Cherry Pie

Last week the girls and I went to my mother-in-law's house to pick cherries. (unfortunately I forgot my camera.) We had fun picking the cherries, and then....

We pitted the cherries.We baked the pie. We ate the pie.

Summer Fruit Pie

2 pie crust (I used frozen, just a bit easier than making your own.)

4 cups pitted fresh sour cherries

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 peaches, sliced

zest and juice from 1 lime

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons tapioca

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix the cherries and blueberries with the sugar, tapioca, zest, juice and extract. Let sit for 15 minutes.Line the bottom of a deep 9 inch pie plate with first crust. Pour in berry mixture. Top with sliced peaches. Top with second crust, pinch edges together. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Cut 4 slits in the top crust.

Place the pie on a foil lined cookie sheet, there will be drips. Bake at 375 degrees for 55 - 65 minutes. After 20 minutes you may need to cover the outer edges of the crust with foil to prevent the crust from browning too much.

Blink

Don't look now, but it's July 14. Maybe next time you blink it will be September or December. I can't believe I haven't sat down to write since May. May?! Really?! Have I been that remiss?It's not that I have nothing to say. Everyone who knows me, knows I have plenty to say. Is it that I have no time? No energy? Too many other priorities? I am not sure.

But, I am here, now. So, I will write. Perhaps you, dear reader, will forgive my transgression, will read.

Recap-

Since the last time you heard from me, Kerry and I, and our respective families (separately or together) have been busy. We held a big sale at the studio, went to Art Night Out, took one trip to Mexico, and one to Hawaii, worked on one basement finish, built and planted two garden beds, celebrated 4th of July, took a mountain trip, went to the Renaissance Festival, hiking, Cave of the Winds, swimming, roller skating, two book club meetings, took the kids to the library, took an altered book class for us, library activities for the kids, is dog sitting, working on never-ending yard work, had a visit from the in-laws and numerous dinners with friends. Exhausted, yet?

We hope you're having a good summer, too.

Dog Blog 4

Hi, it's me, Blue,

I am back at the Hanson's for the week. This time I brought one of my girls along with me. It has been so much fun hanging out with three girls for the week. They really like me. They like me so much, I wanted to do something to pay back their kindness. I can't go shopping, because I am a dog. I couldn't bring flowers. Rachel would be mad if I dug up her garden. I tried catching the squirrels, but they are too fast. I did have one up a tree for a really, really long time, once. That was fun.

I thought long and hard about what kind of gift to bring. Then I smelled it. I am not sure what it was, but I smelled it in the garden. So I sniffed. I sniffed and sniffed until I found it's exact location. I love detective work! They would be so excited when I bring them their gift. I wondered what it was that I smelled. Then, it moved! It hopped, really. So, I grabbed it! I was very gentle. I didn't want to hurt it. I gently picked it up and took it to the edge of the porch. I stood guard over it and barked until Rachel came out. She took one look and said, "Oh gross!" I guess she doesn't like toads. She just let it hop away. Too bad, I had named him Fred. He was my friend.

The rest of the time was pretty fun, too. I brought my favorite blue stuffed animal with me. I managed to remove both squeakers, one ear, and half the fluff. I still have work to do.

It's hot here. Something about the dog days, whatever that it. I heard Rachel say it would be 102. That must be something.

So, the week is nearly over. I guess I will be glad to go home. Maybe Fred will come too.

woof, woof-

-Blue (the dog)

A blast to the past...

Yesterday's adventure took us to the cool air of

It was a step back in time, like an eerie Twilight Zone episode, complete with retro roller skate carpet and mushroom stools to put on those tan leather skates. Complete with the world's longest limbo line, filled with 6, 7, 8, and 9 year olds. Complete with changing, multi-colored globe lights on the ceiling and a really cool disco ball. Complete with two happy girls tossing dice for the dice game.And in the end, three happy, but tired, skaters.

Weather report

HOT!!!
We are still in a heatwave. Hot! We are approaching a record number of consecutive days over 90 degrees. If Wednesday reaches 90, we will have exceeded the record of 18 days. In addition to that, we have had 15 days in July at 95 degrees or higher. The forecast is grim, to say the least; it will hit 93 today and reach 100 by Friday.

