tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82405399381512954282024-03-13T02:24:48.211-04:00Cheery And CheerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-26470694697048184022018-02-04T22:41:00.000-05:002018-02-04T22:50:00.169-05:00At Home And Abroad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We spent some time abroad a few weeks ago which I'll write about shortly but since I've been home I've been hard at work on my scheduled projects. And I have a delicious and easy breakfast recipe for you too - well, it's not mine, it's an old Barefoot Contessa one but it's a goody. See that sign in the photo above? The Rye Historical Society had that made for us at our request while we were gone and Dan's daughter found it resting on our front porch one day when she came by. They do that for old houses that can provide documented age and ownership for the home's origin. I spent many exciting hours on nhdeeds.org searching and tracing our home's deeds back as far as I could read the records which became more difficult the further back I went as they became hand written. The Philbrick family was a prominent founding family in this village and they built and owned dozens of houses around here including ours. Around 1850 the house was christened Apple Tree Cottage and although I couldn't read the first name of the Philbrick who built it, I could ascertain that the house remained in that family from 1800 until the early 1900s. Pretty soon we will hang the sign on the front of the house. <br />
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We spent a week in Belize recently and that picture above shows the only sunshine we really saw that week - it was very abnormal weather for that area and not just Belize but the whole Caribbean and the Yucatan area of Mexico as well - weeks of cloudiness and drizzle. It didn't dawn on us to check the weather as we packed because historically, January is dry and sunny and 80s. Not only did we fly into overcast skies, but our luggage did not arrive with us as we had a very tight connection. We were informed after we landed that our luggage would not arrive until the next day and would be delivered to us the following evening. We had only the clothes on our backs (jeans and sweaters) and technology in our backpacks. We drove three hours south from the airport in Belize City thinking we would stop somewhere along the way and find a clothing shop to buy some shorts and tee shirts to get us by. We soon discovered that Belize is a jungle country of small towns and villages spread far and wide (even Belize City, the capital city, is just around 35,000 people). All we found were second hand shops in shabby villages so we hoped that perhaps when we arrived to our destination, Placencia, we would find some shops or boutiques. We arrived around 5 pm to our hotel, a delightfully beautiful resort called Chabil Mar and were told to continue a quarter mile into the village to find clothes. Placencia is an old Creole fishing village that has grown up a bit since tourists found the area but it is by no means sophisticated. There too we found only second hand thrift shops so we each bought a pair of used shorts and tee shirts and its wasn't easy to find clothes that fit or matched. We also bought toothbrushes, paste and a hair brush. Knowing we would have a week of almost no sun we had to make up a schedule of daily non-beach activities and we ended up having a blast. We filled our days with jungle river boat excursions looking for howler monkeys, boa constrictors, crocodiles (yes, yes, and yes) and exotic birds and mantees, ziplining in the jungle mountains, touring banana and chocolate plantations (fascinating!) and village touring. We only had one plan fall through and that was our final day which should have been spent way out along the barrier reef snorkeling and fishing. Our guide and boat never showed up at the 8 am meet up time and place and later when the hotel got a hold of him he told them he felt the water might be too choppy so he decided not to take us out (and no courtesy phone call to let us know as we sat out on the dock in the drizzle waiting for him). We did get one afternoon of sunshine in that week and glued ourselves to beach loungers with our books and diet cokes and soaked up as much sun and heat as we could. Here are a few takes from that week.<br />
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A glimpse of Howler monkeys in the jungle - their screams are extremely loud and surreal. <br />
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And a boa constrictor out in the very brief moments of sunshine, spotted by our guide. I wouldn't have even noticed it as we walked right by it if he hadn't pointed it out. <br />
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Three school kids on one bike riding home during the lunch break in the fishing town of Hopkins.<br />
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Cocao pods on the tree - they grow along the trunk and branches away from leaves.<br />
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What cocoa beans look like inside the pods. We sucked on the white slimy part and it's mildly sweet.<br />
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Dan grinding cocoa nibs on a 140 year old Mayan grinding stone.<br />
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The ground chocolate getting ready to have the sugar added and ground in.<br />
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My homemade chocolate bar. We poured the ground nibs into small molds and chilled them 15 minutes and then they were firm enough to eat. Yum! 70% dark chocolate, organic and as freshly made as they come. The plantation is a Mayan and organic one - I learned so much!<br />
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Our villa at Chabil Mar in Placencia<br />
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Our one and only beach afternoon when the sun showed up.<br />
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Heading into the banana plantation - this was so fascinating. I can never look at bananas the same and I mean that in a good way - our tour of the farm was so complete from newly growing banana plants all the way to seeing them harvested and packed into the boxes you see at the grocery stores. This plantation grows bananas for Fyffes and ships exclusively to Ireland and the UK. <br />
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Now back at home I got busy - Dan helped too - we installed stair runners purchased from Dash and Albert on both sets of painted stairs. These back stairs are narrow in width so the runners covered the entire surface as if we carpeted them. Installation was fun and easy! I also painted the kitchen from a golden brown to a glowng and velvety off white. Off white seemed the obvious choice (after dozens of color sample were painted on to try out - colors like amber orange, pale sage gray, and various light yellows or golds) because the cabinets are antiqued pale yellow and the island is sage blue gray.<br />
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This blue and ivory herringbone runner covers the stairs going from the second to the third floor. <br />
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Here is the original brown with some paint samples (just the beginning of them - I added about that many more). The winner was Benjamin Moore's Elephant Tusk on the walls with Linen White trim. I love it! I turned all the lights off to let the color show up - it was a cloudy day when I took these and when the sun shines in it is glorious. <br />
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A couple days ago I went to a wonderful fabric store in Exeter NH called the Handkerchief Company. It's a large three story former old house jam packed with bolts and displays of every type of decorating fabric. I have bought all my house fabric there for the last 19 years and we have had several pieces of furniture upholstered or slip covered there as well. More often than not I find just what I am looking for on the third attic floor where all the bolts are 9 bucks a yard; 6 bucks on Tuesdays. I went looking for a fabric to make a master bathroom valance to replace the one I put up years ago. I brought a few dried blue/purple hydrangea petals and the wall paint chip hoping to find a fabric to pull them together but thought it would be unlikely. Hidden in piles and piles of bolts I found the perfect match - 6 bucks a yard. <br />
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This jam filled corn muffin from Barefoot Contessa's first cookbook is a winner. I made these for a group of youth last week. The corn meal makes them full bodied and the homemade jam (or use store bought) is a wonderful counter to the not too sweet muffin - here is the <a href="http://www.wiveswithknives.net/2011/07/17/raspberry-jam-corn-muffins" target="_blank">link </a> - via kniveswithwifes blog - they are quick and easy to throw together. <br />
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Above below - Sunday dress!<br />
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And to finish the post - my adorable grandie!! Next on the agenda - sewing living room drapes, a master bath valance and some stairwell art. And Costa Rica (hopefully with sunshine). And the Patriots just lost the Super Bowl. Sad face.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-79024307332367648532018-01-13T16:57:00.000-05:002018-02-01T17:17:19.234-05:00Red, Runners, Rodents and A Recipe!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Isn't he/she just the chubbiest? I have a love/hate relationship with these creatures. I find them very beautiful and I enjoy spying on them like this one right outside my den window (through a screenless window - you'll hear about that in a sec), watching them play like puppies with each other, their ears are adorable as are their bristly, curling tails - but man! They are also driving me crazy! I have tried every method I've read about on the internet to keep them out of bird feeders, bought so many "squirrel proof" bird feeders (yeah right), put hot pepper covered seed in feeders that they aren't supposed to be able to handle (they can and they do), given them their own feeders with corn cobs, moved most of my feeders up high on porches where they can't reach (which makes them climb the window screens poking holes in them with their sharp toenails in an attempt to find ways up whereby I have removed four screens and stored them for the winter), and yelled at them daily. Nothing. Works. My daughter called me yesterday to ask me how I keep squirrels out of her feeders - I. Don't. She even bought new feeders today and excitedly sent me pictures spewing optimism - I told her not to be too disappointed. This post isn't even supposed to be about squirrels but rather cheerier subjects. Like the paper whites and amaryllis that are blooming in the dining room and daisies that are over a month old and still looking fresh in vases. And apple cider donut muffins. And chocolate chip cookies. And project results. I am going to write out that cider donut recipe for you very shortly - it is a winner!! It has also warmed up - like 60 degrees warmer than my last post from just a few days ago. I went snow shoeing this week because much of the snow will be disappearing in the next few days (it's pretty much gone as I edit this post two days later). And I finished a couple wee paintings and am pretty much done with the painted stair runner. That we have now decided to cover with a pretty red/ivory cotton runner from Dash and Albert Co. for two reasons. In spite of Frog Paint Tape's promise that paint won't bleed, it did and has every time I've used it for painting patterns and lines (so much for paint block technology!) and believe me, I pressed on that tape really hard and followed all instructions for success. It was the black paint bleeding on to white that did me in. Second reason; yesterday I slipped down the last four stairs and slammed my arm. Dan yelled out - "that's it, let's put a real stair runner on!" <br />
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One more squirrel complaint before I go on, you see that open door? Those are suet block feeders, squirrel proof of course and the squirrels chew off the wire that I use to keep those doors locked and hence eat all the suet. Mad face emoji!<br />
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Yesterday while I painted stairs, Dan took on the assignment of trial-ling a new chocolate chip recipe we read about in the New York Times. Sarah Kieffer, a baker, blogger and cookbook author has a CC cookie recipe that has gone viral whereby she preaches "pan banging" the cookie sheets a few times during the baking process so that the cookies pool and flatten, morphing into very large and thin cookies that are crisp for the outer third and chewy and meaty for the rest. Here are the results of Dan's baking adventure. If you are interested in trying them yourself, google Sarah Kieffer pan banging chocolate chip cookies - the NY Times and several bloggers have posted her recipe. We love cookie adventures!<br />
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We moved that little hutch you see from the den in to the dining room to a spot it should have been in all along. My paper whites and amaryllis are very happy there. That hutch is a piece I bought in an antique shop about 15 years ago that is made from one long piece of barn siding from a very old barn. <br />
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Those very bright mirroring abstract paintings I recently finished have been dubbed "Super Men" by my daughter Gabe because she thinks they resemble the superman logo. I just like how they finish that wall with colorful fun. After the abstracts I've done lately, I'm ready to do some more "serious" and challenging works of art.<br />
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Those daisies in that vase you see are over a month old and still going strong. That's value! That desk is in the living room in a quiet corner where I go to drink my hot chocolate and read every morning. <br />
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I won't be doing this any time soon now that most of the snow is gone unless of course we get bombarded again - I certainly hope so!<br />
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Okay, now for the recipe many of you have asked for this week and it's a good one! This recipe showed up in my email from Yankee.com. <br />
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<b>CIDER DONUT MUFFINS</b><br />
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<b>2 cups of sweet apple cider (not juice)</b><br />
<b>1 stick softened unsalted butter</b><br />
<b>3/4 cup sugar</b><br />
<b>2 large eggs</b><br />
<b>1 1/2 tsp vanilla</b><br />
<b>2 1/4 cups flour</b><br />
<b>1 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</b><br />
<b>1 tsp baking powder</b><br />
<b>1/2 tsp baking soda</b><br />
<b>1 tsp salt</b><br />
<b>optional - 1 large or two small peeled and cored chopped apples - I did add apples to mine but this was not in the original recipe and is not necessary for success but it sure made them even more delicious. </b><br />
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<b>Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease muffin tins - do not use paper muffin cups!</b><br />
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<b>Put the apple cider in a large saucepan, turn on high heat and bring to a boil and keep it boiling until it is reduced by half. It took mine about 8 minutes and I checked it a couple times by pouring the cider into a glass measuring cup to see how close it was. When it's reduced, set aside and cool . You cannot skip this step and just use 1 cup of unreduced cider and do not use apple juice. The reduction results in an intense apple flavor that is a tad thicker as well. While the reducing is going on, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and blend and then the vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and then add this in thirds with thirds of the apple cider reduction until it's just blended. Fold in the apples if using. Spoon into your greased muffin tins (the recipe said it makes 12, mine made 15 and I really filled those tins). Bake 15-17 minutes (mine took 15). Let cool for 10 minutes. While they cool, make the topping for dipping. </b><br />
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<b>3/4 cup sugar</b><br />
<b>2 Tbl. ground cinnamon </b><br />
<b>Mix those two together in a good sized bowl.</b><br />
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<b>Melt 1/2 stick salted butter in another bowl.</b><br />
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<b>Brush each muffin over the butter bowl with the melted butter and then dip the tops and sides, dredging well in the sugar/cinn. mix. That's it! They taste like apple cider donuts without the frying mess. Superb!</b><br />
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That's a pic of the boiling apple cider.</div>
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I used mini bundt tins instead of muffin just for fun.</div>
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Brush muffins with plenty of butter - I held mine over the butter bowl while I did this.<br />
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Dredge them well!</div>
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Now for a few pictures of the ill fated stair runner project. Ill fated in that we will cover all the work I just did. The stairs were a brownish color that came with the house when we bought it. I had imagined a creamy white stair case with a black trimmed red painted runner like this:</div>
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I saw these stairs on the IG feed of fashion editor Marian McEvoy. I did paint on the black stripes but that is where a lot of bleeding occurred and the touch up was a real pain so I decided on all red just to use the paint I had bought even as I knew we would cover it with a cotton runner. We can enjoy this until the runner arrives and I install it.<br />
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I made a 6 inch red velvet cake for a birthday girl today and I thought I'd photo it with the fresh red stairs in the background! And red fish bombs!</div>
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CHAO!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-15171844608397655122018-01-07T17:08:00.002-05:002018-01-09T17:16:10.714-05:00Why Wait?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDqObsHpaZOTuaOurkoN9-FIrYKR6M1szGj2rOrmilWbD3XJPnTGEj-S4ebwFZ933cpBI2iZ2S6vQbFRhrz3Ae8Fx8qt23wcvMj_pE76qCAgY1zz49c5BSzl6IK_QEhg8GCEJcymcp9M/s1600/Image+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDqObsHpaZOTuaOurkoN9-FIrYKR6M1szGj2rOrmilWbD3XJPnTGEj-S4ebwFZ933cpBI2iZ2S6vQbFRhrz3Ae8Fx8qt23wcvMj_pE76qCAgY1zz49c5BSzl6IK_QEhg8GCEJcymcp9M/s640/Image+11.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
I'm referring to hot chocolate. I lamented and shook my head as I listened to countless people talk about the huge snow storm we had last Thursday as the day they should be curling up and drinking hot chocolate or just drinking it period. I heard this from several TV anchors and many people on FB and IG. People, why do you need to wait for a cold, snowy day to partake of one of life's greatest and most easily attained pleasures? Why wait for a storm? Why not start every day with a huge cup of this nectar of the gods and flood your cells with happiness neurotransmitters, antioxidants and several other health advantages, both physical and mental?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoyIWj2dNvwUY43X5TFqimS6ZX0Yx9DzIed52vSyoreEL8SBacdzOu9VRFzhCzDvsKJIn3reTbMDldLwGhzK6xtWfX6e9_jOqryyGFKPDSAPH5wCMJU0M2Jqugmc_Rad3klWYcrHuEmw/s1600/Image+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoyIWj2dNvwUY43X5TFqimS6ZX0Yx9DzIed52vSyoreEL8SBacdzOu9VRFzhCzDvsKJIn3reTbMDldLwGhzK6xtWfX6e9_jOqryyGFKPDSAPH5wCMJU0M2Jqugmc_Rad3klWYcrHuEmw/s640/Image+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
I took a picture of my empty mug the morning of the storm just as I read another's wish for a cup of hot chocolate. Like I have stated many times here on my blog and to those who know me, I drink hot chocolate every day regardless of the temperature or season or where I am in the world and have for most of my adult life.<br />
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Just so you don't think I am exaggerating about drinking hot chocolate wherever I am in the world, here's proof. I took this picture a few months ago from a hotel room and sent it to Gabe and Pignose so they could see my brilliant solution for having my concoction in any hotel room that doesn't have a microwave or refrigerator. I found a tiny electric skillet at a kitchen store that weighs next to nothing and I pack it in my suitcase along with my homemade hot chocolate blend, my red teflon whisk, my 3 cup capacity ceramic mug and an old teaspoon. If there is a refrigerator, I stop at a store and buy some type of cold milk (dairy or nut) and if there is not refrigeration, I buy small boxes of shelf stable milk that do not require it. I bet this sounds a bit loony but it's no less important or realistic than those who need and enjoy coffee making supplies wherever they go. Hot chocolate simply fills my tummy and my soul, it's what I prefer to have for breakfast and afterward I go forth with optimism and well being. Recently while staying at the house of a family member and after I had prepared and taken my hot chocolate in to another room to imbibe while I read my morning mail, this person asked my husband how I drink it every day and stay thin. He replied that I don't sweeten mine with sugar and I most often use 25 calorie per cup cashew milk as the base. Good cocoa powder has little fat, 10 to 20 calories per tablespoon and plenty of fiber. If I use 2 cups of cashew milk and a glug of water (which is so delicious and tastes mild like milk, unlike almond or soy which taste too strong and un-milk like to my taste buds) at 50 calories, 3 slightly heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder at no more than 75 calories total if I'm really generous and no calories in my few teaspoons of stevia type sweetener, that's 125 calories at most (less than a cup of whole milk) and it fills my tummy to capacity and I drink it super hot so I can sip it slowly and make it last until all my morning reading is accomplished. I feel like I have indulged in something incredibly rich and caloric yet I have not taken any sugar or anything unhealthy into my bod. I'm asking you again, what are you waiting for? Don't deny yourself hot chocolate while you wait for the snow bomb cyclone to hit as it did us. <br />
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Speaking of that storm, it was glorious! We had a fully stocked refrigerator and larder, plenty of firewood just in case, thermostats turned up, movies on stand by, books to read, bird feeders filled to capacity so we could watch the hundreds of them flitting outside our windows and feeling satisfied because we were taking care of their needs, art supplies brought into the house from my freezing studio, nowhere we needed to go and a couple new cookie recipes to try to keep the kitchen even warmer and some treats for our bellies. <br />
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I made a different version of the peanut butter cup stuffed chocolate cookies I had made in December. I made a tastier batter and added chocolate chunks along with the PB cup inside. I also made a cookie called Chocolate Mountains which were also chocolate chocolate chip but with lots of walnuts too. That's why you see two pictures of what seemingly look like the same cookie but if you look carefully, you will see the nuts in the first one. <br />
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I also roasted several pans of vegetables (potatoes and onions not pictured) and sauteed some delicious wild salmon with a soy-maple syrup-orange marinade. <br />
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I worked on a couple mirror abstracts in the category of what I refer to as kindergarten art but find incredibly joy inducing and dark corner brightening and it was just a really comfy cozy cheery and cheer day. Dan and Dane shared the snow day inside with me. In the evening we watched two movies; Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and the Harrison Ford version of Sabrina. <br />
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(Our garage - my upstairs studio - brrr)</div>
The day after the storm it turned sunny but super duper cold - like unusually cold. We've been experiencing a several week stretch of way below normal temperatures. I love love love snow and winter but sub zero temps are a bit uncomfortable for everyone. <br />
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All kitted out to walk a block to the post office - you can't see the ear muffs covering my ears under my hat (thanks Gabe, I love this hat!). 10-15 degrees below zero with the wind chill. <br />
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Tomorrow we are told that the temps will be back to normal levels and even above later in the week, like high 40s and even low 50s in Boston. Whatever. I've got all my winter projects calendared and this coming week I will paint a stair runner - a before and after is forthcoming! <br />
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New abstract I completed recently hanging in the third floor stairway - it's a "potager" of color!<br />
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One more thing - when I was a child, I used to lie on the floor and imagine Beatrix Potter - like mice living in the walls and I envisioned a little door that I could open and look inside at their little table and chairs for eating, beds, couch and TV - you get the picture. I spent hours in this little mouse world. Well, when Dan and I were in the Canary Islands recently, we were at an outdoor market and one vendor had a table full of little mouse doors - I guess I'm not the only one who dreamt (or dreams) of baseboard mice dwellings. Unfortunately, we do have mice in our old house walls and occasionally they get stuck and die and then the most unpleasant odor emits through the wall for days and days. :(<br />
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To end this post - here's what I wore on my legs today to church - as well as a burgundy colored wool pencil skirt and a fitted plum/burgundy sweater jacket. And a parka, gloves, hat, scarf and a fat wool throw to cover my legs as I drove to and from church - it was minus two not factoring in the wind chill. And it was gorgeous and sunny with cloudless blue skies - lovely!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-38477217044491577982018-01-01T20:07:00.000-05:002018-01-02T17:03:16.153-05:00On I Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not a setter of goals type person when the new year rolls around - I barely note the passing of one year in to the next - the ground doesn't move, I don't feel relief, regret or resolve - I just go on like I do every morning, optimistically of course. If I set goals, they are seasonal like the ones that are written in colored chalk on the blackboard in the mudroom to do this winter when I am prone to indoor projects. This winter I plan to paint stair runners on both painted staircases, paint the front porch door, touch up some woodwork in the "smoking" room, paint the dining room ceiling, sew some living room drapes, paint the kitchen a fresh new color from the golden brown it has been since before we bought this house and paint many paintings in my studio. I'm giddy with excitement for projects! When spring and summer roll around, well that's a whole new list - all outside. And Dan and I have some travel adventures scheduled for the next several months to be eagerly anticipated. On so on for each season. As for personal goals, I don't have any new ones other than to continue with ones I stick with - staying healthy by eating healthy and keeping this body moving with productivity, worthy deeds, projects and exercise. I just finished reading the Book of Mormon for the umpteenth time and I'll keep reading my scriptures every morning as I drink my hot chocolate. Some goals are taking decades - I'm still trying to be like Jesus and love as He does which is the hardest commandment of all; I get really frustrated with the whole earth family, myself included and I can be very critical both vocally and especially in my head where you can't hear the ranting and complaining. I serve in my church and I'm sure I'll do that until I'm too old and feeble and that is probably my greatest challenge because I get asked to do things I wouldn't ever apply to do for a job. I'm socially awkward, prefer my own company in my own little world, desire to be left alone and not standing in front of others, but more often than not I'm asked to be the president of an auxiliary, at least for these last ten years and then a few times before that and that's how the Lord keeps me humbled, awake in the wee hours and in constant contact with Him. On I go, as we all do, hopefully in worthy endeavors both for others and my own good. In pictures (an adventure, a project or two and what I wore on a given Sunday in that month) and a few words, here was 2017 for my own record. <b>Warning </b>- having just read through this for editing - I hadn't blogged for almost 5 months thinking perhaps I was done with it for good and so this is more than three pics per month. I had to play catch up for journaling purposes for September through December so please read and scroll at your leisure, probably not in one sitting or you'll be bored spitless. Nobody should blog like this - I'll be better next year (if I keep on blogging)! Bippity!<br />
