bountiful living comes in many ways

"A person who is growing a garden, if he is growing it organically, is improving a piece of the world". -        -Wendell Berry

Monday morning and the garden has yielded baskets of fresh produce. It is happening all over again, the same rewarding story every summer. Back in the spring we sowed  all those little seeds into the soil anticipating a harvest. The harvest is just getting strong. 

 The final harvest for the lettuce and beets. I pulled all the lettuce because it becomes too bitter in the mid summer's heat and  all the beets just needed to be pulled out of the ground for storage. They will store in the refrigerator for quite some time.

Tomatoes are coming in strong now, we even had our first BLT this weekend. The little cherry ones are ripening too.

Potatoes, most of them dug; they did so much better in the raised beds on the side of the house this year. What a satisfying chore is digging potatoes if done early enough in the day!

Peppers, though the heat will affect them for a spell, I have been trying to pull the large ones.

And the blackberries... are as jewels on the vine, our first year!

This past Saturday, my daughter stopped by for afternoon tea. She called saying that is what she wanted to do. I was honored. I brewed a pitcher of hibiscus tea, added mint syrup and a slice of lime, served iced. Very Refreshing.I had whipped up a batch of banana chocolate-chip muffins to serve alongside pieces of fresh cut-up peach.

“As far as her mom was concerned, tea fixed everything. Have a cold? Have some tea. Broken bones? There's a tea for that too. Somewhere in her mother's pantry, Laurel suspected, was a box of tea that said, 'In case of Armageddon, steep three to five minutes'.” 
― Aprilynne Pike, Illusions

Meet Knox, her dog.

And we had a front row seat to observe the hummingbirds.

while the peaches preserve...

  "Come to the summer, to the summer we will come"

                                                                 ~John Clare

A storm is brewing, and I am here on a  semi-dark storm infused afternoon with one ear listening to the hot water bath canner, jars of peaches I am preserving for the pantry. Quarts...25 minutes.

It has begun raining hard now, the raindrops splattering my windows creating designs on the glass. I hear it falling despite the steady sound of the canner. A summer's day storm...it will pass as quickly as it has arrived.

My Potager:

The garlic harvest was successful this year. I love the names of the hard-necked garlic I grew as much anything...Majestic, Music, and Burgundy. 

Two years ago I visited a local lavender farm and brought home two white lavender plants known as "Edelweiss". This year they have become a beautiful addition to the back garden.

The English Lavender continues to thrive by the back steps and I always hesitate to cut the full blooming wands. The bees love it so and it is gorgeous and a joy to brush against,  but the pruning only gives more blooms and helps the plant to continue to put more energy into being a healthy plant.

There are huge magnolia trees on this property, and I mean huge! Some of the blooms are way up high in the air on those trees, but there are so many reachable blooms on many of the trees that are regularly cut and carefully placed into a vase of water where they will open and exude one of the sweetest smells of summer.

A  Sunflower Garden Disappointment

"Who knows what may lie around the next corner? There may be a window somewhere ahead. It may look out on a field of sunflowers.”
– Joe Hill

Or Not!

 Still remembering the morning in late April that I sowed the seeds dreaming big of a small field of sunflowers I hoped to enjoy this year, as I have in previous years. The first photo is the deer's first visit, the second their next visit and it has continued to nary a thriving sunflower left now. I was not to be daunted I replanted between the rows...we will see. Not hopeful at the moment. Yet, we do have some tall straight reaching to the sky sunflowers plants around the vegetable fence...

The peaches are out of the canner now. The storm stopped taking with it the humidity, the sun came out bright, now it is raining steadily. I am on the back porch watching the hummingbird...

I realize most of this post is about parts of my flower garden. I will report more on the vegetable garden another time. It is loving the recent rains! But we are now having to be vigilant about the Japanese beetles that my husband literally saw fly in this past Saturday.

I will briefly state I finished reading Christy, by Catherine Marshall. Back in my high school days I read this book and I remember it making an impact on my young life. It is still a very good read. Highly recommend. My husband enjoyed me telling him some of the happenings in this book.