While this may not seem too bad; this is unusal for Colorado. Many houses don't have air conditioning.

So, we are busy trying to say out of the heat! Today we will step back in time to keep cool. I am taking the girls (my 2 and 1 of Kerry's) to Skate City. It's straight out of the early 80's. Hopefully there will be some good photo ops. Stay tuned.

How is it where you are?

Facebook

We discovered the wonderful world of Facebook yesterday. For me it all started when Kerry set up her account and I got the Facebook generated email that says, "Check out my Facebook Profile." From there I was stuck--Sucked into the black hole that is the Internet. I had to create my page, fill out my profile, search for friends, try to add more friends to my list...you know how it goes. By the end of the day, I still only had 7 Facebook friends, and 4 of them are immediate family. How lame is that?

On the creative front, little if anything, is being accomplished. The studio, with no air conditioning is a efficient little oven. There is only so long that Kerry and I can sit in there before it starts to feel like a sauna. Not to mention having all 4 girls home can be a hindrance to creative time for Kerry and Rachel. This works out some of the time, but the need for other playdates, swim time, lemonade stands, camps, and time apart dictates the rest of our studio time.

We are making efforts to keep the artistic ideas flowing, though. We each got an art journal. Really just a blank sketchbook to hold our ideas and plans and to do a bit of art journaling. I admire so much the art journaling done on Lia's blog, ArtJunk Girl. Who knows if I will have the nerve or inspiration to share any of my pages on this blog. We'll see.

No, the summer is not a artistically productive time for us. What a shame! So there you have it, my little rant for the day. Thanks for listening.

On a lighter, more creative note, Kerry and I have some grand plans for a little studio re-do and a great art sale in the fall. Say posted for all the details. It should be quite exciting! And, if you can't find us in the studio this summer, check on Facebook. We may be there.

Summer Reading List

Summer is filled with children playing, lemonade stands, afternoons at the pool, sleepovers, backyard barbecues, and reading. Of course we still work, a little, but who has time!?

Our book club just finished Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. It was a very interesting book and generated lots of thoughtful conversation.

Our list for the summer includes:
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin

The Next Thing on my List: A Novel by Jill Smolinski
Under the Banner of Heaven By John Krakauer

What are you reading this summer?

March comes marching in...

March comes "in like a lion, out like a lamb," or so the saying goes. Our March seems to have a case of multiple personalities. We hit a high of 72 degrees on Saturday, March 1. The kids were happy to be outside, riding their bikes and running around the park.

Sunday, March 2, I awoke to blizzard like conditions. Our snow storm left this on my juniper bush...

The snow came fast and furious. Thankfully it stopped during the morning and only left three or four inches for us to deal with. The high was only about 32 for the day.

With a 40 degree drop in temperature in 24 hours, it's a wonder that we aren't all catching colds. (I know they say you can't get a cold from the weather, but such a drastic change in the weather has to take it's toll on our bodies.) Hopefully it didn't take it's toll on my tulips which are peeking out of the snow in this picture.

Our little teaser of spring, even summer-like, weather has left me pining away for warmer weather. I can't wait for the season to change. I want to see what comes up in my garden, plant new flowers and spend time out doors. But the wind and chill keeps me inside.

As Kerry mentioned, the weather leaves us to our at-home tasks and art endeavors. So I sit, at home, making things to use this summer.

This is my version of Kerry's patchwork bag. I can't wait to take this one to the park for a picnic, or to the beach with my book inside. Doesn't it just scream "SUMMER!"

I love the bright turquoise and orange mixed together. It is definitely a summer combination. The colors remind me of the ocean, the sunset, and tropical fruit. Okay, enough dreaming!

So back to the March in like a lion thing, it really has nothing to do with the weather. While writing this, I learned it's really about the constellations, and how Leo (the lion) is in the night sky with regards to how Aries (the Ram or lamb) is positioned at the beginning and end of the month. I never knew.

