making

we have been enjoying summer's fresh produce as much as we can. getting fruits and veggies from my mom, a local produce stand or farmers market. most recently we have enjoyed making our own lemonade. it seems to be my year to have inherited quite a few old treasures. my current favorite being this old juicer. it was passed down to me from a family friend of jason's. the lemonade turned out great. fresh and tart. not too sweet.

i also made eggplant parmesan this week. minus the cheese the dish was all homemade and homegrown. i've been enjoying making things entirely from scratch, when i have the time. its so satisfying, like finishing a project you've been working on for a while, only its takes less time and fills your belly with it's yummy goodness. i hope to be making some more sauce soon. to put some up for the winter.

the small stuff

i'm not going to lie... our living space is being turned upside down right now. i knew this was going to happen. it was inevitable, we knew this as soon as we bought the beautiful wreck. some days i'm ok with ignoring the piles of stuff and debris everywhere. some days i'm not. the wonderful thing is that it is summertime. i can flee the mess. go outside, find some beauty and some order elsewhere. the beauty above is a handmade quilt from my grammy. she recently passed away. sometimes that fact doesn't even register in my heart. for her memories are still very much living in me. her beautiful treasures surround me in my home. i loved her so.

our front porch is a magical place for me. i am surrounded by flowers, trees, the chatter of birds and the subtle voice and footsteps of neighbors walking along the gravel trail, alongside our house. i think i will be hanging out here even when winter comes.

here is the void where the stove pipe use to run into our kitchen. sorry to say, but we have no future plans to cook over a wood stove in our kitchen. progress is being made, in our topsy turvy house.

tales from my week

we are in project mode around here. we've finished tidying up the flower beds as best as we can this year. we have begun working on our kitchen. not a total rehab, just a little face lift until we have have the resources to go all out on it. i'm very excited to see how far some drywall, paint and a new floor will go. i've been sowing more. i made some presents for my niece's birthday,recently.also i have had some pillows sitting in my sowing area for some time. so with a new burst of creative energy, i worked up a pattern on my own for some slipcover pillow cases. pillows for out swing and new outdoor chairs. light yellow, the kind that bounce a little!

i also got spend an afternoon with my girls ( sister and nieces) at saint peter's village. a quaint town not to far from either of us. we enjoyed an exploration of the surrounding forest and a little bolder picnic.