Daylily Trip

Today found us going on a road trip to Blue Ridge Daylilies over in Asheville, NC.  They were hosting a multi-club day in the garden.  Several different daylily clubs attended the event.  There were about 13 from our club in attendance.  

We parked the car across the road from the garden.  As we crossed the little footbridge into the garden, these ducks greeted us on the right side.  They were fun to watch.  As we were winding down our time at the garden, I spent a bit of time with my eyes glued on the ducks.

The garden's layout was pleasing to the eyes.  The daylilies were in the center with large plants around the edges.  The large plants made it easy to forget that you were right on the side of a road.  The fragrance from the daylilies was intoxicating.  With it being morning when we arrived the ground was still wet.  So grass, mud and other debris was easily collected on one's shoes.

Every hour a drawing was held for a 2017 daylily introduction.  They were worth at least $100.  Neither John nor I won a daylily.  A lunch of pork barbecue, hamburger and hot dogs was provided.  One's stomach appreciated the refreshment after working up an appetite wandering around the gardens.

One of the things I enjoyed was the garden art. Here are two samples of the many works of art seen throughout the garden.

                                                     

The TN welcome center provided a rest stop on the way back home.  These are 2 quilts that were on display in the welcome center.  I always think it feels good to see the sign that says Welcome to Tennessee.

Bridal Shower

After I graduated college, I went to FL for a possible job.  The job did not work out but I had some neat experiences during that process.  I was able to spend a little time with a former counselor from the camp which I attended during my childhood and teen years.  I do not remember this counselor but my great-uncle, Martin Perry, told me I needed to get in touch with her.  He may have even called her to tell her to take care of me.

For a few weeks during my stay in FL, I stayed with this former camp counselor and her family.  She and her husband had been married ten years at that point.  One afternoon she told me that at the ten year marriage celebration, a bride should be thrown another bridal shower.  By that time most of the things received at your shower were on their last leg if not already disposed.  I remember thinking that was kind of silly.  But....

When we had been married ten years I thought back to that stay thought yes I understood.  My kitchen and bath towels are looking very used.  Move forward another nine years...it will be twenty years next April.  Some of those very used kitchen and bath towels have been disposed of.  Some are saved for emergencies.  There are other things I think I'd like to get another one of that or some more of those.

One item that has disappeared is the lid to our blender.  

We spent out twelfth year of marriage living in an apartment.  While there I sent the insert to our blender lid down the food disposal.  I love my glass blender (a gift from a brother and sister in law) so I improvise.  I place a salad plate face down on top of the lid before I hit the start button.

 

Another item I would like to replace is a nesting bowl.

Another brother gave us a set of four nesting bowls.  They have been well used.  The large bowl broke several years ago as we were mixing up some Christmas presents.  It was used for mixing cakes, cookies, salads, etc. and also storing food items in the fridge.  It is missed. 

 Some other items I'd like are more small glass lidded bowls in which to store small amounts of leftovers (or my next day lunch), another food processor, some new spatulas, etc.

If you could have another bridal shower what are some things you'd like to replace, replenish, restock? 

What to do on a Snow Day

Even though we celebrated our family Christmas before Christmas because one sister was in town, there were still a few things under Mom & Dad's tree on Christmas day.  That was nice because John is working out of town and had not been in for the family Christmas.  This green bowl was the gift for me.  I came very close to crying.  You see this bowl holds many memories from my pre-teen to teen years when I was learning how to bake.  I always hoped I would inherit this bowl.  

 

 

 

35-40 years ago we girls were each given a book titles "How to _________".  The book I received was How To Bake Bread or something very similar.  I was just getting interested in baking or had reached the age that Mother felt safe letting me learn.  I read the book which was a bread recipe with pictures of each step.  When I would make the bread, I needed a large bowl in which to let the bread rise until doubled in size.  The green bowl was the go-to bowl for the bread rising.  

 

So because of the snow and staying in the house today I decided to use the green bowl and make the bread.  Now I have 3 loaves of bread and I'm the only one here.  I may share some...but first I'll have to eat some hot bread.  There is nothing like homemade bread fresh out of the oven. 

 

Here are some pictures of the bread during the process.

 

after the bread was kneaded

 

rising in the bowl

after rise

 

after being punched down (this helps take your frustrations out...such as hubby being gone for extended periods of time)

 

 

pans greased

 

bread in pans (I never get my bread exactly even so I always end up with different sized loaves).

fresh out of the oven

 

cooling on the racks

 

Yummmm!  I think I'll go have a slice of bread now.