I had a big plastic glass with a straw that I liked a lot. I used it mostly in the quilt room while sewing.
But it was…PLASTIC, as was the straw. It had a top that kept the straw in place and the glass covered.
As any of you reading this blog for any time know, I’ve been on a mission to NOT use plastic in the kitchen.
About a month ago, on a whim, I looked at the availability of a big glass drinking glass—with a glass straw.
This first one came—in a salmon color. But the straw and top were plastic. So I ordered glass straws.
And I loved the first one so much that I ordered a second one (about $8)—so now I have one on each floor and don’t have to carry the salmon one around everywhere.
The Liatris is fully open now—in this spot and in others. It put itself here and elsewhere.
The hosta blooms are making a sea of lavender all over the garden.
The Cone Flowers (Echinecea) are opening—and I have many colors in the garden. They are hardy and drought resistant.
The Shasta Daisy is blooming. And I planted more in the new little garden next to the raspberries, which are now coming on strongly. I’ll be spending time today picking the ripe berries.
The Ballon flower has opened (Campanula family). It has planted itself around the garden. Mine are all pale, but this plant also comes also in much darker blue/lavender and pink colors.
One of the new landscape roses is putting out more blooms, which means it is happy and rooting well.
AND, here is one of the 10 Whirly gigs I put into the garden to hopefully scare the deer.
The lettuce in the cold frame, which I’ve been eating and sharing since April/May is bolting now. It’s time to pull it and replant with the Masai filet bush beans I love.
The Annabelle hydrangeas at the back of the house, outside the kitchen window, are putting on quite a show this year. There is a big swath of them, which the camera doesn’t capture.
On the driveway side of the house, I dug up the spent strawberry plants and replanted with perennials. The new bed will get some mulch soon now. I also dug up the crowded daffodils that line the path and thinned them out—and am now giving away the extra bulbs.
The raspberries are starting to come in, but the drought (broken a few days ago—and maybe tonight) has resulted in small berries. I also deep watered the raspberry roots with a hose set with a slow flow.
It is a really big ”lily” year here this year. I love how the Asiatic lilies look with the Liatris purple spikes. The Liatris planted itself in this bed.
The shrubs at the far end of this bed need trimming back.
Here’s the view from the back of the shrubs above, after I trimmed them. This job is LAST big season job that has to be done this year. Now I’m down to watering, weeding, and mowing. The camera doesn’t really capture the depth of this view well. Or the hosta and Bee Balm blooms as they are fading into the greenery.
Now you can see the back deck. The roundish structure is the kitchen—and the Annabelles are outside those windows.
The Christmas cacti love going out on to the front deck—they put out all sorts of new growth and, often, bloom. There are 3 pots of them that come into the house for the winter season.
The new bed on the wood side of the house is doing well. But the deer ate much of the hosta on the front bed, ate the Rudbekia to the ground, and ate all the tops of the two hydrangeas.
I sprayed again, and ordered and installed 10 ”whirlygigs” to put around the garden. What I probably need is someone with a rifle this fall. (Kidding, but not really.) The deer have never been so invasive as they have been in the last two years. I’m down to putting out human urine now, which a master gardening friend is saying will work.
It’s getting hotter now, but the nights have remained cool. And the cooling breeze from the bay helps a lot.
“Wyoming Bear Paws” is the 9th quilt made from my winter project of using up the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabric stash. The 10th quilt is growing on the design wall: ”Wyoming Stars.” And it has astonishing secondary patterns happening, which is so fun.
I was able to make a scrappy backing, but I don’t think I’ll have enough big pieces of fabric to make a scrappy backing for ”Wyoming Stars.” Of course, Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society are still making delicious prints. And I might fall into that pit. BUT, I might also use up existing stash of other fabrics. To remind, though, all of the C+S/RS fabrics use the same dyes over the years, so the fabrics ”go together” well.
Many of these bigger pieces of fabrics in this backing were ones that didn’t cut into small quilting pieces well. They needed bigger blocks, and I tend to piece with smaller pieces. That’s not true for the tiger print though. I love that print and tend to hoard it. And it comes in lots of fun colors.
I used the ”Bayside” pantograph and a soft grey thread (Signature).
As I’ve said before, it takes a deep stash to get this kind of scrappy variety in a quilt. It’s been so much fun to work with these fabrics all winter. Hmmm…and now most of the summer.
There is an adorable little girl out in Wyoming who will also need a quilt from me.
These guys went on a quick trip to visit the grinder last Tuesday morning.
