Little Cabin in the Woods

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend!! We were able to spend some time in Cashiers, N. C. in this little cabin in the woods . . . (That song we learned in kindergarten kept popping into my head . . . "Little cabin in the woods . . . little man by the window stood . . . saw a rabbit hopping by . . . frightened as could be. Help me! Help me! Help! he cried . . . or the hunter will shoot me dead. . . Little rabbit come inside . . . safely to abide." Pretty heavy plot for preschoolers. Anyway . . . we had a great weekend. Philip and Amanda came on Sunday. Philip was our personal trail guide. We had a nice hike after lunch on the Chatooga Trail in the Nantahala Forest. We hiked down to the river and looked for trout. A few were sighted . . .but we had no fishing tackle. Our trail guide . . . and his assistant . . . A wildflower . . . amidst curled up rhododendrun leaves . . . A little sewing was also accomplished. Baby daygown number one has been smocked! It was really fun to smock again. It has been years since I've smocked. I was fortunate to be able to get "Ready to Smock" gowns from Susie's Ready to Smock. The smocking is done in ecru and adapted from "Heirloom" by Julia Golson. One more to go!! Today I will finish the baby crib skirts!! Another big cheer!! I love the fabric that Ashley picked out. It has a nursery rhyme theme with pictures of all our favorite nursery characters. It is called "Over the Moon". (Margarita Cushing - 5th Avenue Designs for Covington) And yes, the knitting continues . . .but those blankets still have a way to go!! I still can't imagine where the summer has gone. I'm never quite ready to give it up. One more burst of bloom from some of the plants . . . like this bottlebrush . . .

I do admit that it's exciting to watch some of the camellias begin to put on flower buds. The weather is a little cooler. As you can see, I'm having to convince myself that this is a good

thing. . . . I can't wait 'til next summer!!

July Reprise (a little late!)

July came and left in a flash! Here's a quick summary of what has kept me so busy . . . . . WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES!

We celebrated 4th of July with a midday barbecue. Weather cooperated: warm but breezy!

The chef at work . . .

Our neighbors had a beautiful wedding -outdoor reception on the bluff. Pretty gutsy in July; they must have had connections with the weatherman - no thunder, lightening, or rain!!

Bride and groom leaving the dock for their honeymoon . . .Bon Voyage!!

I started Baby Boy's blanket . . .

Put up peaches . . .

Watched Philip finish the pine table . . .

Then . . .

Ashley and David came to visit this past weekend. David participated in the SCGA Amateur Tournament here this past week. We had a great time with friends and family following the scores. We enjoyed the river and a lot of good fellowship during their visit. Here are pics of a few non-golf activities . . David makes a cast . . .

Ashley . . .

Too little to keep . . .

Tony, David, and Dad . . .

Momma and Ash . . .

Leslie and Tom . . .

Jackie and Claire . . .

I hope they all had as much fun as I did!

Edisto Get-a-Way

Gee!! The summer is so busy, I'm not doing a very good blogging job. Time to catch up!

Last Wednesday Philip and I had a great boat trip to Edisto Island to visit our long-time friends the Grays. Their family was vacationing there for the week. I had not seen them in quite a while and it was a wonderful reunion. The boat trip was great with smooth waters, no storms! We pulled out the charts and followed the intracoastal waterway from Beaufort to Edisto.

I love the beach and had been wishing for a day at the beach. Lisa and I got to catch up on all our family news while enjoying the sand and surf!! She was able to give me an update on many old acquaintances from Columbia as well. It was great to have this day of relaxation!

Philip took the fixin's for Frogmore Stew (shrimp, sausage, and corn) and made everyone a wonderful lowcountry lunch.

Late in the afternoon we headed back home. We saw a few dark clouds, but no lightening!! Yeah!!

Home, sweet home!! What a great day!!

We had a great visit with Philip, Jr. earlier in the month for his birthday!!

Got a quick pic of him!!

Also Ashley and David were here last weekend. They have found out that the twins are going to be a girl and a boy!! We are so excited at this news!!

