PAINTING PARTY

 I was recently browsing through photos and came upon those taken when we traveled to France in the spring of 2014.  When the grandchildren visited later that summer, I set up for a painting party out on the patio.  All received a blank canvas and encouragement to create something unique, no rules here.  With an array of paint colors and different sized brushes before them, the fun began.  They were certainly excited to begin.  For ambiance, and inspiration, they wore their "french berets" we had bought  them in Paris.  Their beautiful artwork and big smiles speak for themselves. 

 pics from july 2014

Ils sont tous de bons aristes !!

Aunt Ash judged them ALL

worthy of First Place!

I don't remember the prize...

but it was probably a

big ice cream sundae!

I'm liking this sparkly tiara-like beret

Happy New Year 2018

"Magic exists.

Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers,

the music of the wind and the silence of the stars.

Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic.

It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part

of the lives we live."

(from the book Charmed by Nora Roberts)

May we all recognize and embrace our magical moments
throughout the new year,

the lost Fringe Tiara of Princess Patricia of Connaught (March1886- January1974)

This stunning tiara first belonged to the Duchess of Kent, Queen Victoria's mother.  The Queen then gave it as a wedding present to her new dgtr-in-law  Princess Louise of Prussia on her marriage to Prince Arthur.  Their daughter, Princess Patricia, gave up her royal title to marry a commoner and was then called "Lady Patricia Ramsay".  Lady Patricia wore the tiara to the coronation of King GeorgeVI, the present Queen Elizabeth's father.  Its present whereabouts is unknown and rumor says it may have been sold to a private buyer by her son Alexander who inherited it upon her death.

Slater Mill Historical Site Visit

 Planned a full day of fun with granddaughters Ella and Neve this past week-end.  Breakfast a la Paka is always appreciated and a sure way to start the day with energy and smiles.  Our first stop was the most adventurous.... driving go-carts around a "Grand Prix" track that includes a bridge, 2 tunnels, a straightaway and some hairpin turns.  
They maneuvered through the course several times, each jockeying for position as we cheered them on from behind the spectator fence!  

I thought a game of miniature golf would be a nice relaxing next activity, totally underestimating the competitive spirit of the youngest in this group. We could all brag about some low scoring holes but they were mixed in with some hilarious high ones too.  I don't remember who won, but I do remember the sunshine, the laughs, the helpful pointers and suggestions, and two sisters constantly checking each others math on the scorecard.


Off to lunch... (Chick-fil-A), always a hit.

Arriving at the Slater Mill site in Pawtucket, Rhode Island I noticed immediately how quiet it was.  Bucolic and tranquil are not words you expect to think of when standing in the middle of a city.  Traffic sounds were non-existent except for a brief distant siren, birds warbled, the Blackstone River ambled along and we were a crowd of 4 waiting only 10 minutes for the next tour. 

 The cobble walkways in front of the colonial Sylvanus Brown House (1758), led to a fall garden mostly past its prime and an area growing medicinal herbs (all properly labeled) and a few lonely cotton plants displaying pods that unfortunately would not reach maturity due to our northern cooler weather. We watched a groundhog poke out and stare at us from behind a bush atop the garden stone wall.  Guess he's use to visitors because he then slowly waddled along to disappear under plantings opposite the lower level colonial kitchen doorway.
Mr Brown was an early artisan, pattern maker, woodworker, millwright and dam builder who was responsible for giving Samuel Slater lodging when first in Pawtucket.  The two eventually formed a partnership that was responsible for the development of equipment that mechanized the home-based manual spinning and weaving of the era.  They went on to establish the very first industrial mill of colonial America.  Now cotton and linen would be "manufactured", and this forever changed rural life in America.

Our tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining as she gave us a vivid narrative of life at the time of our country's industrial awakening.  The girls were delighted with her anecdotal telling of an 18th century family's agrarian life and how it all changed dramatically over just one generation.

Learning exactly how tedious working a spinning wheel and home loom was, the time and work involved to make just one piece of cloth (months) was in stark contrast to our "shopping for clothes" in modern times.

 

 In the kitchen we observed provisions, herbs, simple utensils, wooden plates and interesting gadgets of the time i.e."spinner's weasel", along with a lengthy list of expected chores.

"spinner's weasel" or "clock reel"

To measure out a skein of yarn (an 80 yard measure) one would have to spin the arm repetitively which turned the gears. When the clock-face mechanism completed one full revolution a "pop" would be heard, signifying the "skein" length. Because it was made of mulberry wood, has the "pop" indicator, and the fact that this chore was usually given to a child and is called a "weasel", historians believe it to be the source of the children's song "Pop Goes the Weasel".








A smaller sparse corner room offered no pretense of comfort or warmth despite a demonstration of how a coal filled warming pan was used. The bed, with its pegs and sagging ropes elicited frowns and a couple of wrinkled-up noses.

A short walk from the house is the
1773 Slater Mill

Our guide took us through a full day in a young mill worker's life "from sun-up til sun-down" via a commanding storytelling and empathetic imagery.  Awakened by the peeling bell of the mill tower they would make their way to the wooden building and had the door locked shut behind them.  Picturing small seven year-old hands attending to these dangerous machines still ensconced here for display, and visualizing them performing tedious tasks repetitively over many hours without any safety provisions and only one short break, was an eye-opening experience.

The cotton "gin" (short for engine) was invented by Eli Whitney to quickly separate the seeds from the cotton fibers.  It made cotton farming inherently more profitable, thereby greatly multiplying the need for more cotton field workers and perhaps inadvertently increasing the south's dependency on slavery.

The Wilkerson Mill, built of rubble stone in 1810 along the Blackstone River displays the mechanical engineering genius of the era. 

