A long-winded attempt to catch up

I can't believe how long it has been since I've posted. I promise it is not because of re-joining Facebook! I am managing my time there very nicely, I think. And I've actually found it to be very helpful. The woman from whom we bought our sheep three years ago, wrote on my timeline and messaged me to offer two ewes who were done being mothers. They are nine years old, and are going to spend their retirement years at Windy Poplars Farm. Here they are in the back of Matt's truck.

They have settled in well, and I like having six sheep. They are more of a presence in the pasture.

Nebby, the donkey. In the back, close together, as always, the mother and daughter, Aberdeen and Angelina. On far right, Maybelline. In the foreground, L to R: Cappuccino (new), Maggie Mae, and Kiah (pronounced Kyah - also new).

Our Dominique chicks, born May 8, lived in a box in the cellar for a few weeks, and are now in the barn and moving around just like the big chickens.

Tom's parents made the big decision to move to a smaller place. They do not have to be in assisted living, but they wanted an easier life without having to shop or cook. They have a kitchen so still can make meals when they want, but both breakfast and supper are provided. It's a lovely place with a swimming pool which will be a big draw for the great-grandchildren. There is a library which I naturally love. It has chairs by a window and many shelves with all kinds of books. We've gone down a few times to help move smaller things, and to receive a few lovely rugs, Nina's framed needlepoint, some things for the kids, and this beautiful kitchen table.

It was Tom's grandmother's and we have loved it for decades. So happy to have it. Since the kids were little, we've had a round table which became oval with extra leaves. But I have always wanted a rectangular table. It feels like a real farmhouse table, and I love the little drawer. I put grandchildren treats in it. Incidentally, the white cupboard belonged to my aunt Mabel, and it was given to me when she died. It was in her kitchen and both Margaret and Michael remember she always had a can of Pringles in it. I love it so much. For fifteen years, it has had the 'distressed' look, aka, chipping paint. Tom recently painted it and we moved it into the kitchen. The books are my food related books, like Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking.

The final move-in was this week, and they are very happy. Here are some pictures from a few weeks ago. When we go down next, I'll take some more photos.

A lovely patio and garden

 Great kitchen

The living room looking out the sliding doors to the patio

It is a big change for them, but they are both such sports, always looking forward not back. They have a gift for enjoying life.

I've missed posting two weeks of my CSA flowers, so here you go:

Two weeks ago, I decided to use the little pail provided last year as my vase. And this week I used a pitcher that belonged to my aunt Gladys.

I've made a batch of pesto both weeks with basil that was in the bouquet! Just like last year.

After a rainy spring and early summer, we are finally having real summer weather. It has been perfect really - sunny, but not too hot. The gardens are going great guns, but there is still 'witchgrass' amongst the daylilies, and it has been hard keeping the weeds down in the garden as they all got such a hold during the wet weather.

Remember the rust on the hollyhock last summer? I actually decided to not plant any this year, but lo and behold, a plant came up, in the same place as last year!

The first flowers appeared this week.

There's something going on with the leaves again. Not sure if it is rust or insects, but the nearby Chelsea Prize English cucumbers seem to have it, too.

H

 C

We'll see. The cuke in general looks okay, and I hope it stays that way.

The Clarimore Middle Eastern zucchini is doing great. I've made two meals with it already.

The really tall French Gold filet pole beans are just coming. If there is a big enough crop, I think I'll freeze some this year.

I've eaten 3 or 4 Sungold orange cherry tomatoes, but most of them are still green. There is nothing like eating a warm tomato right off the vine.

As usual, I have too many plants in too small an area, but I can't seem to help myself. In the spring, the two we started under lights were so small, and I decided to buy two more plants from a local farm. Of course, ours have pretty much caught up with the ones I bought.

And now to my favorite gardening subject - the daylilies. The stars of Windy Poplars Farm which make July and August as pretty as could be around here.

