I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Showing posts with label August. Show all posts
Showing posts with label August. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Little Things

...mean a lot.



Hi! Small pleasures become so important when one has, like me, been so incapacitated and homebound for months on end. Just getting out for errands is suddenly a thrill instead of a tiresome chore. Monday my friend Elle [L] drove me to the physical therapy clinic to sign up and do insurance paperwork. [I'm rather dreading this plan, when any small mis-move can still cause intense pain. We shall see!?] The clinic people seemed pretty nice, always a surprise here.
Afterward we treated ourselves to a quick trip to Trader Joe's for their annual August flower special, 9 Roses/// 3.99. From the Fearless Flyer their ad paper: ''Why Nine? Because 9 is the most roses we can get for you and still sell for less than four dollars! Sounds good to me!


I chose classic ''tea roses'' which is what we called creamy with pink ruffled edges roses when I was a little girl. I think that is incorrect nomenclature, but to me they are still oldfashioned and special. No, Mel, they have no scent, sorry.


I dug out my little ironstone jug with the pink buds.








TJ's had other fascinating things! Riced cauliflower! I love cauliflower. This version is chopped rather fine, like rice. I think I will do a fast stirfry w/ garlic, onions, herbs, a little broth---like a risotto? Many options on Pinterest I haven't been cooking much, so even that is a fun challenge.I also got fresh corn, but forgot tomatoes, too bad.


And look at these perfect jewel-like red raspberries. Had to have a box, plus a small bag of TJ's shortbread biscuits. I added a little sweetener and a dash of Grand Marnier, spooned the berries over the biscuits, with a dollop of Greek yogurt. ! Guilty pleasure.


I got Mo some of their brown rice and chicken chews and  fancy bullysticks too. Then we stopped in the village at the little drugstore. I needed Rxs and also notecards and letter paper to write to friends who keep in touch via snail mail. Hard to imagine people who are not online, but a letter in the mailbox is still so fun,I think. I've kind of lost my handwriting knack, but I still enjoy this funny old custom. Any of you still write letters?
Oh and I got Mo a little baby pool! The pharmacy is a little neighborhood shop, with beach toys, sunscreen, and sand chairs, not just a Rx filler. Locally owned, I like to shop there, give them my business, so they stay. The little pool is for the next heatwave on the deck, though so far this week it has been dry,breezy and cool-ish. [75*]. Probably Mo will hate it.




Speaking of mail, I also received this pretty envelope from Mel, you know her from her comments here on my blog.





She sent me more of the  very interesting text print because I wanted more to use on P2's lollipop flower blocks' backgrounds. Now I better get busy! 15 leaves and four stars this month, hmmmm...



Sneak peek of P2's large basket block. The roses on the sky blue just seemed perfect for my day of summer and roses. [yes, it's crooked.]


Of course all this excitement exhausted me. I enjoyed sitting down in the afternoon with a cold ice tea and some time poring through this gorgeous and inspiring book, a Christmas gift that has never gotten put away.


And last, more morning glories. The hot sun and salt air and wind mean their leaves are ugly and shrivelled but each morning at dawn the brave little flowers open for their brief and special moment of beauty.





















love

lizzy 

gone to the beach....

















Friday, August 22, 2014

Brrrr! Goosebumps in August!?

Yes! Shiver weather here, who'd ever expect this chill in late August, usually a time a bright sun and too hot temps.




I'd planned today to be a beach day, did all my chores and errands earlier in the week to keep Friday --and the weekend--- free. Packed up  my sewing and knitting projects, filled a little cooler with drinks and antipasto snacks for later. Got to the beach, met up with my friends and family.
No sooner did I knit a row of ribbing than the wind began to howl and one of the guys pointed to the northern sky!



Doesn't this look ominous?





Weather Bug said 2% chance of rain, so, well....okay. Fine.



We built wind barriers with our umbrellas. I borrowed a long sleeved t-shirt form one of the guys. But no. Just too too too cold.





See how dark the path is? 2 PM!



Fun bench, too bad it gets removed in the winter. Mo and I would love to sit here on sunny winter days.



The dunes are suddenly very lush and well-planted. That 14" rain last week did the dune plants a world of good.

 
 



Remember: not-quite 2 years ago, H Sandy tore through these dunes and all was washed away. Good rebound, I am so happy.

 
 
Hints of autumn in the rose brambles.
 
 
 



Back home, the wind had blown away my ladybug sculplture.



I was sad and finally found her splayed on her back behind the planters, waving her legs in the air [no not really,lol]. I gave her a new fancy stake [broom handle] and placed her back in a different pot.


 
 
 
New Guinea impatiens are so basic but so pretty and dependable, even late in the season.
 


Mo is proud! He can get up on the deck chair by himself now! Good boy.




Have a great weekend! Dig out your jeans and sweaters? I may have to....

love

lizzy

gone to the beach..............

tiny colorful butterfly shells




Friday, August 31, 2012

Farmer's Market August's End





Hi! Oh the delights of outdoor marketing in late August! Do you enjoy the farmer's market like I do?




I suppose a big part if the fun--and challenge---of going to the farmer's market is being open minded, getting creative with what you find when you get there....




I went on Wednesday [yikes no parking! ]...went back later...my list was corn and squash, pickle cukes, berries for new cobbler recipe.




But no.
No Corn?
Instead I found the tiniest reddest sweetest grape tomatoes....




Of course we ate them  ''as is''...but I also bought fresh ravioli with mushroom/ ricotta filling. And more ricotta...



Tonight I threw together a fast and delicious dinner:
in a large saute pan I put olive oil, 1/2 sweet onion, cut in thin strips, minced garlic. Cooked for about 6 minutes, added the little tomatoes...plus red wine, sugar, pepper, lemon pepper, tarragon, basil. I cooked all that on High til it caramelized. Boiled the rav' for 4 minutes, drained, added to big fry pan, tossed gently with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with parm, dot with fresh  ricotta. Yum! yum-yum-yum.




Watched Project Runway and enjoyed the savory fresh food.



For the weekend, I got this new cheese...a fresh cream cheese with pistachios.




"Cow's milk" sounds odd, doesn't it?





And from Bread Alone, Cranberry/oat/ whole grain rolls. I'll slice them and serve with the cheese spread.



I also succumbed to a tiny apple tart too since I didn't find berries...the guy gave me two freebie squares of apricot cloufouti too...Sometimes it's good to be a late-bird!




No pickle cukes though. Here's my pickles so far....



bread and butter/ sweet pickles


the kids love the little oldfashioned Weck jars


Oddly the dill mix [from Ball] has an additive [?] to keep the pickles crisp. My kids didn't like it, they kept saying the pickles weren't ''done yet''. No more crisper stuff for us, I guess....

tarragon dills

btw What are those squash like little green soccer balls? And what the heck does one do with pattypan squash? [cute, cute, so cute...but weird.]

love

     lizzy

gone to the beach