Matilda gave me The LOVE Jar for my birthday. There is a slot in the lid to drop the pieces of paper with your notes on them.
I often think, if something should happen to me today and someone would read the notes in my jar, I better make the memories good ones.
Did you see the amazing full moon last night?
Love you beyond the moon.
Me
I bought blueberries last weeekend. Larry and I enjoyed them very much and we had some left over. Taking the left over blueberries, I made a cobbler. {recipe given to me by Larry’s Aunt 30 years ago}
Tolbert Cobbler
Igredients
2 cups fresh or frozen fruit
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar-divided
1/2 cup butter-cubed
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg slightly beaten
***
Preheat oven. 350 degrees.
In sauce pan add fruit- 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bring to a boil and set aside.
Place butter in 7X11″ baking dish. Place in oven 5-10 min till melted. Take out of oven.
Small bowl- add 1 cup sugar, one cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup milk, and 1 egg. Stir till well combined.
Pour batter over melted butter. DO NOT STIR
Spoon fruit mixture over batter. DO NOT STIR
Place in 350 degree oven and bake 35-45 minutes till golden.
You can serve this warm, at room temperature or cold. Vanilla ice cream is always a welcome topping.
When this was made for us years ago, the recipe was nowhere in sight. It was made by memory and I was so impressed. I still use the recipe…and it is still as good.
If you make this Cobbler….you will bave a wonderful day. That is a promise.
Till next time.
Valentine
Hello! It is a beautiful Texas day, hot and very humid. I just walked 5 miles and life is calling. My escape is imminent but will be back soon. Please be happy and smile often.
Love you beyond the moon.
Me
It is 100 degrees outside today but something feels “fallish” about the day…I secretly believe that it is the school supply syndrome. Just seeing school supplies puts us in mind for Autumn. {School supplies are wonderful}
***
Matilda’s Camp Robi bag needs a few patches sewn on. You are not imagining it. She has tons more patches than I do. Her Father gets them for her. {Except the poop one. I confess} I am sewing right now… one hand on the lap-top, one hand on the sewing machine. { I know that I am testing the sarcastic limits today. Forgive me? We all have very bad days-weeks-months, right?}
Sarcasm: Just one of the many services I offer.
***
Lew and Debbie next door brought us a treat! It is the same plant that grows in our garden on Kaua’i. I LOVE this plant and it makes me smile when I walk into the kitchen. Thank you Debbie and Lew. You are the best next door neighbors!
I must start sewing patches on Matilda’s bag. I promised to return it to her Saturday.
***
Thursdays are the best day of the week. Please be unlike me and find someone to be kind to….
Love you beyond the moon.
Me
Yesterday would have been my Mothers birthday. I loved Mother {Gracie} beyond belief and miss her so much that sometimes my heart hurts. She was the best Mom. When I am troubled, sometimes you can hear me whisper: I wish Momma was here.
Grace was beautiful, brilliant, kind, graceful and most of all a good listener.
Gracie died about 6 weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 1995.The day she was diagnosed, Lauren and Jami asked me to quit smoking. {I did and have not had a cigarette since June 25th, 1995} When I went to Mother and told her that I had quit smoking….what do you think that she said?
She said nothing. Nothing at all. I hope she was proud of me in some way, I know that she was struggling to deal with her cancer and life as she knew it during her last 6 weeks.
The last weekend that she was with us, I spent a huge amount of time with her. We sang songs, talked about the current Readers Digest stories, I cleaned her room {even that blasted chandelier that she had hanging in the master bed room!} and I dragged a Queen Anne chair across her bed {the only route to get it to a certain spot so that when she had visitors, they would be closer to her.} We had icecream in bed and she sent me off on errands so that she could have time with My Larry. Larry and Mother were very close.
OK. I know, you get it. I loved my Mother and she was one of the most important people in my life. {besides Larry} Sometimes a girl just has to say these things outloud.
Yesterday I felt very blue. The darn weather was miserable and I was missing Mother like crazy. While Larry was in town at meetings, I put Netflix on my laptop and while working on a project, I watched the first movie that came on the “feed”…it was called “Otherhood” and darned if it was not about 3 Moms.
