Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Wednesday Hodge Podge



From this Side of the Pond

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1. Best place you've been lately?
Last week we were so privileged to  host  my cousin, Pam from the mountains of NC.  We  wanted  our visit to be memorable and fun and since she is a DAR member we decided to share a bit of our history with her. 
We drove  to Charlottesville,, there we saw Monticello  from afar.. atop  its mountain setting,  and the rotunda of  the University of Virginia,, again as we drove past... but our aim was to  lunch at Michie Tavern.
Image result for michie tavern
From there we  drove south to  Stuart's Draft,  a thriving Mennonite town  of  gorgeous farms and   scintillating  landscape.
Shenandoah farmland
Image result for farmland shenandoah valley
  There we  shopped at Country Connections
Image result for country connections
I love their  decorative items...
Image result for country connections
Pam found some great items for her mountain cabin home!
Even though  things were  not blooming  we actually stopped at our favorite  greenhouse, Milmont.. where  Pam found some bulbs!
Image result for milmont 
I guess our favorite stop was  Lexington, the VMI campus,  where  we  marveled over   where the  young cadets were doing their calisthenics on the drill field..The   campus is truly a gem of majestic beauty!

Image result for VMI 
It was quite a thrill when the one and only cadet we know out of all the hundreds who were   drilling  all over campus,  actually walked right  past us, saw us and came over to chat a few minutes..
We then toured the campus of Washington and Lee that  marches right along side of VMI..  here the 
Colonnade
Image result for washington and lee university
and across  the way  Lee Chapel!
Image result for washington and lee university
Pam was perhaps most taken by the wonder of the town of Lexington with its historic homes!

2. What's something you should say yes to today? Or this week? Or even this year?
Today I should say yes to  the urge to  get dressed.  I didn't yesterday and  I didn't feel any better for it...  I am a bit under the weather   but getting dressed would probably be a good thing for today!  This week, I  should say yes to putting together a St Pat's vignette.  No reason to except that  it is fun... I might invite a friend over for tea following,  who knows!!! This year, I hope to say yes to  going back to choir  I lost my voice in January and can hardly carry a tune now that the hoarseness is gone..So many friends keep say,  aw, come on and just sit  with us...
 but I will  say yes to that  only when I can be productive!

3. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in any way, shape, or form? If so tell us how. In Western cultures the color green is typically associated with jealousy, nature, good luck, and growth. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'green'?
I  automatically think of the  glory of the Irish landscape  with all of its various tones of green.. Even though it has been almost three years since we were there, it was  a dream of my life to go. Being Irish I love to  do my small bit of decorating for St Patrick's Day.  Having spent  a morning luxuriating in St Patrick's cathedral, I have such a warm place in my heart for Patrick's work in bringing  God to the  pagan Celts.... I, also, have somewhat of affinity to him as we are both  Ulster folk,  associated with Northern Ireland!
Sometimes I will cook up an Irish stew and soda bread or  make Irish scones!!

4. What's a product or service you love so much you'd happily be their spokesperson? Tell us what makes you such a fan.
After much thought it finally came to me...
John Frieda Luxurious Volume Forever Full Hairspray, 10 oz
Following my several  surgeries and  procedures requiring numbing last  fall  my hair  started coming out ..  well it seemed like by handfuls,  but  truth to say  my hair is super fine and limp and fine now and  will not hold a style. Now I have never used hair spray ... didn't like  it at all..  I was always an all natural gal!  But Pam fixed my hair for me and recommended that I start using  it, so I did and I am astounded by its light feel and   its  wonderful hold..  It truly does volumize  the hair!  I love it! 

5. March 14th is Pi Day. How are your math skills? What's the last thing you did that required math of any kind? And most importantly do you like pie? What's your favorite kind? With ice cream, whipped cream, or please hold the cream?
The only Pie that resonates with me  would be  lemon with mile high merengue!
Image result for lemon meringue pie
6. Insert your own random thought here.
That pie reminds me of the glorious pie we bought while on a sightseeing  trek around Massachusetts the winter we were awaiting our second granddaughter to be  born.. She  came about a week late,  and  we were  a bit antsy taking care of the  older 2 year old,  and  mother to be    thought it best to shoo us out  for  a day to regroup and  give everyone a  break... We had seen  on a food network show  a program on  a true diner in upstate Mass  that  had unparalleled chicken pot pie so we thought we'd bring home dinner!
Image result for agawam diner
Located in Rowley outside of Newburyport, it was the first of its kind we had ever  eaten at.  
We bought 4 of these...  awesome 
Image result for agawam chicken pot pie
and a whole pie like this
Image result for agawam lemon meringue pie
Our 75 mile drive  back to daughter's  home  was  excruciating!!!
But before long we were all sated!!!  And  more!!!!

