memento.

with summer came a bit of a change on the jelly cupboard.

my long owned silk hydrangeas in a vintage flour tin,

a bess streeter aldrich (favorite author) book,

antique picture frame from the hub's side of the family,

and the bread bowl once belonging to my great grandmother.

the candlesticks are simply extra pretties in my collection.

i have a number of things in the guest room closet

from which to choose. changes are good.

a favorite dessert of ours:

fruit on top of greek yogurt

along with a good sprinkle of crushed

ritz mixture. think graham cracker pie crust

but ritz instead. we keep it in the freezer for

quick access. it's yUm.

in june i needed to use up a plethora of sweet bells.

i roasted two pans of the yUms after drizzling olive oil,

balsamic vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, and cracked pepper.

once cooled i used four freezer containers to pack them

and with labels secured i popped them in the deep freeze.

i've used two containers since then .. 

for a steak salad as well as pasta.

instead of letting your veggies go bad

in the dark recesses of your fridge or pantry,

roast 'em and freeze 'em

for a 'rainy day.'

as i type (sharing this post a week later) 

there are large aircraft with water in their 

bellies en route to fight fires. in the distance

emergency vehicles race into danger.

.. praying for the brave men & women fighting fires ..

hoping you make time in your day to offer thanks

for the gift of waking .. for his protection,

for growth, for daily provisions,

for blessings yet realized.

love,

.sherry.

 

laundry.

 

i've missed having a clothesline .. 

at our previous home in a california valley i employed two lines for laundry. one of my earliest childhood memories of our clothesline included my mother hanging sheets and the aroma of snuggling into the pillow case later that evening and breathing in the fresh scent. this year the hubs suggested i set up a line in the back of the garage next to my golf cart project and in front of *scout* our 55 boles aero trailer. i haven't used the line too often this summer due to smoke and ash .. the days or even sometimes just part of a day when the air is fairly clear, i hang laundry. i love the process and the result. after pinning pieces i usually venture inside *scout* for a few minutes and rest.

the interior laundry room door has been a bone of contention the the two years we've lived in this house. continual fighting with a door that was always in the way... making the decision to remove the door and construct a 'barn door' we began sleuthing ideas, taking measurements, and researching the best avenue to make this project happen. while at a somewhat local vintage shop (thrifting and vintage'ing is a rarely enjoyed activity the past few years) we spent time in the junque (throw away, basically) section along the side of the building. i found the door - vintage perfection! and for a pittance of change we paid and loaded it into the back of our suburban assault vehicle, then on our way home. the hubs set to cleaning, priming, and painting the door - then securing the hardware (found and purchased on amaz*n) to the wall after removing the door jams and filling in holes, sanding, painting. it's all him really in this project other than me pointing and suggesting. wink. also on amaz*n i found the sweetest sticker to adhere to the window portion. while the hubs was out i took that as my opportunity to complete the project and call it a day. we love the result and no longer battle the interior door on that small space. neato.

also from the vintage junque area of the shop were ten (10!!!)

buffalo china platters for a dollar each. i bought all ten. duh.

aren't they lovely? when we moved i made the ninnie'fied

decision to release my large lot of vintage creamware.

wasn't one of my more 'bright' moves.

thankful to have found these platters though

so all is well in my little world - in that way.

do you enjoy vintage treasures?

or do you prefer modern?

checking in.

a couple weeks back the hubs invited me for an evening drive. in the Jeep. higher in the mountains on rough roads, twists, bumps, turns. i was sporting a bit of a 'tude but accepted his offer though honestly it was the last thing on my list i thought i'd enjoy. i'm such a ninnie sometimes. going off road means viewing beauty that folks on a main road never have the opportunity to see. my 'tude disappeared in quick order and i was able to allow myself to enjoy the ride - and thus allow my hubs to enjoy it as well, more so than contending with a 'tude-ish wife that night. beauty abounded at every turn.

arriving at the top of the peak ..

the view was breathtaking; it was heartbreaking as well.

our county along with other counties are in the middle

of anticipated fire storms. numerous states are on fire.

seems the whole world is contending with "fires."

this was our first glimpse.

smoke layer above the ridge..

the peak..

from another direction, billowing raging red.

 

we personally know families whose homes were completely 

lost in the fires.

in our tiny town evacuees have set up camp 

so to speak - and our community

is coming together to meet needs .. 

practically, emotionally, and spiritually.

"By your grace, we will leave everything

most sweetly in your hands.

Where else should these things be left?"
{Spurgeon}

a daytime view from our tiny town.

smoke and ash rain down intermittently

depending on wind direction.

we're safe from danger at this point.

yesterday it was cool enough to turn on the oven..

hasn't been the case this season - a long, hot summer.

out of the ordinary for typically a couple weeks

is sizzling in these parts, not the entire season.

so while the hubs grilled burgers,

i prepped and baked 'oven fries',

and cut romaine and tomato, red onion and cheese,

brought out jars of pickles, jalapenos, mayo and mustard,

catsup and ranch dressing. a feast.

heirloom tomato slices were delish!

i like to eat mine along with the romaine,

*not* on the burger. yUm.

a couple weeks ago i needed to use up some roasted broccoli

and onions ... so i figured a quiche was in order. also yUm.

in light of present day concerns, consider this:

"I would rather have questions that can't be

answered than answers that can't be questioned."

{Richard Feynman}

strange times indeed

.. & ..

please keep Afghanistan in prayer ..

please keep the American citizens on the ground, in prayer ..

.the horror is beyond imagination.

... please continue in prayer for our country ...

in His love,

.sherry.