The First Pea Pod

     Another photographic still life - this time a solitary pea pod. My garden has never included pea plants so this first pod was thrilling to find and open. The contents of five little spheres fascinated me - they were of good size and upon tasting, were quite tender and sweet. However my fascination lay more with the perfect presentation of nature's yield; I was compelled to photograph the intriguing simplicity of my small harvest.

Market Treasures

     An early summer visit to the farmer's market is eagerly anticipated, although the availability of produce is somewhat limited. Pop has an affinity for brown eggs and is on a first name basis with the vendor who supplies them. He was also pleasantly surprised to find tomatoes, which are a necessary ingredient in his lunchtime sandwiches. I spied a display of bunched radishes which were interesting because some were red and some were white. Never having tried a white radish, I just had to add one of those bunches to our bag of treasures. (I was leery of such large radishes - in my experience they become woody and bitter, but these were neither and we enjoyed them as an appetizer that night.) In all, our purchases made a very appealing still life photograph.

Father's Day Thoughts

     Dad had immense potential. He was very intelligent, articulate, artistic, charming and attractive - so many adjectives for a man whose efficacy was never fully realized. Thwarted dreams and life's demands destroyed him as much as the disease of alcholism. My siblings and I have been able in recent years to overlook the bad years and remember the good years fondly. Dad died too young to witness the evolution of his progeny; sadly, only the oldest grandchildren remember him.

     Now I am reminded of Dad often because I recently framed his military casket flag and placed it on a shelf above the window in my computer room. Therefore it is extremely visible and presents a somewhat sad but noble presence in the room. He is always with me but never more than when I spend time in this room.

Peachy Pie

     Peach season begins as strawberry season ends. The abundance and taste of these lucious fruits warrants the wait for each. Oh, you can purchase out of season fresh fruit in the markets, or get it frozen or canned at any time of the year but the taste and texture isn't quite the same. My personal theory is that waiting makes it taste that much better - you must savor it for the short while it is available (kinda like the seasons themselves - by the end of each you're ready to appreciate the next!)

     At Pop's request, we've made one of his favorites, a tempting little pie with a simple peach filling and an untidy lattice crust. A funny aside to this peach pie, however, is the making of the crust. Rissy helps me often in the kitchen on the weekends, so I handed her the bowl of pie crust ingredients to mix and roll out at the table, while I peeled and sliced the peaches. Pretty soon I heard an exasperated cry for help, "Something's just not right with this dough!" she exclaimed. When I approached the table, I couldn't help but laugh - she was trying to knead the dough! Good sport that she is, giggles ensued and we'll never forget this particular pie.

Kentucky Derby Party

      Niece Amy and her hubby recently hosted a Kentucky Derby Party at their lovely home. The weather was a bit gloomy but no one seemed to care.We drank traditional Mint Juleps and nontraditional Margaritas, ate a variety of hors de'oeuvres, and anticipated winners with a couple of betting games. Fashion prevailed as the ladies sported beautifully embellished hats.

Rissy's chapeau featured a bow to match her dress and a little equine accessory

Poor little Gage - his horse didn't win any money!

Pink Piggy Birthday Cake

     Since my last post featured the effects of Pinterest, this subsequent post will feature a Pinterest inspiration for Rissy's twelfth birthday party. Two six inch cake layers formed the base which was covered in chocolate buttercream icing (the top was swirled to look like ripples in muddy water). The original recipe used Twix candy bars but I spied a couple of boxes of generic label cookies that were less than half the price of the candy bars, and looked just about the same! Two rows of cookies encircled the cake and were tied with a pink grosgrain ribbon. Then the fun began. The piggies were incredibly easy and lots of fun to make out of marshmallow fondant (reminiscent of Play Dough!) I made several body parts and used the best pieces for the cake. Rissy loved the cake...and her presents too, of course!

Interest in Pinterest

     At the moment, Pinterest is the third largest social network online, succeeding only Facebook and Twitter. It may be a temporary fad but I too am following the craze (though not in a fanatic way like some pinners). Having always loved magazines and often clipping pictures or articles to save, Pinterest allows me to collect similar items in a neat and simpler fashion. My boards include mostly home and garden decorating ideas, myriad inspirations for photography, craft, and holiday projects, and a couple of miscellaneous interests.

     What has emerged from this collection? At first it was just fun but one day as I perused my pins, patterns of significance began to emerge. I never pinpointed a particular style for my fashion or decorating sense because my interests seemed so varied, but those gathered pins indicated otherwise. The characterization of my online collections has given me a little more insight into who I am, what I really like and where I am most comfortable. I like that feeling.