A Quiet Morning, A Secret Recipe, Simple Blooms, Fairy Lights and Fireflies
Well hello, kindred spirits.
Here is a recap of my July 6th YouTube video.
The other morning began not with the gentle nudging of our sweet Willow or the sound of an alarm, but rather the unexpected beeping of our mini-splits and the sudden pop of circuit breakers around the house. As it turns out, a tree had fallen on a nearby wire, and soon after, a part of our street found itself without electricity.
What followed was a rare and peaceful silence. The usual hum of modern life, the refrigerator, the fans, even the coffee maker, had all gone quiet. And in that stillness, I found myself with a gift: a short moment of time to enjoy a slow and simple morning.
I lit a candle, then a match for the gas stove, and warmed water for a French press coffee. The water in the kettle boiled gently as I prepared to read by candlelight. It all felt so wonderfully intentional, like mornings from long ago, before beeps and buttons began to hurry us along.
Eventually, the power returned. Lights flickered, machines whirred back to life. But I got up out of my seat and turned off everything that I didn’t need, poured another cup of coffee, and reclaimed just a few more stolen moments before the official start of my work day.
On a side note, if you did not watch my YouTube video, did you know the doughnut hole was said to be invented right here in New England? Rockport, Maine to be exact, by Captain Hanson Gregory. Though, depending on who you ask, his mother may have been the true genius behind it. One tale says the hole helped cook the center of the dough more evenly, while another claims the Captain wanted to skewer his doughnuts on the wheel of his ship. Either way, the tradition stuck, and I’m ever so glad it did.
Doughnuts always remind me of my grandfather. During our visits to Nova Scotia, I’d often wake early to find him in the kitchen rolling dough, cutting out perfect rings, and frying them up with care. I’d ask him for the recipe, and he would always say, “It’s a secret.”
But two months before he passed, a book arrived in the mail, Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens, and there it was: his doughnut recipe. The recipe can be found in another blog post here. Doughnut Recipe
And while preparing for a small gathering recently, I stepped into the garden to gather flowers and herbs; apple mint, Russian sage, catmint, geraniums, and bachelor buttons. My peonies had mostly passed, but a friend who has a large garden of peonies, shared a few of theirs. I made simple arrangements in mason jars, just as I did the year before. The wind howled that day (last year it was rain), but there's a kind of charm in creating amidst nature’s unpredictable moods.
Later that evening, I returned to the club for our dinner. The lake had calmed, the flowers were placed, and the candles flickered once again.
A few days later, I found myself in the garden under twilight’s glow, adding stones to the border, shifting plants around, dreaming of container gardens. Fireflies danced, and yes, the mosquitoes too. My tree sapling arch may be leaning now, but the twinkle lights still make it magical.
And with that, the day closed gently. Goodnight, moon.
Until next time,
With love from New England,
Linda