Let's take a summer break -

We're preparing for a little trip, our first since California in May.

Right now I would go just about anywhere to get out of

 North Carolina's ongoing heat and humidity.

Next week, an hour and half flight north will see us 

back in New England where, hopefully, it will be much 

cooler..........but still sunny for the coast and mountain

visits we are planning.

Our base, as always, is Manchester, New Hampshire. Bob's home town, 

and my home for several years when we were first married.  We have no

family there any longer but a whole lot of great memories, old haunts,

favorite restaurants, special nooks and crannies, and some special friends.

A quick look at this week now that Friday is here. At last we have a

 cooler day and some light rain fell this morning which is needed badly

 in the garden. 

Speaking of drinking and refreshing liquids - this is my latest find in the

Rosé wine department. I love a chilled glass on a summer's eve.

We were introduced to a new to us wine bar recently by friends. 

It is also becoming a favorite retail store for buying wine to bring home.

The congenial owner knows his wines and sells them at good,

discounted prices. Cheers!!!!

This was my favorite find to date.  Many French Rosé wines are way

 beyond my budget this year - like everything they have increased

 drastically. I like the screw top, the label is beautiful, and the wine is all

the label states and is delicious. Who knew notes of black cherry, quince

 and liquorice could taste so good.

This wine actually comes from Pézenas, an interesting medieval town

 in the region between Montpellier and Beziers, not too far from my brother's

 home. I recall visiting there several years ago.

Pézenas was important in the 15th and 16th centuries, being the provincial

 capital of the Languedoc region, and receiving visits from the court of Louis XIV. 

Old-fashioned Blueberry Muffins

Drinking requires eating of course!

When given too many blueberries baking muffins is necessary.

Everyone likes a muffin so I shared some with family and Bob and

 I split one for breakfast each morning as they are jumbo sized!

This week I cooked a lot. Mainly savory meals using tomatoes - a great

 soup from oven-roasted tomatoes and homemade basil pesto; sheet-roasted

 tomatoes, peppers, shallots, garlic and a block of Greek feta; and a good old

 basic summer tomato sandwich using 6-grain bread, a dash of mayo and

 black pepper - no extra sodium here.

I've been blessed with the harvest from my neighbor's garden and as he's

 away I get to pick anything turning red on the plants!  Also green, 

as you can see a few more cukes found hiding in the tangled

vines this morning. Not sure what type of cucumber this is -

very different from the earlier ones which were longer, so perhaps

 he planted two types. 

Just cut one open, quite nice with few seeds, but skin needs

removing as it's rather tough.  Will most likely make green Gazpacho 

with these over the weekend.

Books and reading. Anything of interest to share, I'm now at the bottom of the 

stack by the bed. Dug up this one which I started a couple of nights ago - found

at the Dollar Store (which is now $1.25 for most items) but still great

 bargains, especially for brand new hardbacks!

So far I'm liking it and have learned a lot about an animal I really knew

 nothing about - the wolverine. Reviews say it's a stunning thriller, a 

mystery and a survival story set in Montana. The author is a wildlife 

sanctuary monitor and a geographic information systems specialist so

 I'm certain knows her stuff.

I'll review it later when completed - meanwhile it's literally a cool book to 

be reading in this hot weather!

Lastly, how about this book to take on vacation next week?

I purchased it a long time ago but have not read it yet. 

Like the size and light weight for my 'personal item' bag for the

 plane, and again the setting is in WINTER, so it should be perfect.

It won The Guardian Best Book of 2018.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Stay cool if in a hot place, hang on to that umbrella

if in rain and wind.  

Memoirs - RMS Queen Mary and Me!

News over the weekend included a story of the 'rescue' 

of this beautiful and historic ocean liner which is dear

 to my own heart.

RMS Queen Mary - docked in Long Beach, California

"The landmark Queen Mary ocean liner, owned by the City of Long Beach and a popular tourist attraction and hotel, will be closed to the public for much of 2022 as it undergoes $5 million in “critical repairs.” 

