The French Bistro

According to Wikepedia.................
"a bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting".
That sounds just like my kitchen - small, simple, modest!

There's more....................
"Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Slow-cooked foods like braised meats are typical. Bistro patrons do not necessarily expect professional service or printed menus".
Well, being vegetarian there are no meats stewing away for hours on my stove, but I can do great braised/roasted veggies, lots of pastas, and DH says I make the best slow-simmered soups!
As for service......."come and get it". We're not uppity around here! Menus? Just lift a lid or peek in the oven, you'll see the special of the day. No need to write it down!

That said, remember this fabulous large sign I spied at the Thieves Market recently? Someone even commented I should bring it home. I wanted to but waited, thought about it, measured to find a wall in the small kitchen where it would fit, struck a bargain with the dealer, and finally brought it home on Friday. Not an impulse buy, more of a "if it's still there when I go back it means I'm supposed to have it" purchase. You must know that feeling. Then there are the times you go back, it's gone and you kick yourself forever - like the Ralph Lauren suede boots on sale on the Internet last year!!

This sign may have a history. Need to chat with the dealer, perhaps discover where she found it. It appears to be really old and handmade, not a contemporary factory created item (but do tell me if you've seen similar). The boards are old and warped, the metal frame well-worn. The sign is in two sections hinged together so that it folds easily to transport. The prices are from long ago before the euro.

Perfect fit in the corner by the windows. I'm really loving it......and it's helping continue the casual French country look I want in my home.

My favorite bistro cook book......Patricia Wells' Bistro Cooking - 200 recipes inspired by the small family restaurants of France celebrate a return to generous, full-flavored cooking.

Plymouth Rock

The Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by Halsall

Every school kid in America learns about the arrival of the Pilgrims on December 21, 1620. Recall all those kindergarten Thanksgiving plays where the little darlings dress up in pilgrim hats and buckled shoes, step from the Mayflower and land on a make-believe Plymouth rock?

Years ago, when we took our children on their first visit to Plymouth, Massachusetts, the real rock was available to step and climb upon. Alas, just like Stonehenge, clambering children and souvenir chipping tourists have closed access to these ancient stones. The rock, which has been enclosed by a columned shelter, is now only to be looked at and not touched.

At Plymouth Rock ~ July 2009

Look down between the railings to see what remains of Plymouth Rock. Perhaps you expected it to be much larger. It was originally and it was in the water which came closer to the shore. The feeling of history still prevails. An excellent presentation by a park ranger tells the story and, if you close your eyes and think hard, you can imagine the trepidation felt by those brave sailors and their families as they stepped onto a new continent after a long, hazardous sea voyage from Devon (my home in England), on such a tiny boat. Of the 102 Mayflower passengers, only half remained alive by the following Spring. The ship sailed back to England that Spring of 1621, however despite the Winter hardships, none of the Pilgrims returned with the ship.

Mayflower II, the replica of the Mayflower ~ moored behind her were two Tall Ships visiting for the Independence Day celebrations.

A quick visit here on a fine July afternoon was another history lesson on our New England journey.

Piggy Pink Saturday

Hit the brakes, make a quick U-turn on a Maine road, pull into a gravel parking lot, jump from the rental car camera at the ready!

This one is for my friend who truly believes pigs do fly.....and she has a huge collection to prove it.

This fabulous piggy pink sign for a bakery immediately said "Jenny" and I had to get a photo. Luckily DH is getting used to this type of driving and is now well trained in turning on a dime, braking suddenly, or detouring back to something that caught my eye and requires a photo shoot "for the blog"! Thanks Bob, you're such a good sport.

Jenny is half of SuzAnna's Antiques her mom Susie being the other beautiful half. They know how much I love them for bringing affordable treasures to our city, staging great parties and open houses, hiring the nicest gals to help in the ever expanding shop, and just being the nicest mother/daughter business around. Oink, oink!!

Thanks for stopping by on Pink Saturday. Now hurry over to our great hostess Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to enjoy a lot more PINK.

Intoxicating Summer Rain

This week I was thankful for the heavens opening and rain falling on the parched and dried up Southeast. On Monday, after dropping DH at the airport early AM for a business trip to New York, I came home. Rain started falling, heavily - like a grey curtain - covering the dying grass, drooping shrubs, thirsty plants.

The hydrangeas have already faded from blue to dusty pink and grayish green and are well on their way to drying out for Winter display in the house. Their still thick and lush leaves sparkled with raindrops.

I moved some potted plants to the front steps for a bath. Nobody was looking so I stood there with my tongue out to catch a raindrop. It felt cool, clean, and of course wet. I held my arms out, darkened a little by the intense rays of the Southern sun, and felt the rain splatter on my warm skin. The feeling took my breath away.

I'm from a cool country. A land rained on constantly.
For gosh sakes, I grew up in much maligned black rubber Wellington boots........galoshes designed to prevent webbed feet I'm sure. School uniform included a navy blue belted gabardine 'mac' which got a lot of use between September and July. I sloshed through ankle deep water, red clay mud. I puddle jumped. I sang in the rain. I picked mushrooms in the fields early morning in the rain.................before the cows trampled them. I sat on the beach in the rain on a Summer day. I walked the damp firm sand, chasing the seagulls when the tide went out and the rain drizzled endlessly.

