AN OLD PHOTO OF ME WITH MY OLD TEDDY BEAR

I was about or 8 or 9 years old in 1958-59, and when Dad had a day off on a Sunday, we would all go for a ride in the countryside and have a picnic. I was standing on a small stone bridge over a stream. This was/is my much treasured teddy bear that was given to me by my parents on my first birthday. 

I have mentioned Teddy before during the lifetime of blogging, and may have shared these photos already. Even back then he had been well loved with one missing eye, and an ear that had been sewn back on at some point. He is wearing a red corduroy dress and jacket my sister gave me, which had come from one of her dolls, on loan for the day. We were going out after all, and “Your teddy needs to be dressed” my much older and wiser sister told me (older by three years). I can’t remember much about my dress and cardy, but I can definitely remember Teddy’s outfit for the day.

Sheri mentioned in one of her comments yesterday that she would love to see Teddy sometime. She also mentioned that her mother collected teddybears, as do I, though I haven’t added any for many years. I didn’t want to forget, so here you go Sheri, my much beloved Teddy.

Below is a more updated photo, taken in a December. I always put the teddy family out for the 25th.

Thanks for reading my latest ramblings. 

Wishing you all a very happy day.

BUMPING DOWN, BUMPING DOWN THE ROAD….

 

To give you an idea of how long ago I took this photo, that little girl would be about 17 years old now. 

I was standing on the opposite side of the street, not a very wide one, when mother, little girl and toy kitty came bouncing down the road. It gave me a big smile and a chuckle as I quickly caught the moment. 

We were visiting my home and had gone to a nearby town.This was a place I visited often to see friends before I met my dear other half.  

I came across the photo again and there it was, the same smile, the same chuckle. I wonder if she still has that little kitty like I still have my old teddy bear? 

Thanks for visiting and 

I hope your day is a great one.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - BAKED PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS WITH HAM AND POACHED EGGS

 

I made myself a simple breakfast today, a large cap portobello mushroom topped with slices of Campari tomatoes, chopped Italian basil, grated Parmesan cheese and a poached egg on the top. It was supposed to have a chopped slice of ham on there too, but there wasn’t any left. Next time! That would be a very nice addition and I have left it in the ingredients below. Thinly sliced green onions would have been very nice, but I didn’t think about that.

Next came the sprinkling of turmeric powder, grated black pepper and Everything But The Bagel seasoning. It was very tasty and I will make it again sometime. The recipe is for 4 servings but it was easy enough to make for one person.

Portobello Mushroom with Fixings 

4 servings - Approximately 250 calories per serving.

4 portobello mushrooms

Olive oil for brushing

2 slice of deli ham, roughly chopped

2 Campari tomatoes, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg for poaching 

Salt and Pepper

A dash of powdered turmeric (you can substitute your own favorite) 

A dash of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning  (or your own favorite)

Prepare and measure out your list of ingredients.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Wipe the mushroom caps clean with a damp paper towel. Gently twist off the stems. Use a spoon to scrape out the dark gills under the cap if you prefer a cleaner look and taste.

Place the mushroom caps upward on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  

Brush  the inside and and outside of each cap generously with olive oil 

Roasted in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and juicy.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven. 

Fill each warm mushroom cap with chopped deli ham and slices of Campari tomatoes.

Sprinkle a generous layer of grated Parmesan Cheese and chopped sweet basil over the ham and the tomatoes. 

Put the baking sheet back into the oven for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese melts.

While the cheese melts, fill a medium saucepan with water to bring it to a simmer.

(Somewhere in here, start heating a small pan of water for poaching your egg and try to coordinate your timing so that you can have your mushrooms cooked and ready to add the poached egg on top of the mushroom.)

Crack each egg into a small cup or bowl, stir the simmering water to create a gentle whirlpool in the center. Carefully slide your egg into the spinning water. Go carefully so as not to splash.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolk is still soft.

Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and pat it dry on a paper towel. Repeat for the remaining eggs .

Take the mushrooms out of the oven and place one warm poached egg directly on top of each loaded mushroom cap.

Sprinkle extra sweet basil and a pinch of Parmesan Cheese over the egg. 