This is good news for fans of the historic ship. After the city took control of the rundown vessel from a financially strapped leaseholder last year, one option under consideration was sinking the ship. The 88-year-old Art Deco-style ocean liner, which has been permanently docked in Long Beach since 1967, has been closed since May 2020 due to COVID-19. The repairs are expected to begin in February, with the plan to reopen Queen Mary to visitors by the end of the year.  A first step in the repair, and expected to be a two-week project, will be removing deteriorating lifeboats. "The lifeboats exert stress on the side shell of the ship which has created severe cracks in the support system,” the city said in its statement. “Removing the deteriorated lifeboats will enhance the structural stability of the ship."  Since the lifeboats are historic objects, Long Beach plans to preserve two for future display and to temporarily store 13 others, while seeing if there is interest from museums or other non-profits that want to preserve the boats.  Other projects include the installation of new permanent bilge pumps to discharge water in the event of an emergency, with additional repairs to follow.  The Queen Mary is a popular filming location, and during the repair period the city still plans to welcome film crews, a move that officials said would help “generate revenue to support the ship operations.”      via The Points Guy website

RMS Queen Mary in her heyday, sailing out of New York and headed to Southampton, England.

The RMS Queen Mary, built during the height of transatlantic ocean travel, sailed more than a million miles and transported over 2 million guests over a career spanning 30 years.  Built by Cunard as a the bigger and more powerful of two ships, the luxury liners and sometimes cruise ships, the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth reigned as a pair providing weekly express transatlantic service.  

February 25, 2006 - the two Queen Marys met for the first time!

This is yours truly just after boarding RMS Queen Mary for my

first transatlantic sea crossing home to England from New York to 

spend Christmas 1964 with my family. Two years earlier I came

 to the USA by air to work in Washington, D.C.

Since then I have sailed on many ships and had many adventures

at sea, but this first memory of crossing an ocean in the bitter

 cold of winter has definitely stayed with me.

The ship was taken out of service in 1967 and has been docked

 in Long Beach ever since.

Today I decided to treat myself to this book.

It's an older book and hard to find at an affordable price - today I

 was lucky and have found a used one online, hardcover, and

supposedly in 'good condition' - I've had it on my 'wish list' for

 several years.  Reviews are awesome - I'll let you know when

it arrives, I'm excited.

I'm missing ships and sailing so reading about them will fill the

 void for now.

 

Yesterday flew off into the history books. . . . . .

 

. . . . . . however, like all the recent January days, it left me with some gentle, 

simple thoughts.

~ An afternoon cup of excellent tea as 4 o'clock rolled around ~

This is one of my favorite black teas, a gift from friends Marilyn and Jim in

 Oregon who stopped by to visit us last year. It as our second meeting as

 we visited with them several years ago when travel was easy and safer.

Marilyn is your 'go to' tea lady - and her lovely blog Delights of the Heart

will inspire you with tea info, poetry, photos, kind thoughts, and so much more.

This blend similar to Earl Grey, is No.55 Lord Bergamot, by Portland, Oregon Teamaker Steven Smith.

"A flavor somewhat superior to traditional Earl Grey. Fragrant Ceylon Dimbula and Uva are artfully combined with select teas from India's Assam valley, then scented with bergamot essential oil from the realm of Reggio Calabria, Italy." 

Teamaker Steven Smith

I find one silky tea bag fills my smaller tea pot with enough for two good sized

 cups of delicious tea. I like the note on the tea bag envelope, 

"Steep 5 minutes, while pondering the Earl's affair with the Duchess of Devonshire."

A Scottish shortbread - Walker's my favorite - always goes well well with tea.

~ The power of a flowering bulb ~

Once amaryllis get going they grow so quickly.

Last evening the four buds on the second bulb to bloom

 looked like this.

This morning, the buds have changed a lot.

What fun it would be to have a time-lapse camera to film all this.

~ My thoughts in regard to new books - I love new books ~

. . . . . . .will have to wait until another time.

I have a lot to share about these particular ones, so please come

 back if you would like to learn more.

They are thought-provoking: covering good-for-us food, 

objects of art, gifts for special people. . . . . .you know who you are.

Meanwhile, enjoy this day. We have bright sunshine, cool 

temperatures and a forecast of much colder days and 

nights ahead with possible snow/ice come Friday.

