Thursday, May 28, 2015

strawberries and smocking

A phone call last evening from my neighbor, it is the last days of strawberry picking, an invitation ensued. We headed out to the fields this morning and I came home with a gallon of the ending season's bounty. The strawberries this year have been deliciously sweet, and I have found a way to make them have a longer life if kept in the refrigerator with a few simple tips. Place unwashed berries in a Tupperware container, or any such container with a tight fit will work fine, then layer the berries with wax paper on the bottom and a paper towel on top. Tighlty secure the container's top and place it into the refrigerator. I was pleased to find the berries lasted over a week when prepared in this way. Since today's berries are the last of the crop, I do not expect them to last as long, but tomorrow I have big plans for them anyway.

The gentle art of smocking a garment keeps me happy. A pink batiste gown was completed and Charlotte is enjoying wearing it to bed at night. We are venturing to the Green Mountain State next Friday and Charlotte has asked if I might have her robe smocked and sewn so she will have it to wear. I was right on schedule, until I realized I had pleated, blocked, and smocked two right sides. Woe! I sat outside on the back porch and ripped out the gentle smocking, consoling myself that this was only a minor setback. Grace was applied, the pleating was completed, the blocking was done, and I plan to begin to smock once again his evening. Only a small kink!


Right?

a chickadee

 I have taken to afternoon walks in the fields along the side of the woodlands. Today I carried along a small pair of binoculars hoping to c...