Thank you all for reading and commenting when you are able!  Blessings!

a very special day...one year ago

Saturday, June 8, 2024                     59 degrees, sunny                                                                             

     The Day...it is beautiful. It is perfect... specially ordered.

Later...

    She got married and it was absolutely, wonderfully good.

Some photos of what we were doing last year on this very day.

the journal continues...

     On the front porch overlooking the ridge sipping my first cup of hot coffee. Words. At the present the words are scampering, not able to be spoken or even recorded here in this journal as I would prefer. They are just felt. Many things hidden in the heart, digging, delving deep, to settle a bit. Too much to take in all at one time. Much like a garden dream, the mature garden I hope to have one day, a touch of beautiful senses every single place you set your eyes...

I look up and I pray to my Lord, with tears. S0 very thankful. SO full of the riches of His marvelous grace, enduring mercy, and steadfast faithfulness.

It was under a tall, stately oak tree she married that June day of 2024, just liked she had planned. It was a worship service where hymns of praise were sung and prayers were lifted up before the giving of the vows.

And then we celebrated with a wedding feast... her style... with family, friends, food and dancing.

And all too soon, it was time for the new Mr. And Mrs... to leave together, wedded.

“You have been the last dream of my soul.”

 - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

In my Journal...

I can not get one beautiful picture off my swirling mind- the beaming brightness of my daughter's face as she walked down the aisle with her father- flowers in her hair- and all.

fermentation and smartphones

In the small southern town not far from where I live, a new market has recently opened that sells mainly local whole foods such as vegetables, ferments, dairy, breads, meats, and such.

As some of you might remember I enjoy the art of food fermentation. I regularly ferment cabbage, but during the summer months I usually have several ferments going on at one time.

I am no expert by any means, but I am always up to learning new things in regards to fermenting foods.

This little local store carries products from K Culture Ferments. Since the store offers free tastings I was gladly  enticed to bring home a couple of their ferments recently. Wow are they delicious! Of course, I checked  the ingredients list and today I decided I would try my hand at making a ferment using cabbage, carrots and beets. I will never be able to create the exact same ferment, but at the least I can experiment and learn to make a good one. 

While I was happily fermenting in my kitchen, I listened to this very interesting conversation at Thinking in Public between Al Mohler and Clare Morell about her book, The Tech Exit:A Practical Guide for Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones.  

It is extremely interesting to listen to her research  that clearly shows how the use of smartphones affects the development of kids and teens, in all aspects. Most of us would agree that society as a whole has dramatically changed especially due to the progressively insidious use of smartphones. I am aware of how many parents today struggle with this, even as my own children share with me how hard it is to say no to my grandchildren with any such devices. They are the wise ones, and I do pray for them.  When my boys were growing up, there were no smartphones, they did not even have cell phones. But with my girls iPods, cell phones, and even smart phones were beginning to take off. At sixteen, when my girls began to drive they were allowed a cellphone, and eventually a smartphone edged in, but still I did not trust anything called a "smartphone". I do not now either.

a June bride

 There have been wonderful declarations, quotes, and comments about the month of June written by others . And I truly give my own hearty affirmation to the beautiful month of June as it is still my most favorite month of the year.

June bursts serenely forth, it sheds its array of glories, and declares special wonder without any hesitation whatsoever.

But despite all the other things that June represents, it continues to hold favor for me as the month of brides, weddings, and marriage. Being a June bride still holds merit to me because on this third day of June forty-seven years ago I was wed.

Wedding photographs of the late 70's would not even register on a scale with the photography used today for weddings. We chose the best photographer in town and I believe this photo was considered "special effect".