March is a month with many faces. It is American Red Cross Month and Women's History Month. If you are religious you can celebrate the days of St. David, St. Joseph and don't forget St. Patrick. And of course, this year, there's Easter in March. And for those non-religious, you can celebrate National Reading Day and Pi Day. (Pi, like in math, not pie, like in yum-yum), and don't forget St. Patrick's Day! And then there's the Ides of March and the Equinox--the arrival of Spring. I can't wait for the weather to change. I hope old Henry here isn't correct, and that the warm weather comes as quickly as the first day of spring will come.

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.

-- Henry VanDyke

Best Deal in Town

Today we were looking for something interesting to occupy our Sunday afternoon. We decided to check out the paddle boats at Waneka Lake (in Lafayette, Colorado). They have a beautiful fleet of brightly colored animal paddle boats. For $6-8 per boat, depending on the size, you can spend 30 minutes tooling around the lake. Believe me, 30 minutes is plenty of time peddling for a 5 and 8 year old. We chose the 4-person, white pelican boat (not pictured). All four of us had a great time peddling around the lake, and watching the fish jump. It was a nice Sunday afternoon.
You can find more information on the City of Lafayette website.

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

The girls and I recently picked cherries at my in-law's house. It was a comical experience to pick fruit from a tree with my two girls, aged 8 and 5 1/2.
Mary, my oldest, could reach higher than her little sister, and was able to reap a bigger bounty. But she would scrutinize each cherry for worm holes and scars from the bird's pecking. She tired of the job after 15 - 20 minutes.
Molly, my youngest, seemed busy as could be. Although she couldn't reach as many, she climbed the step ladder and I thought she was picking away.
After 15 minutes, I had several cups of cherries in my bag. Mary had some cherries, but her perfectionist methods limited her quantity. I asked Molly how many she had, her answer, "three." All she had was three. Amazing. It reminded me of my favorite childhood book, Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey.
Such is the life of a five year old.

In Spite of It All...

Summertime is crazy! It has been a whirlwind of art camps and trying to escape the heat. With four kids (combined) at our respective homes; Kerry and I have little time left for ourselves, much less our business. Summer perhaps should be our busy business time, but it is in fact, our busy family time.

In spite of it all we have managed to keep our Amazon storefront and our Etsy storefront updated.
We have still found time to make more jewelry, plan our fall line (you will love it!), and clean out the studio. (Check out our etsy store for great craft items!)
Next month we will launch our participation in a fundraiser for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. A worthy cause, indeed. Stay tuned for our special jewerly that will help to raise money for research.

Summer Reading Marathon

I am a voracious reader. I read all styles of books and feel incomplete without a book at hand. The best kind of book is that one you just can't put down. The kind that you are sad to leave at the end, like you are saying good-bye to dear friends. I know I am not the only one out there that has this love of books, I know Rachel loves them also. (coincidentally we both majored in English in college and no we didn't know each other then.)

As the Summer gets started, I have been collecting books to hopefully guarantee some good summer reading. I leave for Hawaii in a couple of weeks and want to have prime reading material for the plane ride and for lounging by the pool. So here is my list of what I hope to be fabulous page-turners. (I'll let you know when I get back if I was right.)

• Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy. She is my favorite Irish author. I have read all of her books and this is the latest. She has a wonderful way of drawing you into her colorful cast of characters that live through their tragedies and find a light at the end of the tunnel without being overly sentimental.
  
• Prep: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld. I don't know anyone who has read this but it looked like a fun, light read. It is about a girl suffering through an upper brow prep school education. Definite chick lit which is great for by the pool.
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I was a big fan of The Kite Runner and from the reviews I have read this should be just as good. It has gotten great press and I am looking forward to this story about friendship between women. If you haven't already read Hosseini's first novel "The Kite Runner" you should it is extremely well written and moving.
• My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I bought this book for my mother-in-law, Marilyn. She said she couldn't put it down and gave it rave reviews. It is the story of a girl who is born for the purpose of saving her terminally ill sister's life. Needless to say emotional strife and moral dilemmas abound. This may be my end of the trip read.

I'll let you know what I think of these and the several others on my bedside table. If you have any books you think I should read please pass on the names to me. I love to get recommendations!