Au nom de la rose~

Roses on tables in Aix~

When its beautiful here..it reminds me of Provence..the blue skies..the heat..

the flowers..

the lunches we had out..

here we have them in..

except w/ grandsons on their birthdays ..nice weather days by the water♥

lovely salads in squares..

on terrasses..all so very magical..days I will never forget.

I made a neat salad..Alice Water's..Food and Wine..

Baked Goat Cheese Salad..

I added honey to the vinaigrette and used Panko..

you can find the recipe here..

perfect summer salad..for lunch or for dinner!

My French salad plates I have had for years and they have aged so well!

Jill Butler Designs

In Provence..so many pastry shops  ..so many.

you are often tempted to skip lunch and have a pastry.

When I succumbed to temptation..it was for Sacristains:)

Easy to replicate at home..not exac

tly like the shop ones..but good enough..crunchy sugary almond delights.

I did not use this recipe..I used from a French site..but they look like mine:)

I used bought PP.

So good!!

here you go..

Mine was taken here.

Bon weekend and ensuing week~

Our tradition with each of the boys..on their birthdays..we pick them up and take them out for lunch then they shop:)
Every year..Noah heads to Toys-R-Us..LEGOS!
He is an Avengers/Lego afficionado.
Both are loves of his so when you can combine the two..=happiness doubled.
He sets them up in no time.
Makes him so happy.
My daughter saves all the booklets..his sets are intact..many set up in his room..he has well over 100..she stopped counting..he started very very young:)It's a passion for him.
I like that little passion.
He's so careful w/ his things too..lol like his dad;)i.e.  his toys:)

Roses and muffins and painting and beetles:)

Always gleaning~
Recipes~
Ideas~

Always~

How else can one learn when at home..

I love getting recipes from blogs and IG..and Pinterest.

Thank God that old adage about not sharing recipes is a thing of the past.
Blogs and IG..and Pinterest ..all about sharing.
Ideas
Expertise
Talent
Knowledge.
Thank YOU!

I love when my roses second flush..
No chafers.
Yes the Japanese Beetles but there is no comparison between the two.
Rose chafers are chafer clouds that swarm all day long.
You cannot get rid of them.At all.
A JB..doesn't  swarm.
Neither are my Bffs.

The reason why..

Eating Henry Hudson.
They love tomato plants too.

Just saying.
Pick your enemies;)


I love seeds..zinnias and calendulas..etc etc..but heck you have to be patient.. and not all take..but when they do..They're  lovely.

I am enamoured w/ petunias again thanks to an Instagrammer that recoomended Jack's Petunia fertilizer:) I can't get it here..but found some in Plattsburgh.
It was Cindy..Luluinparis 17 that told me about it:)

Some of you may remember I won an original Vivian Swift watercolor..It's on my windowsill..since;)

I asked Vivian THIS year where she had bought her 4x4 frames..and she told me.And she offered to send me some if I could not find..
I hate imposing..so said..Oh no..and meant it..But that was super nice.

And..I  am like a relentless dog gnawing on the bottom of someone's jeans or a bone..when I get an idea in my head..

I looked here there and everywhere..even Hobby Lobby in Plattsburgh..Michaels..etc..
To no avail.

Lo and behold..

In a wonderful QC shop I frequent fervently..there they were..Have been playing w/ them..
and have been funny painting scenes from last year's trip..this scene..Oppède -Le-Vieux~
I think I have the painting bug..not in a serious manner but in a hobbyist's manner for certain;)
All of it..the whole shebang..
Paper ..paints..♥

If you want to bake something decadent..

Try these:)
I had fresh blueberries so did not use frozen raspberries..but just imagine w/ the raspberries too:)
Moist to the max.
You can find the recipe ..right here..Baked By An Introvert~
Keeper.

I am making pesto ..pesto..pesto..pesto..because of that basil..already jars of basil vinaigrette and containers of pesto..all because of those plants..that pic was taken after I had stripped cupfuls for a second batch of pesto to freeze on Monday..
It is stunning this year.That's where my garlic was:)
In closing..

wish we could all have the nature of a soon to be 9 year old..

So all 4 of our Littles play football..
Football to me..is..hard.
I hate watching them get hurt..
I have no interest in the sport when one of ours is not on the field..
The sport makes me covet   a superzoom.
I only had brothers..they were into it:(
And it on TV.

So back to the boys..
Max and Noah are on a WINNING team..it was 44-0 this weekend.
I see the championships in their future..  kids 10-11  ..

Oli..who was on the Provincial championship team last yr..is 8..soon soon 9..but had to stay in this younger team..
Poor Littles..Oli is the star I must say.In that team..and I feel funny even saying that..it's like bumping into someone and you ask how their kids are..and you hear..oh he's a doctor!  And my other one has an amazing job..head of finance..

No one ever says..they are happy.Why.
Is it the accomplishments that count?

Or being happy and kind..ok smart helps etc..but let go of the accomplishments..always someone better prettier wiser.


That scoreboard? Oli did the 6 points..this after having almost scored a TD but a Little on his team did something wrong..that Oli didn't see running full throttle w/ the ball..and a red flag was dropped..who knew Oli would have to try again after having just run the field in excruciating heat w/ a 500 lb uniform and helmet on?

But he did..started all over..and scored a TD..the child knows football like an adult..even his "bros" say he is good..

This child doesn't whoop it up.. you know..like when athletes do well and swing their fists or hands in the I am Proud and great way.. be he ever so humble.
I asked Jacques if he knew any golfers that were that humble..

He said:"It's Oli's age.."he doesn't know pride or show offship.

All I can say is God bless Oli..hope he never changes.

To see someone do so well and not show off.
Is so so lovely.

There are a few things I like about this sport..like watching parents be nice encouraging parents and not the bullies we see on TV lol..  I love seeing brothers congratulating each other.
I love seeing children active.Problem solving..thinking..camaraderie..
I also like the respectful way they act..w/ coaches etc.

One parent..I loved this..after the game...the coach..coaches..talk to their teams..the boys are hot..gather in a circle for post pep talk..a few boys started taking their equipment tops off..and one dad looked and his son and said:"  ... Don't take it off"..It meant" respect the coaches and the end of the game and the talk"..3 minutes  more wearing it will not make a difference.
I liked that.

I find being disrespectful..about anything..  quite disrespectful:)

I can be very set in my old fashioned ways..
Like manners and thank you notes..and opening doors..and giving up seats..

And punctuality;)
♥

Next year?

More ZINNIAS♥