hydrangea :: life-long favourite

I grew up with a giant wonderous Hydrangea bush in my Grandmother's yard situated right at a quiet corner of her house. It was always a small place of refuge as a small child sitting under and behind that magnificent flowering goddess of a bush!

I feel so super lucky to have a gorgeous one in our little courtyard!!!

pickling peppers

One of the things I miss the absolute most of my home country is simple pepper sauces and Louisiana style hot sauces. I have, after a year, decided to try my hand at making my own. I started with the simple one first. After buying 3 types of varying heated peppers at the market, I consulted my Southern Momma and she gave me the simplest of instructions:
wash peppers
put in jar
boil vinegar
add a little sugar
pour over peppers & cover in jar
put on lid
let sit for 2 weeks & enjoy!!

I can't wait two weeks!!! Wahhhh! They look delicious!

**UPDATE**

The pepper sauce tastes good at 1 week, tastes a million times better after 2 weeks and tastes freaking glorious after 3+ weeks! Tastes exactly like my grandmothers! Woohoo!

a memoir: Orange Grove Granny

I've lost my last living grandparent. My Paternal Grandmother whom I've called my Orange Grove Granny most of my life. The story goes that I distinctly started calling her Granny in the Trees at a very early age. Orange Grove Granny lived in the middle of the orange grove that my Poppy farmed (as opposed to my Granny that lived in town). It was his parents land that they bought when they landed in the States from Poland.

My Orange Grove Granny was Ruth Hendry Odowski. 
Born in 1919, she lived to be 89.

Eating watermelon on the shore of Lake Alfred in July 1956.

  She survived her husband (my Poppy) Narcys Odowski.

And her 3 children survived her!

Pictured here from left to right: Aunt Judy (Judith Novack) holding 'the baby', 

Aunt Ellie (Eleanor Miles) and my dad, David Narcys Odowski.

I particularly love this picture of her. ...the caption on the back written by
Aunt Judy reads, 'Mom didn't spill her Eggnogg even though she looks
like she did!'....so cute!!! My Orange Grove Granny has always reminded
me of Julia Childs (perhaps a reason of my utter love for Julia??).

Valentine's Day 1974. 

A wee me in the lap of my Orange Grove Granny.

less is more

Generally, I apply the Less is More attitude. 

I have these hanging plastic clothes pins on a cart in my cozy room and I find myself gazing at them a lot. I am completely in love with the simplicity of them and their slightly off colour. And I have been delightfully surprised at the many uses I find for them!

Last year my Polish Grandmother got to the point where she couldn't live alone. The whole family went to her house and cleaned it up and out. I brought home a car full of relics (not including the furniture that was later delivered). These clips being among the stuff....best thing was, they were still clipped on their original packaging card. This explains their groovy colour. From the colours and packaging design I would say they are from the late 60's or early 70's.