Plenty of Blessings at Thanksgiving

originally published on Nov 23, 2013 in The Leaf Chronicle

I’ll start this column by saying thank you to all of the kind and concerned patrons of Hodgepodge, whom also demonstrate distinguishable intelligence by reading The Leaf Chronicle, for their inquiries regarding whether or not I would continue writing for this fine publication. The foreseeable future does include a weekly column written by yours truly, but I will encourage you to share your appreciation for the journaling of my antics with my editors—all persons I regard with the highest esteem.

As this column will appear a few short days prior to my favorite holiday, I thought I’d share a little about our holiday plans. Like the menu, there will be only minor variances from years prior. For instance, I started discussing the menu with my mother and eldest daughter the other night. I suggested a possible change from my regular offering of my mushroom and sausage dressing—which I’ve been serving for nigh on 20 years (argh! I should not have done the math . . .)—and was met with hesitation. Neither of them wanted to stomp my new idea, but they had apparently been looking forward to the old standard and, to be honest, so am I. The new rice dressing will have to wait for a less momentous occasion.

In a recent column I told you about my cousin’s approach of serving her Thanksgiving meal in courses, which I think is a fabulous idea—yet will not come to fruition at the King Kompound this year. I don’t think this is the year to implement changes—we have enough to contend with at the moment.

I did say, however, I won’t make my pumpkin bread pudding this year. The request has been submitted for basic, everyday (but not at my house), run-of-the-mill pumpkin pies, which I happen to love. I haven’t made a pumpkin pie in years! Anyhoo, as I was flipping through a magazine this morning, I saw a recipe for a Double Chocolate Bread Pudding with a Coffee Caramel Sauce and my mouth began to water. I’m thinking bread pudding will make an appearance, but in a slightly different form this year.

I am still considering the table setting, but I know it will involve my Johnson Brother’s Friendly Village dishes. Last year, I used some wheat bundles I had arranged as the focal point for the table, but the moths really liked them, so I had to toss them (in the picture). I have a cotton bowl garland and couple oat standards I made which will likely anchor this year’s display.

The challenge of our dining room table is its—umm—rustic condition. We bought it from Carolyn Robinson at Traditions when we first moved to Clarksville. I believe she said it had been in a break room at factory in Nashville; I could’ve made that up, but I’ve been telling folks the same story for years, so it has to be true by now. We absolutely love this table! The top is constructed of two wide, thick oak boards that have been pocked by cigarette burns and numerous other assaults. Where the two boards meet in the middle, there is a little ridge which keeps me from displaying anything with a flat bottom in the center of the table—everything wobbles. I generally have to use displays with feet that will straddle the ridge. Sometimes, I slip a coaster or some other shim-like device under the tablecloth to stabilize the chosen centerpiece, as I did last year.

Oh well, the world is full of challenging situations which perplex us to no end. My dining table centerpiece will not bring about world peace or the end of starvation in the Sudan. So as we gather around our table—wobbly centerpiece and all—I will be praying for the same and giving thanks for the many, many blessings the King family enjoys. Happy Thanksgiving!

“Falling” Productive

This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle, which appeared in the Sunday, Oct 20, 2013 edition.

As I sat down at the computer to write my column for this week, I posted my confession on facebook. I was there (on facebook) and elsewhere looking for inspiration. I had several suggestions for topics for my article, but mostly just some friends aiding and abetting my delinquency. I did have one friend who made a suggestion which was along the lines of what I was thinking already, so Ruta, here you go . . .

I am finding, as I usually do this time of year, that I am rather productive. There is something about fall that motivates me; even the rainy days. I’ll take a rainy day in October over a sunny day in August every time! Perhaps it is the cooler weather, the fresh breeze blowing through the shop and the house or the excitement of the coming season. Whatever the reason, it seems to come in the nick-of-time each year.

At the shop, I’ve finally started clearing out some of the “stuff” I’ve allowed to accumulate over the years. I’m boxing up some of my creative supplies to take home or donate. I’ve found I don’t have a lot of time for creative activities while at work—well, at least not this type of creativity. This will have the added benefit of clearing some shelves so we can lay-out our Christmas inventory and get it ready to move to the floor in a few weeks; yes, I’m sorry . . . I’m a retailer.

At home, I’ve been trying to accomplish some of the same. I’ve got a donate box, a storage box and the trashcan! As I transition to my fall décor, it is the perfect time to do a little weeding. Of course, this is a slower process than at the store; things are pretty clear cut there—get it on the floor to sell, donate it or throw it away. At the house I slow down. There’s so much more to consider. I’ve got children getting ready to move out of the house—eventually—so I have to consider things which might be useful in their first apartments.

