A Week At The Ranch

After my grandparent's anniversary party our family scattered in every direction.  My mom and I drove North to stay with her family until it was time to drive to Seattle to pick up Yaya.  She was spending a week alone with her grandparents, sister and cousins on Bird's side. It's a strange thing to have a week "alone" without your husband or your daughter.  I felt like 3/4 of my body was missing and was completely out of sorts.  I was lost without them and such a SENTIMENTAL FOOL!

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy myself.  I DID!  I got to spend time getting to know my aunts and uncles even better.  It's a whole new experience visiting them as an adult vs. when I was a kid and spent all my time playing with my cousins.   I've always enjoyed spending time at my aunt and uncle's cabin.  They live right above the Yellowstone River.  It's one of the prettiest ranches I've ever seen.  Part of what makes it so special is my aunt's decorating skills and her old fashioned hospitality.  She has antique and homemade quilts everywhere.  She also has a fabulous blue velvet couch that looks amazing in her cabin.  I remember eating fun and different foods each time I stayed with them like Fondue, Fried Cattails and some of the best homemade pies and BBQ EVER.  YUMMY! 

These cherries were so sweet and perfectly juicy it was nearly impossible to keep our fingers out of them.   

My aunt threw together this tantalizing salad with fresh veggies from her garden.  She made it so pretty I even ate the raw zucchini inside.  THAT IS A HUGE DEAL since I am not a big fan of it to begin with. Here is her finished product.  Sooo good my mouth is watering just remembering it. 

While we were staying with her she invited my cousin Debbie (pictured in the last post) and my grandparents out one afternoon for brunch.  She served bowls of fresh raspberries, blackberries and blueberries with cream, this beautiful red velvet roll and some heavenly coffee.  It was better than Starbucks people!

See how she beautifully she set the table?  I swear you feel like royalty when you're at her place.  You know you want a little of that cake now don't you.

We had planned to make gooseberry jam with the gooseberries from her garden but ran out of time.  (Insert sobbing sounds here.)  I'm so sad because I don't think I've ever had gooseberry jam before and I really wanted to make and try it. 

On top of a fabulous cook my aunt has a knack for gardening and interior decorating. I can't remember a time when I haven't wandered through her garden or home soaking up every plant, antique, tiny glass treasure and perfectly placed bobble.  I'm convinced my addiction to dishes and Polish Pottery is all her fault! 

Example A

Example B

 

Example C

She made this yard ornament out of her old dishes.

Their log cabin has grown with their family and she's planted beautiful treats around each and every corner.

A glimpse of their barn and some of their crops below the cabin.

This view from their hilltop perch up high on the bluff just gets me every time.

 

One of my favorite memories/gifts I took away from the week came when my uncle started talking about an old book they had.  It contained letters from all the people who homesteaded in this part of MT.  My great grandmother and grandfather were two of those people.  The book had lots of pictures of them on their farm and included stories about them I'd never heard before.  The best part of the book was a letter my great grandmother had sent in to be published.  The letter talked about her and her family and at the end and she even mentioned me.  I was her only great grandchild at the time the book was published and therefore the only one mentioned.   What a blessing to read my great grandmother, Alice's words 38 years after she had written them and 28 years after her death.  Hearing stories about her from my aunt and uncle, reading the book and her letter were highlights of the entire trip.