Fourth Wedding Anniversary

Four years ago today my husband and I were married, and since then I've known the happiest years of my life.



For our "fruit and flowers" anniversary, my sweet hubby picked out this beautiful selection of fruit and a couple of bouquets of tulips. He couldn't find the large vase, so arranged the tulips in the top of the blender. This made me fall in love with him all over again.



I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be married to such a wonderful man. Happy Anniversary, Darling!

Weekend trip

My gorgeous, sweet husband and I took the weekend off to reconnect after several months of his busiest work season. We rented a cabin on the Frio River and sat around the fire, cooked on the grill, listened to music, and explored the banks of the river (though it was too cold to swim for everyone except Daisy). There was no TV, and our cell phones didn't work. It's heaven to be so alone with that sweet husband of mine.







On the way home, we enjoyed an old-fashioned meal at the Rexall soda fountain lunch counter in Uvalde. Here are a few more photos from our trip.

In bloom

Here are a few favorite blooms around the garden.


These amaryllis are, I suspect, very old. They came with the house. I have moved them around a few times and I think they are happy in their new spot.


The couple we purchased the house from planted these freesia. The white ones are lovely and serene and sweet. You would never guess judging from this quiet photo what other extraordinarily loud colors they are blooming in.


These irises were originally planted in my grandmother's garden. The family transplanted them to all our respective homes after the house was destroyed by a tornado (after my grandparents passed). They are definitely a very old variety. We also found what seem to be the same irises still growing in the location where my great-grandparents' house was located decades ago. It's probable that my grandmother transplanted these from her mother's yard. And now they are also with me. Certainly my most prized plant.

Local farm visit and lunch

Continuing the effort to eat local, fresh food (in smaller portions), I visited my local farm-in-the-city yesterday to pick up some produce.


I'm lucky to live within a few miles of this all-organic farm that offers a wide variety of produce and some offerings from other local farms like eggs, cheese, and the yummiest goat's milk ice cream.


The mid-1800's era farmhouse with the gorgeous surrounding fields and grounds is my idea of a dream house.





I bought lots of yummy ingredients that inspired me to go home and start cooking, and eating: leeks, shallots, chervil, sugar snap peas, pea shoots, basil pesto goat cheese, and chocolate almond goat milk ice cream. Plus, I bought a couple of heirloom tomato transplants to get the spring garden going.


First course at lunch: pea shoots and green shallots sauteed in a bit of good butter and served with brown rice. Probably the tastiest thing I've eaten in a month.

On a French Cooking Kick

Netflix sent me The French Chef this week, and now I'm thinking all about French cooking and the French way of eating.


A few nights ago a friend and I made Salade Niçoise based on Julia Child's instruction in the French Chef episode. It was really delicious, consisting of simple, common ingredients in a combination that is unusual for the American palate. Dinner felt like a very special occasion.

I've also been trying to eat more per the French custom, with smaller portions and with greater variety. Today's lunch was butternut squash soup with a little blue cheese, polenta with sauteed swiss chard and garlic, and a half of a grapefruit.


More French cooking and eating is sure to come!