Summer To-Do list-Revisited.

Today I am revisiting the project lists I had put together at the beginning of Summer. Wasn't that just yesterday?

So we had some bigger things in the works;

TEARDROP TRAILER-Status-So close to completion! It will have to be wrapped tightly and shipped to our new home to be finished. No prob, we are so happy to be able to bring it along. (Teardroppin' update coming soon...)

MOTORBUG-Status-Completed! Very well used and very dirty all the time. All of us ride it. Even Minna gets rides with her Dada. Even I ride the thing! I can't be sure, but whenever I am on it I seem to hear the distinct sounds of hysterical laughter above the buzz of the engine.Hmmm... maybe I am hearing things.

COMMAND CENTER-Status-Completed and well used too. I think I talked about it already and mentioned that I don't totally love it but it is super functional and doin' me just fine.

I had some smaller projects listed too, but the only one worth mentioning is my wearable skirt goal. I made not one, but two! I have worn both many a time out and about and I still really like them. Sadly, my projects in the needles department have been really lacking otherwise. Not much time at the machine the past few months-nor with needle and hoop in hand.

The museum trips didn't really happen, and the perfect lemonade will be had someday. The house hasn't been full of sand or shells, and the lighthouse at the bottom of the stairs waits for us still.

We did make a beautiful origami patchwork but one of us wishes more paper folding had occurred. At least that is an all season craft, right Sully-boy?

Not that this summer was a bust in any way though. That is an impossibility when you have these little folks around.

Besides, we have our annual house boating trip just around the corner ready to make up for any missing sand.

Did you have a full, satisfying summer?

Kodiak Move: Phase 1-COMPLETE.

So we were near the docks today shipping off our truck. She is Kodiak bound and I am faced with the reality of it all.

(Yeah, we are moving. It's real Natalie.)

Before we sent our gal on her cruise we gave her a new look.

It was unanimous in the decision to get a camper shell. Dry groceries and a warm, dry dog seemed like nice things to have in Alaska.

So, she got her sleek new (mismatched) shell and we all like it. The kids love (loved) playing in there,

and Miss Roo seems to like it best.

Bon Voyage Truck! Have a relaxing trip and don't worry, we will be reunited in a month or so.

What's happening next?

Phase 2-Ship Household Goods
Phase 3-Ship Dad and Dog
Phase 4-Ship Mama and Babes

There is a lot to do and a lot of precious cargo to get over there safely.

Oh my. It's real.

Happy Monday!

sunday

saturday-going away party kick-off...

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

(that's our yarn shop.)

Have a great weekend!

Garden O' Hope.

Well, the word "garden" is used very loosely here.

The almost-garden I speak of consists of several dried, sad potted plants that haven't been watered since I found out we are moving. The poor things look even worse after the past few freakishly hot days. Oh so sad! I didn't dare photograph them.

But there is some hope out back. Past the shriveled roses and unidentifiable clusters are three huge tomato plants that have been watered and have many nice, smooth green tomatoes too. They will turn red. They must turn red. There are even a ton of blossoms that survived the heatwave. I see some hope in those yellow blossoms and non-red tomatoes...

I had three hopeful little ones team up and gather pears. They are almost ready and we are hoping to eat some tomorrow. I see hope in those pretty pears picked with eager little fingers...

And look how pretty their harvest is! Edible or not, they sure look good.

All the while we were crunching around in a zillion little leaves. They were blown and scattered about the other night during a wind storm creating a blanket of green. They are giving us a glimpse of Fall. I see hope in those grounded leaves and in those sassy, independent stripes of hers.

There is a new season ahead.
In more ways than one.

"Embroidereading".

I read about a neat contest and I am going to enter!

I don't usually feel compelled to enter these sorts of things but for some reason I just had to do it this time. I heard of it through the So September blog. I love Corrine's work and neat patterns.

Before I even made it over to Checkout Girl to find out the official rules, I had my design in my head, words picked out and my purdy blue linen hooped up.

The idea is to embroider a poem, original or quoted, and embellish it a bit while being sure to make the words the real subject of the piece.

I decided to stitch a snippet from a song called "Far Away" by Ingrid Michaelson that kinda makes me think of our soon-to-be life on a certain chilly island. I hope song lyrics are acceptable. Hmm? Too late now. I am going with it.

To frame the words, I doodled some dotted lines like the ones found on a map key and I roughly drew in some rugged lines that I hope resemble part of Kodiak's coastline. I thought I needed some frill, so I looked up Alaska's state flower, forget-me-nots by the way, and drew a few of those on.

For being last minute, and not doing any sketches and not being a smarty about poetry or beautiful words- I really like it so far. I will show you the finished project when I am done.

Wish me luck!

Gotta get back to stitchin'...