by Hannah Bennett | Mar 19, 2020 | Hannah
After my trip to Poland, I still had some free time and was looking for a fun day trip. Helsingborg, Sweden, was a 40-minute train ride and 20-minute ferry ride from Hillerød where I lived with my host family. My first impression was, “Oh, it looks a lot like...
by Hannah Bennett | Mar 18, 2020 | Hannah
Hi. This is Hannah writing about my final weeks in Denmark. Seven weeks into my stay in Denmark, I had a free week. From my first week in Europe, I started planning this trip to Poland. Fellow students were traveling to famous sightseeing spots, but I wanted to...
by Susan | Mar 16, 2020 | On My Mind
Hannah’s first day home from Denmark yesterday felt oddly anti-climactic. After such a flurry of angst and anxiety to get her out of Europe, we suddenly found our selves at loose ends. Not knowing what to expect in the coming days, we decided to take our...
by Susan | Mar 12, 2020 | Hannah, On My Mind
Today will be Hannah’s last day in Denmark. Covid-19 has slowly eroded her study abroad program. Last week, her program canceled all travel outside Denmark (Normandy, Vienna, and Prague). Earlier today, we learned Denmark is shutting down schools, universities,...
by Susan | Feb 29, 2020 | Family, On My Mind, Projects
My grandmother’s silver bangle bracelet is one of my favorite possessions. It’s perfect for me with the embossed bird design. I like to think it’s a loon, but who knows. I wear it almost daily and have this nasty habit of unconsciously removing it when...
by Susan | Feb 23, 2020 | Hannah
The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a challenge for Hannah. Being sick when you’re away from home is never fun. Pair that with the lack of familiar cold meds (a professor told her she needed to go to Sweden to get good cold meds), and it was rough. After...
by Susan | Feb 14, 2020 | Hannah, On My Mind
When Hannah is away, I enjoy creating care packages to send periodically. Monthly packages to Denmark was not fiscally viable, so I had to plan and secretly send them along with her. Given her suitcase size and weight limit, I didn’t have much leeway. Five...
by Susan | Feb 3, 2020 | Hannah
Hannah has settled into her Danish routine. The six-hour time difference makes finding good times to chat a challenge, but thanks to the Internet we text and chat daily. She’s learned where to find lunch deals in a city where hot cocoa costs $7. The mishaps of a...
by Susan | Jan 19, 2020 | Hannah
One of my favorite past times is to explore old posts from Downeast Thunder Farm. It’s a cross between a diary, a project board, and a photo album. I can watch Hannah grow and change on these pages. It only makes sense to chronicle her time in Denmark. Maybe she’ll...
by Susan | Jan 5, 2020 | Family, On My Mind
It’s been ages since we had a family photo. I was determined to get one before Hannah heads off to Denmark. With fresh snow for the backdrop, I asked everyone to wear black and white. When I saw the photos I appreciated that although black and white – the...
by Susan | Dec 31, 2019 | On My Mind
An early morning walk on this snowy New Year’s Eve. There’s something so appealing about walking through virgin snow. Our cozy home. Snow does such an excellent job of hiding the yard and garden debris yet to be dealt with. This little guy might be next...
by Susan | Dec 24, 2019 | On My Mind
I always have so many plans for the holidays – things I want to create, gifts I want to make, ideas for decorating or baking. In the end, there’s never enough time. And then I think, “next year.” But, then, the crazy cycle starts all over...
by Susan | Dec 21, 2019 | On My Mind
With Hannah in college, it doesn’t feel like the Christmas season until she arrives home. My shopping is complete (please be on time UPS!), but we just started decorating and planning for the holiday. It’s our tradition for Hannah and I to hunt down a...
by Susan | Dec 8, 2019 | On My Mind
Another WHRL Christmas Tree Festival is over. it was a huge success for this little non-profit. I designed three Christmas trees, two Joyful Owl Wreaths, and a Mainly Moose wreath for the event. My first tree is this little upcycled wooden tree I asked Paul to make...
by Susan | Dec 3, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Thanksgiving break came and went in the blink of an eye. Hannah traveled home for the holiday – two days of travel to get here and two days of travel to return between car, bus, and train. We had her for a short six days, and it was a whirlwind. I finally took a...
by Susan | Nov 30, 2019 | On My Mind
I want to take a moment to introduce some friends who also create. While my felt designs are but a hobby, these women make their living from their art, and I’d like to give them a shout out. I’ll be doing some of my holiday shopping with these women!...
by Susan | Nov 28, 2019 | On My Mind
Best wishes to all for a Joyful Thanksgiving! And a happy, happy birthday to my wonderful mom! Lots of love to you. ~*~ Mom’s gift is this Joyful Owl Wreath. The owl sits in a smaller grapevine wreath decorated with artificial greenery and lavender so she can...
by Susan | Nov 3, 2019 | On My Mind
In Hannah’s absence, I’m in charge of her ducks, Puddles, Murphy, and Doodle. It’s taken most of the fall to get into a groove where they do what I want them to do. Mornings are easy – they see me through the French doors with Gidget, and they...
by Susan | Sep 3, 2019 | On My Mind
A selection of my Downeast Thunder Farm pattern kits are now available at ODDS ‘n ENDS in Milbridge. ODDS ‘n ENDS, Living Uniquely, is the brain child of Tina Johnson. She has created a lovely shop filled with carefully selected items by local artisans....
by Susan | Aug 6, 2019 | On My Mind
Today, Gidget discovered the joy of a birthday balloon today. No worries – she wasn’t allowed to play with it alone. We had a blast and she’s one tired pup tonight! Watch the video and...
