Christmas Memories

~Remembering Christmas Eves from decades ago when we would gather at Grandma and Grandpa Loveless’s home on Madison Street in Ithaca to celebrate. I think I remember carols on the television - because they lived in the city they only received one channel, 12 out of Binghamton. I don’t remember any food as this was after Dinner. I do remember their tree, one of those shiny aluminum affairs and the rotating color wheel on the floor. I remember bubble candles at some point,too. We were allowed to bring one present from home to open and there was always the money cards for each child with a crisp five dollar bill from the grandparents. ~Our tree at home was always a real cut tree, usually a scotch pine from Agway. The bottom round of lights were the large C9s, multicolored. Upper branches held the small C7s, also multicolored. The ornaments were a mix of new plastic balls and old glass from Mom’s childhood. And tinsel, the real aluminum stuff, not plastic. Dinner was usually at our house, with family joining some years. Turkey and all the trimmings. My mother was the BEST cook. ~Once David and I relocated to Maine, our Christmases were often spent with brother Paul's family in Topsham. You never knew which members of Cookie's family would show up and it was always colorful. After my neice Kattie returned home the gatherings got noisier - she makes her bossy presence known wherever! We don't participate as often - it was too noisy and too crowded because of the hoarding that has taken over their house. This year Kattie hosted at her apartment just around the corner from Paul & Cookie's - sorry to say the hoarding has moved there now. David and I used to joke when my mother was still living there that going to visit her in her room was like going to a different house - one where you could see the baseboards and you didn't need to move 18 things off the couch to sit down. It must have been torture for her to live there at times. But, hopefully that will get resolved with the ongoing mold remediation as much of that stuff cannot go back in the house. Not sure what will happen to it. I have offered to help in the coming year but we'll see if that happens.

Preparations almost finished!

The tree is decorated and so is the house. 3 of 4 cookies are finished and the last one is ready to be rolled, baked and decorated today. Gifts are all purchased and await wrapping. I need to make cranberry bread for Sunday family dinner. And Kattie requested a batch of Molasses cookies for Paul, so I'll do those tomorrow. And catch up on the lanundry, too. The cards will have to wait until next week when I will have more time. ~ As for the business, I need to finish my bookkeeping and figure my sales tax and file my return on the 31st. And I have several items to photograph and add to the website, not that anyone is buying anything from it, but it puts on a show. And then get to work on 2025 inventory. And take the new Pfaff to Tyler for service. ~ We had a heat pump installed this past Monday. Garrett's firn (Breathable Home) did the work and I was impressed with their work and work ethics. Nice guys who were professional in their manners and cleaned up scrupulously after themselves. So far it has made the living room more comfortable. I'm looking forward to the summer most, though. ~ Even though he doesn't take office for another month, Trump is creating chaos already. The House had worked out a compromise bill to extend funding the government for the next X days but President Musk torpedoed it with a single post on his bullhorn. The replacement bill stripped some necesssary funding for chidhood cancer research and other things and also did not pass. Musk of course is blaming the Democrats, most of whom did not support this mess. In actuality, many Republicans did not either and since they are the majority now, it's on them, despite the efforts to own the libs. And old Elon claims the replacement ideas were not his but Trump's. I see a crack in the armor already. Perhaps we can rid ourselves of this power-hungry ketamine-fueled demon sooner than later. We certainly don't need yet another agent of chaos in DC. ~ I attended a memorial service on Wednesday for Lil Stresser, who was one of the ladies of Ladies' Weekend fame at the Lowe's camp on East Grand Lake. A lovely, caring woman who will be missed. It was a warm ceremony with rememberances from family and a guitar solo from a grandson. Gabriella was there with a group of CODA chorus members who performed. Lil was a member of that group and also the Winthrop Handbell Ringers with Ginny Foster. It made me reflect on all the people we;ve lost this year - Ginny, Veloice Huck, the Puglieses, my brother John, Bob Bragg. Bob's service is the 29th. ~ Brenda and I checked out the monthly offerings at the Freckles Salvage Vault this past Sunday. Not impressed but perhaps it was more fully stocked on Saturday. Just seemed to be a bunch of yard sale/flea market finds. The permanenet store has more interesting offerings and I did buy 2 ornaments for the tree. But that was it. It was good to see Jeff Toothaker, former UMC treassurer out there selling his wife's books.

Exhale....

The 2024 craft show season has come to an end for LeafLady Quilts. Last weekend's UMC Holiday show also marked the end of United Maine Craftsmen as an organization. While there are still some hoops to jump through, Ts to be crossed and Is to be dotted, the public activities have ceased. So far, the comments on Facebook have been positive and understanding. A sad time but the organization could not continue with fewer than 50 members, 3 shows that did not fill and 2 others that were cancelled before the season started. I stayed in Portland Saturday night - a good decision as there was a moderate snow storm early Sunday morning. Only a couple of inches but it was enough that I would not have wanted to drive down from home. Susan and Carolyn from Forever Clean were at the same hotel so we did dinner together at Sebago Brewing. Good salad which was large enough for me to have the remainder for lunch on Sunday. The attendance was very disappointing - no where near last year's or years past. I did not meet my goal to reach the magical $3K mark this year, but so what? 2025 is another (and the last) year. So the quilted goodness has all been inventoried and repacked, stowed in the closet. The show accountrments are all tucked in their cubbies downstairs and all that remains is to deep clean the studio and get to work again. ~ I have been playing catch up since Monday: banking done, scones baked, Party Mix made, tree set up (D. procurred the tree on Sunday) and lights installed, outside lights installed just today. We took a day off yesterday to tour the Blaine House, the governor's home in Augusta. Lovely example of historic Maine architecture and fascinating furnishings. I was a tad disappointed in the holiday decor, remembering all the fuss the KV Garden Club ladies would create each year when I worked at Longfellow's, but they were appropriate for the theme of Winter Sports. - I'm having a very difficult time understanding all the support for the guy who seemingly shot another in the back at point blank range. All the evidence so far points to guilty and yet a certin element of society is painting him as some sort of folk hero for eliminating the CEO of a major insurance company. I know the US health care insurance system is not the best but good God! Someone was murdered! A planned murder. Get over it and get to a place where we can work to change the systems we don't like. And I've got news for those who think the President-elect and his richy rich pals will work for you...THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN WORKING FOR THEMSELVES! THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU!

