the last of the summer

A suggestion of a breakfast out together with my husband one Saturday morning gave motivation for a stop by the Farmer's Market. If you want to go to a place of abundance I find a Farmer's Market fits that need quite nicely. 

Fairy eggplants being held in Charlotte's hand to show the actual size, the skins are tender as to be eaten. I don't know about you, but these are eye candy.

We love lamb and the years we spent raising sheep spoiled us somewhat, always allowing lamb to be readily available. Finding a good source of lamb, especially rack of lamb, can be tricky, yet we believe we might have found a good source at Whole Foods.

Charlotte was asked to participate through dance one afternoon in the local library's children's summer program. Several of the older boys made laughing noises but she danced on with grace.

Most summer morning I walked and on this particular day the blue sky and white hydrangea caught my attention. 

Friends from Ohio visited in late July and we and we were able to celebrate her birthday. 

Sweet times.

traces of her

Early August and the anticipated days of having Ivy with us for several days burst upon us and these were busy days outside our usual routine, if there is truly any routine to speak of in the summer months. She left with her mother and a kiss blown with little hand to mouth, I caught it through the car window as they drove away at the end of the visit. This morning I looked around my home and the traces of her were still there. I miss her, and those early morning  with her just "showing up" were dear. We would go outside on the patio, she with her early morning hair bringing back a great flash of memory of those mornings years ago when  her mother would greet me  in like manner, and then seven years later, her Aunt Charlotte as well. "Messy Hair Mornings" we called it.

We managed to pack a variety of activity into those few days...

And after she left we continued on as before, just without Ivy. I do wish she lived closer by.

music camp

I will not bore you with the obvious, the obvious fact that it is late August and I am about to blog about a week during the middle of July.

But since one of the main reasons I blog is to keep a memory book of sort, here goes... and thanks for bearing with me...

After dropping Charlotte off at music camp in South Carolina I was able to spend the entire week with a friend. A dear friend of mine, a past backyard neighbor, one that I had shared early summer morning walks together for fourteen summers..."solving" the world's problems as we jokingly would say. But seriously we walked and prayed...not many things were considered off the charts regarding prayer. She moved away last summer and I still remember that June afternoon she beeped her horn as she and her husband drove past my house leaving for good. I would spend many evenings looking toward her house looking for "her" lights. So now I walk alone, but I still miss her.

 One of the things we talked about several summers ago was a music camp she highly recommended for Charlotte, so when that became a reality she extended the most gracious invitation for me stay the entire week with her. Plans had already been formulated which involved a few hours travel one day,  to Cashiers and Highland, a place she knew I had been wanting to visit.

 The last day of camp my husband drove down  to get us and we were delighted to hear the high school orchestra students perform a most amazing afternoon concert. Charlotte had informed us it was music 24/7, yet I still find it difficult to believe they sounded that good after only five days of being together.

Grill Marks for dinner, huge burgers with a variety of fixings to choose from for a $10.00 price tag. This restaurant was featured on Food Networks "Cheap Eats" back in the spring; not bad for a burger and fries night.

twenty gallons of sweet

"I meant to fninsh the spring-cleaning today, but I'd only done three hives and then I had to stop. Now I shall swell," Lady Finch said fussily, peering at her chin in the looking-glass that hung over the fireplace.  
              The Native Heath
              Elizabeth Fair

Finally the day of honey harvest arrived.  Sunday afternoon was the only time Witt had available before leaving to go out town for his new job, so in the hot garage we stayed for several hours in order to extract the honey from the wooden frames. The bees were actively buzzing outside the garage door, therefore, all doors must be  tightly closed to prevent them swarming in to the honey. Yet a few strays still made it into the garage, but as long as you left them alone you were okay, there is that fine line equaling complete cooperation by man and insect.

My kitchen is presently a mess of sticky sweet...emphasis on the sweet since I do not allow the stickiness to stay around very long, all it takes is a wet washcloth after all. We lightly strain our honey(filter without pressing), then we bottle. This year our bee supers have yielded around twenty gallons of honey! We are well- pleased.

August Yarnalong

 Yes, I am still knitting the same sweater I began in June, but it is summer after all and there are so many adventures that just do not involve knitting, and I must confess here that during my evening knitting times I find myself nodding off to sleep...while knitting...you know what that means don't you..."tinking" or unknitting the next night! And while this Swans Island Merino wool is a perfect knitting yarn for these hot days of summer weather, it is a fingering weight which for me translates as slow going since I am not a fast knitter. But it is an extremely lovely knit with a pattern that is easy to memorize and I am presently on to knitting the second shoulder.

 Back in high school I first read The Chosen and it was one of those novels that stuck on a "mind board" as an excellent book. When Alan was visiting back in the spring, we discussed certain books I should read and after he left I happened to discover this book in his extensive book stash, my memory was jarred and I just knew I must read it again this summer. Because of my growing love of Israel and the Jewish people which has evolved over the years, I understand its story so much more, yet I realize I still know so little. And I want to know more.

