Looks, cooks & books

 Yes, I took some blog time off but I have been reading, cooking and looking throughout my “sabbatical” and I’m here to say I am refreshed. I even have several topics tumbling around in my brain, not the least of which is our trip to Dublin, Lisbon, Barcelona and Spain. That would require more photo editing, which I am loath to do right now, so you can probably expect to see it in individual posts in the next few months, rather than one, long-winded travelogue. 

In the meantime, however, I’ve been busy…

New look on the porch

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the “Before” of my summer porch below. I’ve been using this old white painted bench as a starting point, then decking it with a few potted plants and a lantern or two, as well as on the adjacent porch floor. This is a long, narrow spot — 13-feet, 6-inches long snd 5-feet, 10-inches wide to be exact. It’s a fun sport to decorate, because it’s covered; challenging because of the narrow footprint. 

I thought it was kind of boring. And, I had this bistro table and chairs stashed in the loft. These pieces belonged outside but in a protected spot. So, I hauled them out to the porch. Next I shopped my house for a few more pieces to use on and around the table.

I liked the fact that the table raised plants, etc. higher and by including side chairs I had two additional surfaces to “build” on. Next came a lot of trial and error. One lantern or two, maybe I need three? How about a birdhouse and/or my salvage art angel? I had a lot of possibilities to play with. My stoneware water cooler has the right proportions for the table. but then I remembered the Queen Anne’s Lace blooming with abandon on some nearby vacant lots. I liked the idea of its wispy blooms against the denser foliage of the geranium and fern. The white is also a nice break from the swaths of green.

I tried the Queen Anne’s Lace in the cooler, in a vase, and in a crock before finally hitting on the lantern. I think it’s just just the twist this vignette needed. The bench and the birdhouse are dressing up the patio for now. The water cooler and the crock may make appearances later.

Honestly? This will be a work in progress the rest of this season and well into the fall. I imagine freshening it up with a change in flowers, mums, leaves, twigs and gourds as the months march on. 

 

The simplest salad

I find it hard to consider dinner complete without some sort of green salad. Lately our favorite starts with a pile of sliced romaine, washed and well-drained. I add this to the bowl with a healthy drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Then I toss and taste to decide if the greens need need a bit more oil or salt. (Sometimes I get it right on the first try, sometimes I toss, taste, & season more than once.) I top it off with a generous shave of parmesan or toss in a handful of parm shards. The salad is good to go. It’s not so complicated that it competes with your meal, but it is fresh, green and crunchy. 

With the advent of farmer’s markets and all those fresh vegetables, it’s  easy to dress the same salad up seasonally with diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced peppers, whatever suits your taste. Or go Mediterranean with olives or pine nuts. Use your imagination and enjoy!

What haven’t I read lately…

My  neighborhood bookclub recently took a step back from the best seller lists to read — or reread — John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Published in 1936, the book is based on Steinbeck’s experience as a migrant worker in California in the 1910’s. Despite Steinbeck’s spare language, he portrays a vivid slice of rural American life that is achingly poor, often violent, but also depicting a certain rough camaraderie among men. The book sparked a lot of lively conversation in the group over the role of various characters and the powerful ending. We could not ignore the fact that it has been consistently, repeatedly banned and continues to be even today in these contentious library times. This seems especially interesting considering the lyrics and storylines in today’s popular music and movies. 

If your book club is looking for a different read, I really recommend going back to a classic like this. It’s easy to get caught up in the current releases — there are so many to choose from. But reading or rereading something like this with serious staying power is a wonderful reminder of what we look for in a book and gives you fresh eyes with which to view current releases.

In total contrast to Steinbeck I just finished Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith. This is not a new book. It was published in 2012. However, I knew it was out there and found it on a reduced rack in a local book store. I love biography and I’m a bit of a monarchist when it comes to Elizabeth (not so sure about the rest of them), so I just sank into a comfy chair whenever I could and read to my heart’s content.

Rather than being juicy or gossipy, this bio covers a long stretch of British and therefore world history, from her years when Britain still commanded an empire to today’s greatly reduced commonwealth. The earliest years of her reign were largely guided by Winston Churchill — not a bad mentor — and so many after from Anthony Eden to Margaret Thatcher. Eventually she was the sage and the prime ministers were the newbies, but she handled her a-political position with great care. She first met Eisenhower when he was Allied Commander and she was a princess. She knew and hosted every American president with the exception of Johnson and Carter. 

But what was also fascinating about this book was the private Queen. The media has often featured photos of her riding a favorite horse or cheering one on at Ascot. However, her quiet horse breeding business — which gave her a taste of the country life she would have loved — resulted in close friendships with breeders in England and Kentucky and brought her on quiet, under-the-radar trips to that state many times. Her horses are sought-after champions from covetable bloodlines and her breeding business was very successful. I love that she had that success and those friends apart from castles and commonwealth. 

So, that has been July — not as hot or rainy here in central Ohio as it has been elsewhere. In fact I am finishing this on a  stunning, sunny summer morning on my patio. How lucky am I?

Have a wonderful week and thank you so much for stopping by. I look forward to seeing you again soon.