A Packing Primer - Get the Steamer Trunk!

Want to know how much you can pack into your daily life without losing the whole suitcase, as it were?  Here's a peek into what I recently packed in -

Last time I blogged, I was in DC visiting family -

The boy wearing an Alabama Chanin t-shirt I made for him.

The thimble tattoo he gave me.

My father and I drove back to Hamilton together so he could help me do my roof, which took about a week.  It's two thirds done; he's coming back this month to help me finish it,  but at least we took care of the leak.  We were doing such a good job (seriously) that our neighbor asked if we might help them do theirs.  I am not going into the roofing business, but I appreciate the compliment.

Tarping the roof for the evening with my dad and friend.

The day after my father headed back to DC, we had our birthday dinner at our friends' house.  We both agree it is one of the best meals we've ever had.

 And two days later, we drove to Nova Scotia to close on our cottage.  Crazy!  Keep in mind, this is all during MeMadeMay!  It kind of helped since it focused my travel wardrobe around handmades. (Full post just on MeMadeMay and what I learned coming soon.)

Two essential elements of Nova Scotia:

Sheep at Lismore Farm -

And lobster (here in its ultimate expression - the lobster roll made by the ladyfriend) -

I also had an FO - the Fair Isle Skirt by Mary Jane Mucklestone.  It was part of a KAL (knit-along for you nonknitters) for Squam.  I really wanted to take this little sheepy home.

And then, we drove down to Portland, ME en route to Squam.  There was just enough time to have an amazing dinner at Eventide Oyster Co., buy some fabric at Z Fabrics, then pick up some Quince & Co. yarn at KnitWit, and find some local craft beer.  The server who brought out our food at Eventide said that we'd ordered really well and that she was excited for our dinner.  She was right!

And then the ladyfriend dropped me off at Squam for the Squam Spring Retreat...

Full post on Squam coming soon.

Sometimes a Chasm Is a Nice Place to Fall Into

 Yes, I'm currently in the timewarp that is Nova Scotia.  (Yikes!  It's been a long time since I've posted and so much has happened in the intervening few weeks, but let's save that for later.)  Each year we get better and better at relaxing more quickly.  When we first started coming here, we'd still be whirring about in our heads about things that needed to be done.  Now, those things still come up, but we're finding it easier and easier to give over to the deep chill that is Nova Scotia.

We now make it a point to come during the last week of August so we can take advantage of the local lobster season.  It did, however, feel at times like it was getting out of hand. I basically was on a lobster murder spree.  We "processed" 16 lobsters over the course of about a week.  Yes, 16.  I know - crazy.  But what is great (and so crazy in its own way) is that I brought my pressure canner and have canned a dozen or so pints of lobster stock.  Oh, how I'm loving the pressure canner, and oh, how I love lobster stock.

We froze some of the lobster meat to use later in our stay, but we did have the traditional lobster boil, lobster rolls, lobster macaroni salad (oh yeah), and chili lobster (courtesy of a NYTimes recipe).  That's already a whole lot of lobster love.