A smidge of spring and summer decor

 

Just sharing a smidge of decor for late spring and early summer.  Just a smidge, because that's literally all I have done.  

I only have a few minutes to blog today so I will just mostly put up photos and captions.

A display atop a bookcase in a corner of my living room.  A couple of spring and summery mugs, one with faux boxwood sprigs, a sweet sign and a resin bird, and a small crewel embroidery done by me in the 1970s.  I still love it!

Two shelves on my hutch showcasing jadeite old and new, some strawberry themed mugs and a jam jar.  Upper shelf has new "jadeite" from Pioneer Woman; lower shelf has vintage Fire King jadeite.  Teapot and salt and pepper are vintage McCoy pottery in the Strawberry Country line.  I was blessed to acquire all of these, plus a matching crock, for free over the years.

 
Bottom shelf of my hutch featuring an ironstone soup tureen, a vintage cup and jadeite mug, a candle holder, Colonial Homestead salt shaker, plus a sweet reminder "family brings you home sweet home".

And the hutch in its entirety!
 

Happy summer, everyone!

Good old summertime Hodgepodge

Wednesday again ... and so it's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce writes the questions, bloggers provide the answers!  Here we go ...

1. Summer officially begins this week (in the northern hemisphere)...what was your favorite thing to do in the summer when you were a kid? 

My brother and I were often allowed to take a picnic lunch to share with neighbor kids, and we had a favorite picnic spot we called Picnic Hill.  To get there one had to pass by a sweet little brook and climb a hill crowned with a big pine tree.  I wrote about it in an early blog post: Picnic Hill.

 
What do you like most about summer now? 

Being retired and just able to take off for a drive, a picnic, the lake, the mountains, or time at our cottage.

View from a covered bridge in a mountain town

View from our sleeping nook at the cottage

A nearby favorite lake

 2.  Something you'll celebrate this summer? 

We'll accompany older friends on their annual anniversary trip to Boothbay Harbor.  

A lobster bake will be part of the fun

Relaxing by the sea on a previous trip

Hydrangeas by the ocean are something special

 

3. Summer tastes like? 

Strawberry shortcake, corn on the cob, homemade ice cream.

Smells like? 

Fresh-cut grass, new-mown hay, and sun-warmed pine needles.

Sounds like? 

The slam of a wood-framed screen door on a summer cottage.

4. June 18th is National Splurge Day...what's the last thing you splurged on? 

A beautiful lighted canvas featuring a lake and cabin theme.  I distinctly remember my hubby saying, "This is a splurge for us."

What might you splurge on today? 

 Probably nothing other than giving myself some extra blogging time.

5. Share a favorite summer quote, saying, song lyric, or meme. 

I had to look up some summer quotes before settling on this one:

 "Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time." ­–John Lubbock, The Use of Life

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Last summer we took this photo on the gorgeous Blue Ridge Parkway:

 

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Snapshots from summer

 

 Last fall I was thinking back over Summer 2024 in preparation for sharing a testimony with other ladies.  I thought about how many wonderful memories have been preserved in photos that we took.  (Now, in light of the devastation to that area from Hurricane Helene, I am doubly glad we took as many pictures as we did.  And I wish we had taken more.)  It seems to me that this past summer is one of the nicest that we have had in a long time, as far as good memories go.  At that time, I began a post full of summer memories.

I found myself thinking of these memories in terms of snapshots.  Actual snapshots, as the first part of the definition below describes:

Ice cream with our friend Terry -- I'm so thankful we got to do this (and got this photo) on a day when she was feeling well and able to fully enjoy it.  That is a flight of ice cream on the table in front of her.

We had plenty of opportunities for ice cream this past summer and fall.  We always share, so the calories and sugar are not quite as bad as they might be.

Family members playing cornhole on the porch of our Airbnb farmhouse in North Carolina as the rain fell outdoors.  We had lots of time to make precious family memories on this trip.

Time with old friends at Table Rock State Park in South Carolina.  So thankful for the gift of friendship and being able to encourage one another in the Lord.

Mountains upon mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  God gave safety in travel and many opportunities to ponder His might, sovereignty, and endless creativity.

 Cousins at Cracker Barrel (plus Emily's and Julia's friend Lily).  Even though many of Emily's siblings weren't here, it was a wonderful time for these cousins to reconnect.

 A wonderful couple of days with our friends Tom and Judy in Pennsylvania.  We have been wanting to visit them for some time and are so thankful that a visit, although brief, finally happened.

