Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Pansies


I removed the pansies from my window boxes yesterday, it is so darn hot here you'd think it was 4th of July instead of Memorial Day weekend. I made lots of little bouquets that I put in the little glass bottles on my kitchen windowsill. Gave a Dixie cup full to my DIL, too.
I just love seeing them there.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Beach and Books



I was so thrilled to get back to the beach, my first trip in two years. I do nothing at the beach but sleep, eat, walk, read and enjoy the sights and sounds of surf and sand.
Destin is a beautiful beach on the Gulf of Mexico with sugary sand beaches and this year a lot of surf to go with our 80 degree temperatures.


I usually woke up at 5:30 which is my normal 6:30 EDT. Amazingly, Jim was an early riser, too! We took walks early and then settled in for reading and enjoying the beach.
Gelato- twice, sorbet once thanks to Richey's suggestion

I like to get a lot of reading done. I don't give myself permission enough to slow down and read when I am home. Being a business owner, there is always work to do!





I read Gone by Lisa Gardner.  I love mysteries and thrillers- I can't help myself. When we used to go to FL in August, Janet Evanovich's latest was always with me. But, now her's don't come out until June or July so still waiting for Smokin' Seventeen to come out next month. It was good and my first of Lisa's so I'll be looking for more.






My next choice was The Help, another good read. I'm so excited this will be a movie. I hope they do it proud. Strong female characters and a reminder of my childhood and the memories of segregation in my small town.








Next was Henry's Sisters, a dark novel about a dysfunctional family (hits close to home but we aren't nearly so dramatic) but has a wonderful, probably too wonderful theme of grace. As a matter of fact- grace was the theme of the week. I must have needed that.








Lastly, I squeezed in this peach of a book that I had read a good bit of previously but not finished. I think at the time I read it before, the fact that it consists entirely of letters was distracting to me.  I absolutely loved it and all of its characters. I wonder what they are doing now as I still have them in my mind.





All of the books featured strong characters and as I mentioned a theme of grace and hope. I feel in a transitional period moving into something new- a personal paradigm shift of a sort. I'm curious what the future is bringing to me.
Because of this sense, I am participating in Mondo Beyondo, we'll see where my dreaming goes. I'm not much of a dreamer. More of a realist and fairly concrete so who knows? But, I feel a pull in the cosmos and I don't know where it is leading or what is in store, but I'm trying to be open and listen-not something I do well being a take charge kinda gal.


Next week? Finally, the farmers market again. Wonderful travels but missed our market two weeks in a row!!

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Yesterday-this week's movie

This week I watched Yesterday, a wonderful film about an HIV+ woman in Africa and her struggles including what to do for her daughter, Beauty. It is a beautiful story and brought home to me the importance of the work my daughter, Amy, does with HIV/AIDS research in Kenya.

Another must-see movie to add to your list!


Saturday, May 07, 2011

Farmers Market

If you missed last week's Seattle farmers market post, you may want to take a look, it was a great market.
This week in Louisville it was a cool, cloudy start to the day which, for Derby goers thankfully has turned into a beautiful day.

I bought a handful of dutch iris buds to add to these beautiful ones from last week, still looking spectacular!
Buffalo steak and ground for dinner this week. Jumbo free-range eggs- pretty much a staple around here.

ARen't they beautiful?

Ready for summer

A staple at our house
These tomatos are for a snack today with some fresh basil, fresh mozzarella. Yum. How about a cup of burgoo for a nice Kentucky Derby treat? I got Mom a basil plant for Mother's Day along with another little treat.
Not a lot of stuff at the market today- and darn if I didn't get to Anne to say a quick hi, rats. I came in a different end of the market and it threw me all off.

The new restaurant Harvest that some of our farmers opened was reviewed in the Courier Journal today. It was a hit- can't wait to try it! You can like them on facebook, too.

And for a little KY Derby Flair here is Amy ready for the race in Seattle, 2nd hand dress and a handmade hat.  Gotta love it!

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Something the Lord Made




Something the Lord Made- a not to be missed, Emmy winning movie from HBO. I watched it on Netflix DVD today and I must say it is one of the most moving and inspiring movies I've ever seen. It has moved into my top 10 favorites.
Do yourself a favor and rent it-soon.
Read a NYT review here.

Farmers markets here and there





You know I love a farmers market so it was so fun for me to go to the Ballard market with Amy and Rachel when I was in Seattle. I will get to imagine them there and ask about certain venders. It was fabulous! Nice blend of prepared foods, produce, meats, craft items, too.
A and R on a typical Seattle spring Sunday

Aren't these succulents beautiful?

Who wouldn't want to eat bread shaped like a croc?

or a bear?

I'll have some!

Tried this one, interesting

I'm more of a sweet cupcake kind of gal

Made me want to make cupcakes to sell at the Farmers Market here. Yum, yum.
So many craft items. I put these bowls on my Christmas wish list along with some of this soap. I wanted the bowl maker knit the bowls which are then felted in hot water. So many colors. I'd like a whole table full.
Don't these just make you happy?

I can smell them now

I'll have one in each flavor and wrapper

I wanna take a bath


Gotta love a cake of soap! Funny, eh?
There was a fun bluegrass band playing, lots of kids dancing, people enjoying shopping and sampling. I was so happy that our market would be in full swing when I got home.

fresh greens

a sure sign of spring to me

Buckets-o-flowers!
My haul this week at the market

Mini doughnut machine. I had a half dozen cinnamon sugar ones. Wish we had one here.


Next- my farmers market haul this week.
Not as exciting but I absolutely love my market.
Homemade tamales for breakfast!


These Dutch Iris were calling my name!

Basil
Mixed greens

My tomato plants- Mortgage Lifter and Cherokee Purple