Then, of course, I have to consider the Antiques Road Show. I know you know what I mean. You’re looking at that pitcher that Aunt Ethel gave you for your wedding. You’ve never used it—not even to hold flowers. This time it’s getting donated, but . . . as you place it in the box you notice the marking on the bottom. What does that say? “W. Germany.” Then you’re thinking, where did I hear something about that? If there is a “W” that clearly means is once belonged to the former President, right??? No, that wasn’t it. Think. Right, it means “West Germany.” That place no longer exists! I’ll bet it’s worth something! Wouldn’t that be a shame to donate it, to later watch as some stranger shows-up on the Antiques Road Show with the pitcher Aunt Ethel so thoughtfully chose for you?

So, umm, yeah. Back to how productive I’ve been.

While my daydreams tend to gain some footing, I still feel like I’ve made great strides at the shop and at home. I’ve been slowly adding decorative fall accents throughout the house; they will be firmly in place until after Thanksgiving. Christmas does not encroach on our orderly observation of holidays at the house. (Heck, I’m lucky to have the tree decorated by December 25^th!)

Since I like to share ideas for transitional décor you might want to use in your own home, I’ll close by sharing a picture of the mantel in our dining room. This is one of my favorite places to focus our seasonal décor for several reasons. It is the first room I see when I walk out of our bedroom, it is where we do most of our entertaining and I can also see it from the room where I spend most of my waking hours—the kitchen.

Several weeks ago, I was ready to remove the summer accents I had used to adorn it for the season, but not quite ready for Indian corn and pumpkins, so I decided to add some items that would carry through until Thanksgiving, while giving a nod to the fading summer days. I started with a few books stacked on their side—choosing those with colors that reflected my transitional theme. Then I added brown pillar candles and a hand decorated emergency candle (similar to the one I gave instructions for last week), as well as a few rusty iron accents. The final touch—the hydrangeas I dried a few weeks ago. I left them in the aqua ball jars, because the colors worked so well with the shades of blues and greens in the hydrangeas. I loved this display so much, I was hesitant to take it down for my full-blown autumn mantel, but I do look forward to using the dried blooms again next year.

Next week, I’ll share more pictures of my home and how I decorate for this most wonderful time of year.

Retiring Thoughts

This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle which was originally published on Oct 6, 2013.

Last week I was fortunate enough to steal away for a long weekend with my husband, so we traveled south to visit friends in Fort Walton Beach, FL. This is our fourth time visiting them in two years, which is a lot for us; between the business and my husband’s jobs we just don’t get away much. By comparison, however, we have traveled to see these friends with more frequency than any others and not just because they have a house on the water (wink, wink). The truth is that neither of us are really “Florida people,” but we love the Florida people we go to see.

 

 

 

 

 

When we met at college in NC, we both agreed that neither of us were very fond of the idea of living in the other’s home town. My husband is from Pompano Beach, FL and I’m from Fairfax, VA. Florida is too hot for me and has too few seasons; Fairfax is too congested and expensive for him.

Shortly after graduating, we married and my husband joined the Army, so we’ve lived wherever Uncle Sam suggested. Virginia and Florida never made the list. Landing here in Clarksville has been a great blessing and we feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to purchase our dream home and become entrenched in a community. Any subsequent thoughts of retirement have featured our old house.

We’ve always thought our retirement plans would involve the eastern shore of Virginia. It has been our number one vacation destination for years and years, but now we plan for vacations in the Florida panhandle. What the heck is going on here?

Darren on the beach in Coles Point, VA

Well, I haven’t completely figured it out, but I’ve pieced together a couple factors to consider. Number one on the list of considerations: What do you do when you get there? I mean “long term,” not during a week-long vacation. Those vacations on the eastern shore are wonderful, but they are low key. We don’t do much, because there isn’t much to do; which is great for a week, but any longer than that and I’ll go nuts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes a lot of this . . . (above), to get to this . . .(below).

 

Bill and Darren doing what they do best; Haedyn, too, for that matter.

 

Next consideration: the weather. The climate was my number one reason for putting the kibosh on Florida so many years ago. I need some variations in temperatures—hot being my least favorite. While I love the change of seasons, I really do enjoy being on the water; in a month or two you won’t be taking a boat out on the Chesapeake Bay unless it is your job. We were on the Choctawhatchee Bay in the middle of January last year. So, as much as we love the Virginia eastern shore, the window of water enjoyment time is really about 5 - 6 months; in the Bay area of Florida, you can hit the water year round.

(Can’t you just see that metaphorical scale tipping?)

One seemingly minor consideration, but worth adding to the list: the seasonable weather during months with “r’s” in them. Oysters taste better while seated at an outdoor table and outdoor dining on the Virginia coast in during the months of November – April is almost unheard of. Further, both areas have oysters, but the fresh oysters available in Florida are ginormous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some JP Penney poses as we arrive at the Dockside Grill in FL.

