Summer, Where did you go?

It's Labor Day Weekend. I can't believe it. Did I accomplish my list? Not yet...I don't think of Labor Day as the last day of Summer...I don't stop wearing white, and I will try to go to the beach again. To me, it just means school starts. Since I am not in school...let the summer roll on until the leaves really start to change.

This is a photo of me and my cousin in the pool. I love my Speedo bathing suit and my pink swim cap. I used to hate it when my mom would make me put that tight thing on my head!

Here's a little Jimmy Buffet to go along with the holiday.


Happy Labor Day!

Rehoboth Beach

I just can't get enough of going to the beach. While vising Cape Henlopen yesterday we went to Rehoboth Beach for dinner and strolling the boardwalk. I have been going to Rehoboth Beach with my family since I was very young. I remember waking up very early and driving with my mom and dad, before my sister was born. We would drive down and enjoy the ocean, then we would have dinner and ride the amusement rides at Funland. I also stopped off at Dolle'sPopcorn and Candy store, a Rehoboth landmark, to buy some caramel popcorn for a special mother-in-law.

Before we left for the day we caught a glimpse of the moon rising over the ocean...it was beautiful.

CHECK!

I was a able to check something off of my Summer Wish List. Today, I went to Cape Henlopen with my cousin, Lynn and her son, Jacob. It was a beautiful day. Blue skies, warm with a cool ocean breeze. We swam, basked in the sun and went to Rehoboth Beach for dinner and to walk the Boardwalk. We even saw some dolphins jumping high out of the water, but I wasn't able to grab a photo of them. It was a great day.
The photo at the top is of the Harbor of Refuge Light Station on the Delaware Bay. You can see it from the beach at Cape Henlopen and you go by it on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, which Jeffrey and I took from Cape May, NJ last October.

School Days, School Days

Tomorrow is the first day of school for most of the schools near us. We live next to an Elementary School...it is always fun to see the children go into school on their first day and see all of the anxious parents dropping them off. Tomorrow will be the beginning of the roar of the school buses outside of our house, children playing in the playground and parents blocking our driveway. This is the official reminder that SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER.

GO ORANGE!

We have two butterfly bushes in our yard. All summer I have been watching Monarch Butterflies flying around the yard. Last week I saw two of them on the butterfly bush. They would not stay still long enough to get a good picture. This is the best one...they really match the house.

Rainy Days

It has been raining here for a few days...and I haven't felt like doing anything. Besides, I am still tired from our big catering event on Saturday. It was a beautiful party and everyone had a great time...but it was so much work. The last 3 days have been spent...kind of like the above.

Catering Overload

This summer we have catered many off-site events. This weekend alone we have 4...300 guests across the street watching a couple renew their vows after 30 years of marriage, a birthday party for a very lovely local lady, 85 boaters on the Sassafras River, a couple hosting luncheons on their boat while cruising the Bohemia River, Elk River and C&D Canal. The events are a great deal of work, but usually a lot fun. By the end of the day we can laugh about it...but I still think many of the staff think I am trying to torture them...especially after the 300. These are some photos of an event we catered in June. It was beautiful..."An Evening Under the Stars" was the theme. The tablecloths were outrageous...they looked like red/orange coral. There were organza with Chenille as the coral. There were shells everywhere and beautiful turquoise accents. The house is exquisite and everyone had a fabulous time...even us. With such beautiful surroundings, who wouldn't.

Evening Sweetness

Lately, the Night Blooming Jasmine on our front porch has the most fragrant blooms. I can't help but sneak off a bloom and carry it around before I go to bed, then I put it on my nightstand so I can smell it before I drift off to sleep. The variety we have is Madagascan Jasmine, a member of the Stephanotis family. They remind me of a bridal bouquet. I hope I can keep this one growing all year long in the house.
At the restaurant, we have several Night Blooming Jasmine, of the Queen of the Night variety. I have known several people over the years who have taken clippings from our plants and they have their own shrub now. I think I'll snip a piece for myself soon. The doorways out of the restaurant smell so sweet and delicious guests always ask what smells so good.

Go Charley!

My friend, Elizabeth shared this video with me. It is a sincere and heartfelt story of a beautiful cat.

Come Out, Come Out...

The other night I found Toby in his chair in our computer room...like this....

The next morning...like this in our bed...

He is such a funny boy...who likes to bury himself under the covers.

La Maison du Gentry

Tonight my brother-in-law, Brandon came over for dinner and paid us a big compliment. He said after dinner, that it was a "Restaurant Quality Meal." Wow..it was like a food critic coming to your home and scoring the meal. You see...he's a chef. So when he compliments a meal or a dish...I take it as a very high compliment.
We had a nice dinner...Jeffrey did the "real" cooking of the food...I just prepped it and made the asparagus. We had grilled filet mignon, shrimp, grilled squash, and asparagus...it was delicious.

I made a centerpiece for our "restaurant table" out of the Black-Eyed Susan's, phlox, sedum, and Zinnias in our yard.

Conversation with Jeffrey

Natalie: "I know I'm old when I am washing my bras in the bathroom sink...with Dawn."

Jeffrey: "Hahhahahhahahhaaaa"

In the early Spring, I went to a lingerie store in Wilmington, Del. at the recommendation of a neighbor. She said once you go there...you'll never buy your bras anywhere else...SHE WAS RIGHT! It's called Bare Essentials. What prompted the conversation with the neighbor was the Oprah Show on women wearing the wrong size bra. The ladies in Bare Essentials were so helpful and they made me feel at ease. I tried on several different styles and I purchased two. Le Mystere Tisha Bra, which is Oprah's favorite and the Goddess Bra. Both are well worth the money and fit great. They make your clothes look better and I feel better. The funny thing, they recommend washing them with Dawn Dish Soap...it takes the oils out..just like the ducks covered in oil from an oil spill. It really works and I remember my grandmom doing the same thing with her delicates.

Sweet and Sassy

That's how I like my cupcakes. A few weeks ago I visited the cutest store, Sweet and Sassy Cupcakes. They have adorable gifts and great cupcakes. My favorite flavors are Banana's Foster and Vanilla Vanilla. The icing is sweet, but not too sweet and the cakes are solid and moist. Check them out if you are ever in Newark, DE on Main St.

Summer is Slippin' Away

It just occurred to me that it is almost August. As a child I would dread the month of August...school shopping, fittings for the school uniform, cramming the summer reading into my daily schedule and practicing going to bed at a decent hour. Where has it gone? Here's a list of 10 things I hope to do before the summer ends.
1. Go to the beach at least 2 times this summer.
2. Pick blackberries.
3. Sit on the front porch at least once a week with Jeffrey.
4. Visit a few antique shops on a leisurely drive.
5. Open the windows and listen to the crickets.
6. Swim in the ocean with some friends.
7. Take a dip in a pool.
8. Bask in the sun with a good book...know of any?
9. Eat an ice cream cone on the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach.
10. Enjoy the flowers in our yard and remember that summertime only comes once a year...so enjoy it.

Wedding on the Canal

My friend, Christy was married to Ken on Saturday on their boat at the Chesapeake City Town Dock. The reception was at the restaurant and it was just as beautiful as the rest. My favorite part was the cake!

My friend, Martina Kelly of Blueberry Moon Fine Pastries and Wedding Cakes in New Castle, Delaware did a wonderful job, as usual making the cake. The cake was a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache...DELISH! Here you can see how talented she is with the sugared flowers, they look so real.