FEW PEOPLE KNOW…

“Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

 Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 - April 27, 1882) who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist and poet who led the Transcendentalist/Transcendentalism movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of Individualism and critical thinking, as well as a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society and conformity. Friedrich Nietzsche thought he was "the most gifted of the Americans", and Walt Whitman called him his "master".

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE - CHRISTINE'S SALMON

I fixed myself a salmon recipe from Christine's blog. It was delicious! Thank you Christine for sharing this recipe.

 

Christine's Dijon Salmon

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional)

1 tsp dried tarragon 

1 salmon fillet

Place a salmon fillet on a baking dish lined with parchment paper.  Rub all the ingredients on top of the salmon.

Bake at 425F 15-20 minutes.

The only changes were that I didn't have any tarragon so I used Italian seasoning. 

The other change was using avocado oil instead of olive oil.

I had a few grape tomatoes that I sautéed quickly in the frying pan.

I also baked a sweet potato earlier in the day, heating it up to serve as a side dish.

I sprinkled siracha over the top to serve.

My salmon came out darker, but it didn't detract from the taste. I will definitely be making this again. 

I should have warmed the honey a little to make it more spreadable.

This was a wonderful meal, and fast! For my own taste the two sides went well. Next time I will remember to buy the ingredients for a mixed green salad. 

Below is Christine's full website address for the recipe, in case you prefer copying and pasting instead of the link above.

https://cmlk79.blogspot.com/2024/05/rains-thursday-art-and-dinner-date_0650696509.html

Thanks again Chistine.

Thank you all for visiting and have a great week!

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - EASTERN BLUE BIRD AND BABY

These are not the best photos. It was a rainy day and I do so wish there was sunshine on these two.  I had to brighten them up a bit as they were very dark. I also only had a few seconds to take their photo...

because mama was gone and then baby flew off into the trees after her. He really looked a little confused.

I heralded my first baby bird this year. Such a heartwarming sight. They both looked a bit bedraggled with the rain. These are Eastern Bluebirds. The bluebirds have only just started coming back to the garden. 

You can read about them if you go to this link.

Thanks for the visit and 

I hope your day is a great one.

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER

Camera Lady says not what she was going for.

Mr. Cardinal is also at a loss for words.

And so it goes on a Saturday morning at the birdfeeder.

No more groaners for a while. 

Thanks for flying in and have a great weekend.

CLIMBING

 

High up in the apple 

Tree climbing I go,

With the sky above me, the

Earth below.

Each branch is the step of a 

Wonderful stair

Which leads to the town I see 

Shining up there.

Climbing, climbing, higher

And higher,

The branches blow and I see a

Spire,

The gleam of a turret, the

Glint of a dome,

All sparkling and bright, like

White Sea foam.

On and on, from bough to bough,

The leaves are thick, but I

Push my way through;

Before, I have always had to 

Stop,

But today I am sure I shall

Reach the top.

Today to the end of the marvelous stair,

Where those glittering 

Pinnacles flash in the air!

Climbing, climbing, higher I go,

With the sky close above me,

The earth below.

Climbing 

By

Amy Lowell (1874 - 1925)

Amy Lawrence Lowell (February 9, 1874 – May 12, 1925) born in Boston, Massachusetts, was an American poet of the imagist school, which promoted a return to classical values. She posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926.

FROM THE ARCHIVES - THE CHURCH WHERE WE WERE MARRIED

I was thinking of waiting to reshare these photos next December on our anniversary but decided not to wait. The church is in the village where I lived before I met Gregg. Our son was Christened here a few years later. I took these photos in 2015 on vacation.  

It was wonderful visiting again. Built in circa 1400 (west tower), remainder built in circa 1450, chapel circa 1520, and the Chancel was restored in 1874.

The Oxeye Daisies were growing everywhere…

and I loved taking photos of them. These are a few as I was a snap-happy-camper that day.

This is the lane leading up to the church.

In folklore and mythology, Oxeye daisies have been associated with purity, innocence and new beginnings.  

Thanks for visiting and indulging me while I reshare another post.  

I hope your day is a great one!

RANDOM PHOTO

 

This is a very simple photo I took of some grasses at Green Springs a couple of days ago.  Another very nice walk starting from the top of the garden this time, down to the ponds.  A few wildflowers, one or two turtles, a cardinal high up in a tree and that was about it, that I can think of right now.

It’s gone chilly and rainy around here. It seemed the right kind of day to get into the dentist. I made the appointment a while back. I was in there for frankly I don’t know how long and it was not the most pleasant experience but needed to be done. Half the procedure was completed and the other half will be done at the end of the month. The young lady in reception afterwards said wonderful, we have an unexpected opening and we can fit you in tomorrow. Both Gregg and I said in unison, a very affirmation no thank you and yes he knows me so well! I tottered out of the building heading for the hills, or at least for home.

My dental lady is wonderful and she did a great job, explaining every detail before proceeding on to the next, but I found myself feeling very grotty when I got home and slept for hours. This was an early morning appointment. Half of my face was put to sleep and though that all calmed down, I was aware that I had a fat lip as I had apparently been chomping down on it like a beaver without realizing. Oh well! They really are great at that place and I have no complaints about them. But I need a break before I go through the rest of it.

How are you with visits to the dentist?

Thanks for visiting and 

enjoy your day.

THE HONEY-BEES ARE…

 The honey-bees are gumming

On their little wings, and humming

That the summer, which is coming,

Will be fun.