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<b>JANUARY</b></div>
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Turks and Caicos<br />
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<b>FEBRUARY</b></div>
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<b>TULUM, MEXICO</b><br />
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<b>MARCH</b></div>
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<b>ST Barth's AND ST Martin</b></div>
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<b>SCOTTY IN A BOX for Heath's birthday</b> </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>APRIL</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>HAWAII</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bTqWNKrsau2DKTLJ-2r06Yjbbhi3Xj4Kn4yYOgPJbpe97WjfJ_RVyDj3cHAUv4dfQJ_KOdmxGCma_2XVs2PWpCG2cme1qL_qwSxBOqc2t0vm46j0eYwnwTQLeSzmmlxuQ2V1GCMi0HI/s1600/IMG_2360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bTqWNKrsau2DKTLJ-2r06Yjbbhi3Xj4Kn4yYOgPJbpe97WjfJ_RVyDj3cHAUv4dfQJ_KOdmxGCma_2XVs2PWpCG2cme1qL_qwSxBOqc2t0vm46j0eYwnwTQLeSzmmlxuQ2V1GCMi0HI/s640/IMG_2360.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>JAPAN</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uyxD13_bMXTz-t_6t6jLMwOIfhB7KA3tFYhxxM1hpLCyf3FNvzkjW55ntf-ioYzgkO8meViIyHS7mPS759OY05LZZ2FnJevlGz0ph_Dfh4ie-bgegHBYiTkN8PRsDyDGcqm-i16TeaQ/s1600/IMG_E2215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1600" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uyxD13_bMXTz-t_6t6jLMwOIfhB7KA3tFYhxxM1hpLCyf3FNvzkjW55ntf-ioYzgkO8meViIyHS7mPS759OY05LZZ2FnJevlGz0ph_Dfh4ie-bgegHBYiTkN8PRsDyDGcqm-i16TeaQ/s640/IMG_E2215.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>An Alma Thomas-like abstract I painted for the hallway</b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>MAY</b></div>
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Healing after sinus surgery</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>JUNE</b></div>
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Two pics above - five days at Girl's Camp at Camp Zion in Raymond New Hampshire<br />
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Fifteen pounds lighter from April when I started a 1200 cal a day to lose a couple years of traveling fat.<br />
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I spent the month of June painting and prepping the Kingston house to go on the market.<br />
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<b>JULY</b></div>
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My sister (foreground) Pignose's son Ian, standing next to his brother Nate as he waits for and watches his bride to be (Karen) walk up to him.<br />
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<b>A </b>couple hundred <b>s</b>ausages for the church 4th of July Breakfast</div>
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Kingston lavender harvest</div>
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I'm crazy about these fringed blue suede sandals!</div>
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We saw Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in Boston</div>
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Above and below - Provence! </div>
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<b>AUGUST</b></div>
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In Washington with my mom, Pignose, and my sister Leslie's kids for an afternoon on Brad's boat on the Columbia river<br />
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My brother Shawn walking his daughter down the aisle as she gets married - Oregon<br />
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PigNose and WeaselNose crying as our brother Shawn dances with his daughter who just got married.<br />
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My niece Lyndsay on her wedding day in Oregon. </div>
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I've been documenting my Sunday outfits for about three years now.<br />
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And finally, I have my first grand child from one of my own children born August 29th - William Glenn Davis!! <br />
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<b>SEPTEMBER</b></div>
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Dan's first day as adjunct professor (private equity/finance) at UNH</div>
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Above and below - Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard with the Dan Man<br />
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In Cabot Arkansas for 12 days to hang out with my grandson, Gabe and Mark<br />
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She asked for homemade cookies on her birthday instead of a cake.<br />
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While Gabe and baby slept and Mark was at work, I dug into heavy clay and created flower beds and planted some shrubs.<br />
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I also painted their front door orange at Gabe's request. <br />
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<b>OCTOBER</b></div>
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CREAM CHEESE stuffed pumpkin bread</div>
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<b>I picked dahlias every day the whole month of October - it was glorious!</b></div>
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<b>NOVEMBER</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwgmIkjcu8b5vqYnGg6TwkTuBuwjNhTlib2T2BA_FUyMs6FjLvkQhNyAop_VzyvTcGqK35NTB9v1hiHIzbna7fpHD4rtz0vRLrywZFqb7wvjVayZfBKWChN2_EFxIXIN_noozZsdkDJg/s1600/IMG_5425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwgmIkjcu8b5vqYnGg6TwkTuBuwjNhTlib2T2BA_FUyMs6FjLvkQhNyAop_VzyvTcGqK35NTB9v1hiHIzbna7fpHD4rtz0vRLrywZFqb7wvjVayZfBKWChN2_EFxIXIN_noozZsdkDJg/s640/IMG_5425.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>I concocted a divine face oil that I use morning and night after reading about the current face oil craze, especially Linda Rodin's Olio Lusso. I studied the ingredient lists of several face oils and measuring tips from apothecary sites and made my own recipe. </b></div>
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And I distilled pure lavender essential hydrosol and a tiny bit of oil from my summer lavender harvest.</div>
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We spent a week in the Dallas area; a few days with the Tanners (Norah Tanner is reading to us for her homework) and a few days with the Davis' for William's blessing.<br />
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As soon as we got home from this trip we packed and left a day later for the Canary Islands, namely Gran Canaria and Tenerife. I fell hard for those islands and never posted one picture on FB or IG so here are just a few of the hundreds I took.</div>
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This is a free public pool open to tourists and townies. So many of the towns had these located right next to the ocean<br />
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<b>DECEMBER</b></div>
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<b>It</b> was a family reunion of sorts this 2017 Christmas. All my kids were together for the first time at Christmas since 2011. Above they are playing Harry Potter jelly bean game where Gabe ate a yucky one. </div>
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We all got a Scotty calendar - yippee!!!<br />
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The Soucy's came over for Christmas dinner. This is the after dinner chatting.</div>
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I miss my little guy! Gabe put by lots of breast milk so I was able to babysit several times.</div>
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Last Sunday outfit of the year!</div>
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A White Christmas just as we wished.</div>
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New Year's Day - Five Guys burgers with the Cavarettas, Heath and Emma, Matt, Tim and Dane</div>
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<b>The first Super Moon of 2018. Dan took this from the top of the beach and that little figure down there is Dane. </b></div>
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<b>Happy New Year!</b></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-72194581035301430062017-12-22T16:04:00.000-05:002017-12-22T16:07:19.137-05:00Christmasing (So Far) and A Recipe!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've posted before that Christmas is not my favorite time of year - I do tend to get a bit dark hearted when the days are so short and night falls so early and I had a couple Christmases long ago that were so stressful and difficult (former marriage stuff) that still pull a trigger of gloom and much of the secular Christmas music drives me crazy; nonetheless, lots of cookie baking and the anticipation of family get togethers get me through. Here are some scenes from Christmasing around my home.<br />
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The picture above is from my former neighbors in Kingston. We drove by a couple nights ago even though we have sold my old house just to see if they are still putting on the gaudy glitzy wonderful night show - they are!<br />
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The first batch of Christmas cookies going in the oven - cream cheese sugar crystal enclosed cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction book - so tender and buttery with a bit of crunch from the sugar.<br />
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Also, Sally's PB cup stuffed chocolate cookie - really yummy!<br />
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Dan taste testing the dough for the third batch - my mother's traditional M&M cookie recipe - he approved. Don't worry - that spoon did not go back in the dough and he only got one sample!<br />
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My mom bought me these in Mexico and sent them to me when I was 19 or 20.<br />
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First snowfall a couple Sunday's ago. Bliss. One of the four reasons I live in New England. And it's snowing today! The twelve bird feeders are crowded with so many varieties of birds - it's such a show all day. <br />
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Scotty turned 10 December 14 so my son Heath sent me his birthday picture and I did a two minute sketch with my purse pen just for fun and because I love him so. <br />
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Gabe and Mark are here with us - but in Boston today to see the Pops while we babysit the little guy below. I'm sure they are enjoying their hours of liberty!<br />
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My grandie William Glenn is here with us for Christmas for 10 days! More bliss! I love him too! I call him Crabcake because more often than not he's a bit dour, like here below - hee!<br />
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My fourth batch of cookies - <a href="http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2016/12/27/cinnamon-roll-cookies/" target="_blank">cinnamon roll cookies</a> - also from Sally's Baking Blog and just click the cookie name and you'll get the link to her recipe on her blog so she gets all the credit. They are truly scrumptious and faster than cinnamon rolls from yeast dough. I made 11 different kinds of cookies in all, big batches, plus macadamia nut chocolate bark and Dan made his fabulous chocolate covered cherries and mints. <br />
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The master bedroom fall bedding has been switched out for the winter colors -<br />
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Happy Eating and Merry Christmas!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-44561033079631450242017-12-21T10:32:00.001-05:002017-12-21T10:32:11.837-05:00That Chocolate Frosting ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made a batch of chocolate frosting for a church event a couple nights ago, a recipe I had never made before but had found hand written, obtained from who knows where, on a yellow piece of note paper stuffed in my recipe file drawer. The title of the paper was "Amazing Chocolate Cake" with an accompanying frosting. Anytime I see a recipe with the words "amazing" or "best ever", I immediately resolve to try the recipe out and challenge the claim. I again say that I do not know from whom or where I copied the recipe, and I usually note that and I regret that I cannot give that person credit for what is indeed, amazing frosting. I have just a couple chocolate frosting recipes that I consider truly, truly delicious and I have partaken of too many inferior ones in my day as have many of you and judging from the dozens of requests I have received since my IG post of a couple days ago, we are all still looking for a really superior chocolate frosting to keep as our go-to. Here is one such and I hope you agree. And judging from the dozens of comments I received from unlikely vocal appreciators last night at the church event, some even shouted from across the room asking "who made these cupcakes?", the frosting was a hit and the cake too. Without further ado, here is the recipe. Good luck!<br />
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<b>AMAZING CHOCOLATE FROSTING</b><br />
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<b>3 sticks softened salted butter</b><br />
<b>8 oz. softened brick full fat cream cheese</b><br />
<b>1 1/2 cups dark cocoa (as in dutched, alkalized)</b><br />
<b>3 tsp vanilla</b><br />
<b>7-8 cups powdered sugar</b><br />
<b>1/4 cup heavy cream</b><br />
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<b>Beat until fluffy the butter, cream cheese, cocoa powder and vanilla. Beat in sugar and then add the cream to regulate the consistency - if it's too thick add more. Beat all until super creamy. This also can be put into the refrigerator for later use and then beat again after it comes to room temp. Leftover frosting can also be frozen. It's critical to use the dark dutched cocoa and heavy cream. Don't use natural cocoa or milk. This frosting is dense, thick, profoundly rich and flavorful - it just sang in my mouth - I couldn't stop exclaiming it or making everyone taste it. </b><br />
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I also have one other frosting recipe that I want to share with you from Shirley O. Corriher's cook book "BakeWise" that is my other go-to recipe for an incredible chocolate experience. I use this recipe when I make my giant "hostess cupcake" cake because it is so glossy like it needs to be and it's a frosting you can eat by the spoonful because the taste and texture are so incredible. Just as you do not detect the cream cheese flavor in the above recipe, you do not detect the tanginess of the sour cream in this one. I hesitated to make it the first time even as she was claiming how miraculous it is to eat and work with but her whole book is so excellent that I had to trust her and I've been making it since. I did adapt it a bit - she calls for 12 oz milk and 9 oz dark - I use 10 oz milk and 11 oz dark. <br />
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<b>LUSCIOUS, CREAMY CHOCOLATE ICING (SHIRLEY CORRIHER)</b><br />
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<b>12 oz chopped up good quality milk chocolate (or 10 oz)</b><br />
<b>9 oz chopped up good quality semi sweet chocolate (55 to 62 percent) (or 11 oz)</b><br />
<b>Melt these two together very carefully in the microwave or on low heat in a saucepan on the stove top.</b><br />
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<b>While these are melting, beat together in your mixing bowl 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1/8 tsp of salt, 1 tsp vanilla and 3 T light corn syrup. Stir in 1 1/2 cups full fat sour cream. Add the melted chocolate and beat on low until very smooth and beautiful. If it's too thin (and mine never was) allow it to stand at room temp for an hour or so. This has a dreamy, silky texture with a gorgeous shine. </b><br />
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Here are a few pictures of the cupcakes made for last night's church event which was the annual "Young Women In Excellence" and they had chosen the theme "Lives Under Construction" so I made dirt dark, construction themed cupcakes and a work site.<br />
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<b>I also frosted a batch of my delicious cocoa thumbprint Christmas cookies with the leftover chocolate frosting in lieu of the usual vanilla buttercream. And while we are talking about good frosting, let me take this opportunity to share with you my most favorite and always used vanilla buttercream for any time you need a never fail vanilla frosting for anything you make. </b><br />
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<b>Here is the vanilla buttercream - don't lose this one - you will love it! Credit goes to Julie Hasson and her 125 best cupcake recipe book. </b><br />
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<b>EASY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING</b><br />
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<b>4 cups powdered sugar</b><br />
<b>1 cup unsalted softened butter</b><br />
<b>pinch salt (important)</b><br />
<b>Heavy cream ((don't use milk)</b><br />
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<b>Beat the sugar, butter and salt together until creamy then on high speed until fluffy. Add the vanilla and as much heavy cream as needed for the right consistency for your product. This frosting is perfect with a rich vanilla and butter taste and ideal for sugar cookies, white cake and as a complement to a devil's food cake. </b><br />
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A few more cake and cookie pictures for your viewing pleasure!<br />
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The three cakes below where made with a different frosting than the two I gave you that I tried out and I wasn't too crazy about but I decided to try it. From now on I will stick with the first when I need a deep dark one and the second when I need a meaty, shiny one. <br />
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The frosting on this cake is the second one I gave you. <br />
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Happing Baking!!<br />
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<b><br /></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-87236103518052246552017-08-06T21:48:00.001-04:002017-08-08T12:42:38.270-04:00Lots of Pretty and Delicious with Recipes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm always amazed at how quickly gardens grow especially when you look at pictures from a month prior and think how pretty everything is and then you compare the difference in a few weeks and the absolute lushness - it's brand new to me every year no matter how long I've been a gardener. For example, look at June below; the long border, and then a few weeks later below that.<br />
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And two more - June, then late July<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6hw2jH8BU7Qqtp4yYZdHIC-BA6AF9JyxKnXXOYLy5D8xSjaRucMlxLIZjG94qGs9vWjitR0FwGS4e-n1IxkqNPZ57ZM2-hUGMy8buw4cj3-xPDMUCrzPs0nrxPqCF0yx8abSc8GlC3o/s1600/IMG_3487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6hw2jH8BU7Qqtp4yYZdHIC-BA6AF9JyxKnXXOYLy5D8xSjaRucMlxLIZjG94qGs9vWjitR0FwGS4e-n1IxkqNPZ57ZM2-hUGMy8buw4cj3-xPDMUCrzPs0nrxPqCF0yx8abSc8GlC3o/s640/IMG_3487.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And again - June, then late July<br />
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And then these lovely combos below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXLczAODlNJ7FA_ar1xwM2eJ6m_pCQfftyS3yMEGpcSOOpX7Gw5m6ha6dngNAPlLRAwzc_A9LE3TgzCsG4o7RHfZij3TzHXo_ELanVbv4tghbDeXrx9Ym-k6QbChRVY1WK5J63VZwukI/s1600/IMG_4650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXLczAODlNJ7FA_ar1xwM2eJ6m_pCQfftyS3yMEGpcSOOpX7Gw5m6ha6dngNAPlLRAwzc_A9LE3TgzCsG4o7RHfZij3TzHXo_ELanVbv4tghbDeXrx9Ym-k6QbChRVY1WK5J63VZwukI/s640/IMG_4650.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Tonight Dan and I took a walk and we could smell those Casa Blanca lilies you see above from across the street and down aways - exquisite!<br />
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Color right outside the kitchen door above and below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFQtxhq7nbSswGF_c1GUHfNV0zXYqn22a_MMXIA_wNpFNV6bs3VytQYcP7dajNFgKUI-6IPEmIGgt0ZRKg-sNiNKvSmWDPqZ1nXfyfrClj0IW2_HkKw3RSMpafEem_YxnndEvHeNrIVk/s1600/IMG_4551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFQtxhq7nbSswGF_c1GUHfNV0zXYqn22a_MMXIA_wNpFNV6bs3VytQYcP7dajNFgKUI-6IPEmIGgt0ZRKg-sNiNKvSmWDPqZ1nXfyfrClj0IW2_HkKw3RSMpafEem_YxnndEvHeNrIVk/s640/IMG_4551.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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More combos below:<br />
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Chartreuse aralia and fuschia sunpatiens<br />
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Stone wall and moss<br />
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Lily and orange million bells<br />
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Heuchera with Creeping Jenny<br />
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And sister combo Leslie and me - she came to Boston on business a couple weeks ago and took us out to dinner - thank you Leslie!<br />
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And finally - lobster bacon combo - lunch at the Pilot House in Kennebunkport ME a couple days ago - so delicious!<br />
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Now for two really really good recipes that are also super super easy! The first is a spectacularly flavored chicken dish where I had the recipe on my phone, the ingredients in the fridge and garden, I'm on my way home from the Kingston house and I call Dan and tell him to preheat the oven and throw these ingredients together in this order. I get home 1/2 hour later, the house smells so incredible and 1 hour later dinner is on the table - 5 minutes to prepare, 1 1/2 hours to roast and a one pot dinner is on the table - you have to try this! I could eat this once a week and the leftovers the second day were even better if that's possible. The recipe is chef Jamie Oliver's and it's called Crazy Genius One-Pot Chicken. Here is what you do:<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.<br />
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In a large oven proof pot place 4 chicken leg quarters with skin on. Throw on a huge handful of fresh basil, stems and all - just rip them up a bit and throw them in - no chopping necessary. Throw on 2 large handfuls of whole cherry tomatoes or 4-5 medium tomatoes cut in quarters. Then toss in a bulb's worth of whole peeled garlic - just separate the cloves. Then pour in one can of drained and rinsed white cannelini beans, 2 handfuls of unpeeled tiny potatoes, 2 tsp chili powder or a large pinch of red pepper flakes (we used chili powder), drizzle some olive oil over it all and place in the oven, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours. You won't believe the flavor of roasted basil! Here is a picture of Dan's cooked dish below - I took the pic after we had already dished ours up so it's not as pretty. Enjoy!<br />
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Now for the best Apricot jam (my favorite jam flavor) you will ever eat and so easy! This is a recipe from Provence and there's a secret to it. Here goes:<br />
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<b>5 pounds of apricots</b> - rinse, halve and pit - no peeling! Save <b>12-15 of the pits</b> - this is critical! Now, crack each pit open with a nut cracker to reveal the almond like nut inside - set those aside and throw all the other pits and shells away. <br />
In a large, heavy bottomed pot toss in the apricots, the nuts and <b>3 3/4 cups of sugar</b>. Turn heat up to medium and then stand at the stove stirring constantly for about 45 minutes to one hour while you read a book standing up (or sitting if you can pull up a tall stool). That's what I did and it was fun. The sugar will dissolve and the apricots will melt into a puree. Do not let mixture ever burn or stick to bottom of pot. It will <b>thicken dramatically.</b> Once it does, transfer the jam into a large bowl and let it sit over night. I covered it with plastic once it was cool. 24 hours later put the jam back into a pot and heat it until it is hot and starts to bubble (this takes just minutes), it will remain really thick. Pour or spoon hot jam in to half pint jars and process 10 minutes in boiling water. The nuts soften and break up as you cook the jam and their flavor is delicious when you get a bite of one but they do not alter the flavor of the apricots but they do enhance it somehow. You will notice there is no pectin or lemon juice added to this recipe. In the 2 pics below you can see the apricot nut meats.<br />
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It gets really thick! Now, pour it into a bowl as you see below and give it a 24 hour rest on the counter.<br />
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Reheat until it starts to bubble and then pour in to jars and process 10 minutes.<br />
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I made raspberry jam from my Kingston harvest the same day I processed the apricot. <br />
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A couple more pretty things - I bought two sun dresses at the St. Remy market and they hit a couple inches above my knee and I wanted them a little longer so as I have been doing a lot to dresses that I prefer to be longer, I embellish the hems with trimming and give them a customized look. Here is what I did to a red one you see me wearing below and then the green one on the ironing board. <br />
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They both look so cute and the lengths are perfect! Joanne's has tons of great trimmings. <br />
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You know I have 7 stock tanks in our yard that we grow veggies in right? Well, here is another use (wheel turning in my head) for one that we found at the coolest nursery in Kennebunk - Snug Harbor Farm - such a wonderful nursery and little animal farm that specializes in topiary (of herbs and annuals) and succulents - I adore both. Here are some examples of their nursery stock:<br />
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You can see the lavender and rosemary topiary on the left side above. <br />
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Look at what they have done to Coleus! <br />
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I highly recommend a field trip for you New Englanders to this nursery/farm in Kennebunk ME!<br />
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And lastly, just for fun, I opened up one of the the blue bird houses in my long border after the bird family had vacated to see what their apartment looked like. Pretty cool huh? Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-16564017468452396302017-07-27T21:28:00.000-04:002017-07-29T11:17:41.441-04:00The Dream That Cost Fifteen Pounds Of Flesh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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WARNING: As with most of my posts lately, done once a month or so, it's a long one but a fun one! <br />
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Dan and I recently returned from a trip to Provence that was unlike any one we have heretofore taken and I am happy to write about it because I want to keep living it for awhile as it was very hard to come home. That trip however, came at a price beyond its monetary one. You see, I made a deal with myself and Dan for that particular adventure; I earned it - it wasn't a done deal until I met a goal. We wouldn't have gone if a certain date arrived and I hadn't kept my end up. Everything was cancelable or refundable up to a certain date. This was a dream trip of mine, my own little fantasy - Dan just came along for the ride. <br />
