AROUND AND ABOUT ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 22ND, 2026

Nothing too exciting today, just out running a few errands. I've numbered the photos in the collage, and below have explained what they are. 

1. This is the spot where there used to be an old derelict house we passed by for years. I can still see in my mind's eye the beauty of the place in its decline. I mentioned how disappointed I was when driving by, to see that it had been completely leveled. It wasn't long before there was a lot of activity. The big machines had moved in, rubble removed, foundations laid, and then the elevator shafts built, then the walls. Each time we passed by I took a photo and then went home and compared it to the others I've taken, to see its progress. It wasn't too long after that we saw the company sign, a new storage facility for people's personal belongings. The place is huge! There is another building down the road by the same company, maybe not quite as big but big enough. Kitty-corner from that to my right, there is a much smaller storage facility run by another company. Personal storage is definitely big business around here.

2. I have my head up in the clouds again. I am a cloud watcher. When we left the house we were socked in. The skies looked very foreboding. The night before we had a thunderstorm with lots of rain. It actually started raining when we left the house, but when we got down the road a few miles, this was the sky and a few miles later all the rain clouds disappeared. 

3. & 4. are basically the same. Lunch and a car picnic in the parking lot outside The Pure Pasty Co. There website is here. A place I have mentioned on here several times. The owner is British and we have been coming here off and on ever since we discovered it. I can't remember when that was now, but it's been years. We often took our friends to the place. It opened in October 2010. We stock up on a few things as they also sell British food. We didn't buy much today, a few packets of British Bangers (sausages) from out of their freezer, and the pasties we had for our car picnic lunch. I think it was the last time we were there, a couple of ladies in the next car were doing the same. The absolute best pasties! Here's a history of them. You can enlarge the history card if needed. Also, below this post it is written out for translation for our overseas friends.

5. & 6. On the way home we spotted the tree trimmer. There are trees here that are beautifully shaped. I don't know what kind they are. That gentleman at the top in the cherry picker, what a good head for heights he must have.

We went home and pottered for the rest of the day. 

Thanks for looking and I hope 

your week is going well.

Have a great day!

History of the Cornish Pasty

The pasty is the national symbol of Cornwall, England. In some Cornish families a pasty recipe is the only means of tracing their family history. No one can pinpoint when the pasty originated. However, it can be traced back to Henry VIII (1491-1547). There is a letter in existence from a baker to Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, saying “Hope this pasty reaches in better condition than the last one…” We also find reference to the pasty in two of Shakespeare’s plays. It is referenced in: The Merry Wives of Windsor: Act 1, Scene 1. Page: Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome. Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner: come gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness.  And in “All’s Well That Ends Well: Act IV, Scene III. Parolles: I will confess to what I know without constraint: if ye pinch me like a pasty, I can say no more.

The pasty became the Cornish miners’ meal of choice for many reasons. The traditional pasty was a complete meal consisting of meat, potato, onion and seasoning all wrapped in a crust then baked. Also, a miner could leave home with a hot pasty in his pocket and reach in once in a while to warm his hands.

In Cornwall arsenic was often found in the tin mines. This is the reason for the thick pastry crimp on the pasty. The miners would hold the pasty by this crust, throwing it away after they had eaten the body of the pasty to avoid poisoning. The crust wasn’t wasted though; the miners were firm believers in “knockers” (ghosts) and left the crust for them. Pasty shops in Michigan can be found where the people of Cornwall settled. They are, however, most prevalent in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

FLOWERS AT LEWIS GINTNER BOTANICAL GARDEN - THURSDAY, JUNE 25TH, 2026

Thank you for all my Happy Birthday wishes yesterday my dear friends. You are the dearest people and I am so very happy you are part of my blogging family. I feel truly blessed! 

My special birthday meal didn’t go quite as planned. No worries, it all worked out okay but ye gads! I will tell all tomorrow. I have to write it all down first  

In the time being, here are some pretty flowers!

🌺 🌺🌺

 I will ID the photos as best I can. I expect many will recognize them. The first one shows a little honeybee on a Stokes' Aster (Stokesia laevis) and native to America. Specifically, this herbaceous perennial is a wildflower indigenous to the southeastern United States, ranging naturally from North Carolina down to Florida and west to Louisiana.

Next we have the Common Daylily (Hemerocallis fulvia). It is native to Asia (including China and Japan) and was introduced to the United States as an ornamental plant in the late 19th century.

According to what I could find, this is the White Swan Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan'). (If you think I am incorrect on any of these flowers, please let me know.) It is native to North America, a cultivated variety of the common purple coneflower, a species naturally found throughout the central to southeastern United States.

