HOCUS POCUS…

No scary movies for me this week!

How about you, do you have a favorite?

PUMPKINS AND TATTOOS

 

I don't feel quite all the way back yet, but I thought I would share a photo and a few more to come leading up to Halloween. I have missed you!

If anyone has been on the narrow streets in the older section of Annapolis, you will know that there can be traffic that will slow to a crawl, fortunately one-way traffic. I thoroughly enjoy looking at the interesting shops as we ever so slowly drive by, while trying to get out of town. I had fun taking photos here. 

I particularly liked the sign and the old bricks showing through the white paint, the Jack O'Lanterns on the steps, and the green and yellow fire hydrant, which I didn't quite get all the way in frame using my cell phone. It felt like I could almost have reached out and touched it, but my mind must have been elsewhere.  

 I won't be watching any scary movies leading up to Halloween. I am a chicken at heart, with all due respect to the dear chickens. Years ago, when he was young, son begged me to watch a Halloween movie with him, as they were normally forbidden in our place. He got to see a few at his friends' homes. Just that once I gave in but told him we would watch it together and discuss it afterwards, in case he was scared and had any questions, that we were to shut off the TV if it was too scary. That movie totally freaked me out. Well, we watched the whole thing all the way through. He went to bed and slept like a baby. I was awake all night with the lights on and I didn't sleep a wink, maybe the next night too. 

Thanks for stopping by everyone. My break didn't take as long as I thought it would and I am looking forward to getting back into the full swing of things. Thanks for any comments left also. It might take me a while to catch up but will be visiting you all. It might be slow, but you'll be seeing my name pop up on your blogs. I am looking forward to seeing what you have all been up to.

MORE JIGSAW PUZZLES FROM MY IPAD

Well, I see I had one more post that I had scheduled ahead of time, so this really will be my last post for a while. All I can say is, enjoy! 

Always fun to do, some more challenging than others.

 No rhyme nor reason why I choose one. Wherever the fancy takes me that day.I have been doing these over the past year. I put them in a folder and forget about them. There are probably way too many to include in one post, but I don't want any more delays in sharing them.

All of them have the puzzle lines until the last piece is added, and then they melt away into the picture you see here.

I may even have shared them before as I'm getting a bit of deja vu here. Hopefully not!

All for now, until I share the next folder I forget about.

Thanks for taking a look, have a great day and see you in a week or so. I will be answering comments when I get back.

A BLOG BREAK AND LEAVING THIS AS MY LAST POST FOR A WHILE

"People who think life must get boring with age, clearly have not experienced the joy of watching the bird feeder while taking that first sip of coffee in the morning" 

My imaginary cats agree with me.  

I hope this gave you a smile too.  

I added the cats because I love cats, though I have not had one since childhood, and there are none in the house. Hubs is a dog person (I love them too) but at this stage of the game, that won't be happening either. He sees me hobbling around and says, "Nuh-uh" and words to that effect. He gets a scrunched-up nose and eyes rolled to the ceiling from me (hello Dad), but he's right and I content myself with doggy fixes when we are out and about.

In the picture I gave myself a pair of dangly earrings because I love earrings and dangly ones especially, since teen-hood. My father couldn't stand mine, he thought they weren't ladylike (this is going back 60 plus years). He was an old lovable post-era Victorian man, what can I say? But could that man laugh, he would laugh until he had us all laughing with one of his funny stories, and tears ran down our cheeks, salt of the earth. Mum didn't like dangly ones either, but I used to ogle the Indian shop window on my way home from school and look at all that exotic jewelry on display in the window. Absolutely loved what I saw but never could afford as the price was way above what I could save with my pocket money. Hints for Christmas were ignored, and I continued to get my Bunty and Judy annuals, and I think Rupert the Bear was in there somewhere, another book I favored. No, I'm not knocking books, as they were my all-time favorite Christmas gifts and reading them on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, after our festivities had ended, was a real treat and I always looked forward to them.

We were talking about earrings weren't we? The saga continues! At the age of 50 mum finally had her ears pierced, also my sister. They went to a jeweler to get them done, not at the same time. I think mother saw sister's newly pierced ears and followed soon after. My dad was not a happy man. I can still see him scrunching up his nose in disgust and rolling his eyes to the ceiling. No, I don't have pierced ears. Whether it was my dad's influence or not, the infections both my sister and mother had from theirs (sorry for that image) put me right off! They did all the right things, but they had a terrible time. I couldn't stand the thought of having holes in my ears after that. And as for dad I think there was a 'told you so' in there somewhere, and he and I nodded at each other sagely as we scrunched our noses and rolled our eyes up to the ceiling. He put up with my dangly earrings after that.

So, the birds and feeder are a given and when I saw the saying online, I thought it was perfect. I added the flower myself and I love hearts, so that had to go on the flowerpot.

 Coffee is my favorite drink first thing in the morning. I drink green tea in the afternoon, with a cup of chamomile infused with vanilla and honey in the evening (no caffeine that late in the day). I haven't had a proper cuppa in a while, it's overdue. Maybe tomorrow!

