eat! craft! live!

Common Ground Fair 2011

This past weekend, we headed up to Unity, Maine for our 3rd year at the Common Ground Country Fair. It was blissful. (Well, the rain drip-drip-dripping on my head Friday night when a bit of the tent leaked wasn't so blissful, nor was the way my back felt after sleeping on the hard ground and forgetting our pillows...but the rest of the weekend was wonderful!)

The first year we went, we had only been in Maine for a couple days and it was a bit of a climate shocker to go camping and wake up to frost in the morning! Then last year, I brought E, who was 5 months old at the time, and M was in Seattle. Luckily, my dear friends that we go with were extremely helpful. This year, M was back in the picture and E was old enough to enjoy stuff! Like playing in the big baskets of beans at the Fedco tent! (Turns out, she's afraid of when sheep baa. Which should bode well for our trip to a sheep and wool festival in a few weeks...)

One of my favorite parts is the main building where they display all the vegetables and beans. Call me crazy. I love seeing what other people are growing.

A few more photos from the fair...

summertime, summertime

Oh, summer. What have I been up to? Clearly not blogging... Mostly because I've been, well, living.

Started off the season with some gorgeous flowers...hyacinths! (Which, if you've been 'round these parts very long, you know are some of my very favorites.)

There were also (and will always be) some whoopie pies. Oh, the deliciousness. My favorites come from the bakery down the street - Borealis Breads. Yum.

There was some music-ing...

And somebody's very first beach trip...

(Well, the first one where she could actually appreciate it, anyway...) Followed by some more beach trips...

And some more... Love that sand!

There were a lot of hot lazy days spent playing with blocks and baby pools.

There was even some sewing! Here, the lovely E is stacking some rings in her beautiful new handmade dress!

And some more sewing... Love that dress pattern!

I gardened. Quite a bit actually. And I had every intention of blogging about my experience, but...well...maybe I'll get around to an end-of-season recap?

We had play dates!

And parties!

And, of course, I just had to sew a party dress to go to some of those parties...

There was swinging and sliding...

I just had to sew another pair of shoes, before E outgrew the pattern...

There's been a lot of jam and jelly making and other preserving. Like whoa. A lot. Here, vanilla peach oolong. There's also been strawberry lime jam, blackberry jelly, maple strawberry smooch, strawberry lemonade concentrate, salsa verde and more on the agenda...

In addition to all that, I dyed yarn all summer for Picnic at the end of August. My first time vending as a yarnie! (I've done craft shows before, but not with the yarn...)

Finally, at the end of it all, when I was feeling a little stressed out by all that was happening, we went on vacation! A week at the lake, even if part of it is spent with no power or running water (thanks, Irene!) is a wondrous thing.

To top off the vacation, my dear father turned 60. Party! And he got to spend the day with his granddaughter. (Among others...) Possibly my favorite moment this summer.

So I may not have been blogging, or commenting on your blogs, or, honestly, even reading them most of the time, but I'm here. I've been checking in and catching up periodically but I feel like an ass commenting on months-old posts often, so I read, and move on. And live. It's been a good summer for us. I hope the same is true for you!

:: photo friday :: where I've been

Taken the day after the hurricane...we'd still be without power or water for two more days but at least the weather and location were perfect!