Updates...Updates...Updates

In an attempt to maintain some semblance of sanity, I have cut out my morning 2+ hours of CNN - it helps that the Hallmark channels are running Christmas movies non-stop right now. I still get my fill of news from online sources and the hour I allow in the evening. But thares not that 2 hour slog through the latest affront from Maga World. Every one of the orange man's picks for his cabinet has some sleazy history of sexual abuse or homophobic posts or something tht should disqualify them from ever holding office, but this is a different world now. Trump has refused/neglected/whatever to sign the standard ethics paperwork and thinkis his picks sould go through without vetting of any kind. I say (and I have plenty of company!!)*******This post was interrupted by a call from one of my nephews, telling me that my brother John had passed away after weeks in the hospital. It all started with heart valve replacement surgery and went downhill from there. He had a blood clot that caused a stroke. He was moved to a Boston hospital and then developed a UTI and pheumonia. Not sure what was the tipping point but all was complicated by his exposure to Agent Orange years ago when he was in the Navy. Seems now like a very prescient move of he and Jean to return to Massochusetts where 3 of their 4 children are located. David and I are making the round trip tomorrow for the graveside service. Worst day of the year for that - day before Thanksgiving - but it is what it is. Latest show was in Topsham and a success. Huge show by today's standards. The show scene has really changed - everyone thinks they can put on a show so there are shows everywhere every weekend. The general public does not distinguish between jurried and non-juried shows and the financial and time commitment that those of us who are members of a juried group face. It was obvious to me that many people have now gone to shopping for high quality crafts online and that is so disheartening to those of us who choose to sell face to face and take the time to get to know our customers. And that is why a group like UMC could not survive. The public and a certain percentage of crafts people are so fickle that one bad show and they are out of the game and looking for the next big thing. It takes years to find your niche.

Mobile Tunes

With the new car, I did not get a CD player, something I suspect will shortly be obsolete as the whole world moves to streaming their music. But I did manage to figure out all on my own how to hook up my iPod Nano to my car's audio system and spent my morning errand drive getting reaquainted with the songs I've carefully collected over the past 15 years. Amazing to me that such a small device can hold so much information but it does. And it's wonderful to hear the likes of Steve Perry and Dan Fogelberg again. Their talents have long since vanished from the radio airwaves - perhaps they have their own streaming channels but I don't subscribe as I have already payed for their music. However, Steve does have an updated version of his Christmas collection out which includes a duet with his father. I would love to hear the story of how that all came together! I hope he shares it soon. I have resigned myself to not watching CNN or other national news in the morning to avoid seeing and hearing the future President. HIs face and voice make me sick. I have spent the past 3 days sewing and been very productive and happy. And yesterday I hit on the perfect antidote to all of the madness - After the first of the year I will explore volunteering at the First Ammendment Museum in Augusta. What better way to locally support the media who will shortly be under retribution attacks from the orange man? My own bit of resistance and persistance.

The Day After the Day After...

Not the result we anticipated...Certainly NOT! I cannot believe my fellow citizens of this DEMOCRACY voted to put in office a convicted criminal who plans to turn the presidency into a dictatorship. No more Department of Education so that the children of today become the uninformed sheep of tomorrow. Women's healthcare depending on a confirmed anti-vaxer and man! Perceived enemies and the press the victims of retribution. And so much more that does not belong in a democracy. I greive for Kamala and everyone who worked so hard on her campaign. I worry about what will become of Ukraine now that Putin's puppet and useful idiot is in charge of US aid to them. (More retribution for Zelenskyy not going along with the plan to discredit Biden.) I worry that young women will have to return to the brutal and dangerous ways to end unwanted/unviable pregnancies. Women are already suffering with the reduced access to care now that Roe is no longer in effect. I worry that women will be relegated to a diminished status, becoming accessories to their husbands. I worry that people of color and those of different religions and relationships will become second and third and fourth class citizens, hunted and attacked because they do not fit the white Christian profile so beloved by Trump and his ilk. I worry that the American oligarchs will be making all the decisions and getting all the tax breaks, the grifting will run rampant and the middle and lower classes will pay for the wretched excesses. And yet, after a day of greiving, I am resolved to spend my remaining time on earth fighting against all of the above. I will do all I can to support libraries as the centers of education and acceptance thay have always been. I will fight against book bans instigated by uninformed citizens. I will keep remiding people to do their own research and how to do that, how to evaluate sources of information. How to question what they find. Neverthless, we will persist. WE'RE NOT GOING BACK!

It's All Good Now!

New RAV is all good. I had a few moments of fighting with the cruise control on Friday heading to Portland but I've worked it out. And the unnerving propensity for it to turn itself off at every stop light has been solved. If I don't press so hard on the brake pedal it stays running. Packing it was a challenge and I admit that it was not packed the same way coming home on Sunday but it all fit so who cares? The show was what I had anticipated for a new show - lightly attended but I did not lose money, even with the overnight stay and dinner out, which was fun. Connie and I were in the same hotel as Susan and Terry from Forever Clean so we did dinner at a Mexican restaurant Susan knew of. Good food and a smaller size Margarita were just the ticket. Sunday's meeting and vote went as expected, so no more UMC after this year. Leaves me with fewer shows: KVAA, Brunswick, and whatever SSMC shows I can get into. I will not be doing their Brunswick show again - not worth it and too early in the season. Perhaps the Scarborough show? As director, Linda might be inclined to give me a spot. I might reconsider on Belfast but likely not. We'll see. No rush to create anything this week but I'd like to get at least a start on another tree skirt. I have 3 weeks after the Augusta show to fill in whatever I need. It will be a busy time and I have committed to making treats and the wreath for the Sidney Vet's Day celebration. Election in one week and it's right down to the wire. Crazy shit coming from the right - misogynistic, racist and just plan hateful. A "comic" who insulted just about everyone, a rich supporter (Elon) who slurred Harris with the "C" word, and so much more, in addition to the ever-present lies. And his crowds just eat it up. Fingers crossed it goes the sane way and we can get back to peace and quiet, if there could be those 2 things in the post-Trumpian world.

Car Woes!

In the past 3 weeks I have payed for the following things car-related: 1) Oil & filter change, plus changing the air filter and the cabin air filter. While doing all that, mechanic notice the water pump was leaking so that was replaced, along with the serpentine belt and new coolant. (Mechanic also thoroughly cleaned the engine!) 2) New tires and rear springs, because apprently one spring was broken. Wheel alignment. 3) Replacing the gas filler neck and related vent system plumbing. What I haven't payed for yet is whatever prevented it from starting this afternoon when I went to move it to load up after a show in Brunswick. Yay for AAA, who came and said they thought it was the starter. Of course, since I didn't say it needed to be towed, I had to call AAA again to request a tow. And, surprise, the same driver showed up again. Anyway, he was very kind and dropped me off at Paul's and Paul offered to drive me home, which is where I am now. I will attempt to get to the grocery store for a couple of things tomorrow with Brenda and Garrett and David (hopefully) will arrive home and we can get things back to normal. I would have prefered to have Kevin diagnose the problem but it was going to be $150 to tow it up here and free to tow it to the dealer in Topsham so it was a no brainer, although I hate paying the dealer but at least it's not CM Toyota. And Kevin is out of town this next week. UPDATE: David is home safe and sound as of noon. It HAS been the week from HELL!!!! UPDATE #2: After paying an exhorbitant ($800+) bill at the dealer and being told the car needed $1000 more work, and they couldn't get the parts until this week, I threw in the towel. My luck has turned as they has a 2019 RAV4 on the lot that was not over priced. Pretty basic model but it is transportation for the next year+. Getting my financial ducks in a row today and tomorrow so I can hopefully pick it up on Wednesday. It's roomier than the 2004 so packing will be easier. It's more comfortable to drive, and should be more reliable. And if I go to trade it after only a year I should make out okay. Many many many thanks to D. who is helping to finance this move. UPDATE #3: The new red RAV4 is now registered, insured and safely in the garage. It's taking some getting used to but so far it's all good. It was sad to leave the 2004 behind but it was (past) time. Maiden craft show trip this weekend to Portland. New puzzle as to how to pack it all in but more room.

