Lunch on the Porch

We spend so much time on our porch and eat at this table quite a bit because the ceiling fans keep us cool. I have enjoyed the two white hydrangeas so much  in pots on my porch. I bought one to plant in my garden and then received the other for Mother's Day. I  will miss them on the porch because the blossoms are  sadly beginning to fade. It occurred to me I should do a tablescape before they did. 

Since I got married in the seventies everything is vintage including the planter but the flatware, napkins and placemats.

 Napkins are from World Market, Flatware from Williams Sonoma and placemats from a local gift shop.

I have a large serving bowl that goes with the salad bowls. I love the colors!

Remembered this little birdhouse later. My daughter painted it in high school.

 Apple Pecan Chicken with pomegranate  vinaigrette dressing. Yes, you guessed it from WENDY'S and Milo's sweet tea. After working in the garden all morning a girl doesn't have time to cook. Anyway, I love this salad with blue cheese and cranberries and treat myself with it often in the summer.

I have chuckled to myself that I felt like Carolyn Roehm in her white garden at her Weatherstone home in Connecticut. Her books are so gorgeous and I swoon everytime I look at them. She has a new one out that she did the photography in herself called, FLOWERS.  

Beautiful Roses!

My daughter shared her photos from her friend, Libby's garden. What a gift of beauty! I just had to share with you.

Remembering the fallen

As we remember those that have given their lives for our freedom on this Memorial Day may we thank God for our nation and those that have served and our serving today.

May God Bless America!

Summer Cloches

All the cloches except the last one in this post are at my daughter's house. She has great taste and decorates beautifully. Just wanted to show off some of her creativity.

Marty's choche parties are fun. Can't wait to view the other posts linking up.

Garden planning and bird watching

The confederate jasmine is blooming on my arbors and their fragrance is intoxicating. The weather the last two weeks has been extremely pleasant and porch sitting is my favorite thing to do. I daydream and analyze my garden and watch the birds. They are amazing and I have so many questions about their habits. Decided finally to look up some things in my bird books and then pulled out several gardening books.

I have so many gardening books and I spent the afternoon looking at these and more daydreaming. One thing lead to another and I started thinking about the flowers on my grandmother's quilt and surrounding myself with pretty things I was thinking about.

A gardener should keep records and put plans on paper. I have a few times but my plans are mostly in my head. Making pictures and having them to refer to on my computer jogs my memory and my pictures are my records. Love the digital age.

As I have said before if you would read the books you have you would learn so many things.  On days like today I wish for friends sitting here discussing landscaping and  bird habits with me.

Do you spend as much time as I do thinking about what you should do next?

The quilt I am using as a tablecloth was made for me by my grandmother when I was a child. The squares are hand embroidered. When my grandmother did the embroidery and piece work she no longer was able to do quilting. The quilt pieces were in a cedar chest for years. After I married I had someone quilt the coverlet and used it on my daughter's bed for a number of years.

Do any of you remember a newspaper magazine called The Grit? I believe my grandmother ordered the pattern for this quilt top from that magazine. She made my sister the same quilt top with pink and blue squares.

More bird watching but this hummingbird is hard to photograph for a novice photographer like me.

Isn't this the sweetest thing? I couldn't believe I was able to capture it. Are they kissing? Feeding his mate?
 Bird watching and garden planning are fun. My hydrangeas are budding and a few are opening. Gardenias have swollen buds. This has been a fun afternoon to share with you.

Linking to Seasonal Sundays, Inspire me Tuesday and Wow Us Wednesday.

Saturday Breakfast