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You see me going in to the Boulangerie above? Those are the kind of places that got me in to trouble in the first place. Back in March when we were waiting at a train station headed for NYC, I was sitting next to Dan and I had an epiphany - maybe that's not the correct word but whatever. Out of the blue I turned to him and said "I have to lose ten pounds or I am going to die of misery". He looked at me like "whaattt???" "Yes, I can't stand this piece of flab that torments me from the back of my waist that I can feel constantly puffed up at the top of my pants, underwear, spanx, shorts, whatever and ten pounds is keeping me from true happiness, a fitted shirt, and optimal health (enter drama)." He replies (as he must, but he means it) "no you don't, you look great to me". Those ghastly two words - "to me" that compute in my mind as "I don't mind if you're a little chubby". No really, I tell him that I have got to lose 10 lbs or I can't travel anymore as it is the travel eating that has put that flab there and I can't stand it anymore - this is something that I can control and it's been bothering me for too long but I hate dieting, I detest dieting, I don't overeat as a rule and have cared for my weight and health all of my adult life because I can't stand dieting (or feeling chubby) but after five years of marriage to a travel loving husband, the back fat had slowly crept on (though I lose 5 of it every spring doing yard work and then slowly put it back until the following spring) and that means I have to go on a diet!!!!! I need something awesome to reach for, something out of the ordinary, something to give me the strength to do something I absolutely dread and as I am telling him this, the answer is already in my head and as I say it out loud I feel that it is ridiculous and selfish and a total waste of money but I say it anyway expecting the same line of thinking from him (ridiculous, selfish and a total waste of money) but to my surprise he answers "if that's what it takes, I think it sounds like an interesting and enjoyable reward and I'll go with you". What I suggested rather tentatively is that perhaps if we could spend a week to 10 days living like locals in some Provencal village in a cute little apartment where we had to buy our bread and vegetables fresh every morning and sit in squares and read books and watch people and pretend we lived there and just took it easy and slow everyday instead of the frenetic type of exploring we normally do, well maybe that could work (pause and hold my breath). And his wonderful answer to which he added, "come up with a place and a plan". That was too easy. Now came the hard part. <br />
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Provence in south eastern France is where I really wanted to do this and I found a very reasonable apartment in the charming, not-too-small, not- too-big town of St. Remy that I booked in early April and was cancelable at no charge on or before June 26th - my day of reckoning. This apartment was perfectly situated at the entrance to the centuries old down town on the floor above a bistro in a stone building on a street lined with ancient sycamore trees right next to the town fountain where three roads intersect. When we arrived, we realized that we couldn't have found a sweeter location as that intersection is where all the fun begins and the free public parking was just two blocks away (parking along the streets is almost impossible so this close-by parking area was a big deal). We bought our airline tickets as well and after we got back from Japan in late April I officially started "the diet". I hung a picture of a very lovely woman in a tasteful bikini (no puff of flesh above that waist band!) that I found in an Athleta catalog with a large paper strip attached to the top that read PROVENCE on a wall in our bathroom and carefully planned how I would live on 1200 calories per day with absolutely no cheating starting April 24th. Not a crash diet by any means but low enough for slow and steady results. I was so motivated that I almost enjoyed the diet and in 9 weeks I had lost not ten, but fifteen pounds! Back fat gone (and my chest). <br />
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Our apartment was above the Bistrot Des Alpilles - the first three windows right above it. In spite of being above a bistro, we never heard noise from it at all and never from the other three occupied apartments. Our entrance was behind it down a cute alley and every day we emerged from it on to this shop lined street you see below.<br />
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The first thing we did every morning of those seven glorious days was to walk to the boulangerie and buy our bread - whole wheat demi baguette for me and croissants for Dan. Then we returned to our apartment and I made my hot chocolate that I drink every morning of my life if possible on the stove top while eating an apricot and a fig or slice of melon and then I would sit down with my mug of ambrosia and eat my demi-baguette with butter and local apricot jam and catch up on social media and mail. <br />
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Then we left our abode, parting ways, each with our own morning plan until meeting up for lunch at some cafe or bistro. The first couple days we had lunch in St. Remy but after that we drove to a different nearby village each day to acquaint ourselves with our area. In one neighboring village, Maussane Les Alpilles, we ate lunch in the town square at an outdoor table and then we visited the local coop to buy a couple bottles of olive oil that we read in several books was reported to be the best in Provence - thank you Patricia Wells and Peter Mayle. <br />
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This was my favorite square of the many in the village - it's in a residential area while the other dozen or so are not and I would go there and read or just sit during the after lunch hours while people were home in those houses and I could listen to their voices (and the cicadas) and smell the wonderful food smells coming out their windows while they had their siesta. Dan's favorite square below was in the heart of the town and always crowded and busy and he spent part of every day there reading and people watching. That is invariably where we would meet up too after our separate adventures.<br />
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There's Dan first thing in the morning before the throngs arrived to fill up every cafe chair, table and bench. Kids and dogs would run around the center. Below he took this picture of "his" square and his book that he texted to me while I was hours away a-lavendering. <br />
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Another square taken while we were on our morning bread run. </div>
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My favorite dinner of all (and every dinner was fabulous - we ate in St. Remy each night at a different restaurant going for the typical regional dishes) was below you see rabbit thigh and leg with an amazing mustard glaze over a polenta cake and a tomato eggplant compote on the side. The sauce/glaze was exquisite! <br />
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Every decent sized village in Provence has a weekly outdoor market - you can find online postings of what day of the week they are held and Wednesday has been St. Remy's day for forever and it's year 'round. We dashed to it right after breakfast and spent about three hours drooling over the offerings. What an abundance of fresh produce, herbs and spices, soap, perfume and other beauty products, lavender products, meat (raw and some being roasted), seafood, olives, clothes, hats, shoes, belts, jewelry, books, records, jams, jellies, honey, linens, knives, breads, cheese, olive oils, etc etc - the most wonderful market I've ever attended - it was extensive; it spanned blocks and blocks of the town!<br />
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Apricots! So ripe, all of them. I ate about a half dozen apricots every day of that trip - they were so so so good!<br />
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Now to the apartment:<br />
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Dan looking over the main road from our balcony our first morning.<br />
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Here are some pictures of our apartment below:<br />
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The main church in town and below you can see that they are honoring my namesake. Yes, my mom named me after Saint Therese. She was a good Catholic girl, my mom. <br />
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Melons for sale in the town of Pernes Les Fontaines. <br />
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I spent one entire day chasing lavender fields all over the areas I had read they would be blooming. Dan did not join me on this adventure - he said he didn't want to interfere or hinder me in any way as he knew I would be driving all over the country side on a mission to see as much lavender as I could (and frankly he doesn't really care about lavender fields ) and buy freshly distilled lavender essential oil, lotions, soap, perfume etc!. And eat ice cream for my lunch in the tiny town of Cereste at Scaramouche. I read about this ice cream in Elizabeth Bard's book - "Lunch in Provence" - she (an American) and her husband (a French man) created it. The ice cream did not disappoint! Dan took this picture of me below as I set out for my adventure (and to document my dress of the day) - I was so excited I could hardly stand it! <br />
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Lavender planted in someone's front yard near the town of Apt.<br />
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Where I ate lunch - ice cream! Dark Chocolate and salted caramel.<br />
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Lavender fields seen from the hilltop town of Viens. <br />
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I pulled off the road and stopped to watch the lavender harvesting here and the smell in the air - oh my gosh!!<br />
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I got chased out of this field by the farmer - I was only taking a picture and I apologized and then he laughed and waved me off. <br />
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This is a huge pile of lavender that has been put through the distillery process and it becomes compost. I learned about this in the Lavender Museum in the town of Coustellet.<br />
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Another day, another lavender field. This one is behind the Sanatorium in St. Remy where Vincent Van Gogh stayed while he was recovering from a depressed and dark time of his life and where he painted Starry Night and dozens more of his famous ones. The sanatorium is still functioning but the room and wing where he resided is open to the public. It's a gorgeous place as are the gardens and he was very inspired there.<br />
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Uncomfortable looking bed but look at the view from his room below:<br />
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On my lavender day I also discovered something very unexpected - I had driven to the very remote village of Simiane la Rotonde and I decided to tour the remnants of a castle/chateau in that town - a town of very narrow, steep stone streets. When I entered the reception area, the young french girl hearing my American accent asked me if I was with "Young Living". What? Isn't that a Provo, Utah, company that sells essential oils I asked her, (the competitor of DoTerra oils of the same town and marketing formula)? Well, I walked all over the castle remains and then climbed some winding stone stairs to the "aromatherapy school" where a class was in session (the big spiel actually) and lo and behold, the room and castle belong to Young Living! The Utah based creator of this company owns the castle and some of the town and all the farm land below that grows lavender and other plants from which the essential oils are distilled. How funny to find a Provo, Utah, company with part of its holdings here in this remote area of Provence. All my kids and some of Dan's went to school in Provo and I know many people who are totally into essential oils from those two companies - that's why I found it so funny and unexpected! Well people - you can know that your oils come from real provencal plants and are authentic!<br />
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Above - the Young Living aromatherapy center at the chateau and the YL farm below. That cluster of buildings you see on the hillside above the farm is the town of said chateau/castle/aromatherapy school.<br />
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One day we drove to the sea about an hour away from St. Remy to the town of Cassis. After walking all around the town we took a boat ride to see the calanques, cove-like inlets that look like fingers on the map and in each calanque is a beach, some reachable by car but others only by boat or steep walking trail. <br />
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Look closely and you'll see people using that huge smooth rock as their beach. <br />
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I went into the water at the local beach in Cassis expecting it to be warm since it's July in the Mediterranean in the south of France and it was as cold or colder than our current New Hampshire ocean temperature - I was shocked!<br />
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Besides the Lavendering day and the day in Cassis, we generally stayed in "our town" doing all sorts of activities that St. Remy had to offer and really taking it easy and becoming very acquainted with that town and all of its streets, shops, many restaurants, museums, squares and other nooks and crannies. Our final day though we decided to explore the northern edge of Provence and a bunch of pretty towns I had read about while lounging in my own square reading the Michelin guide to Provence. What a delightful excursion that was and I kept saying over and over as we drove the picture perfect roads through stoney villages and farms and vineyards and orchards all so tidy and pristine that I did not want to go home and go back to my sad and hard life. Just kidding - my life is really wonderful! You know what I mean though - living a fantasy is pretty delightful and it was ending too soon!<br />
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Espadrilles - very inexpensive and comfortable - men and women wear them (that's a male above) and they come in so many colors and patterns. I bought a pair like that gentleman's. <br />
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Don't you want to see what is behind that door? I certainly do. <br />
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The roads everywhere are lined with Sycamore trees or as they call them over there, Plane trees. Every time we got in the car and drove through them I took pictures from my car seat - I have dozens of tree pictures.<br />
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This is a picture of the first dress I wore on the trip - I wore a dress every day and so did most of the females - both locals and tourists - it was fun to look at everyone's dresses and pretty sandals and espadrilles - the wrap-around-your-ankle espadrilles. <br />
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Two last dress pics and then they are all documented for this post/journal entry. I want to remember what I wore those wondrous eight days! <br />
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The best part of all is that, since this post is all about what fifteen pounds got me, is that I didn't gain an ounce on this trip believe it or not! I ate three amazing meals every day that included bread, butter, sauces, meats, fruits, veggies - lots of veggies etc but no snacking in between meals, no pastries, no chocolate, no junk - I wasn't hungry for them nor did I need them. I only had ice cream once and that was for lunch in Cereste. I was not dieting at all - I was simply eating like the French do (minus the wine). In the late afternoon I might eat a couple of apricots or figs because we didn't eat dinner until 7:30 or 8 pm but that's it. Hooray! Dan didn't gain any weight either - bippity! I also find this very embarrassing to write about - weight, dieting, like TMI. Like too personal. Sorry.<br />
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(Dan's square late at night) <span style="font-size: large;">A BIENTOT </span>PROVENCE!!!!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-5977601421067379312017-07-02T21:34:00.000-04:002017-07-02T21:34:13.500-04:00Then And Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's July 2, Sunday, very warm and sunny, a Sunday afternoon and I've gone to church, eaten leftover phantomberry ice cream from last night's run to the Beach Plum with Dan and Caleb, read from my library book on the back porch, lain in the grass near the long border next to Scotty the mini schnauzer while gazing at gorgeous flowers in bloom, played in the yard a lot with said schnauzer, daydreamed in the hammock while looking up at the sky through the very tall maples, eaten steak and salad and my cold beverage of choice - Diet Mtn Dew mixed with Diet Dr Pepper and now it's time to play catch up. I have several before and afters to show you. I'll start with this chair above. It's an old chair that comes from Dan's former home and life and we gave it a new life here in Rye in the smoking room (aka family room) in a bold new pattern and with new feet. We just got it back from the upholsterer. I love it! Here's a before -<br />
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It's the beige thing if you haven't already figured that out. The vibrant blue print is a great contrast to the oranges and yellows in that cozy room. I didn't take real before pics of the chair - that's why you're getting these lame ones. <br />
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The dining room also got a makeover. While the red walls were really lovely as were the drapes, the house came that way (kinda - I repainted the red - it was super raspberry red before and I made it more bricky red called Segovia Red by Ben Moore) and we wanted to make our own. I found drapes online and had some customized to fit and then I customized the rest myself stapling them to cornices and adjusting widths and lengths. I had painted more test paints than you see on the picture below - jars of Benjamin Moore, Farrow and Ball and Sherwin Williams samples and none were right. I was looking for a french blue I had posted about that I saw in a french country house. I happened to go to Lowe's for some gadget and browsed their paint section and lo and behold I found a paint chip called French Blue Room and it appeared to be what I had been searching for so I tried it out and it was the winner! Glidden Diamond French Blue Room. <br />
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The inspiration color<br />
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Aren't those paintings just delicious on the blue paint?<br />
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As are those plates and that blue on blue painting.<br />
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I probably put too many pics up but I want you to see every perspective. I walk through that room dozens of times per day and it really makes me happy. <br />
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I've been over at the Kingston house almost daily for the past few weeks painting and washing windows and some yard work. The place is fresh and sparkling now and I have a carpenter and a painter doing some repairs to the exterior. I found out that the septic system to the main house failed its test so I have to have a new one installed (gulp) and the oil tank is underground so that is being dug up and new tanks installed in the cellar. There'll be some scars to the landscape from these two projects but it can't be helped - hopefully just involving grassy areas and not many shrubs or trees. Here are some pictures of the empty house.<br />
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The former tenants had painted one bedroom this emerald green and another a very pale pink. I repainted them a blue gray and a green gray.<br />
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This green here looks minty but it is not at all - I had flood lights on so I could see details on a cold dark rainy painting day. Below are the afters.<br />
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The new gray green.<br />
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Dane's former room.<br />
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The blue gray (Heath's former room)<br />
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Here is my former bedroom below - it is two rooms connected to each other and includes a master bathroom as well. I had my old office painted a lavender color and the bed part a periwinkle blue. Here is one before of the former lavender color and the afters.<br />
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the photos make this paint out to be a bit more lavender than it really is.<br />
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My daughter's former bedroom - she was into pumpkiny - orange and I have just left it as it is and only refreshed the wood work. <br />
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Looking in to the dining room and living room - that color is Guilford Green by Benjamin Moore - I kept that color and just repainted it and all the wood work. <br />
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The library. <br />
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The family room - a very large room with a fabulous soapstone wood stove. <br />
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I'll post pics of the rest of the house after the carpenter switches out a few lighting fixtures and it's turn key pretty. Not bad for a house built in 1765.<br />
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Above and below - the barn yard is tidy and pretty.<br />
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Look at the yellow cottage reflected in the barn window.<br />
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And the lavender is just about to bloom. Actually, it's blooming now - I took this a week ago and I was there yesterday and it is a solid haze of deep purple right now and I'm ready to harvest. The raspberries are starting to come on and the fruit trees are so full and weighted down that many branches are resting on the ground. It's like a mini farm over there! Now, here's what I did in my Rye yard recently. I tore out the very front pre-existing shrub border (that we hated) that fronts the circular driveway and I put in a very pleasing (to my eye) design. The original border when we bought the house was a rhododendron flanking the porch, three miss kim lilacs (they bloom and smell divine for five minutes and then they are just an ugly shrub the rest of the growing season so I don't like them), a hosta, and another rhody bookending the border and they all seemed the same height. I took out the hosta and last rhody the first season and added a carol mackie daphne and a burgundy japanese maple while I contemplated what I would eventually do. I took out the miss kims, moved the daphne over a bit, enlarged the area by digging up some grass and rebricking and then I went after a design with varying heights, texture, color, and differing blooms time. I put in some zinnias at the very front for color since the new shrubs are just youngsters as some filler was needed until they all eventually grow and flow into one another just a bit. Here are the pics.<br />
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Before the final re do.<br />
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One final Before above - now look below - so much better!</div>
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They're all small right now but when they grow up it will be fabulous!<br />
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This hydrangea paniculata type is called "Bobo" - not too tall - squatty and so floriferous!<br />
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Doesn't sun king aralia look divine underneath the purple ghost japanese maple?<br />
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We painted all of our wicker porch furniture a fresh coat of white about 10 days ago. <br />
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I'll explain the red thing in a second.<br />
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In the mudroom we had been keeping our frequently worn shoes in this antique box - sneakers, flip flops, yard shoes etc. <br />
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I came home from working over at the Kingston house the evening of our anniversary a couple weeks ago to find that Dan had built me a shoe case! I was so thrilled and surprised! So we painted it red and here it is and all is organized as we like things to be. <br />
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The top bedding was changed to the summer season ensemble June 21 - see below. Blue, white and mint green. The white always remains but the pillows and coverlet change each season. <br />
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And here are some pictures of what the yard is doing although it changes daily - these pictures are from last week and everything is way bigger and lusher.<br />
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The Monet nasturtium area has grown 3x as large since this picture but remember what it will look like next month (as it did last year)?<br />
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So that's it for now folks! I also have one more before and after that I won't really post much about as it's really only discernible to me (and probably Dan) but I've lost 15 lbs in the last 9 weeks from a combination of some effort and major seasonal physical activity at the Kingston house and my own place. I had a bit of discomfort around my waist area (like back waist fat!) and felt a little more curvy than I wanted to be (winter travel eating!) and it's a situation totally in my control so I said enough! I'll tell the story of the motivation in the very near future - when I get back from the place that was my driving force. I love stories like that! <br />
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I get pretty embarrassed to do stuff like this but here I am in Sunday dress. Dressed in red, white and blue (and red shoes too) for America's birthday. <br />
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Yard peony (with some yard dirt) in a tiny japanese bowl. Good bye for now!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-86651472857571860602017-06-18T22:09:00.000-04:002017-06-21T17:15:03.516-04:00June Joie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In spite of so much rain and gloomy skies this June month, my yard is sure bright, cheery and lush. And last year's drought is officially over. Let's take a little tour. I love the large blue pot above nestled in a shady nook in the long border with giant japanese painted fern, variegated jacob's ladder, hosta and persicaria surrounding it. Hundreds of tall white flowering tobacco seedlings cover the ground among these plants, gifts from last years blooms. I have neglected the fine weeding here because I don't want to disturb the seedlings until they are large enough to hang on while I pull out the unwanted invaders. I have thick patches of foxglove babies doing the same thing in other parts of the long border where I have to wait to fine weed until they can also stand on their own while I do it. I am finicky about having weed free flower beds so it's agony to let it look a bit unkempt here and here until it's worth doing to save the desirable plants and thin them out too.</div>
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Last year some creature ate all the oriental poppies just as they were about to bloom, but this year, thankfully, none were devoured so right now they are huge and lovely. Just look at those deep purple eyes!<br />
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I love the globemaster allium against the weeping purple beech bush here. I am definitely adding more globemaster next year - the 12 in the front yard border have been blooming on thick strong stems for about a month - they are glorious!<br />
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This picture is in about the third week of May and I thought they looked wonderful then but look at them below a month later - thicker, fatter, rounder, taller - these are winners!<br />