The birds are slowly coming back and so have the squirrels (and chipmunks). One of those naughty squirrels has been eating the leaves off my mums (flowers), but they are looking a bit past it now the colder weather is arriving at night. I have truly enjoyed them though.

Enough of the blathering, as I wanted to tell you I am taking a blog break. Nothing too exciting, just things I have to take care of. I am not sure how long for, a few days, a week or two, I'm not really sure. I know I am going to miss you all, but I need to make a clean break. I'll be catching up with you when I get back.

For those of you who are having life challenges, whether it's a loved one's health or your own, know that you are never very far from my thoughts and I am sending all the prayers I can muster. I love you all and am sending hugs.

Thanks for always being there for me,

and have a continued outstanding October.

(The graphic was a request from me done in BingAI, plus graphics from pixabay.com, a royalty free graphic program, which I put on the original request picture using Paint Shop Pro, a program I have had for many, many years. I found the phrase online. I believe it fits many of us).

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - GARLIC PARMESAN FOCACCIA BREAD

We have kept bread off the shopping list for the last month but as the weather turned chilly and we had done well at cutting carbs, we thought this would be a great treat. It was!

Today I visited 4Recipe hosted by Zee. The actual recipe can be found at this link. It is the first focaccia bread I have ever made, and I was very pleased how it turned out. 

Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Bread - 8 servings

Approximately 230 calories per serving.

This savory Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Bread features a fluffy, golden crust topped with fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, and aromatic herbs. Perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or snack for any Italian-inspired meal (or non-Italian because we served it with Cheesy Vegetable Chowder and Corn Chowder.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the water and let stand until foamy, between 5 and 10 minutes.

Add flour, salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil to the yeast mixture. Mix until a dough forms, then knead on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl, turn over so that the top is now oiled as well as the bottom. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). 

Punch down the dough and transfer it to a greased baking sheet. Press it out to a 9×13-inch rectangle.

Drizzle the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with minced garlic, parmesan cheese, and rosemary. Dimple the dough with your fingers.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

I added several notes from Zee but I always recommend visiting his food blog to see all the other wonderful recipes, and to read more about this one.

"If it turns out too dense, it probably just needed more rising time. Check to see if your yeast is fresh.

The dough relaxes more if you leave it in the fridge overnight. I didn’t believe this for the longest time; apparently, bakers know things.

If you forget the salt, well, it’s still edible. But best to sprinkle some on top when it comes out of the oven. Learned that one the hard way.

Officially, focaccia keeps in an airtight container for 2-3 days, but honestly, in my place it never lasts more than a day! If you do end up with leftovers, wrap them in foil, and pop ’em in a warm oven to revive. 

I love serving this bread with pasta and a big green salad. But it also makes a great snack dunked in soup or sliced for sandwiches. My family just tears off big chunks with a splash of oil and balsamic.

Lessons Learned (Aka: Don’t Be Like Me):

I once rushed the rise—big mistake. Ended up with a focaccia slab you could use as a doorstop. Now, I give it time or just park it in the fridge overnight. Honestly makes a difference.

Leaving the dough uncovered dries it out fast. I used to do this and wondered why I got that sad skin on top.

I always forget this, but oil the pan generously; otherwise, you’ll need a jackhammer to get the bread out.

“Can I freeze this?” Probably, but to be honest, I tried once and it was just okay. Better fresh or next day.

“Is it okay if my dough looks really sticky?” Actually, sticky is good. Just don’t over-flour it. If it’s super runny, toss in a bit more flour, no panic.

“Do I have to use all that garlic?” Well no, but why wouldn’t you? (Kidding; adjust to your taste!)

“Why isn’t my focaccia fluffy?” It probably needed a warmer spot to rise, or just a bit more patience. Bread’s funny that way. Still tastes alright though."

What did we think? For a first attempt I was very happy. I made our all-time favorite soup for the first time this chilly season, Cheesy Cheddar Chowder, and repeating this link. It made a great dipping bread. 

I thought kneading the dough for ten minutes would be a real pain, but it was interestingly very therapeutic. 

I skimped on the Parmesan cheese but next time I will definitely not and may use more. The taste of it, plus the garlic and the rosemary, was a real plus. Next time I definitely will not skimp.

The following night I sliced, toasted and popped a poached egg on the top. If you like poached eggs, or even a fried one, this was a very tasty option. It made a nice, light supper with a small green salad.

Just out of curiosity, what is your favorite meal. I am always looking for new ideas if you would care to share.

Below is the full address in case you prefer copying and pasting instead of using the link above.

https://4recipe.com/garlic-parmesan-focaccia-bread/

Thanks for looking everyone, 

have a great day and 

Bon Appétit.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON AND KING KALAKAUA OF HAWAII

Continuing on about Robert Louis Stevenson from my post the other day, at the age of 38 he set sail for the South Seas on a chartered schooner called ‘The Casco’. Having come from a family of well-known Scottish lighthouse engineers he had developed a great love of the sea and, suffering from tuberculosis since childhood, was hoping to find a climate that would improve his health. He arrived in Honolulu in January 1889, whereupon he became good friends with King Kalakaua, the reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Islands.

