to the sea

 

I must go down to the sea again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
 

 (from Sea Fever by by John Masefield)

Hello! I can hardly believe it's been a month since I posted.  With my children off school I haven't had much time to myself, and even while my little one has been having his mid-day sleeps, I decided to set a good example for my big boy.  Instead of tapping away on the computer, I've spent my time flopped with him on the sofa immersed in books.

Now it's the end of August and today we had a last hurrah at the beach; we often visit this one because of the tide pools.  Plus I love the curious sea lions who swim as close at they dare, poking their heads out of the water to gaze at us with round, black eyes as we search for shy sculpins and admire scuttling hermit crabs (I'm convinced some of those sea lions are selkies).

Of course a day at the beach is always made better by the presence of friends.  Today we met up with my friend Caroline and her two boys -- and you should know that, besides being a wonderful person, Caroline has been an indispensable resource for me while working on my books.  I'm convinced that every craft book writer should have a friend like Caroline.  She has an amazing craft stash (white boucle yarn for tiny Nativity sheep?  Thanks Caroline!), and she's an excellent resource for ideas, skills & techniques.  Have I mentioned that she helps me test my patterns, too?  My books are better because of Caroline.

I hope you've had a wonderful summer with many good adventures, and if you are in the southern hemisphere, I wish you a wonderful spring!