The biggest factor weighing in this new found fondness for the sunshine state is reality. The reality is we cannot afford two households. So, when we make the decision about where to retire, it is there we will be. No weekend houses or summer homes for us.

 

Fortunately, however, this is not a decision for anytime in the immediate future. We’ve still got a high school student we need to push through and some college tuition to take care of, a few house repairs to tend to and so on. Suffice to say that I look forward to seeing you Wednesday mornings when I’m taking advantage of my senior citizen discounts at Kroger on Madison Street; be sure to stop me and say, “Hi!”

(Of course, none of it matters without this . . .)

Jiminy says, “I tried.”

This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle, which published on Sep 15, 2013.

Writer’s note: Every now and again, I just have to write what is really going on; the struggle of my internal “Jiminy Cricket vs. Paige-nochio.”

Sit down. Calm your thoughts. Write.

You have a lot to get done today, so go ahead and write your column, you can then spend the rest of the day (God willing) working with customers and on your fall displays.

You have the best ideas. Let’s get started.

Let me just open a word document . . . wait a minute, what’s that? “Someone” left Facebook open and, look, Rebecca Townsend has written a new blog. I’ll just read that quickly—who knows, it may spark a thought for my article . . .

. . . Well, that was a beautifully written commentary on our National Day of Remembrance for the tragedies, bravery and sacrifices of September 11, 2001; poignant and personal. Rebecca has done so much for this community (especially our service members and their families) and doesn’t even give herself credit for it. I should write her a note—now, before I forget.

Okay. That’s done. Get busy.

How can you expect me to work with the desk such a mess?

Are you kidding me? If you take the time to clean this desk it will turn into the Gilligan’s Island equivalent of the “three hours cruise.” Mayhem and mishap are sure to follow and you will be frantically trying to think of something to write about 8 hours from now. In all actuality, you will likely only have succeeded restacking your paperwork into reasonably neater piles.

“Hi. I’m Melissa, your sales rep from Two’s Company,” says the peppy young lady walking through the door.

Dang it, Paige. You started the day by going to a non-existent appointment you failed to confirm; now you realize you forgot about scheduling this one. Well, there goes two hours.

I’m ready to write. I think I’ll tell folks about the extension we’ve added to our walkway. It is looking great. Hey, it’s Jimmy my UPS delivery guy. Ooh, he’s bringing me new inventory. I wonder what it is.

Stop right there missy! You know dang well it’s full of scarves—you saw the invoice yesterday. Get back to writing and you can open it as soon as you click “send.”

So, that walkway I mentioned a little over a month ago—well, it is finally under construction. I had a friend, Martha, who showed me pictures of the similar paths in her parents’ yard. Oh yeah, that reminds me, I need to call Parks and Rec to tell them about the lights that are out on the Upland Trail.

Unbelievable. We will never get this done. And stop looking at those boxes.

I really don’t think this is going to go anywhere. I should wait to write about the new walkway when it is done and I can share pictures.

So what you’re now admitting is that this stream of consciousness blather was a way to trick yourself into writing something without actually writing about anything.

I am not prepared to say that was my intent at the onset, as I really hoped I’d hit upon something along the way. Then I could go back and delete all of the “blather” and edit myself into a coherent presentation.

Oh hold on just one minute . . . you “coherent;” when, if ever? You’ve got people who are actually going to try to muddle through this nonsense. What do you have to show them?

Well, I shared a kind word with someone very deserving. I found an invoice I’d been looking for and hopefully, I won’t be walking in the dark tomorrow morning! Now, leave me alone, I’ve got boxes to open.

All I ask is you go back to the beginning and at least warn the readers so they can make an informed decision to waste 10 minutes of their day. Oh and make sure they know I am the voice of reason.

Jan 20, 2013--Creative, Inspiring Year Ahead

Caption:  My resourceful endeavor to plan and record my anticipated creatively inspired year ahead

One of the best features of a passing into a new year is a new calendar.  I love calendars; so much so that I have a minimum of three—no, wait—four, running simultaneously.  There is the Microsoft® Outlook calendar which is my most dependable, especially since it syncs with my iPhone® calendar, then there is my wall calendar which hangs in the kitchen and lets the family know what is happening.  The fourth calendar, however, is my favorite; it is the one I carry with me pretty much everywhere.  It is the one that ends-up holding more than just my schedule; it is where I stuff receipts, coupons, agendas and more.  This “favorite” calendar has seen many incarnations—from a very corporate-style Day Runner® in a black portfolio to the pocket-style family agenda in a wipe clean plastic cover. 

My favorite, however, has been found.  It is a journal style calendar.  There is plenty of room to write my scheduled activities, as well as some notes about the day or week.  As it seems I have reached maximum capacity in my “grey matter” storage unit, I’ve found it necessary to not only write down where I am supposed to be going, but also where I’ve been and what I did! 

