summer in a bottle
I keep thinking I am going to write down some of the thoughts that have wafted past lately. These summer days have been medititave and largely spent outdoors. There are books strewn on the garden table and bikes on the lawn. Sticks are collected in a bag for the fire. Meals are taken open air. Far from the computer. So the big thoughts rest gently on mind where I mull and consider. I tap out one or two on my silly little phone to my boys so far away. Then, these moments float away before there is time to commit any more of them to writing.
Maybe that is best.
I am learning to embrace 'fleeting.'
(some bubble books and recipes if you're so inclined)
Sunset on a Coastal Farm
The holiday hire
Our holiday hire in the Lake District was an old converted brewery. What it lacked in interior design – it was a mish mash of 70's era patterned carpeting, ultra plush velour upholstery, and lots and lots of wallpaper which happened a good decade later – it more than made up for in location. There was us and the owners who lived in the tower side of the building. And the sheep. Perfect. : )
We had full days of sightseeing and hiking but evenings were spent on the farm, eating the food we brought from town out on the lawn while the littles put on impromptu shows on the low garden wall. When it got too dark to play outside and the cool ocean breezes blew in, we started a fire inside. The children fell asleep there and were carried up to bed. Early mornings I scoured the shelf of old Reader's Digest Condensed books, reading in the kitchen til they stumbled down one by one.
The guest book yielded some really funny entries. I copied down this one:
"5 hrs from the City of Smoke
is a wonderful place full of very nice folk
As we weaved down the lanes, surrounded by sheep,
The hills on both sides were snow capped and steep.
We stopped off in Tesco to stock up on wine,
And what joy! The chablis was £5.99!
To the brewery we headed, our holiday hire,
With horses and donkey, and a nice roaring fire.
We climbed hills and waterfalls, we were living the dream
'till the kids slipped while jumping and fell in the stream.
3 loads of washing was just the thing.
So we headed to Piel Island to meet the King.
The wind was too strong. There were no ferries at the pier.
So we tried plan B and went to Lake Windemere.
We were hoping to get there in time for lunch.
But the car hit a pothole and the wheel went crunch.
4 hrs were spent at the side of the lake
with the car jacked up oh for goodness sake!
The man at the garage said the bill would be whopping.
There was only one thing to do, go souvenir shopping.
We stocked up on mint cake 'til the hire car was ready
then to Millom we drove, but taking it steady.
Our last night was quiet compared to the rest.
But as holidays go, this was one of the best."
Our stay was mercifully free of mishaps, but I totally concur with the last sentiment. As holidays go, this was one of the best.
a quiet minute
"Rachel Hammond sat by the open window with her Bible on her knee. The muslin curtains did not blow with the breeze, for there was no breeze that hot morning in June. The air seemed breathless. Rachel had put her pretty room in order, finished all her little morning duties, and now had sat down for a quiet minute with her Bible before she began the day."
– Lone Point, Grace Livingston Hill
My quiet morning minutes are spent here in this room, made a little prettier with vintage linens sent by Rebecca.
summer learning – it’s elemental
Although there was absolutely no forethought given to it, I realized this afternoon that we have fallen into some very hands-on learning about the four elements this summer. It made me think of a song on an old cassette from my crunchier days about the earth, the air, the fire, and so on. (I was pretty darned crunchy before crunchy was cool let's just say ; )) It was a tenet of wholistic education that learning be as multisensory as possible as well as incorporating lots of natural elements. I can't say that I worked very intentionally on that beyond what our faith already wove into our lives – candles, incense, baptismal water, Easter fire etc.
Somehow without trying (in the sense of not have a 'program') I realized that all those earthy things are filling our days. There are fires for roasting around, tidepools to wade in, gardens for digging, sand to dig toes into, wind to whip your hair every which way. We are gone alot finding wild places. When we are back home we have had many discussions like why did the forest fire burn faster and longer than the prairie fires did? What does drowning look like? Which way should you stand so the bubbles blow away instead of popping in your hair? Why does the dirt blow in great clouds over the fields when the rains stops falling? What is inside a shell? What is growing on the rocks? Why do we need more water in the summer? Why does the sunscreen work?
So many questions. So many talks. So many afternoons out under the sky.
