Beauties and the Beast

Gifts from the sea. Some a bit surprising at times, some breath taking and some are curiosities. This past week I received a gift from another source but ultimately it was also from the sea. My Aunt Anne searched her attic space for a jar she knew lay hidden...full of seaglass from many years ago. Possibly gathered with her mother, my grandmother and my first seaglass mentor!

Some of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen were contained in a huge jar she presented to me, knowing my addiction to collecting seaglass was a family trait, a tradition and I would cherish the contents. 

But this treasure chest of beauties didn't mean my seaglass walks could take a breather....quite the opposite. It fueled me!

And quite the curiosity I did find!

A rusty appendage attached to its very worn and stained wood spine.

I question, where could this be from, what did it support and am I holding a little piece of history?

Is it a beast or is it a beauty?

Prehistoric, fossil like and with such a personality, I had to bring it home. Maybe it will go back to the sea, maybe it will become another garden ornament, but for now it is telling me a story.

Some of the "beauties" from the sea are nearby. The lavender piece a gift from my daughter and the aqua green are yet another story. So thick & old and luminous, where are they from? Nuggets of this size and color are certainly not from recent times!

Beauties meet the Beast. But what is the saying? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

They are both beautiful in my mind and especially together. All are gifts from the sea!

Strawberry Dipping Sunday

In honor of the feast of Saint Valentine, I couldn't resist having a little chocolate. What better way to eat what some people believe is their daily dose of heaven, then on a big ripe red strawberry!

They were hard to resist in their unadorned state...

and even harder after they were dipped! Saved for a bit later & Sunday dinner dessert, hopefully. They may not make it past "I had you at hello".

But one last thought which absolutely cannot go without mention. What do you think of when you see a big, red, ripe strawberry?

One of our family's favorite children's books and a story I think of each and every time I bite into a sweet juicy strawberry! Can't wait...yummmm.

A penny for your thoughts.

Creativity seems to be catching in our home and that is such a good feeling! I received a Christmas gift from my husband, a.k.a. Pappa D that merits some heartfelt attention.

A card, with a Tiffany's bag tucked inside. Hmm, he knows I am not an expensive jewelry lover. I just wear what I wear, no need for anything new so this took me by surprise.

And surprise me it did. Out tumbled pennies...and I was asked to look a little closer. They were all important dates in my life! Now that is special and very thoughtful. Pappa D is catching on! What can I do with such a gift though?

First, clean the pennies so to better see that important date on each. Vinegar and salt will clean copper quite nicely. Rinsed with clear water to stop the process, I moved right along, still thinking.

With my magnifier loop in hand, I was able to date each coin and chart my life!

Now please excuse the dates (telling my age to all) but look at the events! What fun Pappa D had, searching his change for these! Everyone can relate, we all have loose change and we all have years to remember. I will design this into a keepsake. Thank you again Dave and thank you for another idea to build upon.

Picked Pounds

Just to finish up like we finished it off, the Lobster Dip of Christmas 2011 readable recipe follows plus a few more shots of the process.

The picking was done quickly and efficiently by my sons Peter & John. Experts at this point in their lives and knowing it's O.K. to sample the fare, they volunteered! That was fine with me because all traditions must eventually be passed down in families. Along with picking came Lobster Dip Cooking lessons.

Too bad we don't use the shells like my Mother's neighbor used to do. I have tried to find an easy way to make a Lobster gravy as she called it but no luck thus far. If anyone knows how, please let me know!

Fast forward, my old camera just couldn't do the cooking lesson segment any justice.

Recipe for Carlee's Christmas Lobster Dip

3 tbls. margarine (yes, we used it)

3 tbls. flour

1 1/2 ups of lowfat milk (you can make it richer if you'd like)

3 inch square block of Cheddar cheese, grated

Good shake of onion powder (isn't this how all good cooks measure?)

Good shake of garlic powder

2 tbls. of Heinz Chili Sauce

Worcestershire Sauce, a medium shake

2 tbls. Sherry Cooking Wine

2 lbs. of picked lobster meat!

Melt margarine slowly in large sauce pan and stir in the flour gradually. Add milk immediately but slowly as the mixture simmers, stirring constantly on very low heat. Add grated cheese, add a drop or two more milk if the sauce gets too thick too soon.

Add spices, when cheese has melted, add chili sauce a bit at a time - see above, the end product is not too red. (This even looks too colorful but that was just the lighting). Add the dash of Worcestershire, stir and stir! Add the Sherry....and finally the seafood. 

Continue to simmer to reduce milk and let flavors mingle. Don't be afraid to add a drop of one ingredient or another after taste testing. Yes, taste it!!!!!! Then, before serving, let the dip cool a bit... we use our old electric warming dish that has been in the family for 40 years worth of Lobster Dip Service. This dish could probably make the dip itself on auto pilot.

Serve with plain Melba Toast.

