Goodbye, August

Oh I do hate to say goodbye to August. Still,  my sister and I and her grands will squeeze out every drop. We are planning a picnic today between rain showers. It probably means eating at Mickey D's and hoping for a bit of clear sky to sail some boats. 

Earlier in the month, we made it to my daughter's home for the last time. She sold her cabin on the Carrabassett and has already moved into her new home. I hated to say goodbye to that place, too, but Laurel is happy and content. 

(Sorry so small. Nothing cooperates with me anymore.)

Have a blessed final day of August. Here's to a splendid September! 

Love,

Vee

Tea (Iced these days of course) and Toast

When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray, with a cup of fragrant tea steaming on it; and a plate piled up with very hot buttered toast, cut thickly, very brown on both sides, with the butter running through the holes in it in great golden drops, like honey from the honeycomb. ~Kenneth Grahame from Wind in the Willows 

These days, all recipes need to be quick and easy and since I like nothing better than toasted bread, this one from *Celebrating Appalachia* was perfect. The minute Tipper mentioned "grilled jelly sandwiches" I was all ears. I had never eaten one before; I had never even heard of it before.  

This is how mine turned out. 

 

Perfectly Scrumptious!

 

💞💞💞💞💞

Seven years ago, my grandsons, John, and I visited Quaker Ridge. I was wondering about that yesterday when my sister and her grands and I enjoyed a picnic there once again. Sis's grandson is on antibiotics and so they had to be careful of sun exposure. No beach! The hilltop proved to be the most perfect of summer days. It was a full ten degrees cooler than in the valley with pleasant breezes and beautiful cloud formations. The children enjoyed themselves tremendously and so did I.

 

Thank you for popping by. Let me know how your summer is going!

Love,

Vee

 

A Few Days with Laurel

Now is the time the tide of summer begins to recede in New England. This is a strange thing, for you cannot say that one day is different than the next. The garden is bright with vegetables. Nicotiana makes the air smell sweet and zinnias paint the border with color. But we do not have to mow the lawn so often. Days are hot, nights are not, as the Farmer's Almanac says. There is a slanting sunlight and twilight comes sooner.

~ Gladys Taber from The Stillmeadow Road

 

It is raining. Cool. Green. And I am making myself a proper crockpot supper for the first time in weeks. When you read this, it will be sunny with the promise of mid 80s temps. 

That is about all the news from here for today, but the last week of July, my sister and I spent a couple of days with Laurel at her home up country.

See if you can tell the story for yourselves because I am often at a loss for words or fingers. 

Day 1

 

 

 

Day 2 

The goal was to spend time with Laurel and my sister. Laurel has been inviting me for some time. I am no longer excited about driving very far so my sister kindly agreed to go from her home. All I needed to do was to drive that far and she would take over from there.

The peaches? Well my brother-in-law sent them when he was in Georgia on business. Oddly enough, he and my sister are on their way home from Georgia as I type because of yet another business trip. Anyway, I took one to Laurel. That's all I had left of those delicious peaches. 

We had a few things on our list: 

1. River time 

2. Steak on the grill time 

3. Campfire time 

4. Breakfast at Laurel's favorite haunt 

5. Johnny's Seeds

Four and five were a bust. The restaurant was closed due to lack of help. Johnny's Seeds may have been closed for the same reason. We had lunch out at one of my dad's former favorite spots and it was just okay. Two waitresses for the entire restaurant. So it appears that many places are short staffed. Have you noticed this in your corner? 

Still we had a good time and the day ended with two of my favorite things. Ice cream and this sign. 

Love,

Vee

Pleasant Summer Weekend

* There is a reverence in small children for delicate things.

~ Abbie from Abbie's Place

 

 Of course, my grandson Sam is not a small child anymore, though he still finds things that intrigue him. This is a perfect three-pronged maple seed all on one stem. I had never seen one before. Perhaps it's like finding a four-leaf clover.☺

As you can see, Sam is doing well. He enjoyed time at a friend's pool on Sunday afternoon with his brother, dad, and auntie. He's pondering leaving behind his first childhood home so has preferred sticking closer to 

home where he knows all the best places to 

play — the secret nooks and crannies.

My daughter-in-law's most recent doctor appointment went well. The arm is healing and staples were removed...ouch! Her tendency now that she is feeling better and stronger is to overdo it. This is understandable given that they will begin moving this week. Again, thank you for all the prayers.

🍉🍉🍉  

Saturday, my daughter and I ate lunch out dockside. It is always very pleasant to have a lakeside view. We even saw loons.

