The Time is Flying

 

 

Samantha and Tara selling tomatoes in our front yard. This photo

was taken about 15 years ago. They made some cash that summer.

Essence of Summer Eating

Summertime always brings heat, humidity, and insects, which make gardening so difficult, but when you sit down at the table and eat food that you planted, cultivated, and harvested the negatives give way to real pleasure. What do the French say,   joi de vivre?

A lot of the vegetables have been spent and we've mowed them down

and are now trying to take care of what is left.

Gracen helps me shell beans.

Locally caught Sand Bass fillets, baked potato. fried okra and green

tomatoes, pinto beans, and hush puppies.

Reception

Tara and Jarrett were married in May and yesterday we had a reception for them.

Tara and Jarrett with his parents Danny and  Sandie

Dorothy and I with Tara and Jarrett

With Jarrett's grandmother Louvena

with Emily and Corbin

with Kelly

Dorothy made the cake.

Gracen helps unwrap presents

My sister Rita and me.

Jenna and Gracen

Rita, Dorothy, and Karon Dunaway

Robin, Amy, and Madison





Sam and me

                                       Cousins: Morgan, Gracie, Alex, and Jenna

Cousins

Our nephew Jack Dunaway's daughter Sarah is visiting from California. We had a big country dinner today to give her a taste of southern cooking.  It was the first time she had ever tasted okra. We topped off the meal with blackberry cobbler and cinnamon rolls.

Sarah, Marley, Hunter, Jenna, Gracen, and of course Riley.

That Time of Year

As the years go by the seasons seem to come around quicker. For me, winter is barely gone when the summer heats up and brings all the things we expect from the season, such as:

One of my favorite summer bloomers, the purple cone flower.

Hibiscus

We are picking black berries every day.

Ripe tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, squash, and okra make summer meals a delight and bring to mind family meals of years gone by. Accent those meals with the heat and humidity, the sound of cicadas in the trees, and fire flies at dusk and a person gets a feel of one's place in the universe and a feeling of belonging to that place.

Perfect Summer Meal

ri

Steak hot off the grill, baked potato, sauteed summer squash, a salad

of kale, chard, spinach, and arugula, and fresh corn. And don't forget

the iced tea.

4th of July

The family came down for the holiday. We had lots to eat including apple pie and home made ice cream.

Waiting for the sun to go down.

Tara and Marley