~4 feet~

(awesome shot, thanks Carrie)

We interrupt your regularly scheduled but annoyingly un-winterlike winter to bring you Florida:

Warm breezes, the sound of the surf all night, and playing in the surf. Me, playing in the ocean: a great joy of my life which I hardly ever experience, living in Maine. Spending relaxing hours at the pool, walking the beach, being with loved ones.

we made a sand mermaid with seaweed hair

Jonas reading:
Jonas reading some more:

After a full day of travel and airports and sitting, Sylvan was ready to run on our first morning there:

boy in motion

I didn't expect to like it quite so much, but the air and warmth and outside delights were so perfect. So easy. Why did I pack so many things when I mostly wore one skirt and a bathing suit? It's a little hard to get excited about going outside in the chilly, damp, brown world out there.

I love this octopus so much! A small one, maybe the size of a small dinner plate when spread out. It got shy of my low-light flash and sucked all of its limbs in and it was so fascinating to watch it roil.

So. Home now and maple sap time!

~Playing~

Wishing you a peaceful New Year.

(Someone put an ice pack on top of our new Peace Ice Cube tray and they got stuck together.)
A little peak at the lovely Rockport Harbor on a gray wintery day. Snow: Please come here now.

Lots of inside, windowsill shots because it has been cold and unappealing outside lately.

We had a small visitor who likes to snuggle with Mr. Crafty. I am learning my new camera, still feeling a little tentative. But playing and learning is good---and I have time to do it! We have also been falling down the Youtube hole, and we discovered Bobbie and Tony singing Tell Me Why. Cutest. Couple. Ever!

More sewing! Can you believe my luck? A whole stretch of days spent at home, sewing more little clutches for more friends. Can you guess who the one with the birdie head and the laundry line fabric interior is for? (ME!)

Moosehead Annual Report

~favorite shot of Moosehead 2011~

~This post's for you, Joanie. Busy hands.~

what happened to June: Part 3

mr. crafty at work again,

this time to make a hanging fairy house

And then a brief, stressful day of laundry and repacking and reorganizing (some yelling, frustration, irritation, and exhaustion too) before we were off to Monhegan Island. You'll remember it from last year.

Once there: utter bliss. Total relaxation. No meal planning to worry about. No dishes. Big questions like: Is it time for ice cream again? Hmm, which book should I read now?

Lots of hiking, reading, fishing, knitting, fairy houses, and beauty everywhere.

You know. The usual. So much gratitude for this special time outside of time.

what happened to June: Part 2

Back in the land of cool mist and fog...

the flowers were wearing a delicate mantle of dewsparkled spider webs

so we knew for sure

it was enchanted there

A vacation in two parts. First, at Fiddlehead, a little cottage designed to look like several lobster huts put together. With a secret loft room for two scrambling boys.

Reading, rocks, and beach clean-up, listening to waves break from my bed. The crescent moon over the water. Every room looks out on the ocean. Totally relaxing.

you can tell mr. crafty was here

the Beautiful was all around, pt. 2

...And also the ridiculous.

While sitting shoreside, knitting, chatting, making sure no one drowned, and sharing book titles with a dear friend, I became aware of this odd buzz/hummy sort of sound. Very rhythmic. Perhaps a boat rubbing on another something? Pretty soon, the above creature, buzz-humming through his face mask, came forth from the unbriny depths and I captured him on film. (This might possibly be the best picture of summer, but let me know if you disagree.)

We also saw these creepy crawlies as well.

above photo by Mr. CraftingMama

(this one's for you Aunt Carrrie, check that greenish one out in full-size)

Did I mention the knitting? The maker of these socks was reclined in a hammock, oh so lovely, creating these rainbow visions for her feet. She finished the first sock in about one day plus a little more---I know, crazy. And she complained about the second sock syndrome??? Go figure.

The sweater sleeve! Begun here. And then here (again). This picture is just a few inches from completion. Now it's done.

Some of us adore strategy games like this one (and for the record, my gamer says that this is the original plus TWO extension sets, Seafarers and Knights/Cities), and if you're a regular reader, you'll know I'm not one of them. The rules alone sometimes take hours to hash out, and I'm pretty ready to move on after about the first 10 minutes of this. "I'll trade you a sheep for a brick." This is the type of talk that you hear when you walk by the game table and it sounds pretty absurd: really? a whole game about sheeps and bricks???

The days begin like this. Reading on the porch in our cozy nests of hoodies and blankets, sometimes cuddling up with a friend or relation for added warmth. The Personal Librarian was remiss this year, for although she came bearing a bag of library books (13 in all), the complete TinTin collection stayed at home. (Not entirely an oversight, but let's move on). Bilious blue blistering barnacles, in the words of Captain Haddock! I promise promise to never leave Tintin and Snowy behind again!