AROUND AND ABOUTS - OLD RECIPES MADE

 I had intended to post this for tomorrow but accidentally put it up now. I'll just leave it as it is. There will be no new post at midnight. One of those times my finger-pusher was faster than my brain this evening.

I haven't been around and about too much this week so far, or the last for that matter. Hoping to rectify that tomorrow. I can't go on any of my long walks but a ride in the car will be nice.

Today we made our daughter-in-law's recipe. She shared this a couple of years ago and it is a favorite, real easy and fast to put it together, Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach. I covered mine liberally with hot pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, sliced green onions and grated Parmesan. We also added extra lemon juice which we love. You can add your own favorites. We thought sliced mushroom might be nice, and sweet red pepper. 

We took a drive over to Manassas National Battlefield Park on Thursday, 1/8/26, to see the sunset and enjoy a walk. Unfortunately the sun dipped below a wide cloud bank - no spectacular sunset but the skies were beautiful. There were about a dozen cars in the parking lot but there are enough wide, open spaces that we were in our own space all the time we were there.  I need my walker but as this is one area where there are hardly any benches, its seat comes in handy. The visitor center is equipped with great ramps for people with disabilities. I just read that there are benches around, but we looked and couldn’t find any. I will ask people at the visitor center next time. The building looked like it was closing. We asked someone bringing the flag down, at the beginning of our walk, when did we have to leave the parking lot. I was concerned that the barriers would be locked preventing us from getting our car out. She told us this was done half-an-hour after sunset. We made it in good time. 

We went to Santini’s on our way home and shared a steak and cheese sub, plus a packet of steak fries. We were going somewhere else but it was rush hour and it was impossible to change lanes in the direction we needed to go - no gaps - and the cars were zipping along. Before we knew it we were on the freeway heading in the direction of home, and not wanting to deal with u-turns, Santini’s it was. We each had a cream soda which is the only soda I will ever drink. It was a tasty meal and a real nice treat. It is not one of our regular drop-in places, but we enjoy it when we go. Santini’s is a sports bar/restaurant but I noticed all the TV screens were frozen. No doubt they will be fixed before the weekend crowd arrives.

I seem to be talking about food a lot but here is something else we made today Saturday, 1/10/26, Chicken and Dumplings. 

This is my dear other half’s favorite meal since childhood. The link to the recipe on my blog is here.

The Christmas Tree is still up! I am slower getting it down this year but still enjoying the lights at night. I have been watching Grantchester. It’s about a vicar and policeman who solve crimes in a post-war English village. It’s very well done but let’s just say it’s not like the Hallmark movie channel. I am on the 4th, or maybe the 5th season now and we have our second vicar. Some seasons have been better than others. They are not like my village vicar who used to come around for tea every Thursday night. My mum would cook him a hot meal and dad would give him a tot of whisky later, after his cup of tea. The vicarage was just up the road from where we lived. The church, where Gregg and I were eventually married, was down in the valley. He would always walk home, stopping in for dinner with various parishioners. We took care of him on Thursday evenings and always enjoyed his company. Nice young chap! As for Grantchester, this seems to be a good season and I am totally invested in all the characters. 

I see the star is leaning over. I will get the tall one to straighten it for me tomorrow. He will be over for his usual Sunday visit. Then next week I will start taking the ornaments down. I will miss them!

We had a lovely chat with my brother-in-law in Germany today (Saturday, 1/10/26). Never get off the phone in under an hour and we always enjoy our chats. I see you over there have had a lot of bad weather. Brother-in-law told me that Cornwall has had a bit of a time of it. Anyhow, I hope wherever you live, that all is well.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.

ODDS AND BODS - 12/23/25 - THE COMFY RABBITS ARE HERE

 Good morning everyone! How are you?

1.

Here I am in my woollies, and a cup of tea is warming me up nicely, but I have really got to get moving. 

2.

I’m getting there but first…

3. 

(Further: pronounced "OH-lay-loo. It is a beautiful Finnish word describing a state of calm, unhurried relaxation, simply existing in the moment without agenda or pressure to do something; it's about embracing stillness, serenity and being present, often through quiet activities like reading or enjoying a cup of tea. It comes from the Finnish verb "oleilla" meaning "to be,: and reflects a cultural appreciation for mindful, intentional downtime, a contrast to a constantly busy world.)

In my land of dreams today, I would dearly love to hug my brother the grizzly bear. 

4.

and poking a little fun at myself here. 

5.

Very important!

6.

From my all-time favorite poet.

7.

