It's All About Cherries...

July - we have arrived in mid-summer. The Summer Solstice has come and gone and the days, though warm and humid, begin their inevitable journey.....minute by minute, the hours of daylight will grow shorter and...

Oh! Let's not think about that... distant memories of cold, brittle days and the sound of snow crunching under our boots are not for right now.

Ice cream cones that dribble down the tiny t-shirts of toddlers, cookouts and cold drinks on the deck of a summer's evening...and...
Fresh berries and fresh cherries and all the wonderful fruits of summer are arriving.

Do you read Victoria magazine? Their recipes are incredible and I want to try out this dessert when I host my applique stitching group this month. Doesn't it look yummy? Cherries and peaches in Amaretto Parfait...(July/August issue)

 My love of cherries goes back a long ways...just yesterday, my Dad & I were recalling Grammy's house in West Virginia. It has been my favorite house forever. Granddaddy Lloyd built it for his new bride shortly after they were married in 1907.

From the stone-lined cellar to the fabulous attic, I knew every nook and cranny and can still see the chestnut paneling and pocket doors. Rows of neatly stored canning jars filled the cellar. Grammy's preserved cherries came from the many cherry trees in their backyard. The trees were Granddaddy's pride and joy & one of his best trees was the Black Tartarian which produced very sweet, extremely dark cherries.

 ( Hmmm...wonder if that variety would grow in our own yard?) Grammy was famous for her cherry pies and Granddaddy made cherry wine to be sipped in moderation. 
Apparently some of the young neighbor boys also enjoyed these fruits and  sneaked into the back yard. On one occasion, they even arrived with baskets to haul away the samples.
The house had 4 levels and along the back ran two large porches with the 2nd level porch being accessible by doors from 2 bedrooms. Granddaddy decided to lie in wait with a bucket of water - when the young thieves showed up to gather cherries they received an unexpected  dousing and fled the scene. He was such a quiet, loving Grandpa but you didn't mess with his cherry trees!


The wonderful memories of both my Grandparents were part of the reason I began appliqueing Beyond the Cherry Tree blocks. (Check out our group's progress...stunning work!) These are the blocks completed so far...

I was feeling somewhat bogged down and not making progress as I am quite slow. When I saw the 12 blocks laid out it renewed my intentions to keep going...this is a peek at #13. 

And to wrap up today's posting - a few years ago I made this little quilt and pillow from a kit called A Day In Door County. Can you see the little cherry print?

Door County is often called The Cape Cod of the Midwest and is known for its abundant orchards which include apples and cherries. We have not been there in a long time. A return is overdue...
Well, that is about it from Taylorsoutback for now...wishing each of you a wonderful week ahead and time to enjoy all the fruits of summer.

Pat
 P.S. - I will let you know how the Cherry & Peach Amaretto Parfait turns out!