered in sewing, making penny rugs, embroidery and crochet...

  As well as demonstrations, exhibitors, music, shopping, sharing, wine, food and friends.
 

 
 

You can't help but leave inspired by the amazing women you meet at Fiber College...

 

 

Like Anita and Louise. In addition to their art, they both have great blogs of their own.

Anita's blog is called Tumbleweeds (click on link) and Louise's blog is Adventure of the Geritol Gypsy.

 

 

On their blogs, you can follow either of these amazing women on their travels around the country in their RV's and learn about their latest hobbies and creations. They also have lots more photos of Fiber College 2013 on their blogs.

                        


And did I mention the goats?

Sound like fun?  

For more information you can go to the Fiber College blog, or...

You can get on the mailing list for Fiber College 2014 by emailing relax@campocean.com .

 

 

 or follow them on Facebook here.

                      

 You can come to Fiber College for a day or stay over at the campground, a local motel (reduced prices after Labor Day!) ...

  or in one of the adorable Searsport Shores "bunkhouses", campers, or cottages.

 

 

 At Searsport Shores, even the outhouse is unique!

(Yes, there's a modern bathroom too!)

 

                  

And with a view like this...

 

 

 What's Not to Love?

 

p.s. I couldn't seem to remove this photo from the page, so, Astrig and Steve, you're on here twice and this one appears to be permanently Supersized! (Where's Gale Zucker when I need her???)