They make that visit about every 6 to 9 months—and this time the scissors with the blue handles triggered the trip—which isn’t far at all, only about 15 minutes or so to the south. The small scissors were dull to the tip, and they are the ones I keep by my sewing machine so they need to be sharp. If you have scissors with some serrated edges on one side (some of the Karen Kay Buckley scissors), ask the grinder NOT to sharpen on those edges.
The knife on the far right came, via a Japanese neighbor back in Falls Church, VA, many years ago. When sharpened it is…dead sharp. And very thin and light, too. I use these wider knives like paddles, too, to carry chopped bits to a pan.
Once sharpened, I can keep the knives pretty sharp for many months with frequent passes on the metal sharpening tool (a honing steel) that came with my good knife set.
Local peeps: the grinder is on Route 90 going south, on the left, just beyond Kelsey’s. Call before stopping by to make sure that the grinder is in and can sharpen what you have (594-7007). The business, Acute Grinding, is now owned by Food Prep Solutions, so here is the sign for which you will be looking. The grinder charged me $20 for these 6 pieces.
Some of the raspberries are ripening now. I got this many yesterday. Delicious!
On the last night Bryan’s family was here I made a big “fried rice” dish with what was left of the leg of lamb we roasted, some eggs I fried first (beef tallow) and added back in at the end, and tons of veggies—some leftovers already cooked and some cut for the dish and pan sautéed after removing the fried eggs—and the leftover rice. (Bryan and Corinne had lobsters that night, and the granddaughters had some hot dogs with their fried rice.)
I had LOTS left over, so I packaged it up in two large silicon bags and froze them. The other day I pulled out of the freezer some frozen broth, a package of ground lamb, and one of the packages of fried rice.
Instant soup—after I sautéed the ground lamb. I also added more herbs, salt, and more water.
It was delicious and provided two days of dinner and supper meals—AND time for me to do other things than cooking.
A few weeks ago, while shopping for the recent family visit at the Belfast Coop (the neighboring town to the north), I saw, in the freezer section, frozen sliced OKRA.
I LOVE OKRA.
And most here in Maine have no idea what okra is, nevermind how to cook it.
I bought two packages and couldn’t wait to get home to cook some. It was as delicious as I recalled.
Imagine my surprise (not) when I was there yesterday, and there was a sale sign on the frozen okra packages. I bought four more packages and probably should have taken all that was left.
Again, I came right home to cook some for my dinner (in the middle of the day).
I also came home with a spaghetti squash—so I halved it, seeded it, and roasted it cut side down on a flat pan lined with parchment paper—using the convection oven to increase the cooking time—set at 350 degrees. I added my leftover chicken drumsticks during the last 10 minutes and turned off the convection. If you have not cooked spaghetti squash before, when it is soft/tender, turn it over and take a spoon and scoop out the squash meat, which breaks into the strands you see in the above picture. (Some use this squash like a spaghetti and top it with savory tomato sauce.)
Meanwhile, the okra only needed to be reheated in water. Stop when the water simmers to a boil, drain, and butter and salt.
Look at that pretty okra—so green, with its soft white seeds in the middle.
Now is when I should tell you that my Georgia grandfather did NOT like okra. He said he didn’t want to eat anything that swallowed before he was ready to swallow. Okra is soft and is slippery. I like it best just cooked until tender (I’d leave it whole) and after draining, topped with butter and salt/pepper. My grandmother on my father’s side, who lived in Oklahoma, used to pan fry her okra after dredging it in cornmeal. That’s good, too, but way more work. Okra is often stewed with fresh tomatoes—and is often present in gumbo. Okra and tomato is a lovely combo.
Today after digging up a whole bed of daffodils that need dividing as they are no longer robustly blooming, my mind turned to my leftover okra.
First, here’s the garden project, so you can see I worked up an appetite. The earth is very dry as we need rain. And I’m not finished, but it’s hot now and I was hungry.
And by the way, the lettuce needs to be pulled and shared with friends as the heat is bringing on its bolting. I’ve been eating out of this cold frame daily since April. I’ll replant with Masai filet bush beans which when they get rolling will give me tiny, sweet filet beans until a frost kills them.
Here’s my dinner at noon: reheated spaghetti squash and the okra, a fresh salad that includes a neighbor’s gift of sugar snap peas (delicious raw), and two grilled lamb chops. (The remaining two will be eaten with salad I already made for supper.)
I’ll read a little now and make a coffee, rest a bit, and will again tackle the daffodil project when shade hits the front yard.
