ODDS AND BODS - FRIDAY - 7/31/26

Meet Tea and Coffee.

    Good Morning

        Tea                                    Coffee 

While we are here, let me introduce you to their friend, Stopthat.

Hi! My name is Stopthat.

Sometimes they call me Getbackhere.

I hope your day is starting out well and you are not feeling a little upside down like kitty here. On days like hers, we kitties drink a cup of herbal tea, definitely no coffee but a favorite drink is a whole pitcher of milk, or ….

one of those teensy glasses of Bloody Mary if we’re going out to brunch…or maybe that was a whole pitcher of Bloody Mary and one of those cute teensy glasses of milk? We have all our friends coming with us after all. I am confused! I am having such a good time, I can’t remember now. Definitely feeling more perky.

Here’s this week’s imaginary cottage…

with its gate leading to the secret garden... 

where all good things visit, like little birds in great numbers. Imagination is a great thing. All are welcome here.

I saw the quote on Donna’s blog and I

it made me chuckle. Thank you Donna! My dear other half and I were having a conversation along the same lines.

“One day you are young and the next, you are standing in your back yard looking at your bird feeder.”

While I am thinking of flowers, I thought I would put these on here.

I am going left to right on each line, reading the title first. 9 Container 

Combinations That Attract Pollinators. Every pot pulls bees, butterflies and 

hummingbirds. Lavender and Catmint - bumblebees. Salvia and Lantana - 

Hummingbirds + Butterflies. Coneflowers and Black-eyed Susan - Native Bees.

Bee Balm and Penstemon - Hummingbirds + Bumblebees. Zinnia and Cosmos -

Butterflies. Borage and Sweet Alyssum - Bees + Beneficial Insects. 

Sunflower and Nasturtium - Bees + Hummingbirds. Agastache and Sedum - 

Late-Season Migrants. Milkweed and Verbena - Monarchs (Breed and Fuel)

and another.

Title first and then I go down each line from left to right. Milk weed

(Asclepius): Host plant for Monarch Butterflies. Purple Coneflowers 

(Echinacea): Nectar rich and pollinator friendly. Lantana: Bright 

blooms all season long. Butterfly Bush (Buddleja): A magnet for

butterflies. Zinnias: Easy to grow and loved by butterflies all summer.

Verbena (Vervain): Long-lasting blooms that attract many pollinators.

Black-eye Susans (Rudbeckia): Hardy native plant butterflies love.

Lavender (Lavandula): Fragrant blooms that attract and soothe. 

Verbena (Vervain): Great for ground cover and full of nectar.

Phlox: Sweet scented flowers that draw butterflies in. I see that 

Black-eyed Susan has been repeated, but as the description is 

altered slightly, I kept it in. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia): 

Drought tolerant and butterfly favorite. Aster: Late season

blooms provide nectar when butterflies need it most - Plant 

diversity. Support Pollinators. Create a garden they’ll love.

One more!

Plant Once , Bloom for Months: Low Maintenance Cottage Flowers That Never Quit

(I am putting these here left to right on each line until I get to the bottom.

Black-eyed Susan - Garden Flox - Lavender - Salvia - Coreopsis - Coneflower -

Lavender - Catmint - Yarrow - Dianthus

Fingers crossed, we are off to the garden center today. I am hoping to pick up a couple of planters and a few flowers. I have put ferns and red geraniums on the list, and lavender (added note: We are home now and purchased two pots of red geraniums. I am loving them. The following photo shows the place on the left. 

We were at a traffic light waiting for the green before turning left into the entrance. It’s a big place but for all they were offering, I couldn’t find any planter pots that I loved, and those that were considered maybes, were over-the-top-expensive. I was happy to buy the geraniums. The color made me feel cheery.) 

I loved this beautiful art showing hairstyle, makeup and fashion, and look at those dangly earrings?

Golf anyone? I don’t play but it’s a pretty picture. 