King David Kalakaua was considered by his friend to be a cultured intellectual, and had a keen interest in politics, sports, literature and music. He gave his chief patronage to music, from the ancient chants to the walz. He was also instrumental in restoring to the public the performance of the Hula. He was also a poet and lyricist and one of his legacies to his people was his “Hymn to Kamehameha” known today as "Hawai`i Pono`i". It was the National Anthem of the Hawaiian Monarchy and today is their State Song. 

If I have missed anything out about the King, or add any other history of Hawaii, perhaps our Hawaiian friends will let me know.

Thank you for looking and 

I hope your day is a great one.

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER - THE MOAN OF CROWS

The Mourning Doves were very polite and didn't groan. I am happy they are visiting still. 

After being largely absent for many months, this little chipmunk turned up.

There's hope yet, so did the House Finch. Not a very good photo but it will help the old memory box. 

That’s all she’s got for this Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder.

The birds are slowly coming back.

Have a great weekend everyone, 

and thanks for visiting 

Translation available for our international friends using the translation button on my side bar.

1st photo:

“She needs to pick her leaves out of the water. I’m tired of them.”

2nd Photo:

“Which reminds me. What do trees say every year? I’m ready to turn over a new leaf.”

"And they all fell in the water dish."

“Oh boy!”

TODAY I BOUGHT A SMALL BOUQUET OF FRESH SUNFLOWERS...

to replace the ones (or one) I shared with you yesterday. I could probably have done with a couple of extra sunflowers, but these were the only ones that still looked fresh and would last longer than a day or two. But first of all, I wanted to share the gnomes, one of which I also shared yesterday. They are about three inches high.

I took a photo after each step. It was fun putting them all together. Here's the sunflower gnome again and also a pewter rabbit I have had for a few years. It's actually a candle snuffer. I picked it up on a whim several years ago. 

Its body is hollow which you place over the lit candle. The handle is in the shape of a bunch of carrots. Again, nothing to do with Fall but I keep it out all year round just because it's one of my little animal treasures. We don't use it very often.  

The bird is dressed like a Pilgrim and more for Thanksgiving (next month), but it's nice to keep him out for a while... 

the same for the lady Pilgrim. Both have been around for a few years now. I picked up the salt and pepper shakers the same time as the gnomes not so long ago.

The container in the shape of a pumpkin I used as a vase for the sunflowers and baby's breathe. That's the lid you can see with the golden stem. Years ago it came with a bouquet of flowers. Not wanting to throw it out, it is carefully tucked away until needed.

The table is newish. We bought it just before our visitors arrived earlier on in the year and happily was on sale. We had a round table and the lazy suzan fit better on it. It twirls around when you need to reach for certain items after the table is set for a meal. The old round table had been with us for just over 30 years, the same for the chairs, and all were decidedly worse for ware, so it was time to get something new. It's a bit too big for just the two of us but it will come in useful when we have a get together. We were glad for it when our family were here. I am missing the napkins and cutlery but you get a good idea of the flowers at least.

Anyhow, that's the centerpiece I put together and I'm hoping the sunflowers will stay in the stores until Thanksgiving is over next month. Something new, I've discovered how much I like baby breath again. It's been a long time since I bought any.

Last one, a collage and that’s all for today’s post.

Thanks for stopping by. 

A happy Friday and weekend to you all!

MY POOR DROOPY SUNFLOWER…

 but they have put on quite a lovely show this week. I bought Baby’s breath too. Not exactly Fall-like but they appealed. Years ago I found small glass vases, and I put a few sprigs in each. They are all a bit past it, but I like them as they still look cheery on the kitchen table. The petals on the sunflowers have started falling off but later I am going out and will look for more.

I don’t have many Fall decorations, so decided to add Mr. Gnome this year. He was holding a sunflower, and could not resist. I will share more of him and his two companions in later posts. In the meantime I have more sunflowers on the shopping list. 

"Happy Leaf Falling Time Everyone!"

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

We were driving home in the dark the other night and I asked my dear other half if he would take me through a couple of the neighborhoods around here. This is what we found. 

I am not one for decorating for Halloween, never have been. I made Halloween Cookies when our son was young and all his friends were visiting, but those designs were about as tame as it could get. I enjoy seeing how others decorate their front gardens. Skeletons were very popular this year! I think these would give me nightmares.

From the same front yard.

I recognize Beetlejuice.

He went 'thataway!'

At another home.

And another.

And another.

Not many people had decorated but I was happy to get these few. Some are very elaborate. I would think if there were going to be any more, they would have been done by now.  I guess it's time to think about buying that Halloween Candy.

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

~William Shakespeare's ‘MacBeth’~

Thanks for looking everyone.

Have a great day!