Goodbye August

Costco sells these beautiful mum plants in August, but you have to act fast. The cheap bags of fall bulbs were already gone to make room for the Christmas stuff pouring in. Too bad, I wanted to get a few more lillies, not that I need them.

The mums are a bargain at $12. Of course you have to lug the messy thing home in the back seat of the car, with your other giant warehouse packages and impulse purchases. Then unload everything at the curb, where hopefully you have a parking space in front of your house. Oh, Costco.  What would I do without you? Life would be simpler if I wasn't "saving" so much money.  Ha!

I'm glad September is here, a lovely month, and most people's favorite. Nothing bad happened this last week, but it was sure short on fun. I had two routine doctor appointments. And now I have the routine follow up tests to look forward to. Woo-hoo. At the store on Wednesday, I wasn't paying attention and made a couple of errors on the cash register. No problem, said the manager, all the cashiers make mistakes! But that took me down off my high horse.

It rained yesterday afternoon, a lovely and unexpected rain. You could almost hear the parched plants sucking up the moisture. The travel rush is on for the Labor Day weekend, but wild horses couldn't drag us out of West Seattle.  Have a good one wherever you are-- hopefully far away from the hurricane.
 

Buzz off

Like most articles in the New Yorker magazine, the book reviews are long and well-written. In fact, they're almost too good, because after you've read those 3 or 4 dense pages you feel like you've read the entire book. Or certainly got the gist of it.  The August 5 review of "The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator" by Timothy Winegard explains world history through the impact of mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes were in the news again last night for a potentially deadly disease in Michigan called the EEE virus. Winegard's book claims that mosquitoes have killed more people than any other single cause.  Something like 52 billion, or half of the humans who have ever lived. He calls them the "ultimate agent of historical change."

I call them the "ultimate agent of extreme annoyance" when one buzzes in your ear at night.  Fortunately, we don't have many in Seattle (yet) which is why we can sleep with open, unscreened windows, unheard of in most parts of the country. Even so, one occasionally turns up in the house.

20 degrees cooler today. Now the pleasant 70's right through Labor Day weekend with just the slightest chance of a shower.  Perfect weather as summer winds down.

Looking ahead

It looks like a grim winter forecast for the Northwest (Wet, or Worse!) from the Old Farmer's Almanac. Texas and Florida are the only places to be. But for now, summer is still in full swing, close to 90 today in Seattle, perhaps for the last time this year.

I found a recipe on the Internet for a spicy plum chutney. You can't have too much chutney in the pantry, much less waste plums.  Guess I'll cook up a batch before I walk to the store this afternoon in the blistering heat.  Just kidding, how pleasant it is, strolling down the street without a jacket, hood and umbrella. 

The new woman I worked with last week told the manager the cashier job was too tiring. She quit. Well, from all her complaints, I kind of suspected that. But oh dear, have I scared off a teenager and an old lady now? It's probably just the nature of volunteering, that people don't feel much commitment. What is that old saying about the key to success is "showing up?"    

I felt better when manager asked if I would mind working alone from now on since I was so responsible and capable, she could get things done in the back. So who would have guessed it?  Already clawing my way up the retail career ladder. Just by showing up.

Labor Day weekend is almost here, and I'm thinking about laboring I need to do around the house, like washing the windows inside and out, and starting to clear out the flower beds.

Tuesday

"Credo"
 by Donna Hilbert

I believe in the Tuesdays
and Wednesdays of life
the tuna sandwich lunches
and TV after dinner.
I believe in coffee with hot milk
and peanut butter toast,
Rose wine in summer
and Burgundy in winter.

I am not in love with holidays,
birthdays--nothing special--
the weekends are just days
numbered six and seven,
though my love
dozing over TV golf
while I work the Sunday puzzle
might be all I need of life
and all I ask of heaven.

Photographs and memories

I just looked through my August my photo file, and what a busy month for the family.  Marji and Dad took a trip back to Colorado and had a wonderful stay in Cripple Creek seeing old friends and getting his house ready for another winter. Amanda, Tom and the kids went backpacking at the ocean, then the Pt. Townsend birthday weekend, also our big trip to New Mexico.

You can't pack more into a month without dropping over from exhaustion.  Come to think of it?  I'm ready for a much quieter September and looking forward to the start of the Symphony.