Below you can see the Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), also a native to the United States. Its native range spans the central, eastern and southeastern regions of the country (from Ohio to Michigan south to Louisiana and Georgia). I have some of these in our garden at home. They thrive quite well.

This shows you the start of the that flower.

Only one decent Skipper photo as outside the Butterfly House, the regular butterflies seemed a bit scarce. My best guess for this one is a Field skipper  (Atalopedes campestris).

This is the Royal Lily (Lilium regale), also known as the Regal Lily or King's Lily. A native exclusively to the western Sichuan Province in southwestern China.

This yellow-petaled flower below is called "Irish Eyes' Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta 'Irish Eyes'). It is a distinct award-winning cultivar of the classic North American native wildflower. Instead of having the traditional dark chocolate or black center cone, it has a clear emerald or lime green eye.

My last but one photo for today is the Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria) It is also called Lily of the Incas), a long-lasting flowering plant native to South America. It's trumpet-shaped blooms come in bright colors. I only ever saw the pink ones before this. 

Despite its common name, the plant is actually part of the Alstroemiaceae family and is entirely separate from true lilies.

I have more flowers but will save them for another day. I hope you have enjoyed these. 

Thanks for looking at these and 

I hope you have a great day.

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER 1-16-26

 

For our international friends to translate on my side-bar:

Photo 1:

"I know you think I am a thief and steal all the birdseed, but it's winter and I am hungry. I also have to feed all my young ones."

Photo 2:

"That lady with the black box, she says she feeds the birds because we need help in the winter. She feels the same way about squirrels. 

Photo 3:

"I am not a bird but she is happy to feed me. She says watching us brings her great joy.

Photo 4:

"I do believe it gives her pleasure beyond measure."

Photo 5:

"I see the pine tree is still shaking her skirt."

Photo 6:

"That's how it goes on a Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder. Thanks for stopping by everyone. Have a great day!"

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - RANDOM PHOTO PLUS ONE - MY PHOTO AND OLD VINTAGE POST CARD FROM YELLOWSTONE

 It's snowing outside (wrote this on Friday,12-5-25). As I haven't been too far afield lately, I am thankful that I can browse through my old blog for trips we took in previous years. My random photo is from August 2013 when we took a road trip across country. 

This is a scene at Hayden Valley in Yellowstone, one place I would dearly love to visit again. I actually shared this photo before here, along with a favorite poem if you would like to take a look-see at the poem. Also, I came across a YouTube of a young Irish couple - Philly and Keely - who visited Yellowstone recently. Keely’s excitement and awe of being at the park is delightful! They have been traveling to several countries for the last four-and-a-half years, and they've just landed in Yellowstone. You will be able to see various sights as they travel around the park. 

I am not sure of the date of this antique postcard, 1940s maybe but that's just a guess.

I have a Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie in the oven, and as I missed breakfast this morning, I am about to sit down for lunch. Looks like it has stopped snowing.  There's maybe a couple of inches out there, not so bad but bad enough that I won't be going outside, except maybe to feed the birds as the containers need to be refilled and the water dish has iced over.

It is Saturday evening now (the 6th). My dear other half walked through the door at 6 p.m. after being gone for a few days. I made him his favorite chowder to come home to (mentioned several times on here). I didn’t have the corn I usually put in, or any tasty rolls for dipping, but it was oh so good and the aroma coming out of that kitchen was a lovely welcome home after driving for several hours. I was curious about the calories in 1 cup, so I did a search online. Several sites popped up. The one I visited was a lady’s blog and she said she found it in a Southern Living magazine published in 2000. I have been making it two or three times every winter for almost 25 years! I knew I had been making it for yonks, but didn’t realize it had been that long. As for the calories, I never did find a number. It all depends if you use cream or 2% milk, the amount of veggies, etc. One day just for the heck of it, I will jot the calories down for each food as I prepare, then divide the finished soup into 1 cup portions and calculate from there. Not that I am really bothered, I would do it just for fun, and my own curiosity. 

Hope you're all doing okay.  It is chilly in our part of Virginia, 32 degrees F. (0 degrees C.). Probably not as bad as some of you are getting.

Take good care of yourselves and thanks for stopping by. I hope your day is a great one.

GREEN SPRING GARDENS AND CHATEAU DE CHANTILLY CAFE BAKERY AND COFFEE

I only have a few photos taken at the garden (these photos are from the beginning of November). Lining one side of the parking lot are flower beds, and beyond is the garden. The garden mums (maybe Harmony mums) were looking very healthy. The sun was shining which felt so good and I didn’t need a coat. At first I thought there were dozens of bees buzzing from one flower to another, and was again surprised as they should all be safely tucked away for the winter. I looked closer and knew they weren't bees, for all the similarities. They were Drone flies. 