A gift from hubs for our Christmas tree, from the garden center I shared about, a lovely surprise to find it after we got home. He saw me looking at it. What do you know, they had a tree full of bird ornaments too. Maybe after the holidays to see what's on sale? That's always fun!

8.

And here he is, now on our tree. I'm calling him Gilbert the Canada Goose.

9.

10.

And something else for the birds. Did you know?

11.

And 

12.

Well, I don’t actually live in the woods, would  love to and…

13.

14.

15.

And to finish off...for all of you.

16.

And there you go.  I hope you enjoyed. 

Have a wonderful day!

Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow.  

For our international friends to translate, below each image I have added a number. Below I have the words on that particular image, in case you would like to translate any of them. I have also numbered photos with no words, just for continuity.

1. 

No words.

2.

No words.

3.

Oleilu: a calm, unhurried state of simply being, not about doing, achieving, or planning, but the quiet act of existing in the moment.

4.

No words.

5.

Sometimes I talk to myself. Then we both laugh and laugh.

6.

"When you think of everyone you love..." said the fox, "I hope you include yourself."

7.

"Let me keep my distance,

always, from those who think

they have the answers.

Let me keep company

always with those who say

"Look!"

and laugh in astonishment,

and bow their heads."

~Mary Oliver~

8.

No words.

9.

No words.

10.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to go.

Though the fields lay golden,

Someone whispered, -- 'snow'.

Leaves were green and stirring,

Berries luster glossed,

But beneath warm feathers

Something cautioned, - 'frost!'

All the sagging orchards steamed

With amber spice but each wild

Breast stiffened at remember, - 'ice'.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to fly, - 

Summer sun was on their 

Wings, winter in their cry.

~Rachel Field~

(1934)

11.

Brainy Little Birdies!

Chickadees can remember 1,000 + hiding spots!

Each winter, they stash seeds all over and can recall nearly every location months later. That's a memory trick most humans wish they had.

12.

Cut the Fall (Autumn) Cutback

Those 'dead' seed heads are a buffet for migrating birds. Leave them standing and your garden becomes a free winter bird feeder.

13.

The older I get, the more I understand why people live in the woods and talk to squirrels.

14.

So she’s like, GET OFF THE COUNTER” and I’m like “Do I look like I am taking orders?”

15.

Have you been offered a pill disguised as cheese? You may be entitled to compensation for deception - Attorneys at Paw: 123-456-7890.

16.

Thank you for being a generous soul and a beautiful spirit in a world that could use a million like you. Thanks so much for everything you have done, and for all that you continue to do.  You’re the best and you’re appreciated more than I can say. 

With my thanks to Pinterest for the inspiration.

A BIG THANK YOU...

 Firstly, I wanted to thank you my very dear blogging friends, for all your very sweet comments, and those from family and friends here and across the pond, on our 50th Anniversary. Gregg and I appreciated that more than we can put into words. It added to a very special day for us. Gregg was needed out of town for a few days and I didn't expect him home, but thanks to two very special people, they made sure we could spend most of the day together. Those very special people also sent us some beautiful flowers which I will share when they bloom. Heart is full at their kindness. 

 Above you can see part of a bouquet that Gregg had in hand when he walked through the door. I told him that Peruvian Lilies were in the first bouquet he ever bought home after we were married. I had never seen them before and have loved them ever since. He said, "Of course, I remembered that! Well, let's just say I remembered that." We had a chuckle of course. 50 years is a long time to remember such things, but I did and yes, another chuckle, as he often says where my emotions are concerned, I have a memory like a laser. True! I just read him this paragraph, "100 percent true!" he said with emphasis, and with yet another chuckle. Personally I believe it's a girl thing.

Our son and daughter-in-law were coming over to keep me company that evening, and when they found that Dad was coming home early and would be with us, we told them to go ahead with what we had originally planned. They treated us to a wonderful selection of Empanadas from one of their local eateries. I was asked if I would like to try them as it was a new food to me. I've heard of them and was not disappointed. The above photo he sent me to let me know they were on their way. The empanadas were wonderful, and we had such a fun time.

So that was our 50th Wedding Anniversary. The following photos are what we took on the 18th, when we were out and about. And here you go, my first doggy fix of the week!

As we were driving along, Gregg said to me, "Get your phone ready!" I wondered what was up. He had seen this little cutie a few cars ahead of us, changed lanes (no traffic coming up behind us) so that I would get a good view. As we went by, I was able to take a photo. We were just starting off on our journey heading out to run some errands and, lo and behold, when we were driving home, and as we turned left at the traffic light, who should pass us as they headed straight, was this little dog again, still with its head out the window. An hour had gone by since we had first seen cutie here. How about that for the strangest coincidence? I didn't get a photo that time but cropped the one from above for a closer look.

