Limelight Hydrangea Cutting Rooted in Water

It took a while but my Limelight Hydrangea experiment is working. A while back I showed you a cutting from my "Mother" Limelight that I pushed into the ground when I pruned her in the fall several years ago and the cutting rooted itself and is now a baby shrub. I took a cutting from the baby and put it in water at my kitchen sink and I got my first little roots this week. Plant propagating is another form of thrift and you know how much I love getting something for nothing. It takes patience and luckily I have plenty of that. I need to plant the two containers of lavender in the background that are full of roots.

My grandmother and grandfather purchased their retirement home in Greenville, SC and rented it out for years and years and years before they could actually live there. My grandmother rooted all of her boxwood at her sister's house nearby and they were mature when she transplanted them in their final resting place. I guess she was the one who gave me lessons in patience. She love African violets too and actually bred them on her window sills. 

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Enjoy your celebrations. xo

The Star of My Power Outage

I bought this vintage stovetop Revere Ware Drip Coffee Pot years ago at a garage sale simply because it reminded me of my grandmother. I never knew I would grow to love it so much at the time. Luckily I have a gas stove and could boil a pot of water and start my powerless days with nice hot cups of coffee. Strangely enough my grandmother used hers to brew the best iced tea in the world. I am looking forward to having a day filled with tasks involving plugging things in wall sockets.

I dreamed last night or rather had nightmares about buying a new TV and figuring out how to set it up in my bedroom. I'll have to make some colored-coded labels for the tangle of wires. I'm in no rush. I watched a program or two last night in the living room before going to bed with my fascinating new book -- STORYTELLER The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock.

I picked it up at a library used book sale and it is a brand new hardback. I started reading it when I went to Town Hall to charge my iPhone on Sunday evening. Since the Irene disaster, they decided to be open 24/7 during all power outages so residents can get warm, charge their devices, and read while waiting. The library offers more during business hours with wifi too. There was also a working garden hose for bring home buckets of water to flush since we are all on wells. Looking forward to a normal day -- see you later.

Future King Heaviest in 100 Years

The future King with No Name was slightly overdue and that made him a heavy weight. I did not realize his great grandmother The Queen was born by Caesarean section in her maternal grandparents’ London home in April 1926. At the time, she was third in line to the throne, but her weight was not announced. She met the little one this morning and then the happy family embarked on a one-hour trip to grandmother's house where Kate can be babied by her own mum while she recovers from the royal birth. Read more about royal baby weights here.

HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge

She has a name: Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

The newest UK royal, a girl born on Saturday, has been named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

The middle names, of course, hark to her great-grandmother, the current queen, and her paternal grandmother, Princess Diana, who died in 1997.

Charlotte, a feminine form of Charles, is likely a nod to her grandfather, Prince Charles. via

Quote from my Grandmother, "It's easier to keep up than to catch up."

My grandmother used to say this all the time. She was a fabulous homemaker and never got behind in anything. My grandfather had one of these little wisk brooms hanging on a hook in the hall closet. He always brushed off his coat before going out.

I was so happy when I found this small vintage broom at a tag sale. It hangs in my entry and helps me recall a valuable lesson from my early years.



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Losing My Mother

My mother lost her own mother when she was very young. I think she was around 7 years old and of course it affected her deeply. We all need to be nurtured when we are very young. My aunt Elizabeth looked exactly like my grandmother. My grandfather was handsome even after losing his hair and he had the best laugh I've ever heard. We all adored him. He remarried and we all loved Grandma too. I think this photo of my mother's parents is probably their wedding portrait April 12, 1914. 

The flowers in the lobby of the funeral home yesterday were very pretty and my mother would have loved them in real life.

I brought some of the special things she saved over the years to send away with her. A small book of poems with an inscription from my brother Tim dated 1970 with an old picture of him tucked inside. The saddest day in my mother's life was the day he died in 1978 after heart surgery. They had a mutual admiration society that surpassed the normal mother-son bond. I also included a book of poems dated 1974 inscribed from me.  I sent her away with the first Christmas card received this year from her friend Tom who still lives in her old condominium complex in Charlotte. I found an old mother's day card from me dated 2006, a picture of our pets, the leash she always used to walk Tabitha, three dog biscuits from Webster, and some chocolate-covered raisins. She never failed to comment about how much she loved these treats covered with her favorite confection. The lipstick kiss on her forehead is from me too.

I helped load her in the small black van that didn't look at all like a mortuary vehicle. I rode up front with the driver and asked him if we could stop by the cottage on our way to the appointment in Basking Ridge and he complied. I wanted her to leave from home.