We drove the girls north on Saturday morning and dropped them off again with Grandpa Jerry. Amanda picked them up in Burlington and after school shopping, they went home over the North Cascades Highway. A long day in the car, but they got home safely.

The traffic jams were epic. It took us over 4 hours to make an 80 mile round trip. You start to wonder why a person would ever leave West Seattle? It was a relief to get home. I never thought our urban village could seem quiet, but after the misery of the I-5 corridor and the jammed cities up north, it was an oasis of peace.

We sure enjoyed having the girls stay overnight and they were very good. Of course they're kids and I'm a neat freak, so things get messy and cluttered and noisy, but then they leave, and suddenly I miss them awfully. In a few short years they'll be teenagers, not interested in toys and picture books or fairy gardens. Each age brings new fun, but wish we could slow down the clock.  

They like to be constantly busy, and this gets tiring when you're not used to it. So each afternoon I told them it when it was their "free, quiet time" so I could get a few things done.  Maybe that sounded like a treat, because for once they didn't complain about being bored, and spent hours making fairy gardens in the flower beds.

They rarely fight over stuff which is nice, but everything shared must be scrupulously equal. So they are in a constant state of negotiation over toys and food. You better make sure that nectarine is cut exactly in half.

A typical exchange goes something like this:

Nova:  OK, Maya, I get the big fairy statue and you can have these two small ones.

Maya:  I don't want the small ones, I get the big one because I saw it first.

Nova:  No, it's actually mine because I was playing with it this morning.

Maya: Well, then I get to have it now and you can have the small ones.

Nova:  No, how about you get to have it tomorrow?

Maya:  OK, then I get all three tomorrow and you can have this blue stone instead.

Nova:  You can't have them tomorrow until I take my fairy garden down, OK?

Maya:  Then I'll give you this flower and the elf for the big fairy now.

Nova:  OK, but I need the fence and the bench too.

Maya:  OK. But I still get the other one tomorrow.

And so on and so on...
I'm taking them along next time I buy a car.

It's quite amusing, but then I don't have to listen to it all the time. This bickering drives Amanda bonkers, but hey Mom, it's better than fisticuffs. Sometimes Nova can out maneuver her little sister, but Maya has some tricks in her bag, too.

Anyway, time to tackle that pile of laundry and the Monday morning chores.

At the zoo

Feeding the alpacas

And topping off a long, busy day with a unicorn ice cream cone.  

Back to Mom and Dad today, after a great visit.

Pizza night

Our proud pizza creators.

Make-you-own-pizza night was a big success.

Those four pies disappeared pretty fast. The girls were sound asleep by 8:30.  And Nana, not long after that.

Today we're going to Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah.  

Change is the only constant

We all have our little moments of glory.

Yesterday at the Stop n' Shop, I whipped through the complicated closing process in 10 minutes flat, impressing my new coworker.  The day's accounting may not be accurate to the penny, but hey, this isn't a bank. I get to go home.

Speaking of coworkers, the teenage volunteer was "fired" by the manager for not showing up.  Poor kid, I kind of miss her now, and hope her life eventually wanders on track.

The new cashier is about my age, but we couldn't be more different.  She  lives alone in a tiny studio apartment and loves it because she doesn't have or want any "stuff." Imagine that?  She doesn't entertain and never has guests because it's too much mess and trouble. She cooks her meals in a toaster oven. She doesn't like concerts, the theater or opera. She didn't mention any grand kids. She doesn't drive a car or garden, care for animals, or go out at night, and hasn't traveled for over 20 years. What does she do?

Despite all this, she was pleasant enough, and we found things to chat about, as women will.  But she seemed bored by the end of the day, and told me the last cashier she worked with "talked too much" so the manager put her on my shift.  Maybe she doesn't like me either? Whatever!

After a day of beautiful welcome rain, the skies are clearing out. I pick the girls up this morning for their two-night stay with us. This is a big first, and we're excited to have them.  Tonight is make-your-own-pizzas for dinner (talk about MESS) and then tomorrow John is taking off work so we can go to the Issaquah Zoo together. Of course they will wear us out, but in the best way.

Soon September

Lovely summer rain falling this morning, bringing a hint of change.   

Garrison Keillor is guest blogger:

Soon September, and then the sanity returns

Suddenly, dark mornings

Well, look over yonder, that's some real rain headed our direction. It looks more like a fall storm. In fact, it's snowing in northern British Columbia now.

