Cooking
My grandparent's house was the one place I always felt I was 'home'. Lots of love there, growing up.
Theirs was a great place to be a kid, too...big yard with trees and a garden. I loved the white birch tree in the front yard, tearing those strips of 'paper' off and pretending it was a secret message (see, odds are I was pretending to be an undercover agent during World War II...). There were places to hide, enough space to play kick-ball with the neighborhood kids, a good front porch for sitting and reading, everything you could want.
But one thing I remember most: the lilacs growing in the front yard, right at the edge of the property that sloped down from the neighbor, Althea.
Even as a child, I looked forward to those two or so weeks when the lilacs would bloom. I'm not the girliest of girls; I don't go ga-ga over flowers. But something about those lilacs drew me in. Their scent was intoxicating. I didn't even mind sharing space with the bees. I just wanted to dance and sing and play around those beautiful light purple flower bunches so I could inhale their beauty.
When we first looked at this house, it was June. Everywhere we looked, the property was a gorgeous and vibrant green.
We bought the place in September, and busied ourselves with numerous indoor projects (rooms with nine and eleven layers of wallpaper; I kid you not) and just basically getting settled.
When March & April came around, that first spring in the house, every morning was a discovery. A joyous, fragrant, discovery.
Every time I looked at the property, I found some new flower, or tree...with buds in white, pink, and even a couple shades of purple! I remember thinking "purple trees, how perfect for me".
There's a rose bush just beyond the kitchen window that, without fail, blooms within a day or two of Mother's day. Every year.
The yard itself is a wonderland, with all the wild violets and spring onions and other sweet smells.
But it was the day I realized I had my own lilacs that I truly felt this place was 'home'.
Tucked into a corner, where the semi-wrap-around porch joins the walls to the kitchen and dining room, is an eight or so foot tall beauty, with a bounty of lilacs. I can see them from the window above the kitchen sink, I can watch them from the dining room.
The pair of cardinals who live here spend a great deal of time there. We can eat dinner and listen to Mr. Cardinal sing his beautiful song, perched on a lilac branch.
They're a wonder to look upon, and the smell? Oh, the smell of lilacs. Any excuse to walk by will do, and when I do pass them, I find myself lingering, inhaling that earthy, sweet scent.
The smell of 'home'.
- Wdb: Guest Pups, Or Why Some People Shouldn't Be Allowed To Have Dogs
Say 'hello' to Duke and "Fluffy". A couple of neighborhood dogs who have been, effectively, turned out by their owners. Three weeks ago, they started hanging around my door. Being the animal lover I am, I went out to the porch to visit with them,...
- Things That Go "crash" In The Night
About a week ago, just as we were getting ready for bed (Ok, Matt was getting ready, I was completely absorbed in a book), we both heard a 'thud'. Or a 'bang'. Or...well, we heard a noise. I was certain the noise came from the front of...
- One-off Meme: Flowers
Ramya of Culinary Gems, has asked for pictures of flowers...flowering plants, blossoming vegetables, arrangements, anything...for a one-time meme. I wasn't sure what to post...until Ramya mentioned I could submit an old photo, as well. I finally settled...
- Spring's Surprises
Ignore how long our grass is. You just can't mow when it's raining, people. But, having not spent much time in the yard (see above, plus the addition of mosquitoes), it was such a treat to see most of the yard covered in these tiny wild strawberries....
- Indoor Picnic
So, I finally have a big, gorgeous house, with an enormous yard, filled with old trees and flowering bushes. Our yard is so big, neighbors are often coming up to us and suggesting we sell off a section. Um...no. Unfortunately, as part of the package...
Cooking
One of My Favorite Things
My grandparent's house was the one place I always felt I was 'home'. Lots of love there, growing up.
Theirs was a great place to be a kid, too...big yard with trees and a garden. I loved the white birch tree in the front yard, tearing those strips of 'paper' off and pretending it was a secret message (see, odds are I was pretending to be an undercover agent during World War II...). There were places to hide, enough space to play kick-ball with the neighborhood kids, a good front porch for sitting and reading, everything you could want.
But one thing I remember most: the lilacs growing in the front yard, right at the edge of the property that sloped down from the neighbor, Althea.
Even as a child, I looked forward to those two or so weeks when the lilacs would bloom. I'm not the girliest of girls; I don't go ga-ga over flowers. But something about those lilacs drew me in. Their scent was intoxicating. I didn't even mind sharing space with the bees. I just wanted to dance and sing and play around those beautiful light purple flower bunches so I could inhale their beauty.
When we first looked at this house, it was June. Everywhere we looked, the property was a gorgeous and vibrant green.
We bought the place in September, and busied ourselves with numerous indoor projects (rooms with nine and eleven layers of wallpaper; I kid you not) and just basically getting settled.
When March & April came around, that first spring in the house, every morning was a discovery. A joyous, fragrant, discovery.
Every time I looked at the property, I found some new flower, or tree...with buds in white, pink, and even a couple shades of purple! I remember thinking "purple trees, how perfect for me".
There's a rose bush just beyond the kitchen window that, without fail, blooms within a day or two of Mother's day. Every year.
The yard itself is a wonderland, with all the wild violets and spring onions and other sweet smells.
But it was the day I realized I had my own lilacs that I truly felt this place was 'home'.
Tucked into a corner, where the semi-wrap-around porch joins the walls to the kitchen and dining room, is an eight or so foot tall beauty, with a bounty of lilacs. I can see them from the window above the kitchen sink, I can watch them from the dining room.
The pair of cardinals who live here spend a great deal of time there. We can eat dinner and listen to Mr. Cardinal sing his beautiful song, perched on a lilac branch.
They're a wonder to look upon, and the smell? Oh, the smell of lilacs. Any excuse to walk by will do, and when I do pass them, I find myself lingering, inhaling that earthy, sweet scent.
The smell of 'home'.
- Wdb: Guest Pups, Or Why Some People Shouldn't Be Allowed To Have Dogs
Say 'hello' to Duke and "Fluffy". A couple of neighborhood dogs who have been, effectively, turned out by their owners. Three weeks ago, they started hanging around my door. Being the animal lover I am, I went out to the porch to visit with them,...
- Things That Go "crash" In The Night
About a week ago, just as we were getting ready for bed (Ok, Matt was getting ready, I was completely absorbed in a book), we both heard a 'thud'. Or a 'bang'. Or...well, we heard a noise. I was certain the noise came from the front of...
- One-off Meme: Flowers
Ramya of Culinary Gems, has asked for pictures of flowers...flowering plants, blossoming vegetables, arrangements, anything...for a one-time meme. I wasn't sure what to post...until Ramya mentioned I could submit an old photo, as well. I finally settled...
- Spring's Surprises
Ignore how long our grass is. You just can't mow when it's raining, people. But, having not spent much time in the yard (see above, plus the addition of mosquitoes), it was such a treat to see most of the yard covered in these tiny wild strawberries....
- Indoor Picnic
So, I finally have a big, gorgeous house, with an enormous yard, filled with old trees and flowering bushes. Our yard is so big, neighbors are often coming up to us and suggesting we sell off a section. Um...no. Unfortunately, as part of the package...