Jasmine Vanilla

Tea Tuesday again today, and the theme is 'where we live.' This idea could be explored on so many different levels - my disorganized house with the big kitchen that I adore, the suburb I'm in, the metro area I'm a part of, Texas pride (which still entertains me), or even the place that I consider to be my real home, the Black Hills, even if I don't currently reside there. On a ledge in my kitchen, I sometimes place flowers from my yard or bargains such as these daffodils.

I could also mention other areas I've lived, such as Bakersfield, CA, home of Sweet Surrender, a bakery with the most amazing chocolate cake I've ever had. I would enjoy the cake with friends and with a cup of looseleaf jasmine vanilla tea, sold in the canisters seen above for $12.00! Once again, Staple & Spice in Rapid City came to the rescue, where I could buy looseleaf jasmine and vanilla in bulk at a much cheaper rate and mix them together for the same effect. This blend lives in a jar in my kitchen and is one of my favorites.

The Black Hills have been mentioned a lot on this blog, but I've also mentioned Texas often. I live near Houston and have shared a few links below that provide images of some of my favorite parts of living in Texas. And there's so much more to enjoy about this region: tons of art museums and cultural activities, great and varied restaurants, our church, lots of houseguests coming our way, the Gulf Coast. On the flip side, I don't handle the heat, traffic, allergies, and crowds that are a part of living here very well, and am preparing to hunker down soon in my house for the long summer season. What are some of your favorite parts of where you live?

Local Flora and Fauna

My Backyard in Early Spring

Where I'm From

Jordan Pond

I don't think I ever posted any photos of our time in Maine, or if I did, I can't find them in my archives. Today is Tea Tuesday again. Jordan Pond is a lovely little lake in Acadia National Park with the Bubbles peaks behind it, featured in Martha Stewart Living last summer. The restaurant there is famous for its popovers and tea, which we enjoyed on a chilly afternoon during our week there in October. Earlier that week, we'd hiked around Jordan Pond, much of it on a little boardwalk constructed over the mossy shoreline. The fall colors were near their peak and it was a beautiful time. Jordan Pond Tea is a blend of black and green that produces a refreshing flavor. I find I really enjoy blends of tea, such as Tazo's Joy, which is a blend of black, green, and oolong. Next time I visit Staple & Spice in Rapid City, I will need to buy some looseleaf black and green and blend them together!

9 Days Up North

As previously mentioned, I was blessed to spend nine days up north in South Dakota a few weeks ago to meet my new nephew, play with his brother, and try to help my sister and her hubby out. It was a time of cooking, staying indoors (even the cats quickly returned despite their pleas to go out), playing, admiring the new baby, and time with family. The weather wasn't terribly cold, but I relished sleeping once again in my sister's most comfy guest bed under a down duvet - so cozy. We visited a few favorite local restaurants, threw a baby shower, and watched the Olympics on dvr. Nothing terribly exciting, perhaps, but it was refreshing and good for my soul to be home again.

My sister asked me to make our mom's beef vegetable soup along with fried bread, very much a favorite when we were children. I hadn't made fried bread in many years and remembered it being a challenge, but it sounded so good that we decided to go for it. Using frozen bread dough, thawed per instructions, it was much easier than I recalled. My almost-three nephew absolutely loved it, so we were happy to see the family tradition continue. Basically, all you do once the dough has thawed and raised, is to break pieces off, flatten them on a floured counter, and then fry them in an inch or two of oil over medium-high heat. We used an electric skillet. Heavily salt immediately after removing from the skillet, and place on paper towel-lined plate. Serve with hot soup, if you don't eat it all before dinnertime!

Tea Surprises

I'm a day late for Tea Tuesday, but still wanted to share. Martha included this Inuit cloudberry tea in a recent ATC swap we did. I was surprised and delighted to know that even after all the tea I've drank, there are still flavors I didn't know existed. I'd never even heard of cloudberries, but what a dreamy name they have! The tea had a delicious, unique aroma and taste - all enjoyed in the 50-cent tea cup I brought back from a thrift shop during my recent trip to SoDak. What surprises have you had lately?


We were also just blessed with a 6-day visit from our friend and little godchildren from Pennsylvania - always a fun, riotous time.