This rain is just a one day wonder, then we go back to dry, warm weather. The parched garden will be happy and me, too. My biggest outside chore (watering) is winding down for the year.

We've had a beautiful summer in the Northwest and other than a few hot days, no complaints, especially compared to the rest of the country where people are still being scorched and/or drenched. The Dog Days of August are pleasant here when it isn't smoky from wildfires, with dark cool mornings and a slight haze in the air that says fall is coming.

I have a bowl of ripe peaches and plums ready for a batch of "Washington Chutney," a recipe I've been making since the 1980's.  Canning is getting to be more of a chore, especially standing for long periods of time doing the prep.

Our grandmother canned hundreds of quarts on a wood stove in the hot Pennsylvania summer, so what's a few half pints on a gas range? I can't recall Grammy ever complaining, and she worked all day long. Persevering food for the winter is just what you did-- no one would think of wasting any home grown produce.  Or any part of the pig, for that matter.

Canning is a good job for tomorrow, especially if it's raining. After that, things get busy. On Thursday I pick up the girls, and they're spending two nights here. Their first stay alone without Mom and Dad, and we're all excited to have them.  

On the beach

OK, this is pretty impressive by any standards.  Amanda, Tom and the kids just came back from a five-night backpacking trip in Olympic National Park, on the wild and beautiful Washington coast.  

Let's do the math: That's about 15 meals plus snacks for a hungry family of four.  Wow.

Everyone carried their fair share of the load. And then some.

Planning the hike.

Blessed with nice weather!

 Beach fun along the way.

With sister bonding time.

Maya knows! Never turn your back on the ocean.

The beach camp.

Mom's beach kitchen.

And family memories. 

Flying things

The tree company didn't show up until 2 o'clock, which ordinarily would be alarming, starting a big job so late in the day. But with four strong men and a caravan of heavy equipment, including a giant cherry picker truck, they were done in a couple of hours.

This is the third year we've used Blooma Tree Company. Yes, they are expensive, but totally worth it, compared to all the stress and fuss of the landscapers we've endured over the years.

Taming the Leyland Cypress trees

Actually, there was one bit of drama, when they ran across a hornet's nest on the top of the hedge. Of course the hornets flew around in a tizzy, but no one was stung, and they were finished with that part anyway. 

But the brawniest man (there's always one) tried to shoo them off by waving a rake in the air. Then he found a large winged insect on the grass, and proclaimed it was the "queen" of the hive with a large stinger.  Wrong. Well, you don't need a PhD in entomology to rake up hedge clippings. 

I captured the big creature in a jar and identified it on the Internet-- just a harmless Wood Wasp. Harmless I guess, if they don't chew up your fence or something. She was such a pretty thing I set her free in the ferns.  That is not a "stinger" it's her egg-laying thingy. John says there are probably plenty of expensive Seattle exterminators we can call later.

We're home this weekend with no particular plans at this point. My that feels good, after all the travel.  Next week will be very busy, with the girls coming to stay with us for a couple of days after their family backpacking trip in Olympic National Park. Hopefully some pictures later. 

Have a good weekend!

Relaxation Day

August 15th is "Relaxation Day." I don't think that's going to pan out.  There's a big bowl of ripe tomatoes begging to be salsa, and the hedge cutting company comes today for the annual laurel hedge and cypress tree cutting party.

Oh yea, and 50 new friends from Costco, ready to be planted. Somewhere.

Here's a nice poem from The Writer's Almanac called "Peak Summer" by Eric Nixon.

We're steeped in summer
And everything around me
Seems to indicate it'll never end
But still I'm spending time
Looking for the subtle signs
Trying to figure out when
We've reached peak summer
When a billion green trees
Start to dull ever so slightly
When the bounty of vegetables
Found at all the local farm stands
Starts thinning in quality and quantity
When the Halloween candy
Appears in the supermarkets
And the Back to School! signs
Show up in the big box stores
When the sun sets a little earlier
And gets a little more noticable
Each night, night after night
Until you start thinking about
How much daylight you lost
All of the signs and all of the things
I've been noticing are telling me
That we're right in the midst of
Peak summer and if I'm not careful
It'll be completely over
And I'll have missed it entirely
As the season folds into fall.

Exasperating begonias

In our cool spring climate, months go by and those Costco tubers you bought in February just sit there. The impatient gardener digs down in the pot to "check" on them, and usually knocks a bud off.  Eventually some come up, and then do nothing for a few more months.