Monday, March 12, 2018

Happy Homemaker Monday


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Breakfast time....what is on the plate this morning::::

A lovely cup of coffee with salted caramel bliss creamer (all natural) , fruited yogurt and  strawberries on my special k cereal.



On today's to do list::::

Laundry - change beds and wash  linens and towels
Kitchen - Usual clean up and tidying 
Living Rooms - swiffer the hardwoods downstairs

Currently reading:::
Susan Branch's second book of her trilogy
SBAutobiographicalTrilogy
I absolutely love these books!!!!!

On the TV this week::::
YouTube episodes of Escape to the Country
Netflix- period dramas like North*South
Midsomer Mysteries
Dick Van Dyke

The weather outside is::::
right now...

On the menu this week::::

Monday -Chinese stir-fry with Chicken/ veggies  and Rice 
Tuesday - Broccoli Cheese soup
Wednesday - spaghetti
Thursday -Brunswick Stew, cornbread and Amish salad
Friday -pizza with friends


If I have a few minutes to myself, I will::::
Look through some  favored magazines I've saved for  some great spring recipes..ie.  Southern Lady, Teatime, Victoria Bliss



New recipe I tried, or want to try this week::::
  I am  hungry for  some Venetian Chicken with Apricots  from Olive Garden


Ingredients
APRICOT SAUCE:
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup apricot preserves
salt and pepper to taste
TOMATO MIXTURE:
1 pound roma tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
12 basil leaves, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 teaspoon garlic pepper
salt to taste
GARLIC HERB SEASONING:
3 teaspoons garlic pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
2 bunches asparagus (remove bottom inch of stems)
1 pound broccoli florets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Chopped parsley to garnish
Directions

Combine garlic herb seasoning ingredients in a small 
mixing bowl and set aside. Blend chicken stock and apricot
 preserves in a sauce pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Combine tomatoes, basil, garlic pepper and salt in a separate
 mixing bowl and set aside. Blanch asparagus and broccoli 
for 1 minute in a pot of salted boiling water. Transfer 
immediately to ice bath to stop cooking.

Coat saute pan with olive oil. Keeping ingredients separated
 in the pan, heat cooled asparagus, broccoli and tomato mixture
 until hot. Do not overcook. Grill chicken until internal temper- 
ature reaches 165 degrees F.

Place grilled chicken on a platter next to hot broccoli and asparagus.
 Sprinkle garlic herb seasoning on broccoli. Pour tomato mixture
 on top of vegetables.

Top chicken breasts with apricot sauce and garnish with 
chopped parsley.



Favorite photo from Camera:::


Bible Verse, Devotional::::

Image result for late winter snow on spring flowers
Spring will find a way because
 with God all things
are possible!

Friday, March 9, 2018

Yellow, such a Happy Color for Spring!

 Yellow is one of my favorite  spring colors...like the  golden  blaze of  forsythia
 and the glory of a  bed of daffodils


So incorporating  yellow into house furnishings  makes sense  in the coming spring decor!
Whether inside




or outside!

A research of this color resulted in some lovely sentiments!

""Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.

Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future

Biblically,this color is also mentioned in God’s principle in that: In I Peter 1:7, God talks about trials and purging. (The trial of faith will be more precious than Gold and be tried with fire). 

Therefore, yellow is associated with fire, which in turn, has always been associated with the purification process. "



Saturday, March 3, 2018

Saturday Critters

This morning I'm  sharing with Eileen's Saturday Critters party.. This week  we were very honored  to host this handsome  fellow...  the male downy woodpecker...
The red bellied woodpecker to my best  surmise...  even the photos of these  wonderful creatures have mostly white undersides... I can tell you though he is  a large magnificent bird!!!  Larger than the downy woodpeckers we had been seeing!
Another handsome bird  just waited patiently for his turn at the feeder!  



Even though I had added some  fresh new  suet to the table and  fresh  feed,  the sightings have been a bit more  sketchy this week.. I fear it is because of a predator who  left his mark in our lawn over last weekend.  We believe a hawk  dined on a bird and a small mammal  leaving fur and feathers in his wake!
I wasn't able to get a photo of a new bird I saw  but it  a gorgeous silvery  green.. the feathers  were  actually iridescent green.. a slim line bird  with a black head.. it was there one moment and gone the next..  I couldn't find anything near the look of it in my Peterson's!

Otherwise we  did enjoy our regulars..




Oh, and our noisy neighbor  seemed interested in something over behind the garage!

Farewell

 After  17 years of   blogging  I am  pretty sad to  just fade  out  with  hardly  anyone showing any   farewell,  concern  about my  surger...