I chose cremation because the body doesn't have to be embalmed if it's done within 48 hours and there is no public viewing. She wore a flannel black-watch plaid dress that she always favored and she looked like a real sleeping beauty. 

After stopping in the driveway at the cottage we went to the place and I was with her all the way until the end. I'll scatter her ashes in special places up here and down south in the spring.

My sincere appreciation to all of you who have taken the time to walk with me down this last path with my mother. You will never know how much comfort your wonderful condolences have given me even though we are virtual friends. I hope I will continue to inspire you as you have inspired me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Glad Thanksgiving Greetings

Be safe if you are traveling over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house for a family Thanksgiving celebration. I thought this vintage postcard was unusual and perfect for the vegetarian/vegans out there who will be passing on the turkey but enjoying all the trimmings.

Dark Staircase

I took this photo in that old house yesterday. I loved the patterns on the wall from the lantern glass. There was a grandmother clock underneath.

Galley Kitchen Love

via

In my opinion, the size of a kitchen doesn't matter as long as there is a window. This one would make me very happy and I love the arrangement. Can you believe they have a gallery wall instead of cupboards behind the sink? How wonderful! 

I had a change of plans yesterday and ended up tearing up one room and spring cleaning it from top to bottom. I surprised myself and I hope to repeat the process in another room today. My grandmother always spent one whole week in each room of her home on spring and fall cleaning. It was a real ritual that required lots of help moving furniture. I emulated her by moving everything out of the room except the bed and it really wasn't that hard. I hope I can keep up the momentum. xo

Make Do and Mend -- Again

My grandmother used to take outgrown hand-knitted garments apart and reuse the yarn for other knitting projects. Rush over to The Homely Place to see more versions of the "Make Do and Mend" slogan that is so timely once again. Elbow patches are all the fashion these days so don't throw away your worn garments. Patch and be proud.

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A Very Young Prince Charles and The Queen Mother

The young Prince Charles adored and was adored by his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. We haven't had a dose of British Royalty lately and I know everyone will love this delightful vintage photo. via

Orchid Portrait

I took this photo several years ago while I was hosting a realtor open house. I took my camera along and luckily there were many interesting things to photograph and pass the time away. I was very pleased with this portrait of a beautiful orchid that was in the seller's living room. 

I can remember when you could buy orchid corsages in almost any grocery store for women to wear to church on Easter Sunday. We always bought one for my grandmother.

Our Mothers Worked So Hard

Doesn't this vintage photo found Google Images make you love your mother more? Mine only had two children three years apart but I still marvel at all she did with no help. She kept our homes beautifully, sewed her clothes and mine too and she even sewed for my brother and my father. She cooked delicious and sometimes complicated food and we ate healthy meals. She always looked beautiful and I don't think we gave her the credit she so deserved. I was so proud to be her daughter and she did know that. This photo just struck a cord of how hard it must have been to hold it all together back in the day. 

I wish I hadn't been so lazy all summer long because it is really hard now. I should have taken my grandmother's advice.

She really did say this, I'm not making it up. I am playing catch up and have the feeling I will never get to the point of having every room cleaned from top to bottom the way she did. I have told you before that she devoted one week to each room for spring and fall cleaning. I just seem to jump around and do the same task in each room instead. Right now it's still windows and I'm almost finished.

Have a great weekend. Thank you for giving me the will to continue blogging. I am enjoying it again and will continue. Thanks for clicking on the ads in my sidebar too. xo

Bathroom Detail at My Cottage

People always talk about becoming their mothers but I am becoming my grandmother. She used to spend one week in each room of the house doing spring and fall cleaning. My bathroom isn't very big but I managed to spend two whole days cleaning it recently. Keep in mind that I'm easily distracted and take lots of breaks. I'm so proud. I've been showering downstairs in my mother's old bathroom so I can keep mine clean. I'm sure the novelty will wear off any day now and I can go back to being my old self. Honestly, I don't know how people manage to work full time jobs and take care of themselves, much less a family, a house, and a yard. One room down and many more to go. I'll get there eventually. 

Homemade Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Ever since reading 'The Help' I've been hungry for some hot biscuits. I think I finally found the perfect recipe. I just took these out of the oven and my mother and I nearly finished them off. I have the worst oven in the world so I cooked them longer and next time I'm going to set my oven at 500 degrees. Chances are you have all the necessary ingredients on hand now so why don't you make some too. The photo above doesn't show all of them. Quote below by the author followed by the link for the recipe. I did not use my food processor. I cut the butter in with my pastry blender and did everything by hand. These were just as good as those I remember from my Southern childhood. I like my biscuits brown too.