Suddenly, you have a glorious looking plant, just in time for the rains to wreck them. Quite a show, but remind me not to bother with begonias next year.

We've having a beautiful stretch of weather, dry with highs in the 70's.  Of course, being Seattle, some people are complaining about the heat. But the early mornings are dark and cool, and the August light has that soft cast that means fall is just around the corner.

We enjoyed our recent travels, but it feels so good being home sleeping in our own bed. And after so much restaurant food I've been cooking up a storm on the grill: vegetables, lamb chops and salmon this week.

I bought one of those copper grills screens on summer close-out at Bartell's for $2.  They're the latest rage, but I was skeptical until I used it on a delicate piece of salmon. It worked perfectly and just rinsed clean. 

Bloggers come and go

The blank canvas. The white screen. The blinking cursor at 5 am.  Writing is both a pleasure and a struggle.
 
Feathers and Flowers started way back in summer 2009, right before Nova was born. We're not Facebook users, so at the time it seemed like the best way to stay in touch with family and friends. And so the long blogging journey began. 

Most of the blogs I followed ten years ago have disappeared.  Many died a slow death as the posts tapered off and then finally stopped. Maybe people simply lost interest, lacked the discipline, or just ran out of ideas.  Or got tired of the sound of their own voice. (It happens.)

Nothing actually goes away on the Internet, so their blogs remain frozen in time and you wonder about those writers whose lives you knew intimately, but never really knew at all.

So I'm excited to introduce you to a new blog that I hope we're reading for many years to come.  The  writer is the daughter of a dear friend. We've watched her grow up into an accomplished and delightful young woman, now studying medicine at the University of Washington. Her blog is called Medicine with Mary. 

I'll put a link on the sidebar. 

Good luck, Mary! She asked me what's the secret to keeping a blog going over a long period of time.  The first thing that came to mind was" "Nevertheless, she persisted."

Here's a more eloquent quote for you:

“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.” — Octavia Butler

Port Townsend weekend

Amanda, Tom and the kids stayed in an Airbnb apartment across the street from this mansion, now a B&B.  It's been quite a while since we've been up to Port Townsend, and I forgot about the glorious Victorian architecture, now beautifully restored.   

Port Townsend is called the "City of Dreams" because of the early speculation that the city would become the largest harbor on the west coast. It was a big seaport in the 1890's, until the railroad failed to connect Port Townsend to southern Puget Sound.

Because of the speed at which the economy declined and the lack of any industry to replace it, none of the Victorian buildings were torn down or built over.  That's the good thing. The houses were essentially preserved for nearly 100 years until the tourist value of protecting them was appreciated.

The town is popular with retirees, and shows up on those "best places to retire" lists.  There really isn't any real easy way to get there, but that doesn't stop people.  I remember when the entire Olympic Peninsula felt off the beaten path.  Not any more.  Every highway from Seattle and back was jammed bumper to bumper with speeding cars, and long waits at the ferry terminals.

We had a room the Aladdin Motor Inn on the edge of town, which I was lucky to reserve over a month ago. There wasn't a vacancy sign in town.

Here's the birthday girl, and the girl who wishes it was her birthday. We had a fun little celebration for Amanda and Nova.  

Fruit kuchen

John would probably agree that I should make this simple cake more often. It's good for dessert or a morning snack cake.

Thrifty old German housewives made kuchen for 10 am "Kaffeetrinken" with fresh fruit in summer and canned fruit in winter. They could bake one in their sleep.  It was always eaten up on the same day. You can refrigerate the leftovers, but this cake isn't a good keeper.

I used whole frozen strawberries which worked fine. But of course our favorite is home grown plum kuchen :-( 

The basic recipe is from a 30-year old Sunset magazine. As far as cake goes it's wholesome, with just 1/2 cup sugar, butter and eggs.  No leavening so it makes a dense batter.  The unsweetened fruit is laid on top and the juices bake down into the cake.  Flavor the batter with a bit of almond extract and grated orange peel, or vanilla and cinnamon.

Make someone happy:

Cream 1/2 cup soft butter with 1/2 cup sugar.  Beat in 3 eggs and the flavorings, then one cup of flour until smooth.  Spread in a greased tart pan and arrange fruit on top.  Bake at 375 for about 1/2 hour.
Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar while still warm.