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That whole semi circle was last year's remodel - every summer since we bought this property I have been undoing the landscaping that existed. Most plants in the yard seemed to be planted without thought to light needs, bloom time, mature size etc. One of the mistakes many people make (and I've done it myself a time or two) is you go to a nursery where every plant is blooming and compact and you plant a border and next year you find that nothing is blooming at the same time like it was when you planted it and then you find as you let things grow that they start blocking your windows, over taking their plant neighbors or blooming all at once and then there's nothing but monotonous mid green the rest of the season. You need all different sizes, textures, leaf color, bloom times etc for continuous visual interest. You can see examples of that in the above picture. And don't ignore the mature size indicated on the plant tags! <br />
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Cranesbill in front of Astrantia. <br />
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Josephine clematis<br />
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This is a newly "remodeled" border that I will talk about in my next post - a fun post that will feature a bunch of recent before and afters. <br />
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Kitchen patio area - this area gets a lot of shade except for the hot spot in the middle of the stone by the table so I put sun loving annuals and herbs for a continuous punch of color.<br />
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The "trees" in that flower bed are lilacs that bloomed heavily and for a very long time this spring. I prune them heavily to keep them leggy and see through. <br />
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This Christmas cactus up in the Ocean room is confused about the month.<br />
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The driveway island border from the third floor. Those tiny dots of color around the perimeter of that border are supertunias. They were started from seed so I am counting on them getting a growth spurt soon when the real heat kicks in and creating a color carpet all the way around. <br />
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These allium are in the island border but you can't see that they are there when looking from three stories above.<br />
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This is the "golf porch" bed I put in last year - it's looking lovely with all that texture and color variety.<br />
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This picture was taken in late May - it has filled in substantially since then. <br />
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This border above and below used to be sparse grass among the very tall and old oaks and maples that run along the stone wall that separates us from the golf course. We cleaned out the grass, cut an outline and mulched it heavily to create a clean line. Hosta had been planted all over the yard mostly in hot sunny areas by previous owners so I moved almost all of them over to this border that gets a half day of shade. I call this border the wild border since lily of the valley, lady bells and lilies run rampant. I also plant things over here temporarily when I have moved them from other parts of the property. Like evergreen shrubs I am not sure I want to keep. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2LAjm0GIu1c5ktGefdqIthlxvUGCdkKtJOvNx__VW4XLZf3uhpXzvW7nCYhtoz9GGHCEOnCknVEQ4ztSFGE1OAoAIt8-3MyK9l9yqm50gDj2xDNF-QI44VrvlXU7Ao2RhQas9-h496M/s1600/IMG_3474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2LAjm0GIu1c5ktGefdqIthlxvUGCdkKtJOvNx__VW4XLZf3uhpXzvW7nCYhtoz9GGHCEOnCknVEQ4ztSFGE1OAoAIt8-3MyK9l9yqm50gDj2xDNF-QI44VrvlXU7Ao2RhQas9-h496M/s640/IMG_3474.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Above and below are excellent plants for continuous color with no bloom necessary. These are exciting new varieties of Barberry. The green version of this plant is considered invasive in New Hampshire and you can't find or buy the burgundy version anymore at nurseries. I found these three - cinnamon, citrus and tangelo- through Home Depot online. I found them at other mail order nurseries out in the west but they were prohibited to ship them to New Hampshire. Home Depot did ship them and they came just like this - big and healthy. <br />
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Look at the color of this Azalea! It is growing in a yard down the street from our house. We happen to have a small one growing in the wild border and once it gets big enough, I am going to prune it to grow in to this tree shape. </div>
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This rose is called Bulleye and it's smothered with blooms right now!<br />
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This is the first yellow peony developed. I bought it last year and it's already covered in big fat buds. This one was the first to open.<br />
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Geum is so cheery and has a long bloom time.<br />
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A peony that I had planted a couple years ago was finally covered with buds for its first bloom year ever. I accidently broke off a branch of the teeny tiny buds and almost cried when I did it but I put them in a little vase of water and they opened up a few days later - I didn't know they would do that when the buds were still so tiny and immature. <br />
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So here is what is going on in the garden over at the original Yellow House. I have been over there almost daily doing yard work and painting rooms as I prepare to put the property on the market later this summer. You will see befores and afters in my next post. My son Heath and his wife Emma rent the barn apartment and they have made a pretty garden this year with their stock tanks. Also, the roses in that border below are what were once ramblers that grew thirty feet each and just grew in to each other a made an impenetrable and unprunable wall of pain over time. A couple years ago I cut them all down to the ground thinking I would dig them up but the root systems were so deep and thick that I couldn't so I left them in the ground. I discovered that cutting ramblers down each year after blooming does no harm and they just bounce back and stay a manageable shrub size with a heavy bloom. <br />
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Those are the ramblers now shrub sized and getting ready to bloom.<br />
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This is Rosamundi - one of the oldest named roses in cultivation - from the 1600s. She is a once bloomer and smells amazing!<br />
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The 14 fruit trees are loaded over there too! As are the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. I hope I can harvest everything one more time before the place sells.<br />
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Apples - four trees<br />
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pears - two trees<br />
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Peaches - three trees<br />
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Apricots - two trees. The plum tree and two cherry trees are full of developing fruit as well.<br />
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I mulched this border along the cottage rental "Arizona" style as my son Heath calls it. It's pea stone and moss. <br />
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And to end this post, here is a picture of my love, my husband of five wonderful years who helps me with yard work both here at our home and at the old yellow house property as well. He hates yard work more than any other activity so I always make fun of his whining as he does it.<br />
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I love you Dan Man! Thank you!<br />
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Stay tuned for a dining room before and after, a newly remodeled shrub border along our drive way and some freshening up in several bedrooms at the old yellow house. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-60416365730034755302017-05-16T21:07:00.001-04:002017-05-16T21:32:35.949-04:00Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before I talk about this wonderful trip we took to Japan, I should also mention a few fun things about Hawaii, after all, we connected that to our Japan trip for two reasons: spend a great week with family, namely the Barentsens - Kara, Chris, Ellie and Tate, and it also helped to have a break in up-in-the air time. We flew to San Francisco airport where we met up with the B Family and left directly for Oahu. It was a very long flying day for me and Dan with two very long flights and a three hour layover in SF. Anyway, we had a blast with them spending four days on Oahu and four days in Kauai. Here are some pictures.<br />
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We stayed at the Westin Resort on the North Shore of Oahu. The kids got in the water the second we put our suitcases down. <br />
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I took an hour walk every morning up here - the resort (I'm guessing) owns many many acres with lots of trails both in the woods and along the shore. <br />
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That's one tree that keeps spreading via branches that hang down and root. Banyan Tree<br />
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I discovered acai bowls here and wondered how I have lived without! I ate one every day of our trip and part of every day's planning was finding where I would get my next bowl!<br />
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Another trail.<br />
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At the Dole Plantation gardens<br />
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Another BOWL<br />
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In case you didn't know this, all the Hawaiian islands have wild chickens running around, many times with a brood of baby chicks following the mamas. They are as plentiful and common as squirrels are here in New England and soon it became very normal to see them everywhere - strip malls, the beach, restaurant doorways, walking by resort pools, etc. <br />
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Above and below - The amazing Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie. Top notch place - young, lovely, talented people keeping their island cultures alive and sharing them with the world. So fun, so professional and beautiful. <br />
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Above and below - these young men climbed up this very tall coconut tree like it was nothing and then remaining perched while a narrator talked on and on and I wondered how they could maintain their strength. <br />
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Our Chris (in the middle) got chosen out of the audience to participate with three other guys. Then a couple weeks later, my son-in-law Mark got pulled out of the audience as well when he and Gabe visited. Those two have the kind of faces (and personalities) for getting chosen. <br />
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The Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. So lovely - we walked the grounds before we headed to the PCC. It got a wee stormy for a few minutes as you can see from the sky.<br />
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And another BOWL!<br />
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And another bowl ...<br />
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Taro fields in Kauai.<br />
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My final bowl! :(<br />
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The Barentsens paddle boarding - Dan and I were in front of them in a kayak. <br />
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Good bye gorgeous Hawaii!<br />
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Okay, now here is Japan.<br />
My first impression when I arrived in Tokyo was the delightful toilet in the airport! Combo toilet, bidet, bum spray (with settings) and dryer. I was to discover that these toilets are the norm for Japan; houses, restaurants, public parks, gas stations, every where. (And they have the old timey squatters too - I had to use one once when all the western style were occupied and I couldn't wait). We first stayed for three nights at the Palace Hotel in Tokyo right across the street from the Imperial Palace. Cherry blossom season had just begun. It was to be mainly overcast with periods of rain and in the 50s temperature wise for much of our time there.<br />
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I'm just going to tell you what I learned about Japan that was new to me plus my impressions and then I will add a bunch of pictures. And I have to say that I can't imagine how I would have traveled in that country without Dan as my companion - he doesn't speak Japanese as well as he used to when he lived there for almost three years as a missionary, but he remembered enough to get us places, ask directions, order food, exchange pleasantries with locals, make purchases, you know, survival speak. Actually, I was pretty impressed at how well he still could speak and how authentic his Japanese sounded to my ears. <br />
1. They are the politest people in the world - such kindness, manners and respect, at least as far as I know.<br />
2. They bow to you from the waist to greet you, speak to you, acknowledge you, say goodbye to you and serve you. <br />
3. Everyone dresses very nice everywhere you go. Most professionals, men and women, wear navy suits. The girls and women dress up no matter where they go - most seemed to be in skirts. The young girls wore a lot of skirts with converse or adidas type sneakers. I saw no weird hair colors (except for a very few teen boys who went orangey blond), practically no tattoos nor multiple body piercings. No one walks around in "ath-leisure" unless they are jogging. All the women and girls wear makeup. (Now I am saying "all" a lot which means very few exceptions). And beautiful makeup - eyeliner and lipstick especially. I loved all the different school's school uniforms - the students were so fun to look at too! The people seem to consider their outside appearance just as carefully and honorably as they do their gardens and homes and public places. It was glorious to behold and I took many pictures of just people and how wonderful it was to be to see pride of appearance. It made me realize by contrast how grungy and sloppy my country and many others are in dress, hair, property etc.<br />
4. Japan is the cleanest country I have ever seen - if you drop your ice cream cone on a parking garage floor you can wipe it off (just to be safe) and eat it - ha! - that's how clean that place is! I never saw one cigarette butt, one plastic bottle, one tiny piece of trash on the ground - EVER. And I looked! The rivers, the canals that seems to run along the streets of so many cities and towns - no trash. We were waking across the street in Tokyo's "Times Square" and it was a sea of people, thousands of people crossing the street with us (and there were no crazy, grungy people wandering about), not a spec of trash on that incredibly populated street. There were many foreigners visiting to see the cherry blossoms but even they (and us) honored that pristine culture and did no littering. The country is very heavily populated and so the houses are built very close together but still you see only neatness; no piles of stuff in the yards, no garbage, no kid's toys, half empty bags of potting soil, no bikes laying around, cars on blocks - you get the idea! Oh how easy on the eyes it was looking at everything and everybody (except the weird food in the markets). <br />
5. The Toilets! Dan and I are looking to install one in our bathroom or the powder room on the first floor for "public" use. <br />
6. The gardens! The gardens seem to me not so much about flowers but more about trees, shrubs, moss, stone, water - places of peace, order, composition, texture and of course beauty. The cherry blossom trees grow along all rivers, all canals, yards, public streets, parks, lots, dotting the hills, everywhere. I imagine autumn must be just as spectacular because there are japanese maples planted everywhere as well and they show incredible color. <br />
7. The Japanese eat really weird food - especially sea food. I don't mean to be disrespectful - the feeling is probably reciprocal and not to be taken personally. Many food items in the markets were unidentifiable to me especially the dried foods. Rice of course, lots of seaweed, pickled vegetables, and fish, fish, fish! And their beautiful pastries are filled with sweetened bean puree. Beans - cooked, sweetened and pureed and placed within a rice paste shell - exquisite to look at but a strange sensation to eat. I couldn't appreciate the two that I ate. At one of our hotels where we ate from the international breakfast buffet, there was an area for local foods - one of the dishes looked like a big bowl of tiny gray worms. The card below it said "white-bait". I looked it up later in the day and white bait (thereafter I saw it in dried piles at markets everywhere) are teeny tiny immature schools of fish (small fry) caught and dried whole. Dan and I stayed at an authentic Japanese inn called a Ryokan for a couple nights in the city of Kanazawa and our room included breakfast and dinner. Meals were to be served to us by one woman (who served us on her knees) in our own little closed off room with low table and cushions. I was stunned at our first dinner - nine courses and eight of those courses were fish - mostly raw accompanied by pickled veggies and seaweed. I was so stressed out during that meal because I really am not crazy about fish in general and I don't care for raw fish at all. I don't care for sushi. The dessert was a lovely looking sweet bean filled pastry that just didn't taste right. Breakfast the following morning was very similar and I truly started to cry and feel panicky because I didn't want to offend our hosts. We got out of dinner that night (we ate fried noodles and vegetable pancakes instead downtown) though we had to pay for it anyway and the second breakfast was a little more rice and egg along with fish - I did better with that one. <br />
8. When you make purchases, they are wrapped or bagged so beautifully and then presented to you (with them bowing of course) - it's an art. <br />
9. Banks of vending machines are everywhere - in the most unlikely places too. That's how I bought my Coke Zeros throughout the days. They don't serve much soda at restaurants.<br />
10. I'd guess that one out of every ten or dozen Japanese people were wearing surgical masks that cover the nose and mouth. Masks were everywhere - on students, restaurant workers, people on the subway, walking down the street, helping us in shops - one young woman gave a talk at our church on Sunday morning and she work a mask while she spoke. I read that it's to keep yourself from spreading your illness or catching someone else's thereby preventing productivity and attendance at work or school. <br />
11. I said "everywhere" a lot in the above summation - sorry.<br />
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The toilet panel!!<br />
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My first glimpse of the cherry blossoms phenomenon.<br />
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Heading in to the street market area of Tokyo<br />
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Did you notice the ground in the three pics above? NO TRASH ANYWHERE<br />
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I don't understand why we just have milk or dark Kit Kats in the US - they offered dozens of flavors in JP. <br />
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Students - see the boy in the mask at the end of the line?<br />
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The wonderful and handy vending machines.<br />
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Walking down street after street of blossoms was so blissful.<br />
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Dan at the entrance to a park and shrine we visited. Those entrances are called Torii and they are at all shrines and as they believe they separate the profane world from the sacred when you walk through.<br />
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Simple gardens in that park.<br />
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The "Times Square" area of Tokyo. It has a different name of course but serves a similar purpose as the one in NYC.<br />
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Can you see Mt. Fuji in the distance. It finally cleared enough that we could see it from our hotel.<br />
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Part of the Imperial Palace grounds.<br />
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Part of an old castle in Kanazawa. <br />
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I just love that orangey red color of the posts against the pale pink blossoms.<br />
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Garden in Kanazawa.<br />
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When we arrived to our Ryokan in Kanazawa, they served us thick matcha tea (which we didn't drink - I smelled it and it smelled like fresh mown grass) and a bean filled pastry.<br />
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Waiting for our dinner - I'm smiling broadly because I have no idea what is coming.<br />
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Our first course - fish and shrimp that we were able to cook on these extremely hot stones. I used those stones to cook as much fish that came in the next courses for as long as the stone remained hot - they weren't meant for any other courses but I could not eat the raw fish that you see below. The two little bowls in the back had brown squid in brown brine that smelled so gross I could not even attempt. The presentation and dishes are truly art and though I didn't eat these things I certainly appreciated the beauty and color. <br />
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I took the tiniest bite of one corner of this head. <br />
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This is our menu on rice paper - we couldn't read it (except Dan's name) but it was so pretty and I kept the flowers, glued them on and kept it.<br />
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Drinking hot chocolate I packed in my suit case before going in to the first difficult breakfast. My hot chocolate was just straight cocoa powder in hot water and stevia. <br />
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Outside our Ryokan doors.<br />
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These three pictures are an art installation at the 21st Century Museum in Kanazawa. When you stand above ground you see water and people down in it with their feet on the ground, walking and moving around. What?? Later, you go down to another floor and you walk in to the pool through a door and look up at the people looking down. It's a real swimming pool but the water is enclosed at the surface in just a couple feet of water between thick glass sheets. So creative! <br />
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This is a place in downtown Kanazawa that saved us from our second scary dinner - fried noodles with cabbage and salt pork - so delicious! And vegetable pancakes. They cook right in front of you and then you eat right off a cooler area of the grill in front of you - no plates necessary. <br />
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I was provided something to wear to dinner.<br />
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Cherry blossoms along every river, every canal. <br />
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Dry riverbed gardens at a shrine. We went to dozens and dozens of shrines.<br />
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Tiny, adorable school children in their uniforms.<br />
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Just in case you can't figure out how to use a western toilet there are instructions in all public restrooms. <br />
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I had to use a squatter just one time.<br />
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Older style buildings in Kyoto.<br />
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I never did figure out what the three food items were in this bowl - Dan didn't know either but he ate his and I took on tiny nibble of each. Strange flavors.<br />
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Seaweed, pickled white radish and I could not identify the red thing.<br />
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Getting my coke zero on the streets above and below - a daily thing, sometimes twice.<br />
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At shrines and at the Ryokan we had to take our shoes off and then step in to them when it was time to put them back on. Barefeet cannot touch where shoes tread.<br />
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Beginning the Philosopher's Walk in Kyoto.<br />
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Groomed stone dust at a shrine.<br />
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Walking barefoot through the halls of the Ryokan.<br />
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Isn't this little girl darling?? I also took a picture of her screaming at her grandfather who was trying to take her stick away.<br />
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We found one of our churches in Kyoto. It was fun to attend even though I didn't understand a word and Dan only some. I did speak Spanish with a young man though after the service - he had served a mission in Chile, like I did, and he told me about his desire to live in Japan even though he can barely speak Japanese and knows no one in that country. It's been his life long dream of his so he's giving it a go. <br />
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I loved admiring all the kimono patterns - I took so many pictures of kimonos.<br />
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This outfit is what many of the girls were wearing - full skirts with sneakers.<br />
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More serene gravel and stone to contemplate.<br />
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In the city of Nara, we walked among the "wild" deer that roam freely in an area of that city close to a very important shrine. They tolerate the humans well.<br />
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This was my last view of Mt. Fuji when we took the train from Kyoto back to Tokyo to catch our flight home. This is a rare rural area - rice fields cover most of the arable land. <br />
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And that's your glimpse into Japan, folks. Thank you for enduring all the pictures, though that's just a handful of what I took. I complained about the food but I really loved loved Japan!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-64003860782860927902017-05-13T18:04:00.002-04:002017-05-15T12:12:13.725-04:00Playing Catch Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dan took this picture of me while he was at a stop light on our way to Boston to see a play. We had barely left our house around noon and I was already asleep. You see, April 1st we went to Hawaii (Oahu and Kauai) and spent eight days with Dan's daughter Kara and her hubby and two kids there and the six hour time difference took almost the entire trip to for me to adjust to and then we left directly for Japan, another 7 hours and losing a whole day. I never did adjust sleep wise in Japan but I sucked it up and after 11 days of that, it took me almost two weeks back in NH to sleep a normal night. Once home I would wake up around 3 am, get up, read, clean, sew etc and then mid afternoon I would not be able to keep my eyes open so I would take a nap that would stretch until my normal bed time. And it made me grouchy! I had so much to blog about with those trips and other happenings but I could not muster the energy to do it - blogging is actually quite a bit of work and time consuming especially when you get so behind. Well, how have I found the time now? I had some nasal/sinus surgery early this week (because of weak nasal walls, deviated septum and the fact that I haven't been able to breathe through my nose while sleeping for years and years unless I pump my sinuses with Afrin and I did and chemicals like paint, fertilizer and second hand cigarette smoke would stuff me up immediately) and I am pretty much house bound due to the face bandage and swollen cheeks and huge bloody pig nose and although I am pretty uncomfortable, I can sit and type. And what an unfortunate time to have a surgery like this but my doctor's and my schedule didn't agree all winter until May. There are so many yard projects I need to be doing here at home and at the Kingston property and I can't do a thing until the bandages are gone and even then, physical exertion puts a lot of pressure on my face. I also have absolutely no sense of smell (therefore no taste) and I only eat when my body screams for it because without those senses, I barely feel hunger either. I am wearing perfume and burning house candles I can't even smell. <br />