Scary Stuff!!!

Amid all the reportage on Hurricane Milton, I got a phone call from one of David's friends who he is visiting right now on a mini RIT reunion. (This a half hour after I had talked with David.) Seems he suddenly said he didn;t feel quite right, got up to go to the bathroom and passed out for a few moments. He was a bit confused when he came too but eventually recovered, Still, his friends did the sensible things and called the EMT's, who carted him off to a Rochester hospital. Three hours later he has seen a doctor, had blood drawn, has all kinds of checks and they are keeping him for observation overnight. Seems the major issue was dehydration and low blood pressure. I hope they let him go tomorrow and that he takes it easy, maybe even stays in Rochester an extra day or 2. When he called me and talked about how pissed off he is, I reminded him that Kelly is just a phone call away. So this is why I will likely never let him travel by himself again. Meanshile, the scenes from Florida are just heartbreaking. So much water, so much wind. And all in the dark. I can only imagine the devastation that will be seen tomorrow. And most of those people hadn't even finished clearing away the debris from Helene. Friday UPDATE: After almost 24 hours under observation and a couple of tests he's out of the hospital and with his freinds (Keith and Don) at their vacation rental. No firm plans in place to get him and his car back home but Don and Mimi will likely assist and I might have to travel to NH to meet them. Will know more later today. If that happens, his return will be delayed by atleast a day. Apparently by New York law, since he blacked out he cannot legally drive. Firmer than ever in my resolve to not let him travel without me.

Tee Hee!!!

I take extremely perverse pleasure knowing that the MAGA element who lives down the side road from my house has to be exposed to my Harris/Walz yard sign every time he has to stop at the end of his road before turning onto our road. A constant reminder of his misplaced faith. (This is the fellow who for the past 4 years had a banner outside his house that read "F_ _ _ Biden" which has lately been replaced with one reading "F_ _ _ Harris".) FYI - My signs contain no such sentiments, obscene or otherwise. I also have noted the recent Trump signs that appear aimed at his base who apprently lack to critical thinking skills to decipher anything beyond one or two word messages. Example: TRUMP - LOW PRICES - HARRIS - INFLATION. Such nonsense and a lie to boot, just like most of his campaign speeches these days. Particularly evil to say the Federal Goverment has misappropriated FEMA funds to housing immigrants in the midst of the worst natural disasyer since Katrina. But it's his usual transference playbook at work, accusing the other side of what he has already done. (He witheld relief funds from NC and finally gave them a mere small percentage of what was promised (just like he did with his contractors while running his alleged real estate empire. He also withheld funds from California for wildfire relief because he believed it was a Democrat stronghold, until aides convinced him there were more registered Republicans there.) I remain committed to my party.

Three Weeks Out...

...from my next show and I have a throw top completed, the backing procured and washed and just waiting for the next quiet day (Monday) to layer and start quilting. In the meantime, I am working on some wall hangings as I recently acquired some new winter/holiday panels. I also see a couple of new pillows in my future. Other things in my world these days are dealing with the aging car. I just had my mechanic change the oil and filter and replace the engine and cabin air filters. He's reluctant to spend any time on determining what is causing the problems with the evaporative system leak so I still have the lights every few days. He also had to replace the waterpump but that was not as expensive as first thought. And I still have a tire light that must be one of the pressure sensors malfunctioning. So I have to decide if I want to spend the money to replace the tires and have an alignment. I hate shopping for the big ticket stuff but once it's done I'm usually happy with the results. So tomorrow I'll start the process after I get my flu and COVID shots. Meantime, David has exhaust system work on his schedule this Wednesday, before his trip to Rochester. (Three times in one year is a record for him, getting close to my 4 trips to Ithaca the last year of Judy's life, back when we each could make the trip in a day.) And I still need to finish my bed renovation project outside and complete the deadheading for the time being. Do it now so I don't have to do it in the spring when it's all matted down. I'm always amazed that the beds that look so barren in the winter can burst into such richness in the spring and summer. And then shrink back to nothing in the winter. The circle of life.

Take Down!!!

Two nights ago was the second Presidential debate of 2024 and the result was spectacular! Kamala dominated the orange man from the get go. She crossed the stage to introduce herself and shake his hand after he shuffled to stand at his podium, barely acknowledging her. Then she hit him with the force of a hurricane and he really didn't know what hit him. His answers devolved into his standard rants while she scored points with her plans and positivity. Afterwards, he showed up in the Spin Room to declare he had won and that the moderators (David Muir and Linsey Davis) were biased because the kept fact checking him and not her. ("Well, you see, Donnie, she wasn't lying like you were!") And he went so far as to accuse her of having the questions beforehand. (Donnie - she had all those answers ready because unlike you, she does her homework! She's prepared.") The Harris camp immediately said they want another debate but by today, Trump has said he's done with debates, an unspoken admission that he lost although he's still claiming victory. SMH!!!!! We are in the midst of the most glorious Indian Summer weather - 70's and sunny and cool nights. Not much rain. I finally got the ninebark shrub planted today after ripping out the furiously self-seeding Rudbeckia from the bed right up against the house. Only one bag of mulch left to spread after I rip out more tomorrow. Unless I decide to sew, which is a good possibility as I still need to make another couch throw for the Fall shows. I'm working my way through binding turning on the runner and placemats I completed with one table topper to finish quilting. Time to move on to that throw and some wall hangnings since I have new panels now. And I still need some more tree skirts but those can wait for a month or so. New hurricane hit Louisiana today and California is dealing with an earthquake and major wildfires. Crazy stuff. We have some haze from Canadian wildfires but it's not too bad.

On to Autumn!

