27 August 1957 “Dealing with the Town, Preparing for a Hurricane, Spam Recipes, and a Wonderful Woolworth’s Advert”

Well, again I have been rather lax in my posting. But, in my own defense, this month has been insane with the odd things that have come up. Certainly the main issue has been dealing with our rental house, the tenants, going to court, cleaning the mess and so on. Thus far, besides paying a man with a truck and trailer $200 to take a large load of garbage and old furniture from the yard, I have make nine trips to our local dump with my station wagon filled to the brim!

There was some good news this past Wednesday. As I had mentioned before, we had to meet with the town Health Code department, as we were given a citation concerning the garbage and various rotting furniture in the yard. We did not get this to our actual address but to the rental address which we had no access to until we got the tenants out. Then we still did not know anything had been mailed there (Most likely tenants threw it away). So after Hubby’s staycation we went there to begin dealing with the aftermath of the worse tenants ever and found the notice stapled (into the nice clapboard siding I might add) saying we were now being charged $100 a day starting the first (it was then the 16th).

After our story to the board, the tenants, the court case and so on, they forgave us the dept. One of the ladies on the board even said, “I used to be a landlord, so I know what you have gone through. Notice I said ‘used to be’”.

Now, however, we have Hurricane Irene heading for our shores. It may be nothing, as last years hurricane was nothing when it reached us but some light rain and very little wind. But, many are saying this could be as bad as Hurricane Bob, back in the early 90’s, which could mean no power for a week. So, we have been dragging in all our heavy vintage metal patio furniture from the terrace. All potted planters that are not too large to carry are stored in the barn and we have battened down all the hatches. We even nailed in some cross beam wood across our Barn buildings doors, as one set is a French door full of glass that opens outwards.

All the kerosene lamps are filled and placed about the house, board games at the ready, extra ice laid aside and many containers of water at the ready. I even stocked up on some canned meats and things. Even, yes, a can of Spam. I could not resist. It lead me to consider all the Spam recipes from the 1950’s and here are a few.

This fiesta Peach loaf sounds, er, interesting? I bet it actually is quite good. And, I have canned peaches set aside as well.

Here are a few Spam recipes which I found HERE.

Sweet and Sour Spam Recipe
12-oz can SPAM, cubed
8-oz can bamboo shoots, drained
1 lg. carrot, sliced diagonally
6 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cucumber, cut in chunks
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp catsup
3 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cups water

• Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, green onion, garlic and cucumber cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisply tender.
• Add remaining ingredients except the SPAM and bamboo shoots.
• Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened (5 to 6 minutes).
• Add SPAM and bamboo shoots. Cook over medium heat until heated through (4 to 5 minutes).

Serve over rice or noodles.
4 servings

 

Spam Salad

Spam Recipe for Spam Salad
1 can of Spam, regular or low-salt
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup diced sweet or dill pickle
1 large hard boiled egg, diced
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
Sandwich spread or salad Dressing to taste
Chop or grind Spam to consistency of coarse hamburger. Mix with other ingredients using enough sandwich spread or salad dressing to consistency you desire. Chill thoroughly. Serve as a dip with chips or crackers or spread on bread Spam salad sandwiches.

Now, apropos of nothing, I thought I would close with this wonderful Woolworth Ad for sewing notions and things. It is just fun to peruse and it gives ideas for vintage style buttons, lace, and ric-rac.

If I am suddenly not posting for the next week, it might very well be due to the fact that we are without power. It was out for almost a week during Hurricane Bob. I hope all of you who are in the path on the East coast or have loved ones there, you are prepared. At least if we lose power we can play pioneers for a week, which might be fun.

Happy Homemaking.

22 August 1957 “Another New Vintage Weekly News and a Vintage Farming Video”

I won’t bore or disgust you with yesterday’s cleaning efforts at the house. Suffice it to say that I have never in my life almost become ill from smell and cleaning, but yesterday made that a first. I shall leave it at that.

Today we have another new Weekly Vintage News (They are now weekly as daily was far too much for little ole’ me to keep up with) and its main focus is Farming life in the 1950’s. So check out this week’s News by clicking the link on the right or simply go HERE.

