Have you ever used a hand crank ice cream maker?  My maternal grandmother had one, and she’d sit me next to her on her porch sofa, where we’d take turns at the handle.  I imagine more progress was made when it was her turn.    I remember her kitchen, and the hand stitched sampler that read “Apple pie without some cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze”.   I didn’t think that sounded very appealing - cheese on any kind of pie.  And I was pretty sure that I’d never seen her eating pie with cheese on top.  I was a quiet little girl.  I liked to observe.  I knew fully well my grandmother's profound love, and I had no doubts about her bountiful kiss with a squeeze.   READ MORE

Read more

I had the most glorious intentions of sending you a postcard from the Cotswolds, but one thing led to another, and I did, literally, end up stopping to smell the roses.  So today's note is a longer version of that postcard, with some dreamy images and inspiring highlights from my ten day garden tour through the Cotswolds.   I think I visited a total of eighteen gardens, all offering unique beauty and much to ponder in dreaming up my own garden schemes for many years to come.    Among them was Highgrove, and its the beautiful thyme walk shown above.   READ MORE

Read more

An Invitation to Bermuda

Today, lucky me is off visiting gardens of the Cotswolds.   

And today, lucky you has a wonderful Love Note to devour, guest authored by the charming doyenne of Bermuda, unpaid BDA Chamber of Commerce MVP, my dear friend who wishes to remain anonymous!

I'll now hand over the prettiest, hibiscus laden, beribboned baton (which I'm sure you can imagine in your mind's eye):  READ MORE 

Read more