September 1st - beginning of Fall. Time for mums, cornstalks, orange and brown and green. Indian corn and pumkins - NO pumkin spice for this girl, though! YUCK! Pumpkin oie? YES!! Pumkin ice cream - yes, but it's hard to find. I'm so ready for the cooler temperatures - I have outdoor gardening projects deferred since spring due to the hot and humid weather. A bed in front of the house has become overgrown with self-seeding perennials and needs to be cleared and replanted. I just found the last shrub needed and will attack it this coming week. Then it will be time to cut back dead and dying foliage and get ready for winter. About every third year I don'g get around to clearing everything and it makes for a tough slog the following spring. I'm always amazed that what is lush and full in the summer (especially this summer with all the rain!) looks so barren in the winter. The Brunswick show last month was again a success, falling just short of last year in earnings. Still, a good day and we were blessed with good weather again. Muggy morning turned to clearing skies and a nice breeze all day. And I was on the grassy mall this year which was much quieter than last year on the street. I will request the same spot next year, for sure. And I was able to just leave the car right on the street, so no running off to some far away parking spot. Loved it! The Democratic convention was gala celebration of Harris and Walz. There were seemingly too many celebs and extraneous personages. But it was all good. And got generally favorable reviews...well, from the Dems anyway! Meanwhile, TFG continues to spiral out of control. He cannot stop himself from the personal attacks that just fuel his rage over and over, and, I suspect, fuel his followers rage at the Dems. His VP pick seems like an evil person who continues to stoke the misogony that has layed just under the surface until now. He would rather women were barefoot, pregnant, at home and silent. I have to say, the two of them have met their match in Kamala. She won't put up with that at all. And Trump pissed off the veterans this past week by essentailly breaking the law at Arlington to video a campaign message. Adding insult to illegality, his team neglected to blur/remove the names on the headstones that appear in the video and photos - some of those were of service members who have committed suicide due to their injuries in service. Just in genereal, another slap in the face for the "suckers" and "losers" as he calls them. Saratoga racing is winding down - they had their first in-race fatality on Friday when The Big Torpedo was lost during the running of the Saranac. Again, a high-profile breakdown right in front of the stands. Another horse was knocked into the rail when he went down and the jockey, Javier Castellano, was sent to the hospital. All is okay but he was off his mounts yesterday. The Big Torpedo's jockey was uninjured. I was not watching at the time and glad of it.

Live Music!! For Real!!

Last evening we attended the Tom Rush concert at the Waterville Opera house - a terrific venue so close to home. I have been a Tom Rush fan for over 50 years (YIKES!!) and had seen him in several venues in my home town of Ithaca, NY - the grand opening of the Unicorn Night Club, which was on the top floor of the (at that time) TG Miller's buiding - previously the Eagles Club where I went to Christmas parties several times in my early years. I think I saw Tom there also on the second anniversary of the Unicorn and several years later at the Strand Theater just down the block from the Unicorn. And then maybe a decade ago, he did a benefit concert at the Kent's Hill School - very intimate room and fun night. All of those appeareances were solo shows and I knew from following his social media accounts that he currently does many shows with Matt Nokoa, who I was not familiar with. What a talent Matt is! Last evening Tom graciously allowed Matt several opportunities to showcase his talents and I am just in awe. Tom was his reliably entertaining self - humorous, interspective and so talented on guitar. Because he has continued to perform and record his voice has remained recognizable and steady. He played several new songs of a recently released album and some standards. Physically, he has aged - Haven't we all? - but the talent is still there and shines through. I was, however, disappointed to see the somewhat scarce turnout for this folk icon form New England - I would have expected a better showing from Central Maine. The assembled crowd was, however, enthusiastically appreciative. Anothe note about live music: I suspect because the name acts that are still touring have priced themselves out of many peoples budgets we have seen the rise of the "tribute" bands. While some are quite good, I have decided that I am not going to spend any more money on them. I am not in any way diminishing their talent or their right to make money (as long as they are paying the appropriate royalties to the appropriate people!). I just want to see the original people perform their own music. If this means I have to pass because of budget, or crowd or travel, so be it. All of that said, it was a Journey tribute band - Departure out of Georgia - that brought back to being a Steve Perry fan. So there's that...

New Ballgame!

Five days out from the histoic announcement that Biden was stepping down and it didn't take long for Trump's pledge of being kinder to fade like last week's cut flowers. He and his GOP followers still insist on mispronouncing Harris's first name, a real sign of disrespect. And he has already said he's going to get mean and has insulted her up one side and down the other. Now he insists he can back out of the agreed upon debate in September because the candidate has changed. And there are reported to be several states who are pondering legal action due to the change. All smoke and mirrors. And Trump's VP pick, JD Vance has made some truly stunning statements - the most being that the Dems are a bunch of single cat ladies who are mad at the world. And that childless people should not have an electoral voice equal to that of people with children because they do not care about the future of the country. Typical of the GOP, who do not believe in anything that could benefit mankind as a whole. That is a totally foreign concept to them. His stance on abortion is just what one would expect, including the opinion that women in states that forbid abortion should not be allowed to travel out of state to obtain one. So feaking cruel and backward. Kamala seems to have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to VP possibilities - Mark Kelly, Pete Buttigieg, Andy Beshear, Josh Shapiro, Roy Cooper to name a few. Yes, all white guys but each has a unique resume and capabilities. I do agree with one interviewee I saw yesterday who opined that there is a certain percentage of men out there who will never vote for a woman. Sad, as it's their loss. Meanwhile, Kamala has received endorsements form just aobut all the top Dems - just today the Obamas came on board. However, disappointed that Maine's Jared Golden will not budge on that point. (He who last month stated that he would not support Biden and that he'd be okay with Trump as president because the guardrails would protect us. Sigh.)

Travel Blog!

It is currently Thursday as I write this - MONDAY: We left home Monday morning, eventual destination Rochester NY. D. drove until we stopped for lunch in Haverhill, MA. (Friendly's - not as friendly as I remember it being but it's been decades...) I took over driving then which included the usual parking-lot-esque trip along 495. An hour of stop and go and 10mph and we finally hit the Mass Pike. Smooth sailing from then on until our night layover in Albany. Dinner from the 7-11 next to the hotel. tuesday: Breakfast at Uncommon Grounds (localcoffee chain - thanks to the guys at the Sartoga Special for the recommnendation years ago!) and we were on our way again, D. driving. We detoured to Broadalbin to visit D's childhood friend, Mary and her husband Gary. Had coffee and a ride around their family "compound" and then were on our way again. We stopped at the Canastota rest area and switched drivers. We could see the dark clouds gathering ahead of us to the West and by the time we hit Syracuse the heavens opened and it poured - deluged - whatever. Then the Apple Maps GPS blared a TORNADO WARNING!!!! Cars were huddling under bridges, pulled off to the side of the road - we kept going, barely able to see but just enough. Ran into an out of rain several times before we hit the clearing behind the front about 10 miles East of Rochester. Whew! Checked in and relaxed then drove to Wegman's for a dinner salad. WEDNESDAY: A down day - time to stay in one place. Lunch out at Panera, then D. went to play golf with friends while I spent some me time, watching Hallmark and sewing. (5 of 7 pieces finished so far - will save the remaining 2 for the trip home.) THURSDAY: After breakfast took off fot Rochester proper to find Abundance Food Coop where Mary and Gary's daughter works. Nice place with lots of amenities. Rode through D's old neighborhood and he contacted an old friend who will will try to see on Friday. Late afternoon we drove out to the Sea Breeze area for dinner with some friends, Anita and Ray, who live right on Lake Ontario with this view:

FRIDAY: Visited with David's ex-sister-in-law Debbie. She has a lovely small home with wonderful plantings. The hydrangeas are spectacular here! Then we drove out to Palmyra to visit parts of the Palmyra Historical Society - the print shop was of interest to both of us.