(though that white line is the plastic over the photo)

My husband asked me what I wanted to do for our anniversary. He was thinking about dinner in a restaurant. From where we live, we would have to drive anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to dine at a good restaurant. As I was wanting lamb... we both love lamb... and not many restaurants serve a good lamb meal; I answered, "I'll cook." I am able to prepare a simple, but delicious lamb meal, and truthfully it has been a joy to give this day intentional focus on my blessed marriage as I go about preparing for our evening together. Therefore, we will pack a box of food, a small overnight bag and drive to the cottage where I will prepare a special anniversary meal and we will stay at the cottage for the night. A "Getaway"...across the street.

❤️

a rainy holiday

 The garden... vegetable, herb, and flower... overall has been planted, though the garlic will be harvested soon and we plan to put in more tomato plants and sow more green bean seeds after tilling that soil. I cut the scapes of the garlic plants on Saturday. Here is a delicious and easy way to use your garlic scapes.  

 Into a skillet of olive oil add unpeeled russet potatoes chunks about the size of a nickel alongside the garlic scapes chopped into 1/4" pieces. Cook until the potatoes are crispy brown and tender.

We could comprehend that we are having a "mini holiday" today since the majority of the garden is planted for now and the days of preserving have not yet begun. Since the day is rainy and cool, we took a "holiday" opportunity and opted to go to the cottage and tackle the much needed job of painting the sun porch. This turned into a most enjoyable day with my husband doing something typically "different" from the usual holiday activity. May I state how pleased I am with my choice of using the same color paint as what is on the kitchen walls? It is by Glidden and called Silk Star; I am always fascinated with the names given to paint colors, but I also like to rename them. "Sliver of Butter" is what I named this paint color 

Notably, I forgot to take an after paint photo 🙄.

Take my word for it, it looked great, just what I was hoping to accomplish by extending the color outside the back kitchen door. We hope to return tomorrow evening and add another coat. ( I will get a photo then).

 My husband used a roller to add the color...I was priming white around the new windows that were put in earlier in the year.

The sun porch is a long narrow room that was added on at some point in time, it includes the stairway that leads to the basement. The wood boards on the stairs were added recently and now need some paint too. Gray? Or perhaps another color for the steps? We are pulling up the old tiles on the floor and will be adding a floor similar in color to that "oaky" color on the subfloor

After we finished painting the first coat around half-past four, we sat down at the dining table in the cottage and savored afternoon tea.

I love the hymns.  I grew up singing them and they never cease to bless me. I keep a hymn book by me in the early morning hours and many mornings I will sing all the stanzas of a hymn in worship and praise to my LORD.

Here are the words of the third stanza from the hymn, My Jesus I love Thee.

O Jesus, My Savior

With Thee I am blest,

My life and salvation,

My joy and my rest:

Thy name be my theme,

And Thy love be my song;

Thy grace shall inspire

both my heart and my tongue.

Blessings!

sophistication in simplicity

 The cilantro in my garden seeded itself and has become ostentatious in its pursuit to come up everywhere in the garden. I have already dried a jars worth and I decided I must cut the plants back to prevent them from going to seed with the hopes of retaining fresh cilantro in my garden for most of the summer. The smell was intoxicating, and I found sophisticated simplicity in placing them in a jar of water to set on the porch table.

There is a corner bookstore located in Louisville in an area called Crescent Hill, walking distance from Charlotte and Isaac's apartment. I have always made a point of going to this bookstore when I am in Louisville, mainly because they have the best selection of Wendell Berry books. They carry such a good selection since he is a Kentuckian author.

These little notecards came from this store, Charlotte gifted them to me so I have been writing notes this afternoon.The Tufted Titmouse is one of my favorite backyard birds and we are fortunate to have quite a few of them at our feeders. When they decide to sing...it is as a choir has booked a special flight to come and delight.

  

Years ago, I remember brewing a delicious summer tea using rosemary. Today after pruning my rosemary bushes I took a handful of the crushed rosemary branches (approximately 1-2 cups) brought them to a boil and simmered this brew for about 10 minutes. I added the strained rosemary tea to an equal portion of sweet tea also adding the juice of one-half lemon. Very refreshing, and the taste of rosemary was keen yet subtle.I realize that sounds like an oxymoron, but to me it describes the taste well.

