HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - ODDS AND BODS FOR 7/5/26

Good Morning - may today greet you gently and give you plenty of 

reasons to smile.

I am sending a bit of sunshine your way, hoping it will add a smile to your day.

How are you? You matter to me.

It’s another hot day.

 It's another hot day here too, 100 degrees F. - about 38 degrees C (wrote this on Saturday the evening of the 4th). What's it like in your part of the world?  Here is our weather for today and the coming week. Looks like it's cooling down a tad.

I hope you have a nice cool drink handy. It's important to stay well-hydrated. Yes, I know, preaching to the choir here.

For those of you who were celebrating America's 4th of July Independence Day yesterday, I hope you all had a great time, everyone else also however you spent the day. We had several fireworks going off in our neighborhood the night of the 3rd. In the early evening of the 4th, our neighbor was setting off a few in their front yard. There were about 12 little kids watching him, at a safe distance and none over the age of seven (our neighborhood is cycling through a younger age - the older kids have all grown and moved on - such is the way). All the girls (more girls in the group than boys) were shouting over what he was doing wrong, giving him advice on how to do it properly, lol! You gotta smile! He was a loving patient man, and all those kids were having a great time. At first, I thought I was hearing thunder in the distance, and then realized more fireworks were being set off throughout the neighborhood. We spent our 4th quietly otherwise and thoroughly enjoyed our day. 

Here is some pretty art for you, which includes my dream cottage and pet sheep. My whimsical personality is telling me there is a dog and a cat around somewhere, a family of hedgehogs too. 

I am having a bad hair day, but that’s okay. It’s too hot to go out anyway. 

You might guess I am going through my sheep phase but…

there is always room for rabbits…

isn’t there my dear?

Wouldn’t this be a pretty gate to walk through to the vegetable patch? Rabbit is already on the other side waiting for you, nibbling on your carrots.

How about pretty photo art?

Which one is your favorite?

Another word…

Ubuntu (oo-boon-too) noun - a profound African philosophy that

Embodies the spirit of togetherness; the belief that our humanity is 

intertwined, and through compassion and community, we rise.

And another!

Whist / Verb / Meaning: (rare) to hush or silence; to still; to become silent.

And one more...

Feathe - otherkinwords@tumbler - Noun/Meaning: (in a person) the state of being calm; 

peacefulness; absence of worry, anger, fear or other strong negative emotion; (in a place or 

situation). The state of being calm; absence of noise and disturbance.

Fun with food.

How about a recipe or two? I hope by this time I have actually made them. 

Nope, not yet! 

Pork Chop Supreme - 4 boneless pork chops - 4 thinly sliced medium

Potatoes - 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix - 1 can cream of mushroom 

Soup - 1/4 cup milk - Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Brown the pork in 1/4 cup of oil, then drain. Slice potatoes into a medium

into a medium casserole dish in even layer. Place pork chops over potatoes. 

Combine onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup and milk, pour

over top of pork chops. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. 

Cookies?

Lemon Cookies - Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 1/2 teaspoon

baking powder - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 1/2 cup butter, softened - 3/4 cup sugar

1 egg - 2 teaspoons lemon juice - 1 tablespoon lemon zest - 1/2 teaspoon 

vanilla extract - 1/4 cup powdered sugar for coating - Directions: 1. In a

large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the lemon juice, zest

and vanilla extract.  2. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt until 

combined.  3. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.  4. Roll the dough into balls 

and coat in powdered sugar.  5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12

minutes, until lightly golden.  Cool on a wire rack. 

Maybe you can get ice-cream to go with your cookies but be sure to get a cone first. Dinner is still a few hours away and it is a hot day. Me? I will take the Famous Hot Fudge Sundae…

The Scoop Ice Cream Parlor - Try our famous hot fudge Sundae - Sweet 

Summer Memories - Special - Banana Split 35 cents - Malted Milk 25 cents

Sundaes 25 cents - Cones 15 cents

…especially if it is only 25 cents! Which one would you get? Maybe other flavors not seen here?