The Drone fly has brown and orange markings, and it looks very similar to a male Honeybee but is harmless. This mimicry helps protect it from predators while it gathers nectar. 

The key differences between this fly and the male Honeybee include its lack of a stinger and ‘waist’, and only one pair of wings. You can usually find them in gardens and urban areas. The Drone fly not only mimics the Honeybee in looks, but also in the way that it moves about, following the same flight patterns. Many of our often-overlooked insects are important pollinators for all kinds of plants, including those which we rely on like fruit trees. As I nibble on my apple, I will think of them very kindly. Splendid little things for what they give us, and we must do our utmost to protect them, along with all the other hardworking pollinators.

The Painted Daisies weren't as abundant but still beautiful and healthy looking. The Drone flies were enjoying them too. 

A very enjoyable trip to the garden and a nice surprise. This was one of those flying visits.

Another flying visit was to our favorite bakery of the moment, the Chateau de Chantilly Cafe, for a pastry and a cup of coffee. Santa was at the door greeting us.

Thank you for visiting.

Have a great day.

PUMPKINS AND TATTOOS

 

I don't feel quite all the way back yet, but I thought I would share a photo and a few more to come leading up to Halloween. I have missed you!

If anyone has been on the narrow streets in the older section of Annapolis, you will know that there can be traffic that will slow to a crawl, fortunately one-way traffic. I thoroughly enjoy looking at the interesting shops as we ever so slowly drive by, while trying to get out of town. I had fun taking photos here. 

I particularly liked the sign and the old bricks showing through the white paint, the Jack O'Lanterns on the steps, and the green and yellow fire hydrant, which I didn't quite get all the way in frame using my cell phone. It felt like I could almost have reached out and touched it, but my mind must have been elsewhere.  

 I won't be watching any scary movies leading up to Halloween. I am a chicken at heart, with all due respect to the dear chickens. Years ago, when he was young, son begged me to watch a Halloween movie with him, as they were normally forbidden in our place. He got to see a few at his friends' homes. Just that once I gave in but told him we would watch it together and discuss it afterwards, in case he was scared and had any questions, that we were to shut off the TV if it was too scary. That movie totally freaked me out. Well, we watched the whole thing all the way through. He went to bed and slept like a baby. I was awake all night with the lights on and I didn't sleep a wink, maybe the next night too. 

Thanks for stopping by everyone. My break didn't take as long as I thought it would and I am looking forward to getting back into the full swing of things. Thanks for any comments left also. It might take me a while to catch up but will be visiting you all. It might be slow, but you'll be seeing my name pop up on your blogs. I am looking forward to seeing what you have all been up to.

MY POOR DROOPY SUNFLOWER…

 but they have put on quite a lovely show this week. I bought Baby’s breath too. Not exactly Fall-like but they appealed. Years ago I found small glass vases, and I put a few sprigs in each. They are all a bit past it, but I like them as they still look cheery on the kitchen table. The petals on the sunflowers have started falling off but later I am going out and will look for more.

I don’t have many Fall decorations, so decided to add Mr. Gnome this year. He was holding a sunflower, and could not resist. I will share more of him and his two companions in later posts. In the meantime I have more sunflowers on the shopping list. 

"Happy Leaf Falling Time Everyone!"

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER - THEY'RE BACK!

 

We certainly did and to my friends out there, thank you for flying in and putting up with my nonsense.

That's all from a Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder!

Have a great weekend!

The following is for our international friends to translate. 

Translation button is on my sidebar.

1st Photo:

"I am taking a rest. They said it was okay."

2nd Photo:

"Yes, he can stay for a while. He isn't bothering us."

3rd Photo:

"Personally, I think they need another hobby."

4th Photo:

"We're back!"

"Did you miss us?"

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - THAI PEANUT CHICKEN RAMEN NOODLES

 This week's choice is from Greens and Chocolate hosted by Taylor. The original recipe can be found here. We gave this a 10 out of 10, it was delicious! It had been a while before we made Thai. It's one of our favorite foods and fast to prepare. Thank you Taylor!

Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen Noodles 

Servings: 6

Calories per serving: approximately 513 calories 

From prep to table: 30 minutes (always takes me longer but it is still a fast meal.

