Mill Creek Park; Fellows Riverside Gardens

Fellows Riverside Gardens, located within the Mill Creek MetroPark system of Northeast Ohio, is the culmination of Elizabeth Fellows' dream to create a "...beauty spot for all to enjoy."

In 1958 Mrs. Fellows, an avid gardener, donated to Mill Creek Park the land & the money to build & maintain a free public garden. The Fellows Riverside Garden Trust provides for the perpetual care of the garden, in memory of Mrs. Fellows' husband Benjamin's parents, Benjamin & Mary Fellows. Since its first planting in 1963, Fellows Riverside Gardens has been shaped by the generosity of many people.

Garden & plant lovers will find diverse & interesting collections such as shade, herb & rock garden plants, but the ROSE garden has always been my favorite section. Scenic vistas; identified trees & shrubs; & colorful seasonal displays of annuals, perennials & flowering bulbs abound.

More than just a "beauty spot," the educational mission of the Gardens is achieved through classes, tours & exhibits. I took my very first flower arranging class here more than 35 years ago. I still have the clippers & the flower frog that I bought on the premises for the class. I never throw anything away!!

Mill Creek MetroParks Fellows Riverside Gardens


The following photos were taken by a friend of my sisters,

Mr. Bryan Fay.

It is with his permission that I get to make mosaics out of them

& share them with you here.

I have not yet visited the gardens since we returned to Ohio but

I am looking forward to having lunch there with my sisters very soon!

Thank you for the use of your photos, Bryan

until I can get there to take some of my own!

Of course, I had to throw in some shots of the Gazebo there!
It is a very popular spot for wedding photographs.

This inside shot of the gazebo is the last of Brian's.

Whew...that was a lot of walking!
Sit down & rest a bit.

Thanks for visiting The Gazebo House.

I'm linking this post to

Mosaic Monday

&
Thank you to Mary for hosting MM each week on her beautiful blog

Dear Little Red House

fondly,

Ahab's Wife ~ Food For Thought

****.5


I'm joining

Food for Thought

the brainchild of the very talented Jain from

Once in a Blue Moon

and editor of

Food With Style

In an edible book review of

Ahab's Wife

by

Sena Jeter Naslund

This was a sometimes overwhelming read but I'm giving it 4 1/2 stars anyway!


By using a few characters from the classic novel, Moby Dick,
Sena Jeter Naslund weaves the story of the life of Una,
wife of Captain Ahab, into an epic novel.

The beginning of Una's life is told as a flashback.
She was born in Kentucky, the only daughter of a tyrannical father.
She is sent away for her own protection, to live with her mother's sister for several years as
part of her New England lighthouse-keeping family.

Later, disguised as a boy, she manages to get hired on a whaling ship where she encounters the power of nature, death & madness.
She also gets her first glimpse of Captain Ahab.

Some of the things that happen to her during her time at sea
haunt her for the remainder of her life.

As you might expect, with the story line taking place in New England, there was lots of talk of chowder!

You’ve got to have oyster crackers to go with it, right?

I confess, I cheated & bought the soup instead of making it from scratch.

I do have a wonderful recipe which I’ll share soon but for today’s book review, Legal Sea Foods helped save the day!

During one point in her life, after she marries Ahab & he goes back out to sea, much of Una's time is spent with
a judge who lives across the street.

Elegant dinner parties were held at his home using exquisite Irish china & crystal.

I felt that some characters were unnecessary in this book &
only removed focus from the story, thus my reason for not giving it 5 stars.


Ms. Naslund writes in a style that requires the reader to
pay close attention & "listen" carefully.

Her style of writing is wonderful, creating vivid mental images with her descriptions.

It requires an investment of your time & energy &
is a just wee bit tedious at intervals.

I frequently told my husband

"I'm going to finish this if it kills me!"

I would recommend this book for those who like historical fiction.

However, if you are looking for an easy, simple read, this probably isn’t the book for you.





Thank you, Jain, for hosting

Food For Thought

every other week.

It pushes me to read, to think, to cook, to photograph & then to write.

All FUN things that I enjoy!

Thank you to everyone else for visiting the Gazebo House.

Your kind comments mean so much to me .

fondly,

Black & White & Yellow Roses & Tortellini Soup

My roses have started blooming, so I thought I would use a few in a black & white table for dinner with friends this weekend.

