Reflections of Summer at the Cottage

“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.” – Henry David Thoreau

Our window boxes are my favorite garden feature of summer! Here is one at the beginning of summer and then at the end!

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Scenes from around the Crabtree Cottage Garden

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A new gardening project this summer! This garden is still evolving and we are hopeful next summer it will be full and lush!

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Which led me to more Garden Centers! We even went to Project Native to dig up full grown plants. We came home with a van full of full grown plants, about 20 or so…. I could not have done this without my assistant on this very hot hot day!

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Because these were full grown plants from a field we had to cut them back before we planted most of them ~ so we just can’t wait until next year when they pop up!

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Of course, food is another huge theme here at Crabtree Cottage!

Stuffed French Toast ~ a guest favorite!

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Caprese omlettes with our garden tomatoes and basil!

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We had some guests dieting, and they wanted to maintain their healthy regime on vacation ~ A diet plate! Berkshire Mountain Bakery Sourdough Bread, poached eggs, crisp asparagus topped with shaved parmesan, with a spinach salad with tomatoes and avocado on the side.

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Beautiful and simple fruit cup.

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We love to eat fresh garden food all summer too! Zucchini from our garden made into zoodle pasta!  Along with corn from the farmers market! Our favorite summer meal!

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Simplicity on a hot day included some Cucumber – Avocado Sandwiches – of course this is Berkshire Mountain Bakery Bread!

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The garden harvest provided us with great dinners! We supplemented our little garden with Farmers Markets around the Berkshires.

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When we just can’t cook another meal, and we are too tired to go out, we have a back up plan we put into action… POPCORN!  Pop over to my facebook page for this Crabtree Cottage Popcorn recipe.

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Another passion here is setting the breakfast table. In the summer it is so delightful when we have an abundance of fresh flowers!

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But, easing into fall floral arranging is fun too!

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Autumn is the second spring when every leaf is a flower.  ~ Albert Camus

This weekend we will be closing the pool. Jeff’s little pool assistant can now relax, and not worry about leaves falling in the pool.

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Outdoor living is getting a new look as we transition into cooler weather!

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Outdoor living is not completely over yet!

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We also have beautiful  memories of our end of summer vacation. Here we are visiting our daughter Julia in California!  This photo was taken at the Madison Gallery where she works. Seeing her at the beginning of summer and then at the end was the highlight of our summer!

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Here she is with the Madison Gallery owner, and the team ~ the glam squad!  We are just filled with joy that she is doing so well, and has such amazing people to work with and learn from.

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Thank you for coming by my blog today. Stay tuned, we have some big changes here at Crabtree Cottage which we will announce soon!

Summer Living

“Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back screened porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the treehouse; summer was everything good to eat: it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape; but most of all, summer was Dill.”  Scout in To Kill A Monkingbird  (Did you know that Dill was based on Harper Lee’s real summer neighbor Truman Capote?)

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Ahhh, summer living! Is there anything more relaxing than a good book and a lazy day?  When you work from your home, and all things home are your work, you have to make the time to relax.  Jeff is actually better at this than I am, believe it or not.  He gets up early and tends to his business. Sometimes quotes and paperwork are complete before he leaves the house at 7:00 a.m. When he returns, and transisitions into relaxation, in the pool he goes ~ splash! Then, just about for the rest of the night, between splashes, he reads until he falls asleep. He just completed a 29 book mystery series that takes place on Martha’s Vineyard.  Sadly, the author has died and there are no more left in the series!

Harper Lee

A good book has no ending. ~ R.D. Cumming

With the anticipated release of Harper Lee’s, Go Set A Watchman, I pre- ordered two copies from The Bookstore, in Lenox. One for us, and one for our daughter.  I had always loved To Kill A Mockingbird – who didn’t. Scout was every girls herione! Need I say, Atticus Finch, in the book and in the movie, was every girls dream!  As I eagerly awaited the release, I emersed myself in all the interviews and stories about Harper Lee. I  re-watched the movie, To Kill A Mockingbird, and then re-read the book. Then I learned all about actors ~ total emersion! Now the time was mine to read, Go Set A Watchman.  Jeff finished it quickly and quietly.  Now that I have finished the book, I am searching for another theme to pursue. I feel a little lost. My thoughts are filled with emotion, and letting go of Scout and Atticus isn’t easy. Processing this new book may take awhile. Understanding the current state of our country, and the complexities around this everlasting topic seem disheartening, and totally disappointing. Yet, even though I feel I have gained some understanding, and I am a  bit more enlightend, I am no more comfortable. So, it is time to pursue my new theme!

I think it is time to dig in the dirt!

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Jeff solved a flooding issue last summer, but left it incomplete.  This project is next on our list.  Our back yard is always a work in progress. My biggest challage, dry shade. I want this little area to be used more. I want it to have that feeling of serinity and peaceful beauty.  Nothing flamboyant needed here ~ just a little more interesting.  The one place in our yard that is shady and cool on a hot day, needs something to draw us up there.  Hummm……. what shall we do here?

