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.

BACK TO THE GARDEN...

 I am sharing Gregg's photos today. He wanted to change to black and white and adjusted his iPhone. We both liked them very much and I would like to try my own next time we go out.

It was a wonderful day, started out at 83 degs F (28 degs C), not too much humidity that I could detect. However, at the end of our walk it got up to 88 degs F (31 degs C) with high humidity. I was glad to be heading to our air-conditioned car by that time. I probably walked a bit too far again - tsk, tsk I can hear Gregg saying. He always warns me, but those flowers and bees you know.

We had a delightful time chatting to a lovely couple, which I will go into more when I do another post. 

We were at what has become our favorite walk-about place, Green Spring Gardens, and more later.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.

WHERE AM I?

Isn’t he a charming fellow, obviously pondering life, and wondering why this woman keeps telling him he is beautiful? I believe he already knows that!

I have a never-ending admiration and respect for artists who can put anything like this together.

I will be sharing a longer post tomorrow. 

Thank you for visiting 

and I hope your day is a great one. 

 

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

This is a photo I keep on our mantle in the family room of my Mother and me at my Christening in early 1951. Another I have shared before but when I looked at it again, I thought to put it up for Mother’s Day.  I still miss her dearly, always will.

“Half of the world  are women, the other half are their children.”

~Efu Nyaki~

“Pooh,” said Piglet quietly, “do you ever think about the ones 

who aren’t sitting beside us, but still feel close anyway?” Pooh

nodded very slowly. “Yes, Piglet. I think about them often.

Especially my mother. She may not always be with me, but I

feel her in every good thing I try to do. When I am kind, it is

because she taught me kindness. When I am brave, it is because

she told me I could be. And when I feel small and a bit lost, I

remember she always made me feel I was enough.” Piglet sat down.

So even though she isn’t here, she still is?” Pooh gave a little smile.

“Exactly, Piglet. Mothers are like that. They don’t stop being part of

your story, even if they are not in the middle of it all anymore. They

are in the way you see the world, in the way you hold onto hope,

and in the way you keep going when days feel heavy.” Piglet

sighed softly, a happy sort of sigh. “That sounds like love that

never ends.” And Pooh, still looking at the little picture in his

paws, whispered, “Yes, Piglet. That’s what mothers are - 

love that never ends.”

I wish those who are celebrating and remembering their mothers, and also who are celebrating their own motherhood...

A Very Happy Mother's Day. 

Dedicated with love and hugs 

to all the Mothers who made us feel whole.

JUST ME, BACK IN THE EARLY 1970's - PART 1

Still clearing through boxes in our 2025 downsizing project. Gregg came across these old photos of me, taken in the early and mid 1970's. When he put them in my hands, I could hardly comprehend that they were taken 50 years ago. Who is that young girl leaning against a snowbank? It's me! 

I decided to put them on here, along with the memories of each photo, so that our son could read them in the years ahead and hopefully have a chuckle. Hopefully you will too, or feel to skip most of it. I certainly won't be offended. 

In the next batch Gregg brings in, there were more of him when I asked. The photo above was taken on a walk on one of the trails around Seefeld in Austria. The name of where we stayed just popped into my head. It was the Hotel Hohe Munde. I don't remember what it looked like too much on the outside, typically Tyrolean I would say, but I remember the dance floor and the coffee shop and a wide staircase. I saved for almost two years to be able to go with a group of good friends, hotel and air fare included, plus skiing lessons and our evening meal.

I wasn't fond of the skiing part. In No.1 - it looks like I am trying to figure out which ski goes on which foot. No. 2 - I managed to stay on those feet for a while. No 3 - I finally gave up on the skis for a bit and decided to use this contraption. No. 4 definitely more my style. I would be the one being pulled instead of the toddler shown. I understood why there were skiers who looked so at ease, as if they had been born to it. I saw many a toddler attached to and straddling their parents' legs with their tiny feet resting on their parents' skis as they skied downhill, albeit more gently and slower than they normally would have done, and on the bunny slopes as they were called. The seeds are sown early.

In the next photo I am standing in front of The Golden Roof. It doesn't look so golden, but these photos have faded. I'm glad we found them when we did as they are deteriorating rapidly. What do I expect after not seeing the light of day for all these years?

