Party After the Party

After all of our guests left our home Saturday afternoon, we had a snack, rested a bit, and attended an annual fund raiser sponsored by our dear friends John and Beth, who lost their only child to a drug overdose seven years ago.  All proceeds from the event went to local drug counseling services.  This is the last event to honor Ian, and we were privileged to be a part of this effort.

The event went long into the night, with a bonfire, an open mic, and lots of great music.  Ian may be gone from our midst, but never forgotten.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Friends and Neighbors

Here are some shots of our friends and neighbors we celebrated at our barbecue last Saturday. There were many people who I did not catch with my camera, but they are not forgotten!

Steve and Mary, Neighbors

Neighbor Roberta, Don

Marilyn, Class of '68, Ben & Michelle from church, Melanie

Alex, Baby Anthony, and Blayke, Anthony's Mom

Susan and Richard, Alex's & Blayke's Grandparents

Holly, Martin & Ross

Melanie and Susan, Ingraham Class of '68

 

Melanie from Ingraham Class of '68, Neighbor Keith

 

 

 

The Big Maltby Barbecue!!

Last Saturday we hosted the 2014 Maltby Barbecue for all of our neighbors, friends and work acquaintances!  It was a party that had been in the planning stage since April, and I certainly made good use of the three months that I had to plan the event.

We had helium balloons marking the entrance to our home, and three distinct yards and eating areas.  The front yard was reserved for appetizers of hummus, flatbread and fresh organic vegetables arranged on French trays on a French table and tablecloth.  The back yard hosted the main course of "Build Your Own Sliders", made of Painted Hills beef with all of the trimmings, plus potato salad and roasted summer vegetables.  The Wine Bar was in the garden shed, featuring some of the best local wines around.

The dessert buffet consisted of five pies from the Maltby Pie Company, peach cobbler, and Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream.  Starbucks Guatemala Antigua coffee was brewed and ready to pair with these desserts.

It was a wonderful time of friendships renewed, catching up with people from work, and seeing our neighbors for more than a couple of minutes, visiting over the top of the picket fence.

It was a day to cherish, and a time to share The Slow Life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our First Year Raising Dahlias

Many months ago, we bought our dahlia tubers, prepared the soil and sunk 6-foot stakes in the ground to support the plants once they started to grow.  During this time, we had some very cold weather and flooding rains, which set our dahlias back in their growing cycle.

However, they are trying now to make up for lost time, and we have all 11 of our dahlia plants growing, with two producing lovely blooms this week.

Here are the first ones to put in an appearance.

 

 

 

 

Liberty and Gravenstein Apples

Our lovely apples are ripening quickly in this current hot and sunny weather.  I see a LOT of apple pies in our future!

 

 

Plums

Of our three plum trees, this one is going to be the first one to bear fruit this year.  The plums turn dark purple, and are firm and juicy.  They look so beautiful on the tree that I have moments where I don't even want to pick them.

 

 

 

 

 

Potting Bench Revisited

I love this potting bench made of old barn wood that I found in the Spring at the Yakima Fruit Stand. It was transformed into a wine rack for our party last weekend, and now it houses my collection of old watering cans and some seasonal flowers and crocks.