MY BUTTERFLY JAR...

With thanks to one of our nieces,  I have something new to my collection.  A scent warmer.  It looks like this in the daytime, pretty yes?

It is extremely pretty when it gets dark.  You plug it in, pick your scent, pop the little wax squares into the glass dish resting on top of the jar, and wait for the heat of the bulb to melt it.  Then you start noticing the amazing scent that floats through the house.  Depending on your scent preference, it is wonderful!  I put the lights out and that's when the magic happens.  It sparkles!

 I got a little creative in Paint Shop Pro...

and came up with a collage.  

I also made an addition to the signature tags, plus one on a plain background.  Yes, I had a little time on my hands this afternoon, it was fun to play.   This is a nod to Sandra at Mad Snapper as I love her creative candle photos.  She inspired me today. 

And thank you dear Niece, I love my new scent warmer.

Have a great day everyone.

SO WHAT DID WE DO TODAY?

We have had some yard work done and are enjoying it all neat and tidy. We were rescued after a terrible time with poison ivy that was totally out of control, but it is finally being handled.  In the photo above is a coneflower that came back this year, brave little thing.  One of us pulled it out when they were weeding, not realizing it was a newly planted coneflower. It was tiny when I bought the pot and there wasn't anything to identify it as being anything other than a weed.  The marker I stuck in the ground next to it disappeared.  After replanting it was a sad looking jumble for the rest of its blooming season.  I am happy to say I found it sprouting out of the ground a week ago.  Another weed I thought?  But no, I left it well alone, and after a few days I allowed myself a little dance of joy. I was also hoping for a bloom.  Wouldn't you know it here it is, and there is another one coming.

We went to the supermarket around 2.00 p.m. and the sky was very pretty, full of clouds.  The temperature was 90 degrees F. but low in humidity.  

It is our favorite place to shop and we made our main grocery run for the week.  We have been coming here for several years now. 

I passed by the sunflowers but kept my hands away from my purse. Aren't they gorgeous? I managed to get Gregg in frame before he disappeared around the corner.  (The Peruvian Lilies are still hanging in there on the kitchen table.  I have been babying them with fresh water every four days, trimming the ends as recommended, and feeding them with the food packet which came with the flowers.)

The succulents were being sold outside.  The ID on them said they were called Hens and Chicks and are members of the Sempervivum group of succulent plants.  They are commonly called houseleeks and grow well indoors and out, in cool or hot temperatures.  Hens and chick plants are so called because of the rosette shape and habit of the plant producing numerous babies.

Not too far from the Hens and Chicks there were Zinnias on sale.  I took a double take at this one.

When I looked closely I saw that the petals hadn't opened up completely and caused this strange look.

I am trying something new today, for me its new.  I bought a packet of Halloumi.  It is an unripened brined cheese that is meant to be grilled, according to what I read here.  A lot of recipes I have browsed through lately have had it in their ingredients.  Curiosity has been peaked.  There are recipes and tips on how to cook Halloumi at this link.

The day went by quickly.  When we got home it was time for dinner.  By the time we cleared away the dishes, it was time to do a little relaxing.  I turned on my laptop, Gregg turned on his iPad.  This was my screensaver that greeted me.  I have a different one sent to me every few days, scenes from here and all around the world.  This scene was in San Francisco.  

Lastly but by no means least, it is our son and daughter's wedding anniversary today.  

Happy Anniversary My Sweet Babes.  

A quiet day but a fun one.  I hope yours was too, and that the rest of the week will be equally so. Thanks for listening to my rambles.

MEMORY OF BEARS IN THE SHENANDOAHS...

and a poem.

 Photos from way back, but I found a poem on Instagram recently.  Remembering this incredible experience of seeing a bear in the woods on one of our trips up to Skyline Drive a few years ago, and another of a mother bear and her cub.  Well, seeing this poem with its very important message, I felt the need to share them again.  I have had no sightings lately.  Unfortunately the author wasn't recognized, but it came from 'shenandoahnps' (Shenadoah National Park Service)

"I Want To Live"

I am a bear

Shenandoah is my home.

I have plenty of trees, and water

and a beautiful place to roam.

I want to live forever....here.

Slow down for me

when I am crossing Skyline Drive

I might be walking with my family.

Did you know the speed limit is 35?

I want my cubs to live forever...here.

Please don't get me into trouble,

I don't need your food.

I have acorns, berries and bugs to eat.

Leaving garbage is very rude.

I want to live forever...here.

Keep your distance from me,

I am a wild bear.

Never get too close for selfies,

If you love me please care,

I want to live forever...here.

It is a beautiful poem and speaks volumes.  I apologize for my photos as they are very blurry, taken a couple of years apart.  I had only seconds to get the mother and bear, taken through the front window as we stopped to let them cross the road.  We heard the baby crying for its mother, who had gone on ahead and was waiting for her little cub on the other side.  The cub was scared, it almost sounded like it was bleating, and did not want to cross.  Mother waited patiently until the little bear found courage to follow mum and we could hear quite clearly as she huffed her encouragement.  We watched as they disappeared into the undergrowth.  One of those magical moments I will always remember, and that is why I felt the need to share the poem I found a couple of days ago in Instagram.

(Illustrations found at pixabay.com, with thanks)

A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS

When I was at the supermarket I picked up a bouquet of flowers.  I don't buy them all the time, though I'm always looking.  I saw these Peruvian Lilies for sale and usually I am drawn to the pinks, but those deep reds, I loved them.  There were a few contrasting lighter pinks that really set them off.  

