TREE TRIMMING

Gregg took all of these photos. He was very interested in the process. His first photo will give you an idea how high our fir tree has grown. Look for the young man standing on a branch. Our fir tree was about 10 foot high when we moved in, and then its root system hit the water table and it was Jack in the Beanstalk time. For the last 30 years plus, we have watched it grow and grow and grow. That young man, all of them, are very fit! They also have a good head for heights, and we are very grateful to them.

This all came about when a young man knocked on the door early this afternoon. Gregg talked to him for a while, and later a small group of young men, who have been very busy in our neighborhood, turned up with the equipment. All very hard working, very professional. They did a great job and cleaned every scrap up at the end. We talked to them last year when they were looking for work, but it was lower down on our priority list back then as it was manageable. Gregg and our son did some of the trimming in the lower branches. We bought a trimmer on a pole for the thinner ones.

Our trees will need to be taken down eventually, especially this fir tree that is reaching up to the sky. This is the one that showered us with a thousand pinecones in the winter. I love that tree, I love all our trees, but we are concerned that this one's roots are going to get into the foundation of the house and that would be dreadful. They are already growing out of the soil and along the ground. On reflection it was planted too close to the house, but when we moved in it was quite small.

Years ago (30+) before we moved in, one of our backyard trees fell onto our house. This information came from one of our neighbors when I mentioned how big the trees were getting, voicing some concern. One in particular was a favorite. Its branches used to overlap half our deck. It gave the feeling of being in a forest and the birds loved those lower branches. They always paid us back by putting on quite a show. I would sit underneath and watch them hop from branch to branch, squirrels too.

Sadly, the tree was dying and for safety reasons, not only for us but for our neighbors, we had it cut down. I still miss that tree and the refuge it gave to the birds! The tree that fell on the house was a dead one also. You can see the post I did about it at this link.

Today these young men are trimming the branches away from the house, and several others were only inches away. We had a small one resting on our bathroom window, and the other in the front, its branches were getting too close to our bedroom window. They took care of the fir tree first, getting rid of a lot of the lower branches. Then we have a crepe myrtle just behind the house. A job well done but, the writing is on the wall, and next year, maybe sooner I don't know, we will have to get them taken down.

Good news for these young men, our neighbors came home when they were cleaning up. They need a couple of trees taken down in their back yard, and gave them the job after Gregg recommended them. They could see the great job. 

As for those dogwood trees we wanted to plant in their place, we had to put those plans aside as we also had to have the deck replaced, again for safety reasons. Priorities! It's still a plan. You'll read about what we were planning in the link above that takes you to my other post about that first tree take-down.

Perhaps you have seen my dream cottages on my odds and bods posts? If I had my way, we would live in the middle of a forest, but that would be another story. Never going to happen but it's fun to conjure up the whimsical side of my personality at times.

I guess you can call me a tree hugger. This quote says it all.

"Alone with myself

The trees bend to caress me

The shade hugs my heart."

~Candy Polgar~

Thanks for looking and 

I wish you all a continued good week.

            

THE HAPPY TART IN FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3RD, 2026

Last week our son treated us to a favorite restaurant of his and our daughter-in-law. They had visited the previous week. Gregg was over the bad cold and cough he had, and was eager to get out, as was I. We found The Happy Tart a very unassuming and very pleasant place, with excellent food. They ordered at the counter and they were brought to the table not so long afterwards.

I had my eye on this framed photo on the wall, overlooking a canal in Amsterdam. Totally black and white except for the bicycle which was red. You can’t tell from this photo but that red of the bicycle really popped. Come to think of it, so did the color of the wall.

The menu photo also shows part of the ceiling, which interested me. I was having difficulty taking a photo later but son obliged…

and took this for me. Thanks son! 

It is the first time I have been in a 100% gluten-free bakery. I didn’t know beforehand and I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was surprised at how delicious the pastry was on the quiche, and the same for Gregg’s chicken pot pie (top left). The crispy potatoes were delicious too. Also, the desserts later. On the right is my Quiche Lorraine and below is our son's Quiche Florentine, all individual sizes. Not shown is a small takeaway canister with a veggie salad.