 A similar photo was shared on Instagram. Some wondered if I were on a trip. No, this location is just six miles and nine minutes from home. Instagram...so conflicted about that place. I don't feel that I have much to offer. Photos are not my thing; words are. Thanks to Laurel for taking all the photos above. I was in both places without a camera as per usual. I am not so good at blogging either. ッ

Also spent some weekend time in the garden...having trouble with a pest...a big dope. She is chomping on my last nerve.

These Coral Bells have escaped the doe who is chowing down on most other things, including bee balm that deer are not supposed to like. Coral bells are also known as Heucheras, but I seldom remember how to pronounce them. Who'-cur-ah is close (hard ch as in ch in chorus...thank you, A Beka). This is an official syllable breakdown: [hyoo-ker-uh]. I used to pronounce them "wahcheras." Ha! 🍉🍉🍉
Thanks for reading...a pleasant summer week to you.

* I collect quotes; some of the finest are said by bloggers. I have asked for permission to gather them in. Don't be surprised if I ask you! Alas, this Abbie no longer blogs. 

Odd Summer

It's been an odd summer. I suppose that any summer when such huge life changes occur would be considered odd.
Today, I will have the joy of spending some time with my grandsons and my daughter-in-law. I have hardly seen them since the 4th of July. Their summer has not been all that normal either I suspect. 
Why, just yesterday, my daughter-in-law was attacked, literally attacked, by a rogue seagull on a beach in Maine! It traumatized the boys. It can't be easy watching a seagull swoop in that way. Its attack even drew blood! Michelle said that fellow beachgoers were very helpful bringing her Neosporin and bandaids. 
Moving along to happier things like pictures of the Lake, Kings Landing, and such-like summertime moments. Most photos were taken by my daughter-in-law.

~The Lake~

~Are those two dancing?~

~Just Relaxing~

The grist mill at Kings Landing in NB, Canada is up and at'em again. The grands loved seeing it in operation once more.

~Impressive New Construction~

~full and happy~

~sweet Jake~ Perhaps our time today will end with ice cream...hope so! The grands and I have managed to do that only one other time this summer.

~bookend brothers~
Many photos have been taken here through the years. Something interesting has happened since the last time I featured this favorite spot.

~hotel in the barnyard~
Strange, but true!


Description and a photo of our favorite ice cream spot from a couple of past posts:

Our day with the grands ended at the top of the hill visiting our favorite ice cream stop. We munched our cones in silence watching the bulldozers destroy the woodlands and fields across the street. A casino is being built. Ugh.  And they call this progress? July 30, 2011

My! How they've grown! July 16, 2011

~*~*~

Portland Head Light

Friday's Story without much commentary... 

 ~picnic spot under the Casco Bay Bridge~

 ~our destination~

~staking out claims on the compass rose~

 ~sightseers~

 ~iconic roofline~

 ~we all went in~

 ~tide just coming in~

 ~schooner~

~time to go home~
Going home meant stopping for an ice cream cone on the way and ordering pizza for supper where the grands' dad joined us. It was a beautiful day all around!

Clouds

~Lake Pennesseewassee~

The clouds are the story these days. Clouds and deep blue water and perhaps the the deep water flowing through my basement, which may or may not be blue...ahem.

I find myself wondering what's up in Blogdom...must check it out!

Sam Gets His Summer Back

~Sam Kayaking~taken by my daughter with her iPhone~

This grand is one tenacious boy. He has had a broken bone of one kind or another since March of 2012. As of last Wednesday, he is a free man — no more casts, no more pins and rod, no more fixes gone horribly wrong. His family is so happy and Sam is thrilled to have his August back. As you can see, he's already on an adventure. 

All I can say is Praise God and thank you to all who have prayed for him.

After the Rain

With few exceptions, most of this summer so far has been measured before the rain, after the rain, in the rain. I railed against it mightily for weeks. In the end, I might miss the cozy comforts of a daily rainy time, though I'd like to enjoy a few sunny days without wondering when the storms will find us.

I heard a Georgia farmer on the news the other day lamenting all the water that has ruined his crops. He said that in a drought he could irrigate his fields, but in a wet season there is nothing to be done — he can't take water away. There really can be too much of a good thing.



From my perch in the corner recliner...I had just scrubbed the deck with Oxi*lean before the rain...the world outside looks clean and exceptionally green.

Judy at My Front Porch says that she has recently learned that bloggers are never supposed to show the same thing twice.(Do check out what she's showing again.) I told her that I'd be sunk. Not only do I show things over and over, I do it in the same post. This is for those who always want a bigger view. Nothing's changed: same old, same old. That sofa may be calling me.

Anyway, the garden has seemed pretty happy, the lawns, too, the Japanese beetles are positively giddy and the slugs are taking over the world. Yes, I'm convinced, that sofa is calling me.

So where are you in the spectrum? Too much rain? Too little? Just right?

A happy weekend to you...