Autumn’s arrival….

 Images from the first day of Autumn….

The morning sun was good to emphasize the glorious blue sky!

Some necessary work has been done to eliminate a spruce tree that had grown so much it blocked the sidewalk!  Now, we’ll need to pressure wash the sidewalk!  Maintenance keeps us busy!

This is my favorite season of the year!  I love the fall colors and flavors, the celebration of Thanksgiving, and it is the forerunner of Christmas, that much-loved holiday!  

We held to a tradition of enjoying Cream of Rice with dried cranberries and walnuts for breakfast.  I confess that I added a taste of butter.  The Husband even drizzled honey over his!  It’s time to enjoy Susan Branch’s Autumn mug!

Have the colors of fall arrived where you are?

Take me out to the ball game….

 It has been a few years since we’ve attended a baseball game.  

As you can see, it was a beautiful day to watch the Tennessee Smokies! 

There were many fans in the stands!

No popcorn, peanuts, or cracker jacks this visit!

It was a delicious cheeseburger along with those good summertime favorites….baked beans and potato salad.

We enjoyed this special gathering of area alumni from Emory and Henry College!

Oh!  The Tennessee Smokies won the game 3-1!

Installing….

 I’m posting this on what I have learned is National Kitten Day!  Isn’t that a neat honoring of our feline friends?  Everyone needs a little “fluff” in their lives!  Sadly, we have been without a cat for a number of years now.  

We’ve been at this location for 19 years.  It is a small development….only one street that ends in a cul-de-sac….and we have underground utilities.  Comcast has been the only Internet provider, installing their lines at the onset of the development, which is in a rural area, now becoming a quickly growing, developing area of the county.  

We have attempted to set up Internet service with a couple of other possibilities, neither one being as satisfactory as the Comcast connection.  That is….until recent progress.  

The pictures below will show the beginning of the installation of fiber optic cable by our electric company.

The first photo above is where the installers were this afternoon, at the edge of our front yard.  They have been in the neighborhood for a couple of weeks digging what is needed for the conduit.  The second photo shows where they were working last week.

Here they are, beginning their work at the edge of our yard this morning.

One of their many work trucks at the edge of our driveway.

They have had lots of practice with those trenches.  This is from last week across the street from the house next door to us.

What are your Internet options where you live?  Do you have several servers from which to choose?  Is broadband Internet something that your electrical provider makes available?  More options mean more competition!  That has to be a good thing, right?  Hopefully we will find an Internet connection possibility that gives us a better rate!  That would definitely be a good thing!

Expect a bit of a “photo dump” from the first week in this month.  I may get to that before this week is gone!

Retired?

 Has this week seemed odd to you?  Unusual to have a holiday on Tuesday.  It’s almost like having two Mondays.  Of course, if you are retired (and I think most people who read this blog are in that category), the days of the week may just blend into one another.  

Anyway, it was a good time to celebrate….Independence Day!  As usual, my thoughts turned to food, and this dessert hit the spot.  

Just in time, our blueberries have begun to ripen.  This is from our first picking.

I greased my baking dish first, then spread those blueberries around in it….

Then I opened a large can of crushed pineapple (with juice) and poured it on top of the blueberries.

Next, I opened a box of white cake mix and sprinkled it evenly over the fruit in the dish.

Added some melted butter….just a stick…and a few coarsely chopped pecans.  You could use walnuts, too.  

Ready to slide into the oven….set at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or so.  Check to be sure it doesn’t become too brown for your liking.

Here is the finished product!  Someone sneaked a serving before I took the photo!

It was good with some whipped cream on top.  Someone else chose vanilla ice cream.  

The hot and humid days of summer call for staying cool and hydrated!  I hope you are staying safe!

China pattern:  Olde Chelsea by Myott.  I’ve had this china for 60 years!  Guess we’re both vintage! 😂

Reminiscing…

 Rabbit, rabbit….and welcome to May!  

It was just a year ago today that I embarked on a journey I hadn’t even dared dream would happen!

The pictures just won’t transfer to this post in the order I wish!  Anyway, this is what I saw on my arrival at the Brooklyn Terminal before going through the check-in process to board the Queen Mary 2.  

These are the bags that went with me…everything I would need for almost three weeks!

Once again, the pictures didn’t load in the order I wished.  This picture in the middle shows the walkway to the escalator after I finished the checking in process.  Once up the escalator, there was another long walk until I reached the entry to the ship, greeted on either side of the doorway by these welcoming crew members.