Serve immediately while hot and use your own favorite seasoning  As mentioned above, my seasonings were turmeric, freshly grated black pepper and Everything But The Bagel seasoning. Ours came from Trader Joe’s but there are plenty of other brands out there.

Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel 

Seasoning Blend with Sea Salt, Garlic 

and Onion. Net weight 2.3 ounces/65g.

That’s all for this recipe. If you have any questions let me know in the comments and I will do my best to answer them.  

Thanks for stopping by, 

enjoy your day and Bon Appétit!

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - TODAY AM SHARING A MARGUERITE DAISY

 As you can see. it has a tiny visitor, a hoverfly I'm thinking. I remember how much I enjoyed taking photos of these flowers, such a pretty bloom.

It is the Marguerite Daisy

This pretty yellow flower (scientific name Argyranthemum frutescens), belongs to the Asteraceae (daisy/sunflower) family. White is the most common native color, but because of selective propagation, you can now find them in vibrant yellow, pink and burgundy.

It originally came from the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago which is roughly 60 miles (100 kilometers) off the northwest coast of Africa. They belong to Spain despite the fact that they are over 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) away from the Spanish Mainland. They sit directly opposite the border between Morocco and Western Sahara and are just north of the Tropic of Cancer. 

In my youth, long before I met my dear other half, my first job out of school was working at a travel agents and I often dealt with the paperwork of people who had booked their holidays there. I wanted to go myself one day. But I'm getting off track, back to this delightful Marguerite Daisy.

Because of its Mediterranean heritage, it thrives in coastal locations and can tolerate sea winds very well. It is described as an evergreen shrub or tender perennial. In cooler climes that experience hard winter freezes, it is widely grown as a seasonal annual.

The Marguerite Daisy is a pollinator magnet and its center is packed with hundreds of tiny individual disc florets that do an amazing job of attracting butterflies, bees and other helpful pollinators, like our hoverfly.

That's all about the Marguerite Daisy today, with my little detour to the Canary Islands. My curiosity always gets me off track and yes, here I go again because my memories have started flowing. 

I have always loved geography, which is why I thought it would be a great idea to get a job with a travel agency. I had grand ideas of taking a holiday or two. Except that they didn't pay diddly-squat and I eventually left to find a higher-paying job, so that I could save up and go on a couple of vacations with my friends.

 A conundrum to be sure, but at least I was able to save up more easily, go out with those friends to the local disco occasionally, buy myself a dress or two, and pay room and board. 

Anyhow, from a glamorous sounding travel agency job (it wasn't), to one in a legal office with the local government. Kind of boring to someone my age - even though I was grateful I hasten to add, and I was able to join my friends on a couple of those winter skiing holidays. We all had to save up the whole year to do that even then, but we got there. I also had a couple of other jobs later, being given good advice by my friends to look for a rise in pay when something became available, but I'll leave those 'exciting adventures' for another day (that was a bit of tongue in cheek, they weren't exciting).

I'll end this before I take you on yet another memory bender.

What a pretty daisy that was! 

My attention span seems to be that of a gnat these days.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER - SPLISH-SPLASH…

 They are taking a bath! The house finches are having way too much fun to do any chatting, and they are very feisty  The video is noisy fair warning. There was some kind of saw being used. You can tap the sound icon bottom left of the video if it bothers you.

In the meantime, and an hour after the finches left…

“Wendy, are you there?”    

“I have been hiding, are they all gone yet?”

Wendy the Water Nymph took a while to come out of the fountain, and the sun stayed under a cloud to give her a little more time. Her friend the squirrel stayed long enough for her to feel safe. 

She of the House said she is very happy the birds are finally using the bird bath, at least that’s what squirrel told the water nymph.  Wendy the Water Nymph wasn’t so sure. 

She didn’t know what to think after all the chaos she saw, along with the racket. Squirrel told her there were a lot of tree branches being sawn off after the thunderstorms and windy weather from a couple of weeks ago. She stayed inside the fountain until it was all quiet. It took a while! 

That’s how it goes at this week’s 

Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder/Water Bath(?)

