Great Read

Kate Morton has more than a way with words, she also has a knack for weaving a tale that continues to  draw you in before hitting you in the stomach with a surprising reveal. And so it was with House at Riverton, which I read several months ago, and again with The Forgotten Garden which I just finished. The novels take place in England, and England and Australia, respectively. Anglophile that I am, that's one good reason to pick it up, but by no means, the only one. Ms. Morton will not disappoint. She'll  paint an intriguing picture and keep you guessing till the end   http://www.katemorton.com/

The Morgans Visit

We always enjoy having our grandchildren visit--and if they must bring their parents-- then so be it. Just kidding, of course. We love our time with Gray and Seth, as well, and this weekend was no exception.

The weather was conducive enough for Pops to rally the forces for some work in the garden and Hamilton couldn't wait to get "ouside". Claire's always a good sport about helping around the farm and she and Pops staked some new grapevines he had planted last week. Hamilton rambled around within the confines of the fence, stumbling over dirt clods, picking himself up, and generally exploring the wild outdoors.

 Hamilton's outdoor pursuits are not his only interest. He loves any electonic gadget he happens upon--and actively seeks out the TV remote and telephones. Pops feeds this compulsion by calling our number and talking with him even though they're in the same room.

This may be the last Mountville visit until grandson #2 is born.

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Yummy Pie

In preparation for the Morgans' visit to Mountville, I decided to try a new recipe for a dessert. It's really just a twist on an old, family favorite, banana pudding, but in pie form. I had recently gone through a stack of old magazines and pulled articles and recipes that I thought might be of use someday. In February 2007, Southern Living published this Banana Pudding Pie recipe that looked delicious and simple. Well, delicious it certainly was, but it involved three different steps that proved to be time consuming. The result was a beautiful confection every bit as tasty as the original with a much prettier presentation.  It was worth the effort--for a special occasion--at least.

 

 

  

                                                                              VIOLA!

Let's Garden Now!

We've been blessed with a second full week of beautiful spring-like weather and I have the fever--this itching to dig in the dirt. Our large garden still lies in winter doldrums except for the ubiquitous henbit that threatens to overtake it. Dale promises to till it as soon as his schedule allows. In the meanwhile, I've made a long list of seeds and plants that will bring the spot to fruitfulness--in good time. To satisfy my urge to dig, I commandeered a couple of large pots on the deck and planted spinach seeds, lettuce transplants and sweet peas, all of which can take the cold that the remaining winter might dish out.
Signs of spring are sprouting everywhere! Yay!!

Walk, Walk, Walk

The cold weather has been my excuse for weeks for not walking--for exercise, that is. But this week the temperatures soared into the low seventies and there were no excuses. I enlisted the accompaniment of my sister-in-law, Judy, and we have hit the ground running--excuse me, walking. She and I have made a pact to hold each other accountable in this routine and so far we've only missed one day of not following through. Mountville is a wonderful place to walk. There's not much traffic and the three to four mile trek varies depending on our whim at the moment. I expect to see some winter pounds coming off and an increase in energy and stamina. And if one of us is not available to walk, there are a bevy of other friends trying to do the same thing as the weather beckons.

Valentine's Day

My husband surprised me Saturday with an early Valentine's Day present--a large bouquet of ruby red tulips. Tulips are my favorite spring flower and it makes me smile every time I see them craning their pretty little heads. Our custom, the last few years, has been for me to fix us a fancy dinner in honor of the day. It's my delight to break out the fine or antique china, silver and candles and create a special meal for just the two of us and tonight was no exception.
I made dessert first which turned into a bigger ordeal than I intended. My friend, Claire, had given me a small glass pedestal dish and dome for Christmas and I had been eager to make something special to go in it. I wanted a "cake for two" that would just about fill it up and look regal, besides. I own a five inch cake pan, but only one. So I had to cook the layers in succession, washing and greasing the pan after each had cooled. I decided to make some nut caramels,too, and with all this going on, including the dark chocolate frosting for the cake, I didn't get out of the kitchen for hours. The results were well worth it, I think.

Pioneer Morning?

