paper napkin holder

I subscribe to Martha Stewart's Craft of the day. While I find most of the ideas too difficult or something I would never use, this one intrigued me so I gave it a try. The challenge was to find a plain square 8" cake pan. The ones at discount stores all had handles but I finally found one at a thrift shop. For the aluminum pipe I used a piece from a wind chime that we no longer use.

Martha Stewart's Directions

Breezy afternoons are ideal for lunching outdoors, but they can make a mess of stacked napkins. To create this windproof holder, use a hacksaw to cut a 3/8-inch-diameter aluminum pipe 1/4 inch shorter than the width of a galvanized tray (our tray measures 8 inches square). Dull the cut edges of the pipe by rubbing them with fine-grit sandpaper. Coat the tray and pipe with spray paint, and let dry overnight. Measure the tray's perimeter; cut a piece of elastic cord 2 inches shorter. Slip the cord through the pipe, and tie the ends together; conceal the knot inside pipe. Fill the tray with napkins, and fit the holder around the tray.

porch sit

One of my favorite times of the day is our morning "porch sit". Today was the first day this season that it was warm enough to sit on the porch. A cup of coffee, the NY Times crossword and a magazine - it doesn't get much better than that! This year I may even get up 30 minutes earlier on work days to enjoy this relaxing start to the day.

mother's day

July 4, 1991
Can the fierce, protective, primal love of a mother ever change?

. . . . . Because long afterward (forever in fact), you will carry your children as you did in the months before their birth. They are still there, just under your heart, a constant beloved presence, a burden and a delight.

Roxana Robinson: "Mother, Once Removed"

Real Simple Magazine June 2006