Putting Summer Away...

As I sit here today 

contemplating bringing in my

plants from the porch

because we might, possibly

have a frost later this week,

I realize summer is over.

Of course it is!!!

It's mid October after all!

It's just that it has sped by SO quickly,

even though the warm weather has

lasted way longer this year

than we have any right to expect.

One summer event I should have ended weeks ago

is my family's 

2018 Summer Bake Off.

I've shared everyone's cake except my own.

So here it is.

I used the Updated Hummingbird Cake

recipe from DELISH.

The main difference between my cake

and those of everyone else

 is that the recipe 

called for the addition of 

unsweetened applesauce and less oil.

A healthier cake....

 ...probably not because of the 

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting,

which was the BEST thing about the cake.

The cake was a bit too dense.

Probably because my recipe did not specify

what size can or how much 

crushed pineapple to use.

I used a large can and did not drain it.

So, although the frosting was first rate,

I wasn't too impressed with my cake.

After living here for almost fifteen months,

my violets finallllllly

began to bloom this summer.

I had wonderful luck with them

at my previous house.

But for some reason, no blooms here.

Don't they like this house???

Are they mad I moved them???

After feeding them a bloom boost for several months

and moving them to some direct sunlight,

I am seeing flowers again.

(Thank you for your advise M.)

I have "read"

or listened to some outstanding

audible books this summer.

These were two of my favorites.

And finally,

as I say goodbye to summer,

here's a little round up of

the gorgeous flowers M has kept

me supplied with over the past few months.

Come on Fall.

I'm ready for you.

Memorial Day Weekend

Here we are,

the beginning of another summer season!

Spring is such a busy time and for me

it's because there are so many projects

I want to complete before summer,

so I can pretty much sit back and enjoy it.

Are you a list maker?

I am.

There is something so satisfying about marking things off.

However, it seems that for every project I complete,

I think of two more to add to my list.

But I am very happy to say,

most of my "get done before summer" projects are now done!

The flower boxes on the front porch

have gone from barren to, if not yet lush,

at least planted.

They got their first dose of

Miracle-Gro this morning,

so they'll be coming along fine.

I have even planted a container with lavender,

after being so inspired with how it was used 

in Germany last summer.

The porch has been totally cleaned and is ready for use.

The front steps, which each year after a

winter of salting and scraping...

…always show their wear and need to be repainted.

Done!

All the outside windows and screens have been washed,

although I still have few inside that need to be done.

The dining room has been painted,

the french door mirrors have been painted,

the heating and air conditioning grates have been painted…

Work, work, work.

Never ending if you are a homeowner.

But for the most part,

I say, "Summer…bring it on!"

I am ready to enjoy!

I have even loaded up the crock pot this morning 

with a barbecue recipe that looks good.

(I'll share later if it's as good as it looks.)

Nanniepannie and I will be eating it all weekend,

our substitution for a picnic this weekend.

Don't forget to fly your flag this weekend

out of respect and gratitude for our military.

Wait a minute,

we fly ours everyday.

A profound appreciation to everyone

who has served and enabled me 

to enjoy the life I live.

(Especially my dear brother Rick who

is serving now in Germany. 

Love you Rick!)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

and happy summer 

to each of you!

"Those Lazy Days of Summer"...Say What???

I have been on an "unintentional" vacation from my blog.

Did you notice?

After writing my last post (June!!!),

I was feeling a bit stale and kept waiting

for inspiration to hit for my next post.

It never did and the whole summer seems

to have flown away.

I may have been uninspired,

but I haven't been idle.

Here's a little catch-up on what's

been happening this summer

at Buttermilk Cottage.

We had to say a very sad farewell to Chaos.

You might remember he was my bother Rick's dog,
who was going to stay here while
Rick and his family were in Germany
for a three year tour with the Navy.
Sadly, Chaos who was 16 years old,
began failing.
He was here a little more than a year
and it is amazing how he worked
himself into my heart.
You were a good dog Chaos
and I miss you.