A little humor.

I didn’t realize how bad my driving was until the GPS said, 

“In 400 feet do a slight right, stop, and let me out!”

She would not make a good getaway driver for her cousin. (I am watching way too many cops and robber shows.)

In the meantime…

When you rat on the dog and you need to enter the witness protection program.

It’s best to hide in plain sight, so say those cops and robbers shows.

He knows something but he’s not saying, tsk!

I bet the opossum would do the right thing. He looks such a friendly little fella. Did you know…

I will read these top row, middle row and bottom row left to right.

An opossum can: eat dozens of slugs each night - leave your vegetables alone

shelter in brush and leaf piles - devour beetles, grubs and snails

climb fences and trees with ease - patrol your yard after dark - live

peacefully with backyard animals. Welcome nature into your backyard.

I little bit of Ireland for the recipes today. I don't usually make these before I share. If any of you do, would you please let me know what you think of them?

Waterford Blass (Traditional Irish Bread Rolls) - Ingredients: 4-1/8 cups bread flour - 3 teaspoons fast-action yeast - 2 teaspoons fine salt - 2-1/2 teaspoons sugar - 2 teaspoons unsalted butter  1-1/4 cups warm water - extra flour for dusting - Instructions : Mix flour, yeast, salt, sugar, butter and warm water into a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth, then let rise in a covered bowl for 1.5 hours. Divide into 12 equal pieces, roll into balls and flatten slightly. Place on a tray, cover and let rise for 45 minutes. Dust tops heavily with flour. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-35 minutes until pale on top with a crisp bottom.

Traditional Irish Colcannon - Ingredients: 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 tablespoons butter - 1 cup whole milk - 3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded

4 green onions, sliced - salt and pepper - Instructions: Boil potatoes until tender. 

Drain and mash with butter and milk. Cook cabbage until softened. Stir cabbage and 

green onions into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with extra butter. 

Dessert?

Irish Cream Liquor- From the kitchen of…Preparation time…Serves….

Ingredients: 1 cup sweetened condensed milk - 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream

1/3 cup chocolate syrup 2 tablespoons espresso - 1-1/2 tablespoons vanilla

3/4 tablespoon almond extract - 1-1/4 cup Irish whiskey, chilled. 

Directions: whisk together milk, cream and chocolate syrup. Add espresso, 

vanilla and almond extracts. Add whiskey last and whisk until well 

 combined. Serve chilled over ice or added to warm drink.

Wise Words, Kindness and a pep talk.

A few careless words may be forgotten by the person who spoke them,

but linger in the heart of the person who heard them for years. Never

underestimate how long a kind word can be remembered. Intrepid quips.

If you could see the struggles and heartaches people carry that never make it 

to the surface, I think we’d all be a little gentler, a little more patient, 

and a whole lot kinder to one another - Cottage Whimsy

Kindness makes for a better world.

I will never believe that kindness and compassion are a weakness, they are our strength. But, while we are at it, sprinkle a dash of common sense in there too. 

Another quote I read recently. 

“Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” 

and

Always remember you are loved.

Very true! Believe it for you are worthy.

Thank you for always being interested in all my nonsense.

That’s all for today. 

Happy Friday everyone and thanks for stopping by.

Have a great weekend!

(With my thanks to Pinterest for the inspiration.)

 

SOMETIMES I NEED ONLY TO STAND WHEREVER I AM....

 

RANDOM PHOTO - A HUMMINGBIRD ON A CANNA LILY

Tiny but mighty, a phrase which I often hear used when describing the hummingbird. They are the only birds that can fly backwards and completely upside down. Their wings rotate in a figure-eight pattern, operating like helicopter rotors to allow stationary hovering. They can beat its wings 50 to 80 times per second. They glide at 30 miles per hour and reach 60 miles per hour during mating dives. They are among the most evolutionarily unique creatures in the animal kingdom. They are native exclusively to the Western Hemisphere, with over 300 distinct species distributed across North and South America. 