The mill provided three shifts of "skilled" year-round jobs which meant farmers could supplement their income.  Sending their children to work at the mill was a safety net for farming families who were always at the mercy of harsh weather events and crop-eating insects for their livelihood.

We learned each machine's purpose and witnessed the loud din of the many moving parts and belts as our guide put one into use. 

A lower level 16,000 pound waterwheel with large gears and a towering piston  reaching to the upper floors displayed early mechanical ingenuity.

 A crafted smaller model showed us exactly how it all worked so expertly, using the flow of the river water to power the mill where Oziel Wilkinson and his son David made the iron parts for Slater's textile machines, manufactured nails, and also forged anchors. 

  For ninety minutes we were immersed

in a time-period so foreign to our present lives

yet so historically momentous.

Ella and I watched BBC's production of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South that evening as it portrayed an industrialized English city's cotton mill of the 1850's.  Enjoying the story and how it complemented our outing, she exclaimed "Why have you never shown me this before?"

It was a truly wonderful day.

An ideal mix of fun, education, appreciation of local history, and family togetherness! 

Slater Mill website

The season with no name

Late August in New England offers a welcome escape from the hot hazy "dog days" of summer.  The recent weeks of sticky tropical air and soaring temps zapped energy and brought about a mid-afternoon melancholy that pushed aside any thoughts of organized activity.  But now the pattern has definitely changed and as in past years we gratefully embrace the relief it offers.   Drier air drifts down from the north and the sky above is so blue it's surreal. The sun has moved noticeably lower toward the south and just before dusk its angle casts everything with a golden translucence.  It's a light effect I see at no other time of the year.  Milder weather makes for crystal clear evening skies and we can once again stare up to see galaxies afar and wish upon the occasional shooting star.  Even the moon changes.  Its size appears magnified at the horizon and its color a deeper richer yellow.  The brightness shines through our open windows and casts a magical pale glow as we sleep comfortably without fans or AC.  So what do we call this season? It's certainly not yet fall -  the leaves are still green, the local apples are not yet ripe, and there's no need for hoodies.
Although there can be no official "Indian summer" until the mandatory killer frost, a phenomenon that's weeks away, we're not so naive to think the errant hot humid day won't still make another curtain call. But we will enjoy the perfection of these days for however long they last.  Some years it is fleeting and others extend well beyond the autumn equinox.

So again, what do we call this season between seasons?

I call it glorious.

a summer read... 

Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson (2014)

I'm drawn to those novels using a generational story-line... a plus with "Chateau"  is the french countryside setting! 
Enjoying how the author alternates chapters using the 1940's WWII era and a contemporary timeline. Set at a provincial family estate in Normandy during the German occupation it includes the intrigue of the French resistance.  The story's main characters include both the youthful Giselle and her granddaughter Chloe.  Chloe's search to unravel her grandmother's long untold mysterious past leads to a shocking family secret.   Hard to put down.

I rarely read in bed.  Mostly, I'm sitting by an open window with morning coffee or by a warming fire in cooler weather.  My favorite is the front porch swing, especially in late afternoon when I can also glance up and watch the songbirds visiting the birdbath, wave to neighbors jogging by, and share a few words with those walking their dogs or pushing baby strollers.  

So where is your favorite spot
to enjoy the magic of reading?

Love this pendant,

“I do not read because I have renounced life;

I read because one life is just not enough for me.”

and don't forget to wear your tiara when reading

gotta love it!

TOMATOES - today's pick

Here are the tomatoes just picked this morning

from my small backyard garden.

pics by Trish

I get to eat these small, sweet and juicy tomatoes throughout the day (cherry, grape, and sunburst), grabbing a few to munch as I pass the bowl sitting on my kitchen counter.

Every single one holds the big taste of summer sunshine!

Plates of sliced, marinated tomatoes make for a delicious lunch or dinner side-dish.

Take a freshly sliced medium to large tomato, add a splash of oil and vinegar, fresh basil, and sliced mozzarella for a timeless flavorful treat any time of day.

I've used the many different types of vinegar - balsamic, champagne, apple cider, rice, and white wine to name a few.  There are so many simple marinade recipes available but it's really more fun to just experiment on your own.

Thyme, garlic, crushed pepper flakes, dill, etc all can be role players in this game. 

And every day a different flavor fest!

Huge side benefit:  Research clearly shows why the tomato is considered one of the world's healthiest foods!

They contain over 80 beneficial nutrients (some in numbers off the charts), are loaded with antioxidants, and there are only 32 calories in one medium sized tomato.

Improved cardiovascular health, anti-cancer benefits, protecting bone tissue, and a reduced risk of some neurological diseases (including Alzheimer's) make tomatoes a smart addition to any diet.

The August tomato bounty allows me to enjoy this garden fresh flavor all winter by freezing batches of sauce.

Blanch tomatoes so peels slide off, roughly chop, cook with salt, pepper, garlic, and sometimes I add in onion and a hot pepper.  Every batch is different depending on what's on hand and how many tomatoes I have available to use. After tomatoes have been simmered about an hour (breaking them down), I use my blender to puree in batches (I refuse to strain out seeds and this takes care of them with the added bonus of more real tomato flavor). This is when I add a little EVOO and fresh basil. (some add basil sprigs at the end to infuse more flavor).

I then simmer the blended sauce again for another hour or two until I reach a thicker consistency and deeper color/flavor.  This allows the extra water content of the tomatoes to evaporate, leaving behind the rich, slightly tart, fresh garden flavored tomato sauce I like with pasta, topped with cheese and pieces of fresh basil. I allow it to cool to lukewarm then freeze in separate meal portions.

Now back to the kitchen, where today's green beans need some attention... onto that task