What's for dinner Wednesday

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What's for dinner Wednesday?

My husband requested Shepard's pie.

It's been ages and ages since I last made it.  We usually leave the oven off in the summer time but the weather has been a bit cooler so after running to the market to pick up the ingredients I got busy.

 

My version is quite simple and plain. I add some onion to the browning meat and I sprinkle paprika over the mashed potatoes but other than that it's just meat, corn, and potatoes. 

My step-daughter loved this simple version when she was growing up 

and I have continued to make it that way. 

I also made a banana pecan cake. 

I haven't made that in over 5 years and it is just as delicious as it was back then. 

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sepia memories

Only one more week or so of summer.

I live on a rather tiny sort-of an island.

We are just one square mile here on the north shore of Boston.

We are connected to the mainland by a causeway that is one and a half miles long

but that may as well be a thousand miles long come winter.

In summer people go to long Beach at the end of the causeway

but come Labor day they are all gone and our rather tiny sort-of an island

is ours once again.

Our house is perched at the beginning of the island 

just in the center of a three pronged fork.

We are surrounded by two beaches, the old coast guard station,

Memorial Park, a gravel parking lot, and the softball field.

In summer we watch both the men's and women's softball games 

from the windows in the kitchen while we eat our dinner.

At Christmas tide we watch the PTO's Christmas tree sale 

in the gravel parking lot and we buy our tree from there

and walk it up the street toward home.

We we hear the Memorial day parade end in Memorial park

and listen as the speakers say the prayers for our loved ones

and Veterans who have left us.

I love this time of year.  

The darkness settles earlier and it is cool enough for cooking again

and gathering around the kitchen table. 

Church starts up in earnest again.

And I find a rhythm in the days and weeks of Autumn. 

I give my house a thorough cleaning

and set the summer things away for next year.

In their place are family photos and dried hydrangeas

which I picked from the bush in the front yard.

Monday: leftovers 

Tuesday: Swedish meatballs, egg noodles, green beans

Wednesday: Puy lentils with bacon, roast cauliflower

Thursday: Roast chicken, herbs and potatoes

Friday: crockpot turkey legs

Saturday: beef stew

Sunday: spaghetti and sausage sauce, salad

20 July

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I got a chance to walk about Beacon Hill before work one morning.

The window boxes are just so beautiful.

I absolutely love Beacon Hill.

I've been searching for a bedroom rug for years

and I finally found one while shopping at Home Goods.

It was a great price...though still a little more dear than I would have preferred.

It was so worth it and has just the right amount of just the right colours.

Tucker likes it as well.

We had a crazy storm Tuesday evening.

It rained as hard as it ever could rain.

All the commuters (including my husband and I)

were drenched.

When we finally got home and dried off

the sunset and clouds were pretty spectacular.

My geraniums are blooming beautifully out on the porch

They look so pretty.

My daughter bought me this sweet little vintage stationary

for Mother's Day.

I found a pillow that matches it perfectly!

It's on the rocking chair in the kitchen

and it is so cheery!

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An InLinkz Link-up

through the looking glass

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I found an old brick while walking the shore of a morning. 

What is it about a circle that makes us look through?

As if we could see another world on the other side...

or at least another perspective.

The letter B

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Big boat little boat

What begins with B

Beach, Bicycle,

Bird and a Bumblebee

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on my desk

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t

Let us not love in word or speech but in deed and truth.

1 John 3:18

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the visit

The weekend found us full of family.

Saturday night we pulled the leaves out on the table.

We all sat 'round it and had a delicious spaghetti supper!

We even had birthday cake and ice-cream for dessert.

Cousins curled up on the couch and laughing with each other.

Aunts and Uncles sat at the table long after

the meal was finished and the sun had set down.

In the morning, I put out a bowl full of yogurt, some granola,

fresh berries, and home baked blueberry muffins.

Oh...and lots of hot coffee.

We ate as we woke and dressed and ran to brush our teeth.

And then it was time for them all to go...

I took the leaves out of the table and put the kitchen back to rights.

I put away the stacks of folded blankets.


In my head and in my heart I plan the next visit...not so far away next time.

BE THEE INSPIRED

a gathering of days

Saturday I did a marathon drive to my sister's in Connecticut.

She needed help moving into her new home.

We filled up two car loads and drove it over to the new house.

Her new house is on a lake and the road follows the water

as it winds along.

It's such a pretty place surrounded by trees.

I helped her set up the kitchen and my niece and I

moved a few things into the dining room.

It still has a long way to go but it looks a bit more put together

and she will be able to find a cup for coffee in the morning. 

She had a sweet little kitchen table that she couldn't use anymore so she gifted it to me!

We had a big soapstone table in there

which we moved to the dining room.

I love the way the kitchen looks now. 

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I have flowers in every room.

Last week many of my families at work gifted teachers

with beautiful bouquets and they look so beautiful!

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Sunday,  we all got together for mother's day.

We went to a wonderful garden nursery and walked around

and had a lovely time.

I got to share a little chat over a bowl full of blueberries with my favorite boy!