I completed a couple of jigsaw puzzles. Two new favorites, plus info below on ladybirds/ladybugs depending on which part of the world you live in. I am sure there are some other interesting names for them.

https://www.timesonline.com/story/lifestyle/home-garden/2019/04/29/myths-legends-ladybugs/5314067007/

You killed her babies. They don’t look like her. They eat more than she does. The adult:

Red. Round. Beloved. Eats 50 aphids a day. The Larva: Black. Spiky. Alien. Eats 400

aphids before growing up. The feast: She doesn’t wear the red coat yet. She’s earning it.

The second one is very cute. I wonder what our little fox is thinking?

This was a very interesting analogy. 

The Train Station - Life Station. You are the train and your life is the 

track. Everyone you meet is getting on for one stop, for a few stations 

or will ride with you until the end. Most people don’t stay for the 

whole ride. They will hop on, teach you something, love you for a 

moment, and then get off. Some help you through the hardest parts 

of the ride before getting off at their stop. Others stay through several 

stations. Only a few become your forever passengers.

Wise words.

“Being there for someone doesn’t mean you have to fix their storm;

It just means you have to stand in the rain with them until the sun

comes out. I’ve got a big umbrella and plenty of snacks. We’re going

to be just fine.” - Aurelia Leafsong - Better days are coming.

Now for a little pep talk…

One day you’ll look back and realize that you worried too much about

things that don’t really matter - so breathe, let go and trust the journey.

Everything you need is already within you. Be kind to yourself.

Easier said than done I know, life can be complicated, but something to think about. These important words are ones to remind ourselves to “be kind to ourselves!” Let's look in the mirror and tell our reflection, “I am amazing! There is no other person like me.” Okay, you may be laughing by now, because your reflection has quite an expression but say it enough, and maybe you will eventually believe it. I have said it before but it’s worth repeating, “Know you are worthy!”

And with all that being said...

It is always a good idea to leave room in your life for a little magic, a little whimsy and the

possibility of woodland fairies and frogs in waistcoats.

Wishing you all a very happy Sunday, 

with the hope that your week ahead 

will be a great one.

With my thanks to Pinterest for today's inspiration. You can click on any picture to enlarge if necessary.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - THIS AND THAT AND WHAT WE DID ON 8-15-25

A bit of a ramble today.

We left the house relatively early, for us (Friday 8/15/25). Getting out before noon is 'relatively early', and a little before 10.00 a.m. today, which was our aim. We were heading to Chateau de Chantilly, deciding to forego tomorrow’s weekly Saturday donut from the local supermarket and my coffee from the coffee shop next door, to go to what is now our favorite breakfast stop. It's not that far a drive away and we were there in 15 minutes. Traffic was light by that time, and we were lucky to find a parking spot in front. 

Not a weekly event but not that long ago either. We just felt like it today. Last time we said our visits would be once every month or so, but if wishes were horses as the old saying goes. We actually met a sweet little dog (on the 4th). I asked the two ladies at an outside table (restaurant next door) if I could take a photo of her. She finds her voice for dogs. They were only too happy to oblige and no one else was there. This little sweetie was sitting on a seat next to them but as I walked by, she surprised me by hopping up onto the tabletop, walking across for a bit of a fuss and immediately started nuzzling my hand. Say hello to Misha! I could have stayed with her for longer, but I quickly took my photo, thanked the ladies and moved on. When I looked back she was off the tabletop and once again had settled back into her chair.

Chateau de Chantilly isn't as fancy as its name implies, but it is what you might call a trendy place, more than any we normally go to. I love their high ceilings with the hanging lights. Very popular but midweek seems to be a good time to go, busy but we have always been lucky getting a table. Weekends is a different matter. The coffee is excellent. I ordered a vanilla latté, my usual go to. Below is a photo of Gregg waiting in line, which was quite long.  

Both coffee and croissant, and my dear other half's pastry, was a welcome treat. His looked on the plainer side but he said it tasted decadent, a word he doesn't use very often when describing desserts. It had cream cheese baked inside. Mine was a Dubai Chocolate/Nutella stuffed croissant, and it was excellent! I ordered this the last time.

