The Crowning Touch

Michael over at Inspired By Charm is hosting a link party today where he has invited his readers to join him in sharing a makeover inspiration from a thrift store find.  Here's a close up of my entry. 

Can you guess what it is?  Or was? 

What it was, was a dispenser to keep rolls of either foil, plastic or wax paper handy in the kitchen.  Below each spindle is a bar with a serrated edge for cutting.  It was priced at $1.99 from my local Goodwill. 

It's new purpose will be to help inspire me in my craft area. 

It will be mounted on the wall of my newly redone space and I will use it as a place to gather and hold adornments for the crowning touch on my future hat creations. 

But there is another reason why I want it in there. 

Because it was inspired by the memory of my Grandmother Mayfair, who passed away 29 years ago today, who I can still envision all dressed up and wearing a hat. 

Linking up with Michael at Inspired By Charm. 

The Post Where You Learn That I Can Really Talk Up A Blue Streak

After selling our lobster boat, Fearless, I had been struggling with continuing on with this blog.  Because after all Fearless was the whole inspiration for my blog title.  Then out of the clear blue I received what I believe was the answer I was looking for in the form of 2 separate emails from 2 very lovely ladies whom I have never met, nor even knew were reading my blog.  Their emails came in within a day of each other, the first from Georgia, and the second one from Las Vegas.  I must tell you they were both so encouraging and complimentary to me, that I decided right then and there that this was the sign I had been looking for, never even realizing it would come to me with such clarity!   So I suppose what I'm trying to say is, it looks like y'all are stuck with me now.  Thank you Linda and Kathleen!!

So on to the fun stuff that's been happening around here.  Just last week I met Kate from the lovely blog she writes known as Chronicles of a Country Girl.  I was just so giddy and wound up to finally meet her, as I have been such a fan of her writing and photography since I first found her here in blog land.  I liked her instantly, and so did Henri AND our parrot Simon who never lets anyone but me pet him.  Before I could even warn her about that, we discovered he just calmly sat right there on his perch while she reached over to pet him!

When Kate asked to take a picture of Henri and I, we couldn't help but feel a little special watching her photograph us.  Let me tell you, that lady knows her way around a camera and we felt a little wowed by seeing her in action. I noticed that Kate really didn't take a whole lot of pictures, but rather she was selective of what she photographed and I thought that was so cool, since I think she instinctively knows just where to stand and just what to capture when.  I so enjoyed every single minute I got to spend with her! 

Oh and then my Mom even got to meet her.  My former "blog shy" Mom, who unexpectedly gave me permission to post a picture of her now.  I think meeting Kate in person convinced her that blog friends are normal, harmless people after all and are really not the axe murderers we often worry are lurking out there.   So,  here is my first ever blog-shared pic of my Mom and my step Dad sitting high atop Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, where we recently went together when my step Brother was visiting from Florida. 

I really adore this shot I got of my step Dad digging into his long awaited lobster dinner after having dragged them around all day sight seeing.  If you only knew how much he enjoys a good lobster! 

And here's a shot of my step Brother Karl at a lovely place known as Grindstone Neck.  He's right down there on the shore taking in the last bit of that cool ocean breeze on the last day of his visit before heading back into Florida's much steamier climate. 

Some scenes from Seawall in Acadia National Park where we recently went for a picnic.  You just couldn't get a better view like this in even the most upscale of restaurants.  I always revel at the thought that I can sit and gaze out on vistas such as this while we are dining.  And to think the scenes are free for the taking! 

Going back even further, here are a couple shots I took while visiting our newly organized local Farmer's Market right up the road from us.  I was struck by the artistry of the vendors and their offerings.  A simple display of organic eggs.  Notice the subtle difference in shades. 

And some early lettuce, vividly accented with a delicious sprinkling of edible violas. 

So for now, I'll leave you with a scene from right here in Sorrento. 

And I encourage you to pop over to a recent post Kate wrote after her visit here.  I thought it was so lovely, and not just because she included images of me and Henri there, but because I simply admire looking at  Sorrento from what she was able to capture through her lens. 

If you're still reading this, I thank you for sticking with me and perhaps if I just post more often I won't feel the need to stuff so much into one post.  But for now, you're almost caught up with our goings on.  Just wait 'til you see the tiny backyard greenhouse that Henri and I just finished putting together today.  But first, we're off on the never ending search for a good used truck to replace the one that Toyota recently bought back from us due to a frame recall.  More about that later!  Did I tell you how good it feels to be back on here blogging?  Thank you all so much for encouraging me with the comments you always leave me! 

The High Point of Our Summer

Henri and me posing with our daughters this past week.   

This is the first time in several years they have come here together at the same time.  Here's the view from the summer house they rented right here in Sorrento named Highpoint. 

Our oldest daughter Jen and her family.

Our youngest daughter Angie and her family.

The youngest grandchild is 22 mos., but that didn't stop us from all going on a 3 mile hike together. 

A good friend of mine that I have known since high school was here visiting as well, so there were 16 of us all together on that hike.  Our 4 year old grandson Noah bringing up the rear.  I'm so proud of all of the little ones for being able to complete the not so easy hike around Jordan Pond with us. 

