Mt. Rainier and Lenticular Clouds - Dec. 2008 copyright: JMM

August 25, 2016

Just Plain Lazy

This summer has, in a word, sucked.  And the reason it has sucked is the weather.  I do not remember a hotter, more humid year than this one.  It's been too uncomfortable to do anything.  I can't even remember the last time we had prolonged rain.  So as a result, I haven't taken any day trips.  My car is getting old and I really don't want to push my luck when it's this hot out.  I also haven't been super motivated to cook or bake so that I don't have to use the stove and oven.   That has meant a lot of take out this year.  Laundry has to be washed and dried by 9 AM, the latest.  

And the traffic.  Everyone is talking about it.  It's always heavy in the summer but this year has been the worst, with more idiots who drive like shit and don't use their turn signals.  

So in the house I sit.  Doing cross stitch and chores and watching TV.  I'm sorry I haven't been making the blog rounds.  There were quite a few real life issues that have come up the past few weeks.  I promise to visit everyone's blogs really soon!!

This one is called 'Wanda's Witchery' and it was a lot of fun!  So many pretty colours!  I bought the frame already painted and am thinking about doing a little touch up around that bottom star.



Here's a project that I stitched in tandem.  I wanted to make one for me and one for my friend Miki, but I knew I wouldn't want to start all over once I finished the first one.  It got tedious at times but it took about a week to do them both which wasn't bad, and I love how they came out.  

I dove right into this snowy owl when I finished the hippie ones.  This one had way more beaded cross stitch than the other kits.  I bought the frame already painted like that, from the 123 Stitch website.

Close up.  Hard to tell but most of the pine needles are tiny crystal and light green beads. Plus the dark blue and dark blue/grey were hard to see against the blue perforated paper.

This is my latest project.  I have 4 separate patterns for each state I've lived in and I wanted to do them on one piece of cloth.  But how to center them, since I suck at math.  Well I knew I had a 50-50 chance of messing it up and sadly, I fell into the bad 50.  I should have stitched Maine after Mass, but I did California after Mass, and it's all off center.  I have to move it way to the left, closer to the left edge of Mass.  Otherwise Washington won't fit under Maine.  And also, California is too high.  The top of the state needs to be at least 5 rows under the word 'Maine'.  That means ripping out all of CA and starting over.  I'm also making some minor changes in the pattern/stitching.   

Some moon shots, end of July.

Full moon a few days ago.



Been pawing through some shoeboxes of old pictures that I borrowed from my mom.  This is a picture of my dad (left) and Uncle Frank with their pet goat Meggy, probably taken sometime between 1927-29, in British Guiana.  It's one of only 2 pics I have of him when he was little.

This one is from my cousin Sandy's wedding in 1970 in Yonkers, NY.  It's been bittersweet to see these old pics and realize how many people have passed away.  Those are my parents, with my cousin 'Little' Anne sitting on my dad's lap, her husband Carlo behind, and Anne's sister Jeannie on the other side of my dad.  Jeannie & Little Anne were my mom's fave cousins so they always had a wonderful time together and a lot of laughs.  They'd stay at my parents' cottage on Spring Hill Beach for a couple of weeks each summer and we all looked forward to it.  Missing from the pic is Jeannie's husband, Skee, who used to tease me mercilessly when I was little.

Me, September, 1966, not sure if this is Sandy Neck or Spring Hill.  Hard to believe my hair was ever that blonde.

Looking thrilled beyond belief at Santa's Village in New Hampshire, 1973.

First or second day of 5th grade, September 1974.  That's a pencil case.

Intently tearing into a box of flashcubes, 1966'ish.  

Wearing my cousin Jeannie's sunglasses at the beach house, summer 1967

1967 in Yonkers with my Aunt Gloria.

Also in Yonkers, April 1976.  There are so many photos of me in Yonkers that it looks like I grew up there. 

I hope to be able to get out of the house more now that summer is drawing to a close.  Fall in this region is the best season anyway, so it's more conducive to day trips.

36 comments:

  1. You look adorable. It brings back my own memories scrolling through these. Ugh, yeah, I usually like warm weather. But it's been on the miserable side, and we don't get humidity like on the East Coast. Bring it on, Fall!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!!! I am sooooo over this summer. I just want it to cool down so I don't feel like a prisoner in my house.

      Delete
  2. Not much can be done about the weather. Fall is indeed the best season -- beautiful color, cooler weather and hopefully much less humidity. Enjoy the heck out of it. Soak it all in before the next season begins (notice I didn't say the name lol). You sure were a cute little kid!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope it's a mellow winter like this past year. I'm still recovering from 2013, 14 and 15.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous12:13 PM

    I could've written this post! It's been a miserable summer. Hazy, hot, and humid. Too hot to do anything. It's also been pop up thunderstorms too. And we've also had our share of family stuff so, yeah, blah. Whenever I hear "Yonkers", I think of the Lotto commercial from when I was little.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lotto commercial? I don't remember that one! lol Yonkers is just about 20 minutes north of NYC. Kind of a pit now but it wasn't too bad in the 70s.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9:53 AM

      Yeah, they used to play this Lotto commercial when I was a kid on Long Island and they had a person from each borough speak, and the guy from Yonkers had the best accent. It was so thick! And that's from someone with a Queens/Long Island accent :)

      Delete
    3. I believe that's why I never really ended up with a New England accent, because I was around my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmother. If anything I had more of a NY accent.

