Summer Official

Post vacation...back to the city
picnic lunch, full sun NOMA Square, wishing for shade to enjoy the lovely new space

contemplate summer projects, garden sprucing, painting up face lifts, looking for colors to upfit moods and cool thoughts

small art creations surround and smile at passersby, inspiring

hot days call for indoor nesting, sorting, planning, dreaming

evening gazing at the super moon

Fast forward...

Fast forward 2013.........a few nice dinners and lunches with friends......some special outings to hear music by great local musicians...a mid-morning week day Circus Parade...a fun evening with a couple of friends viewing a cooking demo at The Cook's Station by the Lee Brothers presenting their new cookbook, 'Charleston Kitchen'.

The back yard menagerie has ebbed....gone is Inez, my beloved best friend of 15 years since her birth, and the great orange tabby, Rocco, meeting his demise on one of his great hunting expeditions. He was the best feline friend ever.

Working to get a daily rhythm in sync of long work days, routines, sorting, creating, care taking...balancing the scales

Losing friends in reckless abandon, and the menagerie grows again, as lovable Richie comes into our fold. Adding great purpose to our days.

Clearing cobwebs to focus on what really matters.

Vacation is in sight....days of contemplation and rest and loving friendship.........the things that really matter.

photo by Sarah Hammond

Spicy Winter Comfort

Dreary damp February Saturday, splashing around in the drizzle doing errands, antiquing, shopping for fresh produce in spite of the winter. Nestled by the evening fire, I peered into my latest 'Bon Appetit' to the Hot Soup section and tried the concoction of Chicken Khao Soi, a curry chicken soup to stick to our ribs. What a perfect choice for this evening meal. With this we also enjoyed marinated tomato salad and a Korean style cucumber salad.

 Korean Cucumber Salad

1 lb. cucumbers peeled and thinly sliced
Salt
1 ¼ tsp. cayenne
1 ¼ tsp. paprika
1 clove garlic crushed and minced
1 1” piece fresh ginger minced
2 scallions, diced
1 TBS sesame oil
Place sliced cucumbers on a plate and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 3 hours. Drain.
Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, add cucumbers and let sit for a few hours for flavors to mix well.


 Tomato Salad

 2 – 3 tomatoes, sliced
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 TBS lime juice
½ tsp finely chopped ginger
Salt    Pepper
 Arrange sliced tomatoes on a plate or platter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and other diced ingredients. Allow to sit for flavors to mingle. Enjoy

 *You could substitute chives, parsley, cilantro or any other fresh herbs for the scallions. Also, you could use grape tomatoes rather than large ones.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/03/chicken-khao-soi

Summer Camp

On a late June Monday afternoon we pulled in at the lake to set up camp. Water level down, way down. A long beach, scattered with rocks surrounded the camp, rather than the usual water lapping the edging embankments. Happy hour chats, fire building, grilling steaks over the fire, foil wrapped veggies in the coals and sipping fine red wine, we drifted into a cool summer evening to slumber time. Dawn awake, alarm crows cawed to each other to wake the day. Sunrise glimmered over the crystal blue water. Gentle breezes brushed over us while we slowly wakened sipping strong French Roast coffee over morning chatter.

Leggy teen fishing girls strolled up the beach to sport on the shores of Jocassee and cast away. Kids played in and out the tents. A curly-tail chihuahua smiled and greeted us. The day began as an unfolding picnic of melon, crunchy pretzels, bean pate' and hard boiled eggs.

A stroll on the beach around the rock point took us to a pristine beach of sand and rock formations and caves juxtaposed in the crevices. Families boating and paddling and splashing. Two stately yellow labs romped and barked and smiled happy dog smiles to be in their element. Swimming, floating, chilling waters refreshed all ailments. A baptism of cares and woes washed away. A dragonfly befriends and flutters. A woman strolled by in a magenta turban. Babes bobbed in iridescent donut tubes, kicking and splashing and loving each moment of a summer day. The picnic continued, ham biscuits, fried chicken tidbits with Dijon mustard, grape tomatoes, sea salty chips, pomegranate tea, ginger man cookies. Flipping through pretty pages, dreaming of summer projects. Filtered sunlight and warmth cast a spell to slip into the hammock and drift off to dreamland. Gentle breezes fluttered leafy foliage. Boats traveled in and out for scenic voyages. Long nap afternoon.

Evening settled, chopping vegetables to kabob on the grill. Fresh garden fare from local gardens. Tortellini and fresh herbs in olive oil, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and sweet onion... day three... Slowly wake to another beautiful summer morning, sipping coffee. Children squealed and giggled and played drama games while kicking and splashing in the waters. My camp partner served up a kicking breakfast of red raspberry hot cakes and a melange of fresh fruits, strawberries, blackberries, white grapes and pineapple. Oh, it was SO good.

Relaxing, reading, drawing, swimming, floating at the beach. People watching, photographing, exploring. Boats floating, families played and chatted, dogs romped, waves lapping at the shore. What a beautiful day. Afternoon painting, brushes and paint dot and design surfaces brought along for contemplation. Creating flowy lines and imagery, very therapeutic movement and expression...must do more often. Neighboring campers packed up and moved out leaving us quietly to ourselves on the mid-week even of the summer solstice. Relishing in a rewarding week of R&R at the lakeside. we mused about future adventures and where they might take us.

Hunting and gathering

If you know me, you know one of my most favorite pastimes is scavenging for treasures, junkin, antiquing, whatever you want to call it. Be it an obsession, or a passion, it is a joy that I share with other friends and the prizes are sometimes priceless.

Most recently I scored these precious little Redwing dishes at my favorite Antiques collective, Country Antiques in Travelers Rest SC for my friend Marybeth's birthday. I believe her penchant for lovely dishes is in the running with mine.

On another day of thrifting (I never leave without checking the toy bin) I found this pretty in pink hello kitty bag to add to my collection. She'd make a nice little picnic tote, don't you think?

Growing

Clara's Garden

It's that time of year when everything green and flowering explodes before our eyes with such abundance, it seems that every day brings a new vision of something lovely. It is nearly impossible to keep up with trimming, planting and grooming the outdoor spaces. So we must just stop now and then to enjoy the beauty, the nature around us, the bird songs and the warmth of the sun. The still cool evenings to enjoy the night sounds. Spring is such a blessing to save the soul from the dark days of winter.

Plant some seeds or seedlings, water the soil and watch miracles happen.

Awakening

morning horizons blaze
mists mist
amber orb rises
piercing the morning sky
bold stripe shadows slash through silhouettes
standing in the balance
rains drizzle
muddying waters
dramas unfold
truth crashes
silence falls

eager awaiting
Rebirth
Spring
Sanctuary
Peace