Farewell to May

We have said farewell to May and summer is starting to take sway. As the days go on, the flowers in bloom change. The rhododendrons and tulips have faded, and lavender is now in bloom. I have seen the first wild strawberries. They are a little late this year due to the long winter. And the jays have returned. While the robins seem willing to divide up the lawn so each has his own territory, I have only seen one jay at a time. Last year the female sat on the fence waiting her turn while the male searched for the juiciest seeds and bugs. But I haven't seen Mrs. Jay yet this year.

It has only been into the low seventies except for a day or two above or below. We have had a lot of rain, but thankfully not days of downpours. The showers are more spread out, and only sometimes intense. I'm looking forward to seeing the next changes that Mother Nature brings.

Springtime in Pennsylvania

Yes, I know that summer has unofficially begun, as today is Memorial Day. The trees are fully leaved, and fewer have that bright green of new growth. Only a few still have blossoms. But there are still a few signs of spring.

One of my favorites is the first sighting of the Canada geese parents with their goslings, who are the yellow-green color of the outside of a boiled egg yolk. Dad stands guard while Mom has something to eat and watches the goslings to make sure they don't wander into danger.





In early spring, before the eggs are hatched, the pairs of geese are inseparable. The female sitting quietly while the male feeds, and the female eating while the male stands at her side.  I look forward to seeing the goslings, and watching them grow, every year since I have lived here. This year, winter was long and cold and spring seemed so long away. When it finally arrived, I was reluctant for spring to move into summer, but I still find evidence of spring.

Lily of the Valley

One of my favorite scents has always been lily of the valley (and the perfume, Muguet de Bois). I loved the song as a child and have always thought the flowers so delicate and beautiful. But I don't think I have ever seen the plant growing until a few days ago. I looked out the window of the truck when we were stopped at a corner. There were tiny white flowers on the plant growing there. The next time we passed, I looked more closely and was delighted to see that it really was lily of the valley.

R.I.P. Matilda (May 26, 2002 - October 20, 2012)

I adopted Matilda in 2005 at 2 1/2 years old, and she expired of a pancreatic tumor in 2012. She was a beautiful long hair tortoiseshell with intelligent green eyes and the softest fur. She was inquisitive and feared only barking dogs and loud noises. She had the largest vocabulary of any cat I've known, and when we were travelling with her, she swore at Steve when he drove faster than she liked.

She was also a different cat at night, and would be aggressive and fierce. We said that she was afraid of the dark. I'm not sure what it was, but in the middle of the night she would meow like a kitten, then leap as high as she could to bite me. I slept with weights at my bedroom door.



She mellowed a bit when we moved to Pennsylvania. We eventually found a solution to the night aggression. She had her own room, with a litter box and her food. And when we started to see that certain light in her eyes, it was off to bed for her.



She had multiple health issues: asthma, kidney problems, diabetes, and eventually a pancreatic tumor that shrunk her to half her size and diminished her feistiness. Despite all of the troubles we had, I missed her dearly when she was gone.

Celebrating Spring on Polyvore

I have  been going to a writers group for a couple of years. Last year I finally came up with the seeds and general outline for a cozy mystery. It's about a café owner who ends up solving a mystery using her intuitive abilities, and the web savvy of her best friend. I have the first few chapters, seemed to have stalled.

This past year I rediscovered Polyvore, and found there an avenue for my creative impulses. I collected images for the characters, their clothing and moods, and I created a "set" portraying the café.

Morning Glory Café

I haven't done much more writing, but have found an avenue for creative expression, and to keep those creative juices flowing. And hopefully I will return to the writing when the time is right.

I have really enjoyed creating sets expressing the seasons, though I do also create fashion and interior sets as well. Here are some of my spring sets.

Thanksgiving Memories

The last two Thanksgivings we have joined Steve's Uncle Kenny & Aunt Joyce and her extended family. They gather at the Bethany Presbyterian Church. They take over the basement social hall and there is a wonderful pot luck luncheon.

