The Little Things

Even as a little girl, I loved Johnny Jump-up flowers. I would gleefully "deadhead" whole clusters of them at a time and skid into the kitchen in my eagerness to show Mama what I'd found. She got quite used to seeing my grubby little fists open up to reveal jagged stems and crushed blossoms.

Johnny Jump-up flowers pop up in the cracks on the patio and hug the edge of the vegetable garden. They're perky and pretty and happy.

In the Cracks

Around the Garden

The next time you're in a funk, make a tiny bouquet of Johnny Jump-ups and put it on your desk. I'm telling you, it will lift your spirits right up.

Mini Vase, Multi-colored Johnny Jump-ups

Mini Vase, Purple Johnny Jump-ups

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
-Robert Brault

However, if you're really in a royally bad mood, you may want to forgo the flowers and the inspirational quotes and head for the nearest bakery instead. If even homemade baked goods don't cheer you up, I'm at a real loss.

Farmer's Market Fun

There's something about a farmer's market that makes me immeasurably happy.

Inside the Portland Farmer's Market

I don't know if it's the crowds of reusable bag toting people, or the dozens of closely leashed dogs weaving in and out of baby strollers, rickety red wagons, and plant stands. It could be the wooden popsicle sticks carefully labeled with black permanent marker: homemade butter, salad turnips, kohlrabi, heirloom tomatoes, rhubarb...or the smudged chalkboards with recipe ideas and growing information.

Assorted Herbs

Fun Things to Grow (and Eat)

Seedlings from Spark Farm

Maybe it's the scales swaying slightly in the breeze or the makeshift tents offering sweet relief from the sun overhead. Perhaps it's the backdrop of half unloaded trucks and the hum of activity between artists, musicians, bakers, florists, and farmers. It could even conceivably be the neat and colorful displays of fresh produce in baskets and wooden crates, or the billions of flower bouquets.

I Don't Even Like Tomatoes But These Look Good

Multi-Colored Heirloom Radishes

To Try Next Time: Salad Turnips

Brownie Points If You Can Identify This Flower

Wildflower Bouquets

One for Every Room, Thank You

Surrounded by people who would rather pay a little more for native strawberries, buy their perennials on a sidewalk, bring home a few jars of homemade strawberry jam, give locally made soaps as a gift, and look up a recipe for rutabaga, I feel tiny frissons of excitement. These are people who love to garden, love to cook, love to eat, love to design, love to experiment, love to learn, and love to talk. These are people who know never to buy anything from the first stand in the procession (and sure enough, the radishes in the beginning were more expensive than the radishes towards the tail end!).

This morning Mom and I woke up and hustled off to the farmer's market (BEFORE my morning workout - can you believe it?! It's progress, I tell you) with the intent of taking a few pictures for the blog.

Of course, we didn't quite manage to make it out of the market without buying a few things to bring a little cheer back home.

Our Haul: 3 Eggplant Seedlings, 1 Mint Sprig, and 1 Quart of Strawberries 

The strawberries were delicious. Small, plump, juicy, and not too hard but not too soft, these beauties packed a punch. I don't know if I'll ever be satisfied with a California strawberry ever again (which just aren't as flavorful...and seem to be on steroids).



A Mid-Afternoon Snack (3/5 Californian, 2/5 Local)


Do you go to the farmer's market in your hometown? What's your favorite thing to buy?

Snippets of Sunshine

At long last, my camera has arrived! I love my new toy - even though it's smarter than I am.

I've unearthed the on/off button, played with the zoom function, discovered the slideshow setting, and located the tiny trash bin for "erase" - not bad for a technologically challenged girl like me! There is also a twisting dial that specifies different settings (pets, landscapes, portrait, auto, etc.) for optimal photography, but I'm quite delighted with the "easy" option that offers "worry free shooting even for beginners".

With a bit of help from Brother #3 and a quick glance at the manual, I've even managed to set the time and date! When I get tired of not understanding 75% of my camera's functions I suppose I'll consult the manual again...but for now the trial/error method seems to be much more my speed.

Here's a quick look at a few of my first snapshots:


Lilacs from Mom's Garden

After what felt like weeks of rain, bright beams of sunlight finally broke through the enormous cloud over Maine that had been stubbornly stationary for far too long. The passing glimpses of blue sky and sun provided sweet relief for us and spurred a blossoming frenzy in the yard.

Red's Eats in Wiscasset, ME

The line coming out of Red's Eats (a tiny lobster shack in the quaint and coastal town of Wiscasset) is as much a part of the town's landscape as the understated yacht club, the adorable boutique In the Clover, and the post office are. It's not uncommon to wait for over an hour for one of Red's infamous lobster rolls (voted best in Maine several years running) - each one offers a full pound of lobster on a toasted split-top bun and an array of condiments to choose from.

Although Red's has become a hot spot for tourists, locals swear by Sprague's Lobster - a relatively unadorned shack located across the street from Red's. Rumor has it that Sprague's rarely has a line, offers ample waterview seating on their private boardwalk, and sells lobster that is comparable to Red's (often at a lower price).



A Boat of Flowers at Red's Eats



An Overflowing Garlic House



Easy Reads



Pink Jack Rogers Jelly Sandal



The Latest InStyle - A Grocery Store Gift from Mom!