DRIVING AROUND THE OTHER DAY...

 we found ourselves on a road we rarely frequent. It was like driving along it for the first time. I am always interested in the architecture of the various homes we see and I took a few photos. Some were quite big, some quite small and others falling down. There were a couple of churches.  

It was a pretty blue sky that day as you can see. Below I didn't get the whole building into frame. I changed the settings on my cell phone which made them narrower. I thought I would get more of a panoramic look to my photos but didn't take into account I needed to be further back from places. I took this while driving along on the passenger side and couldn't stop because of the traffic following us. I kept missing bits!

The abandoned places, once someone's dream home, always interest me. I wonder who the people were, when was this built? What kind of lives did their occupants have, happy ones hopefully.

Here is a closer view.

And then we get places like this.

and a very English looking home that could have been near the village I originally came from, except that it would have been an all-white exterior with those black beams.

I had a very enjoyable time looking at all the different places.

This was the last photo. I took others but they came out not so good, blurry, cut off in places. I'm glad I got these as we weren't able to stop once, just kept clicking and I straightened a few.

It is 75°F (24°C) on May 6th, 2026 and a bit rainy but I am happy for the extra warmth. Gregg is with our son. I decided to stay home today. We are going off to Costco tomorrow to look at glass frames. I'm looking forward to that. Yes, I'm excited to go to Costco and I see the humor, but I do like looking around that place. I won't get much further than the eye department. By the time we finish in there I will be glad to get home, which always seems to be the way these days. I am eager to get my corrective lenses though.

I hope you are all having a good week so far, 

and thanks for visiting.

RANDOM PHOTO - SCHOOL BUS

 

Nothing too exciting today, just following a school bus on our way home after having lunch out. They were heading to pick up the kids that you can see on the left of my photo. It was great to get out. 

I was surprised the schools weren't closed as I had read that they were yesterday. 

Snow has melted a smidgen. We saw several people trying to make some headway on their driveways. I saw one man even using a pitchfork, another a pole driver. 

On the main road, even with the roads cleared by the plows, there were cars stuck and their cars were buried up to their windows in snow and ice, by the snowplows I'm assuming. These are people who live in an area where there is only one parking spot available in front of their homes. If more than one car they are parked in this area. I think it will be a while before they can use their vehicles.

Anyhow, it will give you an idea of what our conditions are like. Not so bad as some have it, I know.

Wherever you are I hope you are keeping safe and warm, and thanks for stopping by.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - A BIG THANK YOU …

to the two industrious young men - brothers - who turned up yesterday afternoon and asked if they could shovel our driveway. We also asked them if they could do the path up to the front door and around our mailbox and we explain about the thick ice (we stopped our mail until next week, so that our mailman wouldn't have to deal with trying to get to our mailbox and he's such a nice man, he would do that). 

Anyhow, it was no easy task. Their parents must be very proud of them, very sweet young guys, with a lot more strength than we had, and very hard working. When they saw Gregg getting ready to sprinkle ice melt, they took the large bag and did that for him also. One of their other jobs is they trim trees so we took their card and they will be the first we call when we need them. 

As soon as they left, dear other half got the car out and was able to get through the neighborhood okay, stopped off for a few groceries and brought me back a coffee. He was very glad to get out.

There is still not as much room to drive in the neighborhood, as there are big mounds of snow on each side to navigate, but navigate he did. With this storm being so widespread, many of you are probably seeing these same conditions yourselves. At least the parking lots at the stores have been cleared for the most part, and the main roads are clear.

Our weekend forecast: a very cold start with temperatures near 25-30 degrees F (-3.9°C to -1.1°C) for highs and sub-freezing, near-record lows (single digits to teens) through the weekend. The weather remains cold and mostly dry through early next week, with daytime highs gradually rising from the mid 20s to upper 30 degrees F by midweek. Woo-hoo! A heatwave!  

Gregg asked if I would like to get a grilled chicken sandwich from one of our fast-food places we go to. I was happy to say yes, and I took a few photos coming back, just to show you what the roads were like.

I was happy to get out so, a big shout out to the two young men who knocked on our door. Also, a big thank you to all those hard-working people who get up in the wee hours to clear our roads. We are very grateful!

I hope all goes well with you out there and 

A Very Happy First Day of February! 

Thanks for stopping by. 

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.

OUT AND ABOUT

 I thought I would do a shorter version of our around and abouts from last week. I have numbered each photo in the corners.

No. 1 & 2: Gregg fancied an ice cream. He recently found a place in Vienna, which is about a half-hour ride from home. They make theirs on the premises. This is our second time and we again ordered a couple of scoops of their coffee, one of the best coffee ice creams we have ever had. It is a fun place. In another section of the shop, they have shelves of items that you can paint, and there are get-togethers to do just that, as you can see from all the people sitting at the table. 

No. 3: As for me, I fancied a coffee on the way home, so we went through their drive-thru. I take photos of everything as you probably know by now.

