Just One in One Thousand

Somehow we just happened to notice that this post would be the 1,000th for NDL.

We deliberated about whether that called for something significant to mark the milestone. 

And then we thought, "nah", let's just carry on as we would have. 

So here is what was next in the queue of drafts. It is a photo taken last spring of a jumble sale sign from the UK village of Temple Guiting.

Make that an Extraordinary Jumble Sale sign!

Back in the  80's we read several books by Barbara Pym*. 

Mostly what we remember about them is that the characters were perpetually preparing for church jumble sales while having tea and talking with or about the vicar.

So imagine our delight to spot the jumble sale sign outside this lovely church yard,

across from a sunny tea room,

in a charming English village

on a beautiful day in the middle of a long ramble through the countryside.

The only thing missing really was a vicar sighting.

Sometimes we feel apologetic about the number of times we have traveled to the same country when there are so many other places under the sun that we have not seen. Days like this, however are why we return again and again. Every visit holds in store a new delight.

*Very coincidentally Wikipedia tells us that Barbara Pym died on this very date in 1980. It also tells us that " A superficial reading gives the impression that they are sketches of village or suburban life, and comedies of manners, studying the social activities connected with the Anglican church. Her works are deeper than that, however. She closely examines many aspects of women's and men's relations, including unrequited feelings of women for men, based on her own experience. The dialogue is often deeply ironic. A tragic undercurrent runs through some of the later novels." 

Looks like we will be putting Barbara Pym back on our book list to see what 35 additional years of life experience brings to a rereading.

Cordially Yours

If you come around this upcoming holiday season you might be offered a small glass of blackberry cordial made from our very own up North blackberries.

The recipe came from an octogenarian church lady with whom we have served many funeral dinners.

The recipe is simple: 4 cups berries, 4 cups sugar, 2 cups vodka. 

Stir once-a-week for several months. Strain. Enjoy.

Do you remember the sisters on the Waltons? They often offered their guests refreshment of "the recipe". We like to think we are helping to carry on a lovely tradition of making food and drink from local ingredients that stretches way back past our church lady friend.  In fact she may have gotten the recipe from her famous relative who might have picked blackberries from the same bramble patches that she does now.

Perhaps it was handed down from the wife of her great Grandfather who is remembered for having sold the eagle named Old Abe to a Civil War Regiment to be their mascot. It's a great story and you can read about it here.

See you in November for a cordial visit!

Rootbeer Remembrance

A couple of years ago at the small town 4th of July celebration we love to attend, an extended family had their own parade entry.

They walked alongside a truck that held kegs of homemade rootbeer made from their mother's recipe and gave out samples to the crowd. The mother is departed, but the tradition of their lake time rootbeer making and spending time together lives on.

What a wonderful legacy.

And we think Hazel would be very proud and pleased. We would be.

Coquina!

On our recent bonus trip to Florida we needed to choose a micro shell to collect as we were banned from bringing home our usual giant haul-o-seashells.

Darling, colorful little coquinas fit the bill.

So many on the beach this time. Even the one who discouraged the idea of taking home shells became addicted to finding the pretty pairs.

One of the only other bivalves to make the cut and join the coquinas in the carry-on bag looks like a Big Kahuna coquina, but it is really a sunray venus clam which we learned from our googling is tasty and may soon be more common on seafood menus near you (if you are in Florida).

Every time we think or type coquina we want to say Coquina! as in Tequila! The perfect, circa 1958, top hit of The Champs, soundtrack for sipping our Sunshine State vacation beverage of choice, the Grapefruit Margarita.

And We're Eating...

Tusky Tuscan meats.

Pecorino. 

Here are the girls who make it all happen.

Homemade pasta with Pecorino and wild leek.

Followed by this delicious plateful. 

And sheep's milk ricotta for dessert.

This little piggy is one of the "wild" boars at the agrotourism farm.

Oh, and yes we were drinking too.

Beautiful Brunello. You know that is a true Brunello by it's orange tone.

