So Much to Blog, So Little Time
YooHoo! Anybody still out there? Sorry for that little blog break and Thanks for all your awesome wedding picture comments (btw, in case I confused you, I didn’t take those photos — which is a darn good thing as I had a hard drive crash last week and don’t know yet whether my pictures can be recovered — but that’s a story for another day ;-) ) Also, I’ve had a few “where are you?” worried e-mails (you guys are so sweet!) so I thought I better pop in for a quick visit.
It’s been all play here in Thimbleannaland this last week with my aunt’s visit. We’ve been having a great time doing all the things that we love to do … quilting, shopping, knitting, baking and EATing! I’ve probably gained at least 5 pounds, but they’ve been worth it.
Our local quilt guild had a quilt show last weekend and my aunt and I went to a class there with Kim Diehl (which I’ll blog about later.) One of the vendors was a new shop called Caroline’s Cottage Cottons. Since we’d already planned to go to Shipshewana on Friday, we (MeMum, Auntie and I) decided to check out Caroline’s shop in Rome City, Indiana. It’s a darling little shop and I’m looking forward to seeing them grow.
A very big bonus (and surprise) for me was that Caroline’s was only about 3 miles from Gene Stratton Porter‘s home on Sylvan Lake. I LOVED reading Girl of the Limberlost and Freckles when I was a girl and I’ve always wanted to visit her home. The picture above is the grave site where Gene Stratton Porter and her daughter are buried. Have any of you read her books?
Here is a picture of her cabin. It looks out on Sylvan Lake and the setting is just stunning.
In addition to being an author, she was a naturalist and wildlife photographer. There were a few examples of her wildlife photography and I was amazed at the close-ups of butterflies and flowers that she was able to capture in the early 1900’s. They told us she spent hours and hours patiently waiting in the woods for the perfect photo.
She also had a sun room with many windows and a tiled floor. She used to open all the windows, throw birdseed all over the floor and sit among the visiting birds. Many of her books were made into movies and in the early 1920’s she moved to southern California for health reasons and to expand her film business. Sadly she died there in a car accident in 1924.
She had a beautiful garden and my pictures don’t even come close to doing it justice. Just to the left of the picture above was a long brick walkway covered by a wisteria arbor. Unfortunately my pictures were very dark, so you’ll have to use your imagination.
If you’re ever in Northern Indiana, or if you’re a Gene Stratton Porter fan, her “little” cabin in the woods/on the lake was well worth the visit. (Oh, and there was a picnic pavillion, so bring a picnic!)
More next time!
XOXO,
Anna