Wrapping Up the Year

It's that lethargic week between Christmas and New Years where time and day aren't terribly relevant, although at least some adulting was necessary.  But mostly it was a quiet week, one of eating leftovers, lounging in pajamas and watching Harry Potter movies.  I should really have started keeping track of how many times I've seen each movie.  I'm going to say at least 25 times a year, if not more.  Never gets old.  I haven't been this obsessed with a fandom since I followed the Dead around.  But I digress.

I did manage a few crafts in December, although not the volume that I'm used to making.  I bought a bunch of sparkly jewelry at The Christmas Tree Shop and made a festive frame for the pic of the kids with Santa.  Dale was not a happy camper.  This was his 3rd trip to see Santa and 3rd time he had a meltdown. 

I did a few quick cross stitch projects in Dec. as well.  A couple friends up in Maine destashed kits they got ages ago (the copyright dates were in the early and mid 1990s) so I knocked a bunch of them out.  West Quoddy Head Light is located in Lubec, Maine.

I did some small ornaments to send to Tina & Pam out in OH....and I was in such a rush to get them in the mail early that I spaced on taking pics.   But I did remember to shoot the Santa I did for Lisa and celestial I did for Annette (which wasn't a kit, but from one of my pattern books).  It kinda looks like a fancy Death Star.  I also made them cranberry bread.

This was another kit that my friends sent me so I whipped it up real quick for my friend Tracy.

The other project I did was a Witch/Yule jar.  The tutorial suggested using wintery greens, crystals, lights, etc.  It took a few days for me to decide how I wanted it to look and when I finished, realized it really isn't any different than all the other Christmas-themed altered art jars I've done in the past.  

Still, it was enjoyable to assemble.  Finally found a use for that wizard head & crystal pendant.  That's hung from under the lid. I used a pic of a vintage card that has a pink tree, and added the owl, holly leaf & berries, moonstone crystals and sparkly 'snow'.

I covered the jar lid with natural paper and glued the metal finding on it, and then glued an old crystal cluster earring to that.  That's a stretchy hair elastic around the side of the lid, and then wrapped the lights under the lid.

Hung a couple jingle bells and charms from the lights.

I was out running a bunch of errands and decided to head down to Town Neck Beach.  I thought maybe I could do a bit of beachcombing.  Nope.  The wind was so cold and I hadn't brought a hat or scarf.  Even if I had it was too windy to walk on the beach anyway.  It really bugs me that this tree is always crooked. 

Choppy out on the Bay.

Low tide too.  I was bummed that I couldn't look for glass.

Next stop was downtown at the Grist Mill and Shawme Pond

I know I've shot this picture like a hundred times but it really never gets old.

Herring run.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Late Summer/Early Fall Miscellany

This juvenile bird was clinging to a bottom branch like grim death one evening.  I got so close to take pics.  I felt bad for him cause he was there for hours and hours.  I put a plate of seeds on the ground and some water.  He was still there the next morning although something ate the seeds. We noticed later in the day he was finally gone.  I have no idea where the parents were and I really hope that they were the ones that finally came back.

This tree fungus looks like a flamenco dancer.

Hoping to beat the heat and humidity one afternoon, we headed to Town Neck Beach around 4:30 pm.  It was miserable. Even the wind was hot.  

We had a bumper crop of blackberries which I picked and cleaned.  And they were AWFUL.  Threw them all out.

No idea what these are but they're pretty.

Poke berries.

Nice walk at the Canal one day.

Liz was in town very briefly so I met her and Marsha at Shipwreck Ice Cream which is near the Sandwich Marina.  

I love this feeder.

There's a BBQ food truck there as well.

Confirmed Elvis sighting!

They have a couple of bunnehs.

And a bunch of painted turtles.

Gorgeous fall sunset after a very stormy day

The Hoxie House

Located in Sandwich, the Hoxie House is one of the oldest houses in the state.  It was built some time before 1675 but the exact year isn't known.  It's a saltbox shape, as seen on the sign.  I actually forgot to take a shot of the house.  Sheila & I went for the tour after our cemetery visits and lunch.

Rev. Smith was the first resident.  The Hoxie family didn't take possession until the 1800s.

The tour was very thorough and the items on display are real period pieces from the late 1600s and 1700s.

It was a very hard way of life, esp. for children.  This cradle is very long because they would often hold more than one baby, up to at least age 3 when they would be tethered to the wall to keep them out of the way.

Or they'd be tied to the potty chair.

Those are real delft plates from Amsterdam.  Those other plates and tankards are made from pewter which contained lead and only the men used them.  There was a lot of lead poisoning due to that.  The women ate off wood slabs and the rest of the food would be put in a wooden trough for the children to eat with their hands.

There are 2 rooms downstairs, this loft and a large room upstairs.

Shawme Pond.  The old cemetery is right across the water.

We enjoyed the tour, but our one complaint was that it was just waaayyyy too long for a two room house.  The ceilings are low so it's very 'close' in there, especially on a warm, humid day.  There is also nowhere to sit as all the sitting furniture is roped off. My foot was killing and Sheila's back was shot, and we were both getting dizzy from the heat.

The second room.

This trunk has an amazing locking system on the inside lid.

Creepy doll.

Cobbler's bench.

Stairs

Trundle bed upstairs.  The kids would be crammed onto the trundle whatever way they fit best.

An exquisite cabinet.  There was one downstairs too.

The admission is a reasonable $4 and the guides are very knowledgeable about the history of the house and it's owners.  Definitely worth a stop.