A few years ago, I found the perfect journal-style calendar for my needs.  It was actually designed to resemble a ledger book—like those kept by business folks for their record keeping.  I remember liking that feature immediately.  Then, upon closer examination, I realized it was also appealing because of the design lay-out of its content.  Each week shared a two-page spread, so there was a generous amount of room for my notes.  I liked it so much; I placed an order for the shop.  When November rolled-around and I hadn’t received them, I called the vendor and was told they lost the contract and wouldn’t be wholesaling them after-all.  Rats!

I went into research mode, to no avail, trying to locate the publisher and deal with them directly.  Finally, I found it online through a boutique similar to mine, but located in Ohio.  I contacted the owner and asked her to share the name of the vendor, but she wouldn’t tell me!  I was shocked, but undaunted.  I continued my research and found the journal at our local Borders—the same day I received the negative response from Ohio.

Well, long-story-longer, I was able to scavenge the calendar for only two years.  In that time, I tried desperately to contact the publishers, but the information just led me to a non-working number.

That’s when I decided I need to make my own, using a real ledger book I found at an office supply store.  I worked with my friend, Märtha, and sister, Kendall, and we created our own, but I just couldn’t finish it.  As luck would have it, Patty found one more of the published calendars, which saw me through last year.  Unfortunately, 2013 hasn’t materialized; therefore, I decided to get creative and made my own.  Unlike the last time, however, I am not waiting until it is finished to use it.  I figure, for it to be a truly creative journal, it needs to develop throughout the year.

I will be writing my notes, jotting down ideas and memories and using a glue stick to attach ephemera and other inspirational findings.  This is going to be a creative, inspiring year and I’m going to capture as much as I can in my journal calendar. 

Do you prefer hardcopy or e-books?

26AUG12
A cursory peek at my new followers on Pinterest tells me I piqued the “pinterest” of many of you. That’s wonderful! I think this is a great website for quickly and easily finding images of items which reflect your style. I love that I can search images and, instantly, I have hundreds upon hundreds of images to peruse; google has already done the work for me!
I have always enjoyed research. I used to love spending time in the library looking for resources for my research papers, feeling like Indian Jones when I was able to unearth references I was sure no one else had cited in all the years of term papers written at Lenoir-Rhyne College (now a University, but old habits . . .). In fact, I enjoyed research so much I had thought of becoming an attorney, but after receiving my BA in History, I took the track of paralegal instead. Upon landing my first job as a paralegal, it didn’t take long for me to realize there was a lot more to lawyering than research—umm, no thanks. Researching product for home décor is a lot more fun, so here I am.
Do you remember my suggestion of keeping a notebook for your home decorating ideas? Well, it occurred to me that Pinterest is probably the “notebook” for the next generation; perhaps for this generation. While I do enjoy it and think that it is nifty, it will never replace my idea book. Just like an e-reader will never replace my need to hold a book on my lap and flip through its pages.

I think that is why one of my favorite publications is a quarterly about blogging. Yup—a magazine about blogs! It’s called Artful Blogging. Like all Stampington & Company publications, it is produced on a beautiful, matte paper (love the feel of the paper). The content is submitted by bloggers and simply provides some insight into how they approach their blogs, but it is gorgeous! They also furnish photos, which are often the best part of many blogs. I like it because I feel like I spend my entire day in front of a computer screen. I need tactile interactions with more than my keyboard and mouse!

Another of their publications is Where Women Cook, which shares stories and images of the kitchens—some commercial, but most are the household variety—of the women who elevate the simple act of meal preparation to an artful level, either as a domestic goddess or a professional chef. What you find as you flip the pages of this publication are real kitchens—kitchens which are truly used and abused. You can tell these kitchens are not kitchens designed to impress your bunko group—they are real, hard-working kitchens whish have evolved with the talents and needs of the chefs or families that use them. You see kitchens decked-out in the finest, most desirable professional series equipment, as well as kitchens fitted with a basic four-burner, electric stove and crock pot on the counter. As an added bonus, the articles usually include several recipes.

Another reason to love these magazines is their minimal advertising. There are no “made to look like articles” advertisements about kitchen appliances or the latest sleep aid on the market. And, unlike most websites and many blogs, there are no pop-ups which you have click on the precision-pin-point-spot to close, lest you open another window to learn more about why you should refinance your house now. Stampington & Company publications are intended to inspire and that they do. After reading them, I am motivated to do stuff—to make something or to reorganize my craft area.
So, yes, I love perusing the Pinterest site for images and ideas, but nothing beats the feel of a good decorating book or magazine. I much prefer being able to flip the pages to the “sliding” of images across a screen.
You can pick-up many of the Stampington & Company publications here at Hodgepodge, but they are also available at book stores and the magazine racks of many supermarkets.