We all hope you are well and thank you for visiting. 

Take good care of yourselves and see you next time.

AROUND AND ABOUT A BIT THIS WEEK, AND ANN’S SEPTEMBER HAPPY MAIL

I am starting off with Ann’s September card. The month is zipping right along and I didn’t want any further time to disappear before I mentioned her Happy Mail. She continues to delight those of us who receive them, with her thoughtfulness and wonderful creativity.

Thanks always Ann, you are such a dear friend.

I hope everyone’s week is going well. It was another glorious week for cloud watching here, a little more drama in those skies today. (We have had ongoing construction work on our roads for the last three years, adding an extra lane or two and working along several miles of road. We are nearing the end of our section. I'm sure they will be moving down to another. That's usually how it goes right?)

"Nature is a mutable cloud, which is always and never the same."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

We thought this looked like a very odd Toyota, but it wasn’t long before the penny dropped. It was no Toyota I had seen before, and yet even from a distance, familiar. It wasn't until we got closer that we saw the owner had a sense of humor, or was it something more?

We followed him for a few miles and then the Tesla Cybertruck turned right. 

I went back to cloud watching.

The skies started brightening up later but not before we had a downpour. This short video was at the beginning. It fell heavily afterwards. It's been all quiet today, apart from Mama Squirrel coming for a drink. (Today it got up to 89 degrees F. - 32 degrees C. The leaves are turning, we see signs everywhere and Fall is definitely around the corner.) 

It seems the appropriate time to share one of the jigsaw puzzles. I completed it a few days ago. I don't know what that red umbrella and those beautiful flowers are doing there on the wet cobbled street. We could write our own scenario. Any takers? No, me neither!

One day we decided a trip to our favorite cafe was in order. Hubby took a photo of me. Seriously, how many of you prefer to be behind the camera instead of in front of it? He, like me, loves to play on those phone apps and he changed me into a sketch and finally got my approval. I told him to take the lines out. My skin looked like the Grand Canyon and it ain't that bad yet. Smile Denise!

They were serving their coffee in Christmas mugs. The one I am holding has a wreathe with two cardinals and the word “love”. I can probably purchase one. If I didn’t have a zillion mugs in the cupboard, it might have come home with me, but we are still in the process of downsizing. It’s taking forever! Yes Ms. Kondo, it still sparks joy. That’s the problem, there are too many things around here that spark joy! I am keeping a few favorites that remind me of places we have visited over the years, and also treasures that family and friends have given. The rest are going to the man who keeps a big bus in one of the large parking lots. It's run by our local church where all donated items will be going to a good home.

A few days later we were at the supermarket and my sweet tooth checked out all the different kinds of fudge and cookies, but our sensible personalities took over, and we concentrated on fruits and veggies, except... 

that we were out extra early, missed breakfast and it was lunchtime. We had a slice of pizza in their restaurant area. We could have bought a whole one for less I know but at $4.00 a slice, in our minds, it prevented us from scoffing the lot during the rest of the day. We are trying the mindset of portion control, and those hiccups/side trips are much less than they used to be. Pat on the back for us, yay! 

We saw a family member this week. Last week too as we looked after his vehicle while he was away. Our airport is only half an hour from here. It was good to see him both times as there was a chance for a good catch-up. 

Bless him, he let us use his vehicle for taking things to our local garbage center as it has a truck bed. Gregg made a big dent in the garage, another yay! (This latest pile of 'goodies' was beyond taking to the man in charge of the donation bus). 

When I went out later I said to my dear man, "Where's the ironing board?" I got a sheepish look and an "Errrr....ironing board?" I had put it out there temporarily when I cleared out the area where I stored it. He said, "I thought you didn't like ironing anymore?" True, not that I ever did like ironing but there are times I need one. Oh well, we saw the funny side and there is a new ironing board in our future. And dear Ms Kondo, my ironing board never exactly sparked joy, but I was sorry to see it go.

We have noticed a lot of seasonal decorations in the stores, and saying it seems much earlier than last year. Merchants are getting a head start. A couple of weeks ago we saw these on our way out of the neighborhood. That skeleton is about as tall as I am. It’s huge!