To accompany this theme, here is an interesting two part video on 1950’s farming. You will notice the continued talk of soil conservation and the farmers working together, not much as happens today with Corporate farm mandate and dictates to the remaining farms from the like of Monsanto. The example of how to manage the forest is also evidenced to be greatly difference than today’s act of stripping entire forests. Enjoy it. I have also place it under Gardening and How We used to live on APRON TV.

Happy Homemaking.

 

21 August 1957 “Off To Clean and A Diet Article from 1957”

Gussie and I are off today for yet another day of cleaning at the rental house. Having spent more than we can afford on the mortgage these past six months with no rent and all the legal fees and now an impending fine from the town, I cannot afford even $1 to a cleaning service. So, as usual, all the hard work falls to us. This has happened before with this property, though this is the most severe and extreme. We will return again tomorrow to hopefully tackle the yard and actually get to the normal cleaning, such as simply wiping down walls, cleaning appliances and vacuuming and mopping floors. Today will still be using snow shovels to literally scoop up garbage and filth into bags, move old destroyed flea ridden furniture and pick up broken dirty dishes from floors and yard. The one good point is it makes my daily maintenance cleaning of my own home seem like a walk in the park. Ah, to only have to do the dishes, wipe down the counters and dust and vacuum. That is the part we are looking forward to with this house, as it will be the final stretch.

Therefore, as we are off soon, I thought I would share an interesting article. As we have all discussed before, dieting and the yo-yo eating many of us have experienced is not necessarily a new thing. The temptations of more food, greater variety and advertising had started a trend in our country in the 1950’s that we are still seeing grow here, obesity. A problem unthinkable during War time or the Depression.

Enjoy the article and let me know if you think the advice sound and good today. Happy Homemaking.

19 August 1957 “More Disillusion of Modern Days”

I have become a victim of our throwaway society yet again. The lack of respect for what we own and what we buy for our children because they are so cheaply made and cheaply bought was brought home to me.

As many of you know I am continually struggling with our rental house. It still sits empty (well, of people at least) as of Sept 3. However the amount of literal garbage, waste, old broken furniture and endless broken and unbroken toys and baby things litter the yard.

We went there the other day to get the power turned back on and saw a note from the town. Though they have our mailing address, they saw fit to send a letter to the actual house, which we had no access to legally (though we own it-well the bank owns it mostly). We are now being charged $100 a day due to the yard being full of garbage, broken furniture and a large unwieldy refrigerator our tenants felt the need to leave on the deck.

Amid all the rubble are literally piles of children’s toys dumped here and there. A giant, but shoddy and torn ‘Disney Princess’ play tunnel rots and gathers bugs in the front yard. We, now, are expected to pay for all this clean up with NO obligation on the old tenants who are long gone after months of not paying rent. They left their dirty dishes not only all over the house but saw fit to throw them out the second story window so they smash into bits.

So, last night hubby and I headed over to start the process and soon found ourselves oddly itchy. We looked down and were covered in fleas. So we had to buy many flea bombs, close up the smelly house and set them off. It just keeps getting more and more hard work, costly and insane.

Back to my original thought: How our cheap to buy and make throw away society teaches us to value nothing, including people. If your children’s toys are so cheap and easy to buy and pile up, are they cherished? No. If your dishes and pots and pans are pennies at Walmart, why clean them up and take them, you can always buy more and its not as if you had to pay your rent or clean up costs.

I think the most obvious thing I have come to see that has changed our culture since the 1950’s is the mass production. Many people can say this or that about free enterprise or the joy of so much so cheap, but how does it affect us as a culture and individuals as to how we treat our things? If they are easy to get and break and we throw them out, we have no respect or care for them. Doesn’t this same disrespect wash over into how we treat one another and relationships? Is it all throw away? Are we all entitled to easy and cheap everything and if we don’t like it anymore, spoiled brat style, can’t we just toss it on the wayside, be damned how it affects those around us or even the earth we live on? Who cares, we can buy more.

Many people cherish antiques and toys of old. They were special because they were few and well made and cared for. How many children today will think fondly of their rooms full of the latest toy which becomes obsolete as soon as the next big blockbuster commercial, er…I mean Movie comes out. We our given a new product in the form of entertainment and then flooded with clothes, accoutrement, toys and the like emblazoned with that image. Then, a few months down the road, its something new. We are on an endless cycle to want more and to be shown the ‘next thing’ so we know what to buy.