      Delete
  4. It's fun seeing old pix and yes it's been hot here temps up to 31 or so, but I remember the high humidity of the east coast especially in Georgia when I was growing up. AC was needed in the late summer months.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A/c is needed starting in spring for me! Mine run 24/7 for months.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous12:36 PM

    Enjoyed seeing your project. Good combination of colors. By seeing the pictures it takes to the old and sweet memories.Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Yeah these old pics are bittersweet, thinking of how many people in them are gone now.

      Delete
  6. Loved your stitch work. I can't focus well enough to do that, never could for more than a tiny picture. Great moon shots. You are so fortunate to have so many photo memories. Cute kid!
    Our temps have been average here, but like you, I am about ready for summer (ah-choo) to be over and have that first killing frost.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! So many of my memories have faded so the pictures are nice to see. When I look at some of them I can remember bits of the day they were taken. Not the really young ones but about age 3-4 on.

      Delete
  7. Those photo's are awesome, I especially love the older ones. I think you have found a great pass time with your stitching especially as the weather is so hot right now. In Australia we are just heading towards Spring, so we're pretty happy but we try not to think about what the summer will bring. I hope you get some cooler weather soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Anita! Yes I am enjoying my stitching. I made myself not get anymore kits till I made headway on what I had in my stash. And compared to some people who buy more kits than they can ever do in a lifetime, I don't feel so bad about my modest stash! lol

      Delete
  8. Hi JoJo,

    Oh yuck to hot, humid weather. We've had a fair amount of that recently in the UK. Yes, our summer arrives just about the time it ends.

    You most assuredly are a cross stitch marvel. Nice stroll down your memory lane.

    A good weekend to you, my kind friend.

    Gary :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Gary! I cannot wait for cooler fall weather! It can't come soon enough for me!

      Delete
  9. lovely post! and so fun to see the old photos!! I'm with you ... I'm ready for the cooler Fall weather. Not sure about snow, but cooler than what this summer has brought!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm in no hurry for snow either! But a few days of 60 degrees would be appreciated!

      Delete
  10. Beautiful cross stitch ... I'm crazy about cross stitch.. since my childhood I love to do that..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Krishna! I love cross stitch too. I have a ton of colouring books to work on but I just cannot put down the stitching.

      Delete
  11. I feel your frustration at the heat, it's been doing for me over here, too. But please, abandon the climate-destroying clothes drier. Mine hangs out in the garden on a washing line. If it's hot and rainy, I have rails over the radiators - works even when they're not on - or a clothes horse/drying rack. You won't regret it, you'll save money, and help the planet!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No can do on the abandoning the dryer thing. For one, my radiators are very small baseboard ones. For another, I'm in a seagull flight path outside. I don't need to be rewashing clothes covered in bird poop. I'm also not inclined to go outside to hang my stuff out, and there's no place to string a line anyway. This is rental house. I'm all about convenience. We'll have to agree to disagree on that point.

      Delete
  12. I CAN'T BELIEVE I MISSED THIS POST!!! Especially when I bitched about you NOT posting. Ugh. Where have I been?? I LOVE THESE PHOTOS! I miss those clothes and that hair and that whole easy way of life.. I really loved this post. Your needlework is so beautiful. I've missed you on here. I hope things settle down for you soon, and this weather. Ugh. I'm so sick of triple digits and temps in the 90's. And these fires.. I'm ready for fall but not ready for any bon fires. I've had my fill of all things smoky.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Karen!!! Today was 88 and humid. Pleeeeeeease make it stop! And this was the post I said I had drafted, when you bitched about my not posting. lol One of these days I'll get out and do something fun. The damn tourists make it so miserable. This is the last big weekend for them.

      Delete
  13. I can understand very well how you feel in such weather - same here, such a sticky humid air... no freshness these days.
    I hope it gets better soon at your end as well.
    I loved your Halloween cross stitch, and those Hippie girls ))) lovely work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!!! I've heard India is extremely hot and humid. I could not cope with that. One of my friends went to India years ago and I asked her if she thought I could do a trip like that and she said, 'No'. lol

      Delete
  14. You are so talented and in so many ways. Loving your needlework.

    And your pictures remind me of some of mine. I know your younger but they have the same feel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Teresa! I wish that the old pics weren't so blurry though. I don't know if it was the old cameras or 'operator error'.

      Delete
  15. Love the pics. Nice to sort when you are indoors. I hope the summer folk leave soon and you can enjoy cool life again. Hang in there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Joanne! This is the last big weekend of the year...Labor Day...but there will still be weekend traffic well into Sept. I just want it to cool down and rain.

      Delete
  16. JoJo I love your cross-stitching!
    Sorry the heat has been getting to you. It's been a hot summer in Ohio, too. But I'm not complaining. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dawn! I am not cut out for heat and humidity. California was wicked hot but at least it was dry. Today we finally have rain but it's like a tropical rainforest.

      Delete
  17. Love the Don't worry, be hippy! But your friend will love it too :)And the old photo's, just brilliant!xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Suzanne! I know she'll love it...she already saw it on FB and didn't know it was for her. She wrote, 'How did you know that I sing the song that way with a reggae accent?' and I was like, 'I made this for you'. haha She was pretty surprised.

      Delete