Pinterest

19SEP12
Change is in the air. I’ve actually been able to leave the house on a few occasions and not had the life sucked from me as I hit a wall of humidity. We even opened the windows last weekend! Perhaps we can look forward to a little less heat and humidity as we wind-up summer. Even those of you die hard summer fans have to admit this one has been brutal. Can I get an “Amen?”
Well, regardless of the love of summer held by many, most can agree that fall here in middle Tennessee is wonderful. It is always my favorite season (no matter where I am living), and I am looking forward to it more than usual this year. I’ve already decided my fall wreath and porch décor will be out as soon as Darren finishes his improvement project. I am no longer waiting for the official end of summer. It’s not like I am wearing white shoes after Labor Day, for heaven’s sake; I’m just putting out a wreath and vintage pitch fork!
According to most of the activity on Pinterest, it would appear many agree with my efforts to put summer behind us.
What’s that? You’ve not heard of “Pinterest?” Well, my dears, let me help you down the road of more lost hours than you can count . . .
Pinterest is yet another social media network. As a member you have the ability to create your own “pin boards” where you can grab images or videos you find on the web, say while browsing your favorite blogs or websites, and save them to your own boards. Think of it as an online idea book. You name your own boards and, as near as I can tell, there is no limit to the number of boards you can have. I, for instance, have 40 (wow! That many? Really didn’t know that until this moment.) boards, but a friend of mine has 89! I will not name names, but let me assure you, she is on Pinterest a lot! (I love pointing fingers to distract from my own issues . . .)
To give you an idea of how you use it, I’ll share some of my boards. I have a board named “I eat, therefore I am” where I post recipes I’ve found. Now I don’t have to have a log in for epicurious.com and other foodie sites—I just post them all to Pinterest. I also have a board called “The Crafting I’ll never get to” where I post, well, craft ideas. Then there is my “Patina, Please” board, where I post ideas about furniture painting inspirations.
The beauty of this site is, you can (almost) always find the source of the image, therefore you can always find it for yourself. This virtually eliminates those endless hours of hunting for that cool platter rack you saw on someone’s blog. Now you can figure out they got it at, oh, say Hodgepodge, or they just downloaded the image from a google search. Either way, the question is answered.
As near as I can tell, you still have to request a membership, but I think a member can send you an invitation, too. So, if you are a fellow “image addict” and would like to while away the hours putting together your own idea boards, drop me an email (address is below) and I will send you and invitation. If you are already on Pinterest, I hope you find me and follow! I am at: Pinterest.com/paigetk

July 29, 2012—Minor Accomplishments (accolades welcome . . .)

This week has been as crazy busy as any other, but I feel like I am actually getting things done. Don’t you hate those wheel-spinner days/weeks/months?

I feel like real progress was made in several areas—including the house, garden and shop—but mostly the shop. I have been able to pull together a summer sale, the likes of which I have never had before, at least one new window display (as of the writing of this column) and I was able to do some painting. I finished some small projects and put a few new things on the floor for sale.

The beauty of getting stuff done at the shop is that I will have virtually hundreds of people walk through and notice the changes. Regular customers will comment, “Oh! You’ve changed the window—let me go look again!” New customers will compliment an arrangement or a particular vignette. It’s all very satisfying. Not so much at the house. At the house, if anyone notices a new arrangement or newly hung picture, I am lucky. It is much more likely that someone will ask, a month down the road, “When d’we get that?”

That’s why I find it so funny when I over hear people saying, “Oh, I bet her house is wonderful.” Basing this supposition, naturally, on the attention to detail and display they see in the shop. My response, when they actually make this comment to me, is generally, “Not so much.”

I generally explain that I spend more time at the shop than my house and, when I am at the house, 7 of the approximately 10 hours are spent with my eyes closed. I don’t pay much attention to decorating my house anymore. Of course, the shop not only gets my attention, but also that of my friends/staff that help me; they do not come to my house, neither to arrange displays nor dust. (I’ve asked, they won’t do it.)

There was a time when the house and the décor filling it was all I thought about and did. I was constantly working on projects—whipping-up a couple throw pillows, making curtains, dinner and doing laundry, too; now . . . not so much. If I do have a novel idea for my house, it usually doesn’t happen until the relative season has nearly passed; bunnies arrive in May, patriotic bunting in August, you get the picture.

I guess that’s why, minor successes such as walking the dog AND pruning the Nandina before my chiropractic appointment makes me want to climb on the chicken coop (that I wish I had time to build) and crow!

July 22, 2012—

It’s not the heat . . . it’s the humidity. I think if we’ve learned nothing else in the month of July—this we now know.