All I know is this year, after the past two years in 1950’s, couldn’t be more a trial by fire to demonstrate our current country, world and human psyche of disposable and cheap relationships, living, things, and even homes.

I am honestly not sure when the nightmare of this house situation will end for us. We have a long road ahead just to clean up the mess and now we have to go to the town and try to talk them out of charging us so far 1800 dollars for a mess we didn’t make and weren’t allowed to clean up (as we were not allowed on our own property). The laws and rights of private property, the continual growth of the ‘throwaway’ and the continued training in the “I could care less about anyone but myself and my things and even those I don’t really care about” has really been brought home. I hope we can make it free and happy out of the end of this year, but its seems so far away. And at every turn our personal rights and personal property seem to be up for grabs for anyone who wants to step upon them with the law behind them. The power and right for the small middle to own and try to improve seems almost a joke, as it is bombarded from both ends. The top with its endless buying up and conglomerating into a few small controlling companies of airwaves and production and below with the endless laws set in place to basically create those who have no need to care for themselves or their belongings or others, as someone else shall always clear it up for them and they have no responsibility.

I am sorry this is such a sad post, but this past week has been just day after day of increasingly bad and frightening news about what we understand about our personal and property rights. Do we really own our own things? And have we any rights?

17 August 1957 “Passive Exercise with the ‘Stauffer System’”

I have discovered many myths about the 1950’s to not be true. The eventual uncovering of old literature has often left me realizing much more sincerity and honest to goodness common sense under the illusion of the mindless man-controlled women of the day.

However, every so often, I find something that reeks of the empty promises of today. This article on Mrs. Sauffer’s System with her “Magic Couch” reeks of such promises. As this week’s Vintage News deals with exercise and diet, I thought this a good article to share.

This article is from a 1957 magazine, so we are beginning to see the weight obsession beginning here in the late 1950’s. This will of course culminate in the late 1960’s when 90 lb. Twiggy breaks onto the model scene and girls and women are suddenly meant to wear dresses SO short and revealing that a new form of bending at the knees had to be invented so as not to flash the world.

But, back to our good Doctor endorsed passive exercise. This one is rather interesting and seems to have had various locations in which one could attend to use the Magic Couch. Enjoy the quick read of this article.

I wonder, though, if the talk of posture and possibly teaching one to relax, stretch, and of course stand up straight may have in fact helped one to get a better looking figure rather or not they actually lost weight. The lady in the photo shows that simply wearing a slimmer dark colored sheath rather than a full skirted dress, stance and the height of the heels as well as the holding back of the shoulders does make one look thinner. You can see it is a matter of how they posed and dressed the woman. But this brings to mind the fact that if we, rather we lose weight or not, do dress better, stand up straight and make an effort now and again our appearance to the world may indeed be ‘thinner’ which today stands in for character and kindness.

I couldn’t help but think of this wonderful song from the 1990’s. Though it is not vintage per se, it did make me recall it and I think it is a well done funny song that points out, in any time period, how silly and obsessed we CAN be about our weight. Enjoy and Happy Homemaking.

16 August 1957 “A Trip to the Rail Road Bridge and the News Returns”

I thought I would start with a few photos from our staycation here on Cape Cod, where we make our home. Having had almost an entire week from the computer has made it rather hard to return. I find, when I am not set to edit photos, write  or mess about with ideas for the blog/site, I am happy unplugged. It seems rather an anachronistic sort of statement, but is rather true for me. Certainly I greatly appreciate the liberating freedom and the endless opportunity the computer and internet allow me. The fact that I have met so many and continue to share with all of you is an amazing and wonderful part of my life. It is my ‘plugged in' aspect of my existence. But one can very easily, if one is allowed, to slip into a sort of timeless daze of disconnect.

I am rather apt to brood, so extended periods of time unplugged  would most likely not be good for me. But, for a week here or there, it can be rather bliss. The morning coffee with the chickens and the wild birds. The day stretched before you with no more responsibility than my usual homemaking chores and the promise of bike rides to the sea. There is poking about town or idle rainy hours in old bookstores stuffed into dilapidated houses, creaking under the strain of the quickly dying medium of the printed word on paper. I have had lazy afternoon teas of laughing with friends, hot sticky days of sand and salt, followed by cool evenings by the fire; a lull in the conversation, the crackle of the logs and the sound of the Katydids in the dying orange light of twilight. It has been a good week off.