 I couldn't get a definite ID on this hummingbird. Two possible suggestions are an Anna's hummingbird or that of a Black-chinned hummingbird. If anyone can verify with certainty, please let me know. It is sipping the nectar from an African arrow/Indian root/Purple arrowroot/Edible canna or Canna lily. All names may apply. Both bird and flower were seen while walking around the San Diego Zoo in California. Another old one from 2013.

Thanks for looking and enjoy your day.

ROAD TRIP ACROSS ARIZONA IN 2013 - MURALS - FROM MY ARCHIVES

I have shared these before but as it has been a long time, some of you may not have seen them and those who have, I hope you don't mind me showing them again. The information below this post was added yesterday. 

Going through our old photos the other day, I came across the smiling lady again. I had always wanted to identify who the mural painter was. Try as I might at the time and many, many searches online later, I never found out who it was. On a whim I decided to try again and technology being what it is, I found the painter's name.

Today's photos are from our road trip across country in 2013. We were driving through Arizona and in the distance, I saw what I thought was a smiling face looking up at all those clouds floating by.  It really was a phenomenal day for sky-watching. I thought my eyes were playing tricks but as we got closer, I could see very clearly. 

When a person smiles at me or I see a person smiling at others, I find myself smiling too, and this lovely mural painted on a building out in the desert, had the same effect. I could also see there were what I thought were wolves on the side. No, not wolves. The following is the only explanation I could find, this time.

"The painting depicts a local Navajo resident named Stephanie, whose portrait was blown up larger-than-life and wheat-pasted onto an abandoned roadside building - or home - locally known as "JR's House". Because the artist, Chip Thomas, often incorporates local wildlife, livestock, and community members into his expansive desert murals, it is easy for travelers to blend different installations together in memory."

This fabulous art is called "Stephanie on JR's House."

As we drove through that area we came across other buildings with different scenes on each wall.  

Added note: I also put this photo into the Google ‘camera’ in its search engine. More wonderful murals can be seen here.  As described, “The mural is entitled “Bluebird Diner” or “Blue Bird Diner Revelation,” and was created by artist Gaia in 2012 as part of the Painted Desert Project. It is located in the Painted Desert on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. The artwork depicts a stylized bird on the left and a hand with a beam of light on the right.”

These artists brought us great joy as we traveled on this very long road, and we were mesmerized. 

The old buildings had been turned into incredible works of art, but my favorite will always be the smiling face looking up at that beautiful sky.

Chip Thomas is the artist of the smiling lady. He is a family physician, born in 1957 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He arrived at the Navajo Nation in 1987 to fulfil a medical scholarship obligation and stayed for over three decades, transforming his clinical practice and documentary photography into an impactful public art movement. You can read more about him here and here.

This particular art piece is located on an abandoned building within the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The piece is part of The Painted Desert Project, a public art initiative that connects street artists with communities on the Western Agency of the Navajo Nation. (I don't know how long any of these websites will remain current. Years down the road they sometimes 'go away', but at the time of writing, you can see other artists on the project at this link.) The project was brought about for the aim of healing and community connection. The first link in this paragraph has the whole story and it is worth a read. Several links have been provided throughout my post.)

Finding out all this information while climbing down into one of my curiosity rabbit holes I fell into after all these years, was a delightful, mind-opening experience.

Thanks for visiting my post about Stephanie, 

Chip, the beautiful desert and State of Arizona. 

I hope your day is a great one.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - BUTTERMILK AND BLUE CHEESE MASHED SWEET POTATOES

I found this recipe at LivingLou.  I have tried two of Lou’s recipes before and if you click on the label ‘Living Lou hosted by Louisa Clements’ below this recipe, it will take you to them. You can also see other sweet potato recipes I have tried at this link.