After the print shop we walked a block away to the Alling Coverlet Museum.

Then we had dinner at Knucklehead Brewing and retired for the day. SATURDAY: We hung around the hotel for the morning and part of the afternoon, then went to visit another of D's high school friends. Then we went to his nice's house and took her and her son out to dinner at Shamrock Jack's out at Sea Breeze. Afterwards, we went back to Kelly's house and swam in her pool and hung out in the hot tub. SUNDAY: Moving day! Out in the morning to visit with Robin and Greg, then to Pat's house where she fed us coffee and goodies, which sustained us on our drive to Albany. More rain but nothing like Tuesday. Lots of tree damage along the Thruway araound Canajoharie. Reached Albany, checked into the hotel and logged on to find that Biden had stepped aside in favor of Harris. Changes the entire presidential race! Looking forward to getting home tomorrow.

Sigh...

Last evening, without warning, someone decided to attempt to eliminate the threat that one of the candidates for President is peceived of posing for the democracy of the United States. Donald Trunp was not seriously wounded - a bullet grazed his outer ear - but the optics of him diving for cover and then rising and raising his fist in a show of defiance while blood trickled down his face will remain etched in the minds of all. Was his gesture of power appropriate? I do not think so and I'm certain the Secret Service people tring to protect him wish he had just quietly let himself be led offstage. But Trump is going to Trump. Now everyone from Biden to Melania are calling for a cool down in the rhetoric but I suspect it will not change anything in Trump's behavior. Biden on the other hand has already pulled his series of ads that forcefully oppose Trumpism. All this amid the whole "Dump Biden" movement that was the fallout from his one-off performance at the debate 2 weeks ago. I am of the mind to stick with what has worked for us the past 3+ years. I have for years had concerns about the change for change's sake mindset - I experienced it so often in my final years in academia. And it has bled over into politics and business and all parts of life. How often do w log on to Facebook and find everything has changed? And these changes are being driven by the younger segment of the population. CNN recently announced a restructuring and will present more of their content in viceo format. Why? I suspect it is partly driven by the fact that is is less expensive and more expedient to string together some viceo bites that to have an editor analyze a story and then write a thoughtful and coherent piece. And it's certainly less expensive (and often no expense involved) to utilize video from citizen journalists than to dispatch a camera crew. Forget adding context that the average viewer will not consider when viewing the story. (Mainstream media ditched their research departments 15+ years ago, letting reporters do their own research online. I know because I have a friend from college who was sidelined in that movement.) Where we go from here is anyone's guess. I do not know.

Belmont!

Belmont at Saratoga! Due to massive construction project at Belmont Park (total destruction and reconstruction of the grandstand and several barns) the Belmont Stakes has moved to Saratoga for this year and next. While it was uncertain how the small town a Saratoga Springs could/would handle the crowd (allegedly capped at 50,000) it seems to have worked. All the photos and live shots I saw featured packed crowds all over the place. The weather cooperated, at least for the first 3 days - today's turf races came off and the scheduled 1st - the Beverly Steinamnn Hurdle was cancelled and will be added to a Belmont at Aqueduct card later this month. There were no breakdowns and only a few weird things - Thursday saw Irad Ortiz Jr. come off his mount just behind the gate and due to landing awkwardly, he took off the rest of his mounts and went for diagnostic test, which were negative. he was back Friday and continued his winning ways. Frankie Detorri left before his final mount on Thursday, thinking his horse had been schratched. And Friday he came off just out of the gate. No injury other than maybe his pride. He did win a race so he was able to perform his flying dismount for the crowd. There were some thrilling races - Graham Motion's The Grey Wizard won a stakes race on Thursday and Thorpedo Anna won her race yesterday - minus the fore shoe she lost pretty much right out of the gate. Neither of the winers of the first two legs of the Triple Crown were any where near the front runner - Dornoch - at the finish of the Belmont. In other news, the hits keep on coming - David receieved word a week ago that his high school friend and band mate, Bob Pugliese, had passed away. And just last night was notified that Pete Huck's wife, Veloice, had passed. Pete and David worked at Duplex in Ohio, and we had visited them in Minnesota in the past. We are at that age where our contemporaries are expiring. (Late edit: Bob's wife, Patty, passed away this week. She had been battling cancer for years. Bob's service is the 23rd and D. is flying out for the weekend. Ten years ago he likely would have driven but the years and our planned trip there next month made that unpalatable.) Oh, and TFG was convicted on all 34 counts in the NY case. Has to report to a probation officer tomorrow. He's been out grifting for his campaign this wekend, making his elderly patrons stand out in the blazing Nevada sun all afternoon to hear his diatribes, lies and gobbledeegook.

First Show is Done!

Memorial Day weekend has traditionally been very low-key in my life, save for the town's parade and commemorative ceremony. This year was a bit different. I had a show! The Kennebec Valley Art Association relocated from Hallowell to the Snow Pond Center for the Arts here in Sidney and they combined to put on an Artists and Makers Market on the grounds of the center. Beautiful location and the weather was perfect! I wish we had all had the foresight to reloacte outside! For a first year show the arttendance was respectable. I have some quibbles with the way the show was organized and run but in general, it was a positive experience. I hope to partner with them in the future to tweak some things to make it even better. I had had enough of people by Monday so when the rain forced the town's gathering indoors I opted to stay home and rest in bed. A much better use of my time than standing in the back of the room and then having to help put chairs away and make nice. I understand my librarian shushing experience could have been used at times for a couple of chatty SHS members. Once I arose, I cleared the car and put things away, did my deposit and made chicken soup for dinner. Tuesday was clean and get stuff delayed done day. Today was groceries and buy flowers and herbs day. Tomorrow is gardening day. Someday I'll get back to sewing - I need runners! I didn't realize I was low and I sold 4 this weekend. So there's my emphasis for the coming weeks along with the Acadia throw. Miracle Horse Rescue lost another friend this past week. Sheila, my west coast counterpart, past away on Saturday after a brief illness, although she had been in poor health and declining mental capacity for some time. Last year I contacted Stephanie about sheila's status and she said it was not her story to tell. She passed on a message for Sheila to call me which she did some weeks later. I could tell that she was not the person I remember talking and joking with before about everything from politics to the Giants. So it was not a surprise but still a bit of a shock.

