My Summer So Far. . .

On our fourth anniversary in June, we went out to eat and took a walk on the docks at City Marina, looking at other people's boats. 

After Adam's graduation from Wake Forest, The Parker Boys spent 10 days in France, mostly Paris. Here are Jeffrey and Adam looking a little ragged after climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I love these boys!

A favorite Residential College professor's wife, Helen Ashby, was the first weaver-artist (as opposed to weaver of useful things) I knew. By coincidence, in that way that makes you wonder if anything is just a coincidence, I have gotten to know the Ashby's daughter, Ann, this year. She does not weave or knit but has had her mother's yarn packed away for many years. She recently gave it to me -- and I became a wealthy woman. Cones and skeins of beautiful wools, textured cottons, silks, jute. . .  It has taken quite a bit of reorganization, but I have found a home in my loom room for nearly all of it. The picture above is tag ends of multicolored mohairs.

The crypt myrtles have been really pretty this summer.

With temperatures up in the high 90s everyday, this has been one of the hottest Junes on record in Charleston. This is a popular way to cool off among natives and tourists alike for the under-8 set. This is downtown, at Waterfront Park.

By the 4th of July, Morris and Christy had been aboard their 36-foot sailboat, Coda, for six weeks. They sailed from New Bern down to Florida, went snorkeling in the Keys, and then stopped in Charleston for several days on their return trip to NC.On Friday, I took off work and Christy and I went and got massages. Ahhhhh

The temperatures miraculously dropped down into the mid 80s and we were able to act like tourists comfortably. They had done historic tours in Savannah and St. Augustine, so we continued with that theme and trouped out to Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island.

Here you can see a bit of Coda's cabin  I'll never complain about a small kitchen again.  But we managed to pull together a great traditional 4th of July dinner  -- hamburgers on the grill, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon and brownies – and watched fireworks all around us from the dock. We gave the Best Show Award to the ones that erupted over the Joe at the end of the RiverDogs game.

I took this picture on the 4th of July, standing beside Coda and watching the sun set behind the bridge over the Ashley River. You may recognize the round Holiday Inn on the left.

Claire McGuffey, a really special friend of Debbie's, and of our whole family, made this "nap quilt" for me and it just arrived last week. She asked me to choose colors and she knew I love her quilt that is on the back of the couch at GreenPeace. Her note said she chose this pattern to honor the year of mourning that I've just experienced. There are 12 stars – one for each month of the year, held together in a group by the black border. The red and black checked border represents equal parts of  happiness and sadness in life. What a special and beautiful gift this is! And, Claire reminds me, the first person to sleep under a new quilt makes a wish. . .

 This picture was taken downtown on Sunday morning. The heat is back, but we've had more rain than have some places, so the window boxes are looking pretty lush.


Well, those are the highlights of our summer so far -- I'm getting better at remembering to take the camera with me whether or not I think I need it. Coming up, a trip with Mom to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. We'll take an excursion train across the Canadian Rockies and end with a few days around Banff and Lake Louise. We have our passports and packing lists. We'll be leaving Raleigh, July 25.