A wonderful tasting session at Cordella ended with grappa. 

No one but the driver remained awake for the ride back to Rome.

That is the sign of a good day in Tuscany.

Day 2 And We're Walking...

From Mawnan Smith across beaches,

through woods,

past more, many more, bluebells 

and beaches,

following reassuring National Trust signposts,

to the busy port of Falmouth.

There we found super yacht builders,

and fishing boats,

refreshment,

and still managed to navigate to the dock in time to catch the ferry

for a pleasant ride to our day's end destination, St. Mawes.

 There we found a fine meal and a pint or two at (where better to celebrate our first real day of hiking the SW Coastal Path?) The Victory Inn, and rest well at the peaceful and lovely  Nearwater.

Happier Hour

It's a Wisconsin thing. The Old Fashioned. 

We are happy to announce that the quintessential cocktail  has now been bottled for your convenience.  This is really good news for those of us who keep a pathetically under-stocked liquor cabinet. 

We came late to the Wisconsin supper club scene, but quickly learned that if you want to blend in you better be ordering beer or an Old Fashioned on fish fry or prime rib special night. And if  you go with the OF it would be well to decide before you are asked whether you want it sweet or sour.

We suspect that many OF aficionados in our age group learned how to expertly make one back in the 60's or 70's when it was still okay for a kid to bartend the parents' cocktail party. Or they just picked it up from hanging out in bars, which is still okay for minors in Wisconsin, and observing the ritual of creating the OF.

We have always let the professionals mix our drinks and now they have made it even easier for us. 

Pick up a six pack and a jar of maraschino cherries and just like that it's a party with Arty's.

Take Note

 recitethis.

Spooky Spirits

Target knows grownups like treats too.

Not too far from the candy corn, snack-sized Snickers bars, and dreaded Bit-O-Honey, is a carefully selected grouping of Halloween-themed wines. Mostly blood red of course.

That 5:00-7:00 trick-or-treating time can get awfully long without a little sustenance so stock up. 

Grab some cheese and crackers too. 

 Oh, and don't forget the candy. Although it's been done...raiding the pantry for cans of corn and the like is not all that popular with the kids.

The Sure-Fire Outdoor Recreation Incentive Plan

Forest Lodge Nature Trail.  A great place for a fall color hike.

The trail, with interpretive guidebook, is great for kids and adults. 

It passes through a diverse set of ecosystems including a hemlock grove, a bog, and a swamp, as well as pine, tamarack, maple, birch and aspen stands.

And hey! When the hike is done it is just a bit more distance down the road to the classic lodge and bar at Garmisch USA resort. 

Due to having walked the longer outer loop of the nature trail we felt very deserving of the Garmisch famous Bloody Mary and their amazing Swiss mushroom burger.

Yes, you can believe your eyes, you are seeing a pickle, olive, celery stick, pickled green bean, asparagus and Brussels sprout, lemon and lime slices, cheese cube and....a beef stick! with beer chaser on the side.

A meal in a glass and an impressive feat of beverage engineering.

That's how we do things in the Northwoods.

Days of Wine (and Cheese) and Roses

African marathon runners have nothing on gardeners in the stamina department.

A recent garden club field trip had members crossing several county lines in search of 

new greenhouses to explore. But first thing's first. 

Lunch and wine tasting at Munson Bridge Winery fueled the fond-of-foliage friends for plant shopping 

up and down and round about Hwy. 29 East.

Munson Bridge.

Well, you can't have wine without cheese so...the ladies had to stop at the world famous 

Holland's Family Cheese  home of prize-winning Marieke Gouda. 

They were driving right by for heaven's sake.

Here are the girls that really make the champion gouda possible.

It's all good, 

but may we recommend our favorite, the foenegreek?

Be patient, it's best when aged.

At the end of the day the cars could hold no more plants. 

But somehow, someone managed to wedge in a case of wine. 

Can't wait for the garden club Christmas party!