I have assumed the “summer-doo.” My stylists advise against it, but I simply cannot run a hair dryer in this heat, nor can I wear my hair down; consequently, I will wear my hair in a damp knot at the base of my neck until the temperatures cool down. By the end of summer, my scalp with likely mildew, as my hair is almost never dry, thanks to the humidity. (Pretty picture, eh?)

Coping with the heat isn’t so bad. I was actually feeling my age with the dry beginning of July thinking it is no wonder so many folks retire to Arizona. The heat without the humidity is bearable. My gardens, however, did not fare so well.

Our dear friend, Travis, was kind enough to tend our home, pool, dogs and cat during our vacation. He intended to water the gardens, as well, then we were hit with the mandatory water restrictions and we knew we would like return to Death Valley. A pretty accurate description of what we found. Travis watered when he was able—based on the schedule established by the City and his work obligations—but the combination of heat and lack of water really took a toll on the lush gardens we left.

I was especially sad, because Mom had spent a great deal of her time here working in the yard. She finds that time—watering, trimming and weeding—therapeutic. She tended to the things I rarely get to do in the garden. She deadheaded the withering blooms, trimmed back my mums to avoid an early bloom and cut-back old growth on some of the more established plants. This freed Darren and I to finish the wine bottle garden, to thin-out the floppy undergrowth of the Crape Myrtles and other chores. The gardens were looking great.

My goal is to get this established so we can mulch it—as it is now,

everything just washes down the hill.

 

As is typically the case when one returns from vacation, I have had so much catching-up to do at the shop, I haven’t had any time for efforts to salvage the plants that remain. I did manage to cut-back the remnants of a beautiful hydrangea, which was already recovering from a lost battle involving high winds and a gas grill. It was a sad day, but I managed to salvage a few dried blooms to display in a vintage sap bucket.

The blooms I was able to salvage. 

I almost prefer dried blooms to the fresh.

 

I am one of those people who hates to cut flowers out of my own garden. I prefer to enjoy them in the garden. Hydrangeas are the perfect bloom for people like me. You can enjoy them on the shrub for an entire season then, as they begin to fade, cut them for drying. I enjoy dried hydrangeas almost as much as the blooms on the bush.

One exception to my “no cutting” rule is my herb garden; those I’ll cut. When I go to gather herbs for cooking, I often return with a handful of herbs for the window sill above the sink. I keep an array of vintage bottles at the ready to serve as vessels for these clippings. I love the purplish blossoms found on our rather prolific oregano. Another favorite is basil—even without the blossoms. Technically, you shouldn’t allow your basil to blossom, as the leaves will taste bitter, but I love the smell and look so I usually let a few blossoms form, then trim back leaving the bottom two sets of leaves. It will renew itself several times throughout the season.

 

I hope the rest of our summer is a little more temperate, but I will attempt to grin and bear it regardless, because we are so fortunate to enjoy all four seasons here in Middle Tennessee. In the meantime, I think I’ll call Mom and offer an opportunity to come enjoy more therapy.

June 24, 2012—lazy, hazy days

According to the official calendar of the King Kompound (aka: the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System calendar) we are about four weeks into our summer. Thus far, as Nat King Cole used to sing, I’ve had plenty of the “crazy,” but very few of those “lazy, hazy days.” But I guess that’s just life.

The seasons determined by the tilt of the earth on its axis have very little bearing on the level of activity in most of our lives. Sure, there are the occasional happenstances of a seasonal nature which ramp-up activity levels (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.), but for the most part, life is always pretty crazy for us. I try to keep things in perspective, but sometimes it is difficult.

I know that the reason we are busy running kids to-and-fro is because they are healthy, active kids, therefore they have things to do. The reason our schedule is full is because we have jobs, church and civic commitments—all good things. But sometimes it feels too crazy and you just want to stop the roller coaster ride and get off!

Pretty soon we will enter another phase of our household life—two of the three kids will be in college (one here at APSU and the other is heading to UT in Knoxville), so we will have a little less activity in the house. Thank goodness this is gradual or I’d be experiencing “lazy, hazy” at a home for the mentally deficient!

 

 

 

In the meantime, bring on the crazy with our upcoming family excursion to the aforementioned (my column from April 22nd) second favorite place on earth. The area is known as the “Northern Neck” region of Virginia; it is located on the northernmost peninsula of three located along the Chesapeake Bay. We will enjoy boating, fishing, hammock rocking, great food and even better company. This is how it is going to play out . . .

We all pile in the “family truckster”—a 1993 Suburban, held together by prayer and our dear friends at Auto MD on Seven Mile Ferry Road—and head east. We stop driving when we see water. We will start the fun at Nikki and Bill’s (my sister and brother-in-law’s) RV they leave at a park there. It is big and comfortable, but will fill-up quickly with our family of five, Nikki’s family of five and Kendall’s family of four. Needless to say, Mom will be skipping this part of our adventure.

