"I started photographing my domestic world and writing not just about what I had made,
but why I made it, examining the thoughts that accompany creativity and the act of making."
Jane Brocket from The Gentle Art of Domesticity p. 189 UK edition

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

To the Beach and Back













I have been celebrating!  First I enjoyed Valentine's Day sharing hearts and flowers and a few sweets with my family. Then Friday through Sunday I joined some friends at a house near the beach in Lincoln City, Oregon.  

During the weekend I enjoyed seeing the sea, eating lunch at Mo's Restaurant and visiting with friends while I completed an album for my eight month old granddaughter.  For each of my grandchildren I have made little story albums for the first year of their lives.  The pages present the alphabet, numbers, pictures of them, and a bits of stories about them.

In 1955 when I was nearly five years old I moved with my family from Massachusetts to Missouri many miles from grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins.  Boxes of gifts were mailed back and forth through the years, but one of my most treasured gifts was a scrapbook my Nana Bradstreet made for me.  She took plain sheets of gray cardboard and cut bright colored pictures from magazines and catalogues, then glued the pictures on the cardboard pages.  She punched three holes in the left side of the cardboard pages and threaded bright red yarn through the pages to bind them together.

While the style of the albums Nana and I made are very different, the message of our books were identical; I love you :-)

Sunday night when I got home my family greeted me with flowers, balloons and presents to celebrate my 62nd birthday!   Among the wonderful gifts I received was the stack of books pictured:  three about crochet and one, the Essays of E.B. White, best known as the author of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, but he was also a respected essayist.  He defined an essayist as, "...a self-liberated man, sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about, everything that happens to him, is of general interest."  Could he have paved the way for blogging?!? 

Among the items of mail that arrived while I was at the beach was a packet from Mellie Moo!  She and I are among the bloggers who signed up to participate in the Grand Tea Swap kindly organized by Lucy.  Mellie sent me five bags of Twinings tea, a pretty pink coaster she crocheted, and a charming little black and white felt cow. Mellie is working on the International certification for Crochet and I enjoy visiting with her through her blog Mellie Moo Crochet. I have a lovely pot  of tea beside me made from the English Breakfast tea bag Mellie sent, and I am sipping a cup of it while composing this post for you. Thank you, Mellie!

Are you registered to participate in any swaps?

xx,
Gracie








13 comments:

  1. Happy belated Birthday Gracie! What a very nice surprise from your family. My mom also makes little scrapbooks for my children....her grandchildren...it's nice how grandmothers think alike.! I usually don't participate in swaps for I am afraid I will not deliver on time....but I do do giveaways from time to time and when I do ......I do BIG, as you may already know ") Have a lovely week....Pop over to my blog...I left you a little something!
    Hugs, Shari

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  2. Thank you for sharing the SEA and the SUN with me...it has been too long.

    I LOve to see your pictures. You have a great ANGLE on life!

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  3. *H*A*P*P*Y* * *B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y*!*!*!* - wish I could have celebrated with you! I've passed on the swap in Ravelry - "I Love Lucy" group. I have done 3 with them. It's never even and I feel like either I over did or they did. Mostly I overspend and it costs a fortune to send and I haven't had a lasting friendship with any of them, so I lost interest in it. Anyhoo.. we're enjoying the sun over here, how about you? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  4. Happy Birthday sweet Gracie. Your weekend sounds so fabulous. I am glad your family celebrated you! No swaps for me, I just don't feel like I could give them the time they deserve.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  5. Happy Birthday to you, I hope you have a great year. I love all your sea pictures, I love where we live but i do wish it was nearer to the ocean. It helps to see beautiful photographs like this on your blog. I don't do swaps at the moment, I'm just too busy with work and children, but I would like to one day.

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  6. Happy Be-lated Birthday! :)

    Oh, you got such wonderful books and gifts! Is there anything better than a cup of tea while curling up with a good book?

    Can't wait to see what you hook up next. :)

    The scrapbook idea is wonderful! Such an awesome loving gift to give to someone.

    Blessings always

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  7. Very beautiful pictures Grace..

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  8. I love your beach shots!!!! How fun to participate in that tea exchange!!!! I have not done one of those.
    May have to try that one day!
    XO Kris

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  9. Happy Birthday Dear Gracie!
    Your beach and bay photos bring back sweet memories for me. We used to rent a home on the bay there-and we, of course, have eaten at Mo's more than a time or two:)
    I love the idea of a scrapbook and am starting a combination scrapbook/journal/diarymemoir for my beautiful daughter.
    Wishing you a blessed week,
    Aimee

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  10. Wonderful photos of your trip and the happy things awaiting you upon your return. We are heading to the Oregon coast at the end of March and I am giddy with excitement.

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  11. Somehow I missed this post Gracie I am sorry. Belated birthday greetings. I too will be 62 in April. Lovely gifts. I will soon be swapping Tags . Have mine partly prepared. Lovely photos DH and I to get away soon. Hugs Anne x

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  12. Happy Late Birthday Gracie! I'm sorry I missed it AND somehow I missed this post. How could I miss a post about Lincoln City??? Now I ask you that? I love your pictures. We just ate at Mo's in January when we were in L.C. Yummy clam chowder.

    What a wonderful hello from your family. Books! Ooh! I love books. I'll have to take a picture of our bookcases to share with you all.

    Two weeks and we'll get to have lunch with Teresa and Taci! I'm so looking forward to it my friend.

    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  13. Hi Gracie, hope you had awonderfful bday... I don't know how but I missed this post. Beautiful day at the beach. :)

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