I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

Posted by Mary at 06:28 PM CST

Friday, December 4, 2009

I can’t believe it has been two months since I made my last post. My husband and I just returned from visiting family at Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it. Then, spring will come and we’ll be moving across the country! I am trying not to run in fifteen different directions at the same time. When there is a lot to do, I find myself running around and accomplishing very little! So, I am focusing on Christmas gifts. Do you recognize this store? It is one of my all time favorite places to shop! It is called Anthropologie. Thank goodness we have one close by, but it is also a blessing it’s not too close! If there is one in your area, you need to stop in! I think the one thing that I like most about the store is it's wide appeal to women of all ages. I would not buy their clothes (unless I decide to have an identity crisis), but there is so much more than clothes at this store. I plan to spend a lot of time there tomorrow looking for gifts. I will just have to restrain myself from their home goods department and stay focused on Christmas!

Posted by Mary at 07:15 PM CST

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

This picture is from a book entitled, Eighteenth-Century Decoration: Design and the Domestic Interior in England by Charles S. Smith. I have been searching my bookshelves for this book all afternoon and discovered I don’t own it!!! I own the book Nineteenth-Century Decoration, The Art of The Interior by Charlotte Gere. My first thought - I need to order this book right away! There is only one major problem. I have been after my entire family to get rid of all the excess “things” we have, preaching to them how we need to pare down our books, magazines, and collectables. How can this very heavy book become a necessity for me? I am still thinking…

Posted by Mary at 07:30 PM CST

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

It's hard to believe that two months have passed so quickly. We leave tomorrow for Chicago. Our time here in Maine has been so special. Our wonderful fishing village is a magical place. We love it! I hate to leave, but there is a season for everything and the season for being in Maine is ending. I wanted to share a poem with you. It captures the life here that makes a living from the sea.

Lobstering

Rising early, still dark, often foggy,
Down the ladder, sometimes many rungs to climb,
Sometimes very few.

Small boat out to big boat, things to be checked,
Instruments and engine started for the long day ahead.
Heading offshore to the Channel or North Rock,
Where on arrival it may just be getting light.

Oil pants on, bait ready, gaff in hand to snare
the buoy of the first trawl.
Sounds of rope whining through the pot hauler
as traps come up one at a time.

Crabs, probably; lobsters, maybe; too small,
too big, v-notched, measure ready.
Is it a keeper?

Old bait out, new bait in,
Back to the stern with one trap,
Ready for the next trap to crest-
To start the process once again.

Gulls soaring and circling in anticipation of a
tasty morsel that might come their way,
Diving down, swallowing whole, soaring and
circling, trap after trap.

One trawl done-many more to go.

Written by the wife of a lobsterman, and a dear friend to me

Posted by Mary at 11:50 PM CST

Friday, June 12, 2009

In a week my husband and I leave for Maine. I can honestly say I am looking forward to the drive. We have traveled to so many places this past year it will be almost “novel” to drive for three days! With all of our various trips, I feel like an expert on airports! So I thought I would provide you with my opinions and critique of the airports we have passed through this past year.
London Heathrow. Don’t even think about bringing anything in your one-quart plastic bag that is over three ounces. The security is very strict! I felt like we were cattle being herded!
Bermuda. Everyone seemed to know everyone. It was very welcoming at the airport. In the dead of winter it was nice to hear, “Welcome to the island.”
Miami. The airport had a wonderful Cuban restaurant. I can’t remember the name of it, but everyone we asked (that worked in the airport) suggested this one particular place.
Rome International. The most organized airport I have ever been in (can’t be said about the regional airport!).
Little Rock. Our flights have always been delayed there. They don’t seem to have enough staff.
Philadelphia. The airport looks like they ran out of money before they finished it. It’s small and easy to get around though.
Boston. Getting through security is a complete circus. It’s extremely disorganized. We could not find a single person that was helpful, or even civil!
Cayman Islands. It’s a very tiny airport. Build up those muscles; you will have to carry your bags off the plane.
Dallas/Ft. Worth. I used to think it was an organized airport. I now find it very big and confusing!
Chicago. Call me prejudice. I know O’Hare is referred to as “Camp O’Hare,” but I like it! Of course, if I get stuck there, I can just go home! I do have two complaints though. They need to have more security lines open and usually walking to your gate can take quite a long time because the airport is massive.

Posted by Mary at 01:56 PM CST

Friday, May 15, 2009

It has been a long time since I added a new post. I do however have a very good excuse. My oldest daughter married last month in Italy! Our family flew over there for a week. My husband and I hosted the guests who came for the wedding three different nights. One night we went to my son-in-law's favorite pizza place in Orvieto, the next night was wine tasting, and the third night was the reception. My daughter planned the entire weekend. I must say, it was amazing! She thought of everything. The reception was in what had been an old monastery. It overlooked the the hills and vineyards below. It was truly beautiful!
You might be wondering then why I have a "very American" picture posted here. Well, after we came back from Italy, my husband and I flew to Philadelphia. He was asked by a seminary in that area to join them and teach there, so we are moving! We will stay in the Chicago area for one more school year then move. The one thing I can say for sure is that our lives certainly haven't been boring these past two years!
On another note, I am trying to get my hands on some pictures to post from Italy. You would think with two professional photographers in the family that would be easy, but it's not!

Posted by Mary at 03:26 PM CST

Monday, April 6, 2009

This past week when my husband and I returned home from our weekend trip, we noticed that a robin had made a nest right outside our kitchen window. It is perched on top of a trellis that, to me, seems dangerously low! I have loved watching her make her nest with such precision and dedication. Last night it snowed here four inches (where is spring?!?) and I noticed that she remained dutifully steadfast sitting on her nest as the snow came rapidly falling down. I will keep you updated on the latest robin family news.

Posted by Mary at 04:12 PM CST

Saturday, March 21, 2009

This past week my husband and I returned from a week in the Cayman Islands. I think I could definitely get into year round warmth! It was so beautiful there. Because it was a pure vacation, I had plenty of time to wander on the beach and notice things. The most amazing thing I discovered was the pattern on the beach the waves make after the tide ebbs and flows. The water as it’s washing up to the shore looks so random, but the diamond pattern it leaves on the beach looks like it was drawn on a very precise grid. The sun had to hit the beach just the right way to see this pattern, but I made everyone come out with me and we all saw it! The patterns and color in nature are awesome.

Posted by Mary at 01:40 PM CST

Monday, March 2, 2009

I love fashion from the 15th to the 19th century. I feel like clothes were really more a work of art during that time. This is a painting of an English noblewoman from the 16th century. Just look at the lace on this dress! I get more finishing ideas from men and women’s clothing than almost anything else. Half the time, I have no idea what it is they are wearing, but I like the way it looks and I file it away until it works with some of my designs. Another wonderful finishing use for the fashion of these periods is the way they used tucks and gatherings of fabric. We can glean a lot from these very detailed paintings.

Posted by Mary at 04:04 PM CST