Preakness 100

Triple Crown on the line but Mystic Dan just missed. Not too upset as he was beaten by Seize the Grey, a son of Arrogate (how many great horses will we miss because of his far-too-soon death?). Trained impeccably by the super veteran D. Wayne Lukas, who turns 90 this year! Mystik Dan settled for second with Brad Cox trainee Catching Freedom third. NOTE: All 3 of these horses ran on Derby Day just 2 weeks ago - Mystik Dan and Catching Freedom in the Derby and Seize the Grey the Pat Day Mile.) Baffert's lone entry after the scratch of Muth ran next to last. Sloppy track. Undercard highlights were a series of 3rds and 4ths for Matz trainees. Tequilera led much of the Gallorette but faded to 3rd. Next show is 6 days away. I've been refreshing the scented items and slowly working on another throw. Have to stop to make more sachets this week - Lavender and Balsam. Plenty of trivets. Other than that I am set. Slowly plugging away on yardwork. I did some pruning and cleaning of the central bed last week. Still have the back herb bed to go and just waiting on the PJM to finish flowering so I can prune that and the forsythia. And the Summer Sweet. The daffodils are almost finishe blooming so I can cut them back a bit and transplant the ones that need it. And finally spread the last 4 bags of mulch. Whew. I cleaned the fridge this week - thankless job but glad it's done. Still need to do the counters and, at some point, sort through the cabinets. I'm sure there are some expired things and also some donation candidates. Ordered a new bathing suit - hope to use it in the new pool at Bren's and maybe on our trip to Rochester. Not sure what I', going to do for 5 days there but I'll hopefully have some finishing to take with me. Might be time to start on holiday stuff.

Whoa Nellie!!!!!

BIG excitement in the neighborhood this week. Wednesday morning I had just returned from grocery shopping around 9, sat down to have coffee and nosh and noticed a few State Trooper vehicles parked at the end of Sunset Ridge. As time went by, more Staties arrived, some in unmarked vehicles. I texted a friend who has access to the What's Happening in Sidney Facebook page that I resigned from during COVID after getting threatening posts. She relayed that Lyons Rd. was closed to traffic the entire length. Which was confirmed by the lack of traffic past the house. About 11:00 I noticed an officer in tactical gear walking down from his parked vehicle on Lyons west of Sunset. He was soon joined by more unmarked black vehicles and more guys gearing up, at which point all of the blue trooper cars left. Then the Mobile command center arrived along with a large black van and the armored tactical vehicle. At this point I called the town office but wasn't told very much more than I already knew - Lyons Rd. was closed, it was billed at a "fire and rescue operation" and Pike had been requested to cancel their blasting. Friend texted to say the comments on the Sidney Facebook page had been closed (I can only imagine the conspiracies that group was concocting!) Over the course of the next 7 hours, the tactical vehicle was seen moving down Susnset and approaching the second house in, then retreating and returning to the command center. At one point they installed a ram, another time they apparently installed a camera on the roof. Finally, after they had been at the house (out of our line of sight) for about an hour and a half, some of the unmarked cars returned, one exchanged places with the tactical vehicle in the driveway and the squad members could be seen disbursing to their cars and ditching the armor. They left and the blue trooper cars returned, and finally everyone left. The cause of all this was a member of the family that lives in the house who was wanted for several fairly serious crimes in Penobscot County. He broke into the house (maybe just the garage) Weds. morning at which point the family left after he made some threats. He's now in a more serious pool of trouble - and not the first time. I Googled him and he's got quite the history with the law. Which explains why the State Police were at that house 2 weeks ago on Sunday morning, along with the Fire Chief from Sidney, who apparently is the ranking law official because we don't have our own police. The past couple of nights we have been visited by the Northern Lights, although too late for this early to bed girl. The photos have been spectacular! Below is actually from Saratoga Springs.

Derby 150 +

Yesterday's Kentucky Derby was a joy to watch (stadium-style improvements to Churchill Downs aside!) as a) No horses died or were seriously injured and b) One of the "little guy" trainers acheived the Oaks/Derby double. Kenny McPeek and his filly Thorpedo Anna, colt Mystik Dan, jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. and all the owners triumphed over all the super trainers (well, all except that guy from California!). And good guy Graham Motion won a stake race on the undercard. A good day of racing.

Before the races, I joined several others for a session of Forest Bathing at the Snow Pond trails. Interesting experience, not strenuous, and very calming. I loved the sound of the water psssing through the outlet of the marshy containment, and the bird songs - small up to geese! And seeing a beaver swimming. They had been very busy felling and stripping a fairly large tree - interesting. I have committed to try to get out in my own woods on a regular basis - no need to go anywhere when I have my own woods right outside my back door. Finished with the placemats and just need to add to the website. In the middle of a small run of trivets. Then I'll refresh the scenteds and be ready for Memorial Day. Bring it on. The trial is still going on. Hard to imagine any more witnesses before the main event of Michael Cohen. No idea how it's going but I'm not hanging on every update. Too exhausting. Meanwhile the lies coming from TFG keep piling up, the projections grow increasingly transparent and ridiculous. I suspect some of the campus protesters are really plants, sent in the deflect attention from the trial and, more distressingly, to practice for a possible repeat of January 6 if Biden wins.

Come and Gone!

The storm I referenced last post indeed dropped 10+" of mashed potatoes on us. Noah (Brook's son who has plowed for us the past 2 years) termed it "Freakin' awesome" delivered with extreme sarcasm! It is mostly gone now, due to several 50+ degrees days and some rain. But the mountains made out like bandits and the skiing was superb, so I read. And people were so psyched to be able to ski during the eclipse on Monday. Here it wasn't total but the light was very different from the nightly darkening. Very strange. The traffic in the mountains and from Jackman to Showhegan was incredible apparently. Not much here but we did not venture out. Placemats are all finished - 2 sets of 4 and one of 2. The 2 set was a 4 but 2 of them had defective fabric - noticeable crookedly printed - so they are now on my table. I started another set today but just have the star blocks done. I'm figuring 3 more sets and I'll be ready for the KVAA show in a month. I received two UMC show confirmations this week - very low sign-ups for both Rock Row and Augusta so far. We'll see how it all shakes out in the end. I did not sign up for the Bangor show yet, figuring I'll keep that as a back up and use my Facebook credit for that. Another appeal and another slap down for TFG. And, speaking of criminals - OJ Simpson died yesterday. I can still remember sitting on the couch on Quaker Road watching that infamous highway chase on tv. And all the trial bullshit. He should have rotted in jail. In other depressing news, Arizona just outlawed all abortions. I lay the blame at TFG's feet - the lone accomplishment of his was packing the Supreme Court with the justices who overturned Roe. And now we have to spend time and money and emotion to undo what he has done, if we can. Around the house, we had the boiler cleaned yesterday and it's runninglike a champ now. The guy was supposed to do the carage door trim today but postponed until Monday for better weather. I'll be out doing yard work that day. It might be the year to re-mulch, but not sure. `