Our desserts were a slice of opera cake for me, so delicious and chocolate-y. Son’s heart-shaped one was a New York cheesecake concoction and Gregg’s was a chocolate eclair, not shown. He and I took ours home which we enjoyed that evening.

More goodies below…

If you ever find yourself in the area I can highly recommend the place. It is on a busy road with on street parking, but there were also a couple of parking lots nearby, so son told me. He dropped us off and parked around the corner. He picked us up later after getting the car again. Each side of the street is filled with interesting little shops on the first floor. The Happy Tart is located on the ground floor of the Pearson Square apartments. The rest of the photos were taken outside or a couple of doors away.

These were taken in front of another shop.

I can see us going here again. It was a fun place and we had a very enjoyable lunch with our son. Here is a link to their menu if you would like to take a look here. 

Thanks for visiting and 

I hope you have a great day.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - BLUE CHEESE STUFFED POTATOES

Today's recipe was found at Our Best Bites hosted by Sara Wells. The original recipe can be found at this link. I had potatoes and blue cheese, plus a couple of ingredients in the fridge I wanted to use up. I typed the ingredients and a request for a recipe in the Google search engine, and this the first one that popped up. There were dozens of others, but I was more than satisfied with the sound of it. If you find Blue Cheese too strong, you can always use your favorite.  I have made this with Cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan. Mozzarella would be nice also.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Potatoes

4 servings - approximately 272 calories per finished potato.

4 medium baking potatoes

1/2 cup sour cream

1 ounce (1/4 cup) crumbled bleu cheese

1/4 cup buttermilk or milk

4 tablespoons real butter cut into chunks

3/4 teaspoon of salt

A few dashes of pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

8 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Wash and dry potatoes. Rub them lightly with a bit of shortening or vegetable oil (helps crisp the skin so you will be able to scoop them out later without breaking. There is note about this below the recipe). 

Place potatoes directly on oven rack, or a cookie sheet. Bake for one hour or until potatoes are done. (See my note below.)

When you take the potatoes out of the oven after roasting, leave them for a while so that they are cool enough to handle, or use an oven mitt if you want to get on with it. If they are large potatoes you can cut them in half for 8 servings. 

Scoop out the insides and place them in a bowl. Add butter, sour cream, bleu cheese, milk, salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Beat with a hand mixer until fluffy (we used a potato masher as we like a little more texture in ours). Carefully spoon the mixture back into potato shells. 

Place in a baking dish and return to the hot oven. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes. 

Remove and sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese over each potato and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Sarah's notes: 

You can make ahead, though these are best right out of the oven. Cook your bacon and shred your cheese. Bake potatoes and whip up your filling. Fill the potato skins and store them, tightly covered, in the refrigerator, until ready to bake. They may need a few extra minutes when baked straight from the fridge. Just wait until they are nice and hot to top with cheese and bacon as described above. 

Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator up until 3 to 4 days.

You may have some extra filling, especially if making a large batch. You can either store in the fridge to bake up later, or pop into a small, oven-safe dish, top with cheese and bacon, and heat in the oven with the rest of your potatoes.

Changes we made: we forgot to add the cheddar cheese at the end but this did not detract from the taste. They were very yummy!

I hadn't made twice-stuffed potatoes in a long time. Our potatoes were cooked but it would have been better to leave them in for 10 minutes longer. You might not need this but our oven runs on the cooler side. When we scooped them out the first shell we filled, it broke in half. No problem, we 'glued' it together with extra filling.  It would have been easier if the potatoes had been cooked longer, however.

When mixing the potato, add a little of the buttermilk/milk at a time, to gradually get it to the desired consistency. We did not use all of it and had a small amount of liquid left over.

The taste of bleu cheese was in the background and didn't overpower the dish.

We served it with a cob of sweet corn and sweet peas.

