just begin

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IMG_2359 I do live in my head too much. I think it's safer to be stuck in there than to venture forth, I suppose. I've had a lot in there to keep me company too. Thinking about writing. Thinking about photography. Thinking about this blog. I've been wanting a project, a way to focus both the writing and the photography, but I'm spending a lot of time looking around for just the right project. There are so many options. Habit, 365, 100 photos. I start to look, to dip a toe and then I get scared and fall back to trolling photography blogs. Safer to sink into the work of someone else than to try to focus my own, I suppose.

The woman who's been teaching the few photography classes I've taken this year pointed us to this blog. I love it. David's posts really resonate with me, and he seems to be speaking what I feel of late. The title of this post is a play on two of his recent articles. Clearly a brilliant photographer, but a gifted writer as well, what he shoots and what he says stretches me. I like that, and I need it too.

So, as David points out, you just need to begin. Worrying overmuch about what kind of project to do is merely a way to keep you from actually doing. 

But what to do?

What to do?

I'm wondering if it's time to shift things around in the Blue Rain Room.

I'm wondering what kind of photography project to do.

I'm wondering how to jump in and start writing again.

A couple of times now, I've mentioned to my family about making a shift to Blue Rain Room. When I do,  I get a chorus of "No!" And I hate the idea of saying good bye to my little blog. But things are changing. I've changed in the nearly four years since I started what was meant to be primarily a crafting blog. I don't craft as much. The actual literal Blue Rain Room is piled overflowing with yarn and fabric and things needing to be put away and ironed. I'm doing different things now. I do take a lot of pictures. When people ask me about my blog, I say that it's a testimony to my family and our life together. It's not about what I just knit or that quilt I still need to finish. My family is the most important thing. While I don't think that all that many people visit this space, well, it means a lot to me.

Do I still want to keep telling the story of my family? Well, yes, I do. Am I ready for that story to be a part of something more? Well, yeah. I think I'm ready for that too.

Like I said, what to do?

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sunday supper

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IMG_2434 We had Neel's new favorite dinner last night. We're still cooking out of Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures. With a recipe for Mexican Grilled Corn and a pile of ears from the farmer's market, it seemed a good thing to add to our chorizo and potato tacos. Except Lanie has a suggestion for how to eat this corn that may sound a little odd. For me, it was a revelation.

First let me say that my friend Debbie doesn't regularly read this blog, and for what I am about to tell you, I'm glad. If she is here (hi Deb!), please stop reading and swing back another day. Debbie has a thing (and it's not a good one) about mayonnaise. And what Lanie suggests: well, it takes mayo to a whole new level. The Baylesses recommend that after you grill your corn, you smear it with mayonnaise and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Yeah. That's what they say. I'm of the opinion that mayonnaise makes everything better, and you know what? It does. Even corn. I was the only one brave enough to try it, and it was...awesome. Oh lordy. Don't be afraid, just go and try it.

Callum walked us through the meal Top Chef-style, describing each ingredient and answering the judge's questions. When he didn't quite finish his corn, I was happy to oblige.

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5 things I think I think and some things I know

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A semi-regular to regular Friday feature to wind down my thoughts of the week (semi-regular because, let's face it, how good am I at adhering to a schedule?). Hat tip to Peter King of MMQB.

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1. I think summer is my favorite season.
2. I think I live in my head too much.
3. I think I need to live more where I live.
4. I know I love cool showers after a day at the beach.
5. I know I want a new basket for my bike.

P.S. Speaking of Peter King, today is my dad's birthday, and man I hope it's a great one. No, my dad is not Peter King. But he deserves a great birthday regardless.

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a cheesy surpise, by Callum

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IMG_2097 Yes, you see, my dad and I made nachos. This was a fun and inspiring process to do. We made a list and went to the grocery store and got all the ingredients. Then we melted some cheese on the chips and then we put down all the ingredients.

IMG_2100 One of my favorite parts was putting the chips all around the edge of the plate.

IMG_2105 My dad and I were just getting ready to sit down and have our nachos.

IMG_2108 Here we have dug into our nachos and they taste really good!

IMG_2111 We finally finished our nachos. The process of eating and of making them was really fun!

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ottoman empire

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IMG_1850 I've had this ottoman for ages that I dearly love. (Do you recognize it Mark? It's from that chair and ottoman that Fern gave us) It came to us from a friend after a serious envy problem I had. The chair is no longer with us, and I'm still missing it. And now the ottoman. Serving as seating and end table for years can do a number on a piece of furniture. A cinder burned a hole in the top and a beagle got a hold of a corner. Who could that have been, I wonder? Anyway, we were in need of a recovering, big time.

