Summer Dinner

Peach Cobbler

Over the weekend we had dinner at our house with Norene and Stewart and Tom and Julie. It was great to see them and catch up on everyone's news-- Dustin's baby girl, Mia, Devon's new job, Steven back home and looking for a job, and Scott going to Virginia Tech later this month.  Of course the most interesting thing I learned is the recipe for a bacon weave--look it up online, it's disgusting but sounds good all at the same time. Think bacon woven into a lattice, mashed potatoes, veggies, ground beef. Apparently this is the meal Norene's boys prepared at the beach for the whole family one night for dinner--30 people for bacon weave.  Yum yum.

We made a farm market dinner--gazpacho for apps, peach salsa to go with the teriyaki pork chops, and green beans with tomatoes and basil. And then of course the peach cobbler. The peaches right now are so good I could eat them all day.

I had to work on Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon it was so hot and humid that Walt and I went to see Sarah's Key at the Cinema Arts. The theater was packed. The movie was very good and was very true to the book. Such a sad story in French history.

Norene, Stewart, Julie, Tom, me

Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad were married August 7, 1937. They had a garden wedding at NoNo's (a cousin, an aunt? I am not sure, but her name was Ellen and I was named after her) house on the lake down by E. 201.  From all accounts, it rained all day but cleared up in time for the wedding in the late afternoon. When I was a little girl and would look at pictures of their wedding, I could never understand why I wasn't there.  Our family had a lot of great parties on their anniversaries--their 25th (we went to Jim's Steakhouse in downtown Cleveland and I thought it was so fancy), their 40th (the summer Tom and Ev came home from Turkey and we were just married), their 50th (at Linda's house, and Dad had just had heart surgery a month before), their 60th (we had bouillabaisse at Chautauqua) and their 65th (with all the family at Linda's).

 I miss them.

60th anniversary at Lake Chautauqua, 1997

65th anniversary,  2002,  with all their grandchildren
Brooks, Beth, Richie, Kirsten, Julia, Patrick, Jill
Tommy, Dad, Mom, Kathryn

Anemones

Anemone "September Charm"

My anemones are just about ready to pop. I kind of like them in this stage, but in a week or so there will be masses of pink. They are still afflicted with some type of virus (I think) , but it doesn't seem to affect the flowers. Well, we'll see, they're not blooming yet.

Today is going to be a beautiful day, in the 80s. Too bad I have to go to work. I did work outside last night after dinner for an hour or so, deadheading, hoeing, weeding, and watering. I planted some more thyme between the pavers in front. Some have taken hold, but I had some bare spots that I am trying to fill. I usually put allysum between these pavers, but am starting to like the thyme, especially cause it's more permanent and I don't have to plant it every spring.

Established thyme

Alyssum between pavers

Trees

Pine Trees, planted 1989

We planted three pine trees in 1989 as a screen in our side yard.  When Julia was in first grade, she brought home a pine seedling that she got at school for Earth Day. We planted it near the other three, just a tiny plant, and now all four trees are the same size, over 30 feet tall!

Zelkova, planted 1991

Smoketree, planted 1993

We first admired smoketrees at Lake Chautauqua, where Tom and Evie had a green one in their yard. This is a purple one, variety "Royal Purple." In late summer it gets masses of tiny blossoms that from a distance look like smoke.

Kousa Dogwood, planted 1991

The Kousa dogwood is stronger than the native dogwood. It is covered in white flowers in spring, which then turn into the berries pictured above. In the fall, the berries turn red.

Styrax, planted 1991

Japanese Maple, planted 1993

The father of our neighbor behind us gave me this tree in 1993. It was about a foot tall, and was a seedling from a Japanese Maple that he had in his yard and he said it was very valuable. He was a Korean man, and a serious gardener, so I was sure it was a special variety and worth taking care of. I first planted it in a garden for a year or so until it was a little taller, then we transplanted it to the corner of our deck in the backyard. It has proved to be a beautiful tree, a lovely shape, and has grown to be a perfect tree to shade our deck. It is one of my favorites, because of its history.

Redbud, planted 1989

This is a seedling of the first tree we planted after we moved into our house in 1989. I bought it from Meadows Farms for $12.49! The original is still alive and well and well worth $12.49!

Look At These Cute Guys

I'm not working today, so had tea early with Lorraine and caught up on news, then ran some errands and just potted up my new frogs.  Carol and Bob gave me the one on the left many years ago, from a cute garden shop, A Proper Garden, in Wilmington, NC. I love him and am now happy he has some friends.

It's kind of dreary today and looks like it should be raining, but it's not. We sure need a good, soaking rain. This morning I saw a hummingbird on my hostas in the back--I tried to get a picture but every time I got near he flew away of course. I bet he likes it in my garden. I hope he comes back.

Love This Plant

I sure don't need any more houseplants, but boy oh boy it was hard to resist this one. Love it!