Firewood is piled near the door. Thoughts include even more cups and

 mugs of tea, coffee and hot chocolate - and perhaps toss in a warming

 snifter of cognac later when the flames are dancing on the hearth.

 Trying out a couple of new soups will mean a quick trip out for 

vegetables tomorrow. 

Then curling up with those new books, knitting, writing, listening to old

 recordings of Yanni, Kitaro, Enya, whilst writing - all of whom bring back

 so many memories. 

My history.

. . . . . and speaking of flying, a Mockingbird arrived to nibble crumbs on the

 front porch rail. Birds seem to know when snow is coming - they

 stay closer to the house and porch, and of course I love that.

Baking and books . . . .

When I can make time - perhaps on a cold, preferably snowy, winter day, 

if we ever get one - I hope to make a sourdough starter and then 

learn how to bake a crusty, fragrant boule of sourdough bread.

This is the book I'll use because Emilie Raffa is my kind of gal when

 it comes to the kitchen and cooking. 

It's subtitled as "A Beginner's Guide to Delicious Handcrafted Bread with

 Minimal Kneading."

Instructions are clear, design and photography beautiful, printing and book

 quality excellent for a soft cover publication.

I discovered Emilie when I picked up "The Clever Cookbook" as gift for 

my granddaughter who now has a kitchen of her own. I admit I almost kept

 that book for myself as it's so fabulous.

I gifted myself with several new books at Christmas. I keep a Wish List on Amazon, 

just for books and music perhaps not available in our local independent book shop.

This year I also had to order my annual wall calendar for the kitchen online - the one 

I've bought for years - Swedish artist Carl Larsson (1853-1919) whose paintings of his 

house and family are amazing.

Being the age we are, purchases made online are minimal really. Getting out and

walking, looking, sometimes buying, and shopping in bricks and mortar stores seems 

to be exercise for us. . . . . . go ahead youngsters, you can laugh!

 My neighbor told me yesterday, during a discussion focusing on several major

 shops closing - or cutting back on store numbers as Pier 1 and Macy's have

 announced this week - that his young adult daughters purchase almost everything 

online.  Highlights of my younger days were meeting my girlfriends to 'go shopping',

 have a coffee or lunch, talk face to face. . . . . all made for a jolly good time and 

bring me so many great memories.

I still meet my friends now and then for a coffee or lunch outing, however 

must admit spending hours trawling malls and shops are infrequent. 

That part is usually done with Bob for items we really need. . . . such as food 

and a good bottle of wine!

Until that snowy day arrives I often seem to be spending time here, 

not only knitting whilst watching a movie of an evening, but grabbing an

 hour to catch up on magazines, read a chapter of my current book, or enjoy

 turning the pages of a cookbook. The latter often inspiring me to

unwind myself from the cozy throw, start moving, and get back into the

 kitchen, one of my favorite places to be.

Have you baked sourdough bread?

Did you get any great new cook books for Christmas?

Do you have snow, and are you enjoying snuggling in your

favorite comfy spot at home?

Any new yummy recipes to share for a cold January day?

Thanks so much for the really nice comments on my last post.

You are such great friends.

Bookish --------------

Many friends are sharing their Summer reading lists lately.

So many wonderful books, so little time to read them all.

I'm mostly a 'read in bed before putting out the light' person,

however these torrid days have me worn to a frazzle by

 mid-afternoon. Grabbing a book, a cool drink such as a 

tall glass of elderflower cordial, (or sometimes a cup of tea

 despite the heat), and my ever present readers, I pick a place

 to sit before prepping dinner, and lose myself between the

pages for a while.

ICE - just the title brings shivers and the cover art is fascinating.

Life on a group of tiny islands off the coast of Finland is cold and 

hard much of the year. Translated well from the original Swedish 

prizewinning novel, this is the prefect story for the heat of 

summertime here in the southeast.

Thank you again dear friend Ruth in England - your book gifts

are always surprising reads and very special.

Where do you find your books?

Above are the ones I'm currently reading, or will be 

reading soon. I usually have two or three on the go and

the same number waiting in the wings.

My fascination with Nature, in all its glorious seasons, is why I read

 and thoroughly enjoy British author/farmer John Lewis-Stemple's

remarkable stories, each centered on a specific place in the 

British landscape. I have started The Running Hare and will 

follow soon with Still Water.