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Of course, I want it lush and full like this! This area is also dry shade, and after a few years, it has filled in nicely.  I have a dry shade plan!  I hope my assistant is up for this!

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Play in the dirt because life is to short to always have clean fingernails.

Living in the Berkshires with such a myriad of cultural activities, and with abundandance of beauty everywhere, we have places to go and people to see!

Tanglewood picnics have been plentiful. We had four concerts in a row begining with Cheryl Crow and ending with James Taylor.  We love packing a picnic. Although, when we zip over to Tanglewood on Sunday afternoons, we just bring our chairs and a bottle of wine. We go to the consession area to get a sandwich, and we just totally relax and people watch. This new book has beautiful photo’s of many different types of picnics from very simple to very fancy!

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You bring your own weather to a picnic.

Then we go on Garden Tours and Open Days. Last weekend we went to the Berkshire Botanical Garden. I came home totally inspired and realized I need a few more plants! Since the garden tour and the Botanical Garden visit I have been hitting the garden center’s again!  Jeff does not understand. “Where are you going to put those?”

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Berkshire Botanical Garden.

This weekend we are going to Jacob’s Pillow. We love to start with the Inside Out performance on Saturday nights.

 

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Another tradition in our Berkshire summer is going to The Red Lion Inn.  You haven’t experienced summer here unless you go sit on that big porch, order a refreshing drink, and people watch.  After an afternoon at the Playhouse, a visit to The Rockwell Museum, Naumkeag, or Chesterwood, this is highly recommended. Last weekend after we went to the Botanical Garden thats where we ended up.  The Red Lion Inn feels like home to us. The Courtyard, or The Lion’s Den, end this visit perfectly. Of course, a quick visit into The Red Lion Inn Gift Shop and County Curtains make the visit complete!  Since the calendar has flipped to August the summer bucket list is quite full. So many more activities are on the list!

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Red Lion Inn Porch

Food is my best friend!

The main subject of my day always involves food. What to serve for breakfast. I am always looking for a new twist for my repeat guests especially.  Anything new, easy, fresh and healthy for dinner? Here are some of our new favorites:

IMG_1161Peach, raspberry & blueberry clafoutis

IMG_1154Olive oil pancakes with dark chocolate ~ pop over to my facebook page for the recipe!

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IMG_1193With an abundance of Eggplants from the garden we have been getting creative!  Homemade Baba Ghanoush

IMG_1220These two adorable grandparents came to their grand dogs birthday party ~ bearing gifts!

IMG_1202Max and his birthday football! He was so happy!! We had a summer party to celebate with everything from the garden and farmer’s market!  Max is 13 years old!

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Celebrate the good times every chance you get!

A few snapshots of The Crabtree Cottage Garden:

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IMG_0965Color schemes in the garden….. well not always!

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IMG_1243The red flower in the background is Crocosmia ‘lucifer’   ~ it makes spectacular cut flowers too.

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IMG_1230Every morning I go out to see how many morning glories there are for the day!

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IMG_1247A beautiful butterfly captured in the Crabtree Cottage Garden!

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I hope you are having a wonderful summer. We are savoring every moment of this glorious season and we hope you are too! Thank you for coming by my blog today ~ come back soon.

 

 

Crabtree Snapshots

“Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”
― Pablo Neruda100 Love Sonnets
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Max enjoying a cigar on a beautiul summer night!
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Simplicity at its best!
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Lemon Olive Oil Cake ~ pop over to my facebook for the recipe.
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Today for breakfast I offered a special cheese omlet topper ~ fresh basil, farmers market tomatoes sauted in olive oil, avacado, olives, and a twist of Himalayan salt. A big hit!
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The Crabtree Dishwashing Team ~ Jeff! I really love this man!
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“Do small things with great love.” Mother Theresa
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“Basil ~ Basil ~ Basil. You can never have too much Basil!” Janis Monachina, lol
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IMG_0958 IMG_0964 IMG_0966Years ago we went to Garden in the Woods. I bought these blue pholx (that look purple) and they are just starting to bloom! They last about a month ~ I adore them! I will post again in full bloom!
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A passion flower! It closes up on cold rainy days
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A smoothie bowl ~ we haven’t served these to guests, but perhaps one day someone will request a bowl of health! This was created by Julia. She loves to eat and cook healthy.  Always delicious  and nutritious! That’s our Jules!
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One night she made us this wonder! A beet and bean falafel with a cilantro/basil sauce. An invention any true Greek restaurant would love to have on their menu! We had her make it the next night too! A new summer favorite!
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i have lots of garden areas on my tiny 1/2 acre lot…… my herb garden may not be the show stopper, but it is my very favorite!  Subtle and very useful! Wild and Wonderful.  We have noticed a decline in the bee population.  We have about 10 bees at a time on a good day, compared to a guestimate of 100 at a time.
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These ferns are as tall as I am.  No ~ don’t you dare! 5’3 is a tall fern!
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Thank you for coming by my blog today ~ come back soon.