The reward will be finishing a job I’ve wanted to avoid, a shower, and a little sewing time—with supper and hand-sewing all organized to enjoy while watching some tv.
The plants along the wood side of my house have bothered me for YEARS. Some were too big for that area and were taking over the windows, especially my kitchen window. I spent way too much time each year whacking them back. And for about 4 years now the viburnum got some sort of deadly disease that reappeared after being cut back to about a foot. Then there was the gorgeous white rhododendrum that the deer attack each winter—going so far this past winter to rip off the protective burlap and to eat all the leaves and buds back to the stems.
My wonderful lawn crew came to mulch two weeks ago, and on our ”walk-around,” I asked it they had the equipment to take out those plants. Leslie didn’t comment really. But I had to run an errand, and when I came back, the plants were all out—using manpower and shovels!!! The rhodo was carefully wrapped in a tarp, and I promptly gave it to Leslie for her garden.
It gets even better. Leslie told me that if I bought plants, they would plant them when they came to finish up with the yearly mulch. This was a Friday, so on Saturday morning I went to Moose Crossing and bought all the plants. Son Bryan and family came on Sunday, and Leslie and crew came back early Monday morning.
And here’s that long bed now.
It’s GORGEOUS! And all filled with deer-resistant plants that will tolerate more shade and will stay below window height.
This hydrangea is new to our area and was pioneered in Japan. The color is gorgeous, but can change with soil acidity. I’ll have to read up on what to add to keep this pretty color. (Hydrangeas do really well in my garden.)
I am still chuckling as I didn’t really want lace-cap hydrangeas—and it was like getting doggie AC Slater as I didn’t want a male or a puppy when I saw his picture online.
The house is all back to ”normal” now, whatever that is—with all the sheets washed, beds remade, and some sturdy cleaning accomplished. Yesterday I mowed, and I stopped to admire the line of cheerful day-lilies along the front porch as they are in full bloom now.
I love that moment when the mowing is done, and the gardens all look so pretty.
I have no container pots this year (except for the oak barrels on the driveway with red geraniums) and only one hanging basket on the upper front deck. It’s dry again, so not having to water so much has provided a lot of freedom to do other things.
Today I’ll finish ”catching up” with the house washing/cleaning and will mow.
I took a break yesterday to put together some flowers for the dining alcove table—in honor of granddaughter Ailey who loves flowers.
Annabelle hydrangeas, day-lilies, Ladies Mantle, smoke tree foliage, some purple spikes from a perennial whose name isn’t springing to mind, and a few white gooseneck (invasive) loosestrife (which are not showing here).
And now all the toothbrushes are packed up and are flying home—where for them this idyllic summer will continue with special events.
Last text from DIL Corinne put them on time in Philly and racing for the next flight—which is at the gate and on time.
It was a wonderful visit, a wonderful time to catch up with this awesome family—after two years of not seeing them. Each one in this family is really good.
Three girls—two years apart from 7 to rising 12 years. They ALL sewed with me. Every day was packed with hikes, swimming, sight-seeing, collecting sand dollars and sea glass, picking flowers for vases in the house and for drying in a press, reading, playing cards, and cooking/eating our wonderful Maine food.
Marshall Point lighthouse in Port Clyde.
Hiking—on the way down.
At home.
At the Camden harbor.
At the LLBean boot on the way back to Portland:
I miss them all ready. Of course I do.
And I’m well on the way today to having the house cleaned and all back ”in order.”
We had such pretty days when they were here. It was a gift.
Astonishing Secondary Patterns in ”Wyoming Stars” Blocks
I totally didn’t foresee these astonishing secondary patterns forming in the ”Wyoming Stars” quilt blocks I’m now making from the leftover 3-inch strips I cut for the Churn Dash blocks—out of the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society stash I had. (This traditional block is just 1/2-square triangles and 3-inch squares at the corners—but I’m calling it ”Wyoming Stars” as this quilt is going eventually to a great-nephew who lives in Wyoming.)
I went back and forth with whether ot make the block’s center dark or light—and so it is very fun to see the larger star in the secondary patterns with a light center. And what about those dark strips that are forming? My goodness! I’m loving this project.
I’m out of pinks and oranges now, so I rooted in my regular stash to find some that will work with the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society color ranges—which have remained consistent over the years.
Son Bryan and family are coming tomorrow—so postings may be a bit light for the next two weeks.
I have not seen most of my two Charleston, SC, families in TWO YEARS! So I am very excited about tomorrow’s reunion.
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