She will join us on day 3, when we move to the cabin our cousins so generously allow us to borrow now and again. It is much more spacious and allows us to spread-out a little more, but we will have equal amounts of fun at both locations. The additional bonus at the cabin is the fact that is right on the Nomini Creek. We walk off the porch and within a few steps we are on the dock. From there, children will perform their antics (which they believe resembles “diving”), kayaks will be launched and Uncle Bill will push-off more times than we can count to pull a tube or throw some fishing lines. Our biggest concerns all week will be: is it jellyfish free zone and do we need more ice for the coolers.

Cue the “lazy, hazy” and check my pulse.

June 3, 2012—no more braces and tadpoles

I am sitting in the orthodontists’ office waiting for braces to be removed from the eagerly anticipated straight smile of my youngest daughter. While we do this, my eldest daughter took responsibility for opening my shop and my mother is at my house, having arrived this past weekend for my son’s graduation from high school.

I mention all of this because I have spent the weekend reveling in memories of times past. The things we thought would never come to pass, have. Life has a way of moving on—especially when you’re not paying attention. You spend so much time planning for the events of life, that sometimes it is difficult to grab the memories as they are happening. Most of the time, I feel blessed that this all seems so gradual, but lately, I’m feeling a little rushed.

We had a great weekend with family and friends in town for the graduation celebration. It was difficult for our son to arrange a time to have his friends over to celebrate, though; everyone has their own family obligations. So, we’ve decided to attempt a get-together for this weekend.

In anticipation of his party—and just because it’s time—we uncovered the pool last weekend. We were torn about getting started because there were hundreds, probably thousands of tadpoles swimming in the murky water atop the cover. I know I’ve mentioned our war-without-end against the mosquito population in our backyard. Well, how do you justify killing thousands of potential mosquito predators? We couldn’t, so Darren carefully transferred as many as he could to one of our galvanized tubs and we proceeded with the unveiling.

Mind you, we knew this wasn’t going to be any easy opening. In early fall our first cover tore and some muck slipped into the pool. Not having the time to remove it and clean the pool then, we slapped another cover on top and hoped for the best. Well, we got what we expected. The pool was filled with leaves and several larger tadpoles; the water color resembles the river down the hill. Yuck!

As this pool was my big idea, I took responsibility for the bulk of the cleaning. I spent most of my holiday scooping leaves and vacuuming muck. I am sorry, there are a few tadpoles that did not survive the pull of the filter pump. We’ve allowed it to settle for a couple days and today we will vacuum it again. Hopefully we can vacuum again tomorrow and then start hammering it with the chemicals.

As I said, this pool was my big idea. Remember about 6 years ago when President George W. Bush announced a tax rebate of $1100 for each kid we had claimed on our taxes? Well, I thought we should use this money for something fun for the kids. Heck, they were the reason we were getting this windfall, right? Having recently returned from Alabama where we had visited friends with an above-ground pool, I had started thinking differently about them. Not the friends—above-round pools. I am ashamed to confess, I’ve always had a sort of prejudice about them, but unlike some, I’ve been able to admit that it was a mistake to discriminate against them—especially considering that’s all we could afford. Suddenly, they were attractive and possessive of much potential. A few strategically placed tropical plants and no one would notice the metal siding, right?

So, that’s how we came to have a pool in our backyard. Thanks to President Bush and my husband’s weakened sensibilities (he was deployed at the time) we have a splash pond.

I have to admit, at times like these, I regret the purchase. But in a week when it is clean and we’re floating in circles, cooling off after yard work, I’ll be gloating about my brilliant decision to install a pool.

May 27, 2012—friends, truffle pigs and alfredo sauce

As I was leaving the shop tonight, I was chatting with Kimberly Santiago, a local artist who has written and published a book, A Collage Playground. I am fortunate to have her as a tenant in our historic building on Franklin Street—you can actually find her studio on the Strawberry Alley side of the building—but even more fortunate to call her “friend.”

Just a few years older than myself—I don’t think she would mind me saying that (one of the many reasons to admire her)—she has allowed herself to become my sounding board and confidant. She is willing to collaborate with me in business matters and share her experiences as a mother, wife, and business person. Everyone needs a Kimberly, but to be honest I’ve surrounded myself with her kind—Jane, Rogate, Monica, Sherri and Sheila are the tip of that proverbial iceberg—friends whom have ventured into business ownership and are willing to share experiences. I can’t imagine making it through my days without them.

I hope you have someone like them in your life. We all need friends to help keep the checks and balances of our lives.

 

So, right, back to the story . . . as we were leaving the shop, we were admiring the weather (as women of our age are prone to do—far more frequently than I care to admit) and wishing we hadn’t spent the entire day inside. We both agreed that the appropriate next move would be to make every effort to complete the work we anticipated at home—preferably on the patio.