Where we live we have easy access to the Cape Cod Canal bike trail. This slip of pavement winds its way along the man mad Canal that split our little peninsula into an island many decades ago. There are two bridges to access Cape Cod, and one Rail Road bridge. The latter is an interesting bit of metal and ingenuity that lowers when a train needs to come onto or leave the Cape. This allows our rubbish to leave and once the passengers of trains to enter.

We biked one afternoon to the other end of the canal. Our usual tour is a simple ride to the Sandwich Beaches, but if you ride toward the bridges, the Canal Path eventually takes you to the end at Buzzard’s Bay. There you can see the Rail Road Bridge.

Here it is as we approach it. The little slip of pavement with the yellow line is a narrow path for bikes and pedestrians only, so cars or motorized vehicles. We were lucky that day as we heard the distant whistle of a train on the opposite side. We sat upon some large rocks and waited.

Here it is half way down. The large metal box shape in the foreground is the great steel weights that work on a pulley  system to raise and lower the bridge. We see it has completely been lowered. Obviously, when not in use, it needs to be raised as very large ships, container ships and the like, are always heading through the canal as well as pleasure craft and even rather small boats. And the train makes its way onto the Cape.

The bridge itself is rather beautiful and has some interesting sculptural qualities. You can see the dramatic affect with a dark rain cloud passing by.

There is, along the way to the Rail Road Bridge, a stop along the way known as the old Trading Post. It is a Colonial trading post from the 1690’s. The old building is maintained by the Historical society and is rather interesting. You can see the old original leaded windows and the interior, much like our own old home, is all old post and beams. There is also a spot to picnic and relax. Here you can see our trusty old bikes with the Canal in the background.  The old trading post building. Here is a blurb about it:

Aptucxet Trading Post may have the earliest remains of a Pilgrim building. The known facts present a fascinating story, not only of an antique building but also of Bourne's participation in 17th-century events.

and a link to the site HERE.

The sign by the Colonial Garden adjacent to the Trading post.

All in all we had a lovely week. And, as many of you know, we currently have our old home on the market. However, we keep waffling on rather or not we actually wish to sell it. Part of our plan, if the house were to sell, was to move to a larger piece of property Down East, in Maine. Yet, this house holds so many memories and is such a wonderful place in the summer, it is a hard decision. We have also been considering a move back to the City part time, which makes this house so convenient, as Boston is only an hour away. The current political and economic conditions of the country and the world keep breaking in on our idyllic past-recreated lives. Things which would not have been part of decision making are certainly not to be ignored and we are very concerned for our futures.

But, more of that later. I am just getting back into the swing of things here.

There is a NEW News. It is now the WEEKLY news, so you can click the link to the left or go HERE.

I am working on another idea to become part of the blog as well. I am looking forward to getting back into my time and effort here. Some more fun recipes and discussions on how to incorporate good old vintage ideals into our ever changing modern world.

Until tomorrow, then, Happy Homemaking.

15 August 1957 “Back to the Ole’ Grind”

Well, after a week of staycation, it is back to work for me. Hubby is back to work tomorrow and so am I with my blog. I apologize for my lapses, but hope you will forgive due to my holiday.

Until tomorrow, then, Happy Homemaking.

10 August 1957 “Easy Cheese Crackers and Staycation Under Way”

There is something about getting out of the pool or ocean or water, basking in the sun and reaching for those deadly delicious little cheese crackers. Perhaps it was my actual childhood in the 70’s and 80’s, but Cheese crackers, be they Cheezit, Nips, Store brand, just had that taste of Summer. The damp hands, dripping hair and warming sun mingled with the sandy legs or smell of chlorine and then that quick taste of cheesy goodness.

It of course follows that I would try to make my own. And I have in the past as well. I have shared that recipe. And much as most of my pastry type recipes it calls for cold butter broken into flour. If you have a food processor, which I do not (Well, my hands, a hand held pastry cutter, or two knives are My food processor) it can be quick and easy.