This whole outdoor thing pushes a mom out of her comfort zone. The elements can be dirty and dangerous, but also lifegiving and sustaining. They are to be used and channeled not avoided in a healthy life. This is the messy world we were born into. It's wild and wonderful. We are happier out in it. We sleep better. We all smile more.
Ok, we wash more clothes and shoes too. But it's worth it.
I should add the disclaimer that there have been other summers with new babies or illness that confined us to more backyard adventures. The four elements are found there too. Sand and water tables, sparklers, pinwheels, windowboxes. Even on a smaller scale they have made for happy kids.
Hilltop Farm – a visit to Miss Potter
Hilltop Farm, Beatrix Potter's Cumbrian stomping grounds, has been on my bucket list since at least 1988 when Victoria Magazine ran a feature article about the area. I still have that magazine, as you can see. Little did I dream then of actually walking through her gardens myself, nor running my hand along her railings as I climbed the steps of the old farmhouse.
Miss Potter fascinates me for many reasons. There are of course the little books. There was a quiet determination to be true to her own heart which grew slowly to maturation, as she attempted to reconcile that with the approval of her family. That approval was not to come. There was her love for all things domestic and rural, a passion for farming and preservation. And art. And tea. It was quite a thrill to retrace her steps this way.
Hilltop is a composed of a number of snug rooms with low slung ceilings. It is dark inside but cozy with paneled walls. Patterned drapery hung from bamboo poles. Her secretary sits with the desk top open and facsimiles of her correspondence – farm orders as well as notes from her publisher – lie strewn as they might have so many years before.
If there was a little book open in the room it meant that the illustration contained something you could still see. The children scanned the rooms to match the pictures to the furnishings. They found mouseholes and fireplace hobs. I was particularly fascinated to see the coronation teapot from the Patty-Pan book because that piece would have been a brand new souvenir for her when she wrote the story, although it seems very old to us.
The gardens were likewise very tight and of small scale, yet lush. Walkways of local slate led through rows of flowers and vegetables, exactly as they were pictured. Sheep grazed nearby and up along the hillsides. It was serene and intimate, a world I pray my children carry with them wherever they go from here.
The children – big and small – have rekindled their love for hedgehogs and naughty bunnies and and silly ducks. They are drinking out of new Peter Rabbit cups and rereading little books with great gusto right now. One grown girl purchased a few Potter souvenirs herself, for 'someday'. A peaceful, inspiring trip for all.
hopping down the bunny trail
The littlest bunnies will be visiting Peter. Their mama is They are so very excited.
sunshine on a cloudy day
What better to do on a cool, windy day than to build a fort of pillows and sleeping bags and read to your bear?
and maybe doze a while….
Summer, thus far. There is a lot of this. : )
in the kitchen – tex mex
Dinner has sort of morphed into a group sport of late. I thought it was due to a little bit of a lull in the daily schedule but when I look at the schedule it's pretty full. The weeks are full but the days seem to have a nice steady pace and we have been able to dig into some new projects, one of which has been cooking putzy food together. My husband started this train rolling earlier this summer and we have just kept chugging along trying new techniques and new tastes. I am sharing the keepers. : )
This dinner came from Eva Longoria's book. I didn't realize it was the actress until I had it home honestly. Turns out it is full of fresh natural ingredients that taste just like the dishes we enjoyed living in San Antonio. My family has really enjoyed it all so far.
Flank Steak with Lime Marinade
mix together:
3T extra virgin olive oil
3T lime juice
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 serrano pepper cored and sliced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Marinade 1.5 lbs flank steak in above for at least 2 hrs. Using paper towel, thoroughly dry the steak before grilling. (to prevent steaming vs browning crisply) Grill 8-10 min total turning once for medium rare. Let sit on cutting board for 5 more minutes. Cut across the grain in thin slices.
Turned out great. Husband's plate looks more rare than it was in the sunset. ; )
Amazon (linked above) saved me time here by including the recipe for the mint lemonade (we did the limeade version) which I loved. For the hater's who dis'd her for including the ants on a log recipe, shame on you. Turns out Eva has a developmentally disabled sister who asked her to please put her 'recipe' into the book too. She did.
Starry Sky Journal 