September, September

Let’s see, where did I leave off?  Oh, yeah.  I was so thrilled at how my Orange You Glad bee quilt turned out that I sent an email to the block designer to show it to her; she suggested I send it on to Quiltmaker.  So I did!  The morning we left for vacation a plain envelope arrived in the mail containing the fall issue of Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks.  Did I order this magazine?  I don't remember, but that's not conclusive!  When I finally pulled it out and read it, there was my OYG in the back!    Look Ma, v.2.0:

 

And I finally finished my One Block Wonder!  This one is called “Camping in the Back Forty” ‘cause it makes me think of a campfire in August surrounded by meadow flowers.  I know, I’m a dork.  Here's a peek:

 

Isn't it fun to chop up a whole bunch of flowers, put 'em back together and get ... flowers?  You'll get a full view later; it's reserved for Things With Wings attendees for now.

We went to Western New Hampshire this summer and rented a lovely little cottage on a lake.  It was fun to drive around the lake:  “We’re in Maine!”  “Now we’re not!”  “Back in Maine!”   Kayaking and canoeing and food and campfires and long drives, a lovely family vacation.

The cottage – loved those stairs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lake in the early morning

 

 

I also kept up the family tradition of Tyrant Mom Makes Us Hike Horrible Hills.  We went up the Frankenstein Cliffs trail, then to Arethusa Falls.  This is a trail?!?  Maybe for mountain goats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know you hardcore hikers will scoff at me – 5 miles, hah!  But this one, rated moderate, involves a serious rise:  something like 1200 feet in one mile!  There was genuine huffing and puffing.  And if I hadn’t “insulted” my arches, as my doctor put it, before then, I surely did with that walk! But the view from the top was totally worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arethusa Falls was lovely, a great end to the hike.  A little dry in August but they were still flowing:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also saw the Madison Boulder.  Get ready for some real excitement, guys:  it’s a big rock.   Yup, one of the largest erratics (a rock moved by a glacier and unceremoniously dumped) in the world!  Notice that I am sparing you the dreaded Covered Bridge Photos.  I had to go through it as a kid, so my kids do too; that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

 

Other nowhere-else-to-be-seen sights:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things With Wings starts this Sunday!  If you’re in flying distance of Windsor Locks, CT, do make an effort to come!  There will be quilts hanging in the regular hangar right near the B-29!!  We’ll have lectures, a special exhibit of WWII quilts, vendors and an origami station for the kids!  If you haven’t seen the New England Air Museum this is a great time to do so; it’s very cool on its own but add quilts and it’s insanely cool!