The other day, after swimming, I had a powerful craving for these little yummies. I often don’t buy such items as they don’t fit my food budget and I do try to stick with homemade. Though, this Summer, I have treated myself a few times with the actual thing, in the package, just for ole’ times sake. I have to say, I don’t know it there is a chemical additive, but I could honestly eat an entire box of Cheezits myself! While, the same amount of homemade cheese crackers, I never could. It would be far too filling.

Hubby mentioned to me that they use labs and spend quite a bit on the chemical compounds to affect the eating stimuli in the brain and such procedures are used to mix the right amout of this and that into processed foods so our brain literally doesn’t know when to stop. I believe it, as having done the experiment, it works every time. Cheezit’s, easily the whole box; Homemade: usually around 20 crackers and I am done.

Well, onto my point. I wanted to make some easy crackers and being without a food processor (save my own little hands), I thought I would try an experiment. Instead of cold butter, room temperature/soft butter and rather than use water, cooking oil (Olive/veg what have you). The following was the surprisingly flaky and wonderfully delicious results.

  Look how flaky and wonderful. Here is the simple recipe. You can always fudge here or there. More oil if you need, less, more cheese. You want the dough to be easily made into a ball without sticking to your fingers. You can even sprinkle the top before baking with Romano or Mozzerella, garlic salt, what have you, go nuts.

 50’s Gal EasyCheezy Crackers

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons soft butter

1 cup grated cheese (your choice of cheese, a medium to hard cheese preferred)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, but recommended)

4 tablespoons olive/vegetable oil

Mix the ingredients until dough like and then for easy rolling, place between two layers of waxed paper.

With a knife cut Cheese Cracker size squares (about an inch square) and then poke holes with a fork. This allows for flaking and puffing of crackers and even cooking.

Cook in a 350 F oven for about 25 minutes. Watch them and then decide how dark you like them. This first batch, which is lighter, were so good and had a more gourmet taste, like a cheese straw. But, I found if I cooked them a bit longer until they turned a darker orange, they tasted SO close to the Cheezit brand crackers (without the chemical engineering to not stop eating of course).

You can see the do not have to be all uniform and look lovely in a jar on the counter. They last about five days in a sealed jar. These are easy and well worth the little time to make them. You could make a double batch the day before a picnic or beach outing and surprise your family or friends. They will ask for me, believe me.

As hubby and I are still busy with our staycation, I have been a very bad blogger and I do apologize. We have had some rainy days thus far, but were able to do our usual bike to the beach, swim, read, relax and then bike into town for lunch, tea and lazy summer afternoon poking about the shops. Just as we returned from our day yesterday, we sat on our little terrace and enjoyed a fire in the little fireplace, some cake and coffee and then the rain began again. But, hubby went off to his office to write and Gussie and I headed out to our Barn to play cards and Chinese checkers while the dogs lazed on the old wing chairs and the rain beat upon the old windows. It was a very good Summer day.

This year, despite all the continued stress with our rental property and tenants, it has been that sort of Summer that you don’t want to end. Great lazy days mix with my usual busy days of chores and to-doing. Casual moments for lunch or bike rides, cool dips in the ocean or fun excursions to find our ‘treasures’ from the sea to line mantels and window sills. Overall, it has been a good Summer.

Though, I know, that Autumn is on its heels. Every so often I catch its strong scent in the end of the Summer rain. That slightly ripe and rotting tone that Autumn brings. I have always loved that season and when it arrives, I am sure I shall. But, today, this week, with hubby home and Summer still seeming to stretch before us, I have to say I am not excited about Fall just yet. How about you, do you live where there are seasons? Do you look forward to the change? What is your favorite season?

6 August 1957 “Easy Coffee Cake and Summer Time”

  As I have been so extra busy, but still wish warm good food for us, I whipped up this quick coffee cake yesterday morn. It is not as tall and rich as my usual coffee cake, but it is quite easy and very good.

I had an unexpected guest last evening when our Gussie brought over a friend. So, with an impromptu tea, I served this with some fresh strawberries with apologies that it is not as good as my ‘usual coffee cake’. The guest replied it was the best she had ever had, so there is much to be said about homemade.