Reconnecting with our precious friends Chris and Debbie in the Maritimes (we stayed in New Brunswick but also visited Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island).  We had not seen them in over ten years.  What a delight to pick up where we left off.

 As I reviewed further,  I thought more deeply -- about other memories that are recorded in the heart.  We didn't get photos of those, but some pictures are indelibly (I hope) etched upon upon hearts and minds.  These could be considered snapshots too, more like the second part of the definition.  And I frequently find myself taking out these "pictures", reviewing the blessings and sharing them with others.

A few Scripture verses came to my mind: 

"Many, O LORD, my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are toward us; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee.  If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."  (Psalm 40:5)

"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually ... the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."  (Hebrews 13:15)

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."  (Psalm 34:1)

"I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings."  (Psalm 77:12)

"We will not hide them from our children, showing to the generations to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He has done."  (Psalm 78:4)

And so here are a few of those snapshots to share with you: 

* Sharing a meal at a restaurant with dear ministry friends -- enjoying wonderful food and a fun atmosphere, but even better, sharing from the heart as we encouraged one another in the Lord.  This happened a few times with various couples and families.

* Having a moment of prayer as various friends parted from one another, not knowing when or where we will meet again in this life.  But knowing we will meet again in heaven!

* Realizing as we reconnected (and praising God!) that some of our friends have been through very difficult times, but they have continued to walk faithfully with their Lord.

* Experiencing amazing hospitality all along the way as we were blessed by people using that spiritual gift.  Wonderful accommodations, fantastic food, and just all-round caring and sharing.

* Having opportunities to minister this summer -- Sunday School, VBS, our regular volunteer work at TWNE,  and hosting a couple of cottage prayer meetings at our little camp.

* Even better, watching three of our teen grandchildren minister in music at church and in teaching VBS.  

* Through the generous hospitality of our New Brunswick friends, getting to return to a provincial park on PEI where we'd spent many happy times camping with our children. 

* Being blessed by a memory book our daughters put together to commemorate our half-century of marriage.  The notes from far-flung family and old friends were so precious!

* Getting to have our NV granddaughter Emily with us for an overnight stay at the North Carolina Airbnb.  What a delight to have her with us around the table and to look after her needs for just a few hours.

* And maybe one of the dearest, most precious snapshots of the summer -- the seating for our Cracker Barrel meal worked out so that the four adults were at one table and all of the grandchildren, plus Lily, were at another.  At one point my daughter looked their way and whispered, "They're praying!" Yes, oldest grandson Sam took the lead and they all bowed their heads as he gave thanks for the food.  

There are more -- many more.  But I have delayed publishing this post long enough, so I'll leave you with  just this handful of snapshots from last summer.

A berry important question

 

Image from The Graphics Fairy

I'm late, far too late, for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, so I've selected just one of the questions to answer.  I'm sure you can guess why this one appealed to me most out of all the other questions:

4. June 14th is National Strawberry Shortcake Day...are you a fan, and if so will you celebrate? How do you make yours? Have you been strawberry picking? If so what do you do with all those berries?

I am definitely a strawberry shortcake fan. 

I wasn't aware, or didn't remember, that June 14th was National Strawberry Shortcake Day.  So we didn't celebrate.   But we could have, although we were traveling that day.  Let me explain.  

We had traveled up to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, on Monday, June 12 and spent two nights at a lovely B&B with friends from Pennsylvania.  On June 14, we were heading home and passed through the city of Brunswick.  Still full from our hearty breakfast, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a break and an iced coffee to share.

BUT across the street was this place:

You can tell it's April, not June, in this photo of The Brunswick Diner.

where, on a rainy April day some years ago,  we ate the best strawberry shortcake either of us has ever tasted.  

It was made with baking powder biscuits, strawberries, and real whipped cream, as is the New England way with shortcake.  But there was one important and stellar detail that the Brunswick Diner added: vanilla ice cream in between the strawberry and biscuit layers.  

At home, I make my strawberry shortcake simply with biscuits, strawberries and whipped cream.

Strawberry picking?  Yes, we have often gone.  Not yet this year ... it's been a wet June and I'm not really sure what that will do/has done to the strawberry crop.  But we will very likely go strawberry picking if it's a possibility for us.

Little granddaughter Arielle had a hand (or two) in picking these

Strawberry field where we picked in 2022

What do I do with all those berries?  I usually freeze some whole.  We wash and hull the berries, then place them on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid.  Then they are transferred to zip-top plastic bags.  Now we have frozen berries that will not clump together and one can pour out whatever is needed for a recipe.