Another way would be to make a rosemary syrup which basically means adding dissolved sugar to the simmering rosemary tea and pouring it into unsweetened tea, and even yet another way to make a good rosemary drink is to simply add the brewed rosemary tea into lemonade.

“The hill is like an old woman, all her human obligations met, who sits at work day after day, in a kind of rapt leisure, at an intricate embroidery. She has time for all things. Because she does not expect ever to be finished, she is endlessly patient with details. She perfects flower and leaf, feather and song, adorning the briefest life in great beauty as though it were meant to last forever.” 
― Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays

How has sophisticated simplicity shaped your May thus far?

"What matters is people"

My husband and I have just finished watching the complete series of Larkrise to Candleford. Have you seen this BBC series that ran from 2008 to 2011? Oh, you should. This morning at the breakfast table as we were finishing up, I asked my husband who was his favorite character, and believe me that is not an easy question to answer if you have given it no thought.

I realized this morning, my favorite is Queenie. Yes, definitely Queenie grew to rise above them all as my most favorite character. She was so full of love and caring for others, even those who would display such unlovable and selfish propensities in a variety of ways. But she was equally firm and not shy of admonishing and rebuking when needed. She possessed a contentment and joy of being comfortable in her own skin. 

 "I am no more than a beekeeping wife."

 Her sagacious words spoken to Gabriel at the end of the series changed the course of two lives. She was a world changer of sorts in a little hamlet in the English countryside, though she would not say so.

"What a person believes isn't what they think, isn't what they say; it's what they do."

~Queenie Turrill

NOTE: Queenie was superstitious and a reader of tea leaves.

She had some definite flaws. 

the graduation day

 It began with umbrellas and a rather steady rain, across the green lawn we walked with our umbrellas. Staff people from the school were trying their very best to wipe off the seats as much as possible...but it was basically a losing battle because the rain continued on gathering strength.

About ten minutes before the ceremony was to begin...

the sky cleared and the sun came out. The Ceremony took place under blue skies with a variety of cloud formations and the sun shining down on all of us.

 

                              And now we've come full circle. 

But so many amazing and wonderful things have happened since that day in August 2021. She has matured into a beautiful and mature young woman...a married woman as her first year anniversary is approaching on June 8th.

Congratulations to you, my Charlotte!❤️

she played

 The aim and final end of music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.   ~Johann Sebastian Bach

 I sat in the auditorium hearing and feeling the notes, the music of Mozart, Bach, Elgar, Gliere, and Mendelssohn being performed by her. I was very present in the moment listening with joy and tender pride as well as remembering the years that had gotten her to this place, her Senior Recital.

When she was just a wee baby I would whisper in her ear, "You shall play the strings". There was one time at the age of thirteen she wanted to quit the violin and I replied to her requests with complete sincerity,

"One day you will thank me".

 She has.

 

Charlotte's hard work, diligence, perseverance, and times of seemingly endless practicing have brought her to this place of beautiful accomplishment. But I would be remiss to not mention a necessary element of the overall picture as well, a part which flows strongly in my heart in the remembering. We, her parents, were always her most ardent cheerleaders.

  

My husband and I have purposely and gladly invested in Charlotte's music studies through the years. My husband has invested the finances required for all those years of piano and violin lessons. I have invested hours of faithfully driving her to her weekly lessons, and we've both invested time watching her through the many rehearsals, practices, recitals and concerts as she improved her skills and acquired the instruction needed to continue on to the next levels.  All this was done with complete happiness and  total willingness to see her achieve her goals. 

traveling to celebrate

 When something good happens, travel to celebrate.

Something good is happening this week and we are traveling a day to be there and to celebrate.  After almost four years, Charlotte is graduating from college!

 In our minds the memory certainly is not dormant of this particular day so well remembered with mixed emotions, and the four years (three years 9 months exactly) which have elapsed with all its mountains, valleys and in-between events are still seeking to find a place to settle.