In those early days, not long after we met, we were talking of places visited and found that we were in Innsbruck about the same time. Gregg was on an exchange tour with the British Navy and had time off. All his shipmates and friends were married and had gone home to be with their family. As it was a fairly short holiday, he had not flown back to the States and decided to see a bit of Europe. Innsbruck was on his itinerary. 

I had gone with a group of friends but decided to take a bus trip to Innsbruck one day, which the travel person at the hotel had recommended. I don't remember going with anyone else and maybe a tourist took this photo of me. The facts seem a bit fuzzy of how-tos after all these years. 

So, there was Gregg looking around the city moreorless at the same time as I was, and fancifully thinking, it was almost as if the fates were trying to tell us something. Two months later we met in my hometown. 

A little bit of history, the Golden Roof was completed in the year 1500 and was decorated with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles for Emperor Maximilian I, to mark his wedding to Bianca Maria Sforza. The Emperor and his wife used the balcony to observe festivals, tournaments and other events that took place in the square below. The rest of the history can be read here. Seefeld, the town where I was spending my vacation, was only about an hour. 

I was closer to home in the next few photos, 12 hours plus by car from my home in Devonshire. Friend Moira and I are sitting next to a cannon on the battlements of Edinburgh Castle. This time I was away for a week's holiday. Moira's Dad was going on a business trip to St. Andrews in Scotland, and Moira suggested the three of us (also our friend Geraldine) spend a week in her dad's tent a little further north, and he dropped us off.

 

I had never been camping before and was eager to try it. I seem to remember my parents rolling their eyes when I told them what I was going to do. Dad occasionally would call me a hot-house flower, I liked my comfort too much he said. He couldn't imagine his youngest daughter going all the way up to Scotland and sleeping in a tent for seven nights in some strange place. Mum would fondly nod in my direction, agreeing with Dad. "Are you sure you really want to go camping?" with emphasis on the last word. Except for one long weekend on Dartmoor with a bunch of workmates the following year, I never went camping again. Definitely a hot house flower but that week up in Scotland, I wouldn't have traded that for the world. Enjoyed it from start to finish.

The photo above shows us playing cards in that lovely tent that was our home for a week, by a lovely windy loch, anchored to two strong, solid oak trees. None of us had been camping before and didn't really know how to do a simple thing like pitch a tent. It blew down that first night in pouring rain. Did we care? Not really! We couldn't stop laughing as we struggled to hoist it back up, pouring down with rain, catching all the flapping parts and digging them firmly onto the spikes which we hammered into the ground. Lesson learned, it stayed up for the rest of the week.  

There was a pub down the road and a small general shop. I seem to remember the pub people owning the camping ground. We went to two castles, Edinburgh and Stirling. There was a public bus once a week, which is how we got to these castles I suppose. Fuzzy memories on the hows after all this time. 

We walked down to the pub each night and one evening we were adopted by a young local couple we had gotten to know. The next night they invited us to go to their home for the evening. It was one of those self-entertainment get togethers, where the husband played a guitar, the wife sang Scottish folk songs, which we were invited to sing along to, and another of their friends recited Scottish poetry. We ate bread and cheese, ate crisps and drank pop. The hospitality was outstanding. Didn't want it to end and didn't leave until we were dropping off at well after midnight. Our hosts were only too ready to keep the evening going.

We were the only ones at the camping ground so we could take our pick of spots. We never found it boring. I don't remember much about the meals, but they were simple enough. We cooked spaghetti on a burner with lots of delicious bread still warm from the oven and freshly churned butter from that small shop not too far from the pub, all within a short walking distance. The pub always seemed to be quiet when we were there, with only a few locals.