Buttermilk and Blue Cheese Mashed Sweet Potatoes - serves 6

4 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut into eighths 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup blue cheese

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives or green onion

Boil salted water in a large pot (use about 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt in the water). Carefully add sweet potatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until soft enough to mash. Drain and return to pot.

Add salt, buttermilk and butter (see my notes below). 

Mash using a potato masher until it reaches your desired consistency.

While still warm, stir in blue cheese and garnish with chives.

This was very tasty I served it with quinoa, and a spring green salad with diced sweet red bell pepper.

The creamy flecks are the crumbled blue cheese. If you don’t like this cheese, it would be easy enough to leave out.

The buttermilk gives it a little bit of a tangy zip but you can use regular milk if you don’t like that, or a plant-based milk.

I also didn’t use all the buttermilk called for, as I didn’t want it to get too soupy.  My potatoes may have been smaller but you be the judge on what consistency suits you best and how much liquid you add.

There are leftovers. I filled several freezer-proof containers (1 cup portions) and put them in the freezer. 

I try to remember to add the full address so that you can copy and paste rather than use the link at the top of the page if you prefer.

https://www.livinglou.com/buttermilk-blue-cheese-mashed-sweet-potatoes

If you have any questions leave them in the comments and I will be happy to answer if I can.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - A POEM

 I haven't brought down any poetry books from the shelf in a while. I had a few quiet moments yesterday, drinking a cup of coffee, working on a blog post. I happened to look up and there they were, beckoning me to take one down. I chose "Talking to the Wild" by Becky Hemsley. Next to Mary Oliver, she is one of my favorites. It was a good hour before I got back to blogging, reading these lovely poems took over. 

You tell me that I'm childish

Seeing magic in the world

That there's no room for enchantment

On this scientific earth

You give me explanations

And you hand me charts and graphs

For you say there can't be magic

In the company of fact

But I'll argue that there's magic

In a new-born baby's cry

And in how that baby heard

Its mother's heart beat from inside.

I'll tell you that it's magic 

How a butterfly exists

That there's something most spellbinding

About metamorphosis

There's magic in the differences 

Between each flake of snow

And in people finding footprints 

From a million years ago

I'll tell you that it's magic

How the tides move with the moon

And how the sun can split a raindrop

Into seven different hues

It's magic how a spider 

Weaves a complex fragile web

And how all the words of years of songs

Are stored inside our heads

But you'll tell me there's no magic

For this all can be explained

Yet, to me, there's magic dancing 

In the workings of our brains

See, the danger is our knowledge

Means there's little awe to spare

But if we stop looking for magic

Then we'll never see it there.

~Magic by Becky Hemsley~

My photo was taken in Manassas (Virginia), and is an old one from 2009. We decided to treat ourselves to breakfast at Bob Evans after running a few errands. As we were leaving the restaurant, we looked up at the sky and this was what we saw. I don't think I have seen a sky like it since, and I look up all the time. This was special enough to make both our mouths drop open. It was glorious! Straight out of the camera taken with a little point-and-shoot.

Wishing you all a great Sunday.

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER....REALLY?

Build it and they will come they said, or in this case buy it and the same thing will happen. Really?

 

This is for our overseas friends so they translate using the widget on the side bar.

Photo 1: 

"I don't know what this is over there but the squirrels seem very interested."

Photo 2:

"I am not going anywhere near it. It is too loud and gurgly."

"Scary!"

Photo 3:

Camera Lady is not happy we are not interested yet, but there is one thing she is happy about."

"What's that?"

Photo 4: 

"It has a live feed and a bump outside woke her up. She thought it was those naughty raccoons."

Photo 5:

"We heard it too. We were sleeping up in the trees."

"There was no one there but she noticed something else."

Photo 6:

"She saw that she had left the light on in the garage and turned it off right away. She is still patiently waiting for us to use the birdbath."

Photo 7:

"She says she is going to do cartwheels across the deck when that day arrives."

"That is definitely not a good idea."