Here's a closer look at my bakery treat. I think that coating is shredded coconut. It might have been something I would pass by without a second thought, but it was recommended to me by our son and daughter-in-law and I was curious as they never steer us wrong. All pastries are at this link.

The only photo I took when we were going back to our car was something Gregg pointed out. It was the restaurant next door on the other side. He said I should take a photo. I'm glad he did because all I could think of was getting back to the car and out of the heat. 

So that was the outing this morning. 

A few days ago, dear other half was sorting out the boxes in the garage, and came across an old navy teddy bear I painted in 1988 (I would always date them on the back, put my first name above the year, all in tiny letters, with a little red heart over the ‘i’ just like I do on my signatures for the blog). The bear is a reminder of the small cottage industry I used to have, which I kept going for 14 years. I had paper to draw ideas down, pencils, paint brushes, paints, a jigsaw to cut my designs out and a standalone sander, along with ear protectors and safety glasses. There were also squares of sandpaper that I used to finish. When everything was nice and smooth, it was time for the next step. This small business of mine would cause me to wake up in the middle of the night, with a design of an ornament in my head, to be drawn immediately before I forgot. 

Our garage turned into a workshop where I cut out the ornaments while everyone was at work, and quite often when neighbors came home from work, invariably someone would bring a bottle of wine over with a couple of glasses, plus camp chairs, and it was time to stop until husbands came home. That was my sign to stop, brush the sawdust off my clothes, sit down and join them. They were wonderful neighbors. 

We had all moved in at the same time and met while getting our gardens in order. (There was no landscaping done by the builders.) Sometimes husbands joined us, and the kids played in the cul-de-sac in front of us. We lived at the top of the cul-de-sac and it was a safe area for them to play, especially as we parents all had our eyes on them. The kids ranged from five to 10 years of age, and everyone took care of each other. If parents were late for any reason, they knew that we would all look out for their offspring until they were able to get home. All they had to do was knock on our door. It was a great neighborhood.

I have told this story on here before, but it’s been a while. I sold everything I made at Christmas craft shows, some of them on navy bases as you might guess from the teddy below. I got my ideas from everywhere, even from a person walking down the street. No, I didn't stalk them - big smile here - but occasionally an interesting person would walk by in an interesting outfit, and I took note, turned them into elves or fairies or Santa Clauses. I worked around the family’s hours, saw they were well taken care of and as soon as they left for work/school or wherever, I would do a few chores and start cutting out or painting. Usually I made several stacks of ornaments and turned them out on fold-up tables in the garage, painting each part until they dried and start on another part until they were finished. I also painted in the evenings when all was quiet, up until midnight sometimes. It was a fun time, and I wish I had taken count of the thousands of various shapes I made and painted over the years. I met all kinds of lovely people and enjoyed selling my ornaments to them.

With my navy ornaments wives would bring their husbands uniforms. First it was navy and, being a navy wife, I pretty much knew what they were all about. But then wives from the other services got word and could I do theirs? When I explained I really didn't know about those, wives offered to bring me their husband's uniforms. They explained about the ribbons and could I do them in order, even parachute insignia was fair game. It was all a wonderful challenge to do them. Gregg used to joke that I must have had a paintbrush with two hairs to do those. That first time when he came home, I remember how shocked he was to see half a dozen or so different service uniforms on hangers over every door. We still have a chuckle when we remember those days. I would copy them on my tracing notepad, take photos, cut the ornaments out and sand them (not always teddy bears but little toy soldiers for the most part). The doorbell rang a lot, and the uniforms kept being hung on the closet doors as the word was passed from one person to another. My ornaments were rudimentary, but people seemed to enjoy them and that was enough for me. 

And then as I got older my fingers gave out and they screamed very loudly that I needed to find something else to do. I was very sad but it was time to put all my things away as the warnings came from the doctors when they found out what I did. My neighbors still turned up at our garage where we would sit in a circle and chat for a while. We did that quite a lot during the week until Gregg left the navy, and we moved into the civilian world, all the way across country. 

