Sunday, September 25, 2011

Snap the Whip

Can it be?  My calendar says it is the end of September. Already? Really?  I feel like I am at the tail end of a string playing the children’s game Crack the Whip; immortalized for me in Winslow Homer’s wonderful 1872 painting Snap the Whip; LOVE Winslow Homer’s works~

image

If you have ever played this game on ice skates you know how fun and fast it can be!  Summer ended with a fluid flurry of activity, and now our late summer is giving way to fall.  It’s been one incredibly quick ride from June until now, and I feel the pace will be fast until after Christmas and New Year.  A magazine shoot will soon be published; a best friend visiting in two weeks’ time; my sister and kids will visit just before Halloween; I am planning my line sheet for 2012, as well as some major gardening projects for fall.  Of course I have also started to make some easy fall recipes, including pumpkin soup for two, with the pumpkin as the tureen~

IMG_8896

And Acorn squash soup, using the same old French recipe with bread and garlic and cream; wait ‘til I show you this recipe, you will use it for fall I promise~

IMG_8899

I was able to squeeze in a few rare hours in the garden today, mulching, feeding, and digging up the citrus.  I did manage to also box up a lot of canned goods for a local food bank, which I will drop off this week.  And I left two baskets on the gates of two neighbor friends; they are dear and will be thrilled; we talk of dogs and gardens and never business, but they finally discovered the baskets.  Pulling me back to summer, in the garden I have an amazing amount of roses in bloom, here Double Delight~

IMG_8909

The light was poor as it was evening, so these are not great shots, but the fragrance of the large bouquet is lovely in the kitchen this eve, a nice reminder of summer.  And yet today I also noticed that the camellias have suddenly started to bud, and so for holiday we will have yet more lovely flowers; loving my Bagatelle rose at the moment, which has gone crazy with old world heavy-fragrance blooms, as well as the yellow and orange Sheila’s Perfume; one of my most prolific bloomers~

IMG_8908IMG_8910

Enjoy your late summer in to fall; much more to come very soon~

9 comments:

  1. Hi, your flowers are so beautiful! Wish I had beauties like that in my foggy area.
    All the best.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your roses are so beautiful~ Have a wonderful week my friend~ xo Rachel

    French Farmhouse 425

    ReplyDelete
  3. Double Delight is my daughter's favorite rose. It has such a wonderful spicy fragrance. I've sent your blog to her to enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Can't wait for the acorn squash soup recipe. Even the description has me wanting some. Very nice; and timely!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Time is also flying by for me. My husband and I have September birthdays and it always seems like they are over and time goes on hyper speed and the new year is upon us. My mother use to grow Double Delights, loved the scent. I can imagine the wonder of your garden :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Andrea I am so excited to see the recipes for these delicious autumn dishes!

    Your garden is a delight as always!

    Thank you for the very special email. You made my day!

    Love & Hugs

    Karena
    Art by Karena

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh I am intrigued and enchanted! Acorn soup?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those roses are amazing!

    I'm ready for a little like weather. It's been in the upper 80s here with high humidity ~ ugh!

    Looking forward to those recips .... mmm

    Jo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Andrea, I am excited for these beautiful looking soup recipes! Acorn squash is delish! You take the best pictures!!!!!!
    xo Yvonne

    ReplyDelete