They were waiting to be of assistance in whatever way was needed.  

As the ship began to sail from the harbor, the Statue of Liberty was visible.  We are on our way to Southampton UK!

This was the welcoming floral arrangement on the main level of the ship.

This was my first view of my stateroom for the crossing.  It was a very comfortable space. 

This was my first time to travel to another country, and it was an amazing experience!  I’d love to do it again!  Have any of you sailed across the ocean?  

This happened…

 

                                                       A special lunchtime dessert….

                                                       Small Town Girl, aka City Girl celebrated with the loveliest cake!

                                                       This Susan Branch mug is perfect for today!

Our oldest shares my birthday!  Today we celebrated another year!  Now looking forward to another one coming in a year!

It was a very good year…

 I know, I know!  I’m very tardy posting this.

My sister’s birthday was April 1, and her family honored her with a very appropriate reception!  Of course, I took no pictures of the food.  What was I thinking??  There were sandwiches, fruit, and a most delicious chocolate cake!!

Belated happy birthday wishes, Sister!  

Spring?

 While the calendar tells us we are now in the season of spring, the outside temperature isn’t cooperating…

We have had more nights of below freezing temperatures, and I’m not sure the blueberries will recover.  They had just begun to bloom.

I may have included a post with pictures of the amaryllis that was in bloom into January.  We are still on that “amaryllis watch.”  Look at this!

New green leaves have sprouted!  This is after another leaf kept growing and gave us another stem of blossoms.  What do you think will happen here?  I will keep you posted!

Are there springtime flowers blooming where you are?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 Hello, friends!  This is the day for the “wearin’ o’ the green.”  Do you have something green to wear?

Blessings and wishes for good fortune to you!

Have you had a good week?  One morning I was actually awake early enough to see this sunrise…

One day we took a trip to a nearby town.  Actually, it’s the town where I graduated from high school.

Not to tell my age; however, I was a student there during these traumatic times.

Although we have had temperatures below freezing several nights this week…and more are predicted in the near future…we are enjoying the signs that spring is on the way!

The Husband has mowed the lawn, taking special care not to mow the violets!

For those of you who are college basketball fans, March Madness is underway.  There have already been some huge surprises in the outcome of several games.  Do you have a favorite?

Have a good weekend!

It’s Pi Day!

 As I mentioned in the last post, today, 3.14, is Pi Day!  This is how we honored this day!

Blueberry pie, from our own blueberries from the past season!  Partially thawed, they make a great pie!

Our temperature just escaped freezing overnight; however, more low temperatures are predicted for tonight and tomorrow night.  

Did you enjoy any pie today?

March Madness….

 We are fans of college basketball here.  Of course, the Vols and Lady Vols are our favorites, though we watch other games at times, especially at this time of year.

Sunday was the announcement of the teams that have been selected to play in the NCAA tournament this season.  The Vols have been named a #4 seed.  Are you a basketball fan?  Is your favorite team in this list? 

It isn’t unusual to find these in the grocery store during March…

When they are no longer blooming, and the green begins to turn yellow/brown, I will cut this back and plant the contents outside.  Sometimes I have luck with this, and other times I’m not as lucky.

March is marching right along!  I wish you good wishes for the days ahead!  Remember…3.14!  Pi Day!  Do you have a pie in your future tomorrow? 

Before and after…

 This is looking down our street before the wind and rain began…

While we did have some rather strong winds, along with some heavy rain, the “after” picture would look the same.

The trees in bloom on property behind ours.

There are signs all around that spring is coming.  It seems a little early to me.  We have had a late frost/freeze that damaged blossoms in the past.  

While many are dealing with snow and ice, we have sunshine and temperatures in the sixties.  

Did March come in like a lion or a lamb where you are?

A long time…

 Well, friends.  It has been a long time since I’ve posted anything on this blog.  We’ve come through Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and numerous other occasions worthy of celebrating. 

We were on amaryllis watch here in December.  

Are you able to see that there are three stem possibilities for blossoms?  One was very, very short!  This is what we have from that one short stem now!

It has grown and is going to give us blossoms in February!  This was the first time I’ve had one with a waxed bulb, and I wondered how it would produce.  

The Valentine’s Day roses are still looking lovely!

It’s time to add tulips for spring!

Mardi Gras is February 21.  That calls for a King Cake!

First time to use this recipe, and we were happy with the results!

Sending good wishes to you!