On the last day when we were waiting for Moira's Dad so that we could start the journey home, a group of army lads turned up and started pitching their tent. They had some free time they said and decided to come up here from wherever they were stationed. We girls looked at each other and rolled our eyes but just as well we were leaving I suppose. A flash of my Dad’s disapproving expression just came to me. Gregg often says I have that same expression. I can hear my Mum saying, “Oh Stanley!” as she wrung her hands with worry. They needn’t have been concerned, but we are parents so we know how it goes. Dad gifted his girls with good head sense and taught skills that I still have today. I also have always had an overly cautious nature. Anyhow, those lads seemed very nice. We waved to them from the car as we headed south. It was a great feeling getting home, the same feeling I get now. Great to see my Mum and Dad again, and my Mum was particularly relieved I had such a good time but was now under her roof. Dad just rolled his eyes as I rolled mine and we had a bit of a laugh. Our dog Jason was filled with joy and his tail was like a whirlybird. He wouldn't leave my side for several days. Yes, it was good to get home.

This is Jason, our golden labrador. He was my baby. He didn't like other little dogs though, and we had to be careful taking him on walks. When he was a puppy and we hadn’t had him for long, we were on the high street in Totnes, and a passing terrier jumped up and bit him really hard on the end of his nose and wouldn't let go. He bled and bled and bled and was in such a state, poor pup. We had to keep him away from small dogs for evermore. I loved him dearly, a real sweet boy and he loved everyone who came to our house with even their dogs, but not terriers or other small dogs.

It's been a bit of a ramble and am sorry it's gone on for so long, but those photos started the memories flowing.

I have more photos and memories to share but I will give you a break and split this post into two parts, sharing the other in a few days or so.

Thanks for visiting and thank you for indulging me in my ramble. Have a great day!

 

AROUND AND ABOUT FROM 3-3-25 TO 3-9-25

This is our weather forecast for this week, from Monday 3-10-25 to 3-17-25

Hello Family and Friends, thank you once again for your encouragement. Here Is this past week’s daily journal. 

Monday, March 3rd, 2025: father and son were off out for the day. I enjoyed my usual pottering. Not much went on here but Gregg returned with a gift from one of the bookstores they visited. He always says books find you, you don't find them. He saw this one on a display table and picked it up immediately, looked through it and knew I would love it. He was right. It's a new one by Amy Tan and all the art is her own.

Tuesday, March 4th, 2025: 

We ran an errand today, I just went along for the ride and stayed in the car while Gregg went into the dry cleaners. I saw the leprechaun and unicorn again on our way home. This time there was an Irish flag.

Not long now before St. Patrick's Day but in advance I'll wish you: 

"Lá fhéile Pádraig Sona Dhuit" in Irish. 

According to Google it actually translates directly to "Happy Day of the Festival of Patrick to you".

• "Lá Fhéile Pádraig": Means "St Patrick's Day".
• "Sona": Means "happy".
• "Duit": Means "to you". 

This shows its pronunciation:

With it being Shrove Tuesday I made pancakes this evening. It was a tradition in my family when I was growing up, and is still tradition in the UK I'm thinking, to make them once a year (Brit friends please let me know if this is still going on). Mum always made it a lot of fun. She would toss the pancakes up in the air to flip them back into the pan on the other side, letting us have a try. Quite a few landed on the floor and nothing but laughter and giggles, and lots of happy times.

When we first met, Gregg told me he was surprised that pancakes were only made once a year, which he had found on the Royal Navy ship he was stationed with for two years. When we were first married and he asked if I could make him pancakes, I remember being very surprised that pancakes were made for breakfast, and often. It certainly wasn't Shrove Tuesday. 

I still make them the way my mother used to, something between an American pancake and a crepe, but more like a crepe, which fortunately he loved and still loves. We always served ours sprinkled with lemon juice and sugar over the top, and intended to make them that way today. At the last minute we found we had used all our lemons, and I didn't want Gregg to go out just for those. Maple syrup it was! I added blueberries on mine. 

Wednesday, March 5th, 2025: when we saw them last Sunday, our son and daughter-in-law brought pastries from a place called Chateau de Chantilly Cafe. Gregg enjoyed his very much - a fried croissant with a cream filling - and suggested we go over there this morning for breakfast. We are also checking places out when our overseas company visit us.  They will be arriving a little over a month from now. 

This is actually our second visit to the cafe, our first was last year. Visually, and I thought it a bit strange, as I looked at all the variety of delicious delights they offered, I found myself a bit overwhelmed. 

I couldn't decide on anything. I ended up getting what Gregg had come here for, a fried croissant with a cream filling. It was outstanding. Gregg also purchased a coca-cola and ordered a latte for me, except that he accidentally ordered me two. 

