Gathering My Thoughts

Or so I pretend! Hi, guys!

Today I just want to share a few small tidbits....mundane-ity? Quotidian life in late winter, as I struggle to overcome this stupid respiratory infection that has now lingered for FIVE weeks, sigh.
Spring sky? Perhaps....

But first, best!
Here is Mr. Mockingbird, singing in the barren bayberry bush, up on the dunes. I have seen only the one mockingbird since Sandy, his lady friend has deserted him, yet here he sings and looks so handsome and hopeful.

I am pretty sure he'll find a mate soon. A pair always nests here in the dunes...

And I wanted to show you my devilled eggs, from Easter.

They were yummy.  My kids asked why I don't make them more often? No real reason, they are essentially the same as egg salad, just finer chopped celery and less mayo. [blop of horseradish, sprinkle of paprika or parsley and there ya go. ] "Jumbo" eggs work the best.

I love the vintage special egg plates! So mid-century American, so Mrs. Cleaver or Betty Crocker---iconish of housewifely perfection and strange foods.

They're a fun item to find at the flea market, anyone can use one or two of the early 20th century plates. But then, you know, you don't need a whole bunch of egg plates, so the shadow of yet another  burdensome dust catching collection does not arise...
This unmarked version has a full blown parrot tulip, tiny daffodils,  and sweet primroses, very Easter-y

[I used to have three. One is blue milkglass, I use it for summer days. But now I can find only this one. I wonder....?]

And today's handsewing, a fun thing to do if you've made a quilt for an older child. I made this flannel Log Cabin ages ago, for my son. He likes it okay but only uses it if he has friends sleep over and someone needs a cozy coverlet to crash on the floor.

But the fun part is that he collects souvenir patches, mostly from his skiing adventures,..

also from friends...

and some golf venues, etc....

 

He remembers to bring the patches and asks me to sew them on, so I know it is something he enjoys. I never remind him or suggest.

He likes the souvenirs of everywhere he has been, I think. It's a fun, no strings/ no stress way for a kid to use his quilt as a keepsake, isn't it? And with today's ephemeral digital pictures, captured in phones that get discarded at least yearly, these may be the only thing he'll have  for a ''scrapbook'' of his life.

More updates in a day or two, things are getting finished and heading off to the quilter~ Yay!

love

lizzy

           gone to the beach...

 

 

Happy Easter! Welcome Spring!

 Hello! Happy holidays, everyone.

March is fading, still windy but we've seen a sunny sky and the temps have hit 50 degrees at last.

My family is away , enjoying the fun of spring skiing, so I've kept my Easter decorating to a minimum, a few adorable prim bunnies in the big blue trencher...

[from Michelle, at Olde Farmhouse Primitives]...I added wool wrapped prim carrots from her blog tutorial.

And mostly just filling the house with spring flowers...

 

 

 

 

I was lazy, I decided I actually like the bright foil wrapper on these hyacinths...

Heavenly blue!

 

 

Later I added my fake chocolate bunny prop.

He looks so real, doesn't he?

My beach-found large bell jar has proved a very useful item for centerpiece decor!

I put a pot of slow blooming tulips by the back door. I was tidying my deck and found my odd pink crock, just had to have it out for Easter!

When my family arrive home tomorrow, tired from skiing and the long drive, I plan to serve devilled eggs [my nod to Easter Eggs]...on one of my vintage-y egg plates.

And my friend Melody's wonderful brisket [recipe at the end], an assortment of multi seed croissants, whole grain Cuban rolls, horseradish  spread, and a sweet broccoli-carrot slaw.

All made ahead so we can eat whenever the kids and friends arrive. Won't matter if they get home at noon [slushy slopes!] or 8 PM [powder! awesome]....

Happy holidays to everyone !

love

       lizzy

               gone to the beach....

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

*****PS This is the BEST brisket! Better than crock pot and soooo easy:****

 

Melody's Brisket

 

Marinated Brisket

 

2 Tablespoons liquid smoke [optional, I don't use it]

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

3 teaspoons celery salt

½ teaspoon seasoned salt

4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

(1-2 teaspoons hot sauce, if desired)

 

Place fresh or thawed brisket in oven bag.  Pour ½ of the marinade over one side of the brisket, then turn the bag over and pour the remaining marinade over the other side.  Close the bag with a twist-tie and place in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally to re-coat surface of the meat.  The next day put the bagged brisket in a baking dish (fatty side up, if there is one), snip a few small holes in the center top of the bag, and bake at 250°F for 6 to 8 hours.

What Was in My Pocket



waiting for spring cleaning

Hi everyone!

Hasn't this March seemed endless and grey and dismal! March is a horrid month, in my opinion. And this year I've been kept indoors all month with a rather severe ''respiratory'' infection". lol, NOT to be confused with a mundane cold, I understand. This thing that ''got'' me has involved large turquoise pills, codeine cough syrup, and an very expensive inhaler gadget. And tomorrow, a chest xray.

Good thing [no, not really, but...] the local hospital is still filled with sand and debris from Sandy because otherwise I fear I might be headed that way.
 [Google images photo]

The worst part is that the icy wind makes it hard for me to breathe and the doctor [who looked appalled by my daily winter walking regimen] has suggested I remain indoors or only take short local walks. I know I love the beach but I don't think I understood how much my creativity is linked to my long hours spent idly beachcombing---walking, searching, thinking. [and so if you also read my writing blog, you'll understand its lack of updates.]
Click to enlarge all photos

 However before the medical people got involved I did get out, searching for goodies left by winter storms.
 Look at this giant light bulb! Is it new---or old?

All my life I've yearned for the joy of finding an old glass fishing net float. So when I spied this glass thing buried in the sand, I crossed my fingers and dug it out.

Nope. Just an odd huge old light bulb! See its size!
 Keep in mind the plate is like the size of a large serving platter...

I also found this smaller light bulb. Imagine them surviving in the winter gale waves.  Odd items, but inspiring. They can, if they ever dry out, perhaps be tiny terrariums? ''Snow'' and sand filled Christmas ornaments? Something fun anyway.

Then a beautifully weathered, but not old bottle.

Its shape seems so familiar, what is it!?
 An old Perrier maybe?

And a pretty assortment of small junks, tossed into my favorite spongeware bowl.

 The large glass piece, below, front, is old, probably part of a canning jar. It has a dimple on the side where there must have been a wire bail attached.

And interesting 1/2" thick safety glass embedded with now-rusty wire mesh. [Airplane? boat, lighting device ? What is such glass used for, I wonder?]

My kids have perhaps done better than I at finding real treasures.

Note the gorgeous jewel-like lavender old bottle neck. 100 years old, spent washing in the tides.

 

A c.1900 barbershop shaker bottle-top...still has tiny cork ball.

 

 

This Seven-Up bottle piece, what was the slogan?
 Anyone recall? edit: Hunter found the slogan! Yay! "Seven-Up You like it, It likes you!" See the word likes? I couldn't imagine....The link is in her comment at the end.

And a very nice late 1800s bottle neck, pale aqua blue...

and sand dollars...again so fragile....yet they survive.

 

 

 

love

          lizzy

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

 

 

Shell strings rescued from the deck eaves during Sandy.

Haven't moved since!

And my collection of binoculars....

And interesting local images c. 1926, just a a nor'easter....[I apologize to the unknown source, for absence of attribution].