Joining up with Ginny and her Yarnalong this first day of August.

may/june reading challenge and knitting update

Traveling gives great allowance to read and to knit, but sadly I can not do both at the same time. See Middlemarch resting atop of my necessary bag at my feet? Of course, I took it along to the beach to read, but then I must say I also carried a couple of other books to read too, and those were successfully finished. Therefore, the May/June reading challenge is not quite accomplished yet, but almost! I should be done with it within the next week.
As far as my Swan Island Amethyst Sweater is concerned, I continue to knit around and around with this easy to follow pattern...stitch markers are the key. A very pleasant woolly summer knit wherever you may be.

the completion of Middlemarch

It took exactly two months! I began reading Middlemarch on May 7 and finished reading the Finale on July 7. It traveled within my home as I would read it in bed, in the living room, or outside while sitting on the wicker furniture. I also read it in the car waiting for Charlotte, by the pool, and on the beach, not to mention the hours reading while traveling in the car (as a passenger...*smile*).  Note the worn edges...to be expected on any book as it is tucked amongst carrying gear. To say I did not sigh with satisfaction as I read the last pages is an understatement. But my satisfaction was two-fold, no make that three-fold.

1. I was satisfied that I had taken the challenge to read the novel.
2. I was satisfied that I had completed the novel.
3. I was satisfied in how much I enjoyed the novel.

I will remember reading this book, and I hope I will revisit certain thoughts from this novel as the summer months linger. It is that kind of book, a true classic. You may read my review on goodreads.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2371409955

a middle of the week holiday

Thankful I was this morning to go outside and realize there was less sultriness in the air. It made walking so much more more pleasant, and I came home to make my husband two poached eggs. Learning to poach eggs is worth knowing when your husband enjoy eating them so much. I have tried a few snazzy gadgets, but this has been my best and simplest method.

Poaching an Egg:

 Boil four cups of water in a small saucepan, add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and lower the temperature to a simmer.

 Crack an egg into a bowl then slide it into the simmering water. With a wooden spoon give a gentle swirl. Add another egg in similar manner if one egg is not enough...never is for him!

 Simmer 2 minutes, remove the egg with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to drain.

No special holiday decorations for the fourth of July this year other than a few flowers of red, white, and blue set into a vase of water. We have been invited to Witt and Claire's house for dinner, all I am taking is cut-up watermelon. I love watermelon! There is hardly a day during the summer months that you will not open my refrigerator and find watermelon, it is like a summer staple.

a days knitting recorded

I  returned from the beach and began working extremely hard to play catch up on extremely neglected house duties, just the consequence of the unexpected things that  had played havoc on my routine in late May and throughout June. Even though on most days I will try to squeeze at least an inch of knitting into my day, sadly, it doesn't always happen. But from the start of this day I just wanted to knit.

Ergo, I sat outside on the porch and as I enjoyed one last cup of coffee I knitted a couple of rounds; then by the cool-looking pool I knitted a few rows before the heat beckoned me into the water.

And knowing the charm of things that happens in threes, I peacefully knitted about thirty minutes before beginning supper preparations later that afternoon.

            Make it happen! That is one to inspire!

beach

I never intend for time to crunch me so tight that I do not manage to post here more often, recording my simple journey as well as reading other blogs. But it does, and sometimes for weeks on end. Back on June 1, I mentioned a family health issue that was at the time keeping us out of town with uncertain and unsettling unknowns. We thank the LORD for His perfect intervention and we know assuredly He is trustworthy in this matter too.

But a family beach trip was on the calendar, so we packed up our bags, left our worries behind, and went expecting the best. It was so much fun being there with Ivy and Rose.

                                                              Fathers Day

                                           Early mornings on the balcony

For years I have quietly slipped out early to walk the beach while the others slept, coming back to brewing coffee and sitting on the balcony with my Bible and journal. But time has made some alterations here too, and I am finding myself okay with these small changes. While I am still the early riser, I brew the coffee first then sit on the balcony with Bible and journal in hand before the long beach walk.  One fine morning Ivy was up early so I took her with me to the beach. We meandered down the beach a bit then sat on the sand wearing our sleeveless dresses and"chatted" as we watched the waves.

reading and knitting with "small things"

I was pleased to discover Ginny

had brought back her knitting and reading yarn along,

because frankly I do find myself enjoying

 the sharing of current reads and knitting projects.

And the best part is the fun of seeing

 what other knitters are reading too

When visiting Maine back in August of 2017, I could not wait to make a stop by the Swan Island dye shop, and while there I purchased this pattern.  In January, I drove to my local yarn shop and purchased  the required skeins of Swans Island merino wool in the beetroot color way.  I was literally itching to begin knitting with this yarn but I continued on with this sweater until it was finished, but now the  Madison is turning out to be a wonderful summer knit. The yarn is as soft as my cat's fur.

How George Eliot's Middlemarch became my present book of choice for the present has a story too. I never was much for allowing the length of a book to intimidate me, yet the timing must be right, Sometimes I wonder if it the palpable absurdity of beginning this novel will be the hoping it will not end. Some books are like that and it is a quite a pleasant treasure when you find such a novel.