Edible Tokens

I'm back from another trip to South Dakota, this time to visit my brand-new nephew. What a sweetie he is! I also spent many fun hours playing dinosaurs with his older brother, who at almost-three is quite fond of imaginative play. Between cuddling the baby and pretending to be a triceratops, I enjoyed cooking for my sister and her family, drinking lots of tea while we stayed indoors, a few small snowfalls, and shooting photos. I hadn't been home in the winter in about seven years, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. 30 in South Dakota actually felt warmer than 30 in Texas! And I'm happy to report that flying continues to get easier with each trip. Sister and I made a few quick shopping trips during the week, including one to a favorite kitchen store that always holds surprises. They were sampling The Tea Spot Vintage Oolong (pictured above) and it was good enough that I brought some home with me. Purchasing tea on my travels has become a bit of a routine, an edible token of my time away, and sometimes my sister and I send each other tea after one of us has traveled somewhere. This tea will happily remind me of my February week up north.

Assisi Journal

Just a note to share that I have an essay in the inaugural issue of Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts and Letters, made live today.

{Photo taken during our busy day in Boston last fall, in an alley behind the Old North Church}

Sedgewick

Last Friday, I went to our local shelter after seeing an ad for their pet of the week. I'd been thinking about another dog for quite a while, and our vet said it was a good idea if we could handle it. The pet of the week was adorable and sweet, but quite a bit larger than I was ready for. A brief visit to the small dog section, however, led me to this guy, a six-month-old terrier mix. He came home with us for the weekend and wiggled his way into our hearts. What amazes me is how quickly he became attached to me, following me all over the house, eager to be held and cuddled. A good part of my motivation for bringing him home was to provide more play and companionship for my sweet first dog, Shiloh. And play they do! They also curl up to nap together, sometimes in the same crate. Yesterday was very hard because Sedgewick had many 'accidents' (which is why he's mainly confined to the kitchen until he's better trained and a bit older), but I'm reminding myself of what a sweet dog he is and how it will definitely all be worth it once he is trained. It's already been fun seeing how his personality differs from Shiloh's. I'm finding that I really like having dogs - they're entertaining, good alarm systems, and happy, cheerful little fellows. Even if they can be a lot of work at times! Happy Love Thursday, everyone!

Monastery Tea

I've been meaning to join Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons for Tuesday Tea for quite some time, given how much tea I drink! This weekend we finally visited St. Paraskevi Monastery up near Brenham, Texas. Unfortunately we forgot our camera, or I would share some photos. Their temple was astoundingly beautiful, radiating peace and quiet. My husband and I and two friends from church were the only visitors that day, perhaps owing to the rare chilly weather. The abbess kindly visited with us for quite some time, sharing stories about the founding of her original monastery in Greece and plans for her monastery in Texas. She brewed a delicious pot of Greek mountain tea for us, which I'd never before had. It was lovely! Fortunately, they sell it in their bookstore so I was able to bring some home. The nuns served a delicious meal to us that included some of their homemade feta cheese and wine from the winery that helps press their own grapes. We were blessed to spend a few hours there. At home yesterday, I brewed some of their tea and added honey from St. Tikhon's Monastery in Pennsylvania in my new Charley Harper mug. I am sure this tea will always remind me of a chilly Texas day under the pine trees.

January Garden

The last several weeks have been rather busy due to home improvements and a visit from dear friends. My garden has been thinned considerably since our rare heavy frost a bit back, but some things are pressing on in their lovely little ways. These diminutive wildflowers have popped up everywhere. My Savoy cabbages (not seen) and Brussels sprouts (second photo) are slowly growing and I look forward to preparing them for a meal later this spring. And, finally, for some reason I didn't believe the nurseryman when he told me the variegated wormwood (bottom photo) would take over, but now I see that he is right. One plant has produced a 4-foot patch of seedlings. They're pretty when they're small but not so much when they're mature. I will be transplanting them to a bare part of the garden!

I have returned to the pottery studio this month but have had to use a different, much softer, clay and have found it rather a struggle - although today I threw the largest bowls I've ever managed (still not really that large!) Loved ones are having babies right and left, so I also have several small sewing projects in mind. And for craft group next week, I found this lovely wreath project. Can't wait to put it together!

Simple Joys

Galveston is only about an hour away but we rarely go. Everytime we are there, I vow to visit more often, at least in the winter when it's not unbearably hot. Walking on the beach is a universal pleasure - a calming, peaceful experience, as I'm sure you know. My favorite beach to walk on is Cannon Beach in Oregon, but it has been many years since I have been there. The Central and Northern California shore line also has some wonderful beaches for walking.

But mostly in the last few weeks, I've been attempting to organize and declutter. Four boxes of magazines recycled (even the scrapbooking ones that I thought I'd never part with!), a few donation runs, and some items listed on ebay. There's still more to do for a packrat queen such as myself, but I've made a dent. We've replaced an ineffective gutter and today a crew is coming to texture the wallpapered walls in my bathrooms (we'll see if they can actually remove the wallpaper, since it's applied directly to the drywall by the builders). These projects are very long overdue.

Do you have favorite beaches to walk on, or other locations?