It is an easy movie to watch and I loved seeing it on Mothers Birthday. Larry said that he would watch it with me again if I would like him to.
Yesterday, I had a few notes from people who remembered Mother. I loved hearing from each and every person and heard a few new stories. Each time that happens I think, Isn’t it wonderful how people are Remembering Gracie?
Love you beyond all the special stars in the sky.
Me
On days when I struggle to post on blog, I go to old photos for inspiration. This image was taken about 10 years ago in Paris. It is one of my favorite photos.
It was cold, as November can be in France and this window was near rue St Antoine. I walked past it a few times before I decided to intrude into the sweet, intimate window setting and take the shot.
Isn’t is wonderful to imagine life inside of the apartment? I think that there is an easel in the corner with an intriguing painting started. The large over-stuffed chair has three books by it and the tea kettle is starting to boil on the stove. One of my abstract quilts is neatly on the bed…and my Larry is waiting patiently by the front door to take me to dinner. {after I turn the stove off}
Larry and I have spent much time in Paris. Each year for many years, we have found ourselves in France, with the discovery of joy and inspiration at every turn. Perhaps one day I will write more, about the special moments. The times filled with ART, love, friendship and visits from family who might be in Rome studying {and you know who you are and we love you}…many years filled with many memories.
Today, let me just share this beautiful photo. What do you imagine life is like inside the window?
Love you.
Me
It was a warm day yesterday. Church was full. There was a baptism and it was communion Sunday. Our new minister was full of vim and vigor. I like her {Rev. Angie} so much. Her energy and faith inspires me in many ways.
We went to a little antique shop in Dallas before dinner. I left a vintage Louis Vuitton purse behind for the next shopper. I just did not need it right now. But it was very nice. Wink.
Sunday dinnner and a movie was easy, comfort food. I made pot roast sliders, my special potato salad and stuffed jalapenos. Dessert was Boston cream pie and our movie was…
I LOVE this movie. It is quirky, about beautiful food, Van Morrison sings the score and it has a happy ending. What else do I need on a Sunday afternoon?
For my birthday, Lars, Josh and Matilda gave me cacti. Each month two arrive and lighten up my kitchen window. They come in a brown box and yes, I transplant them into cute pots from Home Depot. The sea glass is from Kaua’i where I pick it up on the beach.
The plants in the blue pot came most recently. I was worried about the tall one as it was leaning over. But, he is happy how. he was leaning because of photosynthesis. I water them once a week….and I am enjoying them so much!
Tomorrow, is Mothers {Gracie’s} birthday. She died in 1995, but her birthday is always part of my “year”….I love celebrating her. {she would have loved the cacti birthday gift}
Happy Monday. Sending love, vim and vigor!
Love you beyond all the awsome planters at Home Depot.
Me
Don’t you love the word prickly? I use it to describe people sometimes, instead of using a bad word. Prickly does not have a negitive connotation to me. It just enlightens the minds reality.
It is Saturday morning. Rain is softly falling and yes! It is August! We never have rain in August, in Texas. Larry and I have a few outdoor things planned today and I am just waiting for the rain to stop. That is why I am putzing at my computer.
Have a happy PUTZING day.
Love you.
Me
It has been an extraordinary week. One day I will share all of the details, but for now I will smile at the memories.
I have been exercising daily, starting Christmas gifts and yesterday Larry treated me to an 80 min Swedish Massage at The Woodhouse Spa.
Because of that amazing Swedish massage yesterday, I did not want to exercise today. BUT I did.
Today’s sunrise was beautiful, Mr Heron was there to say hello to me and God was in His heaven.
I am so glad that I exercised today. It was the perfect ending to the perfect week.
Have a wonderful weekend. All is right…
Love you beyond the moon.
Me
Each year, on July 31st, {my anniversary becoming cancer free} Larry takes me to tea. It is not always at the same place, but we always have tea. It is written in stone. Yesterday, we had tea at the Dallas Arboretum.
Time stops for a bit and we reflect on the past {seven years} years of living with cancer woven into our tapestry.
We had the best visit and shared many intimate thoughts. I do not know what my life would look like without My Larry in it.
Blessings, like chocolate truffles are meant to be savored and treasured.
May your blessings and truffles be many…
Love you beyond the moon.
Me