Portrait on the Front Steps of 435

     This lovely family portrait that is staged and yet has a candid feel, was taken in 1906 at 435 Valley Avenue in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The lady in the center chair is Nellie, my great-grandmother, who was pregnant with my grandmother at the time. Two of Nellie's children are near - seventeen year old Florence, holding her cat, and eight year old Wendell, who stands next to his father, Alfred. The lady seated to Nellie's right is her mother, Jane Long, who would have been 64 years old, and the lady to her left is Alfred's mother, Sarah Phillips, age 72.

     The two-story white house was home to a myriad of extended family and friends over the years. It would later belong to Florence and her husband, who continued the same tradition until the mid 1960s when, tragically, the house was torn down to make way for a new highway.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird in Flight

     All during the long, hot summer we watched them. First just one, then another and finally several of the tiny hummers frequented the two feeders outside the kitchen window and two near the front porch. We became fond as one could of a wild thing - enjoying their closeness and their antics. Because they feed so often, one was almost always making a quick appearance for a snack and sometimes would spar with its own reflection in the window.  However, it seemed another was always close by and would swoop in to chase the first away, causing lots of aerial displays. 

     They're gone now. The last one visited Monday morning and it is now Friday afternoon. Autumn begins tomorrow and we suppose that the hummers have begun their migratory flight to a warmer clime for winter, perhaps southern Mexico or northern Panama. It is so hard to imagine that our seemingly fragile wee friends can survive such a long trip, but we have learned that they are bad ass little fighters as well. We look forward to their return in the spring!

My favorite photo from this summer - a young hummer in flight.

Hasselback Potato (with bacon and cheese)

     Sometimes steak is the main dish and sometimes it looses its starring role. Case in point - when a very nice grilled steak is served on the same plate as an equally nice potato that is prepared in the Swedish way called Hasselback. The original version is thin sliced and drizzled with butter and breadcrumbs, producing a crisp, crunchy skin and smooth, creamy center. This variation included thicker slices (easy to do with a wooden spoon handle placed next to a large precooked potato) interspersed with cooked bacon and cheese (cojack - because that is what we had on hand). A quick broil effected the finishing touches of melty cheese and crisp top, and when removed from the oven a sprinkling of fresh chives was added. We even added dollops of sour cream at the table!