Our power went off Tuesday morning at 7:55. I had just turned the griddle on to make Hamilton, Dale and I some French toast for breakfast. We waited around a few minutes to see if Duke Power would set things humming again, but to no avail. In fact, they said it would probably be 1:00pm before the problem was fixed. My pioneer skills quickly kicked in to feed a hungry little boy. Our woodstove was already hot from its house-heating endeavor so I grabbed the iron skillet and improvised. I even cooked some hard-boiled eggs (which took so long, we had them for lunch). This is not the first time we've used our woodstove during power outages and I'm grateful for it. We can stay warm and we can cook, but we don't have water since our pump is electric--oh well, two out of three's not bad.

Harbinger of Spring

This seems like the longest winter we've had in decades. Continually cold temperatures have kept me inside for months. My yard cries for attention but I'm not about to do any real work out there until the thermometer rises at least into the sixties. However, signs of spring are beginning to show themselves and I have hope that it is, indeed, on its way.
I clipped a few flowering quince branches the other day to force some blooming indoors. They are cheerful harbingers of what's to come.

Reflections

The greatest joy of 2010, without a doubt, has been watching my grandson grow. This eighteen months old, bundle of energy and light, has captivated us from the get-go. As a tiny infant, I was thrilled with the wonder of a newborn—the complete dependency, the perfectly formed little person that he was. With each month that passed, we saw his personality develop. There surely couldn’t be a more agreeable baby than he. His ready smile melts our hearts and now that he walks and talks he’s more fun than the proverbial barrel of monkeys. Many of our friends have grandchildren close in age to Hamilton and they’re expressing the same thoughts about their little ones. I loved my children every minute as they were growing up but, oh my goodness, there’s nothing like a grandchild!

My sewing machine is getting a workout these days as our Interiors business picks up. Beautiful fabrics wait their turn to be made into window treatments, pillows, dust ruffles or nursery furnishings. After years of sewing, it’s still a thrill to begin a new project. Rarely are two projects the same and the variety of fabrics and designs keeps the work fresh and appealing for me. There seems to be no end to the combinations and styles available. We particularly like to mix several fabrics in one treatment. It adds interest and flair for a custom look.
Here’s one of the more recent valances I made.

More Work to Do!

After nearly a year long hiatus, the interior decorating business that Elaine and I work together has taken off again. I attribute the increase to an economy that’s on the upswing. Perhaps people are less skittish about spending money for nonessentials again. But, whatever the reason, we’re grateful for the opportunities to get our creative juices flowing once more. Each new project challenges us to make choices for our client that really suits him or her, yet uses good design principles to create a pleasing environment in form and function.
Sometimes, as in the case of a current client, we have to act as arbitrators between a husband and wife whose tastes often don’t concur. How gratifying it is to us and to them when we hit on the scheme that pleases both of them.

Our Interiors Business

Elaine Benjamin and I work a business called Interiors by Debra and Elaine and have for nearly eight years. We’ve been blessed to have work to do, to have the privilege of meeting new people and to stay friends throughout the process. It is a part-time endeavor for us and we like it that way. In addition to the decorating aspect of this business, each of us has a sideline that contributes an element. I do the sewing—window treatments, pillows, bedding, etc. and have an Etsy site featuring my handmade creations called Frogstudio. Elaine makes fabric laminated window shades. This is a new venture for her and one that promises to add another dimension to our offerings. These shades work on a pulley mechanism which makes raising and lowering them a cinch. They are a nice alternative to a roman shade. She calls her business Shady Lane.
Here’s a picture of my valance and her shade we recently made for a client.

January Musing

I have come to the conclusion that there are three reasons why January makes me spend hours cleaning and clearing out my house: the Christmas clutter has been put away, the new year brings a sense of new beginnings and the winter weather prevents me from starting any projects in the yard or garden. But whatever the reason, this bee that I have in my bonnet has been buzzing around my head more than usual this year and I have cleaned out drawers, rearranged furniture, boxed up donations and delegated attic furnishings to a consignment store in greater quantity than ever before. In fact, I’m beginning to think it has something to do with turning sixty this year. If I haven’t used it in the past decade—out it’s going. Or, perhaps, it’s OCD creeping in. No matter the reason, I hope my enthusiasm for lightening up my digs doesn’t subside before the weather takes a turn for the better and my horticultural endeavors beckon.