Visit to North Brookfield

Just a few photos from our visit to central  NY in mid-August. 

Oyster boil. 

Hike and mushroom hunt. 

Fungus up high. 

So nice to spend time with Sammy and gang! More photos to follow. 

End of trip photos

A few more photos from our NY trip. 

She was so proud to finish this new puzzle we gave her. 

We spent a little time in Cooperstown at the Otesaga, a lovely resort on a lake. It drizzled most of the time, and lots of weddings were going on. We celebrated our 45th anniversary here! The next day my son texted me that he and Cia had just gotten married, so we share the same anniversary. :-)

More photos from NY trip

We got to meet Beau the cat for the first time. He sure is handsome. Notice he is posing with Green and Pink and, of course Sammy. 

We went to see an Impressionist exhibit at the Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute in Utica. Sammy is playing with an interactive color play gadget. 

It was getting close to July 4, so they put up bunting on the balcony of our hotel. 

Another day, we went to the zoo in Utica. 

Birthday party part 2

What's more fun than balloons?

Birthday girl has her mouth open wide.

Time out for a little fishing.

Martine baked a beautiful carrot cake (Sammy's request, and wisely so) and lemon cupcakes. Both have lemony cream cheese frosting from real lemons, I think some from our tree in California.

Time to blow out candles. How many? Four!

What's so funny? I missed it.

I have to say it was the best carrot cake I ever ate.

Present opening frenzy.

That's it for my birthday photos. 

birthday party, part one

Today was the day of Sammy's fourth birthday party. Tables are being decorated. You can see the teeter-totter that Jack built for Sammy for Christmas.

Sammy is wearing the party dress that I found for her at Carter's.

 Canopy, BBQ and tables getting set up.

It didn't take long for the teeter totter to be put to use!

It was her friend's first time on a teeter totter.

More guests arrived.

Jack grilled yummy sausages and hot dogs, all grown and produced by local farmers.

Grandma Carol came to the party, too. It was so nice to see her again! Later she would be in charge of games and fun activities.

There are more party photos, and I will try to post them tomorrow. By the way, I am having cataract surgery a week from today!

Fiber festival in NY

I forgot to mention one of the highlights of our trip, a visit to a fiber festival in central NY, with Martine, Sammy, and friends Heather and Claire. It featured several tents full of vendors and exhibits, with yarn, roving, and lots of animals: sheep, angora rabbits, alpaca, llamas and goats. There was all sorts of yarn spinning equipment. Very interesting! One booth was about rug hooking and had a barrel of wool fabric scraps, so i stuffed a bag full. Perfect for quilting! Also I couldn't resist this pretty skein of yarn. I'm thinking hat and/or fingerless gloves. I took more photos of the fun.  This is just a preview.

Black pumpkins?

These are really a Japanese squash. The name is kobachi or something like that. They are supposed to taste delicious, although I didn't get a chance to try. These are among the many exciting things my son-in-law grows and then sells at local farmers markets.

Visit to Mood NYC

I have been meaning to upload photos from our NY trip but have been busy with other things. I will try to post one photo a day from my phone. These are swatches from Mood Fabrics in NYC. I was wandering around this fabulous store but had no room on my suitcase for purchased fabric. So I made do with yummy precut swatches. Being an art quilter, I will use them.

400th post; Binghamton and Quacks

We went to a play center in Bingamton, NY; the zoo was closed, but this was fun for Samantha. This is a giant bubble maker; she kept popping the bubble before it got too big.

Sammy loved the pretend diner. She cooked and served us all elaborate meals.

There were fun things to explore outdoors, too.

 

 

 

 

 

On our final morning in New York, we ate breakfast at Quack's and posed with Samantha.

I'm wearing my new packable puffer jacket. I wore it every day of the trip.

Goodbye until next time! We're headed for London.