I am the Middle Sister

My week in reverse....only because I must share this with you.

I found my new favorite wine label.  I know you all do it, go to the liquor store to find a bottle of wine, go to the section with the kind of wines you love, and there you are staring at a plethora of bottles from different areas and regions.  How does one choose?  Maybe you are quite the wine expert and look for ingredients, year of vintage, alcohol content, or maybe you look at the price, not too high or not too low.  Or maybe you are like me.....ummmm.....which one has the prettiest, funkiest, artistic label that I want to bring home.  Last night we found ourselves in the Fenway area of Boston (not by accident, it was planned) and I took my husband to the new City Target and low and behold, they have a wine and spirits department.  Target and Alcohol, life doesn't get any better than that!  Now you really can get everything you need, and really don't need but its there, all in one place.
While perusing the aisle my husband came over with a bottle of wine we have never seen.  Middle Sister Wine.  I have never had it, nor did we buy any because we had to carry it on the train, but the labels are perfect.

City Target, although probably the best Target store I have every been in, was not the reason for the trip to Boston, though I have been known to do things like that.The purpose of last night's outing was to spend a wonderful night in the Fenway district of Boston as part of Art Hub Boston 2015.

 The Green Monster, the big outfield wall at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, was transformed into a big percussion instrument.  Landsdowne Street was a light/sound show street fair.There was lots to see and do, but honestly, the lines were long for some of the exhibits, so we just walked along and took in what was happening in the open.  As you walked down Landsdowne Street you were walking behind the Green Monster.  People were up on the metal girders with big drum sticks, striking the steel beams to a beat and tune.  Lights were flashing music playing, colors and sound all came together in this brilliant display.  There was excitement and fun as people just walked around not knowing what to look at.  I am still in great awe of such creative thinkers, to transform a giant building into a drum set, essentially. The front of a Souvenir shop was made to look like a Circus Tent.  Dinner was at Boston Beer Works where of course I had to order the Pumpkin Works Beer.  Boston, thank  you for another night of free entertainment.  I may be a little biased as I do live here but honestly,  you are the best city.


I started this blog again to be able to share my creative side with all of you.  I do feel getting out into the world is a form of opening yourself up to inspiration from all around you, but guess what, I am still making things, cooking, reading and all the things I love to do which was the reason for the blog.
So what have I been up to with the rest of my life?
I am loving my homemade Fauxdori planner.  I made my October insert and spent some time decorating the pages.  Here are some of the planner spreads:

This is my Month on Two Pages:  October is in full swing.  I really like my monthly decorations.  My first week is completed.  Some writing and a few doodles, stickers and washi tape.  

 I read a great book last week and if you have pre-teen or teenagers I would highly recommend it to them as well.  It was a Young Adult book that I found while looking for audiobooks from the library downloads.  I listened to the first half last weekend and finished it at work on Monday.
You can read about it more on Amazon here:  LINK

.I am still knitting along.  I've got 4 active WIPs not to mention the many more all around the house in various stages.  I finally put in the rip cord in the second sock for the first pair of Afterthought socks I am doing.  My goal is to have them done and ready to display on next weeks post.

Until then:  The quote of the week (stolen from a wine bottle label)

True wisdom is knowing when to give up and have a glass of wine.

Well Hello Again!

My theory was right......once you stop it is hard to get started again.  Sorry for the absence but WHEW....what a month September was and now life is returning to normal.  Nothing bad happened, just time flew away from me and now I have caught up.  I am back in the present and ready to return to routine, which includes blogging on Sunday Mornings.

So here is my September wrap up in a nutshell:

My daughter left for Mexico, and I think that was the last blog post, Labor Day weekend.
***I hate having her so far away but she is have some great experiences and I am so happy for her***

We had a wedding to attend for the son of close friends of ours.