I have decided that the Breeze Baby Blanket will be for Baby Girl and I'll make a simpler (more masculine) blanket for Baby Boy. Ashley opted for Baby Boy's blanket to be blue. We found some beautiful Rowan Handknit Cotton at Barbara Sue Brodie's in Aiken, SC. I would call this a dusty blue - shade 239.

More to come on the pattern and the cast-on!!!

Baby Aspen Hat

Philip thinks this little baby hat will look great when the new babies take to the slopes at Aspen! It is a cute little hat from Susan B. Anderson's collection "Pure and Sweet Layette". I used one strand each of Rowan kidsilk haze and Rowan Purelife. I was able to finish it in one day . . . which is exeptional for me. You can be sure another one will follow. I can't make this picture turn in the right direction, so here's the "upside down" hat . . . I love the little top knot!!

Blackberry Jam

Philip and I took a short road trip today. We've been wanting to visit the Bamboo Farm near Savannah, Ga. It is owned by the University of Georgia and is comprised of several garden displays (including bamboo), as well as pick-your-own strawberry and blackberry fields. We saw lots of bamboo . . .

beautiful lotus plants (they grow in the water) . . .

and a field of blackberries. . .

We picked about 2 gallons of big, beautiful berries and brought them home to make some jam.Until last year, we have always mashed the berries by hand, with a strainer to remove the pulp and seeds. Last year we decided to try this electric juicer. It really helps make this project much less time consuming. (And none of us have any time to waste!)

I forgot to take a picture of the jam boiling on the cook-top! That's when the juice, sugar, and SURE-JELL (pectin) begin to boil and after exactly one minute we hurriedly have to ladle the hot liquid into the prepared jars and tighten the lids . . . anticipating the "pop" when the lids seal. Check out the Sure-Jell link above for the recipe.

Voila . . .

This has become somewhat of a family tradition. Every June we anticipate the blackberries ripening so we can fill up the jars again for the next year. Now the blackberry jam will come out of the cabinet to slather on biscuits, toast, or perhaps an English muffin. I really recommend a trip to the Bamboo Farm for all the plant lovers around. They anticipate having blackberries to pick until mid-July. Check out their web-site and give them a call to be sure the fields are open.

Lovin' Spring

I've been busy, busy with gardening, knitting, cooking, and trying to stay caught up with housework. I was grateful to have a few days off from the office last week. Philip and I planted some new plants in the yard. I am really enjoying the blooms on the magnolias and hydrangeas this month.

Work is progressing on the green baby blanket and baby socks (pair #2) is coming along for Beautiful Baby B.

Ashley and David were able to spend some time with us last weekend. We were able to enjoy a short boat ride on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

It has been quite windy and cool with the "tropical depression" off the coast (for days and days!). The wind has been gusting for 2-3 days and rain is in the forecast through the weekend.

I actually had to turn on the heat for a few minutes last night . . . that is really strange for May! Here are a few more pictures to remind me that it really is spring!!

We planted some coneflowers, foxglove, Lily of the Nile, and two oakleaf hydrangeas. Will get some pictures soon as the wind calms down.

Two Down . . . Two To Go

Philip and I had a fun weekend travelling to Anderson, S. C. to visit with friends and enjoy their Kentucky Derby party!! They did it up "right" with mint juleps, lots of roses, and fabulous food and entertainment. I do not claim to be a horse enthusiast, but I have to admit that it was an exciting two minutes . . . I love those "come-from-behind winners"! The weekend was not ALL about horses!! I made my first pair of baby bootees!! I think they are precious and can't wait to make pair #2 for beautiful baby #2. (Did I mention that Ashley and David are expecting twins?) I used a combination of Rowan Milk Cotton DK and Rowan Kidsilk Haze - one strand of each held together. I used Susan B. Anderson's pattern for booties found in her book Itty Bitty Nursery. This book has some really cute baby things . . . I suspect you'll be seeing more of her designs on my blog.