This is really a combination of two recipes the first for an easy cake the second a topping is a rough approximation of streusel:

BUSY DAY COFFEE CAKE

1 cup all purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg

• TOPPING
• 1  cups granulated sugar
• 3/4  cups Flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix ingredients and pour into a 9” round pan (I use a glass baking dish) Mix topping and spread on top before baking. Sprinkle with chocolate chips or nuts or what have you.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

So easy.

Speaking of summertime, the song “Summertime” is a wonderful old standard written by George Gershwin in 1936 for Porgy and Bess. It has been covered thousands of times. Here are few variations and how they make me feel.

I always love Ella’s versions of songs. Her sing song literary style makes it almost a little fictional vignette. You have the feeling of just finished reading a concise short story in your favorite literary magazine.

 

This Miles Davis version of the same song is a wonderful late summer tune. Your hand lazily drags through the cooling waters as you sit basking in the hot August sun. A bead of sweat rolls down your back, so you slip back the brim of your old beach hat and sip the cool iced G & T and wipe the sand from the pages of your paperback book, dog eared and slightly warped from salt water and eelgrass book marks. It IS Summertime and the Living is easy.

This rendition of Summertime by Peggy Lee has, to me, an early Autumn feel. It feels more city to me. Your enmeshed in your corner cafe in late September. The multitude of breath from cafe chatter, the steam from your hot coffee clouds the windows. You run your fingers down the glass making stripes to catch the passersby. Their bundled up muted colors flash in and out of view and you recall the warmth of the summer days. The sandy floors and screen doors, the cool touch of the waves, the hot sticky skin with just a taste of salt. Along the old window sills sit the day’s treasures: seashells, an old mermaids purse, a razor clam. The days seem as if they can stretch into forever and the hot smell of the old house and the laughter of family and guests below.

Now, the cool air blasts you back to the present as the door whips open. The black of your cooling coffee looks deep and dark. Summer is over and Autumn has taken hold of you. You gulp the dregs of your tepid coffee, replace your old woolen beret and you are off into the cool rainy city streets. Summertime is over for now, but next year’s promise is locked away to keep, like the lawn chairs, and old beach furniture and the shuttered windows of the Summer house. It will come again…Summertime.

I hope all are having a good day. This week my hubby has a week holiday and we are going to enjoy more of the Cape as our own Summertime draws closer to its end.

Happy Homemaking.

3 August 1957 “Some Recipes and More Apologies”

I have felt such a cad, or rather the female version of a cad ( I shall have to look that one up) leaving all of you in the lurch this past week. I can make excuses, which I have done, but really I should be better at time organizing now to slip a few hours in here and there. But, quite honestly, with all the drama of the rental house ( I may actually share pictures of it with you so you can see the wretched state. Some of you will remember my little white dining room makeover in 1955, you should see that room now!)

Well, I am extra busy again today, but feeling the need to share, I thought I would like to present you with these lovely fun Summer recipes from one of my magazines. Sometimes cooking in the Summer heat can be a bear and before there were any prepared foods, except frozen veg and TV dinners, we homemakers had to use our noggins to consider how to make cooler use of the kitchen.

So, here you go and do enjoy. I shall return on a more normal basis, I do promise. There is also much up in arms about the selling of our little antique home as well, but I shall share all that in time. Today, enjoy the Summer, cook up some cool refreshments and take advantage while you can. Labor Day is only weeks away now, so relish the rest of Summer.

Happy Homemamaking.

1 August 1957 “Checking In”

I am sorry to be absent these past days. I have had a more than usual full plate. With decisions on our home for sale, final dealings with tenants and court dates (we were able to get into the house today…I can’t even discuss the damage right now).

I just wanted all to know I am fine and am very apologetic to have not posted in the past few days. I shall return to normalcy soon as we make some more serious decisions. I have been able to also enjoy moments of Cape Cod summer fun. Tea yesterday in town and a fun poke through our local shops. Biking to the beach and gorging on seafood. Relaxing by the fire as the cool of the evening sets in, the sounds of crickets and our laughter filling the summer night. I am trying to keep some good mixed in with the bad.

I hope all are well and are busy and enjoying their own Summer (Or whatever season your hemisphere is currently in)

Happy Homemaking.