Our guests will have cocktails & appetizers served in the sunroom,

with these cute napkins to start things off with a chuckle.

I think I'll put some nuts in the little white casseroles.

The runner is new from from

Petite Provence

& was purchased during Jain's

Once in a Blue Moon little party.

Thank you, Jain for the savings!

Drinks will go on this tray (T.J. Maxx) along with some healthy nibbles & dip.

On the dining room table, I've mixed several different sets of white dishes for this table. Some are Federalist Ironstone, some are American Antelier (Bianca Leaf & Bianca Fruit & Bead) & others are an unknown brand with just the letter "B" shown in a crest.

Little ceramic place markers await names.

I can't find my black calligraphy pen at the moment!

The black & white toille placemats were recently

purchased at K-Mart.

They are part of the Jaclyn Smith collection.

I love the striped bias binding on them...it makes a cute effect!

The bee glassware is the set I won from

Libby's pretty blog,

Taste and Twirl.

I want to say 'thank you' to her every time I take them out.

I must remember to serve something yummy

in the cute carafe that matches them.

I haven't decided on another stem to go with them yet.

Since there are bees on the glasses, I used my

Napoleon Bee flatware again.

It is rapidly becoming my favorite, as it works for both a formal table
as well as a more casual one, like this.

The white linen hemstiched napkins are just lightly gathered
& then tied with

black ribbons for a relaxed feeling.


The little black bowls were a recent purchase

from Big Lots.

They are going to be filled with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

to go on the first course of Tortellini soup.

It is SOOOO easy to make, tastes outstanding &

everything you need can be kept in your

pantry & freezer so you can make it in a jiffy.

TORTELLINI SOUP

Sauté the following in a small amt. of olive oil:

1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 med. chopped onion

Add: 1 block frozen chopped spinach
(Cook till thawed)

Add: 1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 or 3 quarts of chicken stock

Bring to a boil

Add: 1 pk. DRY tortellini

DO NOT USE FROZEN OR DAIRY CASE
(They get mushy)

Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, basil & oregano to taste

Reduce heat and simmer till tender.

Top with cheese & Enjoy!

I have several unusual white serving dishes that I'll use for vegetables.
Some are Crate & Barrel, some just nondescript names.


I really like the ruffled edge on the one with the handles below.

My wrought iron candle holder that I've used for the centerpiece is usually out on the table in the gazebo but I recently spruced it up with oil rubbed bronze spray paint so I thought I would use it in the dining room, as it looked so nice.

It is sitting inside the open circle of this neat little flower arranger

that has really come in handy over the years.

You fill the inside with water & then lock on the top that has multiple sized holes so that various sized stems can be positioned down into the water inside.

I used some fresh mint & yellow roses from my garden to add interesting textures &

fragrance along with the baby's breath.

The side table is set for coffee & dessert to be
served on some fun monogrammed plates.
(from Tuesday Morning, this year)

I ♥ the detail on this little cake plate!!!

It has wonderful pattern & texture &
the cake server from my Christmas cake plate matches it beautifully.

The heart shaped bowls were purchased years apart.
EDIT: Carol tells me they are coeur à la crème molds.

I've had this larger sized one that is holding

the strawberries a long time.

The little one came with some cranberry/walnut cheese in it.

They look like a set, don't they?

We're having vanilla pound cake with either strawberries or blueberries

...OR BOTH!

(with homemade whipped cream on top, of course)

The little ironstone basket with the handle was found at my favorite thrift shop recently.

EDIT to say: Delores from the lovely Vignette Design

tells me it is called a "strawberry basket.

She really knows her stuff...go see her beautiful blog

when you have at least an hour to visit.

Thanks for that info, D!

I don't know yet what I'm going to put into it.

It would work well for a fruit salad &

then the containers on the sides could hold powdered sugar

or a sweet honey dressing.

I'm open to other suggestions, please?

I haven't planned out the whole menu yet

but I've got dessert figured out.

Hey, I have MY priorities straight!

I'm linking up with Susan's beautiful blog

Between Naps on the Porch

I'm also participating
in "Foodie Friday" at Designs By Gollum
Be sure to check out all the other delicious recipes
posted on her wonderful blog.


Thank you to both Susan & Michael Lee!

Thank YOU for visiting
The Gazebo House today!

fondly,