My Favorite Nursery

So over the weekend I made a trip to my favorite nursery, Merrifield Garden Center, to find some little succulents to put in my new frogs (remember them?) While there I hit all my favorite spots.

Amazing variety of perennials

Green glazed pots

Orchids

Cool trough garden (they have lots)

Love these Dramm hoses and watering cans

So many hostas

Gotta get one of these troughs

A little gardening advice

And finally those succulents

Sunday Dinner with the Langes

Keenan, Carol, Jackson

Bob and Keenan

Bob and Carol and the boys came over for dinner tonight. We haven't seem them for awhile, as they have been busy this summer with soccer and basketball camps, church camp, and vacation bible school next week. And of course they went to Cleveland in early July for The Lange Open, when Bob's whole family meets in Cleveland for an annual golf tournament and picnic. They even went to an Indians game one night (45 of them!) and got their names on the scoreboard! And they celebrated Aunt Peg's 90th birthday, and had a bridal shower for Tim's fiancee, so it sounded like a fun and busy weekend. They just got home from a vacation to the Grand Canyon and then out to San Diego to see Joyce (Carol's mom). They had a great time, and hearing about the Sedona area and Grand Canyon renewed my interest in visiting that area. We sat outside and talked for awhile while the boys played cards and then basketball outside,  and then had a yummy dinner of brisket, Kimmelwick rolls, French potato salad, fresh corn and sliced tomatoes. Brooks joined us for dinner, and the boys were happy to see him.

French potato salad

We are so lucky to have Bob and Carol and the boys in the area with us. We miss so much of the family time back home, so we just have to make our own family time here in Virginia and Maryland. Whenever Mom and Dad used to visit us, or when Peg and Tom still visit, we all get together and everyone loves that. Aunt Peggy always says how happy it makes her that Bob and I live near each other and that we can spend holidays together. It makes us happy too. Love her--I think she deserves a picture here as well.

Aunt Peg and me July 2011

Saturday Morning at Lake Anne Farmers Market

Reston founder Bob Simon

We were up early, Walt to go for a run, and me to take full advantage of a Saturday off and go to the farmers market at Lake Anne. It was busy at 8 am, and I got some green beans, tomatoes, beets, raspberries, peaches and basil, and of course I couldn't resist a bouquet of zinnias. It's hard to stop, because everything looks so good. I buy most of my stuff from Hutt Produce, just because I like the guy so much and I know him from the Herndon market on Thursdays.

Look at these cute brussels sprouts

I think we will have summer pasta tonight, the Silver Palate recipe with tomatoes, basil, and brie cheese. Fresh and easy.

Good Morning, and Pots Update

Here are some pictures of my pots as they look this hot and humid morning at the end of July. Everything is still thriving, and I haven't had to cut too much back. Even the million bells still look pretty good. Usually they are crisped up by now. I did give the Picasso petunias a trim about a week ago, but mostly I am just watering...and watering. Haven't fed them once this summer.

Succulents

July 2011

I love my succulents, the weirder the better. I overwinter mine in the garage, just set them all together in a tub and bring them out again in early spring. Eileen and I usually pick up a new succulent at Espenshades in PA, where they have the best selection I have seen. Most of these I have had for several years.

Landis Farm May 2011

Also loved this bowl of succulents that Evelyn planted at Landis Farm this spring. So cute!

Happy Birthday Dad

Dad on his 90th birthday

Today would have been Dad's 97th birthday. This is my favorite picture of him, taken on his 90th birthday, with his favorite fleece shirt (remember it was July) and a martini in his hand. A happy guy.

Dad in garden 1980

After he retired, Dad really enjoyed working in his vegetable garden. Brooks and Julia used to love picking peas. It was around this time that I first started getting interested in gardening, and planted my first perennial garden in Herndon.

Me and Dad in his garden  1980

Thunderstruck

 Tonight was my book discussion group at the library and we talked about Erik Larson's Thunderstruck. It was an interesting book, a little slow at times, about Marconi's quest for the first transatlantic wireless communication, and a parallel story of Dr. H.H. Crippen, a meek little man who supposedly murdered and dismembered his wife. The last 100 pages are the best, when the 2 stories converge, and Marconi's telegraph makes it possible for the whole world to track Crippen and his lover as they attempt to escape from London to Canada aboard a ship.  It made for an interesting discussion of technology then and now.  


But what was most fascinating was that one of our group's members had seen a PBS segment about the Crippen murder and that recent DNA analysis done in 2007 shows that the body parts found in his basement were of a man and not his wife, Belle. So was he wrongly convicted and executed? Did the police frame him in order to solve such a notorious crime? It brought a whole new perspective to the discussion. We all felt like Erik Larson, such a good researcher, should follow up on this!  It's such a good group, and we had a great turnout last night, about 16 people. While not everyone liked the book, I think all enjoyed the discussion.