Back at the Lake!

Rick's at a bike race. so I spent the weekend at the lake with the Gypster. No mice. At least, none I saw!

It's a much quieter weekend than the week of the fourth -- not too many boats and most are relatively quiet. I confess, I love our sunsets.

This was a particularly beautiful one -- deep oranges and pinks in the sky.

It's the stillness of the lake I love most. Interesting, because as a kid I remember all too clearly how loud we were! We made a good deal of noise, running around the beach, splashing in the water and hopping into the boat to go skiing or bombing around any chance we had. We'd ski all day, stopping only for snacks or when we ran out of gas.

On this weekend, I have done lots of cards -- I'll share them soon (still haven't shared the others yet!). And read a book you can learn about here on Chopsticks and String. I hit town where the Alpenfest was taking place, took a quick look at the crapht show and do some photos of the rides (that's another post!) and raptly watch the Tour de France.

I love this quiet time -- it gives me a chance to regroup from rather a lot of personal and professional stress lately. I don't feel compelled to do chores, tidy up, work on the basement, do laundry. So, I relax. I truly relax. I don't do that enough.

Life is good.

Summertime - And the Living Is Easy!

So, what is summertime to me? Well, I'm back from the lake after a glorious week of perfect weather, and I have some answers!

Well, it's the lake, a crescent moon...

... a stunning sunset.

It's strawberries and shortcake.

It's ducks sunning themselves on the neighbor's dock.

This one seemed to have rather a big smile on its face!

It's beach flowers -- what is this, anyway?

And woodland flowers (OK, weeds, but they are flowers to me).

It's road trips to charming shops.

It's yard art! (Yes, to Rick this is functional yard art!)

It's tradition -- the annual July 4 Ride for Rick.

It's potato salad.

It's delicious dinners from the grill...

...and time for a glass of wine.

It's fireworks.

They were shot off right across the lake from us -- a perfect ringside seat!

It's watching swimming races across the lake on July 4. (Thank you, Zoom.)

It's having plenty of time for cat naps.

And time to meet up with a friend and former student worker who was waitressing at a wonderful northern restaurant!

Summertime means opportunities to finally getting to the art table -- I'll show you the results of that later!

I'll have more soon and be catching up with you soon, as well! Meanwhile, catch up on my take on the final work by a favorite author -- "A Big Storm Knocked it Over" by Laurie Colwin -- on Chopsticks and String.

Of Mothers, Knitting and Memories

My mom would be 93 today.

She died when she was 58. I have tons of photos from our years as a family. We always took a lot of pictures -- she and dad were amateur photographers, right down to the darkroom in the basement. But the photos I love most are those from long ago. Especially those taken during her childhood summers at the lake.

This might be my favorite -- Mom, on the left in front, with her three sisters. She's laughing so hard -- she always laughed. And I have seen myself laugh exactly the same way.

There was always a camera at the lake. Lots of kid pictures...(this is her younger sister Grace).

But when she and her best friend Fran were older, they'd dress up and take pictures of each other on the beach.

Mom and Fran would knit their clothes -- Mom made this one!

(I don't know about you, but if I had knit this dress with the angora on top, I wouldn't have posed sitting in the sand.)

Even on a picnic they wore hats. (She would have been great at the Royal Wedding!)

It was a different time -- a time when women wore skirts at the lake, for one thing.

And oh, how I wish I'd picked her brain more on all these stories while she was still here to tell them.

Soon, soon, soon it will be summer. And I know the first person I will visit -- as I do each year -- is Fran, who will tell me more stories -- and remind me of my mom. I can't wait.

NOTE: One thing my mom loved as much as I did was a good Broadway musical and while she died before Stephen Sondheim hit his stride, she was fond of shows like "Gypsy," "West Side Story," "Follies" and "Company." She would have loved "Finishing the Hat," which I'm talking about over at Chopsticks and String. Please check it out!

The Best Sunset

I'm going to miss the next couple of weeks at the lake. But I'll be having fun, as we head to Myrtle Beach for Rick's annual trade show, and then stop at his dad's for a few days in the mountains of North Carolina.

So, before I head off, I wanted to leave your with some nature porn -- Wonder how that'll search and the spam I'll get. May have to come in and edit that after this goes up!

This was our most glorious sunset of the summer so far.

I know -- the photos look pretty much the same.

But I can tell the difference.

I'm so glad our neighbor has a boat so I can shoot something other than the rowboat or the dock!

And here's his shed. I love his shed.

There is much to be said for a western exposure! I fear if we faced east, I'd never awake in time to take full advantage of this glorious color!

Boys Fish. Girls Shoot. Cats Sleep.

So what else do we do for fun at the lake?

Well, boys fish. First David...

Then Rick. Let's just say that the Otsego Lake fish population had little to fear. But then, my dad hasn't been around for a long while.

Girls shoot. (Thanks to some of you who reminded me I should consider photography of part of my "art everyday."

This is a terrible pic of my duck family, fuzzy to say the least. But I love the position!

And this is my neighbor's barn. When I was a kid (and my mom, too, for that matter), this was a stable with horses. Jim keeps "stuff" in there. He has so much stuff, he rents half my garage, too!

I can't resist wonderful beach wash-up. No, I don't take pix of the washed up fireworks!


Rick's feet. Just because.

And Mr. Gyps?

Apart from killing off two mice (good cat!), a nap is well deserved!

(New on Chopsticks and String: "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" -- Sherlock Holmes meets his match -- and she's wonderful!)