More Progress

Throw is all bound, just waiting for inspiration to hit to find the right title for it. Log Cabin Semi-Holiday Batik just doesn't do it justice! It will come but for now it waits. And I'm still awaiting a reply from Alliene on the picturs I sent her of her top. Meantime, I have almost completed 3 sets of placemats but dicovered this morning that the last set will be a set of 2 as one of the fabrics was mis-printed crooked and it's very noticeable. Oh well. That's life. And I just received the Kona Solids to turn the Acadia panel into a throw so I'll start on the design this wekend, between shoveling snow! We had a good 7-8" last weekend which is all gone now but we are under the gun for a bona fide Noreaster with 12+" in the forecast tonight into tomorrow. It will be a call Brook kind of storm. TFG's delay tactics are getting old at this point. And his sketchy bond was posted 3 days early with some questions we all want answered, like "Where did the money come from?" Best theory so far is from a foreign source but, of course, it's difficult to trace that because of how he covers his tracks. But totally appropriate that the bond was issued by a bank that specializes in sub-prime auto loans. The entire thing reeks! Meanwhile, he's still edging closer to violating the new and improved gag order put in plce in the NY trial. And he posted a video over the weekend he said was taken on Long Island of a pick up truck, decked in all the MAGA swag, complete with a tailgate panel depicting Biden hog-tied in the bed. There really is no bottom to him or his followers. I do not see this sort of stuff from the Dems, as they are classier than that. (Just 7 more months of this silliness, unless, of course, something miraculous happens.

Same Players, Different Game!

So the Super Tuesday results are in and in a not surprising turns of events, both Nikki Haley and Dean Phillips dropped out the following day so we are looking at a rematch of 2020. The stakes are even higher this time around as TFG has already threatened complete chaos and his GOP eneablers have already started working on the grand plan - see the roll back of Roe decision. I honestly do not know what I will do if he wins. He can't win. (Please, Judy - If you have any pull up there, don't let us suffer again!) I have finished quilting the top gifted by my cousin - here's the finished product:

As you can see, the backing I chose (it was on sale!) is the correct colors but a nice counterpoint in style to the traditional front. I also have the second throw - the one for sale - all quilted and the binding is sewn to the front ready to be hand-turned. Then I will get busy on the ever=popular placemats. LATE BREAKING NEWS!!! Once again, Trump receives preferential treatment by not having to post the full $400+ million bond - cut down to $150 Million and given an additional 10 days to shake down his friends. When will this end? I'm sick of it. If it were any other person in that position, he would be in jail by now.

Progress!

I spent an hour or more yesterday layering a throw - here is the previous description of the top - "Several years ago David spent a week or so in Wilmington, North Carolina helping the people who purchased the business he worked for here in Maine get up and running. He was looking for other things to do so I set him up with my cousin Alliene, who lives in Wilmington and he spent an afternoon/evening with she and her husband, Ben. David came home with a few presents from Alliene, one of which was a hand-pieced quilt top. She was unable to provide much as to the provenance - perhaps it was pieced by her mother (my Aunt Jane) or her grandmother (her namesake, Alliene Estabrook). We just don't know and sadly have no way to find out now. " - It is now layered and ready to be quilted and the new Pfaff is back from its check up so I'm set to go. Here are a few pictures:

The first one is the backside, showing that this clearly was handpieced. Amazing work. The fabrics appear to be mostly remnants of clothing although the red print was likely purchased just for this quilt as there is an abundance of it. The second photo shows the front and the layout of the blocks - a simple row and column. The third shows just one of several areas where the maker had to piece to make up an element. It is ready for quilting but I have other projects to do first and I need an entire day to quilt something this size. It also may be the largest piece I've ever quilted so there's that. Super Tuesday is tomorrow and includes Maine. And today it is rumored that the Supreme Court will rule on TFG"s eligibility for the primary here and in a couple of other states. I don't hold out much hope for him to be rulled off - the Supremes are a majority of GOP backers and I don't think they want to deal with the animosity a decision against him would create. They are willing to let the people decide at the ballot box. My only quibble with that is that we can safely assume that there are foreign influences at work to attempt to insure TFG is elected. I hope and pray that the American people come through again and say a resounding "NO" to the chaos and grifting. We shall see. (UPDATE: Indeed, the Supremes came back with a unanimous decision to allow him on the ballot, citing some questionable opinion that this should be a Congressional decision, not left up to the states that are running the elections. What was more inmportant than what they said was what they didn't say - that he indeed was an insurectionist. And, hello, Justice Barrett - what was that wisecrack about the other 3 women justices who explained their reservations, which none of the male justices seemed to feel they needed to do.)

Still waiting!

Still waiting for my "new" Pfaff to return from it's visit to Tyler but I've been very productive with the old standby. I still have that top to layer but it will happen. Surprise snow squall this morning yeilded over 20 "incidents" on the interstate while we were on our way to my eye appointment. People drive just too darn fast especially in bad weather. Just sitting in my living room, I see cars and trucks driving way too fast - surely over the speed limit - every day. And the ones with the loud exhaust systems are the worst. But I seldom see any police presence to deter this bad behavior and I think drivers know that police are engaged elsewhere. Politics continues and the GOP is still road blocking any progress on anything. The orange man sounds more and more delusional and I really wonder how anyone can support his bid for the White House. He has been assessed 500 million dollars in fines on 2 court cases. Narcissism reigns in his world. Last week was vacation week here and every day there was a post on the Friends of Saddleback FB page about someone's skis or equipment going missing. Some were apparently honest mistakes and made right but some I fear were blatant theft. Perfect time and place. I seldom saw or heard reports like this before. I think Saddleback's new-found popularity has attracted an unwanted element. And it's not just thefts - I see posts about other undesirable behaviors - kids forcing people to ditch out and get injured, trash under the lifts, vaping everywhere. It reminds me of the tales I heard in high school of the ski trips to Greek Peak with kids off in the woods drinking. Just unsmart behavior all around.

Hello Old Friend!