Here is the full address in case you would like to copy and paste instead of using the link at the beginning of the page.

https://ourbestbites.com/stuffed-bleu-cheese-potatoes/

It's definitely a keeper. We both forgot how much we enjoyed eating potatoes prepared this way. It made a very nice change.

I have actually frozen twice-baked potatoes in the past, but I would have to look that up to refresh before putting any instructions for the freezer on here.

As always, if you have any questions or tips of your own, let me know in the comment section and I will be happy to answer if I can.

Thanks for looking, 

have a great week and Bon Appetit!

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - SHARING ANN'S FRIENDSHIP GREETING CARD.

I have said this many times before, but when husband comes in with the mail and tells me "Hey, there's a card from your friend Ann in Pennsylvania" I just about do a happy dance.

What a sweet card Ann, I absolutely love it. Thank you, I feel blessed to be on your mailing list.

You can visit Ann's blog here at Ann's Snap Edit Scrap. Just click on the link.

Thanks again Ann, and to you and everyone out there, have a wonderful day and week ahead!

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER

 

Our Cardinal is a Quodophile, which is a popular slang term often used in online communities for a devoted lover of quotes. 

And now we know that that's how it is going to go this week on another whimsical

Saturday Morning at the Birdfeeder...

because the woman of the house had no clue as to where this was going but the wise old owl below did apparently.

Thanks for groaning along with me

Have a great weekend!

For our international friends to read using the translation 

widget on my sidebar.

Photo Cardinal says:

“Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no home. Abram L. Urban said that.”

AN OLD FAVORITE - PEACOCK PROFILE

We were on vacation 11 years ago, near my hometown at the Paignton Zoo in South Devonshire (UK). This handsome fellow was walking around freely. He wasn't too far away and was obviously used to being around people. 

If you would like to see other photos I took of their peacocks, you can go to this link. 

I will leave you with this.

"How come it can't fly no better than a chicken?" Milkman asked.

"Too much tail. All that jewelry weighs it down. Like vanity. Can't nobody fly with all that stuff. Wanna fly, you got to give up the stuff that weighs you down."

The peacock jumped onto the hood of the Buick and once more spread its tail, sending the flashy Buick into oblivion."

~Toni Morrison - Song of Solomon ~

Thanks for stopping by. 

Happy Weekend!

OUT AND ABOUT…THAI BEAR

 

For the first time in over a week I left the house. Neither of us were feeling too energetic but our son took us to one of his and our daughter-in-law’s favorite restaurants for lunch, and dear other half was feeling quite good and eager. The bear was in front of a Thai restaurant we passed in slow moving traffic. We didn’t have lunch there but it made for a photo op.

I was curious about this interesting figure and looked it up by posting my photo on Google. It said it is a large-scale artistic bear dressed in traditional Thai Khon performance attire. The statue features several culturally significant elements. Here is a list of them.

“Khon Mask (Hua Khon): the bear is holding a miniature mask, which is the central characteristic of Khon, a classical Thai masked drama. These masks represent characters from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana epic.

Traditional attire: the bear is adorned with “Chada” (a pointed crown) and elaborate glittering garments typical of Royal Thai performance costumes.

Artistic Interpretation: while the bear itself is not a traditional figure in the Ramakien, modern Thai artists often blend traditional motifs (like Benjarong overglaze painting styles) with contemporary forms to promote cultural heritage.  

This specific piece appears to be a modern cultural installation or a high-end collectible figurine designed to showcase “Thainess ” through a playful and creative lens.”

I had fun finding out about this figure. Google has a wealth of information. All I had to do was click on the little camera in the search engine line and load my photo up. I learned about this originally from Madsnapper. Thanks Sandra!

And thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day!

YELLOW ROSES

 Thank you for all the get-well wishes for Gregg. He still has a cough but is a whole lot better than he was and is on the mend. I have had no similar symptoms and at the same time, keeping fingers crossed. I hope you are all okay out there. 

Today I am sharing a few bright and cheerful yellow roses.  

