• Dog days of summer…

    I grew up in the South.  Until I was about twelve or thirteen, we did not have air conditioning.  My niece Sharon and I (she is two and a half years younger than I) played outside all day long as I recall.  I really don’t remember the heat being all that intense.  Maybe it’s just old age playing tricks on my memory.  I remember we drank water out of the backyard hose after we learned to let it run long enough to get cool!  I remember picking fresh tomatoes from the vine and fruit from the trees and eating those.  We were healthy kids who were seldom sick.  Must be something to be said for lots of fresh air and sunshine.

    Now, I feel the heat intensely – the heat and the humidity.  I live in Iowa and it is just about as hot and humid here as in the South.  About this time every year, I think Alaska sounds like a good idea!

    The “dog days of summer” are those last hot days from the end of July to about the middle of August.  The flowers have bloomed and they’re looking a little worse for wear now.  The grass struggles to get enough rain during this dry season and we are grateful for every inch of rain that falls.  I begin to look forward to Fall just as the pages of the calendar approach the beginning of August.  Of course, Autumn is my favorite season and that could have something to do with it.  Autumn just does not last long enough…

  • Vestibular migraines…

    Occasionally, I have vestibular migraines and although I haven’t had one for a while – yesterday was the day. (Does anyone here have them?) They’re crippling! To be diagnosed, you must have a history of “regular” migraines in the past – I do.  It starts with severe vision disturbances, the room taking different shapes and feeling as if it’s moving.  Then the headache hits.  The past few times, it has also made my lips and tongue numb and tingling!  Yesterday, when I knew it was happening, I yelled for Doug who was working on our lower deck  Our five month old cocker spaniel, sensed something was wrong and went to the door looking for him!  My medication I take for it was upstairs and there was no way I could get up there at that moment.  Fearing it was a stroke, Doug threatened to take me to the E.R. He asked me to smile and I managed an even one.  Thankfully, it was not a stroke and I just spent the rest of the day resting in bed.

    Anyway, the migraine blew the afternoon and the rest of the day yesterday.  Today has been a “dizzy hangover” from it. I slept 3 hours yesterday afternoon and when I felt a little better, I lay in the bed and watched Girl Meets Farm on the Food Network. Doug kept me company for a while and we decided it would be great to try some of Molly’s delicious looking recipes. I ordered her cookbook late yesterday and it just arrived.  It must have been in the Amazon warehouse here! Anyway, I’m looking forward to feeling better and digging into some of these delicious recipes!

    I also loved hearing the story about how she and her husband met at Julliard.  They are each classically trained musicians.  They now live on his family farm on the border of South Dakota and Minnesota.

  • Our coffee bar…

    One day last week, Doug and I drove out in the beautiful Iowa countryside to a furniture store in Boone, Iowa. (Redeker’s) We were searching for a country sideboard to use for a coffee bar in our large country kitchen. We didn’t find a sideboard there BUT we found some beautiful dining room tables and chairs that were Amish made. We’re definitely keeping those in mind for the future.   We did purchase an Amish made tray there.  Painted white but the tag says the wood is maple.  

     

     

    Next, we stopped at the American Country Home Store in Ames, Iowa.  I was thrilled to see that they are a representative for Yield House!  Remember them?  Unfortunately, Yield House no longer has a catalog but I believe you can order online through the American Country Home Store.  I came home with a sample of one of the Yield House rugs.  I love it!

     

     

    Next stop was The Attic in Ankeny, Iowa.  They are a consignment store for nice furniture and accessories.  We have purchased several things there. We were so happy to find a solid oak sideboard that we will use for a coffee and tea bar in our kitchen.  The drawers hold boxes of assorted teas.  The side cabinet on the right holds more mugs and the one on the left holds boxes of assorted Keurig coffee flavors.

     

    Our cabinets are a golden oak (like a jar of honey as Erin Napier says) and the sideboard fits nicely in here.  We placed the Pottery Barn cup cabinet above the sidebar with our collection of Dunoon stoneware and fine bone china from England and ScotlandThere is also a USA based Dunoon company.  To the left of the cup cabinet are the two P. Buckley Moss original pencil sketches that I love.  I remember visiting her art gallery in Charlottesville, Virginia, years ago.

     

     

     

     

    We purchased a few accessories for our coffee bar.  The metal and wood round tray came from the Hearth & Hand Magnolia collection at Target as did the two metal baskets that hold coffee pods and tea bags.  We are very happy with the finished product.  It’s so easy now to make a quick cup of afternoon coffee or tea.  (Our twelve-cup coffee maker is on the countertop beside the cooktop.)  We also ordered a few of the Torani flavorings.  Now, we just need some friends and family to come enjoy it with us!

     

  • Corn biscuits…

    I scooped out what I thought was self-rising flour to make buttermilk biscuits. I cut in the butter and mixed in the buttermilk. It mixed beautifully. As I floured the surface and went to gently knead and roll them out, I realized my mistake. I had used White Lily self-rising corn meal mix! (I ordered some and paid a premium price for it since you can’t get it here! Haven’t even made cornbread with it yet!) All I could do was finish making them and get them in the oven at 450 degrees! Corn biscuits?! Hopefully, they will be good…

  • Patches of sunlight…

     

     

     

     

    We have had snow on the ground for weeks now with dreary overcast skies.  Today, the outside temperature has inched its way up to 41 degrees and it feels wonderful outside!  I love the sunshine and so does our cat, Tiger.  He chases the patches of sunlight all through the house.  I think he’s sunbathing!

     

     

     

    Patches of sunlight actually bring back memories to me.  

    I write about it in the post Moving to Victor Drive here.

     

  • Sweet Home Chicago…

    As you have probably figured out by now, this blog is a work in progress – just like life.  Last night, I completed the “page” Sweet Home Chicago with lots of photos of our small condo in the community of Ravenswood in Chicago.  Sweet Home Chicago “lives” on the right side of the blog under the title PAGES…along with a few other works in progress.  While our main residence is on an acre and a quarter in a countryside development next to a farm and cornfields, we enjoy our time in Chicago with our two youngest sons and their families.

    For as long as I can remember, I have loved decorating.  Over the years, I’ve subscribed to Country Living, Country Home and Southern Living – just to name a few.  I love coming up with decorating solutions for spaces.  This condo allowed us to do just that.  Check Sweet Home Chicago out here.