Rain on my parade

Today was beautiful. It was overcast and drizzly. I must admit I don't enjoy the endless days of rain that we often have in the Northwest but I do enjoy an occasional grey day in the midst of a sunny summer. The plants are greener and I switch from iced tea to warm tea, flitting about to slowing down and reading a good book. My dog seems to enjoy the change in forecast too. She sleeps longer and seems to smile at me while I am curled up next to her reading my book. Most of all the birds and the squirrels are happy not to have their work of feeding, in my garden, disturbed by a protective terrier!

Secret to a happy marriage?

My grandparents just celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary. They told me that the secret to a great marriage is doing things together as a couple. They camped, fished, poured concrete for a patio and hung shingles on their home, not to mention raising two boys, enjoying 5 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren! Grandma also reminded me that every Sunday for lunch they would split a margarita!!!

grilled peach salad

This is a excellent salad that my mom made for my birthday dinner~

slice fresh yellow peaches place into lemon juice until ready for grilling. layer grilled peaches with mache lettuce, crumbled feta cheese and almonds. Drizzle dressing made of olive oil, minced shallots, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper. This is tres magnifique!

Mon potager

Here are the first tomatoes in my petite potager. I immediately popped one into my mouth. There is nothing more delightful than eating a warm piece of fruit straight from the garden. In a week I will be eating tomatoes on my bagels, with basil and fresh mozerella...mmm!

Summer Tea Party

My English friend Juliet became an American citizen today. We went to her house and celebrated with a proper British tea party... a safe send off for her in her new role as an American! Cheers Juliet!

Perfect summer cottage

Yesterday I spent a relaxing hour sitting on my front patio flipping through Sunset Magazine. I was taken by the beautiful pictures of vacation cabins and homes and realised that my own 1920's cottage is the perfect place for me. When the weather is nice our cottage grows two outdoor rooms where we pretty much live. This year the garden is lush and beautiful, the song sparrows are singing and perched high in the 100+ year old cedar tree. We have a resident Robin who likes to regularly bathe in a small bath near my sitting area. Sometimes it can be a challenge for me to relax in my own home, but isn't that the point of having a home? Mon vie est tres beau.

Sounds in the distance

We lazily awoke to cheerful sounds of a band playing in the distance. This weekend is the sidewalk festival in our neighborhood. The sun is out, people are strolling by and my children are blasting down the sidewalk on their scooters!

Boys!

The girls went to Grammy's for a July Birthday sleepover, leaving Nicholas home with me. I love these moments with my soon to be 12 year old, he is so witty, intelligent, funny and truly enjoys the only child attention he gets when it is just the two of us! Late last night he invited his friend Peter over for a sleepover. This morning the house is filled with tying knots, lots of laughter, Nerf guns shooting and continuous boy banter! In the midst of all of this they made their own breakfast (english muffins with cinnamon and sugar, feta and a smoothie). I haven't checked yet... but I think they even did their own dishes!

to be 10!

My daughter just turned 10. She is the second of my three children but the oldest daughter. Something happened to her yesterday, it was like she really changed from being my little girl to a big girl. Perhaps it was just a birthday girl on display for her family- or maybe when we hit double digits something inside of us changes.
In honor of her birthday I asked 10 special women in her life to give her their most favorite book. These are not books she might read today but instead lovely novels that she might encounter as she matures. Her grandmothers each gave her books from their college days that were life altering for them. I hope that when she grows and they are long gone she will find a connection to them in her reading. She is very proud of her books and has named the collection "library of 10".