Lobster Dip Anticipation

Every year around this time we look forward to the Bonney family traditional Carlee's Christmas Lobster Dip! I am going to go ahead and post this story because I have already had a few calls asking for the recipe. I will follow up when the dip is ready to serve and we are ready to dive in, Melba Toast in hand!

It all started here. Ye Yacht Yard in Southport, CT. So many memories. From bluefish fisherman to lobster fisherman, my father, an old salt, lived for his time at the boat yard. He brought his 4 children down here to play on the rocks, walk the plank down to the dock at low tide and cast for snappers off the rocks. It was heaven on earth.

He loved the water to say the least. That trait runs in my veins and my siblings' as well. He became an avid lobster fisherman at some point and the rest is history. Bait barrels-smelly as can be, homemade lobster pots and ropes, and buoys and knitted bait traps. Our garage growing up was amuck!!!!!!

But his hobby was endearing and we were proud, plus others thought the same! Once there was a segment on a local television station and my dad was the star. Of course, I saved the old VCR and had it made into a CD with a cover I designed pictured here. (have it still if anyone wants a copy!!)

The business card was another design I did, yet B.C. – before computers as I say. I still love lettering by hand! The saying, "You take the best. We eat the rest" was one we used often.  If you know lobsters, they aren't always 2 clawed perfect specimens! Bullets (no claws) or Culls (one claw only) were brought home for the family. Christmas with extended family was a perfect time to share!

A class to get me back up and running in the graphic design world in the 90's produced this tribute to both my mother & father. Quite a feat back then. Learning Illustrator, Photoshop and more in one semester was fun but scary! (this first project I don't consider good art at all) but it preserved a feeling, a story and a recipe that I have been able to share time and time again.

One of the old original, wooden handmade lobster pots lives on. My sun porch has a lobster pot coffee table that is topped with glass from the old Bonney Electric window (broken from a break in!!) and clearly shows the inner workings of a pot, an identification number and some good dust it has collected.
Memories can get dusty too but if you brush them off, it sometimes hurts and sometimes feels good.

Traditions feel good...so here's to looking forward to our Carlee's Christmas Lobster Dip this year.

I am thankful for...

Family, friends, good health and good food. Nature, its beauty and its surprises. Art in all shapes and sizes. Hard work, time off and people who appreciate the same. I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday from Shore to Lake

Today I started off on the blustery sea shore and ended at the old family place on the lake. Seemed liked two different days!

Crashing waves, seaglass covered by the night's stormy sands and still finding the remains of Irene wrapped here around a piling. It seemed almost as windy as the hurricane!

So off we went. NEW Fairfield. A little cottage that has been in the family since the 1940's. Mostly unchanged except for absolute necessary improvements! No drinking water, no shower but wonderful views of the lake from the dock and boathouse top.

A pristine, unadorned location. We are lucky to still own a piece of this lake.

Inside, the old croquet mallets, the wall of fame - the original owners, my great uncle and great aunt along with other Hayes family photos and memorabilia. A turtle shell, an old fan, trinkets, feathers, paintbrushes and of course playing cards.

My mother and her siblings (she is the far right beauty with the big white bow). An art project of past...saved with a found feather. We pretty much have a rule - no TV, no internet etc. Just crafts, reading and lots of cooking in the outdoor fire pit.

Sweetcake Mountain hiking trail meanders up a wooded path behind our place. 

And when we reach the top we see our lake. Candlewood is a large man made lake, a valley flooded back in the 40's (I will make sure of the exact time). Islands seen here were tops of hills. Cemetary Island across from our dock was an actual cemetary! The others seen here we call Sand Island and House Island...and beyond are Candlewood Shores.

The woods are so different than my home by the shore. Bird houses, leaves underfoot and the quiet!!!

The cottage is always a work in progress...but not too much! Old paint colors remind us of the past.

A marker by our door that we have never figured out but to us, it is truly the trail end anyways, end of day and time to relax.

A view from the screened porch. Welcome to the Lake. Well said.

Traditions

The traditional egg toss on Fairfield beach for the Fourth of July Weekend get together carries on! Other families have had their own but I think this year, we may have been the ONLY ONE! These are our champions...Kelsey, Jamie with intact egg and presenting the trophy is none other than Anne B. 

(Trophy is in her name of course!)

To see other shots of the day please see the sidebar link.....Family Fourth.

Marathon Weekend

Two brave souls from my family successfully ran the 1/2 marathon in Fairfield today! It started off as a "severe" fog morning...and weather forecasts did not expect it to lift. Well, it did. Just as they were lining up to the start (I was home trying to take a quick exercise/seaglass walk) the fog lifted and the sun with much humidity on top, smiled down upon them.  They ran together, brother & sister and crossed the finish line almost hand in hand. Or maybe that is just what my image is.....as a mom! Love them and congratulations for a "fait accompli".