For the spring is really springing;

You can see a skylark singing,

And the blue-bells, which are ringing,

Can be heard.

~A. A. Milne~

NO RECIPE TODAY BUT A PRE MOTHER'S DAY LUNCH AT GODFREYS IN FALLS CHURCH

Our son and daughter-in-law recommended this restaurant to us, having gone for the first time a few days previously. 

I usually prefer to stay home on Mother's Day but Gregg suggested we celebrate early, and I was all for that. We were given such a glowing report and were intrigued.  

The drive out there was very nice and the GPS took us down roads we rarely traveled, if at all, and we passed a few curiosities.  For instance, this perfectly good gate that had no driveway.  On our side was no exit to the road, just a grass trim about five feet wide, and the gate had bushes built up against the other side. We had stopped at a traffic light. I seem to notice oddities, things that are out of the norm. I would like to know the story of why.

There is a great deal of gentrifying going on, but I was happy to see the old strip of shops with the barber in the middle. They have seen better days but I enjoy them.

It has been a few years since we last visited Falls Church. We stayed on back roads instead of using the freeway, and even those were busy. 

Our son told us we should go in the off hours as tables get filled up fast and parking is a premium. We thought to go early but by the time we got there it was noon. As it turned out Gregg couldn't find a parking spot. There were towing signs on either side of this property. These adjacent properties had nearly empty lots.  Gregg dropped me off at the restaurant and found alternate parking in a public parking lot not too far up the road. In the meantime, I kept an eye on tables. 

There was extra dining outside in the front of the building and at the back. However, it was rainy and on the chilly side. There were beams over the sitting area, which at first I thought was a covered ceiling but it was open to the elements and all the seats and tables had puddles of water on them. 

I was curious about the mural on the wall and could find no information. On their website there was the same design.

A second floor up some very steep stairs provided another dining area, so another customer told me after she descended carefully, and I asked (way too steep for me). There were also meeting rooms up there, and Gregg thought accommodations. There was probably an elevator which I would have looked for later if necessary, but…

patience won out and as I kept an eye on where people were in their journey (i.e. are you near the end of your meal and are you about to get up and go, all this while trying not to look too obvious?) Gregg arrived and almost immediately a table became available. We were seated sooner than I expected.

Most everyone was very casually dressed. I felt quite comfortable in a tee shirt, cardi and jeans. The staff were kept hopping and I was impressed with their friendly attitude towards their customers. The gentleman who cleaned our table was very pleasant. You can pick up a menu at the counter and order your food before you sit down. I staked our claim by sitting and Gregg brought the menu over to the table. We looked through the items, made our choices and he went back to the counter to order.  

You are given a number and it wasn't long afterwards that we were served. A young man appeared and cleaned our table. With the amount of people dining we were pleasantly surprised how fast our meals were delivered, and the food was beautifully presented. Their website is here and you will see a short video and photos which will give you more of an idea what the place is like. Menu is at this link.

I had a vegetable bowl

It was excellent!

Gregg had a grilled cheese sandwich which he said was the best one he had ever had. 

Both were a ten out of ten. Gregg had a fresh fruit sparkler made with fresh fruit puree, organic Agave and sparkling water.  I had water plus a latte.  Next time I am going to order the London Fog, which is a hot tea made with Earl Grey, vanilla and honey. Our son recommended that which I had forgotten about until I saw it on the menu later.  I was enjoying my latte, which was very nice. Also, you don’t have to order a meal. You can just have a coffee and a pastry.  

The building where Godfrey's is now located was once an old motel and a Galleria florist shop. It is now a coffee shop, Parisian-style bakery and cafe which opened in September of 2023. We can highly recommend it for anyone who is visiting the area. You can either take-out or dine in. Reading online I learned that Godfrey McKenzie is its head chef and co-owner.  He and his partner run a first-class, smooth running establishment, and we are already looking forward to going back for our next special occasion. Definitely a great place to take company when visiting. I also found an interesting YouTube video here. It gives you a good tour of Godfreys. I do not get anything for this free advertising. If we go somewhere which we find is super nice, I like to let everyone know what an excellent time we had, plus telling a little bit about the place, and sharing the goodies. 

Here are the pastries! Oh my goodness! We finished our meal and we decided to take a dessert home for later. There was a lot to choose from.

Gregg's choice was the Bombe Vanille

Mine was the Tonka Tart

Now prepare for pastry overload!

And I didn't show the cookies available.   

It was a very short walk back to the car. It had been raining but fortunately had stopped by the time we left.

I took a few photos of the flowers and others. The pretty, rain-soaked green leaves are Heavenly bamboo, also known as Sacred bamboo and Chinese sacred bamboo.  Its botanical name is Nandina domestica.

A wall of Bearded iris, also known as Common flag, German iris and Rhizomatous iris. Botanical name Iris Germanica.  This was as close as I could get without trespassing. I only had my cell phone.

Below is Kousa Dogwood, also known as Korean Dogwood and Japanese Dogwood. Its botanical name is Cornus kousa.

We had crossed over at this traffic light, and was waiting for another light to change before we could cross the other road to get to our car. As soon as we sat down it started raining again. I lucked out as I had neither raincoat nor brolly.

And that was my pre-Mother's Day Lunch at Godfreys. We both had a splendid time!

Thanks for looking! I hope you all have a wonderful day!