So, they were in the basket and on their way home.  I placed them in a small vase on the kitchen table.  I bought the vase back in April when we visited Oatlands Plantation, and I found it in their gift shop.  You can see that post here.  I had intended to share a photo of it filled with pretty flowers sometime, and sometime is today's post.

The Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria) comes in several shades.  The first one I ever saw was the prettiest pink, in another bouquet long ago.  It is also often called the Lily of the Incas.  According to a tidbit of information I found online, it was named after its discoverer, Baron Claus von Alstromer, a Swedish baron who collected the seeds on a trip to South America.  He introduced the flower to Europe in the late 18th Century 

At this site you can read how to take care of them. 

If you are interested in the language of flowers, it symbolizes friendship and devotion.  A perfect gift to give a friend on their birthday, or on another special occasion, or if you're at the store and you want to buy some flowers for your kitchen table.  They certainly bring a smile.

MORE FROM MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

I will have to do another post on Middleburg sometime.  We will be going there again as it's a lovely little town, one that we have been to many, many times in the 29 years that we have lived in our present home.

Above shows Scruffy's Ice Cream Parlor.  I borrowed these photos from on line.  In the top photo the parlor is on the left hand side, and below the building is in the middle.  It also gives you a good idea of what the street looks like.  Dorothy, Pat, Gregg and I were passing by and it was suggested we get an ice-cream.  Great idea!

There is a thrift shop attached to the side, but unfortunately it was closed.  

The dog I showed you yesterday is still on duty, offering a drink with a sweet message for anyone who has adopted/rescued a four-legged friend. 

As we enter the store you are greeted with the faces of animal photos which cover all the walls.

There is also animal adoption information on display.  I enjoyed looking at all the wooden animals hanging from the ceiling.

I enjoyed our visit very much.  The shop sells Hershey Ice-Cream in 16 flavors.  I enjoyed my delicious scoop of Butter Pecan.  I read online and it is important to note that I didn't test this out myself so I really don't know, but it said that this is a cash only place, no credit cards unless it comes from a local bank, no out-of-town checks are accepted.  There is an ATM next door at the Sona Bank, and at Safeway down the road.  All that aside it is a great place to visit and I look forward to going back.  

On one of the walls is an artist's illustration of the front of the shop. 

I cropped the ceiling fixture as I liked the look of it.  It fits in nicely with its surroundings...

and it definitely fits in with my whimsical side...

and best of all?  

It not only serves delicious ice-cream, but they share the love of animals with their customers.  I will gladly make sure I have cash in pocket the next time we visit.  Hopefully the thrift shop will be open as I would like to take a look around.

CONTINUING OUR TIME WITH BLOGGING FRIENDS

(photo found online)

This is a continuation of our time with blogging friends Dorothy and Pat of The Frog and the Penguin.  After picking them up from their hotel, we headed to Middleburg and had lunch at Common Grounds. This has been our go-to place when we are in Middleburg, where we usually get a sandwich for lunch.  I forgot to take a photo of it but here is the menu.  Their website says it is under construction but they do have a Facebook page here.  

My sandwich was the Mosby: Black Forest Ham, Gruyer, Honey Mustard on a Jalapeno Cheddar Roll.  I have had it before and it is always excellent.  I didn't take note of what anyone else ordered as we were too busy chatting, but everyone seemed to enjoy their lunch.  

Most of the photos in my last post were either taken inside or out front of this place. After lunch we decided to take a walk around town, going down on one side of the street, and later walking back on the other side.  There are lots of shop windows to look in....

and this little lady was begging for me to take her home and add her to my collection, but I told her that though she was really lovely in her pretty pink frock and hat, I am trying to be good.  Me being a teddy bear lover since childhood, and a lover of costume, I felt the pull.  Where teddy bears are concerned, I have always stayed in touch with my inner child and am a bit weak-willed.  I stayed strong today and waved goodbye.  I just kept looking for the pretty flowers, and I found plenty.

Many pretty flowers which 'woman with camera' - in this case my iPhone - had to stop and take photos of.  What else is there to say except here are those pretty flowers?   

Dorothy and Pat, Gregg and I talked as we walked.

We stopped to say hello to this handsome chap.  He was in the front of an ice-cream shop where we got our dessert.  It was a really neat place and I think it deserves its own post, so more of that later.

We also found two fun shops to go into, the town's Christmas shop and a wonderful antique store. I admired an old grandfather clock in the second store.  It's not only teddy bears that I love.  It was a beautiful piece and Gregg pointed out with amusement that I needed to add another zero onto the price I gave him. When he asked how much it was and I told him, he did a double-take and looked for himself.  I really need to put my reading specs on when I look around these places.  Some things just look too good to be true.

Sorry I cut most of you off Dorothy and Pat, but I was also trying to get the shop into frame, and give you a sense of what the place looked like for your memory book.

It was time to move on and Gregg took us through pretty countryside on the way back to the hotel.  These three horses were enjoying the shade.

Not a very good photo but as I like to say, it's a memory, especially of our time with Dorothy and Pat.  

We went inside their hotel, sat down in the lounge area with a cup of coffee.  Chatted some more until it was time to go our separate ways.  Hopefully it won't be as long before we see each other again, as I am sure we will see each other again on one or the other's road trip.  

We had a great time getting together.  Thank you  to our dear friends from The Frog and the Penguin.  Happy travels as you head home.