Birthday Cupcake Tower

     Mom requested a quiet, no frills celebration for her eighty-third birthday, so the family stopped by in intervals throughout the afternoon. The visits were less chaotic and more personal than a large party and Mom was able to give her full attention to each small group. The gifts were modest but thoughtful and she loved, as always, the myriad of sentimental, funny, or handmade cards.

     Because of the reserved nature of the day, I thought that simple cupcakes would be appropriate. However I took the liberty of making those cupcakes extra special. After baking and cooling, a small cone was sliced out of the middle of the little yellow cakes, and a topped fresh strawberry dropped into the hollow. Vanilla icing was piped atop each before placing on a cupcake tower. Red candles were placed to match the red paper baking cups and a spray of white flowers in the center completed the arrangement. On second thought, perhaps the smile did.

Turquoise and Bone Set

   Turquoise chips and round bone beads were combined for this simple, Navajo-style necklace and earring set. I designed it to match a similar colored shirt worn with white shorts. The cool and casual effect is perfect for a hot summer day.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Sausage Skillet

     Sweet potatoes in the pantry plus Andouille sausage in the freezer equalled a tasty skillet dinner. While the potatoes baked in the microwave, I sauteed onion, celery, garlic and sliced sausage in a skillet. After peeling and cubing, the potatoes were added to the pan, along with corn and Cajun spices. Simmering just long enough to heat through and blend the flavors took only minutes, so dinner was ready in short order, which was a good thing because the aroma was enticing.

The entree was served in bowls with maple syrup ready to drizzle and lightly sweeten to each diner's taste.

Maximum Strength Thunderstorm

    

     Last evening the western sky was brilliant with rays from the setting sun that highlighted a cluster of mounting thunderheads. The meteorologists weren't too frantic at that point, predicting thunder, lightening, wind and possible hail. But an hour after darkness fell, so did torrents of rain that fell so hard and fast that the gutters overflowed, causing sheets of water that totally limited visibility. Lightning illuminated the black sky and the drenched neighborhood every few seconds, accompanied by booms and rumbles of thunder. Not just a squall line, the storm was constant and lasted for several hours so sleep was negligible. The rain gauge and the tree limbs in the garden were reminders of the latest of this summer's succession of rough weather.

Clean Pony Parade

     The love of horses knows no boundaries to a little girl. Even the bathtub becomes a parade ground for a line of her favorite steeds. I'm not too sure if our equestrian or her cavalry reached a maximum level of cleanliness but it was worth the fun for her and a photo op for me.

Apple Cinnamon Oven French Toast

    For Father's Day we had a special dinner, but we also had a special breakfast. To start the day off with a little celebration, we included this Apple Cinnamon French Toast. Assembled from fresh apples, sliced French bread, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and a few other ingredients, it was then baked in the oven. The mouthwatering aroma woke Pop from his slumber and he had coffee and the newspaper ready on the table in right quick order. Served with scrambled eggs, thick sliced bacon and orange juice, the french toast squares didn't even need any syrup. The apple topping was sweet and syrupy enough!

A Portrait of My Dad (for Father's Day)

     Memories of my dad do not span a very long interval. He figured prominently in my early childhood, of course, because of his love, strength and affection. As a teen, I was able to appreciate his intelligence and idealism, while watching it disappear as alcoholism began to rule his life and hurt his family. It has been two decades since his death and I now understand what drove him to drink and the gentle spirit that was crushed. I do not blame him for his disease, only the circumstances and his weakness, which was an inability to confront the antagonist.

     Dad was the son of hardworking Polish immigrants and he aimed high. Smart, charming and ambitious, he attended college and (at his fiancee's request) aspired to eliminate the foreign accent in his articulate speech. After serving as a Marine in World War II, he got a job, married and began a family. Promotions came quickly, as did the children, and soon a relocation from Michigan to Missouri. He had wanted to be a physician but settled for a career in pharmaceutical sales; he had wanted one child but was accorded seven. He loved toddlers but struggled with teenagers. Throughout his life, Dad strived for perfection, whether in his hobbies of woodworking and gardening or in his knowledge of birds, animals and biology. And that pursuit, I believe was his legacy to his children.

c. 1950 with first child



Ridin' the Storm Out

     When a terrific thunderstorm blew through the area on a day planned for horseback riding, we ate lunch in the barn and waited for the worst of the downpour to ease. The thunder and lightning, which are always amplified and therefore scarier in the Ozark hills, passed quickly to the east but a steady drizzle continued for another hour. Instead of remaining impatiently in the barn, the girls were given umbrellas for a walk down the lane. Even from a distance we could tell every time a gentle breeze rifled through the trees, because the girls would erupt in giggles as the leaves shed upon them a heavier fall of drops. I especially loved the umbrellas as a focal point - brilliant pinwheels of color against the darkened landscape!