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Here's a bit of the face bandage - no way would I show you what it looks like full on - truly, the bandage is so tight that it pushed my nose up like a pigs, exposes my huge nostrils that are stuffed with two plastic tubes each and they are bloody - I keep looking in the mirror and laughing because I look so ridiculous. Before I tell you about Japan, I'll fill you in on what I've been doing at home the last couple of days. <br />
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Yesterday found me in the laundry room at my sewing table hemming old summer play dresses that I found to be too "maxi" and I shortened them either to my knees or ankle length. About 6 dresses in all. Today, I am taking down the existing dining room drapes and hanging (and sewing) some new ones. I am also going to paint the walls a rich medium shade of blue inspired by this picture of a dining room in France below. <br />
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Below are a couple pics of the existing wall color and drapes. I love the red but after four years we want a change. When we bought this house, we changed the paint color of every room but the dining room and the master bedroom. We also kept the drapes in the dining room. It's time to do something new. <br />
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I am stapling the fabric to wooden 1 x 2s and hanging them up by nailing in the wooden piece into the ceiling cornice instead of on curtain rods. <br />
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Here is the first one done. Below I have painted some paint samples on the wall - the bottom one is way too light - I don't remember choosing that light color.<br />
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Now, since I got home from Japan, a couple notable changes have occurred in my life. I was released from my church job as Relief Society President only to be called as the Young Women's President. I had a ton of organizing and planning to do when the change happened including organizing a fundraiser for Girl's Camp. Here are some pictures of that event. What we do is cook a pasta dinner and desserts and have the girls aged 12-18 help us set it up and carry it out. All the attendees bring their best desserts and we hold an auction with those desserts. All proceeds help pay partially or in full the camp tuition for each girl attending and perhaps some of the leaders too. <br />
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For auction: 5.5 pound ganache filled M&M cake<br />
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For auction: Strawberry Cream tart<br />
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For Auction: Blueberry Lemon Cream tart<br />
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For auction: Raspberry Goddess Pie<br />
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For dessert for the adults: Chocolate Bouchons with a dollop of whipped cream and strawberry on tops. All the youth and kids were served sugar cookie bars - a dessert I blogged about a couple posts ago. <br />
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Homemade pasta sauce from our last year's tomato and basil crops frozen or bottled. <br />
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The set up - cheery and cheer!<br />
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Really good rolls from Annarosa's in Salisbury MA. Sourdough with rosemary, coarse salt and olive oil.<br />
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The start of the auction. All youth and kids seem to have disappeared. <br />
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Some of the desserts to be auctioned.<br />
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Here is my 5.5 lb cake on the block. Our auctioneer was Bill Johnson - he was fun!<br />
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All the dishes we had to do when we got home from the pasta/dessert event. The dishwashers were full as well. It was easier to bring them all home than wash them in the tiny church kitchen sink in luke warm water and lack of space and too many people in one room. The auction made around $1300!<br />
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Here are a couple other things that have happened or gotten done during the period post Japan and pre surgery:<br />
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Our pool was opened right when we got home from our trip and Dan has it all clean and balanced and almost ready for swimming. <br />
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This was the long border in my yard mid April right after we got home. I enlarged its width a bit and crisped up the edging. It looks dramatically different now just a few weeks later. By the way, we had a very late winter and now a very late, cool spring. Below is a picture of a weeping cherry tree we just planted at our entrances - we planted two - one of each side - in honor and remembrance of Japan. I had to dig those tulips up to plant the tree and then I put them back in so they look droopy here but they've recovered well. </div>
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In April all the fruit trees were either blooming or getting ready to when I went over to the Kingston property to meet with a carpenter. Fourteen fruit trees loaded with blooms - I think it's going to be a good crop year! Speaking of this yellow house here and red barn - my old stomping grounds - well, my tenant family in the big house told me they are moving out May 31st - the father got a job transfer to northern New Hampshire. They moved in when I moved out 4 years ago! I've decided to sell the whole property - I'm done with being a landlady. This means that my whole summer is going to be consumed preparing that property for sale. I have tons to do!!! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lastly, for this post, I will mention I went to Boston a couple weeks ago to attend the Matisse exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. If you live in the area, you can't miss this! It's scheduled through early July. While in Boston, I visited my son Heath's office at St. James and Arlington, downtown Boston and we went to lunch together too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, here's the catch up and tomorrow, hopefully, while I am playing hooky from church (not really hooky, I am convalescing and bandaged still), I will blog about Japan. I have to talk about that amazing country and culture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a stick of incense from Japan and a piece of pottery from that country - I bought tiny bowls in to which I put bits of flowers and they are placed in various areas of the house. The incense reminds me of shrines and churches - I love that smell!</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-67936832164053651492017-03-30T22:40:00.001-04:002017-03-31T09:38:46.914-04:00March Madness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We recently returned from the islands of St. Martin and St. Bart's (Barthelemy) in the Caribbean and they might be my new favorite islands. We split the week and stayed half on one and half on the other. St. Martin is also known as St. Maarten as roughly one half belongs to the French Republic and the other to the Netherlands. We stayed at a hotel resort on the Dutch side called Belmond La Samanna - it was gorgeous! The picture above is our ascent from St. Martin. Below, is St. Bart's.<br />
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I'll report more on that trip in a minute because we're going to talk about these sugar cookie bars you see below. My friend Danielle gave me the recipe after I sampled them at church during her RS lesson the Sunday before last. I couldn't specify exactly what I had bitten in to other than it was fantastic - the cakey part was a bit sandy and buttery like a cookie yet dense and moist like cake and the buttercream was thick and vanilla perfection. I asked her after her lesson what yellow cake recipe she used as it was not like anything I had ever made and she said that it was a sugar cookie type dough made in to a sheet cake. Not like when you put chocolate chip dough in a 9 x 13 pan and called them blondies though. She sent me the recipe (she found it on a food blog) and I made it immediately. The dough is a little bit wetter than cookie dough and I did make one change to it that I'll note below. <br />
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Here's the recipe: <b>Sugar Cookie Bars</b><br />
1 cup softened butter (unsalted)<br />
1 cup of vegetable oil - here is where I made a change - I don't love oil in cake so I melted butter instead - I've done this every time oil is called for in a cake and it's always turned out great and yes, you beat the softened sticks with melted sticks - your choice though.<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 cup powdered sugar<br />
1 T vanilla<br />
2 eggs<br />
4 1/2 cups flour<br />
1/2 tsp salt (I made it 1 tsp as all the butter I used was unsalted)<br />
1 t cream of tartar<br />
1 t baking soda<br />
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Beat butters, sugars, and vanilla until creamy. Beat in eggs. Add all the dry stuff at once and beat until well mixed. Spread into a greased 9x13 cake pan. The dough was sticky so I wet my hands a bit to smooth it out or you could do this with greased parchment paper by pressing. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes - start checking at 20 and remove when pale golden as you would sugar cookies. Don't over bake. Don't even attempt to frost until the cake is absolutely cool.<br />
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<b>Buttercream</b><br />
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<b>1 cup salted butter softened</b><br />
<b>5 cups powdered sugar</b><br />
<b>1/4 cup milk or cream (I used heavy cream - I love the taste)</b><br />
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<b>Frost and then sprinkle on colored sugar or any other sprinkles/jimmies you desire. These are rich so cut them small for serving. </b><br />
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It was a rainy, raw Saturday just after the sunny island trip when I made the sugar cookie bars so I kept baking and made the intensely peanut butter swirled brownies you see below as well. This is Smitten Kitchen's recipe. Here is the <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2017/03/peanut-butter-swirled-brownies?" target="_blank">LINK</a><br />
Make both of these recipes - they freeze well - even the frosted bars. That's what I did with both after baking them and then having Dan and myself sample for quality control. <br />
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I also made some super easy and healthy pancakes for breakfast this week - I rarely make pancakes but this recipe that I found in a magazine sounded really intriguing and from beginning to on-the-plate ready-to-eat was like 5 minutes. These pancakes are a bit more crepe like in texture than regular flour/leaven pancakes but the flavor is totally pancakey and does not taste like the ingredients - you'll see what I mean. The recipe is a single serve and makes two plate sized or several dollar sized. I made two large ones and ate one one day and ate the other the next day (which I rolled up with cheddar cheese inside and ate as a savory - yummy!) Here's the super easy recipe and for those who care, it's also gluten free.<br />
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<b>Three Ingredient Blender Pancakes</b><br />
<b>1 cup of cottage cheese</b><br />
<b>2 eggs</b><br />
<b>1 cups of old fashioned rolled oats</b><br />
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<b>Put all in blender and whip until liquid. Pour batter onto a hot greased skillet - flip when bubbles form (the bubbles are barely visible unlike regular pancake batter due to lack of leavening). They cook quickly. I ate the warm one with butter and real maple syrup and the next day I used the cold one as a wrap for a cheese sandwich. Delicious sweet or savory - high in protein and fiber, no sugar, GF, scrumptious. </b><br />
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Now back to the island adventure. </div>
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Okay, now back to the Caribbean. Above is the view right outside our patio doors. That huge shell in the bottom right is where we washed our feet off. Below is the gorgeous resort and beach. The whole place had a very European feel - as did the island itself. Most of the inhabitants on either side of the island speak French as their native language. <br />
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This is the path to the beach if you go out our front door instead of the back patio doors.<br />
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The little cove at the end of our beach below.<br />
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This beach above is Grand Case beach. Next time we visit this island, who knows when, we are going to stay on this one at a hotel called Le Petit Hotel (only ten rooms, I've already planned it out - ha!) - it looks adorable and this beach is really fun to walk and play on (and the water is calm and warm too) and on the other side of the small hotels that line it are some of the best French restaurants on the planet. And fabulous shops. When we came upon this beach and the street that runs parallel to it, it was early evening and dozens of vendors were setting up food and artisanal merchandise tables and the street became jam packed with people. We found out they set up this food and merchandise market the first 12 Tuesdays of every year - I'm glad we got to experience it. We also ate a paper cone of the best french fries I have ever eaten (and I'm not a french fry person) and they had tubs of homemade mayonnaise and pink fry sauce - to die for! Three Belgian guys worked that booth with one cutting potatoes, one frying and one waiting on hungry customers like us - and the smell was divine! Can you see that tub of pink sauce on the table below? I could drink it.<br />
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While we were doing some of this above, this was happening at home in New Hampshire in the two photos below. We haven't had much of a winter but March has brought the real snow this year.</div>
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After three days in St. Martin, we boarded a tiny plane and took the 10 minute journey to St. Bart's. That was a really fun flight - because it's so short, the plane flies not far above the water so the views are spectacular. </div>
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There were just six of us on the wee flight. Dan took the back where he had lots of leg room.</div>
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There was a Bucket Regatta going on for the next day in St. Bart's and here are a few of them doing practice races in the photo above as seen from my window.<br />
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We stayed at another really lovely hotel - this one called Le Sereno. This beach is big for water sports as it's a bit windy and there are big sea turtles all over - our first morning there we took the clear bottomed kayak out after breakfast and rowed not far and they were swimming and surfacing all around us - I love turtles!<br />
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Above is the little gate and lane that leads to our room.<br />
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Below is a street in the red-roofed town of Gustavia - the capital. St. Bart's is flawless. And so beautiful - hilly and verdant. It looks like the whole island enjoys a high standard of living as we saw no poverty, no humble or run down houses or towns. Many of the roads are lined with stone walls. And because it's small and hilly, where ever you drive you have fantastic views of the sea. This island also has several beaches that are called natural beaches where there are no commercial buildings allowed or even restrooms on them - they are undeveloped and superb and protected. They are wonderful for swimming and surfing and utterly pristine because they aren't marred by development and the country plans to keep them that way. <br />
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Above and below are a couple of those natural beaches I just talked about. There were many wild goats grazing in the hills surrounding the beaches.<br />
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This one below is called Saline Beach. All the beaches have a sign saying no nudity allowed but one guy apparently couldn't read - I was taking a walk and he was off a ways by himself lying face up completely naked.<br />
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Below is one of the wind surfers we were watching from our beach chairs at Le Sereno. This guy (can you spot him?) was out there for hours - quite the stamina to do that I would guess. <br />
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Back at home I have had just two weeks to catch up on things, like clean, bake, paint, appointments, meetings, catching up with my kids, rental property issues, church work etc. Here below is the only painting I was able to work on. It's an abstract modeled on the late Alma Thomas's style and an excuse to paint something pink - I really really love pink and it even looked nice drying on the rug in my studio. </div>
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It's currently hanging in the hall outside of the laundry room. I removed an old Wyeth poster that used to be in that frame and I need to replace the brown matting for another color as soon as we get home from our next (and last) adventure. After this last diversion, it will be the beginning of much anticipated yard work and gardening for me, oh glorious flowers, in our little heavenly spot in New England for months! I can't wait!<br />
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But first, lots and lots of sticks and branches to pick up that have littered the property through out the winter. </div>
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The tulips are popping up!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sayonara!</b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-63836528930608786352017-03-12T19:07:00.001-04:002017-03-12T19:25:09.937-04:00Fruits and Frogs and Pollywogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You are probably wondering about the title to my blog post - it's one whole nickname we call Scotty, our family miniature schnauzer. There's even more to that nickname but it's embarrassing to finish it out loud or on "paper" - only family and true Scotty lovers can sing the refrain. I painted Scotty. He is my first true portrait and I painted him for my son Heath's birthday. He will receive the portrait today. Here below is the rest of the portrait and then I'll explain the story.<br />
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Below is the picture I painted from.<br />
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I didn't want it to be an perfect copy but rather a close representation of one of my favorite pictures of Scotty. I changed the carpet and made the box a tad shorter. A couple years ago, Heath and Emma were getting rid of some stuff in their apartment and they put Scotty in a box and told him they were taking him to the Salvation Army with all the other boxes. That's how they labeled the picture when they texted it to me. I titled the painting "Yard Sale Pup". I will miss that painting when it leaves today as I have loved placing every brush stroke and then talking to the finished painting the whole week it has leaned against the wall in our kitchen. Happy Birthday Heath! (next week anyway). I've finished three other paintings since my last post that I'll show here as I go along and wrap up another month of fun-ness. <br />
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We had a great time in Tulum Mexico ( Riviera Maya area). The weather was flawless - sunny and mid to high 80s everyday and we followed a schedule we kept on our last two beachy trips - breakfast, long morning beach walk, bake in the sun and read and drink diet coke until lunch time, eat lunch at a different place each day, go on an adventure all afternoon until dinner time and then pick out a different place to eat each night. We stayed at a place called Viento de Mar along the jungle road where eco-hotels are built cheek by jowl on the ocean side of the narrow road and shops and restaurants line the other side. I say they are cheek by jowl close but they don't feel that way because each boutique hotel is quite small, 8-20 rooms, most with thatched palapa style roofs, and open floor restaurants and bars. We loved it. Here are some pics of that trip.<br />
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This is the view from our balcony. <br />
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This is the beach side of our hotel.<br />
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Our room was like being in a white washed tree house - it was great!<br />
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The maids designed dolls with our fresh towels every day. <br />
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I'm starting to turn really brown here. <br />
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At home I got back to painting. Here are two 8x10 ones I did of scenes from Turks and Caicos (the girl is not me - it could be if I quit eating cake - ha! It's from someone else's photo). <br />
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This one is an impressionist style of our beach one late afternoon as the sun was going down. <br />
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This one is abstract expressionism except for the girl - I kept her somewhat realistic. <br />
Below are both of them hanging in the hall way on the second floor.<br />
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The painting below is large - 36 x 36 - Dan and I saw one similar at a gallery in Connecticut and we both liked it for its fresh, fun, nautical vibe and it was priced at $2000! I said that I would paint something like it for under $100 and I did and we love it - it's cheery and cheer for sure and here it is below in my studio drying and then we hung it in the second floor hall outside of Dan's office. <br />
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I love the look of fresh and modern in a 217 year old hallway. <br />
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Last Wednesday, for the 175th anniversary of the Relief Society, my church's women's organization, we put together a "birthday party" with cake, ice cream, a "let's make a deal" game and a service project. My second counselor and I each made a few homemade cakes, different kinds, and homemade ice cream. My first counselor went out and bought a bunch of fun and silly prizes for the game. My secretary put together a beautiful flower arrangement and our friend Bobby H emceed the game. Each woman from our congregation/ward was asked to bring two purses - a used one to give away (don't we all have old purses we'll never use again?) and to be filled with items to donate to a local shelter for abused women and children and then our own purse to be filled with a bunch of non pursey objects found around one's house for the game. We had a great turnout with dozens of donated, filled purses and the game was a blast. The cakes were yummy too.<br />
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These were items I put in my own purse. None of them were called out. I did win one prize for having an address book in my purse, a real one, not the one on my phone.<br />
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Here's an old purse of mine washed and in great shape to be donated to the shelter filled with personal items and art supplies for kids.<br />
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Here are three cakes I made - angel food with fresh raspberry sauce, flourless chocolate souffle cake with berries and whipped cream, and a white chocolate 3 layer cake with white chocolate curls on top. And a gravy boat full of warm ganache for the ice cream and any thing else you want to pour it on.<br />
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Taryn made a killer chocolate mousse cake in the back there next to a delicious carrot cake. We were all in a cake coma afterwards (Taryn's words). </div>
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A couple days ago, Dan and I went to NYC to see a play and peruse more bakeries. We also met up with our friends Carly and Jesse for lunch. Details below.</div>
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We saw "Waitress". Music by Sarah Bareilles. It was enjoyable and I loved the songs. <br />
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You probably won't care about this news but to me it was a monumental find. We passed by a french cafe on our way to our hotel and I looked at the menu and it offered Valrhona hot chocolate on the breakfast menu UNSWEETENED! I was so excited I exclaimed that we had to eat breakfast there the next day. I have said to Dan so many times that I wished a restaurant would made unsweetened hot chocolate, good hot chocolate, with no sugar added so a person could drink it straight or sweeten it with whatever they wanted. Wish granted. It was really really good! It could have been hotter - I like it burning hot and it rarely comes hot enough anywhere, but it was so delicious (they make a paste from melted 100% cocoa bar chocolate and add it to hot steamed whole milk). I drank most of it unsweetened and then added a bit of truvia for the last couple swallows (and to dunk my baguette). <br />
Here's a painted rendering of the place that was near our table - you can see its names and address - the corner of 9th and 21st in the Chelsea neighborhood.<br />
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Every time we go to NYC we try to explore a different area. This time we chose Chelsea. We stayed at a lovely hotel called the High Line on 10th Ave and 20th St. It's a 1863 former seminary turned boutique hotel. Here are a couple pics of our room - it was new and old fashioned at the same time.<br />
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Some of our activities besides the play were walking the High Line Park (I went from end to end - so fun and much to look at), bakeries of course (Amy's Bread, Billy's, Daily Provisions, Aux Merveilleux, Maison Erik Kayser), Chelsea Market, the Whitney Museum, Le Labo (for perfume - the best!) lunch with the Smith's at Buvette (right out of Paris), dinners at Bobby Van's Grill and Bottino - both really good! And lots and lots of walking - Dan did great on his new knees; better than we both thought he would. <br />
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Smelling all the offerings at Le Labo. They make your perfume right there in their little lab. <br />
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Billy's Bakery across the street from La Grainne. I liked their cupcakes better than Magnolia. <br />
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Walking on the High Line (an ancient, unused, once an eyesore, elevated railway that has been converted into an elevated garden/park/walkway). Someone installed a very realistic zombie along the path. <br />
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Buvette at 42 Grove St in Greenwich Village. Very tiny, very french, delicious. <br />
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Modern art at the Whitney - this is a huge painting - acrylic on twin sized bed sheet. <br />
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Super super tender and delicious crullers from Daily Provisions at 103 E. 19th St. in the "furniture store district". The hot chocolate was fabulous too - very very rich and not too sweet. </div>
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On the train ride home from NYC to Boston, Dan and I ate from our bakery purchases the whole way. We felt pretty sick by the time we got home. Next week I am going to be in a bathing suit for most of the time and it's not gonna be pretty. Well, I think that's the last few weeks in the life of cheery and cheer. We have another blizzard coming on Tuesday and Wednesday here in New England which we are going to miss but I wouldn't complain at all if I were here for it. I love snow! I am not tired of winter by any means because we have barely had one - maybe two weeks worth if you add all the snowy and cold days together. And spring is always sitting on the kitchen counter no matter what. </div>
