September is almost here.  Not that it is very much cooler but the fact that this month unofficially marks the end of the summer season.  I will take it!

Entering September is so nostalgic for me.  I garden here and there in between running a business, creating art and keeping up with orders.  My garden, at times, is not what I would refer to as beautiful but I keep it going none the less because it gives me something to go see every morning in my back yard.  To see the squash grow just a little bit longer, or to catch the grasshopper that’s tearing holes in the sunflower leaves.  I notice marigolds starting to bloom and yellow butterflies floating hither and thither.   It has been my morning ritual for many years.  I suppose I would reap more from it if I had the time.

But this time of year is the basil harvest.  When the basil begins to flower I cut an armful of basil like a bursting bouquet and bring it into the house wafting and filling the air with that classic poignant aroma of fresh basil leaves.

Today is the day I make PESTO!  Lovely and wonderful,  it makes me feel so healthy and homey.

This morning I was like an Italian mom cooking and preparing a meal for her family.  I made lots of pesto and spaghetti squash and homemade marinara sauce and bacon meatballs with fresh tomato, basil, avocado, cucumber salad.  I basically cooked all day.  It was a feast!  Like a summer time Thanksgiving.  It was so satisfying to feed my family from garden to table.    So what does this have to do with art or ceramics or mosaics.  Nothing really.  I’m just having a day off.

This is nostalgic for me because my mom and dad would make big summertime meals for us.  Mostly Mom cooked but Dad loved to cook meatballs and a big pot of marinara sauce. He also made amazing mac and cheese, and corn on the cob.   My parents never had a garden but we always had home-made food.  No fast food or TV dinners.  Dad would not allow it even though we would beg him to take us to McDonalds…he refused.  Looking back it wasn’t so bad.

Anyway, I just had to share.  Here is a few pics of my abundant garden of basil.