Oh yes, about finding books. The other two here were found on

 that always untidy, tucked away shelf in the Dollar Store!

 I hope you have one near you and check it often because for just $1

 there are often great hidden books. Of course it's hit or miss but last

 visit I picked up these. Have started on

the Mockingbird Next Door and love learning more about

Harper Lee.  The Bones of Grace I know nothing about yet,

but feel it may be a wonderful story.

Any special books on your nightstand or coffee table you would like

 to share for these hot summer days and nights?

I'll spin you a tale . . . . . . . . . .

Waiting tables and the Quiet American. . . . . . . . . . 

She was busy taking orders, placing them with the kitchen, carrying trays piled with plates, and her feet hurt. Working two jobs was hard going but when you're eighteen you should be able to do it. Youth, good health, boundless energy, and of course your dreams, are all on your side. She had worked on Saturdays in a dairy shop on the main street while in secretarial college. She loved that job as many tourists popped in to order the real Devon Clotted Cream to mail back home to family and friends. She enjoyed hearing where they were from and why they had picked the west country for their holiday. She longed to see the world for herself. For a short time she served in a small tea room on Sunday afternoons. There she had to dress like a real waitress in a black dress, stockings with the required 'sensible shoes', and a white frilly apron, the clientele were often uppity and the tips not great.  She even served 'American' hot dogs from a tiny 'hole in the wall' on the harbor for a few weekends, and hated riding home on the bus her clothes and hair smelling of grease. She needed the money to follow her dream.

Anstey's Cove, Torquay, Devon - Painted for me many years ago from a post card by a friend in Maine.

Her last job waiting tables was in a small restaurant near the top of the main street. Away from the busy seafront and beaches, but popular with holidaymakers staying in nearby large hotels. She recalls him well. Tall, slim, with an American accent. He ordered the big plate of spaghetti with meatballs. She told him waitressing was not her real job, she worked as a shorthand-typist in the office of an insurance company down by the harbor. She was making plans to go to Washington, D.C. to work for a year then come back with money and marry her boyfriend. He smiled, wished her luck, told her she'd enjoy working in America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .and tucked a ten pound note into her hand as he left the restaurant. It was the biggest tip she ever received.

The beginning of a short story?  

Perhaps an entire book?  

Or one of many memoirs for family in the years ahead when

 she is no longer here to share oral history. . . . . . 

Now and then I hope to bring you more memoirs of growing up
in Devon, England during the 1940's, '50's and early 60's before I emigrated 
to the USA

Scribble Picnic. . . . . . . . . . Books

One of my favorite things in life - books, beautiful books. 

Life would be nothing without them and is so enhanced by them.

 I have always lived by my pledge to 'read the written word', and to

 do it with a real book in my hand.

With Michael's Scribble Picnic up and running again, our challenge this week is 'books'.

My little piece is, as always, a photo edited back to a sketch then color added with watercolor pencils.

I love to use vintage and unusual books as part of my cottage decor, such as here

on the hearth for summertime.

This is a stack of several vintage French paperback books I purchased some 

years back in the very pretty Provençal river town of L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, home

 of awesome brocantes and the place for French antiques hunters from around

 the world.

 Yes, I do remember where my little treasures were found - not in the high priced

 riverside antiques dealers shops, but in the back alleys piled on tables and going 

for just 1 Euro a piece!

This stack is topped by my early foray into 'folded books', see an old tutorial HERE

if interested, in need of relaxing creativity, and have some time on your hands.

 I have picked up old books in used book shops, thrift shops etc. and enjoyed giving

 them a new life around my home. . . . . . . and folding books is a change from

knitting scarves when relaxing in from of the TV on winter evenings!

My thoughts have been with Michael and Alexandra as they traveled back to

 England for Michael's mother's funeral. Glad you are safely back here now

 dear friends.

Hope to see our 'sketching friends' at the Scribble Picnic today.  I missed 

everyone whilst away in Italy (Sicily) and Malta - am trying hard to catch up

and post on all the wonderful places visited on the awesome Mediterranean

cruise.