Day by Day with Camille

The latest issue of The Letter Exchange arrived in my mailbox on Saturday! Always a treat to be enjoyed when that happens. For people who love so- called snail mail and personal correspondence, it is wonderful.  Their method of forwarding letters to subscribers does allow for privacy, as well. There is a special joy in receiving handwritten correspondence. 

 Not so long ago, I purchased a Sheffield flute at my local Lidl. I wanted to learn to play the flute. I already play piano and clarinet, but I had an interest in learning to play the flute.  Just in the last few days, I have begun to practice and begin learning to play.  I try to practice, and learn something new, every day.

 I had recently purchased a bag of Florida juice oranges at a local grocery store, and I decided to make a pomander out of one of them. So, this morning a studded an orange with whole cloves in a pattern. It was quite easy to pierce the thin skin of the orange with the cloves. Once that was done, I placed the orange into a small brown paper bag to dry.  Pomanders are very nice potpourri for your home, and can also be used to mull wine or cider. 

I peeled two overripe clementines and put them out on the patio table to dry in the sun.  Then I made a small batch of chocolate peppermint body butter. I got the idea from the latest issue of The Herb Quarterly, which arrived in my mailbox the day before yesterday. I put my own twist on the recipe.  I used cocoa butter cream with aloe and vitamin E in it, coconut oil with a light coconut scent , cocoa powder, and peppermint essential oil. Because I am very fond of peppermint, it is heavier mint than chocolate or coconut. I also used about double the amount of the cocoa butter that I did the coconut oil. All of the ingredients came from local dollar stores and grocery stores. 

Started drying strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries in the sun on the patio this afternoon. They were frozen fresh and I was freeing up freezer space. 

Started drying some apple pieces, pineapple, and lime. Beautiful, lower humidity fall weather and sunshine is perfect for drying fresh fruit. 

It is such a beautiful autumn afternoon in North Carolina! I am on the patio enjoying the sunshine and blue sky with my dog, Ellie. I went to Holly Hill Cemetery earlier, where my Dad is buried, this afternoon, and fed the ducks and swans at the pond there.  I stopped by Dollar General for a couple of Halloween cards for letter-writing friends that I correspond with, a blank journal to write in, a pad of paper for watercolor painting, some sweet orange essential oil, and a phone card for my prepaid cell phone.  Once I got home, Ellie and I went to the mailbox. The new issue of The Letter Exchange came today! I'd been anticipating it coming.  I got a glass of iced peppermint green tea, and Ellie and I have been outside ever since.  The mandarin slices that I have been drying are ready to take in today. I think I will dry more apple slices next, and maybe a little pineapple.