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Oh! And I'm going to be a Gran! My daughter is pregnant with the first grandchild of my three kids. Here she is with her teeny tiny baby bump. Hooray!!!</div>
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One more thing - Heath was just here and received his Scotty portrait!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-62191510639891580772017-02-13T20:00:00.000-05:002017-02-16T10:29:29.998-05:00Structure And Color - Good Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-6Uf82pRUu0V5g3OjlyHH5XPUuGd7MpsJ40ydVdewggWzCshzHGqJFtxM6TepYfVaqN5VoJmrmXkgwrOpIGl_LfUoofFuTo8bwGm4ECc8FhNogaq4dd9xQO_jj45SJuvAWrG1exK70k/s1600/IMG_1555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-6Uf82pRUu0V5g3OjlyHH5XPUuGd7MpsJ40ydVdewggWzCshzHGqJFtxM6TepYfVaqN5VoJmrmXkgwrOpIGl_LfUoofFuTo8bwGm4ECc8FhNogaq4dd9xQO_jj45SJuvAWrG1exK70k/s640/IMG_1555.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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After the holidays ended, I created a schedule for my days which has given me a much needed structure to accomplish all my tasks, projects, chores, essential and non essential pursuits and exercise that need doing. And Monday has become my favorite day of the week believe it or not! A couple things; Dan and I are both planners and list makers which is a convenient trait to have in common, and winter is essential for me - I mean the kind of winter we get here in New England that requires one to be indoors a lot. Only in winter can I carry out repairs, home improvements, deep cleaning, reading for pleasure and my current obsession and delight - painting. Several times I have said to Dan as we are watching TV or lying in bed and reading before lights out that if it were late spring and summer, I'd still be outside. So, my schedule right now goes something like this: wake up around 6:30 am, make the bed immediately, put make up on, get dressed, go downstairs and make the essential huge cup of my hot chocolate concoction, read some scriptures, say my morning prayer, read emails and some social media. I have my little corner of the living room where I do this every day (next to the "plant head person"). Dan has his own similar routine in the kitchen. We don't like to chat a lot and interrupt each other during our morning rituals. After our individual constitutionals, each day has different morning chores, like bathrooms on Monday, floors on Tuesday etc. I also wash one window every day except Sunday, inside and out, which is such a pleasure now that we had installed double paned tilting windows. By winter's end, all windows will be done. I do love home keeping, I really do. Then I either go to the gym or walk along the ocean; sometimes Dan does this with me but he still has PT a couple times a week for his recovering knees and he'll work out on his own too. I go to my studio and paint from 10 - 2 pm. I have to have this time scheduled as if I am going to work so that I make it a priority and stay disciplined. After 2, if I didn't exercise in the morning I go then or it's errands, church service stuff for my church job, the scheduled house projects (which I have calendared so they all get done and I have to "obey the calendar"), some times we go to the movies, little afternoon field trips, etc., until it's time for dinner preparation and Dan and I take turns with that. We each take a chunk of days where one of us plans the menus, shops for all the ingredients and then cooks the dinners until our block of menus has been accomplished. Then we switch. After dinner Dan likes to watch TV and read but most of the time I continue with tasks until bedtime; I don't like to sit down until I'm sitting up in bed. After we take our showers at night we like to talk and read our books and magazines in bed, we read some scriptures together too, say our prayers and the day ends. Many times I'll think to myself as I drift off to sleep "in 8 hours I get to drink hot chocolate again!". Now this schedule doesn't occur 100 percent of the time because things come up but most of the time it does and the structure fuels productivity and contentment. I do stop and smell the roses or in the case of winter, stop at several windows and watch the legion of birds at our bird feeders. What a pleasure bird watching is! Except for the Starlings that I find to be greedy, aggressive and very messy. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJcRDDuxBS0iXKtfzuLJIhnPh8FNAROOc4ZXvDuEtu66FWjfxpv9CqLk67U9wnfBBX0pZ5ONYvn5adDiO0fTLW0qr1_c-b9914zTboF2SzYyMayzfSoVh33inbur1v6GEQqJQcm8xPzM/s1600/IMG_1599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJcRDDuxBS0iXKtfzuLJIhnPh8FNAROOc4ZXvDuEtu66FWjfxpv9CqLk67U9wnfBBX0pZ5ONYvn5adDiO0fTLW0qr1_c-b9914zTboF2SzYyMayzfSoVh33inbur1v6GEQqJQcm8xPzM/s640/IMG_1599.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Because it is white and brown and gray outside, color is so important inside. Fresh flowers are in several rooms, candy jars brighten the butler's pantry. And everything that I am painting is bright and saturated. Here are some examples of what I've been doing in the studio.<br />
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This painting below was made for my daughter Gabe. She asked for something bright and either with flowers or boats. I decided to paint in a flat, modernistic style and this is how it turned out. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCl-aYJpZT2si42VMhM2r6vZy0N94YrUWJ5fACKYIFJRx-qCLfRhc8X8aRWzJqeReJOQe7O0mb1YwPG-23hqF8VVK9mcXopNDG_CKpxl2YJnjEfEVwCKSymAS1BHlLnC2yFysESNm2mDo/s1600/IMG_1392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCl-aYJpZT2si42VMhM2r6vZy0N94YrUWJ5fACKYIFJRx-qCLfRhc8X8aRWzJqeReJOQe7O0mb1YwPG-23hqF8VVK9mcXopNDG_CKpxl2YJnjEfEVwCKSymAS1BHlLnC2yFysESNm2mDo/s640/IMG_1392.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaq9tsjP9_Woxnd4SlsxIMEPa3VX2vjs9XatfMzvKN2lzK-VWXqs1F4-IQf9YRYgz-LVW95zQjgcRtePE5WNOx7u_T034np24Jxv6SLlQ6W96K1m6ycmL8r1tZhPzbTfUc5zL-lPKPodk/s1600/IMG_1397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaq9tsjP9_Woxnd4SlsxIMEPa3VX2vjs9XatfMzvKN2lzK-VWXqs1F4-IQf9YRYgz-LVW95zQjgcRtePE5WNOx7u_T034np24Jxv6SLlQ6W96K1m6ycmL8r1tZhPzbTfUc5zL-lPKPodk/s640/IMG_1397.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TBtFop4KIKwyJ-6B-wJ22mD48_6eRM3zz4Bg0qclReKdJPCm2eyU2zaVb_GqMKYeok7fJ3rOGIgPEwXSws2SqksqPtvtZwUBh8yKYs_bgmz_Chzyo34ghZ1XhnvxDn_XMxrB0EPPvy0/s1600/IMG_1398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TBtFop4KIKwyJ-6B-wJ22mD48_6eRM3zz4Bg0qclReKdJPCm2eyU2zaVb_GqMKYeok7fJ3rOGIgPEwXSws2SqksqPtvtZwUBh8yKYs_bgmz_Chzyo34ghZ1XhnvxDn_XMxrB0EPPvy0/s640/IMG_1398.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Isn't this collage of pink delicious???<br />
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I loved her painting so much that I wanted one similar for myself (or ourselves since Dan has to live with it too). I used a wider canvas, actually a 20x24x2 birch wood surface. I chose to paint anemones, pink of course, a minty turquoise wall paint, the same tablecloth (seen in a Matisse painting) an orange table and then I added objects; a ceramic dish that Gabe made for me in her 9th grade ceramics class, a hershey kiss, and then a set of house keys to our very house. I love how it turned out too and now it is hanging so cheerily in our bedroom. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Dllk6gcEmXyVVbrm2OJ3NbFqrxwpLnn64OaS1OVO_B0kg1-PkyhzbinULjbkXCe-iZBeKHxcgnSgaFJvcaD3FpqAkjW9FSTJFnHsOwFDtmf5bKYiz-AEON7JLYFWbrAz-ALimSz9Wjc/s1600/IMG_1427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Dllk6gcEmXyVVbrm2OJ3NbFqrxwpLnn64OaS1OVO_B0kg1-PkyhzbinULjbkXCe-iZBeKHxcgnSgaFJvcaD3FpqAkjW9FSTJFnHsOwFDtmf5bKYiz-AEON7JLYFWbrAz-ALimSz9Wjc/s640/IMG_1427.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Setting in the objects<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5MJKSanEGrng8PdrktyuD0PxJEmqemSjZv0DNU6W8pkezIPGcQ6j98WQ2B82exp5YmcLoeAHFI7s3IThde6-wlpXFYqZnMsAysx8-zhubNFYdhCI9x-4-kpn_4Or4sp1sPn21Ic8hGYQ/s1600/IMG_1463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5MJKSanEGrng8PdrktyuD0PxJEmqemSjZv0DNU6W8pkezIPGcQ6j98WQ2B82exp5YmcLoeAHFI7s3IThde6-wlpXFYqZnMsAysx8-zhubNFYdhCI9x-4-kpn_4Or4sp1sPn21Ic8hGYQ/s640/IMG_1463.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggr_U9zdodBzpnKX8gOofQxPCCCyYO78LxI5_dC8voIaPLBj9pbzfsQkwBUbOpUehlFbWzyuY322ESKQ-TA7SdNpNq48ytWL5Tw2uSAZ-8Won2YRVHx-pn_xCwNtOftTCTUG1CTUUADqU/s1600/Image+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggr_U9zdodBzpnKX8gOofQxPCCCyYO78LxI5_dC8voIaPLBj9pbzfsQkwBUbOpUehlFbWzyuY322ESKQ-TA7SdNpNq48ytWL5Tw2uSAZ-8Won2YRVHx-pn_xCwNtOftTCTUG1CTUUADqU/s640/Image+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The finished painting</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFhPfOWQWR3mJsiKoVlVAtzOKclotMZFfooWrLp4t5IIMtN3StiS1k0mcN2j3UGLhFRL5VByjV22Kim6l-fO9lnNRizcCv2R7iWT9r5KiswDBL8QqVMOPgg76MVwojzqkPrVDWjv1Zv4/s1600/IMG_1553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFhPfOWQWR3mJsiKoVlVAtzOKclotMZFfooWrLp4t5IIMtN3StiS1k0mcN2j3UGLhFRL5VByjV22Kim6l-fO9lnNRizcCv2R7iWT9r5KiswDBL8QqVMOPgg76MVwojzqkPrVDWjv1Zv4/s640/IMG_1553.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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How is that collage for a jolt of color? This season's work so far plus the one below.<br />
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Saturday I finished what has been my most challenging painting to date. I saw a little photo on a paint store ad of a child on a yellow chair. Inspiration struck, I sketched out my interpretation and got to work and now it is hanging in the kitchen "Going for the Candy Jar". <br />
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These two pics above were shot at different times of day - look at what a difference light makes.<br />
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When I think about color I think about what a neighbor back in Elko, Nevada said to me almost 30 years ago - she was and is an interior decorator and she told me that most people are afraid of color. They like color but they are afraid to use it in their homes because they are paralyzed by two concerns - reselling their home and what will people think? Here's what another designer had to say about that in this quote I found in House Beautiful. Read below. P.S. - those kitchen walls above might be getting a new color this winter - we'll see.<br />
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Think about it - we are so worried about the next people living in our own home that we miss truly living in it ourselves. And as for what other people think - who the heck cares!!! You live there, you must please yourself. <br />
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Here's a little color from our house in the living room:<br />
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Here are some pictures from magazines featuring homes where people aren't afraid to use color nor do they care what others think. I adore all of these pictures, I go back to them again and again. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to convince Dan that we need to paint our den that fabulous deep coral pink! (it's probably not going to happen - I'll have to paint the Jungle room that color) </div>
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This is designer Kate Ridder's house in NY state.<br />
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And below is Kristin Nicholas' house in western Massachusetts. She lives on a sheep farm and the white exterior of her old farm houses belies the brilliant color throughout her home inside. She's an artist, textile designer, knitter and book author and some summer I hope to attend her workshops she holds on her farm and see her amazing house. <br />
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She painted the pictures, the furniture, the lampshades, wall finishes, painted "wallpaper" herself. And she made the pillow covers and knitted the furniture throws and grew the flowers in the vases. She said she could no more live in the beige home she grew up in than fly. She's my kindred spirit. Her husband is a great sport - he says he wouldn't dream of holding her back in any colorful pursuit - after all, he is living his own dream as a sheep farmer. Google her, find her website and blog and hit the link to her house tour that Houzz filmed. <br />
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Read her words of wisdom on this pic above.<br />
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My favorite artist of all, Henri Matisse, because of his brilliant use of color and unique painting style, is going to be featured at an exhibit in Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts April 9 - July 9 2017 - I can't wait to go!! Here are a couple of his paintings from the MFA website.<br />
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Don't you want to stand by those pink flowers and look out at the pink houses and ocean? I do.</div>
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And more color from my house - Copper!</div>
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For the whole time we have lived in this house, this bar sink was dark, almost black like the dark bronzed faucet. I knew it was copper from the hammered finish but I didn't realize how easy it would be to restore the color until I had spotted some metal polish at the hardware store and thought to try it. Ten minutes later, look at the glorious sheen that was previously a black abyss. And more copper below, something fun - <span style="text-align: start;">on Etsy I found an earring hanger made from copper tubing and wire - I have had all my earrings stored in piles in three compartments of a jewelry box for all of my adult life and I was sick of it so recently this hanger came in the mail and I spent a pleasant evening hour organizing my earrings. This hanger holds 75 or 150 pairs depending on how you hang them. Isn't is cute?</span></div>
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It's only 11" x 5" so it doesn't take much space on the dresser upstairs.<br />
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Today I made colorful curtains for the kitchen.<br />
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And here's a glimpse of colored pots and my colorful dress from an alley way in Cordoba Spain for more color love on this Snow Day!<br />
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And here's our cheerful house just as the two day (Sunday-Monday) storms are about to begin! By the way, I love snow. I love winter. Yesterday Dan and I took a walk on the golf course trails just before the heavy snowfall began and we probably should have used our snow shoes but we didn't and we were as comfortably warm in our coats, boots and mittens out in that winter wonderland as we would have been walking in our shorts on a summer day. <br />
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So long! I'll post next when we return from Mexico!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-70287161790602640792017-02-11T14:17:00.000-05:002017-02-13T15:49:57.598-05:00The Servant's Bathroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No, we don't have servants, not even a house cleaner or a lawn service for that matter but we do have servant's quarters on the third floor according to old floor plans and blue prints that have been passed down from owner to owner of this 217 year old house. I can't imagine having live-in help in a house of this size; it's big but not that big, perhaps back when there were eight bedrooms and it was a farm with an apparently large family to take care of it was a necessity. There are two bedrooms under the eaves on the third floor that I have blogged about in the past; the Ocean room and the Jungle room. Now I'll feature the Servant's bathroom. We could call it the blue bathroom but we already have one of those down on the basement level floor next to the Smoking Room. <br />
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One little project I did earlier this week was to repaint the floor of the Servant's bathroom. <br />
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I painted it from its dull brown to a lovely nautical blue with a white trim that blends into the base molding and walls back when we bought the house. I kept the same color for the repaint but used a totally different type of paint this time.<br />
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The laundry room, the Servant's bathroom and two stairways are painted in this house. I had used ALLFLOR paint for these floors and it's not supposed to chip easily but I find that heavy use on the stairs and from guests in the bathroom requires touchups a couple times per year. When I repainted the bathroom floor earlier this week I used HollandLac by Fine Paints of Europe. It is oil based and similar to marine paint - super durable and in this case, very shiny. It dried like a resin. Gorgeous! However, this shiny floor might be a bit slippery for a bathroom and someone with wet feet could go flying so I had to find a 4 x 4 rug to protect the innocent. Here's a tour of that cute bathroom. I will show you what it looks like now first - we had the shower redone by a professional and then I remodeled the rest of the room myself soon after we bought the house. You'll see what it looked like too before the remodel. <br />
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To get up to the servant's quarters, you go through this glass paned door at the end of a long hall on the second floor off the laundry room and climb the stairs. On your left at the landing are the two bedrooms. To the right is the bathroom. <br />
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You can see the bell system on the wall that was used to alert the servants for household assistance. <br />
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The Ocean Room<br />
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The Jungle Room<br />
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You have to turn the key to open this medicine cabinet. I bought this at an antique shop when we first moved to NH in 1998. <br />
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I found this little original painting at an antique shop for 10 dollars about 10 years ago. It used to hang in my bathroom in the Kingston house. It is a favorite. So cheery and cheer. <br />
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Those plates on the wall are very old and used to be on a passenger ship like the Titanic. The blue paint in this room is Blue Ice by Benjamin Moore. It has a touch of red in it so it is more of a periwinkle than a sky blue. The white is White Dove by BM. <br />
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I painted that picture a couple years ago.<br />
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Here's the new rug so you won't slip and break your legs. It's got a non skid pad underneath so that rug isn't going to move. The white part of the floor is not slippery. <br />
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I am surprised that I found a rug in this odd size so easily - 4x4 feet. It's a perfect match to the blue and it's a heavy cotton weave. I found it on Overstocks.com. I plan to repaint the stairs at some point with the HollandLac but I won't use the shiny lacquer - instead I'll use the satin or no one will make it up the stairs alive. <br />
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And here's what the bathroom looked like when we were looking at the house to buy.<br />
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Brown floor!<br />
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In that closet there is a long storage room under the eaves that also houses the AC and heat vent systems. The beams in there still have the tree bark on them from over 200 years ago! <br />
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On another note, I repotted several plants this month that had outgrown their pots and I bought a couple other house plants to replace ones that had gone out of control. In a recent blog post I put a picture of a terra cotta person's head with a plant growing out of it that my mom has in her San Diego backyard patio. I recently found a "head" of my own and put it on the desk in the living room where I drink my hot chocolate every morning. Here's my mom's and then mine. <br />
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Next post: Color and Structure - hmmmm...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-9637677790128310272017-01-25T21:00:00.002-05:002017-01-25T22:31:04.001-05:00Turks & Caicos - Everything You Want To Know!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dan and I recently returned from a six day trip in the British West Indies - more specifically, Turks & Caicos. Until a few years ago, I hadn't even heard of that group of islands and now here I am blogging about it. We stayed on the most populous island, Providenciales (Provo for short - population around 25,000), at a place called the Tuscany, on Grace Bay beach (said to be the most beautiful beach in the world). Really, the main reason to even go to Provo is to experience Grace Bay beach. The island (as well as the others in the group) isn't beautiful in itself - it's pretty flat, made of limestone that is chalky white and has a tendency to look like piles of broken concrete along the roads and in people's yards and the native vegetation is shrubby and short. Many of the roads are of very bumpy stone and the majority of the locals live in humble but tidy neighborhoods in the northwest part of Provo. There are neither lawns nor paved driveways at most houses. Any tall trees you see and they are mostly palm, are imported. The resorts that line the northeast shore of the island are all fabulous and gorgeous (which means you can't go wrong choosing any of them so don't stress about it) with lush plantings and landscaping, palm trees, lots of colorful bougainvillea, swimming pools, all the important and lovely amenities and they all commonly share the pristine twelve mile beach. When you are walking the beach, you know you have passed on to the next resort by the color of the chairs and umbrellas. The Regent Grand hotel built a beautiful village called Grand Village about five years ago and it is a lovely shopping and restaurant area that serves all of the resorts - it's like a second downtown but way prettier. The original downtown is close to the airport and looks much like a long commercial road. Because the island was basically salt farming up until the late 80's, all the "beauty" on the island interior is imported but the beaches and crystal clear fifty shades of turquoise warm ocean water are why you go to Turks & Caicos. Oh, and the super friendly people! Most are of African descent, English is the official language and the islands are a British Overseas Territory where the dollar is the currency. Speaking of currency, this is a very expensive place to vacation! Because little to no food is grown on the islands since the soil is very poor and animals aren't raised commercially either, everything is imported, therefore expensive. There is some local fishing but limited. Conch is caught locally and is an island staple (think very large snails in pretty shells). Again, you go there for that incredible water and it is worth it! When we were flying in and I was looking down at the islands in the distance, I was blown away by the huge, wide bands of all those shades of intense turquoise surrounding every island. <br />
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This aerial photo through a dirty airplane window doesn't quite reveal how breathtaking the view was.<br />
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Below: Our digs. The Tuscany is a condo resort. Some of them are owner occupied and some, like ours are for rent. We chose the place for all its amenities and most importantly, a full kitchen so that I could make my cup of hot chocolate every morning with my own fixings I brought along! <br />
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See that peek of turquoise water at the end of this walkway - that's why we are here!!<br />
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Our area of the beach for sun bathing. <br />
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Dan heading from the beach to our condo to get ready for the lunch adventure.<br />
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Our schedule each day went something like this: sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast we make ourselves while we read emails, social media etc. out on our ocean view balcony. Mid morning - head outside to our beach and claim our two chairs and umbrella and settle down with our books and magazines. Shortly after setting up our area, I would walk either direction on the beach for a good hour and a half at a quick clip in sink-to-my-ankles sand or march steps in the water. The beach has no interruptions to it so I would walk until I was pretty exhausted. The sand is powdery soft white and the water was in the high 70s - not bath warm but almost warm. The air temperatures while we were there were low 70s at night and low 80s during the day - perfect. Back to our routine; we would play in the water and lay out in the sun until lunchtime. For lunch, we went to a different restaurant every day down in the new village. After lunch, we had a different activity planned such as driving every road on the island, visiting the world's only conch farm, shopping, "cruising the residentials" both humble and ostentatious, etc. Dan did some golfing too. After our afternoon adventures we would return to our beach and bake in the sun and read and drink diet coke with lemon slices until the sun disappeared. Then we would change into nice clothes and go to restaurants for dinners. We did not have one bad or even mediocre meal all week - the restaurants are excellent and they have all kinds - french, italian, indian, thai, seafood - we ate really well! Sadly, no bakeries though - no bakery hopping in this place. <br />
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My feet after my morning jaunt. I started to turn brown very quickly.<br />
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Returning from my hour and a half power walk. Ready for diet coke, water and my books!<br />
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Here are some scenes from the world's only Conch farm. By the way, I don't care for conch; it's pretty chewy. <br />
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These ocean pens are to hold the conch from ages 2-4. They are harvested at age four here.<br />
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Here are the babies where they grow from teeny tiny to age 2. They they are moved outside.<br />
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Below is a male twelve year old being invited to crawl out of his shell and say hi. The long extension is his one leg with a hard foot for scooting himself around. The long black thing on his body is his penis which can extend a foot long for mating (to reach the female in her shell). The other three long pendulous things are his eyes and mouth. I wanted to ask our guide, Danver, why his pinky fingernail was long and his other nails short but I refrained. <br />
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On our last full day, we chartered a boat along with 8 other people to go snorkeling. These islands have the third largest coral reef in the world but you have to boat to it to reach it for good snorkeling and scuba diving. We snorkeled in three areas. Before we got to area one, a pod of six dolphins came swimming up close to our boat so the captain cut the engine and we watched them as they showed off for us. It was so exciting to observe these creatures up close and in the wild! After about 10 minutes they took off and didn't surface again. Two areas where we snorkeled were ten to twenty feet deep. There were plenty of colorful fish to see but I will say that the coral itself is not as colorful as that which we saw in the Virgin Islands. The third area we boated to was so eerie - I know now I will never deep sea scuba dive! We snorkeled in water that was about 50 feet deep and then along a wall it plunged to 7200 feet! Swimming along that wall leading to that seemingly endless outer darkness and watching huge schools of large fish and sea turtles suddenly appear out of black nothingness in to light was amazing but I had the willies the whole time. Sun rays were trying to penetrate the black abyss over my shoulder as I swam and observed this whole other living world down there. One really neat thing, incredulous really, is that while we drove miles away from island shores and well away from the reef, we were in water only 5-6 feet deep way out in what felt like the middle of nowhere that was crystal clear with nothing on the bottom but soft white sand - no grass, coral, sea creatures, nothing. It is like a vast, vast perfect swimming pool. If we had been by ourselves and not on a shared boat we would have stopped and just swam and swam in nature's swimming pool. Here are photos of that "pool".<br />
