I have not felt so happy or at peace or like myself in a long time. My heart never left New England. There's no place like home!

Prom sashes

My mom teaches at the high school in town and being the amazingly talented seamstress that she is, she has always made the sashes for the Prom King and Queen and the Court. Usually they're black and white, but this year the theme was "A Festival of Colors" so she dug into her fabric stores and ran with it! Amazing, huh? Notice that the black fabric for the guys' sashes even has multicolored sparkles!
















I keep hoping that some of this creative brilliance will rub off on me. :)

Before pictures

Mom's front flower bed.
















Dad's vegetable garden.

















Progress pictures to be posted over the course of the summer!

Sunny windows

There is nothing like seeing a cat sleeping in a sunny window and I am so happy that the cats are doing just that, Monkus especially.





















































And 30 minutes later? A new sunny spot!

















Poofy and Squeezil are coming around too.

The quilt

My mom is an amazing quilter, she blows me away with her vision and talent. I have not had much color in my life so I asked her to make me a brightly colored quilt. Here are the results, it's just the top right now, we have to add the batting and the back and tie it, but isn't it just stunning?! I will treasure it forever.















Monkus loves it too.















And a closeup of some of the fabrics...8 came from a fabric store specifically for the quilt but all the rest came from fabrics she had around already. The very bright yellow that is scattered throughout and is also the triangles along the bottom edge was brought back for her from Africa by a friend.
















Next up? Curtains!

TLC

Water and sunshine! See the rainbow?

I grew up on Laurel Street and am living with my parents at least through the summer. This picture was taken a block from my parents' house at the intersection of Laurel and Church. I love all the colors in this one picture, all the shades of green and pink!
















This one is looking up Laurel Street, my parents' house is at the very far end on the left hidden by trees.
















And finally a shot of the late afternoon sky, just because.

The lilacs are blooming!














































Take a deep breath, can you smell them?

Salt hill Pub for $.25 wings and a Long Trail Ale with Grandma, Emmons and Dad.
















Dessert: The New Englander (fried dough with warm maple syrup, vanilla ice cream, candied walnuts, whipped cream and cinnamon).

















Had to cover the flowerbeds, there is the danger of a frost tonight!

Day 6

A handful of dark, black soil at last.



Front flowerbed done!



Exhausted, covered in dirt, happy.

Day 5

Fiddleheads no more.



Flowers are blooming.



Garden kitty (my parents' cat Butterscotch).

Day 4

Not so evil when viewed through the branches of a beautiful flowering tree?



I miss Target.

Day 3

The cats are digging the big sunny windows:

Poofy and Squeezil emerge from under the bed.



Monkus soaks up the sun.



A little gardening at Grandma's.



And went to the horse farm with Mom to get some manure/compost for the flowerbeds.

Day 2

Went to the family-owned local garden center Kathan's Gardens with Mom to get some annuals for her flower beds.






Dad in his Snuggie.

Day 1

Went to the family-owned local hardware store LaValley's (which has the most distinctive smell...sawdust, birdseed and pet food I think) to get paint for my room.



It's called Shortbread.