Summertime

Nothing says Summertime like the burst of flowers and vegetables fresh from your own garden.  Today my world is in full bloom.  The Daylilies are opening, the vegetables are ripening on their vines and all is right in the world.  We have two types of tomatoes growing, plum and cherry.  I am looking forward to the fresh salads, tomato sauces and salsas towards the end of the summer.  I picked our first 4 jalapeno chilis today.  Looks like some jalapeno cheddar corn bread is heading for the oven soon.
 We have been enjoying the fresh vegetables that are available to us through our local farm, Langwater Farm Easton MA.  They put out a Harvest Box each week with a sampling of fresh picked produce of the week.  My vegetarian daughter has been loving these boxes each week and has created some interesting recipes.  We had Garlic Scape Pesto over Zucchini and Squash that were spiralized into spaghetti strings that was excellent.

Summertime has also brought about a bunch of FREE music and art festivals all around the city of Boston.  A lot of knitting has been happening but not as much drawing, Zentagling or letter writing due to some late night adventures into the city.  There have been some planned and failed and unplanned happenings that have been an inspiration and hindrance to my creative journey.

Let start by mentioning last Sunday Night.....Recovered Failure!
There is a new park in Boston called Lawn on D that I have been wanting to go to.  It sounds like a lot of fun with an outside bar and art installations.  It is a family place and a hangout at the same time.  It just opened last year and every attempt to get there has been a fail.  One day it rained, and then there was Sunday.  Last weekend there was an exhibit I wanted to see, giant  inflatable illuminated bunnies!  Five of them in total set up around the park.  They were only there for the weekend and since my husband had to work all weekend we decided to go in on Sunday night.  Since the exhibit was illuminated we decided to get the full effect you had to go after dark, so we left the house around 6:30 to take the train into Boston, have dinner in the city and then walk up to the park about 5 blocks away.  Well, we made it to the city by 7:30 and to the restaurant by 8:00.  The restaurant we chose was excellent Rosa Mexicano right across from the Seaport Trade Center.  Dinner ended at 9:30 and I looked at the exhibit schedule to find that it ended at 8:00 and the park closed at 10:00 - Ughhhh!  Why didn't I check that earlier.  So, we decided to take the HarborWalk back to South Station.  I had forgotten the Tall Ships were in town.  As we were passing the Tall Ship docked in the harbor the fireworks display started.  The night was not a total loss.  The ship was all lit up and the fireworks were spectacular.

Outdoor concerts and train rides in and out of Boston are prime time for knitting on my projects.  I always seem to have one in my purse.  This week was lots of time for that.  Wednesday was a bit of a bonus day, sun shining off and on, interrupted by showers and then sun again.  All systems were down at work so they let us go home at 12:30....this girl did not go home.  It was the first day of the Outside the Box Boston Festival.  Tonight's performance was a concert by contestants and winners of The Voice TV show.  I took the first train into Boston.  Did a little shopping in Downtown Crossing and made my way to the Boston Common where the festival was being hosted.  There were 3 stages set up in the Commons for simultaneous events to be happening.  When I made my way to the stage I needed to be at, I was about 2 hours early.  There was public seating set up so I grabbed a chair and pulled out my knitting and waited around listening so the acts that performed before the concert.  I discovered some new music and a new bank that I like.  Here is a link to a YouTube Video of

Brian Thomas/Alex Lee-Clark Big Band It kind of reminds me of the Big Band music my father listens to with a modern beat.  I really enjoyed listening to them until the concert started.


The big concert was the following night.  Our family are Gin Blossom fans and they did a free concert on the same stage the following night.  We each went to the train after work and we all arrived in time for the concert to start.  We picked up a sandwiches at the deli and had dinner in the park while listening to the Gin Blossoms perform.  It was a great show and we all had a wonderful time.  

No creative projects were finished in the course of all my train rides and concerts, but I have been making progress.  My mind has been filled with inspiration and my camera has been clicking off photos so I have not been just sitting idly by.  I'm still working on my Shawl and Socks.  Here are some in progress shots.  I'm further along than I was last week on both.  I really am loving the color modifications I made to the shawl.  The gray stripe is really popping.

My socks are really what has amazed me though.  The first one is complete and I'm on the second one.  This was my first pair of intentionally self striping socks and they actually match!  I am so excited to finish these up.  The first sock just needs the afterthought heel.  This is my first time doing that as well.  I should have a nice new pair of socks for the fall.

And now I would love to leave you with my Quote of the Week

:

Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world.   Ada Louise Huxtable