I'm sure your eyes have glazed over by now, and you're wondering, when will this end? Well, now!

Today's picture/Week two CSA flowers - 2017

This week I put the beautiful flowers in an eggplant vase Margaret gave me years ago. I love the colors.

Closeup of flowers

And a little apple this week

Today's picture/Week one CSA flowers - 2017

And the beauty begins for another year! If you didn't happen to see last year's photos, you may click the label at the bottom of this post - Flower CSA.

I especially love this bouquet in my mother's vase. I have four very special vases and I plan to rotate them. The flower grower changed the way the bouquets are offered. Instead of providing a little metal bucket like last year's orange one, this year she is doing something different:

 "The stems will be wrapped in an Eco Fresh Wrap that will keep your stems hydrated and fresh for up to 10 hours! You can then use your vase of choice, unwrap, cut stems to vase length, fluff arrangement, and pop it into fresh water!"

Half a year's reading - 2017

I really do mean to jot down my monthly readings, but, hey, six months is better than 2016's yearly report!

In the early months, I spent my reading time right here in New Hampshire, down on the seacoast. The author changes the names of the towns, but anyone who lives here knows exactly where he means.

I have meant to read Brendan DuBois (pronounced boys) for ages, and finally, after listening to him on NHPR here and here (and just a warning you may not want to listen if you are just beginning the books), I bought some of his books for the kindle and read eight of them. Amazon says that Lewis Cole, is "one of the most appealing heroes in mystery fiction," and he really is. We learn in the early books of his back story and how shattered it has left him. He is settled into an old house right on the sea where he rebuilds his life in the community, solving mysteries along the way. He is not your usual 'hero.' He is close to a mafia type from the North End of Boston. He does some things he is not proud of. But he also is very kind to women, and is close friends with the local cop and newspaper writer. I don't want to give much more detail because it is very interesting how his story unwinds with each book. This is a series that needs to be read in order. Part way through my reading, I actually emailed the author. A few days later it came back saying it was undeliverable. Must have been an old address. But I wanted to tell him how bad the kindle versions were of the early books. There were glaring misspellings. I told him that I loved the books so I soldiered on, but that some readers might be so put off they would just quit. So, I would recommend that you buy or borrow the print versions, at least for the first several in the series.

I've not read any books like this before. They are mysteries, but also I think they could be called thrillers. There is a lot of excitement.

Have you noticed how the price of kindle books just goes up and up? I never minded paying eight dollars for the old mysteries I love, but it seems like newer books cost almost as much on the kindle as they do in print. In most cases, I'll  go with the print version, and just read the old books on the kindle.

I read The Little Book of Hyyge which I had noted here. Although I am interested in the concept, I found the book labored to make its point, and said the same things over and over in different ways. I don't think a whole book on it was necessary. An article would suffice.

I read the six books in the Fred Vickery series one right after the other. They were written in the 1990s by Sherry Lewis, and I found them really wonderful. He is a widower, a few years old than I am, with adult children and grandchildren. Only one of his four kids lives in the same Colorado town as he does, but the others pop into the books, sometimes being the main story. These are mysteries, and though the setting is nice and he is a great character, they are not 'cozy.' Bad murders happen, and innocent people are suspected. Fred is friends with the Sheriff, who was his daughter's high school boyfriend. The local doctor is his friend but also his nemesis, always watching what Fred is eating after a small heart attack. The books develop as the series moves along, and we find out more about the man, his late wife, and his family. I really love these six books. They are an excellent little set. The titles and order of the books may be found here.

I read and enjoyed two old ones by Freeman Wills Crofts who should be as well known as Agatha.

I continued where I left off in the Hamish Macbeth series (number 26) and decided I am done. I just don't like them enough for me to spend my time on. I also checked in on Simon Brett's Fethering series and after only a few chapters I decided I was done with those books, too.

