My Girl

My baby with her babies.

I is fior Ivanna

My sister, Kate, embroidered this beautiful piece for my brother- and sister-in-law as a gift.  The "I" in the center stands for their newly-departed newborn daughter's first name, Ivanna.  I have already requested that she make our family one.  Her pattern was taken from Alicia Paulson (Making magazine and her embroidery companion book).

Pie and Roses

 I baked a blueberry cream pie this afternoon with my little girl.  It feels good to be back in the kitchen after our week away.

My roses were in good hands while I was gone.  Father John dutifully watered them and they all have buds now.  One bush in particular is covered with blooms!

Sunday Lunch

Our Babies

 

We are all together again!  The children and I raced home to their dear Papa and arrived just in time for Saturday night church, dinner, and a night in our own beds!

Princeton

 

We went to Princeton, one of my favorite places, today.  I was able to buy a pizza stone and watch my niece and nephew eat ice creams cones in the quaintest of all ice cream parlors in all the land. 

New Jersey

Now I'm visiting Tristan the Cat Prince...  a.k.a. my Mama and Papa. Only two more days until I see my babies again.

Using a Pizza Stone

 

While I was visiting Kate this week, I hoped that she would teach me how to use a pizza stone.  She makes delicious pizzas for her family on a regular basis and I wanted to know her secrets!  She showed me what she does and we had such a wonderful dinner of pizza and salad with homemade dressing.  I hope to get a chance to pop into a kitchen shop before I return home to buy a pizza stone for our family so that I can make homemade pizza, too!

Farmers' Museum

If you ever find yourself in the Cooperstown area of upstate New York, be sure to pop into the Farmers' Museum.  It is a living history museum that has historical interpreters, lovely buildings, gardens, and farm animals.  It is a small area and can be enjoyed in just a few hours.

The Fenimore Art Museum

Master Bedroom, 1965 watercolor, Andrew Wyeth

Kate took me to an exhibit of Andrew Wyeth's work that was shown alongside the words and photographs of his granddaughter,  Victoria. It was quite interesting and very lovely.

Jordanville

I left Juliana's house on Tuesday afternoon and arrived at Fr. Peter and Kate's house in the early evening.  I was able to sneak into my niece and nephew's room to give them a quick smooch before they drifted off to dreamland that night.  Today has been a lovely one with the homemade vegan pecan sticky buns my sister made for breakfast, car rides over rolling farmland, and visits to several museums.  I'll be leaving with Kate and the children tomorrow morning for a visit with our parents, sister, and her husband...  and more fun adventures, I'm sure!

Salmon and Potato Salad

While I was visiting Juliana and Alex, I ate like a queen.  One of the best meals they served me was on Monday night.  Alex prepared salmon for the grill, seasoning it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a drizzle of honey mustard.

Juliana's contribution to this dinner was asparagus and a most delicious potato salad. Here's what she did:  Boil red potatoes that are cut into bite-sized pieces until they are fork tender.  Chop fresh parsley, Kalamata olives, red onion, and a drained can of artichoke hearts, and dump into a large mixing bowl.  Add drained potatoes and season with salt, pepper,olive oil, and red wine vinegar to taste.  This salad is delicious both at room temperature right after you make it, and chilled.  Yum!

Juliana's Mantle

One of the projects that Juliana wanted to tackle was the mantle.  Prior to anything, we removed it and washed the wood. We laid out the pictures to help visualize the layout of the gallery way before banging holes into the wall.  In addition to the photographs, Juliana mixed in some original artwork, a cross she was given enough, and some little brass planters.  She also hung up a garland featuring phases of the moon made from brass.

New Hampshire

My first destination after dropping the kids off at camp, is my sister Juliana's home.  She and her husband recently bought a small house with lots of land that overlooks a glorious Vista.  My time with my nephew and niece has been so special...  it's lovely getting to be an auntie without the responsibility of looking after one's own children!      

The Trio Goes to Summer Camp

I dropped the Trio off at Saint Tikhon's Summer Camp this afternoon.  They'll be there the whole week and I'll be travelling around to spend time with my sisters, brother, and parents at their different homes.  I know that I will have a great time, but I can't help but feel that I left my heart behind with my little ones.