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Here's a house, a compound really, that is up for sale for $49 million dollars. Dan and I had driven past the back of it the day before so it was fun to see the front from the boat. The real estate prices are outrageously high. I mean, you are spending a ton of money for a piece of property on an island where there is nothing to do or see unless it is water related (or you're eating out). Most of the huge mansions are owned by the world's uber wealthy movers and shakers and many celebs. I wonder how much time they actually spend in those vacation homes each year. Our captain took us by several of them and told us who owned them but I'm not going to name drop. <br />
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Dolphins!<br />
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If I had been swimming or snorkeling alone and seen the fins only my first thought would have been "shark"!!!!!!<br />
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One thing I want to add - besides the Americans and Canadians visitors, there were many Europeans and South Americans. Among the foreigners, because I was listening to their foreign conversations as I walked by many every day, I noted that I had never seen so many women older than me in bikinis - women in their 60 and 70s wearing bikinis on perfectly slim, fit bodies. Not starved, gym bodies, but rather healthy, natural looking slender, lovely bikini clad bodies. I wanted to take pictures of them all I was so impressed. Here is a picture below that I took from a company blog of a 60 something year old female artist who was asked to model some swim suits for a new company. I can't remember her name but this is an example of what I saw all around me (but mostly in bikinis). I told Dan several times that I needed to up my game - he just laughed at me and asked if I would really wear a bikini. <br />
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Handsome Dan at dinner our first night wearing the ocean colored linen shirt his daughter Kara bought him for Christmas. I took that picture just for you, Kara. <br />
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Well, I've told you way more about this place that I intended to but it's a good journal entry for myself. Next stop - Tulum Mexico!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-63774217806735058702017-01-12T20:42:00.004-05:002017-01-12T20:44:39.858-05:00Baby Cakes (and a Recipe!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week one night, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and a baking blogger that I follow had posted a picture of an incredibly gorgeous chocolate cake. I showed it to my husband and exclaimed that I needed to bake cake more often - we are not enjoying enough cake like this! Back when I worked at Phillips Exeter Academy a few years ago, I was the self appointed birthday cake baker and I spent many hours pouring over recipes and choosing cake recipes for each of the monthly employee birthdays in my department. I never made the same cake twice and I always made two or three cakes at a time to bring in. I would combine all the birthdays that fell in any given month and choose a particular day that would be our Cake Day. Everybody loved and greatly anticipated cake days and I loved planning for them. Nowadays, I make cakes just a few times a year. When there are only two of you at home, making a huge layer cake just doesn't make sense unless you are going to pig out and eat it over a couple of days. We just can't do that (we really want to but we won't). So, inspiration struck - baby cakes! I have a really good recipe that I actually found on the back of Trader Joes baking cocoa and it's called the "Easiest And Greatest Chocolate Cake Ever" or something like that. I am going to share that recipe with you shortly. You want this recipe in your file box! <br />
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Last Saturday night, I made a batch of the cake batter that I am going to spell out for you and I divided it in to the 9 pans you see above and baked them. I wrapped them all individually and very tightly and stored them all in the freezer but one of the little ones. On Sunday, right after church, I made a bowl of rich chocolate ganache and we split one of the baby cakes and layered on ganache and chocolate peanut butter ice cream for our Sunday splurge. Heaven! Then, tonight, we had two of our missionaries over for dinner and I thawed out another baby cake and this time I made a chocolate cream cheese frosting and made a wee layer cake sprinkled with mini chocolate chips. That wee cake was cut in to four tiny pieces for our dessert - perfect. Now, anytime we crave a bit of cake, we can have one with no leftovers. I plan on making a few other types of cake batter and bake and freeze them too for variety (though chocolate is the favorite). <br />
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Here's the recipe and it truly is easy because you throw all of the ingredients in one huge mixing bowl and beat it all at once - no separating wet and dry although sometimes I do out of habit. The cake is moist, rich, not too sweet, not too tender but not dense - just right! It's a perfect devil's food type cake and it makes a ton of batter - more than you would need for a typical two-three layer cake. If you want cupcakes, it makes 48! When I make it for a layer cake, once I pour the batter in my pans, I use the leftover batter for however many cupcakes can be made. For baby cakes, it filled four 4 inch pans and 4 six inch pans and I over filled them so the cakes would be high enough to split in layers themselves. <br />
Typical 9 inch pans bake for 30 minutes; cupcakes and the wee cakes, start at 20 minutes - just keep an eye on the smaller pans and not all ovens perform the same.<br />
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<b>Greatest AND Easiest Chocolate Cake (Trader Joe's)</b><br />
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<b>3 1/3 cups flour</b><br />
<b>1 tsp salt</b><br />
<b>1 Tbl baking soda</b><br />
<b>1 1/3 cups baking cocoa</b><br />
<b>3 cups buttermilk (don't use regular milk)</b><br />
<b>2 cups sugar</b><br />
<b>1 cup brown sugar</b><br />
<b>3 sticks softened butter</b><br />
<b>1 tsp vanilla</b><br />
<b>5 eggs</b><br />
<b>Beat it all together on high (start on low or it will go flying) for 3 minutes. Grease and flour your pans and bake at preheated 350 degrees. </b><br />
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On another cooking note, yesterday I made a huge pot of Alphabet Soup for our church Women's meeting; we had a wonderful Grammar Refresher class taught by a high school English teacher and it seemed appropriate. The soup is made with hamburger, onions, carrots, green beans, corn, peas, beef broth, tomato sauce, and various herbs. It was pretty tasty and we had leftovers so I served it again tonight to our dinner guests (and the baby cakes). <br />
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I meant to get a picture of the dessert - my friend Taryn made large sugar cookies and she frosted them with a delightful green icing and wrote (with icing, very finely) words that we associate with grammar, like noun, adverb, pronoun etc. Clever and delicious. I highly recommend a grammar refresher for all of us - you have probably noticed how poorly we speak as a nation, even journalists and writers, and our kids and grandkids are not being taught grammar as thoroughly or consistently like we older folks were. Forgive me if you ever find a grammar mistake in my blog posts - I do overuse commas and hyphens but at least you will never hear or read incorrect subject or object pronouns from me. Bits from last night's class - don't say "me and my sister" are driving to the lake - say instead, "my sister and I". You wouldn't say "me drove to the lake" so why would you say "me and my sister" did? And "fewer problems and less pain" - know the difference. Lesson over! Fun class! Now go make baby cakes!<br />
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<b><br /></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-8669593008380471022016-12-27T20:41:00.000-05:002016-12-27T21:59:49.406-05:00It's A Wrap (Almost)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I always feel a bit blah for the first several days after Christmas - it's still "vacation" so I don't go back to my usual routines, yet I can't wait to do so - instead, I do things I don't usually do on weekdays like binge watch movies, do puzzles, eat too much sugar, read books during the daylight hours - it's like I can't allow myself to "be productive" until January 2nd. It's both pleasurable and frustrating. I'm really just complaining because I feel fat and gross from excessive cookie and candy consumption. I'll just wrap up the year by filling you in on what went on since my last post. <br />
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We left the last day of November for a whirlwind 6 cities in 12 days trip in the west to see family and some friends. We spent two days in each city - Boise, Seattle, Alamo/Livermore CA, San Diego, Phoenix and Dallas. We saw our parents, a couple siblings, three children, eight grandchildren, and friends who are serving as mission presidents for our church in WA. While it was super fun, I sat, ate and talked more than I usually do. The pictures on this post are not in perfect order - Sorry!<br />
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I am standing behind Dan's 98 1/2 year old mom and all the parked walkers as we went to the dining room for dinner. She lives in a wonderful assisted living facility. <br />
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So excited to go in to Yogurt Mill in El Cajon CA - been going there since 1978! <br />
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I couldn't finish this one - I intended to eat it all during the drive from San Diego to Phoenix but I just couldn't do it.</div>
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My mom's painted tree - it died many years ago so she painted it and decorates it with the seasons.<br />
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That's me and my mama! <br />
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The view from our hotel in San Diego. We didn't stay with my parents but rather downtown.<br />
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My big brother Scott - also known as Scotty Wamps!<br />
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Scott does all my mom's gardening now and he especially loves to work with succulents. I am inspired by this medusa type one and I'll be on the lookout for a pot just like it.<br />
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Here's a not so professional picture of the Sampson's - Dan's daughter Brooke and her family (minus son Koby). We went to the Mesa AZ Temple with them one night to see all the Christmas lights.<br />
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In Seattle, before we met up with our mission president friends, the Blatters, we walked all over that town and went to a bakery I've been hoping to visit one day - I have the cookbook from that bakery and it's fabulous - Dahlia Bakery. We ate lunch there and bought a box of goodies. <br />
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Of course we went to the famous Pike's Public Market and perused all the stalls. <br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Took at bite out of everything we bought.</span></div>
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Our dear friends, John and Diane Blatter. They are serving a three year mission as heads of the Tacoma Mission of our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (you know, the Mormons!). <br />
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In Livermore/Alamo, we stayed with Dan's daughter Kara's family. I made Nilla wafer banana pudding at her son's request and we dug in right after church and before dinner. <br />
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The two pics above are of a house in Livermore CA where Dan's daughter Kara lives and she and her family took us to a house owned by "Deacon Dave" who starts putting up lights on his property in October for Christmas. It is so spectacular that people line up every night to tour his yard.<br />
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Below are some lights we saw in Dallas neighborhoods. Those Santas are all in one front Dallas yard.<br />
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Here is Dan balancing baby Vivi (daughter Krista's 7 month old) at their Dallas home. <br />
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As soon as we got home from the trip I put up a little live tree in a large terra cotta pot (I'm done with big trees) and decorated the mantels, some table tops, and put wreaths outside. <br />
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We did a day/night trip to Boston and saw the Boston Pops mid December - wonderful wonderful! We stayed at the Eliot Hotel on the corner of Commonwealth and Massachusetts Aves - beautiful, European style, boutique hotel (we decided that from now on, when in Boston, that is where we will stay). Every room is a lovely suite and the Japanese restaurant in the hotel is said to be tops. We did not eat there but rather ate across the street at a French one called Deuxave - the food and service were most excellent! <br />
Then the baking began. I made nine different kinds of cookies and/or candy and Dan made his chocolate covered cherries and mints he has made for years and years. <br />
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Chocolate covered truffles.<br />
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This is my "cookie candy" - I tweeked a recipe I found years ago in a big way and this is my version. It is so addictive - chocolatey, crunchy, nutty, fruity - incredible! I included the recipe too and it's super easy.<br />
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I made wool yarn pom poms watching a youtube video (Kristen Nichols) and using Clover pom pom molds. Very fast work - each one takes about two minutes.<br />
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It snowed a couple days before Christmas but it melted the day before so we didn't have a white Christmas after all. Today was 58 degrees in Rye!<br />
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After Christmas "fun" - a puzzle - I haven't put one together in 15 years I bet. <br />
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When Gabe and I went to Prince Edward Island two months ago, I bought two kinds of wool yarn and asked Gabe to make me a hat and mittens in whatever style she wanted as a Christmas gift to me. The finished products are adorable! Below I have donned them for a Boxing Day walk <br />
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Our boys; my son Dane and Dan's son Caleb holding their Christmas stockings. We so enjoyed having them home for the holiday. <br />
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On Christmas Eve after the game, Dan and I took a 12 pound prime rib and slathered it in butter, fresh rosemary and thyme. We made slits and inserted garlic slices in each. We roasted the meat the following day for a couple hours after we got home from church and it was so so so delicious. We had 15 people at our table for prime rib, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad, rolls, scalloped corn , a made-from-scratch green bean casserole (not the campbell's cream of mushroom soup one) and tons of cookies. <br />
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Some of the goodies I made.<br />
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These "sugar whoopies" are a family favorite.<br />
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Gabe also made me some vases for Christmas. She made the one in back her freshman year of high school and the two in front just recently. Love!<br />
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On Christmas Eve Day, Dan and I and our sons went to see the Patriots destroy the NY Jets. It rained pretty hard most of the game but our ponchos kept us more or less dry. In the pic above, you can see that the skies cleared and the sun came out the last half hour of the game. <br />
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Dane (Binky) and I here :)<br />
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I'll endure a few more days of loafing around and then I have so many projects to work on in the new year. Dan and I have also planned four trips for the winter months; little week long get-aways at warm beaches here and there. <br />
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Okay, back to the puzzle table!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-4500583475300679922016-11-30T19:00:00.000-05:002016-11-30T19:00:20.069-05:00Grateful and Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>I'm grateful for roses that are still blooming in the yard on November 29 and smell like June!</i></b><br />
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Do you know there is a difference between those two words in the post title? I'd never thought about it until I wrote my title out and then I wondered if they meant exactly the same and if I used the words correctly in my daily speech. I consulted the Cambridge Dictionary among others and now here's a grammar lesson before I tell you about the things I'm thankful and grateful for this week! <br />
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According to the experts - we should use grateful to talk about how we feel when someone is kind to us or when someone or something (like a rose) does us a favor. Thankful is usually used when we express relief or pleasure that what you hoped for has actually happened (or didn't, like an accident). As in, I'm thankful that I was able to eat as much pie as I wanted to last Thursday and that my jeans still fit - ha! <br />
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I'll now tell you things that have made me feel both of those words with these pictures :<br />
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Dan and I were on our own this Thanksgiving which turned out to be super fun because we did things a new way with only ourselves to consider. I had made our two favorite pies on Wednesday night and the following morning as we looked with longing at the pecan pie on the counter, Dan asked "why can't we eat pecan pie for breakfast instead of waiting all day and perhaps being too full to really enjoy it when it's time for dessert?" Brilliant!!! And why not, why in the world couldn't we so that's what we did and it was glorious. We then decided that all we really wanted to eat besides pie was just turkey, gravy and stuffing. So we didn't make any other dishes and when the bird was done, we ate our fill of turkey, gravy and stuffing and for the first time in my life that I can recall, I didn't leave the Thanksgiving table so full I couldn't breathe comfortably. I was just full like regular dinner full - yay! We then went for a long walk with Scotty, our granddog that we were tending for a few days, and after that we went to a movie. When we came home, we were ready to eat the chocolate cream pie and we were hungry for it - actually stomach empty hungry - wondrous!!! <br />
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That bird was crammed with succulent cornbread and bacon stuffing with a touch of pure maple syrup - exquisite! The meat was tender and juicy and the gravy - well I could have drunk it from a cup. <br />
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Super deep dark rich chocolate pie for the real dessert.<br />
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It rained on Thanksgiving most of the day - here is Dan under his umbrella trying to catch up with me as I ran after Scotty who was not on a leash of course. <br />
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Scotty waiting patiently for us to get our coats and shoes on.<br />
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And, grateful for Netflix - I binge watched both "The Crown" before Thanksgiving and and "Gilmore Girls - A Year In the Life" after. Oh what fun!!!<br />
Look at this sitting room below in the country house of Winston Churchill from The Crown series. The yellow woodwork! The blue and white platters on the ledges! I took the picture with my phone on my iPad screen which isn't ideal.<br />
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I'm thankful that my son Heath asked us to join him and his wife last week to Boston to attend the ceremony where he was sworn in as a Massachusetts attorney. It took place in beautiful Faneuil Hall. After the very entertaining (and lengthy, but that's okay because the speakers were wonderful) ceremony, we walked over to the North End where we ate lots of pizza (gratefully) because Regina's Pizza never fails and we were starving. <br />
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Beautiful Emma, Heath, the proud mother.<br />
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Dan was the photographer so he's not in the pictures - sorry Dan!<br />
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I'm thankful to have a place all my own with lots of light and space to work and play - a studio!! Our detached garage has a second floor with a full bath that used to be living quarters decades ago. We didn't want to remodel it in to a space for living nor did we want it to be the catch all junk room that it was becoming so we hired carpenters and electricians to add a wall, insulate the ceiling and add heat and over head lighting. Here are befores and afters:<br />
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The garage - that'll be me now painting in the room behind the three windows facing the house, and six more windows on the other sides.<br />
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Before - full of "stuff" - we got rid of all of it! (Except the old wooden island we put on sawhorses to made a huge sturdy table for projects and the cardboard Dane. <br />
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I built shelves on the wall that we had installed. It used to be open to the stairs going down to the garage area. <br />
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Dane's still there and a cast iron tub that needs a new home (it's free and in excellent shape!)<br />
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My first project to come out of the studio is a commissioned painting for my sister Dede, aka PigNose. She asked me to paint a picture for her birthday of a greeting card cover she was crazy about.<br />
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Finished painting. I'm thankful for paint, and color, and opportunities to play with both.<br />
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In a frame and below …<br />
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I hung it in the powder room for a few hours so I could enjoy living with it briefly. Good bye orange bird who became real to me. Isn't it a cheery painting? I mailed it off to her this morning. <br />
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And lastly, I'm grateful for chocolate which brings me infinite pleasure. I made some browned butter blondies for a meeting that I will miss while we're out of town but I volunteered to supply the refreshments anyway. <br />
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Yeah, I loaded those blondies with tons of chocolate. Enjoy! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-36985770269148433572016-11-21T15:30:00.000-05:002016-11-21T17:48:04.309-05:00Putting Fall To Bed and A Recipe!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>(This post was written Saturday and published today while I was at Heath's ceremony in Boston - today was cold as late November should be and the leaves disappeared yesterday in the heavy rain and wind)</b> -<br />
I've got to blog about this fall before snow flies. I've already told you that the color here has been long lasting and utterly incredible. It's November 19th and the Norway maples, Japanese Maples and the Oaks are still loaded with leaves and color as are so many shrubs. I emptied the last of my outdoor pots and cut down the perennials in all the borders today and sadly, I was pulling out and cutting down A LOT of live and blooming plants! It had to been done though because next week will be very cold finally and I won't feel like doing it then. <br />
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Every year I pick and press colorful leaves and store between sheets of wax paper in heavy books for next year's fall decorating. <br />
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Picking pretty things to enjoy before killing frosts arrive.<br />
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The October Super Moon from our bedroom window<br />
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I drove to my old house in Kingston to do yard work and look what greeted me on Rockrimmon Rd!<br />
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Look at the nasturtiums in the pool yard here in Rye the beginning of November! It's amazing what a dozen seeds produces. <br />
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Japanese Maple in our front border in Rye<br />
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Here's a pretty picture of a pond in Connecticut in the Litchfield area on a little road trip we took the third week in October<br />
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Look near the top of the picture - just where the trees meet the field you can make out hundreds of pumpkins in a patch - Connecticut<br />
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Connecticut farm stand<br />
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Another pond shot from further back.<br />
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Harbor in Guilford CT. By the way, if you want to see a real live Stars Hollow you Gilmore Girls fans, this town looks just like downtown Stars Hollow. I was ready to move there!<br />
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Guilford CT<br />
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Lobster shack in York Maine on another road trip the first week in November. Same pond below.<br />
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The view from the third floor bathroom here in Rye the second week of November.<br />
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Last week November 14.<br />
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Color wheel perfection - opposites! One of the most beautiful combos ever!<br />
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Then the Harvest Moon last week - we took it while driving - there were so many cars at the coast we couldn't park! Here is someone else's pic of the same moon at dusk, below.<br />
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photo credit - Debbie Smith<br />
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I've been digging up dahlias - hundreds of dahlias! They are now drying and preparing for winter storage.<br />
Below - four pics - I got up early one morning last week and ran to my car in my pajamas and bed hair and drove down the street to watch the sunrise. <br />
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I doodled this old picture of me with a pen while these delicious pork chops (recipe!) were cooking and the potatoes were roasting the other night to pass a little time. Those huge teeth! I want those glasses back. I want to talk to that young girl and see who she was then (I can't remember!).<br />
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The pork chop recipe comes from Mimi Thorisson's new cookbook on the left and the lemon roasted potatoes from Ina's book on the right. I also made the apple pie bars from Ina's book a few days ago and they were phenomenal - better than pie! I am going to cook my way through both books this winter I just know it. Recipe for pork chops below - I made some of my own tweeks such as substituting pure apple cider for hard cider since I didn't have any and sour cream for creme fraiche for the same reason:<br />
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<b>Black Pig Pork Chops</b> (you can use any pig you want!)<br />
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<b>4 Bone in or boneless Pork chops (I used boneless because that's what I had)</b><br />
<b>2 T butter</b><br />
<b>four shallots or one small onion chopped (I've made the recipe 2 times and used either)</b><br />
<b>2 garlic cloves smashed</b><br />