 

As it has been a particularly stressful week, I immediately started formulating the plan. I’d start boiling the water for the pasta, then start the grill, grab my laptop and begin writing my article on the patio. So far, it’s working. I feel much better. Letting go of some of the stress of the day just by being outside on what is quite likely the final day of comfortable weather for the foreseeable future.

 

Even with all of the mulberries on the ground and the inevitable flies which accompany them, I am relaxing. Then our dog, Brogan, begins snarfing up the mulberries, which will lead to a stinky dog, if you know what I mean. Since he sleeps in my room, I beg and plead with him to stop—finally convincing him to lie down. He, naturally, lies down in the grass, where he can continue the snarfing, thinking I cannot observe his surreptitious efforts. Stress is returning, but still manageable. (My daughter refers to it as “truffling,” as he reminds us of those videos we’ve seen of Truffle Pigs hunting for their prize.)

 

 

Then my mind waders . . . Oh look! Is that a Robin or a Towhee? And would you just look at those swallows? I wish they would fly down around my head, arms and legs—they would find plenty of their prey feeding on my blood. Do I have time to add that final layer of paint to those Adirondack chairs? Then the clanging of the lid on the pot of vigorously boiling water returns me from the day dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back inside, the kitchen has really heated up with the boiling pot of pasta water. I add the whole wheat pasta to the water and start warming the Alfredo Sauce. It’s out of a jar, but practically gourmet, as I swish around a little white wine to loosen the sauce still clinging to the jar. I finish grilling the chicken breasts and turkey smoked sausage. We love this meal—especially on a busy work/school night. I chop the chicken and sausage, toss it into the sauce. My daughter helps whip together a healthy green salad and we sit down to a semi-family meal (my husband is out of town). We enjoy good conversation and a few laughs. I find myself sitting there, feeling a little self-satisfied in the knowledge that this is something we do nearly every night of the year. The stress is almost all gone; I then remember I haven’t written my article.

 

 

Rats! What will I write about . . .?

May 20, 2012—Packing for Picnics

This past week at the shop, we changed one of the windows to reflect the colors of warmer temperatures and associated activities. Namely the Downtown Market, Jammin’ in the Alley and Jazz on the Lawn—all great events which have recently made their seasonal return to Clarksville.

These events help us turn our minds to the wealth of activities and entertainment available in this community; added bonus—they’re free! It costs you nothing to come down and explore the market (www.clarksvilledowntownmarket.com) with the kids. The staff at City Parks & Rec has done a great job of recruiting quality vendors, as well as entertainers, awareness participants (such as the Humane Society) and providing activities for children. During Jammin’ in the Alley (the third Friday of the month, through August), you are encouraged to come with your own chairs and picnic food or to enjoy dining with one of our downtown restaurants. Then the folks at Beachhaven Winery invite you to join them on their grounds for free entertainment; again, you can bring you own food and non-alcoholic beverages.

If you’ve got plans to shop the market, you may wish to take along a shopping tote or basket for your loot. There is so much to see and buy, make sure it is large and sturdy!

If at all possible, you may want to find a basket that will do double duty—something you can use for market shopping, but will also serve as a sturdy carry-all for the items you will take along to the picnic events you’re bound to attend this summer.

When packing your picnic baskets this year, let me encourage you to consider stepping-up your list of “usuals.” Instead of using paper plates and napkins, why not consider investing in lightweight melamine plates and cloth napkins? They are sturdy, attractive AND reusable. The same is true of light, inexpensive flatware; the kind with plastic handles is available in a variety of bright colors and helps to elevate the event.

Blankets are great for picnicking, but colorful tablecloths are just as effective and weigh less than blankets. Chairs are nice, but rather cumbersome. You could use purchased seat cushions—use the tie-on straps to create a carrying handle—or enlist floor cushions for more comfort. If you try the floor cushions, you can wrap an old belt around a couple to make them easier to carry.

There are a few other items I would include (and leave in) my picnic basket: a wine bottle opener, salt & pepper shakers, hand sanitizer, candles in containers, a lighter and bug spray.

Some additional thoughts as I was snapping photos around the shop . . . these linen, roll-up utensil storage wraps are great for carrying (as well as storing) utensils.

 

These rag-style rugs make a great, easy to carry surface for picnicking, too.

A few ideas for really impressing your fellow picnickers, you can pack some “Southern Style” stemware—they come complete with lids to keep out pesky bugs and prevent spills on uneven surfaces. If you can find a vintage tool carrier, it will be the perfect transport caddy for your glasses. This is a bit of an extravagance, but well worth the effort—if for no other reason than bragging rights!

I hope to see you at some of these events this season. I’ll bring the bug spray!