"These biscuits are authentic - this recipe came from my Great-Great Grandmother, and was handed down to all the women in my family, and we are all Southern. I am the first one to commit the sin of using a food processor (lol) but I find it works very well. I would put these biscuits up against anyone's - they are perfect in every single way. I hope you all enjoy them. "  

Recipe here. A reader made these with gluten free flour and it worked perfectly.

Vintage Chambers Range + Red Maple Sapling

I toured a smaller country colonial home yesterday that was a few streets over from me and loved the vintage Chambers range in the kitchen. It featured a well used griddle and two ovens. The last one I saw in a local home was ripped out when the house was demolished and probably ended up in the landfill. Boo hoo, but I have to confess it was not nearly as pristine as this one.

There was a nice size Japanese red maple seedling growing in the front pachysandra bed at this house and the listing realtor said I could have it. I couldn't pull it up but went back later with my gardening tools and dug it up. It is already thriving in my back yard near one of my bird baths. I am such a scavenger and I am always looking for something to transplant. The pachysandra roots had a stronghold on this little tree and it was much too close to the house to be allowed to grow in place. Lucky me. Now a little red tree has found true love and a new home.

I had a request to post a photo of the sapling so its growth can be recorded over the years. I have to be careful where I plant things with deep roots because my septic system is in my backyard. I need to scrub the birdbath and remove the algae buildup so the birds will be happy. We had rain overnight but I think it will stop around noon and just be an overcast day. 

Isn't this little tree a beauty? My grandmother, the master gardener, always said to put a fifty cent plant in a ten dollar hole and I followed her advice when planting this free tree. I can tell it's happy the way it sways in a gentle breeze.

Actress Lynn Redgrave Has Died At Age 67

Actress Lynn Redgrave Has Died At Age 67:

"Lynn Redgrave died peacefully Sunday night at her home in Connecticut. Children Ben, Pema and Annabel were with her.

"Our beloved mother Lynn Rachel passed away peacefully after a seven year journey with breast cancer,' they said in a statement Monday. 'She lived, loved and worked harder than ever before. The endless memories she created as a mother, grandmother, writer, actor and friend will sustain us for the rest of our lives. Our entire family asks for privacy through this difficult time."

Read more via The New York Times

So sad. Rest In Peace.




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Stitchwort

I've never heard of this lovely little flower. I looked it up and found it's in the same family as chickweed. My grandmother was always complaining about the latter as being her arch nemesis, so I suppose stitchwort is a weed too. The flower is lovely, isn't it? I have enough weeds, so I'll pass on having this in my garden but it's welcome to invade my back field. I'll look for it. via

It's Easier To Keep Up Than To Catch Up

This was my grandmother's favorite saying and she lived by these very words. She was never behind in anything...housework, cooking, sewing, gardening, and more. I wish a little more of her had rubbed off on me. But then I remind myself that she didn't have the Internet!

My grandfather (a minister) used one of these little wisk brooms to brush off his coat before he left the house every day. This one hangs in my vestible here at the cottage. My mother always says the reason Grandma was so caught up on everything was because she made the kids do most of the work. All I remember is that in her elder years she did everything herself with only Grandpa's help.



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Hydrangea Explosion

image source

These are not Limelight hydrangeas, the variety I planted this year. My two bushes were just bare sticks with not much greenery when I planted them almost a month ago but now they are covered with lots of vigorous new growth and are thriving in the front and the back yards. I don't know if mine will bloom this year but they are on their way to becoming large bushes and I am thrilled. I have watered them daily and really babied them while they were in shock after being potbound. My plants were last year's stock and their roots were really packed. I untangled them and fed them lots of blue water almost daily. I followed my grandmother's advice too. She always said to plant a 50 cent plant in a $5.00 hole. The holes I dug were wide and deep and full of big rocks that I had to remove with my pickaxe. If you put in the effort when you plant something you will almost be guaranteed that you will have a successful growth. I mulched my plants too with wood chips to hold in the moisture. These plants are supposed to bloom on new growth so I am hopeful mine will too. Fingers crossed. I'm sure they are enjoying the rainy weather we had yesterday and last night with more on the way. Here is a very exciting HGTV article about Limelight Hydrangeas. Now I have high hopes that mine will bloom this year. I'm so glad I have them.