Local Produce

Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, green beans, okra, corn, watermelon, peaches.........

Do you buy produce from local farmers? We do and really enjoy having all the fresh veggies and fruit, especially this time of year. We also like knowing we are supporting our local farmers. There's a local farmer's market within a couple of miles from where we are and another one about 20 minutes away. Rodney and I enjoy the fresh veggies so much that we plan our meals around what we can get fresh at the market.
One of our favorite lunch menus during the summer is a tomato sandwich with nothing other than Duke's mayo, salt and lots of pepper ..... oh yeah, can't get much better than that when you have fresh tomatoes!'

And what about a sweet, juicy crimson sweet watermelon....... makes my mouth water just thinking about it.......

"When one has tasted it he knows what the angels eat."
Mark Twain

With the temps in the 90's, this is the perfect time to cut open an ice cold watermelon!

If your are not sure where you can go to buy fresh, local produce....... check out www.localharvest.org

Buy local and enjoy all the great tasting, good-for-you produce. I just bought some fresh blackberries this morning at the Farmer's Market and am going to make a blackberry cobbler... I am already thinking how it is going to taste with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream......... wanna join me? :)

“The difference of a single day is perceptible. Vegetables and fruit can only be tasted in perfection, gathered the same day.”

Cool and Refreshing Summer Drinks

Lemon-Verbena Iced Tea

During the summertime we all like cool, refreshing drinks. Some of my favorites are iced teas and margaritas. Here are a just few varieties of refreshing teas.

Chamomile-Lavender Mint Iced Tea

Iced Mint Tea

Sparkling Cranberry Tea

Blackberry Iced Tea

These teas are so cool and refreshing!


I do enjoy margaritas, especially in the summer, but not all the sugar in them. Did you know you can make margaritas with at least half the calories by making homemade margaritas with splenda?

My favorite tea is the classic Southern sweet tea which we call "proper" tea!

My favorite margarita, by far, is the classic margarita.... just love the lemon-lime flavor.

What is your favorite summertime, cool and refreshing drink?


“Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need - a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing.”
~ Jerome K. Jerome ~

Beach Photography - Family Vacation

Vacation is over but oh what good memories! We had such an awesome time and are already looking forward to the next one.

We played on the beach, jumped the waves, built things in the sand, swam in the pool, fished off the pier, played games, ran on the beach, watched movies, ate too much, etc.....

Here is our crowd at the beach. Nick, our son, did not come down until later in the week so he is not in this pic. (Sorry Nick!)

Here are more pics from the week, thanks for allowing me to share with you.

Layla and Bradyn....... aren't they sweet!

That's me in the white and jeans with my twin sister, Sharon.

Layla loved playing in the sand!

Bradyn and his mom made a cool whale in the sand.

Rodney and Bradyn.... they are like peas and carrots!

My sister sure enjoyed the attention from Layla!



Bradyn loved being a "pirate"!



This old truck sits out front of the Litchfield Fish House.... a local place that is packed every night! They have really good seafood and a nice bar. I have never seen a restaurant so kid friendly! They even have a small playground for the kids.
www.litchfieldbeachfishhouse.com

If you would like to see more pics from our vacation or our work, visit our website at:
www.autumnsongphotography.com

Do you have a favorite summer vacation trip with the family that you take? Where do you like to go? I would love to hear from you!

(by the way, in case you are wondering, I didn't knit very much at all.......too busy having fun and making memories!)


Sites you might want to visit for travel tips:
http://mommosttraveled.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-17020-DC-Green-Living-Examiner
http://maps.google.com/help/maps/travel


"Remember, happiness is a way of travel, not a destination."
R. Goodman

Happy July 4th!

You're a Grand Old Flag

by George M. Cohan

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

Here is a pic of Heather's flag over at http://www.thecoterieblog.com/.

What a cool flag!

Isn't she a beautiful lady.....

check out this site for more beautiful pics of the Statue of Liberty http://www.fififlowers.com/

Great post Fifi!