As for my ornaments, I retired and Gregg was relieved. He never liked me using a jigsaw to cut these shapes out, always fearing for my fingers but I never cut things out unless I was totally alert. We gave the jigsaw and sander to our handyman soon after. 

I was very happy he found this navy teddy the other day. It was my only copy left of that design and a total surprise to have it back, and of course the memories started rolling. It will be joining the others on our Christmas Tree come December.

Anyhow, I think I have done enough blathering for today but I wanted to leave you this. I just found it on Pinterest and it tickled my funny bone.

Sorry, I can't come to work tomorrow.

 I've got to teach my facial expressions 

how to use their inside voice.

Thanks for looking and I hope 

your day is great.

My blog originally started out as a journal of photos and memories for our son. I forget now how I found out about blogging, but it seemed a great idea to use it for this. I didn’t know much about settings so was shocked when that first comment appeared. A new world opened up.  I keep a lot private, which will be for son’s eyes only (Gregg writes too about his side of the family.  We both said how wonderful it would have been if we knew more about our own parents, asked more questions, but this is something as young people that we didn’t think of.) My mother told me lots of stories about her life, and my father did too. I have passed these stories down to our son. I share memories and moments for him on here now, even the boring stuff. 

FOR THE LOVE OF TEDDY BEARS ….

 “You really don’t have to be young to find a friend in a Teddy Bear.” 

~Rachel Newman~

 “A teddy bear is your childhood wrapped up in faded yellow fur and as such, he commands affection long after he is outgrown.” 

~Pam Brown~

 “In a world where everyone seems to be larger and louder than yourself, it is very comforting to have a small, quiet companion” 

~Peter Gray~

“A teddy bear is the kid’s first friend and the memories they make with them stays longer than their childhood.” 

~Sarvesh Jain~

“Long before I grew up, my teddy bear taught me what love really meant: being there when you are really needed.”

~Willie Nelson~

“It is astonishing, really, how many thoroughly mature, well-adjusted grown-ups harbor a Teddy Bear – which is perhaps why they are thoroughly mature and well-adjusted.” 

~Joseph Lempa~

“It's hard to visualize the toys you had fifty years ago - all save bear. He's as clear as if he were sitting on the desk in front of you...of course...he probably is.”

~Pam Brown~

“May the warmth of love always be with you and here I am sharing my teddy bears to keep you warm.”

~Author Unknown~

A few poems for Teddy Bear lovers can be found at this link.

Here is a small part of my teddy collection.  I am in the process of cleaning them, and they will be put away in their storage box until next December.  Each Teddy reminds me of someone in my life. I have been gifted many by very special people, and each one brings back a memory of that loved one.  Others my dear other half gave me when we were traveling.  I have always had a love for Teddy Bears since I was a baby, which I have mentioned many times before.  I haven't added to my bear family for a long time now, but those I have are treasured.  In this sense they help me keep in touch with my inner child, and I feel that is an important thing to do.

 

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS SOON TO BE PACKED AWAY FOR ANOTHER YEAR

I have shared very few of our Christmas decorations.  As we are almost at the end of the year, I thought I would share these.  You will see the tree I mentioned before, after having had a smaller one in the family room for many years.  I wrote about that here, when I shared the decorations on the Mount Vernon tree. 

For several years I have been putting a collection of teddy bears underneath the tree, including items I have been gifted.  I also decorate the hearth.  This year's addition was a pretty cardinal lantern, a gift from my son and daughter-in-law.  It is the kind that lights up and there is a small motor inside that acts like a jet and swirls the sparklies around in the liquid.  It is beautiful when all lit up, like a perpetual snow globe of sparkles.  I love it!  A perfect and now treasured gift.  And, as you may know by now, I play with photos on the artcard app I have on my iPad, finishing off in Paint Shop Pro.  But first here's the original lantern...

              and this is one I turned into an artsy 'painting'...

with thanks to my Lovelies who gave me such a thoughtful gift.

A few angels.

Wherever you live in this world, may you know peace, happiness and love in 2023.

Washington Cathedral

A few Santa Claus ornaments.

There are several British themes.  No surprise there!

There are many critters on the tree, such as the sea horse... 

and then a little mouse in a shoe.