On a whim, this being quite a while ago now as these are from my archives, I saw one particular bouquet of yellow roses at the local supermarket and decided to treat myself.

After putting all the groceries away, I took them outside into the sunlight. I liked how the green from the leafy branches of the trees looked in the background, especially in that top photo.

I read that in America and western Europe, yellow roses symbolize friendship and joy. In other countries they have other meanings, like enlightenment and wisdom for instance.

I was very happy to find these roses again. I hope you enjoy them too.

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL CHILDREN - A FEW QUOTES FOR YOU

Pick your favorite quote, or unfavorite. Opinions are always welcome and so are your own favorite quotes.

“Children are not things to be molded but are people to be unfolded.” - Jess Lair

“The things that make me different are the things that make me me.” - Winnie the Pooh

“Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.” - Anonymous 

“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.” - Angela Schwindt

“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” - C.S. Lewis

“I really love being human. But some days I really wish I could be a fairy.” - Greta, age 4

“When our little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it is our job to share our calm, not to join in the chaos.” - L. R. Knos

“When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they are finished, I climb out.” - Erma Bombeck

“Rather than books and lectures, nature itself is children’s best teacher.” - Coffey

“If the day ever came when we were able to accept ourselves and our children exactly as we and they are, then I believe we would have been very close to an ultimate understanding of what ‘good’ parenting means.” - Fred Rogers  

Thanks for looking and 

I hope you all have a happy day

   I found this sweet graphic a long time ago. It was either on Pixabay or Pinterest. I updated it for this post and made a few additions. I wanted it to be for all our children.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - 5-INGREDIENT SLOW-COOKER CABBAGE, POTATOES AND SMOKED SAUSAGE

Happy 1st Day of June! Can't believe we are already six months into the year, can you?

Today I am starting with a comforting hot bowl of nourishment, especially as my dear other half came down with the worst cough and cold that he has had in I can’t remember when. He usually never gets sick. As I write this on Friday the 29th, he was finally able to eat something. This bowl of soup he said, felt great for what ailed him. The cold came on very fast. If we had more warning, it would have been a chicken noodle soup, but this was very welcomed. I had put it together the day before. As I look outside, the sun is shining and it feels warmer. Perhaps this is the last bowl of hot soup for a while.

Today’s recipe comes from a food blog called Cooktop Cove, contributing author Morgan Reed. You can find the original recipe at this link. It has been a while since I used the slow-cooker. It is a good thing getting started on dinner early in the day. We used the linguiça that I mentioned a few days ago. It is Gregg’s favorite Portuguese sausage, one of his nostalgia foods from childhood. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I had it in my head that it was very spicy but didn’t find it so. It was delicious and flavorful. You can use your favorite smoked sausage of course.

Slow-Cooker 5-Ingredient Sausage, Cabbage and Potato 

Serves 4

1 pound smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (we used the linguiça)

1 small head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and chopped into 1 to 2-inch pieces

1-1/2 pounds yellow or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks (I used Yukon Baby Gold from Wegmans, so small I didn’t need to peel them or cut them into chunks, leaving them whole)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

Layer the potatoes in the bottom of a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. This gives them direct contact with the heat so they cook through and soften into that tender, almost creamy texture  

Scatter the chopped cabbage on top of the potatoes. Don’t worry if it seems like a lot as the cabbage will reduce in volume as it cooks.

Arrange the sliced smoked sausage over the cabbage in an even layer. As the sausage heats, its fat and seasoning will drip down and flavor the vegetables underneath, much like an old-fashioned stovetop braise.

Dot the butter pieces evenly over the sausage and vegetables. Pour the chicken broth around (not directly on top of) the layers so you don’t wash off all that surface seasoning  Sprinkle with the salt and black pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, and the cabbage is soft and glossy. (I checked after 6 hours and everything was cooked perfectly.) The broth should be rich and lightly buttery, with a few flecks of black pepper visible throughout.

