Back in Action

Looks like I missed the entire month of October.  Feels like it to.  Can't believe Christmas is on the horizon.

Middle E swims on the High School swim team.  So Fall is always pretty busy.  She can drive herself to most practices but even so it is a hectic season.  I go to all the home meets and volunteer to time at them and I go to as many of the away meets as I can, where I can just watch and not volunteer.

In the middle of the season we had Hurricane Hermione which caused no damage in our area, but did cause a meet to be postponed.  Then we had Hurricane Matthew which had a huge impact on our area and caused one meet to be cancelled and another postponed.

Then we were into the Championship season.  Districts was fantastic and they won!!  Middle E qualified for Regionals for the Medley Relay and the 100 Fly.   The girls got 2nd overall at Regionals and she advanced to States with the Medley Relay.  Woo hoo.  She had never been to States and as a senior this year, that was a huge goal met.  Their relay finished 11th in the entire state!!

Butterfly leg of the 200 Medley Relay States Finals.

All these meets and drives and sit around and waits really set me back on sewing and blogging. But now I can report that swim is over - for forever.  Kind of sad, but good too.  She had a good 4 years, but she does not want to swim in college.


In the midst of swimming Grown Up R moved out on her own.  She had saved up and figured it was time.  Her job is going well.  She is only a few miles away and can still see her sisters often and come for dinner on the spur of the moment, but she is no longer under our roof.  I loved to hear all the girls giggle at night and I surely do miss that.  But I am glad that Little S has her room back and that means that I have my sewing room back.  Try as I might I just could not get anything done while everyone was all compacted upstairs.

I did get some hand sewing done on all the sitting and waiting times with swimming and I will report on that soon.  For now I just hope to get caught up slowly - both in blogging and getting things done.  I have a few deadlines projects that are due soon.  So there is plenty to do.

For now I am just happy to be back sewing and catching up with life.

Hydrangeas In Bloom

My hydrangeas look great this year.  They have a bittersweet story. I had always wanted hydrangeas and the girls gave them to me for Mother's Day.  But that was the Mother's Day my mother was in hospice and time was running out.   Did I stay with her or go home to be with my girls?

I ended up spending the evening with my girls, the night with my mother, the getting ready for school back home and then the early morning with my mother and it was indeed her last Mother's Day. 

So I love my hydrangeas for everything they represent and that they are especially pretty this year.  

Outside My Window

I was working away at the computer on my first day of summer vacation and I opened the blinds and what did I see . . .

Deer on the left looking at me.  Deer on the right ready for a drink from the pond.

Two deer.  Pretty amazing.  We saw one a few years ago during a heavy rain brought on by an approaching hurricane.  We hear rumors that they are back in the woods but with so much development lately it's hard to imagine how they survive.  

I barely had time to take a picture through the window before the neighbor's dog barking scared them off.  

What a treat to see them.  Hoping this is an indicator of a great summer ahead.