Only This

Sam, Nate and Kelly came for pizza tonight....so that made nine of us. We laughed...played games and shared stories....and I loved every minute! 

Flying Edna, Story of the Day

Ayla and I have been playing a game all week where she hides our magnetic Spider man around the first floor of the condo. She constructed a magnet web on one of my metal plant stands and every time I find him I put him back in the web. 

This morning I found Spider Man buried under some tiny treats in the living room. Clever spot! 

My goddaughter Emily game me a whole set of mini food items several years ago because we share the love of tiny things. Ayla has been playing with them all week with her Barbies.

Here's Spider Man back in his web...waiting to be hidden again.

There is only this: loving your family and helping make everyone feel at home. 

The HAHAs take off tomorrow after lunch...onto their next adventure. They have several more layers to go on their vacation. 

Kettle Cove

We spent all afternoon at Kettle Cove....and I used my rainbow parasol the whole time! Kettle Cove has everything we needed....beach for swimming...rocks for climbing and tidal pools to explore. And don't you love the bracelet that Ayla made me?

Ayla spent quite a bit of time looking for crabs in the tidal pools and making friends with all the other beachcombers.

You can see Aras and Ayla's silhouettes climbing out on the rocks. This first photo you can see them walking out.....

...and in this second photo you can just barely see them as they made it to the last rock. They made a good team watching out for one another. It was a good day at Kettle Cove.

Entertainment

We had some pretty impressive entertainment for happy hour.

Aras hula hooped while reciting the alphabet backwards. Yes...you heard that right. And Ayla hula hooped while simultaneously working on a friendship bracelet. I'm actually not so bad myself...but not while doing anything else. 

Just Like That

There have been nooks and crannies in our busy days for some puzzling....and just like that...with the help of my guests...Philippa's Conscious Creativity Card puzzle is done.

Ayla and Holly helped find most of the cards from the pack that matched the puzzle....they're laying on top.

And just like that...it's all apart and Aras has already picked out the next one.

Artfully Amazing

We spent a good chunk of the day at Jane's beach. 

We had a wonderful time, but this post will feature some unexpected beach goers....Ayla's Barbies.

Ayla made these bathing suits all by herself from old socks using a sewing machine, and a needle and thread and she is largely self taught. 

I love the fact the seams are on the outside...very chic.I think they're absolutely artfully amazing.

And although it may be a little odd to feature Barbie's butt...but her design and stitching is inspiring! 

And this particular photo of Ayla taking a break from digging her hole is artfully amazing too! 

There's a lot of energy in the house.

First Day

We had an incredible first day. We packed in a ton....including the iconic Portland Headlight and a few other stops along the way with rocky beaches and forts to explore.

We also walked out the breakwater to the Spring Point light.

We're all going to sleep well tonight. 

Conscious Creativity

I'm about 1/2 way through my other new Philippa (5ftinf) puzzle. This one is of her Conscious Creativity Cards.....and I have a set of the cards sitting on my puzzle table all the time.

The puzzle and the cards are a feast of colors and textures. I think I'll have some puzzle helpers in the house for the next week...so I'm guessing it will get finished pretty quickly.

There are thoughtful words and phrases on one side of the cards....

and beautiful photographs taken by Philippa on the other side. 

I pick a card every few days and see where my mind goes with it. 

"Someone sees you and knows..."

Not so sure about today's...but I better be mindful of what I'm doing....in case someone sees me and knows. 

For now...I'll just sit at my puzzle table until my guests arrive....they're due any minute.

HAHA's

I'm smitten with the variety of colors and textures of zinnias! Yet another...favorite summer bloom!

"My housekeeping style is best described as there appears to have been a struggle."

But there is nothing like impending houseguests to kick me into gear. I've been quietly doing house chores...projects and food prep as I get ready for company. Many of things I've wanted to do for a long time....I even cleaned and vacuumed out the car! I've been picking away at things for a week or two now....and I've been trying to do it all in the framework of joy. 

On Friday evening my niece Holly and her family are coming for a week. Her husband is Hikmet, her son Aras is 12, and her daughter Ayla is 9....and we affectionately refer to them as the HAHA's. They spent this last week driving across and exploring Canada...so they will have stories to tell! I've seen photos...they're having a great time!

I'm looking forward to having a house full of family...and I'm excited to show them around and show off southern Maine. I love my state! I am going to focus on my guests....but I still hope to post little nuggets of joy here every day. My timing might be off likely posting later in the evening or early in the mornings. If I miss a day...you'll know why. 

Queen Anne's Lace...another fabulous late summer bloom.

Winner

I put 13 names in a hat last evening for my little swirl piece. Paul did the drawing....and the winner is Lori, from Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

I was thrilled that so many of you expressed interest. Thank you! I hope to be giving more things away in the future....it just feels good.

When I posted about how I love watching cone flowers unfurl....I mentioned that I have another favorite unfurler. Black eyed Susans! I've been seeing them in several gardens on my walks now...and love them in all their various stages of unfurling.

There is such whimsy as the skinny petals open...and it always looks as if they're dancing. 

Nothing But Potential!

Paul has picked up some strange and interesting found objects on his bike rides....and he was a little unsure about this one. 