Whatever plans you have for your 4th of July celebration, make it a memorable one and celebrate the red, white and blue!

Beach Bound!

I am so excited about our upcoming family beach vacation and counting down the days....

The first items I am packing....... my beach knitting projects, of course! I have chosen a couple of easy, summery items to knit out of this Sirdar knitting book.

This book has the coolest summer knit projects.... I want to knit them all.......

This is for my daughter-in-law I am knitting with a bamboo and silk yarn in yellow. She has auburn hair and brown eyes, don't you think this color will look great on her?



This one I will knit in a Sublime soy cotton for...... yours truly

in this color

Now to pack the other stuff for our beach vacation.......camera, sun screen, books, games, bachi ball set, treats for the kids, etc.....

I can't wait to post pics from the beach trip!

"Oh, to be lying,On a beach,Somewhere,With sand in my toes,And the wind,In my hair. And only the sound,Of the seagulls,On high,On a beach,Somewhere,Under sunny blue sky."

Summertime!

One of our favorite things about summer is dining outside. We had an evening recently that was perfect...... a light breeze, clear skies and the birds singing..... our meal was so yummy....... you can't beat a nice aged Angus beef tenderloin on the grill with a few veggies on the side(and, of course, a glass of wine). It was wonderful!

Rod and I sat outside for a while and just savored the time. This time of year we usually just grab a salad or sandwich or eat on the run..... you may wonder why.....mostly because of the nature of our business.... this is our busy "season".

....another thing about summer...... flowers, flowers, flowers..... nice to go out early in the morning to see what is happening in the yard. Here's whats blooming in our perennial bed.....

Oh..... yes, that's Beau..... my garden companion....

Next to bloom are the cone flowers, garden phlox, monarda and delphiniums...... can't wait!

Here is the brown bear I knitted for Bradyn last weekend. He was staying with us while his parents were away. Bradyn was really sick...he ask me to knit him a bear and, of course, I started on it immediately. He ask me to give his bear a "mean" face..... couldn't quite bring myself to make a face any meaner than this! Stuffed animals are supposed to have happy faces, right? (Bradyn is all in to super heroes......)



I am working on a sweet little top for Layla from Sublime patterns..... there are so many cute things to knit for little girls..... and big girls too!






"I want to have fun. I want to shine like the sun. I want to be the one that you want to see. I want to knit you a sweater. I want to write you a love letter. I want to make you feel better. I want to make you feel free."
Joni Mitchell

Knitting for the kids

Well, I am finally getting around to posting some pics of the sun top I knitted for Layla that I promised a while back. Sorry for the delay! We have been really busy with our photography business, Autumn Song Photography, of which I am so glad.... weddings, children's portraits, engagement sessions, etc.... I have also been busy doing a little gardening, running, hiking with Beau and playing with the kids; a little of this, that and the other....

Layla's sun top was knitted from a pattern a friend shared with me and is also a free pattern on the internet. Below is a link for the pattern.

Sun top knit pattern
www.lionbrand.com

type in sun top and it will take you straight to the pattern

I also knitted Layla a floppy-earred bunny with a sun top too....wish I had some pics to share of the bunny....Layla was so eager to take it with her before I had a chance to snap a few pics. She has already put in a request for a bear so I will be knitting two bears, one for Bradyn and one for Layla. They both ask for a bear.... I love it when they enjoy the handmade knits...... knitted with lots of love!

The sun top and bunny were both such fun and easy projects I finished in just about 6 to 8 hours each. There are many variations you can make with this pattern which is another thing that makes it fun to knit. I love to knit a quick and easy project ever so often. My plans are to knit another sun top for Layla with a few changes to the pattern. The next one will be green with a rib of bright pink along the bottom with bright pink flowers on the bodice.

Hope it want be so long before I post again. Enjoy your summer.... a good time to head to the beach.... I am counting down the days! I love summer time, don't you? What plans do you have?

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these."

George Washington Carver