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Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and cook the shallots for 3 minutes. Add the pork chops (score first and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides) and garlic, reduce heat to medium and cook pork 7 minutes each side (until juices run clear) - put these chops in an oven proof pan and place a sage leaf on each and sprinkle on some of the pan juices if any. Place these covered in a warm oven. Increase the heat under the pan and pour in:<br />
<b>2/3 cup hard or fresh apple cider - </b>boil for a few minutes to reduce. Add <b>3 T of creme fraiche or sour cream</b> and stir until thickened Pour over the warm chops and serve. The meat is tender and juicy; the sauce is so good you want to drink it! Easy Peasy - great for company too. <br />
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Now for the autumn wrap up:<br />
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Dan and Therese in Connecticut on that road trip - we attended the open house for the Hartford LDS Temple.<br />
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While on that trip we went in to a little sandwich shop in Farmington CT for lunch and the wall next to the bathroom was covered in old silver trays - it was a pleasing sight. <br />
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Pizza in New Haven CT with my love! Isn't he cute? I just have to say that we went to this pizzeria intentionally because I have read for years and years that this joint makes the best pizza in New England. We both emphatically agree that it <b>does not</b>!! It was an expensive disappointment - expensive pizza (that one was over 30 bucks! and I ordered my own large as well ($75 dollars for pizza dinner). We meant to take home lots of leftovers which we did but we ended up throwing them both out - yuck! Tasteless sauce, thin crackery crust and underwhelming toppings flavors. Dan had the loaded meat one and mine was - I can't even remember now but very different from Dan's so we could have variety. The famous place? And right down the street from the gorgeous Yale University campus? - Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. It even googles as the best. Sorry, it's not and we were so sad after making the trip there just for the experience. Monday we are going to the best one, the real winner - Regina's Pizzeria in the North End of Boston. My son Heath is being sworn in the day after tomorrow and taking the Massachusetts Attorney's Oath and we'll be attending and then eating really outstanding pizza afterward.<br />
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And to end this post - this is the last rose of autumn - the one I allowed to keep going when everything else has been cut down, pulled out or put to bed. She smelled amazing in the warm sun today. Good bye fall - now it's time to paint (I've got a new space to tell you about another time), do house projects, travel, bake a lot, make pretty things, enjoy coats and woolen hats and mittens, snow boots, snow shoeing, reading, fires, Netflix - Gilmore Girls next week - oh my gosh!!! <br />
P.S. - I have been watching "The Crown" on Netflix a bit every night - it is fascinating and well done!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-61597098057016689662016-11-19T15:51:00.000-05:002016-11-19T15:51:44.700-05:00Prince Edward Island Canada With Gabe (Anne)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our long awaited dream finally came to fruition! And PEI did not disappoint. It's taken me a month to report on our trip because I have had photo downloading issues since I got a new phone - very frustrating! I finally successfully downloaded all my pictures today and figured out (kinda) the problem. Now I have to play catchup before the holidays descend and our next adventure comes up. <br />
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We left early, about 5 am on a Monday morning October 10th I have to digress for a second and say that this is the longest, most colorful autumn I have ever experienced here in New England in my 18 years as a resident and we weren't sure what we would get this year because of the severe drought. In early October, when Gabe arrived, we took her up to Vermont and that state was nearing or at peak in the northern half of the state. It's mid November now and the color is still going as are many flowers in my gardens. Then on our road trip to PEI, we experienced peak fall color in Maine and New Brunswick. The nine+ hour drive was made merry by car snacks (hundreds of ounces of diet soda in huge plastic cups from Irving gas stations) and gorgeous, vibrant color the whole way. After several pit stops, we arrived at our hotel in Charlottetown around 5 pm. We drove across the long 9 mile bridge that connects New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island through heavy, heavy rain and fog that began halfway through New Brunswick and prevented us from seeing both the ocean on either side or PEI in the distance - we just followed the lights of the truck in front of us. The first thing I noticed in PEI when we arrived (and the rain had abated a bit) was that the beach sand, dirt roads and farm fields are all rusty red! After a yummy dinner at our hotel (The Rodd Charlottetown right in the heart of downtown - highly recommended), we explored downtown by street lamp and decided where we would eat breakfast the following day. The PEI tourist website did a great job splitting the island in to three parts with driving routes for each so our plans for covering the island were conveniently made for us. <br />
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We listened to french speaking radio stations as we drove the next three days to heighten the sense of PEI foreign-ness - I will describe this land as like one huge farm - the farms never end from corner to corner, down to every shore and all the land in between. Flat to rolling farm land broken up with copses of trees and lakes and ponds and tiny villages and you are always very close to the ocean. The economy is mainly farming (potatoes), fishing (mussels) and tourism. I love the red soil, the super tidy farms and towns and will describe the people as extremely friendly, salt of the earth, plain in dress and somewhat plump. We had a blast and feel like we covered the whole island very thoroughly. We toured a family owned (300 years) woolen mill from their own sheep, bought plenty of wool yarn (well Gabe did), many huge and super thick Kit Kat bars, visited Green Gables of course (walked through the haunted woods, Lover's Lane and stood at the shore of the Lake of Shining Waters), sought out artisans and perused their wares (and made a few purchases) and ate seafood every day. I can't wait to return with Dan next time. Here are quite a few photos to show off the island.<br />
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The best seafood chowder I have ever eaten in my life - jersey cream, huge chunks of seafood.<br />
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Gabe ate fresh caught mussels every day.<br />
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One of so many fishing villages.<br />
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Farms rolling to the sea.<br />
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Every lighthouse is white with red trim (and there are many)<br />
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Because the sand is red, the water takes on the hue where it is shallow.<br />
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Following Gabe to one of the hundreds of beaches. <br />
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We went in to this fabulous bookstore in Charlottetown every night after dinner - it closed at nine and we would sit and read books until closing.<br />
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Above and below - we stopped at a man's house where he has built a village in his back yard out of bottles. Here is the outside of one above and what one looks like inside below.<br />
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Where the author of the Anne of Green Gables books grew up - adorable yellow house!<br />
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The Lake of Shining Waters near "Anne's house". <br />
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All the Catholic churches were white with black trim - so beautiful!<br />
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Tiny villages interspersed among the hundreds and hundreds of potato farms.<br />
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Walking Lovers' Lane at the Anne of Green Gables Heritage Site<br />
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Rusty red everywhere!<br />
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Green Gables<br />
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Green Gables and Gabe. She was stopped several times to be told she looked like Anne. One woman asked to take a picture of her red hair!<br />
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Anne's bedroom.<br />
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Our favorite bookstore.<br />
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We stopped here in Freeport Maine on the way to PEI. The store has no locks on the doors; it is open 24/7/365 - we were shopping at 6:15 am!<br />
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I brought home beach sand, 10 lbs of freshly dug potatoes, fresh butter from happy grass grazed and fed PEI jersey cows and a bag of their Kit Kat bars - enormous bars with double or triple the chocolate coverage. Thank you Gabe for sharing in this great adventure and doing most of the driving between home and PEI. (I did all the driving on the Island to be fair). <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-25614246105899537922016-10-01T21:30:00.002-04:002016-10-01T21:41:48.797-04:00Goodbye Summer Hello Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Time to wrap up summer before the fall fun begins. My daughter Gabe is coming for a visit next week - we'll spend 5 days locally and then she and I will drive all the way to Prince Edward Island, Canada! When we moved to New Hampshire 18 years ago, we were huge fans of Anne of Green Gables and I promised Gabe that since we now lived "so close", we would go there very soon. We never made it and I feel badly about that but I am making it up to her now and we are so excited! <br />
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That huge pink dahlia is called Emory Paul - over 12 inches across!<br />
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September was eventful. We had our house painted yellow (so now I can't refer to my old house in Kingston as the Yellow House). I will hence call it the Kingston house. Can you tell how much I love yellow exterior paint? Our large and old fashioned linen closet got painted, the color inspired by a drawing room I saw in a book on old English houses. The driveways at the Kingston house property were finally paved and in applying for a paving permit from said town, I ran in to all sorts zoning and property line issues that were never resolved with past owners so my property now has it's own street name, Ginger Way and a corrected property line. After attending three different town meetings, other issues were resolved too. I attended a garden symposium in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut and spent many wonderful hours and miles exploring the delightful towns there and one particularly outstanding garden at Hollister House in Washington, CT. My dahlias and nasturtiums heavily fulfilled the measure of their creation. I hiked to the highest peak in New Hampshire, Mt. Washington, both torturous and glorious, with four friends. I won a Chili Cook Off for the second year in a row. Gabe and Dan had birthdays. Good stuff. <br />
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That is a stuffed angel food cake - you cut the cake in half, hollow out a tunnel in the bottom layer - fill it with a mix of drained crushed pineapple, strawberries, mini marshmallows, and whipped cream, put the top layer on and then frost the whole thing with sweetened whipped cream. <br />
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So, here's the end of summer, beginning of fall in pictures and probably a few more words. <br />
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This is the Glebe House in Woodbury CT built in 1740. The garden was designed by Gertrude Jekyll, a very famous British garden designer. It's the only one she did in the United States. I didn't go inside but instead toured the garden. <br />
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While driving around the west Hartford area, I serendipitously ran in to the almost completed Hartford Temple (of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) of which I'm a member. Dan and I will go to its open house October 17 - yay!<br />
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What I wore to the garden symposium. I'm glad I dressed up a bit - many women were dressed to the nines and I was astounded at the number of well known garden and clothing designers who were present. It was also the hottest day I have experienced all summer - the temperature was 98 but the humidity was in the 90s as well - sweltering! <br />
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Part of the group - there were probably 300 of us in attendance. We listened to six lectures of an hour each (one British and five American garden design experts/designers/plantsmen). It was so wonderful! After the symposium, we were invited to drive to the Hollister House historical garden and tour it and attend a rare plant sale. The garden was exquisite and I found a few plants to take home. <br />
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The plain front of Hollister House which is deceiving - the back is incredible!! <br />
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Above and all below - the back of the house and property<br />
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Now for the hike:<br />
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The toughest part of the hike<br />
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Looking down after the toughest part.<br />
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From the top looking down the other side.<br />
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We made it!<br />
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Our group that "signed up" was originally 15. Just five of us made it that morning at 4 am. Here we are about a quarter of the way in, having peeled off our layers from the cold we first experienced. <br />
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Blondies Dan made us to eat when we finished our grueling hike.<br />
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I couldn't wait to get to the top of the mountain so I could eat this lunch! Hummus on one side, avocado on the other, ham and swiss in between. <br />
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Now for the Kingston house driveway:<br />
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Because the property line was found to be in part of the driveway when I had it surveyed, I couldn't pave to the dirt and had to gravel the area connecting the Yellow House to the back yellow cottage. My neighbor, who owns the dirt area on the right, will plant grass there next spring so it looks finished. <br />
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The beginnings of my prize winning chili - 1/2 beef 1/2 pork.<br />
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The back and front of the newly painted yellow Rye House. And dead lawn.<br />
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Nasturtiums!<br />
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Bits of fall in the house above and below.<br />
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FYI - I made my own poo pourri. And saved $15.95 - that stuff is expensive! The ingredients on the label are simply purified water and three essential oils so I used the old bottle and my own oils, lemon, bergamot, and lemongrass and it works just as great at pennies a bottle. <br />
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This is a door mat on our back porch made from old flip flops - isn't it cool? And very cushy to step on.<br />
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I finally painted our large linen closet below. The house painters did some wall repair and prepping and the first coat and I finished the job with multiple coats and a couple accent colors. <br />
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And now to end - time to bake all things pumpkin! Much to Dan's chagrin - he's not a fan. Milk chocolate chunk studded pumpkin cookies! <br />
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Those tiny pumpkins, the wee be littles, are from our garden. <br />
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Yum!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-82719795869513863962016-09-22T21:06:00.000-04:002016-09-23T08:37:36.804-04:00Mother, Daughter, Sister, Dahlias, Roses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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That tiny dahlia is called "Little Scotty".</div>
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A few days after the pie social, I flew out to Spokane to see my daughter Gabe and her garden. And we made big plans to go to Swan Island Dahlias' Open House (in Canby Oregon) as well as a tour of Heirloom Roses (23 miles west in St. Paul OR). I have ordered from both of these family run businesses for years and I was excited to see the farms up close and personal. After I arrived in Spokane, Gabe and I immediately set off for Portland OR that very day by car, a six hour journey. We stayed the night near downtown Portland and spent the next day playing in that fair city until evening. Then we drove to my sister Dede's, aka Pig Nose's house, where we enjoyed dinner out at a Thai restaurant with her and Brad and then play time with their new Labradoodle puppy, Bourges. <br />
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Salt and Straw Ice Cream - deliriously good!<br />
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Gabe's cute living room. She knitted that giraffe on the gray chair there.<br />
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We were told we would stand in a long line for a long time but we arrived and there were only three people in the doughnut shop. Overrated doughnuts - crazy names and flavors (topped with kid's cereal?) but very ordinary tasting - sorry VooDoo! <br />
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Colorful Portland neighborhood<br />
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Now the doughnuts at this shop (Blue Star) across the street from Salt and Straw Ice Cream were phenomenal! Stuffed with pastry cream - decadent chocolate, tender crumb! <br />
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Salt and Straw. The Pear Lavender flavor was amazing!<br />
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Portland Rose and Japanese Gardens<br />
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Yep, you can order your dahlia tubers from that website right there. Every dahlia in my own garden started at Swan Island (oh, except for a few my neighbor down the road gave me - we all have the dark red one of his in our yards in this village it seems).<br />
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Pig Nose, Brad and Bourges<br />
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I painted that flower in blue vase for Dede's birthday last year. It was nice to see it hanging in her reading corner. <br />
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40 acres of dahlias in full bloom!<br />
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Large rooms were packed with huge bouquets of every dahlia they grow. <br />
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Our passenger buckled in for the ride back to Spokane.<br />
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Lovely farm land near Canby Oregon. We passed a mint farm and the smell was incredible!!!<br />
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Heirloom Rose farm above and below. <br />
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Gabe teaches a Sunday School class to primary aged children - they were 10-11 year olds I believe. I sat in too. She is reading scriptures on her phone - you can't see me or all the kids across from her - it was so fun.<br />
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I slept in that cozy red room in there.<br />
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Sunday dinner - ground turkey burgers topped with mozz, pesto and Gabe's tomatoes. The burgers cook along with the sweet potatoes we cut up - one sheet pan cooking - so delicious!<br />
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Sunday after church chillin'.<br />
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Gorgeous gardens just a couple blocks from Gabe's house - Manito Park<br />
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I caught Gabe out in her cutting garden early one morning ...<br />
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Pig Nose and Bourges at Swan Island Open House.<br />
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Gabe and Mark threw a Pie Social of their own September 10th - she sent out fancy invites with a wax seal! <br />
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Another view of Gabe's little cutting garden.<br />
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Good bye cute cottage in Spokane wherein dwells Gabe, Mark and vases full of zinnias, roses, and dahlias! Speaking of dahlias - look at the contrast between the two dahlias below - that's why I love those flowers so much - all shapes, sizes and colors and they keep your garden full of life and color from early August to frost. <br />
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My Dan Man<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03934028630799301306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240539938151295428.post-68246130662299936352016-09-17T19:24:00.000-04:002016-09-17T20:58:52.347-04:00Pig Nose And The 2016 Pie Social!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ten years ago I held my first Pie Social. I had to skip 2013 because we were moving in to this house and a lot of remodeling was going on. This year my sister Diedre, or Dede, or more usually called Pig Nose by me (by the way, she calls me Weasel Nose - taunts that used to hurt when we were young but now they are used affectionately), came to experience it and help me have all this fun. After all, she attended Pie Camp with me a few years ago and she needed to put her pie skills to work. Since I make around 45 pies from scratch, homemade ice cream, four batches each of homemade brownies and cookies for the event, I am often asked how it all comes together. Back in the early years when I was working a lot of hours, I made all my crusts on Friday night after work and then I baked my brains out from dawn until after midnight on Saturday. I don't and can't do that anymore since the number of pies I make has doubled and I need to respect the crust more than I used to. So, I'll explain the schedule and then a bunch of photos from the wonderfully successful event. <br />
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First, the big shop at BJ's to buy lots of butter, sugar, fruit, chocolate and flour! And other necessary life things to have on hand.<br />
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Chubbies! A couple weeks before the pie social, I make the dough "chubbies". I needed 42 single crusts so I made 21 two crust recipes or 21 chubbies. The chubby is a slightly flattened disk of dough that I wrap tightly and freeze. I made the 21 chubbies over two evenings. The third evening, I made all the graham cracker crusts (freshly pulverized crumbs, sugar and melted butter) and then put them in to single pie serving baggies and in to the freezer. <br />
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Graham cracker crusts<br />
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Homemade vanilla ice cream - I made 4 gallons of it three weeks before the social. </div>
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Five days before the event, I put all the frozen chubbies in this cooler that I needed for bottom crusts and I let them soften just enough to roll out. My hands hurt for a couple days after that marathon rolling of very cold dough. <br />
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I came upstairs where Dan was doing his physical therapy exercises to tell him that I wouldn't see him for a few hours because I had 31 crusts to roll out, stack, wrap and freeze. And I needed a bandana to keep my hair out of my work space.</div>
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On Wednesday before the Sunday event, I rolled out the crusts, separated them with wax paper and then stacked them by sixes. I froze them again. When it came time to make the fruit and pecan pies on Friday, I pulled out a frozen crust as I was making the filling and then piled in the filling, added the top crust if called for and baked the pie. The crust would still be nice and cold as it should be so it's flaky when done. </div>
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Thursday night, Dan, PigNose and I cut up all the fruit. I mixed the apple and peach fillings up and chilled them.<br />
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Friday, Dede and I prepared and baked all the fruit and pecan pies. We also baked all the graham cracker crusts and cream pie dough crusts and left them out at room temperature so they would be ready to fill the next day.<br />
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Pig Nose!<br />
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Baked crusts for the cream pies.<br />
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On Saturday morning, my son Heath and his wife Emma came over and with them, we prepared all the cream pies and fresh fruit and cream tarts. This took just until early afternoon with all of us working together. Then Dan, PigNose and I went to see a movie to decompress.<br />
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The next day, Sunday, we went to church as usual and when we came home, we ate a light lunch, and then PigNose went out in to the garden to pick flowers for the tables and I brought all the pies upstairs in to the kitchen and dining room - they had all been down in the cellar in the refrigerators to stay cold. <br />
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This was a fresh blueberry glaze topped cheese cake type filling on a thick walnut graham crust - it was a new recipe to the pie social repertoire. <br />
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An hour before the pie social begins, 12 quarts of heavy cream are whipped to frost all of the cream pies and some is set aside in bowls for pie topping on the tables. While the cream is whipping, sons Dane and Heath, and Emma and Dan are setting up and putting cloths and flowers on the tables outside. PigNose is heaping platters with flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and brownies. At five twenty five, the ice cream and ice water goes outside to the tables. We are ready to eat and socialize! And it's sunny, low humidity and around 82 degrees. <br />
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The line is forming with early arrivers! The grass is dry and dead looking from the drought!<br />
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An hour and a half later, there is no pie left, not one cookie or brownie, no ice cream, no whipped cream - nothing left - hooray! Over 200 people leave with bellies full of pie - happiness.</div>
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A couple other tidbits - Dane came home from college for a couple weeks this summer - he was home for the pie social. Here he is with Heath as they get ready to head to Boston to attend the Temple and then pick Pig Nose up from the airport. <br />
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I was thrilled to see Dane's clothes in his drawers he had unpacked from his suitcases - he is still folding his clothes the "joyful" way I taught him back when he started college and after I read the book about joyful tidying - I can't remember the correct title. After all the hard work of the Pie Social, the following day, PigNose and I and Dan went up to the Lake Winnipesaukee area. We drove on routes 16 to 153 so she could see several adorable villages like Wakefield and the Effinghams.</div>
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Dan waiting for us while we browse antique shops. <br />
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Thanks for coming and helping sis! <br />
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