But I really like it! I think it could be made into some kind of garden art and would look fantastic with a glass orb sitting on one end. 

Now he just needs to find a glass orb.

Just look at all that wabi-sabi texture! 

Nothing but potential...don't you think!

And I'm celebrating my neighbor's purple hydrangea.

Isn't it incredible!

Nugget

This is Tracie's first year with rain lilies...and she's pretty tickled with how it's going. I told her this photo she took could be on the cover of a magazine. It's such an artful image. 

I love polka dotted tablecloth and the textured background...which, by the way...is the stucco on her purple house. And the airy pot filled with blooms and buds in all the stages is a whimsical work of art.

A wonderful little nugget of shared joy.

Well done Tracie!

I See

The question is now what you look at, but what you see. Henry David Thoreau

I just love when Mother Nature gives me an unexpected splash of color. This one is right by our front door on a small chokecherry shrub. 

I see mother nature with a smirk on her face.

I see complementary colors.

I see rounding the corner on the summer season.

I see the scientific circle of life in motion. 

I see beauty in change.

I see joy.

And look what's blooming on the patio...

my first white rain lily!  I really love the white ones...and there's a second bud coming.

Thank you to those of you who have emailed me or commented on my give-a-way. for my Swirl 2.0 project. I will draw a name on Tuesday evening so there is still time to put your name in the hat!

joyfulputtering@gmail.com

Give It Away!

We had a family breakfast out this morning to finally celebrate Sam's birthday....it's always wonderful to be together. All is well with the Shupes!

The meaning of life is to find your gift, the purpose of life is to give it away. Pablo Picasso

I love learning new things and using my skills/gifts to make things that bring me joy. It brings meaning to life. And more and more...I love giving things away.

So I've decided to give my recent swirl piece away and I'm hoping there might be one blog reader that's interested. If more than one person is interested....I'll draw a name. 

The piece is 7 x 7 and is mounted on a piece of foam core. (See this post for more views.) It could be put in a frame...or mounted on a larger canvas or hung on the wall just as is. A stand so could also easily be added to it could sit on a shelf. It's an odd little piece that I had a fun making for the Swirls 2.0 class with Izzy Moore. It has some issues...but beauty is in the eye of the beholder....and this piece is full of joy.

Send me an email with your name if you have interest.  

 joyfulputtering@gmail.com

I will keep the offer open through the end of Tuesday, July 22nd to give people time to respond. But then it's going somewhere. I hope.

There is joy...in giving things away.

Common Ground

I was tickled with the comments and memories that were shared after yesterday's post about my pickled cucumbers and vintage porcelain dish. Because of them....today I put pepper and a few ice cubes on my vinegar/cucumbers and I'm craving strawberry shortcake. I was so pleased that there was someone else with leftover pie crusts turned into cinnamon treat memories....and another with a special attachment to precious platter.

We all have more common ground than we might think.

We're getting a welcomed break from the heat and humidity. The windows are open and the breeze has been blowing through the condo all day! And the pleasant weather made for a delightful morning walk.

Here is just some of what I saw...its the montage I will send to Alyson tonight. Lots of summer blooms out there! 

I was tickled at my top view of the daisies with just a couple cone flowers. I held the camera over my head so I'm pleased that I happened to catch the fence too.

Paul and I made some noise with a spirited crowd in downtown Portland last evening in honor of John Lewis. We all sang and shouted in a unified voice for a better world. 

Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. John Lewis.

Looking up...and back from the spot we were standing.... 

I was comforted by the flags in the windows.

We are all connected....and that common ground thing.

Sweet Memories

I sent a note to my siblings on our Facebook message board this morning asking if any of them had cucumbers soaking in rice vinegar on their counter. Is that a thing for anyone else? My sibs all remembered this from childhood...although our mom always added a little bit of sugar. 

And this little porcelain(?) dish has sweet memories too....literally and figuratively. When my mom would make pies she would put the extra crust in this dish and bake it with a bit of cinnamon and sugar. Or extra filing if there was enough.

Sweet Memories = Joy! 

Mood Lifter

The mood you carry becomes the filter through which you see opportunities, people and blessings. Lift your mood, and lift your life. Vex King

I didn't sleep well last night....so I was tired and a bit cranky this morning. It would have been really easy for me just to lay low all day...and that would absolutely have been OK. It's been a busy stretch. 

But I decided to tackle several house and garden things that have been on my list for a while....including a ceiling repair that I've needed to do for about two years. It felt good to check some big things off my list and that lifted my life. I'll keep working on my mood.

It's time for an update on my World Stamps puzzle from Philippa. I haven't posted about it once since I started it a little more than a week ago.

I could have posted when I finished the red and 
moved onto the yellow and orange....but I held back.

And I could have posted when I had a pile of greens on the table...

...or when I started the blues. At this point I moved it up on the table and connected the border...and that certainly was worth posting.

And I absolutely could have posted when I made my path from the top to the bottom...that's always a quiet moment of joy for me. But I didn't.

And you didn't hear about finishing the purples either...

...or the small box of neutrals left to fill in the gaps 

that I stretched out as long as I could.

But I'm posting today....because it's done...and it's fabulous!

And that....has lifted my mood.