Pumpkin Moon Studio

......an excerpt from the diary of Ole Sista Ardee, and her memories of her life in the Quarter....


Well, a little refreshment and I'm better now, and after a sip or two of that fresh lemonade, I got to giggling as I began to remember a day Mr. Duke had come for his occasional visit with his cousin Miss Whittington. Now child, that young buck knew he liked to flirt with all the girls in Miss Whittington's employ, and yes child, ole' Sista Ardee got included in a few times, but all in jest ya know! But, day had it back then in the 30's when he shows up with not only a hamper of peaches, but a bucket of lemons to go with it. Now, the lemonade was a flowing for a week or two, and so was all the citrus sweets and goodies we could dream of to put those lemons to good use before they spoiled. And all the girls so giddy running around trying to out cook each other to get just a little extra attention from the Guest.


You know child, a wink and nod, or a pearly white smile, Lord that young man knew how to ruffle the feathers in that hen's nest. But Ole' Ardee was one up on him. There he came sashaying into the kitchen with his bad self, wanting to sneak a taste or two from the stockpot, and I shook that old stained wooden spoon a few times to warn him not to come near that pot, and there he comes anyway, grabbin' old Ardee and spinnin' me round and round, taking my old spoon and dipping it into that pot anyway! Oh goodness, I can't hardly contain myself, cause little did Mr. Duke know, but that stock pot was full of bluing that I planned on using that next morning to help whiten the Whittington household linens.

And you know, from that day on when he come sashaying into my kitchen during one of his visits, he'd holler out, Miss Ardee!...are you in there conjuring up some of your cobalt caramel today?

Oh, I must go, tea kettle is a whistling and a little chamomile tea is just what I need this evening......

~ And with her story still lingering, it was the inspiration and the thoughts of daffodils popping their heads up, for these lemon swirl earrings~....I should have added a tiny cobalt blue bead, to match the stains Mr. Duke probably had from tasting that old wash house bluing  ~