Southern Magnolias

Southern Magnolias were a nice part of our trip to the South. They were everywhere, and they were in full bloom when we arrived in North Carolina. The scent was heavenly. The trees are evergreen, and they are gigantic. (As you can see in the bottom photo - they dwarfed the buildings.) Beautiful.

Mayfel's

We just returned from 3+ weeks in North Carolina. My husband was studying at Duke University, and we had a great time. On the way there, we stopped in Asheville - what a lovely town. We had dinner at a place called Mayfel's, and I had eggs benedict that included fried green tomatoes and a lime hollandaise sauce. Yum!

Friday Featured Art: Pale Sage Sky

Joe has been hard at work on numerous summer projects. This new piece is called Pale Sage Sky, and I love it.

Thursday Text: The Parting Glass

I just finished the 5th book in the Isabel Dalhousie series by Alexander McCall Smith. I know, I'm plowing through them - but they're a fun read. This last one mentioned a traditional Irish/Scottish song called The Parting Glass. As it turns out, this song is also in Waking Ned Devine. Have you seen that movie? So funny.

Oh, all the comrades e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts e'er I had,
They'd wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I gently rise and softly call,
Good night and joy be with you all.

Rolls Royce

We saw this Rolls Royce on the road the other day. Seriously. It was an amazing car. How much do they go for these days, anyway?

Sneezing Bear Cub

Have you seen this little bear? So cute. And hilarious.

Glasgow Jug

I've been reading more of the Isabel Dalhousie series by Alexander McCall Smith. Probably my favorite thing about them is their setting in Scotland. In one of them, he mentions something called a Glasgow jug. This is what he's referring to. They were made in the late 1800s/early 1900s and were in this shape and often painted in blue and white with this design. I'm not sure what the design signifies, but I think it's nice.

Friday Featured Art: Lane K. Newberry

When we were in Nauvoo last month, we visited the Cultural Hall. The upstairs ballroom is lined with paintings by Lane K. Newberry. He studied at the Art Institute in Chicago and painted numerous scenes of Nauvoo. I really loved his work. It is very difficult to find images of his work online. Here is one (there's kind of a glare on the painting) with President Hinckley as the Nauvoo Temple was being reopened in 2002.

Thursday Text: Persuasion

Last week I finished Jane Austen's Persuasion. It was the last of her novels that I had to read. It seemed more slowly moving and a little less complicated than the others, but I did really like it. If you haven't read it, this may be something of a spoiler (- so stop reading now!).

Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne toward the end is undoubtedly the best part of the book.

... You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever. ... Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. ...

Summer Berry Meringue Roulade

I was browsing around M&S's food page again and found this recipe. It looks fantastic. Cornflour is corn starch, caster sugar is superfine sugar, and icing sugar is powdered sugar. I'll have to figure out how to convert the amounts that are listed in grams, but I really want to try to make this.

Full Circle Laid Back Dish Brush

I recently purchased a new dish brush. It's called the Laid Back dish brush by Full Circle. They have some really great products. This brush has a bamboo handle and a replaceable head made from a plant-based plastic. I haven't used it yet, but I'm sure it will be great!

Oranje Leeuwen

I LOVE the Dutch national soccer team. They've been my favorites for years, and they are always so fun to watch. The match this morning was no different - a great start to the 2010 World Cup for the orange lions (oranje leeuwen).

Friday Featured Art: Charley Harper

I was recently introduced to the work of Cincinnati artist Charley Harper. It is whimsical and fun. I especially love the cardinal prints.

Thursday Text: Remember

I was at a bookstore the other day and flipped through a book of poems by Christina Rossetti. I read some of her work way back in my British Lit class, and I think I should like to read more. This one seemed familiar and was nice.

Remember

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Hardcover Penguin Classics

Penguin has released five more beautiful volumes of their Hardcover Classics series. I really love the design. I'll take one of each.

Juliska Cornerstones

I've seen these ceramic trays advertised in House Beautiful a couple of times, and I really like them. They are from the Cornerstones collection by Juliska. I'm sure that part of what attracted me was the styling of the ads, but I think they would be a lovely gift.

Joel Dewberry - Ginseng: Tossed Flowers

I ordered some of this Joel Dewberry fabric from Etsy. I'm hoping to use it to reupholster a chair that I bought at a thrift store. I hope that it will go nicely with our little sofa - and that I can manage the reupholstering!

Friday Featured Art: George Edward Anderson

It's been a while since I've been to the Museum of Church History and Art. I was actually trying to look up something else when I came across their site. One of their current exhibits features the photography of George Edward Anderson. He photographed historic Church sites from 1906-1913. The pictures are fascinating - especially when compared to how the sites look today.

Thursday Text: Dusk in June

A lovely poem by Sara Teasdale:

Dusk in June

Evening, and all the birds
In a chorus of shimmering sound
Are easing their hearts of joy
For miles around.

The air is blue and sweet,
The few first stars are white, --
Oh let me like the birds
Sing before night.

Bleeding Hearts

This is a bleeding hearts plant that we saw in Oak Park. I love them. I think that they are so pretty and so poignant. Do you like them?

Emma Smith's Necklace

When we were in Nauvoo a couple of weeks ago, we visited the Community of Christ visitor's center. They had one of the beads from Emma Smith's golden necklace shown in this portrait. It was a beautiful, round, metallic gold bead. So interesting.