Cabin Fever

My favorite quilt... at home in the cabin.

Well I don't have it yet... I have been holed up here at the cabin this week all by myself, that is until Frank gets home around 5:30. It has been peaceful (except for the neighbors one night) and has given me time to think and plan and dream...

I realized today that I am stronger than I think and that I am NOT going to let it get the best of me; loosing my brother has been the most difficult thing I have ever had to face and to be honest I have not handled it well but I hope today is a turning point.

I am looking forward to Disney World with the kids and my kids! Less 5 months to go... I am also looking forward to traveling to Alabama. I didn't make it down 3 times this year like I planned but there is always next year... perhaps Andy and Julie will host Christmas (hint hint).

About the only thing I "didn't get away" from was the heat... it has been just as hot here as it has been at home, oh well pretty soon we'll be complaining its cold.

Until next time,

Camella

Over the Roads, Through the Woods & the Streams To Papa's Cabin We Go...

 Ah, the cabin...nothing fancy but away from it all... a little spot of heaven even with 4 adults and 2 children. We girls spent a few days up in Fair Play, SC with Papa (Frank) and did a little swimming, hiking and yep roaming the country side.

The Porch of the cabin and flowers there;
please wipe your feet!

Dorie saw her first waterfall (she was not impressed), we drove 3 hours round trip to see a country store and ended up in the mountains with a thunder storm rolling in... we quickly turned around and headed back down! Eating boiled peanuts and laughing over some of the things we saw.

Dorie & Althea cooling their feet in a cold mountain stream...

The upper falls.

Becki footing it back up the trail.

Oh course we grilled out and yes, oh yes there were S'mores... I remember my first S'more and Girl

Scout trips so long ago... and no matter how much time flies or how many I eat... there is nothing like that first bite of warm marshmallow and melted chocolate bar with crisp graham crackers....

Dorie, Becki & Althea crossing the footbridge to the falls.

VANILLA PEACH JAM

Chappell Farm Peaches

From the roadside stand in Kline, SC

To the kitchen of Camella

3 pounds of fresh peaches

Juice of1 lemon

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 tsp Fruit Fresh

1 box Sure Jell

5 ½ cups Vanilla Sugar

½ teaspoon butter


Prepare vanilla sugar at least 3 days in advance (best if allowed to sit 1 week) or purchase store bought.

Vanilla Sugar: Bury 1 vanilla bean pod (scraped or not) in an airtight container with 4 pounds of sugar

Remove pod before using sugar

Measure exact amount of sugar into a separate bowl


Before beginning jam, place canning pot (with rack) half way with water and bring to a boil.
Also have another small pot of water simmering in case you need it to cover jars.

Peel, pit and dice peaches

Place into a 6 to 8 quart saucepan

Add Fruit Fresh

Stir in lemon juice

Stir 1 box SURE-JELL into fruit

Add ½ teaspoon butter
(to reduce foaming)

Add vanilla

Bring mixture to full rolling boil

Stir in sugar quickly

Return to full rolling

Boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly

Remove from heat
Skim off any foam

Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch tops

Wipe jar rims and threads

Cover with two-piece lids

Screw bands tightly

Place jars on elevated canner rack

Lower rack into canner
Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water if needed

Cover; bring to gentle boil

Process 10 minutes

Comin down on a sunny day....

Flycatcher, Catbird or Mocking Bird?

Okay, it's hot here; dang hot. Been over 100 for a few days and no rain in over a week... my garden is complaining, I'm complaining and the poor birds have been silent, that is until I turned on the water hose. I have tried to keep the bird bath full for the past week and it just hasn't worked, so I did them a favor today and well they repaid me ten times over.

Look close! He's on the bottom left side... An American Goldfinch.

The beautiful music they played while playing in the sprinkle was wonderful; and they all got along. Even the Mocking Bird didn't try to run anyone off.

Here he is again...

 So in honor of my CCR days... ( do you ever stop loving CCR?)

Someone told me long ago

There’s a calm before the storm,

I know

It’s been coming for some time.

When it’s over, so they say,

It’ll rain a sunny day,

I know

Shinin down like water.

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain

I want to know, have you ever seen the rain

Comin down on a sunny day

 Cardinal....First he tried a shower in the tree.

 

Then he moved down lower to the bird bath.

Finally he took on the mud puddle and nearly drowned himself....

before flying away.

Fourth of July in Barnwell SC

I have had a love for fireworks since I was a young child. My grandfather who was 95 when he passed away never gave up the chance to view them or to take us; once when I was an adult he called and asked my mother and my family to travel 6 hours to Florida to go watch them at the country club… we piled in the car and went!

I have viewed them in various locations, over the beach, a river, in my hometown, Connecticut, Disney World and once while traveling through Richmond VA we saw them from the car… what a beautiful sight that was.

This year we gathered at the Veteran’s Memorial Park in Barnwell to watch them, listen to the local military band from Ft. Gordon and enjoyed the company of many of our family who had also come out for the fourth. Top left: Althea and her Papa pointing at the sky. Bottom left: Althea and her mom waiting for another round of fireworks.

Grayson and Althea; seconds cousins looking like siblings!

Althea before we went to the park.

What a wonderful country we live in and what a privilege it is to be able to publicly gather and enjoy the music, friendship and fireworks.