IMG_1855 So I ordered some fabric and assembled my tools. I realized after I started that I should have taken a "before" photo, but at that point there was NO WAY I was going to undo the work I'd done. Apparently I have little patience for projects such as these.

IMG_1860 Still, I muscled through, and look! A whole new piece of furniture. The colors seem really vibrant to me after the faded stripes of the ottoman of old, but I have enough to cover a floor pillow, so hopefully after that it'll be less jarring. But hey! After a major drought, I made something.

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dig a little, swim a little

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IMG_1527 It took forever, but we finally made it to the beach yesterday.

IMG_1510 It was brutally hot at the house, but by the time we got to the oceanfront, the temps had dropped ten degrees. It was foggy and gray with a light breeze...the perfect beach day in my book!

IMG_1516 Callum had a goal to dig a hole.

IMG_1525 So he did. I helped.

IMG_1543 Then the fog moved in. Going...

IMG_1544 going...

IMG_1545 gone.

IMG_1508 It's official. Summer has begun.

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what we did

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IMG_1477 We drove up the Eastern Shore of Virginia for Father's Day. The original plan was to head to the battlefield at Yorktown, but with temperatures in the upper 90s, traipsing around a battlefield didn't seem like the most fun we could have. So we opted to explore the strip of land between the waters; it's a part of our area that we haven't spend nearly enough time in.

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IMG_1475 We stopped at an historic inn for lunch...when we saw all the elderly people walking in, we knew we were onto something good. Callum had no trouble finishing off both of our cups of crab and corn soup. My BLT with "shore tomatoes" was delish.

IMG_1499 After lunch, we drove on to a winery. There are three vineyards on the shore (Virginia, at least), and we'd like to hit all three. We started here, at Chatham Vineyards.

IMG_1496 I love the juxtaposition between the old, old house,

IMG_1486 with the high-tech work that goes on next door. That's the press, there in the back.

IMG_1483 Some low-tech work too...I love a process like winemaking which continues apace...centuries old traditions tweaked but not forsaken.

IMG_1487 The tasting was delightful, from two chardonnays (one aged in oak barrels, one in steel), to a surprisingly refreshing rose' right through to the dessert wine. (Although I think Neel and I both would have appreciated a slightly bigger pour...)

IMG_1490 Guard dog.

IMG_1493 Very menacing.

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IMG_1501 From the concrete and steel of production to the rows of grape vines, full to bursting, this was a very nice day.

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splash

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Last 12 Months - 4554 Our kitchen project is finally nearing completion (I know! Can you believe it?). There have been several milestones that I've failed to document here, and one of those important ones was the backsplash. I plan on writing a post on how it all began... once we've reached completion, but a new backsplash was a big part of it. Once the counters were in, Neel took a class and tackled the tiling. He learned pretty quickly that there's a difference between tiling horizontally (like they did in the class) and vertically (like on our wall), but he managed it. He sees all the imperfections, but I think it's beautiful.

Last 12 Months - 4556 I helped with the grouting and even that was harder than it looks on the DIY network!

Last 12 Months - 4692 Imperfections or not, I think it's beautiful.

Last 12 Months - 4852 Even better than I expected, and how often does that happen?

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maybe Martha had it right after all

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  IMG_1397 In the summer issue of Everyday Food, Martha has an article on burgers. Did you see it? The last few issues have had some good stuff in them. I tend not to be a skeptic, but when I saw the recipe for Aussie Burgers, I had to go to the source to see if it was authentic. Turns out, Martha was spot on. Of course we had to try them.

IMG_1343 A quintessential Aussie dinner calls for quintessential American side dishes, so I made Julia Child's potato salad.

IMG_1355 We're in the south, so of course I use Duke's (the secret of southern cooks).

IMG_1363 Bad light, good salad.

  IMG_1370

IMG_1378 So we gathered on Friday to test this delicacy. Of course there was Bundy and Lime...

IMG_1434 The grilling began, and things look pretty familiar up to this point.

IMG_1432 Just add eggs. Hmmm.

IMG_1443 Here's the assembly line where things get really crazy.

IMG_1451 In order, from bottom to top: bun, burger, cheese (so it melts), tomato, lettuce, pineapple, beets (Yes, beets. Or beetroot, as they insisted on calling it.)

IMG_1448 BBQ sauce and/or ketchup on top, and presto! An Aussie burger, you've got. 

IMG_1447 They were tall and drippy and gorgeous and wonderful. That perfect combination of salty and sweet. These guys are definitely on to something here. We might need to have them again...soon.

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