During their week long visit we only had a couple overcast days, but that didn't stop the little ones from wanting to go swimming at this local lake known as Flanders Pond.  The water was cold and the air was only about 60 degrees that day, but another beautiful memory was made. 

Our oldest daughter and their Yorkie, Emma in Bar Harbor where we all went to go shopping and eat ice cream. 

More hiking together on Ship Harbor Trail in Acadia.  Little Emerson Rose had the best seat in the house on the trails. 

And right across from the summer house rental was another great seat. 

Our oldest daughter Jen out collecting buttercups for the summer house on the first day they arrived. 

Our son-in-law Danny Mac finds some perfectly frosted sea glass on the shore. 

Our son-in-law Joey taking a boat ride with our grandson "Captain" Noah. 

Our grandson Michael found a metal toy tank while out hunting for sea glass. 

Our grand daughter Taylor found one of the best pieces of sea glass I have ever seen here in Sorrento.  It's purple with an impressed pattern.  And check out that pretty piece of blue and white china she found too.  The 7up piece in the photo above was also one of her finds. 

Tonight Sorrento is just not the same here without them all. 

It's always so hard saying goodbye to them at the end of their stay and I can't even tell you how very lonely it is here tonight without them. 

What We've Been Up To

A trip to Ohio to visit our Grandkids that we are missing so much, now that we're back home. 

Here's the youngest (now walking), with the oldest, who just recently got her driver's license. 

I had to capture my first ride with her.  She looks so much like her Mama at that age that it instantly took me back. 

We even had a birthday celebration while we were there. 

Grandpa likes to assist with anything involving cake.

And before we left, a picture of the whole crew together.  

Then on to Charlotte, NC where we visited Henri's Mom and Sister and dined outside in the glorious weather!

And for all my bloggy friends that live in between the route we traveled, I thought of each and every one of you as we passed through your State on our 2 week trip.   Now I'm off to get caught up with all the posts I've missed from you while we were gone!   

Lillian Grows Pickles

A side of my Mom's bread & butter pickles that we had for lunch today.

From the jar that she recently sent home with us. They are so good.

So good, in fact, that I asked if I could take home the leftover pickle juice from the jar we had finished up together the other day at lunch. Because I had a plan.

As I went out to my garden this morning to check on the progress of my Japanese cucumbers I had planted, I suddenly remembered something my Uncle Bill used to ask me during one of our visits to Maine, long before we finally moved here. He would jokingly ask me, "Lillian, did you know that your Uncle Bill can grow pickles?" Then he would walk me out to his garden and show me his crop of pickling cucumbers.

This year in my garden, I planted the longer Japanese cucumbers, because they have very little seeds just like the tiny pickling cucumbers that came from my Uncle Bill and Aunt Joyce's garden.

Anyway, my plan was to pack my cucumbers into the jar of my Mom's leftover pickle juice, because, did I mention how amazing her pickles are? (My Uncle Bill was my Mom's brother.)

And although I'm quite sure my Uncle Bill and Aunt Joyce never used my little shortcut when they were growing their "pickles," it occurred to me that I, Lillian, had just grown some pickles too. Sort of. Because here they are right in the leftover pickle juice from my Mom's jar.

Here's a picture of my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Bill of whose memory I will forever hold in my heart.

And in case you have some "pickles" you have grown this year, here's my Mom's recipe for bread & butter pickles.

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Bread & Butter Pickles

6 quarts cukes, sliced
1 quart onions, sliced

Make a brine of 1 cup of pickling salt into 9 cups of water, stir,

add cukes and onions and let them set for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Drain and discard brine.

Make a syrup of 5 cups of white sugar, 6 cups of cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon mustard seed, 1 teaspoon celery seed, and 1 stick of cinnamon. Stir and heat up just to boiling and then drop the vegetables into the syrup and make sure vegetables are heated through without boiling.

In the meantime, put your canning jars (pint size) into hot water and bring them to a boil for about 5 minutes, then pick them up out of the water with tongs. Separately, put your lids and screw caps into hot water (do not boil).

Fill jars with hot cucumbers, make sure you wipe around the rims before you put on the lids and screw caps and turn them upside down on a towel to seal them.

When cool enough you can turn them right side up and make sure lids are properly sealed and do not pop up.

Makes about 6 pints, more or less depending on size of your vegetables.

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Bon appetit!

Parlez-Vous Francais?

This is a sad post for me, but it is also a very happy post because I dedicate it to the memory of my Uncle Bill and Aunt Joyce who are now reunited together for all eternity.

Yesterday, was my Aunt Joyce's funeral. My Uncle Bill passed over about 2 years ago. My cousin told me that My Aunt said right before she passed, that he was there to greet her.

So today as I was making a dessert for a recipe I found on a box of phyllo dough called Napoleons, I remembered something that my Uncle Bill would randomly say to us kids when we were little.

As I stopped to reminisce about it, it struck me how intensely green the tree outside my kitchen window had become. They would have always noticed something like that too.

And then I remembered what else my cousin told me my Aunt Joyce said about Uncle Bill being there to greet her. She said he had on shorts.

It makes me smile to know they are now together again.

And in my mind, I can still hear him randomly asking us kids (for no particular reason at all) other than always just to make us laugh, "Parlez-vous francais?"

Rest in peace my dearest Aunt Joyce and Uncle Bill. I will miss you and love you forever.