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup sweet chili sauce

Juice from 1 lime plus another lime cut into sections so that you can squeeze the juice over your finished plate at the table if you like that idea - I personally enjoy that little zap of lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper, seed and stem removed and diced

½ white onion diced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk

4 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded

2 cups diced/shredded cooked chicken approximately 2 medium chicken breasts (for an easier way to go, it is suggested using an already cooked rotisserie chicken, which is what we did)

Chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, and chopped peanuts, for garnish 

In a small food processor combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, garlic, and ginger. Pulse to combine until smooth (I don’t have a processor and just mixed with a whisk until thoroughly blended).

Bring a pot of water to boiling and cook ramen noodles according to package instructions. They will likely only take a few minutes to cook, so while the water is coming to a boil, continue on making the rest of the sauce.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add red bell pepper and onion, and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add the sauce from the food processor along with the coconut milk, stirring to combine.

Add the cooked ramen noodles and chicken, stirring well to combine.

Serve topped with cilantro, green onion, and chopped peanuts.

Taylors Notes:

Use rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked diced chicken to make this recipe even easier.

Store any leftover fresh ginger in the freezer.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

(I recommend looking at Taylor’s recipe not only for her suggestions, but she also has the full nutritional information, plus all the other great recipes.) 

Can be prepped ahead - If you want to save some time when it comes to cooking dinner, you can make the peanut sauce in advance.

In our host’s own words, “Let's just be clear - these are not traditional ramen noodles in any sense.  They're not classic ramen noodle bowls with clear broth and all the fixin's and they're not the college kind, either. While I actually did use the noodles that come in your typical college ramen noodle soup packet, I tossed the seasoning and made my own Thai peanut sauce.”

Shredded Chicken - this is a great use for leftover shredded chicken. I also love buying the shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco or Target to use in this (we get ours from Costco).

Variations:

Different protein - use ground beef, ground pork ground chicken, shrimp, or tofu instead of shredded chicken.

Add more vegetables - you can really beef up these noodles with more vegetables, if you'd like! Anything like broccoli, mushrooms, shredded carrots, edamame, snow peas, and spinach would work. Just add them with the onions and bell pepper to cook.

Substitute almond butter for peanut butter.

Use spaghetti noodles instead of ramen noodles.

Add some spice with 1-2 tablespoons of Sriracha. We add ours at the end after we've served the kids.

Denise’s Notes: What did we think? It will be put into our favorite folder. We loved it and if you enjoy Thai Food with peanut butter sauces, I hope you will too. 

As mentioned, instead of the food processor which I don't have, I used a whisk. I have a blender but it seemed too big for what we needed. I thought an immersion blender would be ok but the whisk was fine. Just as long as everything is well blended.

There was no green onion in our supplies as I had thought, but it was great with the cilantro and chopped peanuts. We used the no-salt added peanuts.

A few dashes of Sriracha was a nice addition, amount to your own taste, or leave off entirely if you don’t like the extra heat. 

The following is what we used (link to company here) instead of fresh garlic and ginger. These little cubes are very handy. We freeze and thaw out a couple when needed. One garlic cube is equivalent to one medium clove. One ginger cube is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of fresh. If you don’t have these, there is probably an equivalent in your area. It is nice to be able to take a couple of shortcuts at times.

That’s all I can think of right now. If you need any more info, or if you think I left anything out, you can leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer.

The full address follows for you to copy and paste if you prefer, rather than use the link at the beginning of today's post.

https://greensnchocolate.com/thai-peanut-chicken-ramen-noodles/

Thanks for looking, have a great day and

Bon Appetit!

GARDEN CENTER TO PURCHASE MUMS

A couple of weeks ago we took another trip to the garden center to pick up Mums.

The first two things I noticed was the big planter. It would have been waist high next to me. Needless to say, it didn't make it home with us, nor did the outdoor fireplaces but it was fun to browse.They had pumpkins too.

And then there were the flowers and an odd, dried leaf or two had fallen in among the petals.

I chose three pots of Mums. I had four planters I bought a while back waiting to be refilled.

Just a few other flowers plus the succulent I already had.

I found these at a supermarket and are ones I shared before. They were put in the planter at the top of the bench-table...

which you can see below.

I forgot to take a close up of the top planter but the mums I shared before and there is a photo of them above. I wasn't sure about the double color combination at first, but I like them now. Below is a close up of the bottom shelf.

The Kissing Bunnies said they approved...

but they really weren't paying attention. The grassy plant and its companion below have been with us for well over a year, and I am happy they have survived this long. The succulents came home with us a few months ago. There was a third but it didn't make it. It was different from these two, and they seem okay. That says, "Denise can grow these." (which is a bit of a surprise and my toxic thumb is very happy). I will definitely be getting the same kind. The small planter has multiple openings for small plants, five in total. I will add three more of the same when the time is right.

That's about all from the trip to the garden center. Always a fun browse. 

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!