Gently stir from the bottom to the top to mix the sausage, cabbage and potatoes without breaking them up too much. Taste and adjust seasoning with a bit more salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle into warm bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of broth, sausage, cabbage and potatoes. Finish with an extra grind of black pepper at the table if you enjoy lots of pepper. 

I am repeating the host’s variations and tips:

For a slightly smoky, old-world flavor, add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds along with the salt and pepper. 

If you prefer a lighter dish, you can reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons and add an extra 1/2 cup of broth. The texture will be a little less rich but still satisfying. 

To make this more vegetable-forward, stir in a couple of handfuls of shredded carrots or sliced onions under the cabbage layer - this keeps the ingredient list simple while adding natural sweetness.

For a tangier, more German-inspired version, replace 1/2 cup of the chicken broth with apple cider or add 1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar at the end of cooking.

If you are cooking for a smaller household, this recipe reheats nicely on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of broth or water to loosen the broth and keep everything moist. 

Leftovers also make a hearty next-day lunch spooned over rice or mashed potatoes, stretching those humble ingredients even further, just like your grandmother would have intended. 

We served with a nice crusty roll.

I added a spoonful of sour cream on the last day of eating this soup.

There were leftovers for the next couple of days and lasted through the weekend.

Here is the full address of the recipe if you prefer to copy and paste.  

https://cooktopcove.com/2026/02/27/grandma-made-this-best-a-comforting-hearty-meal-that-turns-affordable-ingredients-into-gold

Here is a similar recipe at the same website but without the potatoes.

https://cooktopcove.com/2026/03/23/my-aunt-always-serves-this-classic-comfort-food-when-the-spring-weather-is-still-biting-toss-4-simple-ingredients-into-the-pot-for-an-insta

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day and… 

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - INTERESTING STORY ABOUT THE DOG

 This is another from my archives. We are all of different faiths and beliefs. However, I hope all dog lovers will enjoy this story. The dog I mentioned below has long since moved on with his humans.

This is dedicated to my sweet four-legged neighbor across the street, with his cold, wet nose often pressed against the glass door, who always barks a welcome when I return home from a trip be it long or short. I wave and he wags his tail.

How the Dog Got a Cold, Wet Nose.

When a man named Noah started building a boat in the middle of the desert, everybody laughed. They thought he was daft. But Noah wasn't listening to them, he was listening to the God of the Hebrews, who said to build a boat.

So Noah built a boat. Noah called his boat an ark. When he finished it, he rounded up all the animals, two by two, to travel on his ark. People laughed at Noah's opossums and panthers and penguins. They laughed at his cheetahs and chinchillas, giraffes and gazelles, and rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses. Into the ark went all the animals, two by two.

Pretty soon, it started to rain. It rained, and it poured, and it rained some more. People stopped laughing and the ark started floating. Noah and his family and all the animals, two by two, rode safely on the waters.They sailed for 40 days and 40 nights. When the rains stopped, out of the ark came Noah and his family and all of the animals, two by two. Except one.

No one could find the little dog. Noah searched everywhere. He looked on the first deck. He looked on the second deck, then the third deck. Finally, in the farthest corner in the lowest deck, he found the little dog. The dog was shivering and standing with his nose pressed hard against the side of the boat. "Come here, little dog!" called Noah. "It's time to come out! Here, doggie, doggie!"

The little dog wouldn't move. Noah gently pulled him away. "What's this?" said Noah. "A hole in the ark! The ark might have sunk! Little dog! You kept us safe - me, my family, and all of the animals, two by two! With your little nose!"

The little dog was proud. But mostly, he was hungry. "Little dog," said Noah, as he pulled out a juicy bone, "so all the world and all the generations will know your great deed, your nose will always be cold and wet, just as it is today."

That's how the dog got his cold, wet nose. When you feel it, remember the little dog who used his nose to protect Noah, his family, and all of the animals, two by two.

~Stanley Coren~

Thanks for visiting and 

Happy Sunday Everyone.

Enjoy your day!