I took my new (last year) Pfaff to Tyler in Portland for its yearly check up last week and yesterday pulled out my old Pfaff to do some pieceing. It was like we were never apart. Through the years I've spent so many hours at that machine, creating I don't know how many couch throws, table runners, placemats and other things to sell and gift. Someday I really need to count them up - I'll bet I'll be surprise at the totals. So far this year, I have one couch throw top and 3 runner tops finished. Some small projects are still percolationg after clearing the ironing board and I hope to get them into production this week. I also hope to get the throw layered along with the one gifted to me by my cousin Alliene several years ago. That one will be my practice piece once I get the new Pfaff back. While we were in Portland we ran a couple of other errands, visited the Osher Map Library at USM and had lunch at the Great Lost Bear. Always good food there and a good selection of beer for David. Our meager snow pack has been further reduced by a surprise rain storm this afternoon. Temps have been trending up all week and we hit 50 today. So warm and sunny. I have noticed since COVID that brick and mortar stores have reduced their inventories and no longer include all the sizes they once carried. Case in point: I used to be able to walk into the local Agway and purchase the smaller size of dry cat food. Yesterday's emergency search yeilded only the 25 lb. size and there's no way I'm buying that as it would take Divot months and months to eat through that. And we do not have the space to store a bag that size! So it was Chewey to the rescue with their fast shipping and crisis averted. A sad moment yesterday to learn via Facebook that a horse I had been following, Vallelujah, had passed away. She was still in training at Aqueduct and apparently had a heart attack and died in her sleep. Her breeder, Carolyn, had sold a partial ownerhip share to a group of Saratoga residents who started gathering ourside the fences to watch training during COVID. Carolyn's trainer stopped to talk to them and told them they needed to buy a horse so they couold attend the races, so they did a deal. Val had varied results but her big moment came in 2022 when she won an allowance during the Saratoga meet and you would have thought she had won the Derby with the celebration. Carolyn has her little sister, Mary Union Ave., in training now and she (Mary Union Ave) ran her first race today, finishing seventh. I "met" Carolyn way back during the Alex Brown racing journey with Barbaro. She bought her first horse, Ave Ravina, and sent her to Tim Woolley to train. (Ave Ravina is the dam of both Val and Mary, along with a couple of others Carolyn has bred. She was scheduled have her last foal this year and head off to retirement someplace really noice, I'm sure.)

Moving Along...

It's Primary day in neighboring New Hampshire and the GOP race is down to 2 - TFG and Nicki Haley. IF I were a Republican, I would not have any choice and would stay home...TFG would NEVER be an option and especially now that he has shown over the past weeks that he is in severre mental decline. And, of course, I don't believe the man has any soul and he certainly does not have any ethics. And Haley? Well her stand on abortion and her vow that she would pardon TFG if elected eliminates her in my book. So far, Dixville Notch has gone all in on Haley (including former Maine resident and fellow IC alum Les Otten). Stay tuned. Another storm a week or so after Christmas created even more havoc on the Maine coast - wide-spread flooding and incredible damage all along the coast. Not so much inland but no one neede this, for sure. The aforementioned throw top has been completed. Just need to layer and quilt. And I have fabric for the second one in hand and ready to start. But I'm working on some simple runners to have on hand for quilting practice. Once all those are quilted, I'll start on some wall hangings and determine if I need more placemats (probably) and go from there. D. went to Titcomb this past Sunday for the afternoon. 4 runs and finally determined he needs to ditch his boots and just rent from now on. He thinks he can get new bindings put on his existing skis but I don't think so. We'll see. Had a few social gatherings this month - with the Longfellows crew at the Weathervane in Readfield, at Portland Pie in Waterville with the Atkins crew and at the premiere of Maine Local Market at Snow Pond this past Saturday. Interesting concept - they create locally-sourced dinners/entrees you can oder ahead and pick up. Eventually they plan to have a drop-in market somewhere on the grounds there. Worth checking out I think. I don't know if they will be providing food for events at Snow Pond or for the camp this summeer. And, speaking of Snow Pond - they are going big time this summer with an outdoor concert with Melissa Ethridge and the Indigo Girls. Pricey tix plus a parking fee put it out of my reach. Onsite and off site parking - I could see me buying off site and having to drive to Augusta to be bussed back to Sidney! It will be interesting to see how it works out. But it will work out without me. Oh, and several of the ticketed areas were labelled as "Standing Room Only" which would be a non-starter for me. And finally, racing has had it's challenges the past couple of weeks - tracks from Texas to Pennsylvania and New York have cancelled due to weather issues - cold, rain, snow, ice. Eclipse Award are Thursday and I might tune in to see if Archangelo pulls off an upset. And Baffert and his owner have finally withdrawn their appeal over Medina Spirit's DQ from the Derby in 2021, making the results final. (About time and RIP Medina Spirit)

January Blahs

Christmas has come and gone. The decorations are packed away again and the only reminder of the holiday past is the bowl of cards still on the table by the door. They will move on shortly and so will I. After another successful show season I have sewing and quilting to do. I sold 2 couch throws this year so will need to concentrate on replacing them in my inventory. I already have one planned and fabric prepared - just need to start cutting and sewing. Along with those 2 I also have another throw to layer and quilt. Several years ago David spent a week or so in Wilmington, North Carolina helping the people who purchased the business he worked for here in Maine get up and running. He was looking for other things to do so I set him up with my cousin Alliene, who lives in Wilmington and he spent an afternoon/evening with she and her husband, Ben. David came home with a few presents from Alliene, one of which was a hand-pieced quilt top. She was unable to provide much as to the provenance - perhaps it was pieced by her mother (my Aunt Jane) or her grandmother (her namesake, Alliene Estabrook). We just don't know and sadly have no way to find out now. I have the backing and batting and will add it to the mix while learning to quilt on my new machine. I'm still experimenting with tensions etc. to get the right mix, which of course changes depending on the fabrics in play. I am not going on the usual January fabric acquisition binge as usual because I need to conserve funds for show applications. Since I am no longer a Board member at UMC I no longer enjoy the perk of free spaces, although I did negotiate a deal for some credit in exchange for wrangling the Facebook page. We'll see how that works out. I thought I did a decent job this past year (certainly better than previous efforts) but I know I have more to learn. Christmas Day was quiet for us - and cold as the boiler chose to leave us without heat or hot water that day. We waited until the next day to call and Dead River was here within an hour. 3+ hours and over $1000 we were back in heat although the system needs to be cleaned and serviced as that got dropped this Fall. As I write this we are in the first hours of our first snow storm since my difficult ride home from the Holiday show over a month ago. This snow, however, is powder and so light you can blow it away. We needed this but it will be gone in another drenching rain storm on Wednesday. We had one of those a week before Christmas that sent trees crashing down and ripped shingles off in some places. There were people without power for several days and I noted yesterday when I drove home on Prescott Road that there is still a missing pole and downed wires there. We experienced fierce winds and drenching rain but kept our power.