To use the fresh berries, probably my favorite thing to make would be strawberry shortcake.  To be a little more fancy, this Strawberry Lovers' Pie is another huge favorite.  

 

And this Strawberry Cheesecake Pie is another. 

Photo from Spend with Pennies.com

I also like this homemade Strawberry Pie Filling as another way to use fresh berries.  

 
And these Strawberry Muffins (or, as you will see, Strawberry Coffeecake) are also scrumptious!

And there's my answer to a berry important question. 

Laboring over a hodgepodge post

 

... and running a little late with it at that!   Yesterday was Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  This week's questions involve Labor Day and the end of summer.  Here goes!

 1. Something you've labored over recently? 

Preparing our little camp as a place for our Nevada loved ones to stay during their 10-day visit.

2. How will you rest on Labor Day? 

We are planning a trip to Story Land, a NH amusement park, with our daughters, their spouses, and 11 of our grandchildren.  Not much rest there, I don't think.

 

 

3. Margaret Mead is quoted as saying, "I learned the value of hard work by working hard." Would you agree? Where and how did you learn the value of hard work? 

I learned the value of hard work from my dad for sure.   Mostly from watching him work hard not only at his job but around the house and yard and coming to understand he was doing so for us, his family.  But I did learn the value of hard work sweating over a dishwasher in a restaurant kitchen at 14; helping my dad load and unload lumber by hand; tossing hay bales into a truck; having my own baking business at 15; and much more.

4. It's National Eat Outside Day (August 31st). Will you? Do you enjoy dining 'al fresco' or prefer indoor seating? 

We  love dining 'al fresco' and did in fact eat lunch outdoors on August 31, on our back deck.

5. Somehow it's the end of August. What was the best day of the month for you and tell us what made it so? 

I am going to have to say the 31st, for that is the day our daughter, her hubby and seven kids arrived at the camp to stay for ten days! They just made it on the 31st too, arriving at nearly 11 pm!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We will be getting together soon with some good friends at this fun place: Beech Hill Farm.   We met up there once before when our NV loved ones visited in 2015.  It makes a great place for kids to have fun while adults can visit and all can enjoy ice cream.  Note to Vee: they serve Gifford's!

 

And there's my late-ish, labor-intensive Hodgepodge!

No waffling on the hodgepodge

 

 It's Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  This week's questions involve waffles, late summer, and life itself.  Here goes!

 1. August 24th is National Waffle Day...what's something you've 'waffled' on recently? 

Many times this summer I've found myself waffling on whether or not to go along with my hubby during his weekly work day at The Wilds of New England.   I'm always torn about going along or spending some much-needed time at home.  And the same thing happens when he goes to our little cottage to work on projects.  There's always plenty to do at either place and sometimes it's hard to decide which will be more advantageous.

2. Do you like waffles? Make your own or 'leggo my Eggo? Any favorite toppings or add-ins? Waffles or pancakes-which do you prefer? 

Yes, I do like waffles and especially homemade ones.  My hubby is famous for his waffles.  You can find his recipe in this post: Waffle Buffet.  There are a few certain types of frozen waffles that I like.  Nature's Path makes a gluten-free Homestyle waffle that's really good (sweetened with pear juice) 

 

and a delicious Pumpkin Spice gluten-free waffle that's available year-round.  (I don't necessarily eat gluten free all the time, but the gluten-free frozen waffles seem more nutritious to me.)  In my post about the waffle buffet you'll find some of my favorite toppings.

I do prefer waffles to pancakes as a rule.  But these Sheet Pan Pancakes could change my mind ...

3. Do you have any mementos from this summer (or past summers)? What do you do with them? 

I don't tend to save a lot of mementos.   If it's something small and flat, like this ticket stub, I will paste it into my scrapbook journal.

 Larger things, like sand dollars or shells, might get displayed in my summer decorating.

Or they might get added to a frame as in the project below:

4. One thing you'd like to do before summer ends? 

I'd like to see my hubby get one of his kayaks off the garage wall and actually go kayaking.  He's been so busy this summer with all kinds of things. Thankfully he will be getting some kayak time when our Nevada loved ones arrive!

5. Life is too short to___________________________________. 

Life is too short not to spend time with people you care about.   

 

And even more important  -- in light of the brevity of life, I also want to live each moment to the glory of God.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My local daughter and I spent a good bit of time yesterday planning meals and some activities for the upcoming family visit.  I think we have a pretty good plan going!  Story Land (below) is one activity on the agenda.

 

And that wraps up the Hodgepodge for this week!  Why not head on over to From This Side of the Pond and snag the questions to answer on your own blog?