Sunflowers!

Have you visited the Delaware farmers’ market lately? It meets on Sandusky Street on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings.  I stopped by this afternoon and found fresh peaches, cucumbers, and sunflowers.  There was lots of corn to be had today, too, though I didn’t partake because corn’s best when it’s cooked the same day, and we were eating dinner out tonight. 

If you go, make sure you stop into the new B. Cause Boutique on the west side of Sandusky next to the wine shop.  What a great store!  They have a good mix of sparkly jewelry, home accessories both vintage and new, and even some clothes.  Their style is kind of a blend of cottage and Paris Apartment.  It’s a nice addition to downtown!

Speaking of downtown… hello! We’re getting a YMCA!  Delaware is the place to be.

I Am A Horrible Blogger

It’s about time that I blogged.  I knew when I created this blog that I would be horrible at this because, except for brushing my teeth and washing my face at bedtime, there are very few things that I do *every single day.*  For all my good qualities, I am not a consistent person.

This summer has been flying past. We’ve been so busy. My camera’s been quiet most of the summer, although I have taken a few pictures out in the garden. (Some are on Etsy right now. Others coming soon.)

We haven’t been camping much, either, though we did try a great campground in Big Prairie, Ohio, over Memorial Day weekend.  There was lots to do and lots of great sightseeing nearby.  If you go, drive slowly – this is right in the heart of Ohio Amish country. If we saw one buggy, we saw 30.  (Tom called it the Amish Superhighway.)

We tried a new pizza joint this week, too.  Have you tried Amato’s Woodfired Pizza here in Delaware?  It’s on South Sandusky Street.  The pizza’s cheap but delicious. (Try #19 without the jalapenos.)

August Garden Update

Until mid July the garden was looking pretty puny.  But somehow, in the middle of a heatwave and with ungodly amounts of watering, it all took off and now we have plants aplenty. 

Impatiens and coleus did fine at the edge of the driveway where the house gave them a little shelter, but in the front beds it was really, really hot for them.

On the other side of the drive, the alyssum and dianthus got full sun all day long (and less water than everything else since the hose doesn’t like to stretch that far!), and they really stood up to the heat and full sun. 

The petunias in the front and the black eyed susan vine devouring the shepherd’s hook were both started from seed in my kitchen this spring.

The front curve of the garden never really did fill out.  Next year I’ll plant something bushier through here.

Japanese beetles really hit the roses hard, but the zinnias behind them bloomed like crazy.

This little corner on the side of the house gets just a little afternoon shade, but it was enough to keep the coleus and impatiens happy.

Now that I know what grows well in our garden, I’ll do things a little differently next year.  Here are some things I don’t want to forget when it’s time to start shopping for plants this spring…

• Salvia attracts lots of moths, butterflies – and bees. These were like giant bushes and there were always a lot of critters buzzing around them.
• Endless Summer hydrangeas bloom on new wood AND old wood… this winter I’ll leave the sticks so there will be plenty of blooms next year.
• Vinca really takes the heat and sun and never droops.
• Impatients and coleus don’t take the sun… they need to be in the little beds beside the driveway and on the north side of the house.
• Our soil stinks!  Before the mulch, we’ll lay down a thick layer of manure to give the garden a kick in the spring. (It’ll still stink but at least the flowers will get going before July.)

Have you visited the new Home Haven?

The new Home Haven store has opened on West William Street in the pretty old house that used to be the Apple Tree Cottage.  She’s been renovating extensively all summer and the house itself looks grand.  Wait until you see inside!  The back room has all of her wonderful soy candles, and then the little pass-through into the main house has a cabin/lodge kind of theme with lots of bears, fishing signs, vintage-looking game boards and more.  The front of the house has a room full of primitives, a shabby chic room and even a little black and white vintage-style kitchen.  The store opened August 7th and I’m ashamed to admit I’ve been in there three times already.  (I was in the middle of decorating the powder room which now looks adorable thanks to some repainted goodies from the basement and cute new accessories from Home Haven.)

Our Dinner at Gaylord’s Restaurant

For tonight’s dinner we tried a new place: Gaylord’s Restaurant on North Sandusky Street in Delaware, OH.  I wasn’t sure what to expect at Gaylord’s… I knew its owner also owns Old Bag of Nails which is one of our favorite restaurants, and I also knew that Gaylord’s was a more “upscale” option.  I’m sorry to say that in the future we’ll be sticking to the Old Bag or trying other Delaware dinner spots. Gaylord’s was (sadly) a let-down.

We got there at maybe 7:00 on a Thursday evening. The restaurant itself is really sharp – great decor, great music, and a terrific atmosphere.  Before we ordered dinner I was thinking it would be a really nice spot to visit with friends or for a special occasion.  The restaurant was fairly empty: we were one of four occupied tables, and there was a lot of staff buzzing around.  Despite the high waitress-to-table ratio, the service was very slow. 

Dinner itself started out well: salads with sweet peppercorn vinaigrette which were delicious. We each had one roll and one glass of ice water (since no more was offered), and I can’t speak for my husband but my entree was disappointing. I ordered crab cakes with a creole sauce with garlic mashed potatoes. It was beautifully arranged on the plate, but the crab cakes and sauce were lukewarm and not very tasty. 

If we do go back to Gaylord’s (which we probably won’t), I’d try their pizza menu and skip the traditional entrees.  Gaylord’s has a fantastic atmosphere and it might be a neat, swanky place to stop for a cocktail sometime but I can’t recommend it for dinner.  We prefer a casual (and hot) dinner at the Old Bag for half the price.

Bwaaaaaaaaarrrrp

That’s the sound the giant bullfrogs make late in the evening at Autumn Lakes Family Campground in Sunbury, Ohio, where we spent Memorial Day weekend this year.  Autumn Lakes is a terrific campground, by the way!  It’s reasonably priced ($20 a night for our tent site), and the family who owns it plans a lot great activities that are available to campers.

We checked in late Saturday evening – after 9:00 – and while we were setting up our tent by moonlight, there was a pretty good country music band playing that could be heard throughout the campground.  Sunday evening our friends joined us for a very rainy cookout, and their daughter enjoyed an animated kids’ movie at the shelter house. We saw other kids enjoying a hayride, and there was also a playground available, horses, and a little camp store with a pool table and good prices on all the staples, in case you’ve forgotten anything.  (The store also sells firewood – only $3 a bundle – and bags of ice for $1.50, both of which can be delivered right to your campsite!)  But all the best parts of our campout were free of charge – the families of geese and ducks that entertained us while we fished, the chubby bullfrog that spent the weekend in the water by our campsite (and bwarped all night long!), and a relaxing two days spent getting some sun and taking it easy.  It was a Memorial Day to remember.

It’s Time for the Arts Festival!

Just a last-minute reminder that this weekend is the Delaware Ohio Arts Festival!