Tuesday Tablescape

Can you believe that it is already time to set an Independence Day tablescape?

I had the patriotic plates on hand from previous years. They are melamine luncheon size found at our local grocery store a few summers ago. The dinner plates are just white rectangular that I had in my stash.

Please take notice of the antique red drinking glasses. They belonged to my paternal grandparents. Each was individually purchased when my dad and aunt were growing up and their family was building their lake house. The little store at the lake sold these ruby red glasses filled with bubblegum! I treasure the remaining two pieces.

The napkins are from the Pioneer Woman collection. I got mine a long time ago, but it appears that they are still available at Walmart. Sold as a 4-pack, you will get a red/white, blue/white, yellow/white and teal/white. Naturally, the red and blue were just what I needed today!

A gathering of backyard flowers in my red, white (clear) and blue Dollar Tree jars (purchased many years ago) serve as the centerpiece.

           Are you ready for the 4th of July? 

Origami in the Garden

MO Botanical Garden is currently hosting an exhibition of 18 incredible sculptures scattered throughout the grounds. They are no ordinary pieces of art! Through a 35 step process, each creation is made of metal...but looks like origami. The event is named OrigamiintheGarden (written as one word) and it is open through October 10. A friend and I recently met to stroll the grounds and we enjoyed finding the interesting likenesses nestled alongside the garden plantings and features. I did not photograph each one, but this will give you a little taste of what you will find if you should visit.

It was not easy to snap a picture without also including random fellow visitors. 😉

I love this tower hovering above the water. The sign said that with the reflection, it gives the appearance of 1,000 peace cranes!

On this particular piece you are really able to observe the "fold lines" processed in the metal in an effort to replicate origami.

I find this to be such a clever representation of metamorphism.

Rock, paper, scissors! Seeing the crumbled paper allows you to appreciate an example of the details. 

Just kidding! This mallard is not a sculpture, but the "real thing". I could not resist including him in the post, though! Mr. and Mrs. Duck were floating in the pool near one of the sculptures. She was camera-shy, so I could not get her photo!

OrigamiintheGarden captures the delicate nature of paper in metal. (Quote from MO Botanical)

If you have the chance to see this exhibit, I think you will enjoy it! Although a substantial renovation is underway and part of the grounds are closed off, it's always such a pleasant place in which to spend time!

Tuesday Tablescape

The hydrangeas are especially beautiful this season! We have three different varieties in our landscape, one of which has been in place for more than 15 years. The past few years this particular shrub has not performed at all and we even considered removing it. In the end, we left it alone and are thankful we did because it is loaded with more gorgeous flowers than ever before!

This pleasant yard surprise inspired me to use a table runner that a friend made and gifted me for my birthday. 

I clipped some fresh blossoms to use on the table.

The lovely hydrangea china belonged to Aunt Betty, on my husband's side, and was shared with us by a thoughtful cousin. I never had the pleasure of meeting this aunt, but am told she liked pretty things and these pieces are proof!

Before long, our other hydrangeas will begin to put on their show of colors and I can't wait!

            I hope your day was pleasant!

 

A Refreshing Summer Drink

It provides me much excitemint to share a refreshing drink with you and since it is now officially summer, it's the perfect time. Many of you are probably already familiar with meadow tea, which is a drink made from fresh mint leaves. It appears to be of Pennsylvania Dutch origin. I first became familiar with it after reading about it in an Amish story. Later I saw the product sold in an Amish grocery during a stop in Shipshewana, IN during a trip. By the way, stopping in that store and having the opportunity to shop alongside Amish families with their sweet little children was a wonderful experience! You can click here read a snippet about a visit to Shipshewana, although the grocery store is not mentioned or photographed in the post. 

I received this big pot of mint plants (spearmint, peppermint and sweet mint) and have so enjoyed using fresh leaves for tea, as garnish in fresh fruit, etc. I can take no credit for the following recipe as it is universal. I am just sharing in case you have not tried it before.

Meadow Tea

2 quarts of water

1 cup of fresh mint leaves, removed from the stems, which have been washed and carefully inspected for tiny insects

1/2 cup sugar (adjust to your liking; I use very little)

Bring two quarts of water to a full boil. Remove from the heat, immediately add a cup of fresh mint leaves and place a lid on the pan. Allow it to steep for 2 1/2 hours. After time is up, remove the mint leaves (I strain mine) and stir in your sugar until it is dissolved. Store your meadow tea in the refrigerator. Add fresh leaves when you serve it, if you wish.

If you want to print it, click here.

This batch that I prepared looks more amber colored than ususal. I had my measuring cup packed of mint leaves, so that may be the reason. The taste is unaffected.

Perhaps you, too, will find excitemint in this drink! 

Southern Charm

A few weeks ago we took a little getaway in the motorhome. We were able to spend a couple of days exploring some state parks and historic sites in the southern part of the state, which is something we like to do. We thoroughly enjoyed the Hunter Dawson State Historic Site in the bootheel. The Hunters were a well-to-do family who were successful merchants in New Madrid, MO. In addition to having a store in town, they had a floating store on a boat that sold goods to people in other river towns along the Mississippi River. They were able to purchase various pieces of property and eventually owned a total of 15,000 acres of land in four states!