We stopped at the drive-thru coffee shop and this mysteriously made its way into my hand. He may be making another appearance in a day or so.

Next a photo taken while driving home through the neighborhood.

I am finishing off with two photos Gregg just found while on his iPad. These popped up and I asked him to send them to me so that I could share them again. This blog is getting so old that I seem to keep doing that, don't I? The photo was taken about 10 years ago (just guessing but it seems a long time ago). We were on vacation, and I had it put on an ornament.

The last one is of an old-fashioned Santa that I cut out of wood with my bandsaw (a birthday gift from husband I kid you not, and actually asked for). We used to joke that other people were asking their husbands for jewelry and there I was, asking for a bandsaw and a sander, and other things that I needed. In my craft show days, I used to buy several sheets of balsa wood and have the wood company cut them into 1-foot squares, so that I could more easily trace designs on them and cut them out. 

As I got older Gregg asked me to get rid of it, and the sander, which was on a stand. My hands and especially my fingers were not as steady as they used to be and cramped easily, and he feared for my fingers, lol! (I was also having difficulty holding a paintbrush.) In all those years I had never had any mishaps but he saw the writing on the wall. 

I had quite a cottage industry going for about 15 years. To add to the fun I took painting lessons and met lots of good people. It was a fun time selling all my ornaments at the many craft shows I participated in, not just ornaments but things like four-foot Santas and Angels on stands. The painting was my favorite part, seeing them come together, but I didn't mind cutting and sanding either. 

I had grown up with my Dad who was a hobbyist carpenter. His full-time job could be very stressful at times, and this was a great way for him to destress. I think wood dust was in my veins from an early age as I used to help Dad a lot, and I have always loved things made out of wood. His were things like tables and chairs, and when they bought a caravan for visits up to the Midlands to visit with relatives, he built bunk beds for it. 

One of his favorite things he made for family and friends were bird houses on a stand. He used to give those away as gifts. We knew a lot of people who were birders before we knew what the term meant. Us too as we were always checking to see which feathered friend landed in our garden. Living near the ocean as we did, we would get a lot of gulls by the dozens flying in.

These, as you can see, are great memories for me. Something I think more and more about these days. I can almost see my Dad smiling as I joined him in the garage. He was always grateful for the interest and help with his projects, and I used to get him things he needed, plus a very important cup of tea when Mum shouted she had put the kettle on and yelled that it was ready through the window. To this day, I still enjoy watching YouTube videos of how things are made out of wood, from log cabins to the smallest of projects. Dad started it all and I believe his father was the same.

This has turned into another ramble. I will end by saying I hope you have a wonderful day and thanks so much for dropping by and sticking with me through to the end of my waffling.

BACK TO THE GARDEN CENTER ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 2025...

and what a lovely time was had. I wanted to purchase seed packets to pop into the Christmas cards for gardening friends. The usual spot I always found them had other things on display. A lady came over to see if she could help and when I told her what I was looking for, she showed Gregg a place on the other side of the center. He disappeared for a couple of minutes, and I pottered around while waiting for him to come back. That’s him on the left just before he follows the nice lady. I really can’t say enough about the staff here. In all the years we have been coming, all have been super friendly and helpful.

I asked Bear if he would like to come home with me, but as often happens, he said no. He was far too busy greeting people and offering them refreshments. The deer below gave me the same answer. Ah well, there were other things to occupy my line of sight.

The raccoon was as interested as I was as he poked his head through a hole in the wall.

Hmmm.....he said. I know....I said.

Trinkets...I said.

How I love trinkets, like a moth to the flame...but I have more control than the moth as I left the flame and went on to look at other things.

Still rabbiting on here…hmmm....shiny objects. What am I, a jackdaw? Not really but how I love browsing around shiny, glittery things.

I went through one of the double doors into the greenhouse and had a browse around there too.

You can see what drew my attention this time. I also like rusty animals…

and while getting in touch with my inner child even further, decided to look at fairy things.

Not buying anything but seed packets, just browsing today!

I wonder if Santa is visiting later?

So, with seed packets in hand thanks to my dear other half, it was time to leave. We had passed turtle on our way in. 

We made our way to our drive-thru and ordered a coffee. They were offering their snowman cookies and one actually did make its way home with me. I ate it while drinking my coffee and writing Christmas Cards. I'm late sending them as always. Maybe next year I will be earlier! But then again, snowmen may fly!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great day!