This week, following the rain, at a nearby pond the Canada geese with their now almost grown Spring babies were enjoying the fresh water. The one above we've named Bumpy. She is gentle and has fed from Jasmin's hand......which I why we say 'she'.

The heavy rain lasted just an hour or so before it changed to light intermittent showers. Long enough to rinse off the back fence making the now grayish wood grain appear etched by years of weather. The rusting bird boxes, homes to Chickadees, had shiny copper roofs again.

Later the sun appeared through the clouds.
The yellow daylilies were refreshed and soon glowing from their long awaited bath.

I realize now that I love the rain.

I would like to sleep under a tin roof in a heavy pouring rain.

I will plan to puddle jump again, while I still can.

'Wellies' come in colors and patterns now and are 'in style'.

Edited - 8:00 AM

Seems comments can't be left this morning for some reason. Thanks for stopping by though - perhaps this will be fixed later - I'll check back.

12:05 AM 7/18/09

Well it's working now thank goodness. Missed you.

Visiting Beauty

On the front porch floor, a winged beauty unknown to me. Size, very large, the book measures five inches in width. Colors, spectacular, brilliant rust and French blue, my favorites. Stripes and spots so symmetrical - perfection painted on a creature whose life is brief. Another of Nature's masterpieces.

Have you ever seen this moth? I'm thinking it's a moth and not a butterfly despite it's brilliant, beautiful colors. I've looked through several 'moth sites' on the Internet, only to discover there are thousands of beautiful winged creatures with gorgeous colors.............but I can't find this one!

From the book it flew on to my shirt, clung with thick, fuzzy, rust-hued legs, dusted me with orange fairy dust, then flew away looking like a small bird in flight. The beauty of it all in a few brief moments.

Edited: Thanks to my cherished old school friend Jean in England who found this moth here and identifed it as the Royal Walnut moth. Interesting life............glad the adult paid a visit and not the scary sounding caterpillar!! Thanks so much dear friend.

SuzAnna's w/camera on a hot Summer day....

It's fun to have a kid with a camera when browsing around my favorite local antiques/vintage shop, SuzAnna's. Having one with a creative eye who knows how to do fun things such as color accent and videos is even better. Taking pictures of oneself in mirrors is a great idea!

Jasmin and I displayed our rings on this hand.

I was pleased she remembered to look up for this shot............there are fun things always dangling from the ceiling.

I bet in all honesty she would rather have been here, but as we did visit the beach last week while in Maine, and will soon be preparing to head West to the Pacific, a hour or so browsing and chatting with friends here in the blistering sun was also fun.........until we just had to run for shade and a cool drink.

I did get my camera away from her now and then. Here is my picture of STARS, love that blue......................and it was cooling...........

...........and here are the pair of cute little concrete chickens I brought home from SuzAnna's. Now on the dining room table but I'm planning to move them into the fresh air on the porch for the Summer.

Jasmin captured over a hundred images during our visit to the shop! Do you encourage young kids to use a camera? Do you think photography enables kids to see life in a new perspective through a lens.......possibly unlocking their creativity?

What did I buy at Red Chair?

The image above from the Romantic Homes article is what drew me to Red Chair. I just knew a love affair was blossoming even before I passed under the little bright red chair hanging above the entry. Stepping across the threshold didn't disappoint, I was immediately enveloped by old French villages, lavender fields, stone houses from centuries ago. I closed my eyes and saw French country girls weaving linen and hemp into sheets, tablecloths, pillowcases....and those amazing sacks to store precious grain to see their families through the harsh Winters.



Home came these packages, lovingly tissue wrapped and sealed with vintage European postage stamps. I wanted to buy so much more but you know how it is when shopping on vacation, not enough time to measure, contemplate, savor the delights offered............and you don't want to make a mistake when spending hard-earned money!

So many unusual items around each corner, every nook and cranny hiding sweet buttons, old trims, fabrics, sewing items, hat blocks, even brass rings, you just had to reach for them.

So many gorgeous old books ~ you know how they set my heart pounding!

Lots of antique and vintage ephemera including French ledgers, journals, music sheets. Keys, ivory game pieces, all displayed with panache ~ Jocie's background in graphic design certainly shows in every corner of Red Chair.

These are my purchases from Red Chair now at home ~ they were easy to pack and are things I will really enjoy. A thick, creamy French linen tablecloth for my farm table. A long bolster-size heavy natural hemp grain sack with dark blue embroidered initials MT and double stripes ~ searching for a readymade pillow to fit. Large linen napkin/tea towel with my initials MS - had to have it! Two French blue covered paperback books, aged to perfection, and now at home with my other French books purchased last Autumn in Provence.

As mentioned earlier, I'm definitely hoping to return to this shop some day. If you are ever in the Peterborough, NH area and longing for some lovely antique/vintage things for your home, I think you might be pleasantly surprised to find Europe within reach.......and no passport required!