Construction of their lovely new home was just about finished  when William Hunter passed away from yellow fever which left his wife, Amanda,  and their seven children to move in without him in 1860. She not only settled into the large home, but she and other family members continued to successfully run all of the businesses (the stores, a grist mill and a lumber mill) following her husband's death.

Interestingly, members of the family continually lived in the house for nearly 100 years.  Amanda and William's youngest daughter, Ella, married William Dawson in 1876 and inherited the residence. That is, of course, how the home came to be known as Hunter Dawson. Family descendents occupied it until 1958 at which time it sat vacant for eight years. The city of New Madrid then purchased and donated it to the state to become a state historic site. Today it is a true gem offering a look at the home the way it appeared in its day. Hour-long tours cost $5 and are highly interesting. Since it is a small and quiet town, there are not high numbers of visitors and so most of the time the tours are private. We truly enjoyed having the tour guide to ourselves allowing us a more personalized experience.

You can imagine how drawn I was to the family's gorgeous crystal and china! 

About 80% of the furniture and books on display are Amanda and William's personal pieces. 

The home eventually had its own indoor bathroom.

Wallpaper and flooring throughout the house has been replicated to reflect the original.

There are nine fireplaces throughout the 15 rooms.

On the tour, we were taught that playing cards were actually a teaching tool in the 1800s. At the time, no numbers or letters were included on the face of the cards so that children would learn to count the symbols. 

After our interesting inside tour, we walked around the 18 acre yard with our guide. The mature trees offer shade and beauty! As we were concluding our time, I happened to spot this swarm of bees on the side of the Hunter Dawson Home. This is the time of year to observe these colonies of bees protecting the queen, who is buried beneath the "huddle". They are usually present in a location for a short amount of time since they're in transit and do not present a threat. We considered seeing the swarm a little bonus of our time there!

If you're ever in the area, I would highly recommend a stop at this historic site. You can step back in time to see and imagine how life was in the 1800s by walking through this home steeped in history and accurately representing southern charm in the southeastern corner of MO.

Ribs

Although not something we eat very often, ribs taste good every once in a while. When I do prepare them, I use baby back since they are leaner and I prefer their smaller size. I got the sauce recipe from my mother. She obtained it from a complimentary magazine that the Fuller Brush salesman provided when he sold door-to-door in the 1960s. It is the only sauce I ever make for the ribs. We all love the flavor of it, but please note that it should not be confused with a commercially-prepared barbeque sauce as it is neither sweet nor the consistency of it.

Ribs

Trim ribs and place in a dutch oven. Salt and pepper them and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes. While they are in the oven, put together the following ingredients in a sauce pan:

1 T. soy sauce

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. hot sauce or chili powder

one bay leaf

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 T. vinegar

1/4 cup water

8 ounce can of tomato sauce

Bring to a boil and stir well. When the ribs have completed their 30 minute baking time, pour the sauce over them and return them to the oven. Reduce to 325 degrees and allow the ribs to bake about 2 1/2 hours. They will be very tender! 

For a printable copy, click here and scroll all the way down to the very, very bottom of the page and click on "print page".

A Little Project

I enjoy unique pieces that have their own story, so I've had it on my mind to tackle this project for quite some time. When we were growing up, our family had fun going bike riding together in the evenings after dinner. We began when my sister was a baby and so she rode on the back of my dad's bike in a child seat. I, on my new gold youth bike with its metallic banana seat and training wheels, pedaled alongside my parents and, no doubt, rang the silver bell attached to my handlebars! As she and I grew, our bikes were replaced with larger one. We enjoyed our bikes for decades! It instilled in me a fondness for casual bike riding and represents good memories. I have wanted to use my parents' bikes (50 plus years old) for something special. My husband recently assisted me in wrestling down my mother's bike from the garage attic for my little project. My dad's bike is also stored there, but his has a bent wheel. I washed the blue beauty and my husband polished the bicycle's chrome before I applied a clear coat and attached a flower basket. We left everything as-is, including the little sticker from when it was registered with the Indianapolis police department, per ordinance in the day.

You may recall a post from two summers ago when I shared a yard art project I did for my sister's birthday. This was her ten speed bike and I painted it in one of her favorite colors. She still loves it. Click here to revisit the post. 

Rather than a whimsical look, I opted for a vintage-feel for this project and I am so pleased! We secured it in its spot under a tree after I planted several red impatiens in the basket. It feels old fashioned and fun to me and was just the look I envisioned! We were already in the process of refreshing that flower bed, so will be adding some shade perennials and new mulch.

The bike is no longer safe to ride without major intervention, of course, and so I am happy to be able to enjoy it in this way...complete with its story to tell! 

Tuesday's Tablescape

This is actually a tablescape from our Memorial Day weekend. We had delightful weather which was perfect for dining on the patio and that is something we enjoy doing throughout the seaon.

The dogs and I walked around the yard and clipped flowers until we gathered this bouquet.

Have a happy Tuesday!