Bethany Presbyterian Church

Each family brings food to share and gathers at one of the tables in the room. There are multiple generations and people come from near and far. As you can see, no one goes hungry. There are appetizers, salads, side dishes, turkey, and lots of deserts. After the meal ends, one of the families gets their kids together and assembles a gingerbread house.

Thanksgiving 2011

This year, the church had purchased the house next door, the David Wilder House, so the gathering was held there. The David Wilder House was built in 1809, and originally used as a tavern. It retains a beautiful rustic charm and was decorated for the season.

The David Wilder House

The fireplace in the kitchen has the date engraved on it.

The tables were set up and decorated in the living area which had large wooden beams, and another fireplace.

The food as usual was delicious and bountiful. However, I discovered that though my cranberry sauce was very good, next time I will adjust the recipe and use less sugar and less liquid.

After the meal, I went outside and explored a little, and discovered the graveyard behind the church.

All in all it was a wonderful day, with food, family, good company, and time for contemplation.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Once again, autumn has come upon us. Here in Pennsylvania, the trees have lost most of their leaves, and the remainder are bronze and golden and pale orange, waiting for a strong wind to float the leaves down to the ground. The days are crisp, but we have only had one snow day so far.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and my husband and his son and I are travelling north to the Poconos to the town where he was born and raised. We will gather with his extended family in the basement of a church and have a wonderful pot luck buffet with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, side dishes, salads, appetizers, and of course dessert. This will be our third time going there, so I hope that I will remember the names of more people.

My mother-in-law always makes something to bring, but I have wanted to bring something to contribute. I found several cranberry relish recipes that had ingredients I liked and developed my own recipe. It has cranberries, pomegranate, pineapple, pecans and sugar. It looks beautiful and is delicious, at least from what I tasted when it was mostly cool.

Cranberry Pomegranate-Pineapple Relish

12 oz bag of cranberries

1 pomegranate

16 oz can of pineapple

1 cup chopped pecans

1-1/4 cups sugar

water

1. Seed the pomegranate. Discard any bruised or discolored seeds, and pieces of the white membrane.
2. Strain the pineapple juice into a measuring cup. If you use pineapple chunks, it is easier to strain, but you will need to chop the pineapple into smaller pieces. I used crushed pineapple, and after a bit of work I got a cup of juice.
3. Add enough water to the pineapple juice to make 2 cups of liquid.
4. Put the liquid, the sugar, and the cranberries into a large saucepan on a medium heat, and stir to mix. The liquid will froth up, so use a bigger pan than you think you need.
5. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the pomegranate seeds. Be sure to stir frequently and to watch the pan.
6. After about 10 minutes, or when all of the cranberries have popped, take the pan off the heat.
7. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl, add the pineapple and pecans, and stir well.
8. Place the bowl into the refrigerator to cool uncovered for 2 hours.
9. Cover the bowl.

Walking through time

A few weeks back, when the weather was warm but not yet oppressively hot, we took a walk down to the Langhorne Coffee House. That stretch of street is lined by historic homes ranging from the mid 1700's to the early twentieth century. The flowers were still in full bloom, not yet wilted by the heat, and the leaves were all deep green. It was the prime of summer.

On our way back, I took a few pictures of my favorite houses. The first is prim and proper, a crisp white with a white picket fence and gate, but with deep purple shutters and an exuberance of foliage covering the fence and gateway.

The second home is a cross between a wedding cake and the Addams family home. I can picture Morticia in her back garden, snipping off the red roses from their sharp thorny stems, and Lurch waiting at attention to respond to the ring of the front door. In reality, I think it's either an apartment or boarding house.

Our home is a Dutch Colonial, lacking the charm of the others, and a relative newcomer, built in the 1920's. It has a huge expanse of front lawn, anchored by four large shade trees in the corners, and patrolled by two or three robins in the spring and summer.