No. 4: We noticed this couple riding along at a steady speed on electric bicycles. Gregg is very interested in them and said to take a photo so that we could see the make. I took several because the grass was high, but I finally got one with the make branded on the side. He is very interested in the ones that fold, so that you can put them in the trunk. Can I see myself on an electric bicycle knowing that I can easily fall out of my shoes, mentioned several times before? Not really but he has not given up yet. When I said as much, he is now looking for electric tricycles for me. Okay my Sweet, don't hold your breath. Am I being a tad naughty, yes but I honestly don't see it happening. I should add, stay tuned.

No. 5: I noticed the shadows on my dog figurines, thought they looked really interesting. See the last sentence in No 3.

No. 6: About 30 years ago I bought this little fox trinket box. He looks a bit cross, but I still enjoy him. 

No. 7 & 8: over the last few months we have been watching this large structure being built. Every time we passed by, we had a guessing game as to what it was going to be. Finally, a sign appeared. Neither of us thought of dogs. Those pups are going to have plenty of room to move around but he who is wide eyed with shock, wants to know where do the cats go?

You can enlarge my collage for more details.

Nothing too exciting but a good week. I hope you had and are having a wonderful one.

AROUND AND ABOUT FROM 3-24-25 TO 3-30-25

  Hello Family and Friends, thank you for reading my around-and-abouts and letting me know by emails, texts and comments, that you enjoy them. It is enjoyable for me keeping in touch with you all, letting you know what we have been up to and in return, what has been going on in your world. Again, thank you!

Weather forecast from 3-31-25 to 4-7-25

A lot of food talk with pictures this week, so maybe you had better not look at this while you are hungry.

Monday, March 24th, 2025: I have just returned from the DMV, in a different area that our son told us about. He said it was a little quieter than where we were before, with shorter lines of people. Very true! We had an appointment and arrived early but were seen way before our set time. The process was smooth and we were out the door in no time. One thing I was surprised at, that although we got this Real ID well before the May 9th deadline, I still have to get it renewed again before my birthday in July of next year. This is when my ordinary driver's license would have expired. The process won't be as long though as I had to fill out extra forms today. Apparently the rules have changed.

No breakfast today but when we got back and for lunch, I told my dear other half that I fancied the same chicken sandwich that he fixed yesterday, plus the addition of a mug of tomato soup. Very nice! No photos of that one though.

Tuesday, March 25th, 2025: Again, no breakfast as we were discussing where to go for our weekly lunch and I was tired of MickeyD's. 

I suggested driving to Gregg's favorite, the Bahn Mi place, which I have shared before. They do the best Bahn Mi Sandwich on a French Roll that we have ever had, and it is consistently excellent. We always order the meatball sandwich which is nothing like the Italian-style meatball. They are made of ground pork and seasoned differently with Vietnamese flavorings. You can look at a recipe here to give you an idea of what is inside the bun. Not exactly the same as ours as we have more slightly and delicately pickled vegetables.

He had a longer wait for the first time ever and we arrived later nearer the lunch hour rush.  I was outside sitting in the car reading the news on my phone. 

The delay in the store was because they were waiting for a new batch of bread to be baked, which is all done on the premises.

 

He was in line for 20-plus minutes but once they had the bread, he was out of there in a few minutes, and we had our car picnic. That fresh-from-the-oven French roll was the best ever! (As you can see, he likes to send photos while he is waiting. Do we go together or what? The photo below is a cropped version of above, so that you can see a few of the different foods they have on sale. Looks like they had a recent delivery and were still putting boxes away.)

On the way home the man said something to me which I didn't hear. This had happened earlier at home and the second time I said perhaps he was mumbling. He then said no, it's your hearing, you need to go get your ears checked." I turned to him and said, "Well, someone may think me as deaf as a doorpost, but that someone needs to be reminded that the eye doctor said I've got better eyesight than he has and who knows, maybe even better hearing. Stop mumbling!" You'll have to read last week's account to get that one. He had a good laugh, which was my intent, always enjoys the banter and as he is practicing his French, "Touché" he said. And to add, Gregg has a pretty loud/clear speaking voice and so does our son. And yes, my hearing check is on the list because he may be right on this one.

Word of the Day? 

Touché (pronounced ‘tooshay’)

Example: when you pull a rare fast one on your husband, he just might say "Touché". 

The word Touché means, "You hit me with the tip of your foil" in fencing, or "Wow, that was a perfect retort, or “You made a really good point." or "Touché Denise, and stop looking like a cat who has just finished the cream!"

The foil is one of three fencing blades used in Olympic fencing. Who knew? Not me apparently.

Interesting information online, and I got all this from a website I found on my curiosity journey, all thanks to Gregg and his improbable mumbling and my probable unhearing, and his "Touché".

Gregg actually took fencing which was a compulsory class in his first year at the naval academy in 1965. 

Well, I made my 'point' that day, doesn't happen very often and yes, I am smiling.

(There is no rhyme nor reason to my posts. Jumping from one topic to the other is how I roll.)

Anyhow, he and our son met up in the afternoon. I was happy they got together, and I enjoyed pottering at home for a few hours. 

