Family

This weekend my whole family got together to celebrate a birthday, a new baby, and all getting together.
This was the setting:

 beautiful, right?  

And all along the property we picked these:

luscious!

The kids loved them, freshly picked, and perfect.

A family photo didn't happen, but this did:

All my grandchildren and me.

perfect.

And here all the kids except Kate.

I hope to get many more occasions to have our pictures taken.

The drive was fine, with company.

Humid, damp, end of June

The end of June?!  I can't believe it.  How time flies.  I haven't been home for a couple of weekends, and I won't be this coming weekend either.  My poor neglected abode!  But it still seems homey, everything works, and it is as if the house is saying hello when I walk in the door.

Last weekend was to support someone, and be there.  This coming weekend will be to celebrate one more birthday, the entire family will be together for that one (just worked out that way).  It'll be fun, and noisy, and crowded, and probably hot, but no matter, we'll be together.

I've been working on skirts, now I made my own pattern, just four pieces, elastic on the top, a hem, and it's done.  The pattern piece is cut on the bias, so it falls nicer.  In one skirt I added a side pocket.
Now I have to decide if I'm brave enough to wear it.  And it seems so simple, that it's hardly worth showing (although I will get over that).

I owe two babies a teddy bear, and I will get going on that.

June Birthdays

We have a slew of May and June birthdays in our family.  Really, a lot!  If we celebrated each one (which we have been doing), we do nothing else but birthdays for 8 weekends straight now.  So the best thing is to combine them.
And the little ones were celebrated this weekend.  Two little guys and one big girl.  Three, four and seven.
Guest of honor at the party was a 5-week old.  As far as the 7-year-old went, that was the highlight:

a proud big cousin feeding her little cousin

here is the birthday crowd, each with their individual cake.

Jessica thinks it's hilarious

and they boys just want to eat the decoration

and our attempt to shoot an Ann Geddes like image of the cutest little girl.

The aunties with the big brother of the baby

Matthew

and more cousins

and yet one more cousin admiring the newest member of the clan

Other than that, things are busy, every weekend something new, and like I suspected, the summer will fly by.  This coming weekend I'll be in Massachusetts again.  The following weekend in Maryland.  Hmmm, M-States, is there a sign or something?

Maybe one of these days we'll stay home.  My poor neglected house. 

But I'm happy, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Washington

Over the long weekend we were in our nation's capitol.
The weather was perfect, it just turned from 90+ degrees and humid to something bearable and livable.
I got to see the First Ladies gowns again, and got to admire M. Obama's white Inauguration gown.  Gorgeous!  No, I didn't take pictures of it, it wouldn't have done it justice.
Among the highlights of the trip:

 yes, on the lawn of the WH

 yup, it is who you think it is

and that is me on the WH grounds

Cool!

 Vietnam memorial

 cool shot at the right time of day - the capitol is 2 miles away, hard to believe

 Lincoln Memorial

and the boat just because it's beautiful - from Old Town Alexandria

The best part of the trip of course was this:

More photos from the weekend

Meant to add more pictures from the weekend.

As I'm getting ready to go on another trip tomorrow.  I am so looking forward to it!
I'll miss Jessica's birthday.  But I promised her we'll go shopping for her birthday present, which pleased her.

Over the weekend her goldfish died, and she cried bitter tears about it.  She also wrote him a love note, which she read over the phone to me.  She has a new one already, named 'Swimmy', and is all happy again.

 Seine fishing

 everyone pull!

spider crab

 puffer fish

blue fish/striped bass

and a party on the lawn of an old mansion, with the beach behind the trees.

What a lovely setting.

Off to new adventures!

(although I started one yesterday, having forgotten to order oil, I ended up with no hot water, which is not a good thing in 90 degree weather.  Oil to come today, hopefully all will be good!)

Summer

Well, we have the summer temperatures.  But we had an awesome weekend, not marred by extreme weather in any way.  Sunshine, except for the parade day, Monday.  No, we didn't see the parade, a thunderstorm was blowing through and  the parade was being held up, so we decided we needed to worry about our traffic home (which was fine, btw, nothing terrible).
The weekend included fishing, a lesson in seine fishing, rock throwing, relaxing, a visit to Sag Harbor, home cooked meals, and togetherness, and part of the group even went swimming.

All in all a perfect weekend.  Especially nice was to show the island to someone new to it.  Who saw it with new eyes, and wondered about the woods, the many open spaces, the old, old houses, and the general feel of the place.