I was so annoyed!

And yes I am joking. My unexpected café au lait pour deux? Lovely, and so was that fried croissant. I was wired for the rest of the day. That silly face was after my dear other half asked me if I enjoyed the extra cup of coffee and that was my response. They are not small cups!

A big thank you to him for such a nice treat with my extra surprise, and the nice drive to get out here.

I would describe this place as shabby/chic. I am comfortable wearing a sweater and jeans. It is in an old building with tall ceilings. When son and daughter-in-law were there on the weekend it was packed out and they were lucky to get a table. We had no problem mid-week, and we always go on an off hour when people have gone back to work.  There is an upstairs for the overflow. We managed to get a parking spot right out front, so I left my cane in the car and used Gregg’s arm. They are open every day from 7.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m.

On the way home we had a good old Virginia downpour. I took this photo between the window wipers going at full speed. I have quite a few which I deleted before this one.

We had a FaceTime with my brother-in-law in Germany, another nice long chat. I feel blessed that we have such a close friendship with him after all these years, and with such distance between us too. I am grateful to this technology that allows us to keep in touch, almost like we are all in the same room.  

Thursday, March 6th, 2024: father and son were out again with my blessing. Gregg left the house around 2:00 a.m. I did nothing special and pottered! He knows I enjoy my quiet time. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them anyway. They like to gadabout all over the place and I would slow them down to a crawl. My time went quickly and when hubs got home late evening, he caught me up on his day and I told him mine. He won! I can’t remember everything I did now, I just know the day went quickly.  

Friday, March 7th, 2025: I woke up to the wind howling outside. It was a little after 1:00 a.m. I could hear the sound of the tree branches whipping into a frenzy. It took me forever to get back to sleep. I could see the light of dawn coming through the shutters before going back to sleep.

The first thing I did this morning was look out on the deck. The only thing I could see amiss, was a small branch from the fir tree. When we first moved here, that fir tree was tiny and remained that way for years. I was told the roots hit the water table and from there on it grew and it grew, and it grew. It is way above the house, and we are going to have to do something about it soon, but unlike our other trees that had to be cut down, it looks very healthy. Someone quoted us $1,200 and because of priorities, don't want to do that right now as we have other things to take care of. It is a healthy-looking tree, and this price quoted was just for pruning. This seems to be the going rate and they certainly are very skilled. When the last man cut down the tree, he was like a lumberjack, shimmying up and down like it was no effort at all.

We picked up an item of clothing from the dry cleaners and that was about it for my outdoor adventure today. There was even more traffic around today.

Look what we saw on the way home? I think the leprechaun and his steed were a wee bit tipsy, or perhaps competing in a rodeo?

The more logical explanation is that with the wind last night, they were deflated.  I saw them flattened on the ground earlier with a couple of bicycles on top acting as weights. I think it was in the process of being inflated again.

Saturday, March 8th, 2025: I took one of my books down off the shelf and picked out a walrus to sketch. This book is not only educational, it has the most wonderful artwork inside, just like the new book Gregg gave me.

This is the one I chose. I remember seeing them once and they are magnificent marine animals. You can read about them at this link.

Here's my scribble sketch.

Nothing else of note today. We had a very quiet day, very relaxing.  

Sunday, March 9th, 2025: son just left at 12:30 p.m. He usually arrives between 8.30 and 9.00 with my coffee in hand and also a muffin. I look forward to his weekly visits. He and his dad will be getting together on Tuesday again. It's becoming a regular thing. 

I have a doctor's appointment coming up next week to see what's going on with this knee, as there are no marathons in my future until I get it sorted out. Not that there were any marathons in my past either, but it would be lovely to be able to get out on a good walk around my favorite places. I am very lucky, I have Green Spring Gardens as it's a short trip to where we park the car and is an easy, flat area.

It feels good to look outside and see the sun shining. 

I think I am going to end this week's around and about here. If something exciting happens I will add it before I publish. I have a feeling it's going to be all quiet, so at 5.13 p.m. I'll say bye-bye for now and until next time...

thanks so much for continuing to read through these things, always appreciated.