Sunday Edition: The Jungle In My Sun Room, And Seven Good Things
A massive South African mastiff, a hep cat cocktail, an escape to an Italian castle...
Remember my Victorian conservatory? We are coming off a heat wave and the news from the sun room is mixed. We are talking good and bad news.
The good news: A second African violet is blooming! That is it in the above photograph. This is unbelievable. I mean, I have had these flowers for a year and a half. I think they bloomed once, a long time ago.
The Martha Washington geranium, which just five days ago looked fine, now looks, well, not so fine. I thought I was watering it often enough in the heat but maybe I missed a day or something. Anyway, all the leaves are bone dry. That is my poor geranium you see at the upper and lower left.
I started clearing out the dry leaves and then I realized they were all dry. The flowers still look OK, but, who knows. I will have to consult Daddy-O.
The English Thyme, also purchased at the Clinton Bailey Market, is I am afraid a lost cause. It hit the skids as soon as I got it home and never recovered, despite my best efforts. That is the thyme at the upper right.
However! The French Lavender, top center, is doing much better. It is near the statue of St. Anthony — see pictures. Eventually I see all my statuary finding places among the flora.
Now I have to turn my attention to my neglected back yard. Click here to read up on that and view the woeful photo gallery. In a few days I hope to have a few more photos to post that are just a little less woeful.
I will work on the Victorian conservatory in the same manner.
Two steps forward, one step back!
The Sunday Seven: Scroll Down For Pictures!
Exotic Dog: The South African Boerboel
Who has ever heard of this dog? Not I. And so I was thrilled to meet Bella, a massive mastiff, and owner Othaman Rafeek, in Delaware Park. Bella weighs 150 pounds and let me pet her. Details will follow in this week’s Buzz column, which will land in subscribers’ inboxes on Thursday.
A Great Book: ‘The Enchanted April’
The movie is lovely (and free on YouTube). But the book is better. Written in the 1920s by Elizabeth von Arnim, it’s sweet, funny, and quietly transformative. Two London ladies who don’t really know each other are miserable in their dull marriages and in the throes of an endless British winter. They spot an ad for an Italian castle for rent, and impulsively rent it, pulling in two more ladies to split the cost. What happens next is, yes, enchanted.
The writing is light but full of beauty and insight. Von Arnim lets you into each woman’s thoughts, and it’s as if you’re living in that sunlit castle yourself. I’m only halfway through, trying to take it slow — but it’s already made me see our summer sunlight differently, and appreciate the flowers blooming on my block. Speaking of which…
Bloom That’s Booming: The Hydrangea
They are everywhere, and they look like big vintage bathing caps! I snapped some at the Delaware Park Lodge.
Cocktail: The Cranberry Clementine Shimmy
A tart little number with a citrus snap and a backyard herb halo. This recipe comes, by request, from Daddy-O. I asked for a recipe that would use my Polar Cranberry Clementine Sparkling Water. And I have to tell you, this is good.
Start with a short glass — something with a little heft, the kind you’d raise in a toast to summer’s last good laugh. Drop in a handful of those frozen cranberries — boom, you’ve got instant ice and visual drama.
Pour in ½ to 1 ounce of vodka (you choose the mood, cool cat!). Add a splash of cranberry juice — not too much, just enough to give it some soul.
Now pop the top on that Cranberry Clementine seltzer and pour it slow, let it fizz and sparkle like Ella scatting under a streetlamp.
If you’ve got a sprig of mint or lemon balm, tuck it right in there — no need to muddle, just let it dance on the rim like a garnish with a story. A lemon slice is nice. Optional: give it a little twist of black pepper or a salted rim if you want to get wild with it. Otherwise? Just sip and smile.
Wheels of the Week: The Buick Century That Time Forgot
Howard, the motorhead I married, loves Buick Centuries. I spotted this gleaming antique in the parking lot of St. Louis Church, and I had to let him know about it. I would guess this car is from the 1950s. What is with antique cars? Don’t you just adore them?
Summer Accessory: The Lollipop
Don’t leave home without one! We saw jazz singer Mari McNeil rocking a lemon lolly on the Moondance Catamaran on Lake Erie.
Song: ‘To Be Sung on the Water,’ by Franz Schubert
A Schubert song with a Gershwin touch, as Duke Ellington put it! The poem Schubert set to music is about how fast summer flies when you are doing what you love, in this case sailing. You can hear the rippling of the water in the piano accompaniment. For the German poem and the English translation, click here.
Our geraniums are looked tired, too. Too much heat, I'm guessing. Love that car! Wow!
It's a 1955 Buick Century. The 1956 is very similar, but the front fender portholes weren't round like the ones in your photo. jc