Later, Gregg had just gone upstairs for the night when I thought I heard some yowling not too far away. I was listening when Gregg came downstairs to tell me, and we heard it again. I opened the front door and peeked out just in time to see a fox on the opposite side of the road in my neighbor's front yard. It was trotting along, clearly visible in their door lights and only seconds in sight, but it was a lovely one. I wondered if it was the same fox our son saw on his way into the neighborhood the other day. There are several around. There is a creek and a wooded area not too far away, where we think there are dens. A nice ending to our day. 

Wednesday, March 26th, 2025: the sun is shining. Lovely! My breakfast was a late lunch of Weetabix with a cup of strawberries, 4 dates and pecan halves. 

Dinner: we made a new shrimp dish and were going to add scallops, but it would have been too much. The shrimp dish was outstanding. The seafood was purchased at Costco, frozen in large packets and I will share that dish next Monday. 

Snack: This you will have seen in yesterday's Monday Morning Recipe post. I had bananas and strawberries that needed to be used and found a recipe for Strawberry Banana Cake. That was another ten out of ten. I am still looking for nice meals to serve up when family arrives in the middle of next month.

Thursday, March 27th, 2025: another quiet day so far at 1:39 p.m: breakfast was the same as yesterday beginning with the letter 'W'. 

Lunch/Dinner: We have just eaten the scallop dish I mentioned yesterday. Another winner on our never-ending mission to eat more seafood - sautéed in a mixture of olive oil and a sauce of lemon juice and butter added. I will share it on here eventually. So easy, simple and fast! I served both shrimp and scallops with steamed broccoli.

Snack that evening: a slice of the Strawberry Banana Cake.

The sun is shining! The current temperature is 55 degrees F.

In the evening our son and daughter-in-law called.  They are in Los Angeles for a few days and wanted to let us know they had arrived. It is a semi business trip. 

Friday, March 28th, 2025 at 11.23 p.m: Gregg went off to meet his old friend for lunch. I spent my time doing a few chores, blogging and watched a show on Netflix called Tracker. I quite liked it but only watched one episode. It is about a man who finds missing people and I thought was very well done with good acting.

Breakfast/Lunch: I didn’t feel like breakfast until noon, and had a small slice of the banana and strawberry cake, with blueberries on the side. I froze the rest of the cake for another day.

Dinner: I had a single portion of a stir fry I found in the freezer. Neither of us were that enamored when originally made a few weeks ago, and yet I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. I liked it more this time round. It had ground cooked pork, shredded cabbage and carrots (a coleslaw mix), and baby corn you usually find in a can that also had beansprouts and sliced water chestnuts. Not bad and ate something fairly light and nutritious while not having to cook anything, but did not like the addition of the can. There was a brine taste that even after rinsing did not completely disappear. I won’t add that again. Normally we like stir fry a lot.

Gregg came home and told me about his day. 

Saturday, March 29th, 2025 at 8.40p.m: for breakfast Gregg picked up our weekly doughnut and my coffee which carried us through to dinner which was cheese on toast and a commercial beef and barley soup with veggies. It was another no-fuss-in-the-kitchen day today.

We drove over to Lowe’s, our home and hardware store. We are interested in getting a couple of chairs and a small table to go on the deck in the far corner.

My knee was acting up and I didn't get too far walking around, but I had a great time looking at all those open blooms. However, I didn’t see anything I liked enough to purchase in the way of outdoor furniture. 

A big truck was outside and the gentleman delivering said he was dropping off flowers and plants from North Carolina. Inside, the cash register was busy with over 20 people in line, but we were basically reconnoitering. I took photos of flowers with prices and loved looking at the different ones. I want to go through the photos quietly and decide which to get. Gregg is leaving it up to me to choose. I'll point to the spot and he will dig the hole.

Spending a quiet evening. We find ourselves with our head in a book more often than not. I completed the jigsaw puzzle below…

and sometimes play a game of scrabble. If there is anything I want to watch, my dear other half goes upstairs early and I may either watch an episode of something, or a movie. I enjoy ‘Dark Winds’ which is a series that takes place in the 1970’s. It is about the Navaho Tribal Police in the southwest and the acting is very good. I started the third series a couple of weeks ago. 

An early night is in order, we are both getting tired.

Sunday, March 30th, 2025: Very nice weather and sunny. It was 80 degrees F. according to our car thermometer. It didn't feel that warm but there was no humidity. No breakfast and nothing until we went out for a late lunch at Santini's, a submarine sandwich shop. Gregg ordered a cold cut, and mine was a steak and cheese. We shared a packet of fries. I take half of mine home with me and reheat for dinner. Gregg fixed himself spaghetti that night. This week has turned into something like a food fest, and I keep saying next week we should do better at not eating out quite as much. 

We had another lovely chat with my brother-in-law in Germany. Always lots to talk about and we enjoyed at least an hour on FaceTime. Such a fun guy to talk to, especially when we all get going and always a brother, not just a brother-in-law.

With our fox sighting this week, I started thinking of them and did a scribble sketch of a fox today. You can see the original that I chose to copy. 

Scribble, scribble, scribble, never perfect but fun to do.

And on that scribble note, thanks for following along on last week's daily journal…

and a very happy first day of the month!