The MC Beaton, Hamish Macbeth book, Death of a Chimney Sweep, and Peter May's The Blackhouse were read for the Read Scotland Challenge. As bland as Hamish was, the Blackhouse was an edge of my seat kind of book. Whew. And I've been assured by my friend Kay that the second one, The Lewis Man, is even better. I bought a lovely picture book companion to May's work that helps bring the setting alive.

I read In This Grave Hour, the 13th and latest Maisie Dobbs book by Jacqueline Winspear. It was wonderful. I love this series so much, and there is a special place in my heart for these excellent books.

I read an installment in the always delightful Coffeehouse mystery series by Cleo Coyle - A Brew to a Kill. Snappy dialogue, intelligent characters with loads of personality, and that wonderful New York City locale.

I began the first book in a new series by Susie Steiner, called Missing Presumed, which I liked very much. I could see the BBC or itv making this into a television show. I was annoyed by the bits about the main character's dating life, but not enough to keep me away from the great story.

A refreshing quality about the older mysteries is that there is very little about the main detective's life. Sometimes I just want the mystery, thank you very much, and I'm now reading more Michael Gilbert, one of the very great writers, I believe. One of his sleuths lives in a boarding house and that's about all the reader knows!

I didn't write about the other 'perfect' book I read that I mentioned in my book report on Stir. I want to spend a full post on it at some point, but I'll tell you here what it is, The Song of Hartgrove Hall, published in Great Britain as The Song Collector, by Natasha Solomons. I loved it beyond words, and will try to do it credit when I finally sit down to write about it.

So there you have it. My reading from January through (most of) June. 29 books.

Stir by Jessica Fechtor

Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home
by Jessica Fechtor
nonfiction 2015
print
finished 6/9/17

I've read two perfect books so far this year, and Stir is one of them. (Stay tuned- I hope to write about the other one soon) 

When she was in her late twenties, Jessica Fechtor suffered a brain aneurysm.This is the story of a very lucky young woman who made it through what could have killed her. She intersperses her medical story with people and food from her past, and from her time of healing. We learn of the beginnings of her great love story with her now husband, Eli. We meet her family and friends. The author has a wonderful wry sense of humor that made me smile even as she went through some very difficult medical situations. We know she lives, and we know she is alright which makes the book really a joy to read. 

And that's pretty much all I want to say about the book. I don't want to spoil a minute of a future reader's pleasure in reading Stir. It is, of course, a foodie's delight. It is also an excellently written book by a most interesting, kindly, and witty person. I so enjoyed being in her company as I read along. 

It has been ages since I shared a post with Weekend Cooking, 

so here is a dish a friend made for Jessica when she was recuperating. We really enjoyed it, and will make it again.

There isn't a recipe in the book, just a mention of a dish her friend Julia made.

One of those things was farro, a tender Italian grain that feels nice to bite into. I'd heard of it, but never tried it until that night at our friends' table. Julia had cooked up a pot and mixed it with peas.

I have cooked farro before but only in a stew. This time I cooked it until softened. In the meantime I sautéed some onions, and cooked some peas. When the farro was done I stirred in the vegetables, making a delicious, simple, and filling meal. I have rarely cooked with peas, other than cooked fresh from the garden with butter. I used frozen peas in this dish, and really the taste was quite exquisite. They mixed well with the onions and farro. If you've not heard of farro, it is a grain-lovers treat. Here is a page offering high praise for the humble grain.

Today's picture - Best friends

Ray for the day

On Ray Davies' 73rd birthday I decided to put up the title song from his latest album, Americana. What is so interesting to me is that The Kinks and all the 'British Invasion' bands brought England to this young teenager in New England. The music led me to study British literature in college. Much of my reading still is by British writers, and my television viewing is almost exclusively British shows.

I've written about Ray quite a few times here in my letters. You may just type his name into the search bar if you're interested.

After the Americana video, I've also posted two short ones about his knighthood. Sir Ray!







PS - You may read where Ray for the day comes from here. Ten years ago today!!