GimletBlog

The July wallpaper is available for download from Solitary Elegance. This month shows off two promenade dresses from 1809 (on the right) and 1811 (on the left). Both ladies are employing parasols and veils to protect themselves from the summer sunshine.  Not a bad idea!

Does the background look familiar? It’s one of my favorite embroidery patterns, found in an 1813 edition of Ackermann’s Repository.  It has been decorating my crafty blog for some time, and finally has made its way into the wallpaper gallery.

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Thing One is tackling his busy summer schedule with one arm tied behind his back:  the day his cast was put on his arm, we drove him to Youth Conference in time for dinner.  He spent the next two days working on a service project and having fun, came home Saturday afternoon, and promptly headed out again that evening to a church dance.

The next morning we took him to Camp Pigott for a week of National Youth Leader Training (NYLT).  Usually just The Gimlet and Thing One make the drive; it was fun for the At Home Unit to see the camp and put all the photos into perspective.

Thing One can carry a backpack, but the doctor said he would have to have help putting the pack on and taking it off as he isn’t supposed to put any weight on the broken wrist.  He has a special cover like a wet suit for the cast so he can go swimming, but he can only wear the cover for 45 minutes as the vacuum seal may cut off the circulation in his arm if it stays on longer.  Exciting!

Here’s the entrance to the camp, and once we arrived, it was easy to find the place to stow all of Thing One’s gear.

The Gimlet arrives in disguise (but even without his scoutmaster uniform, he was recognized by the quartermaster), and takes Thing Two, future scouter, on a short walk around the camp.

A beautiful place to spend a week.

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The containers aren’t very picturesque, but it’s what’s inside that counts:  homemade strawberry freezer jam, made from local berries.  The fruit stand expects that our strawberry season will only last through June; we have to enjoy them while we can.  I hope we have enough jam here to get Team Gimlet through the winter.

Yesterday Thing One got his cast on his broken wrist.  It’s no fun having to wear a cast for the summer, so after the doctor’s appointment we had homemade strawberry milkshakes.

Another way to enjoy our local berries is this Strawberry Clafouti recipe from Sunset magazine.   Very easy to make, this clafouti is delicious as a summery dessert or for weekend brunch.  When I made it, I  just filled the bottom of the gratin dish with chopped berries instead of the measured amount, because at this time of year, you can never have too many fresh strawberries.

Much to Thing Two’s delight, the little herb plants are getting larger.  The spearmint, peppermint, and lemon balm cuttings took root and are flourishing too, so we look forward to sharing our own cuttings with family and friends some day.

Our kind neighbor donated an additional pair of extra tomato plants, one with a tomato already growing on it.  Between our herbs and tomato plants, we may be able to make one Thing Two-sized piece of bruchetta from our harvest.

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The day after Uncle J and Aunt L’s wedding, Team Gimlet spent the morning strolling around Old Town Sacramento, a historic district commemorating the era of the California Gold Rush and Transcontinental Railroad.

Old Town features several museums or historic attractions, most of which are free; several restaurants and snack options; and lots of shopping.  The latter category housed several souvenir penny machines, almost all of which were in order and produced nice elongated coins.  By way of information for fellow squishers, we were able to find machines at the following locations:

• California Military Museum
• Sacramento History Center (out of order, but the history center is also under construction)
• Candy Barrel
• Crystal Moon Gift Shop
• McGee’s Old Time Photo

Not bad!

As history buffs, we both enjoyed the little museums scattered throughout Old Town.  When it was time for lunch, we chose the Rio City Cafe on Front Street, looking out over the Sacramento River.  After a leisurely and delicious lunch (perhaps all the more delicious because it was leisurely – a quality best appreciated by other parents) we left the 19th century and drove to the airport for our return flight home.

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See all the photos from the wedding weekend in the Gimlet Gallery.

As if Thing One’s broken arm were not enough excitement, we had a wedding in Sacramento, California to attend the next day.   After determining that Thing One was feeling well enough to attend his end-of-middle-school cruise, we informed the rest of the extended family that we’d be able to come to the wedding as planned after all.

Uncle J and Lori (who has now earned the title of Aunt L) were married June 19 in the Sacramento LDS Temple.  Unlike Seattle, sunshine is unavoidable in Sacramento; the trick was staying comfortable in the 95 degree heat.  Fortunately this little jewel box of a temple features a colonnade in the front and shady spots around the temple grounds, so there were a few places to sit while we waited for the bride and groom and the picture-taking session.

Cousin Z catches up on a few zzzzs while he waits for Uncle J and Aunt L to make their appearance.

The turkey vultures may have been circling overhead that afternoon, lending an inauspicious air to the occasion, but this wedding has been a much-anticipated, joyful event for both families.   At one point it was observed that this wedding was a sort of family reunion for Clan Gimlet, as the brothers and sister haven’t gathered all together in nearly ten years.  Now it is much more likely that more frequent extended family reunions will be planned.

Click the image to watch Uncle C’s video of the wedding,
set to Uncle J and Uncle C’s song, More and More.

It was especially fun to watch Uncle J and Uncle C perform one of their old songs at the wedding reception, and The Gimlet and his siblings had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching Grandma and Grandpa Gimlet dancing together.  Congratulations to the happy couple!

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As Thing One’s time in middle school draws to a close and he prepares to start high school, we had planned a sentimental look back, because it has all gone by so quickly and we’re sure high school will be over before we know it as well.  But on the morning of the next-to-last day of school, we got the phone call nobody likes to see on the caller ID:  the school nurse’s office.

During Field Day, Thing One had fallen and his arm wasn’t looking good.  A trip to the doctor and X-rays confirmed that he had broken his wrist.  Thing Two asked if his brother’s arm would fall off and he would grow a new one.  The doctor said that was unlikely, but the arm will be in a splint for one week, followed up by a cast for six weeks.  An exciting start to the summer!

Phone calls to the various scout camps were in order, and happily his cast shouldn’t interfere too much with any of those activities.  (The Philmont doctor suggested wrapping him up in bubble wrap until he arrived safely there, to prevent further injury.)  Cello practice, however, is probably not going to fare as well.

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Our recent extended family visits included a picnic with the Things’ great-uncle, great-aunt and cousin, and great-grandmother.   No doubt inspired by their magnificent garden, Thing Two decided he’d like to have a garden, too.  It is a little tricky finding enough sunlight in our yard; the best spot is a cracked concrete patio on the south side of the house.

The following Monday, we set up a few containers and planted tomatoes and herbs.  Thing Two wanted to watch seeds grow, so that’s what we chose instead of small plants.  Our neighbor donated an extra tomato plant for a little immediate gratification (and a backup if our tomato seeds don’t work out), and Thing Two’s great-aunt sent us some peppermint, spearmint, and lemon mint from her garden.

After carefully watering each container, Thing Two was ready for his seeds to start growing.  Clearly it was time for some Frog and Toad.  Most of life’s issues are covered in these little stories, and “The Garden” from Frog and Toad Together was a must-read at this point.  Thing Two clearly empathized with Toad’s need to see his seeds start growing, NOW.  So, like Toad, we waited … and waited … and waited … until Sunday morning, when we went out to water the pots, and saw:

Plants!  (Highlighted in case you can’t see them.)

We will, of course, keep you posted on what sprouts up.

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