Early Summer Roses

     I can take little credit for these roses and peonies as they were in place when we bought the property, and are still thriving more than twenty years later. In all actuality, I don't care for roses as part of my landscaping scene - while the blooms are gorgeous, the canes and foliage do not appeal to me. All negativity aside (sorry!), on this particular day the air was clear and the sun so bright that all the flowers seemed to glow. And honestly I don't remember the sweet-smelling peonies and roses ever blooming at the same time.

These crimson petals have a rich velvety appearance.

It continually amazes me that this climbing rose is still covered with snowy blooms every summer, even though it is situated mostly under the shade of a very large ash tree.

This white gem is brilliant against the deep dark shade.



Garden Gate

     Our picket fence is painted Dover Gray to match the house and this gate opens into the backyard, following a walkway of stepping stones in the grass. Since a gate usually holds the promise of something beyond, I wanted to add some small detail that hinted at more than a suburban expanse of lawn. The little oval sign was acquired from a local dollar store, making it a really frugal find! It is resin cast with the appearance of stone and is simple but welcoming.

Our Dancing Star

     A dance recital is the culmination of months of lessons and practice - and today Rissy was our dancing star. These almond cutout cookies seemed  an appropriate finale for the celebratory supper following the performance.

Below - dancing to "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas

Siberian Iris

     Tall bearded iris have never appealed to me, at least not in the home garden. The only way to appreciate them is planted en masse in a large area as a background to smaller plants. However the smaller Siberian Iris, which appear delicate but are, in fact, quite hardy, I treasure for their reliable late spring/early summer blooms. Also the spiky grass-like foliage remains attractive for the duration of the growing season. The vivid blooms featured here are strikingly beautiful, with falls and standards of velvety purple-blue and blazes of white-gold. They look quite natural next to the small fish pond.

Good OLD Summertime

     Summer in Michigan is magical. That may be partly because it exists largely in my memory as a child there and of subsequent vacations, and partly because it really is a beautiful land of lakes, beaches, orchards and forests. My mother spent her entire childhood in Grand Rapids and in this photo, c.1929, she pauses for a moment to pose with a young friend. Kids and sand and water are a combination that is timeless, but the swimming attire of these two toddlers is a definite and amusing indicator of the era.

A couple of years later, my mother helps restrain her energetic twin cousins. It is summertime again and nostalgia is evoked by her dainty white outfit (dress, hat, shoes and socks), the boys' sailor outfits and the striped awning on the porch behind them.



Cinnamon Rolls

     I've been making cinnamon rolls for years with great success - they disappear quickly. However, not long ago, I happened upon a recipe for Cinnabons (sold at the chain kiosks), and have modified my recipe a bit. The rolls are better than ever, wonderful right out of the oven with the frosting all melty and delightful the next day for breakfast too. I can smell the luscious aroma just by looking at this photo!

Pond - Old to New

     Fifteen years ago, a small rectangular rose garden existed within the brick-lined part of the area shown below. Inherited with the house, it was left in place a few years until the trees on the property grew too large and shady for roses. Removal of the rose bushes inspired further improvement on the small hillside, so in addition to planting some shade-loving annuals and perrenials, I dug out two small ponds, fitted them with liners and connected them with a waterfall, that was powered by a small pump. We enjoyed the natural look of the ponds and how they fit on the slope, the sound of water trickling down the stone waterfall, and the fish, frogs and other wildlife that often visited.

    

When the liners failed last year (after a long life), I was ready for a change. Still wanting a water feature but one with less maintenance, I decided on a single preformed liner. After emptying the water, the old cracked liners were removed. The lower hole was enlarged to fit the kidney-shaped liner and the upper hole was filled in with soil.

The new liner was, of course, more difficult to place as the excavation had to be shaped almost perfectly to accept the rigid form and stay level. I used a mix of sand and topsoil to backfill the small pockets that still remained after lowering the liner into place.

I still have a waterfall that fits naturally into the slope, powered by the same recycling pump, but the pond is now much easier to maintain. Since the stones, bricks and perrenials were simply recycled, the only expenses involved were the new liner, a weekend and a sore back.

Today, one year later, the plant material and grass have filled in nicely (the annuals and pepper seedlings were just placed and will grow quickly). Even the fish, who survived a bitter winter, seem happy.

Yellow Submarine Stitchery

     The cover of the Beatles' album, Yellow Submarine, was the inspiration for a birthday gift for my musical brother. I thought a bit of framed crewel work in fanciful colors would be a welcome addition to his music room. After sketching out the design, I transferred it to Aida cloth with fabric tracing paper and used the album cover for a color guide. It turned out even better than expected, so I was quite pleased - and so was he!

Cat on a Ladder

     The step-ladder is a magnet for Miss Molly. Whenever it is brought into the house (to access the attic or to paint cathedral ceilings), the project takes longer because it must be shared by an inquisitive cat. She likes to sit upon the highest rungs and survey the room, almost as if to say, "I'm pretty cool cuz I got up here by myself and now I'm higher than everybody else!"