Lately, 7.26.16

After a loooong absence, I feel a "Lately" blog post is in order. This has seriously been the busiest summer that I can remember. Like I said in my last post, though, it's a good kind of busy. I started the summer with a list and I've been steadily marking things off as I go. Lists are a very good thing, especially for people like me- an expert at  procrastinating and one who, often, seriously wonders if I have an undiagnosed case of adult ADD. If Olive could talk, I'm sure she would give my doctor some serious evidence to confirm the diagnosis, as she follows me around all day long. Needless to say, on the days I am home, she is exhausted by evening!

Lately...

Making: Not a lot of making going on, I have to admit. I finished a painted chair for my great niece and that is probably the only "creative" activity that I have finished lately. Which is really a shame, because, like I've written before, I feel like my brain is on overload with ideas for projects (still wanting to start on my "Secrets" embroidery project, new ideas for branch mobiles, itching to finish some paintings that were started several months ago and really looking forward to using my new PurlSoHo yarn). But, the trade off is knocking out a lot of home projects this summer so I can spend the next few months settling into the new school year and spending time on those projects. That trade off is worth it to me, as my home is definitely my haven and it feels good to give it the attention that it needs.

Finished chair for Baby Girl G.

Can't wait to use this!

And... I'm not gonna lie, much of my creative energy has been spent on this. Yes, that is a tattoo on my wrist. There is also one on my other wrist, but at this point, it isn't finished. Still deciding on it, which is SO hard, knowing that it will be there forever. But, I LOVE them! I'll show the full finished product/project (??)  soon :)

Drinking: Lots of decaf iced tea, and something new- iced flat whites.

Eating: The best pizza I have ever had here.

Watching: A new HBO series, originally produced by James Gandolfini, called 'The Night Of'. SO good! And the Democratic Convention- LOVED Sarah Silverman and Michelle Obama last night.

Reading: My busyness has caused me to completely fail the reading challenge I mentioned at the beginning of the summer. I'm trying to catch up, but it is not going well. I finished "The More of Less" while we were in New York, as I couldn't connect to Wifi for two days, thus I was forced to break out an actual, bound-paper book. Great book, by the way. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is the least bit interested in reducing the "stuff" in their life. There is really so much to share about it that I've decided that will be a separate post. Stay tuned!

Listening to: Coldplay and Dave Matthews Band (suggested by Little Man), lots of NPR election coverage, podcasts, a seriously inspiring interview with Xavier Le Pichon on the NPR radio show called On Being with Krista Tippett. You can check it out for yourself here.

Thinking about: Little Man, turning 21 in just a few days. Oh, my, gosh!!! I seriously cannot believe he isn't three years old anymore! How the heck did that happen??

He might just kill me for putting this on here! But, oh well. This boy makes me SO happy!

Also, thinking about and being inspired by this shop.

Laughing at: My grandkids :)

This boy wakes up actually skipping through the house. He is PURE joy!

On this day, Baby G. decided to take a little break in the laundry hamper. Goofy boy!

 And this pic, that I just stumbled upon again, of me and Peanut from a couple of years ago.

And if I could capture in a photograph the sound of my twin granddaughters trying to see how high-pitched they can make their voices, then scaring themselves in the process, I would. So funny!

 Oh, and I can't forget to mention the hilarious, oh-so-macho, NYPD Smart Cars. Hahaha!

Loving: Our time spent in New York a few weeks ago. It was short, but definitely sweet. Friday and Monday were basically just spent at the airport, so we had to make good use of our time on Saturday and Sunday. We had the best tour guide (M's daughter, who I call his 'Brooklyn Girl' :)) who led us through the streets of New York City like a true pro. A few pics of our adventures that weekend:

PurlSoHo, the yarn shop that I've been wanting to visit for years. Obviously, in the SoHo neighborhood.

Seeing a more recent work of Chuck Close, up close, was definitely a highlight at The Met.

The Chelsea neighborhood.

The Highline

From Queens to Brooklyn via the Pulaski Bridge.

West Village neighborhood (I think!) I'll have to double check with our Brooklyn Girl :)

Spreading joy: Not really spreading joy, but, rather, doing a good deed by giving a former student, who is moving into her first house, our old refrigerator. Her Facebook post asking for advice about what she may need for the house was perfect timing and I was glad to have found someone who could really use it.

With What I have: Could I use a new blender? Probably. Am I going to go out and buy one when this one, circa 1970's, that my mom used to make us endless numbers of milkshakes when we were kids and that works perfectly? Probably not. Plus, it's retro-cool, right?!

And I can't sign off without mentioning my Uncle Percy, who passed away on Sunday. He was a great man who lived a very full, long (97 1/2 years!) life, so it was time for a little rest.

Here he is, age 90, in the local paper, shown digging for an old springhouse that was on his family's Moscow Mills property when he was a kid.

And, here, celebrating his 95th birthday.

He will be greatly missed.

Until next time...  have a great week!  Juli