I am not a skeleton person but I can’t seem to help myself, everything is a photo op. The following snapshots are of my favorite house for decorations. I have admired the effort they have put into it for several years now. They have added new ones this year. I'm going to wait until nearer Halloween before I ask Gregg to drive us through the neighborhood at night, not on Halloween but before, or maybe even afterwards. None are taken down too quickly. 

I'm sure these will all be lit up at night and will look exceptionally scary. Personally, I would like to see a few dragons, smiling yes! 

I realized I didn’t have any Halloween decorations and treated myself to a trio of scarecrows in witch hats. That's about as far as I go, and handing out the candy on the night. It is now 43 days until the 31st.

Thanks for looking and take 

good care of yourselves out there.

Enjoy your day.

AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS FROM THE ARCHIVES

I am going back to January 2014 for this post and probably the first time I ever saw white pelicans. 

These were taken at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Florida, link here.

A lot of the birds are wild and tend to fly into the park in droves when it is feeding time for the resident birds. I don’t see any bands on their legs, so are assuming they are wild.

 I read that those bumps on their beaks appear on both male and female pelicans during breeding season, but once breeding season is over they fall off. These make them more attractive to prospective mates and it is called a nuptial tubercle. The photo below has two white ibis sharing the log with them.

Here are a few more facts. 

White pelicans have one of the largest wingspans of any North American bird at 9 feet.

White pelicans sometimes work together to herd fish to more shallow water where they can feast on them more easily.  

From the time an egg hatches until the bird leaves its nest and becomes independent, the parents provide 150 pounds of food.

White pelicans are pretty accomplished thieves, stealing from other pelicans and cormorants so they don’t have to do the work themselves.

They breed on islands in shallow wetlands with many other birds, including other white pelicans and also cormorants.

Unlike brown pelicans that fly high above the water and then dive down into the water to catch their prey, white pelicans get their body weight by feeding from the water surface, dipping their beaks into the water to snag fish and other aquatic animals.

White pelicans are one of the heaviest flying bird in the world. An average white pelican weighs between 7 to 20 pounds. 

Females lay 1 to 3 eggs in a slight depression in the ground. Both the male and female will incubate the eggs - not the other way other birds do, but with their giant orange feet. Eggs hatch in about a month and usually, only one will survive to leave the nest. Chicks leave the nest - fledge - when they are about 10 weeks old.

Except for the fact that males are slightly larger than females, the two appear identical. 

Thanks for looking and I hope you all have a happy Thursday. 

ODDS AND BODS FOR 9-16-26 - STARTING OFF WITH AN OCEAN FEELING

Good Morning! How are you today?

I am starting off with an ocean feeling. I lived next to the sea for half of my married life, and also lived on the other side of the Atlantic a mile from the beaches from the time I was 15 years old, ten years before I met dear husband. I was always rock pool exploring and dipping my toes in the ocean. We moved inland when hubby retired from the navy in 1989 and he started his second career. In some ways it feels like yesterday, in others not so much. 

Here is pretty art for the kitty lovers. 

and one more.

Here is my imaginary home this week, which is still in the forest…

and here we are at the back with a lovely porch. Come on over and we can sit for a spell. Let’s wait for dark while we sip on a beverage and wait for the fireflies. 

I have been enjoying this planter box at the back of the cottage. I bet a very talented person could put this together, no problem, at least someone who knows one end of the screwdriver from another.

On my walk through that lovely forest, I have my very own bench to sit and take shelter when it rains. The trees are always welcoming. 

How about a recipe or two, starting off with something delicious to dip our bread?

Ingredients: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - salt and pepper,

to taste - 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

(Optional) - 1 loaf of crusty bread, for dipping. 

Got any French Fries?

Much better birdie. It is a great recipe and a nod to our beloved Dolly Parton. I was delighted to come across this. Has anyone ever made it? I also love that it is another slow cooker/crockpot recipe. I will make this real soon. Added note: since putting the one below on here, I have read this version is more like Dolly’s soup. Whichever one is true, they both sound delicious. I have added the link for you to see the other. 

