Communication

I received a package in the mail today from my friend I've known since high school. We talk on the phone every so often, perhaps 4 or 5 times a year, but we've always seemed to have an internal radar when it comes to sensing when it's time to get in touch with each other. And we have that uncanny way of picking up right where we left off, no matter how long of an interval it has been since our last conversation. A few weeks ago my cell phone rang and noticing the area code, I automatically thought it was a call from our grandson who would be asking for his grandpa, and handed the phone to my husband. When he answered, instead of hearing an 8 year old on the other end, a man's voice asked for me by name. When I answered, I immediately recognized the voice of my friend's brother on the other end. A bit of panic caught me for a moment, until he explained that she was in the next room and did not know he was calling. He said he wanted to tell me why he called and then he would hand the phone over to her. He told me she had arrived at his house earlier and my name had come up in their conversation and they spent a few minutes reminiscing about old times. Later, as he walked into the kitchen to make a phone call, he found a piece of cardboard and when he went to pick it up, it had my name and number on the back of it. That was the reason for his call to me he said. He took it as a sign that his sister and I were supposed to talk that night.

As usual, it was good to hear her voice and we talked for a long time. One of the things we discussed was my recent craving for chai tea that I had only recently tasted. Having worked at an Indian restaurant while she was in college, she shared the recipe with me that called for cardamon pods, of which I had never seen. We also talked of diets, sugar and her latest obsession with pistachio cakes, again something I had never seen. We also discussed books, her favorite author and communication from her younger sister and mother who both passed over within the past few years.

This special friend and I were born on the same day, exactly 9 hours apart, 9 states apart, and on the 9th day of the 9th month, in '54. We have always referred to each other as our astrological twin. Perhaps that's the reason for our special way of communication.

Anyway, I thank my lucky stars for her friendship.

Coastal Style Influences

When I came across a set of brass buttons at a flea market one day, an old sepia tone photograph of my father in his Navy uniform suddenly flashed across my mind.

Using some wool felt and a pillow form I was able to come up with this easy nautical accent.

Sometimes it takes a bit longer for inspiration to hit, such as the time our friends over in Blue Hill surprised me with a few bucketfuls of scallop shells. Although I did not immediately know what I was going to do with them, I was excited about the prospect of having such a large stash of them in my possession.

Although I still have plenty of them left, these shells were a quick way to transform my plain craft table into a one of a kind coastal accent piece.

Lately, I have noticed how living near the coast changes the way I think about design. Like these two pieces that were wheel thrown by my husband. Although this was not what he had in mind when he made them, I now refer to them as our Raku Jeanie Bottles.

Just today, I came across this free site that uses words imprinted randomly in images known as "word clouds" Just go to http://wordle.org to try it out. Here's the image that was generated for me after I typed in a few random words.

How Very Inspirational!

Sign Language

Designed to get attention, these neon colored signs herald the approach of mud season in Maine. When you hear a Mainer say "They posted the roads today." this is what is meant . . .

Around about the same time, while driving, you may notice a few places where you feel the entire road suddenly get yanked out from underneath your tires. There's an explanation for that too . . .

But one of my favorite signs was barely visible just 15 days ago . . .

My very own sign, that tells me I'm getting hungry for lobster!

A most welcome sign in Downeast Maine.

Local Color

Here are a few things I noticed during our walk today.
A bright colored mussel dragger moored in the harbor . . .




A branch laying in the snow covered with
a soft green lichen known as "reindeer moss" . . .







A frayed piece of rope tangled up in dried seaweed . . .




More weathered rope, just steps away . . .

Yet another beautiful color of moss growing in a bold pattern. . .

Color to tide me over until the arrival of Spring . . .

Blame It On Donald Trump

After watching the premier episode of The Celebrity Apprentice, where the ladies and the men were set up to duke it out over cupcakes, I drifted off to sleep early. However, I woke up the next morning with a craving that must have found its way into my subconcious, even after the foul tasting description given to the cupcakes made by the men. They had accidentally left out the sugar.

Mine, however, have plenty of sugar...

Although the ladies' chocolate cupcakes bombed, they were able to turn it around with a little creativity and a lot of chocolate ganache over the top.

I fortunately did not have heavy cream on hand to make the ganache for my cupcakes.

Anyway . . . I forgive you Donald Trump and I look forward once again to hearing you say...."You're Fired!"

Fetching Shore Finds

"You're Looking Rather Fetching Today"

I remember the father of my best friend in high school always saying this to his wife. Her amused grin told us that was exactly the look she had been going for. I had a sense that in order to look rather fetching, one must possess a somewhat captivating and charming sort of style, the likes of which could not be found at the local mall. Rather, the sort of style that more likely would be found in the most unexpected of places. Such as the place where I found my lovely sea glass pin. A sweet man in his 80's, who sells from a shop in his home over in Blue Hill, fashioned this lovely pin from an exquisite color of sea glass. Beautifully frosted and pitted from the many years only salt water and wind can bestow upon its surface, the closeup below shows it displayed in a natural setting.

Here it is pinned to my favorite winter hat.

I once made buttons out of smoothed mussel shell fragments I found on the shore, for an unexpected detail on a beach coverup I had knit in white cotton for a toddler.

The detail below shows the contrast of the weathered blue and pearl white colors of the shell remnants. I used denim colored thread to sew the buttons onto the coverup.

Here's a closeup of a pretty shell my little 9 year old neighbor Jewelia gave me.

I always wear this shell tied to a ribbon on a crocheted, bolero style vest, over a simple cotton tee.

Last summer while at Jasper Beach, I found this delicate bracelet that looked as if it had been made by a child. Two lovely shades of pink beads stretched onto a thin strand of elastic cord.

It was so unexpected to discover its delicate design fit perfectly around my adult wrist.

I simply adore all these charming little accents fetched from the shore.

Extremes

While I was over at Eagle Lake in Acadia National Park earlier this week I

took this shot

In order to compare it to the shot I took 4 1/2 months ago at this very same spot.

The next morning I made this chocolate creme pie.

Today I made these fruit smoothies to help atone for the pie.

I do not know much about planting or using garden twine.

But I figured out I could use it to knit a new door mat for mud season.

March will be coming in like a lion...here's to hoping it leaves like a lamb.