We celebrated the Jewsih New Year followed by Yom Kippur
***I want to wish all of my Jewish Friends who read this a happy and healthy NEW YEAR!***

If you are a member of Ravelry, and a knitter and have not heard....The DownCellar Studio Podcast Pigskin Party Kicked off.  More on that below.  I am the co-moderator for the party and there is lots going on.

Attended Sukkot holiday parties and dinners, although due to weather - most were rained out.

Now - Welcome to October!  My favorite month and my birthday month!
Fall is in full swing.  I am just waiting now for the full foliage to hit.  We finally go the rain needed to ensure that the leaves show their full glory.

Life Notes:
My youngest turned 21 this past week. It is really official, I no longer have children living in this house.  Over the past 25 1/2 years I planted, nurtured, tended to, cared for, and cultivated these two humans.  They have grown and matured into fine adults.  They are free thinkers, independent, hard workers, and life loving adults.  I can now sit back and reap the harvest of my hard work.  I am still the mother, but my role has changed.  They are self sufficient adults and I am so proud of them. I have moved from teacher to adviser / consultant.

With everything going on, I am still out and about and having fun.  Last weekend was a bit of a crazy one.

 Running to the Big E out in Springfield on Saturday night, followed by a sightseeing cruise around Salem Sound on Sunday morning left me feeling quite tired all week, but well worth it.
So to give you some idea, Saturday we hopped in the car for an hour and a half ride out to Springfield MA for the New England State Exposition.  The group Kansas was performing.  (Video below not from the Big E but snagged off You Tube)

The concert was held in an outdoor arena so we could hear them all over the park.  We walked around and listed to the songs that brought back so many teenage memories.  It is amazing what power music and lyrics have on triggering memories and feeling from way back!  Listening to Kansas and the songs I used to love made my heart sing.
Since we were at the fair, I could not skip my Maine baked potato.  I think this is the longest line at the fair every year.  Those potatoes are always the best.  I think we waited 45 minutes to get one.  
The park closed at 10:00pm and everyone filtered out to the parking lot.  Now you would think after many years of holding this event they would have worked out an exit system for all the cars parked on their lot....NO!  We did not leave the parking lot until 11:30pm and we still had an hour and a half ride home.  I haven't pulled a night like that in a long time.

That did not stop me though...the next day we were out of the house by 8:30am to catch the Sea Shuttle that took off from Salem Sound for an 1 3/4 hour tour of the North Shore by boat.  We had a fabulous tour guide Captain John, who is very knowledgeable about the history of the North Shore area.  The weather was perfect and he was very informative.  It was a beautiful morning followed by a fantastic lunch on the outside deck of the Sky View Oyster House at Pickering Wharf in Salem.

I tried a new beer during lunch called Holy Gose.  It was an interesting beer.  Almost like a Shandy.  It had a very citrus flavor and ended with a sharp lemony taste instead of the bitter hops taste a beer usually has. I really enjoyed this one.  It paired nicely with my fish tacos while sitting on the outside deck overlooking the harbor.  It was overall the perfect afternoon.  On the plus side, we were back home to watch the last quarter of the Patriot's game.  Another win for the Pats.  Yeah team!

So what is that PigSkin Party I spoke of before?
Check out the Down Cellar Studio Website to learn more about it.  It is a great way to use game time for knitting time.  Knit up yardage, that gets converted into points, points become entries for one of the many prizes that will be available during the football season.  The Party runs from the  NFL Season kickoff on September 10 thru the end of the Superbowl game on Superbowl Sunday in February.  Each week are special Bingo Games to win patterns, there are chatter threads and instagram #Hashtags for more prize chances.  We have created monthly interceptions with special projects and requirements also eligible for prizes along the way.  If you like knitting and winning come check us out.....Football watching is not required.

Welcome back all my readers.  I'm glad even though I took some time off you are still coming back for more.  I have scheduled my blogging time so hopefully this will not happen again.

Until next week....my quote:
There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.
By Lord Byron