Dolly Parton’s Stampede Soup: 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of potato soup

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies - 1 can (15 ounces)

whole kernel corn - 1 pound ground beef - 2 cups milk - 2 cups shredded

Cheddar cheese. Directions: brown ground beef in a skillet and drain excess

grease. Dump beef, cream of potato soup, diced tomatoes, corn and milk 

into the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cover and cook on LOW 4 to 5 

Note: Add the 2 cups cheddar cheese at the end of the cooking time, while the 

soup is still hot enough for the cheese to blend nicely. This would be great 

to take along to a potluck.

Here is another recipe for the seafood lovers.

Baked White Fish with Panko Garlic Butter Crunch - Ingredients: 1.5 pounds 

white fish filets - 4 tablespoons butter - 4 cloves garlic, minced - 1.5 cups grated Parmesan 

cheese - salt and pepper to taste - fresh parsley, chopped - Lemon wedges for serving.

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (200 degrees C.)  2. Melt butter in a

small saucepan over medium high heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes,

Until fragrant. Remove from heat.  3. In a bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan 

cheese, salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic butter and mix well.  4. Place fish filets on a

lightly greased baking dish. Press the panko mixture evenly over the tops of the fish.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the topping 

is golden brown.  6. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Our one and only dessert today is…

Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Bars: 1 Strawberry Cake Mix (1 box)

1 unsalted Butter (1/2 cup, melted) - 1 Cream Cheese (16 ounces) - 1 Large Egg

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar - 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract - Fresh strawberries 

1/2 cup crushed golden Oreos (1/2 cup)  Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Line a 9 x 13-inch dish with parchment paper. 2. Mix cake mix with melted butter 

and egg in a large bowl. 3. Press dough into the prepared baking pan.  4. Beat cream cheese 

and sugar for 1 minute in a separate bowl.  5. Spread cheesecake batter onto the strawberry 

crust.  6. Add strawberry pieces to the crust, pressing down slightly in.  7. Top with Oreo 

crumbs and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until set. Cool and Chill.

Hello, I am Denise and I am... 

Birdcrastinating: (verb) When you have a million things to do,

But stop everything just to watch birds, listen to their songs and

forget the world for a moment. 

I don’t think that’s an actual word, just someone with a good imagination and who knows, it might end up officially in the dictionary one day. There are a lot of us out there!

Must be nice! Ataraxia, a state of serene calm and freedom from worry. 

On the cup it says “Just breathe”.

Halcyon, calm, happy, peaceful moments in time. 

A little poetry. This one is appropriate considering that we are fast approaching the last day of Summer on Tuesday, September 22nd.

Summer and Fall: Today it still is summer, tomorrow will

be Fall.I see the purple asters, I hear the Autumn call. I

feel the warm sun shining as a balmy south wind blows;

the goldenrod is waving, the bees are in the clover. I hear

a distant honking - the geese are flying over. The maple

leaves are golden; the pumpkins, round and yellow, the

apple cheeks are rosy, the pears are getting mellow. The

nuts are growing rounder, the cornstalks, brown and sear.

By twenty lovely tokens I know that Fall is near. Today I

still am barefoot - oh how I love it all. Nona Keen Duffy.

A few wise words.

There is beauty in the small things. 

And talking about small things …

Tkalla Creations - The Ant’s Secret - Small steps every

 day build great things. One, a tiny ant watched the big animals.

They were strong, fast, and mighty. But the ant knew it had

something too - a big heart and the power to never give up.

The ant worked hard every single day. It carried one leaf, then 

another, then another…it never stopped. One day the animals 

saw a beautiful nest the ant had built. They realized, great 

things come from small effort, every single day. The Lesson:

Little by little, you can achieve anything. “Don’t underestimate 

your small steps. They lead to s beautiful tomorrow.”

I thought this was cute. What do you think they are saying/thinking? She’s away with the fairies again?

Looks like a great place to be. It is magical and good for the soul, so they tell me.

And as we are at the end of today's Odds and Bods, time to send lots of hugs to someone special.  

You!

Have a great day my dear friends

and always remember you are loved.

(My thanks to Pinterest for today’s inspiration.)