My daughter Kate made a quick trip home
and sorted through loads of her things
that have been in storage in my
basement for the past three years.
She has made her move out of NYC
(goodbye publishing),
to Washington DC
(hello law school).
She now has her own apartment
and can finally take some of her things
to make her own nest.
Good luck Kate!

After anticipating it for the past year,
my sister Nancy and I finally took our trip
to Germany to visit Rick and his family.
(More pictures will be included in a later post.)
Due to their outstanding efforts
we had a wonderful vacation!
Thank you Rick and Terry.

I've been busy baking for the past few
weeks in anticipation of the upcoming
neighborhood yard sale,
during which we host a
"Bistro on the Porch."
So far, I have stocked away in the freezer
8 loaves of zucchini bread
(lovely zucchini from my Dad's garden)
8 dozen brownies with white chocolate chips
2 Lemon Blueberry Cakes
1 and a half Cinnamon Cakes
(Half the cake stuck to the pan and we had to eat it.)
The event is less than two weeks away
and I really should have something in the oven right now!

And finally, I have been knitting mittens all summer!
I have designed a cozy pair with wool and mohair
and will be listing them in my Etsy shop soon
in ten different colors.

So, a couple of months may have elapsed,
but you're up to date with me!

The Porches at Buttermilk Cottage

You know the saying about..."best laid plans..."

I had every intention of showing off newly planted

flower boxes on my front porch for

Kim's Blog Party today.

The above picture is how my bedding plants looked

this morning after returning from the garden center.

I love red, blue and yellow together and

these fit the bill.

The pansies from last winter and spring were definitely

looking a little tired and ready to be replaced.

This is how they looked last month.

 The new plants are all in, the pansies are gone.

However, it was hot here today and the new

bedding plants need a little time

to themselves to "bloom."

That won't stop me from sharing the porches

here at Buttermilk Cottage.

The front porch is well loved, and well used,

throughout the year.

In summertime it's my favorite place for a

morning cup of coffee.

We use the front lawn and porch each summer

for our Porch Bistro.

We served cold iced tea on the porch the last time

Buttermilk Cottage was part of the neighborhood

garden tour.

The front porch even serves as the entrance

to our annual Holiday Show.

The front porch dressed for the holidays.

I can't talk about porches and not mention the little back porch here at Buttermilk Cottage.

It's a small enclosed porch and...

...a perfect transition from outside into the house.

A baker's rack just outside the backdoor

is the perfect spot for all those lovely things

we'll soon be bringing home

from the farmer's market.

Because it's unheated,

it's also the perfect place for storing

 goodies during the holidays.

Since, I wasn't able to show you my newly planted

flower boxes on the front porch,  check back later

and I'll be sure to share!

I'm linking this post to

Summer Decks & Porches Party

at Savvy Southern Style

Welcome to Summer!

Welcome to Summer!



It's the first day of summer. Before the time runs away from me and I'm anticipating fall, I want to take a minute and really APPRECIATE summer. In that spirit, here are ...

My Twenty Favorite Things about Summer

(in no particular order)

1. Peaches (There are hundreds of wonderful things you can do with a real, perfectly ripe peach, but is there anything better than eating one over the kitchen sink?)

2. Summer flowers

3. Vacations

4. Tomatoes (real, vine ripened, locally grown ones)

5. Not having to wear a winter coat, especially when I'm taking my little dog Daisy out for her calls of nature

6. Grilling out

7. Fourth of July

8. My neighborhood's annual yard sale

9. Watermelon

10. Morning walks when it's still cool and everything is fresh

11. Fireflies

12. Long(er) days

13. Root beer floats

14. Getting to wear flip flops and sandals

15. Cold lemonade and iced tea

16. BLTs

17. The smell of honeysuckle

18. The Farmer's Market

19. Sitting on my front porch swing

20. Air conditioning

Take a few minutes today and think about some of your favorites.

Happy Summer to us all!