Words And Pictures

Hello and happy Monday. I intend to do a catch up maybe tomorrow, or maybe Thursday, or if not then sometime, but not today. Today I'm making the trek back to the lake after a week spent watching my Tennessee grands. 

Not for the faint of heart. 

Also, highly recommend. 10/10. Except when it's not, but it's for sure mostly 10/10. Grandparents reading here are nodding because iykyk. 

Keeping it easy today with a few random snaps that I'm linking with Kym's most recent Everyday Images Photo Prompts. Linking too with Holly and Sarah because it's Monday and some of these pics are weekend related. Today's photo prompts are:

at home (monthly)~in my cup~path ~Tuesday tranquility~ summer~golden hour~

out for a walk (quarterly)

at home (monthly)-

We had a few friends for dinner on a recent Thursday evening and it was a lot of fun. There were twelve of us and everyone brought something. Hubs grilled a cut of meat called a Teres Major and served it with cowboy butter and horseradish on the side. We'd never tried this particular cut before, but the butcher suggested it and we loved it. It's said to be second only to the filet in terms of tenderness and we would agree. 

I also made stuffed shells filled with a mixture of cheeses and zucchini and we had yummy appetizers, a delicious and refreshing white bean salad, a cucumber tomato salad, and blueberry cobbler for dessert. 

This outdoor dining space is one of my new favorite spots 'at home'. 

in my cup-

I rarely drink soda anymore. Almost never. Unless I'm in charge of a two-year old and a four-year old whose parents have been out of town for ten days, then all bets are off. 

This was my last night in charge. A glass of wine sounded nice, but I needed to keep my wits about me so opted for caffeine instead. 

path-

I snapped a picture of this cool piece by the artist Baggs McKelvey at the Discovery Museum in Chattanooga Tennessee. She primarily does large scale, site-specific installations using a variety of materials, which in this case is toy cars. 

Tuesday tranquility-

last Tuesday...

We were en route to Tennessee and stopped for lunch at a tiki bar sort of place about halfway to our destination. The restaurant sits across the street from a popular lake and is all open air which was nice. We had our pup with us so it was lunch in a covered outdoor space for the win. 

summer-

My daughter's garden is bustin' at the seams and we've had so much heavy crazy rain while I've been here that her tomatoes have been overwatered. I'm doing my best to pick and the kids eat them almost as fast as I get them in the bowl. Still we're not keeping up.  

Her okra got ridiculously ginormous overnight. Not sure if these jumbos will taste any good but the kids were impressed. The flowers on the okra plants are so pretty. 

We can't pick the blackberries fast enough. It's also been really wet so I haven't tended the bushes the way I would have if everything wasn't soaked, but we've eaten our share of these beauties too. 

One more summer snapshot, no explanation needed...

golden hour-the golden hour is defined as the first hour after sunrise and the first hour before sunset. It's when the sun sits low in the sky and creates a soft warm glow. If you read here at all then you know this is my favorite time of day to snap a picture. Here's the most recent-

And then just a couple minutes later...

out for a walk (quarterly)-

Pawpaw and one of his grandgirls...

The grandgirls adore their pawpaw. I hope once in your life someone greets you the way these little girls greet their pawpaw when he walks through the door. It's literally life giving. 

I enjoy these photo prompts which are posted every other Thursday.  Hop over to Kym's for a new batch this week. I do have a few grandparent-y related thoughts to share still so will get to that one day this week. Happy Monday everyone! 

Y The Hodgepodge?

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge and (yahoo!) the second to last letter in the April A-Z blog challenge. Not that I'm counting. I've included letter Y in my random thought today (question #6 for anyone new). 

If you've answered today's Hodgepodge questions add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Y not?  

1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why. 

Can rest be an option here because that's what I'd like right about now? If not then full steam ahead it is. 

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate.  

Impossible question. I like them all and while each would be considered art, they're not at all the same kind of art. My answer is all of the above. Each one appeals to me on some level. I suppose if you forced me to choose I'd say literature, but I love museums, beautiful architecture, live music, and live theatre too. 

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers? 

Dinner time varies here. In the summer it's generally sometime between 7 and 8. In the winter months we dine earlier, usually between 6 and 6:30.  My hubs would love for us to eat late year round and I'd love to eat at 5 so we're most often somewhere in the middle. 

As far as leftovers my feelings are mixed. I am good with things like pasta or pizza leftovers, but I'm funny about meat. I don't usually care for leftover meat warmed up, unless it's in a casserole. A leftover piece of chicken warmed up? No thanks. Chicken pot pie left over? Sure. 

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating? 

My husband shared something he was reading about AI doing an analysis on the Shroud of Turin and I then went down the rabbit hole myself reading about it. Don't ask me to explain it though. 

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...

At what are you 'self-taught?' 

I'm going with all things computer related. I'm the only one in my family with no formal computer classes or training. I've muddled through and learned by doing. I'm a work in progress here still. Obviously. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We're nearing the end of the A-Z blog challenge and I'm using this space for today's letter. I didn't think too hard on this one, but instead ran through a mental list of things that start with Y and picked one I could work with. 

Day 24-Y is for Yardstick 

Do you own a yardstick? Do you know where it is? I own one and bonus, I know where it is. I feel like a yardstick is one of those things you need very rarely, but when you need it you need it. 

Mine lives tucked into a corner of my pantry and it has a felt sleeve to fancy it up.  This yardstick was part of an end of year gift from a kindergarten student I taught in the year 1999. 

His mama made the sleeve and I've kept it all these years. fyi-it does have my full name down the front but I try not to put my full name here on the blog. Anyway, I've used this yardstick from time to time, and when I do I think of that super sweet kindergarten class, the wonderful parents who made that year an absolute joy, and the little boy (Brent-yes I remember his name) who would be 33 years old today. 

That's the kind of math that makes me feel another Y word-not young. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 651

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (April 29) to share your answers. See you there! 

1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why. 

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate.  

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers? 

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating? 

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...

At what are you 'self-taught?' 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Appreciating The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Thanks for joining the fun here on Wednesdays. Here we go-

1. What's something you think is under appreciated. Explain.  

Gentleness. The world is harsh. It often seems like everyone is shouting and nobody is listening.  When I encounter someone who speaks gently, who is able to make their point without name calling, swearing, or belittling another I find myself wishing there was more of it. 

2. As winter approaches how do you stay productive? 

Hmmm...am I productive in the winter months? We're more like bears who hibernate in order to conserve energy to be used later. We go mach ten here three quarters of the year so I actually view doing less as being productive in it's own way. Winter is a time to hunker down, catch up on some of the longer books on my to-read list, rest, and make plans. 

3. What's a popular food you don't like? 

I'm not a big fan of quinoa. Or kale. I'll eat both but they're not something I choose to cook/eat at home. I like brown rice, couscous, and chickpeas all of which are good substitutions for quinoa in many dishes. And while I don't care for kale I do love spinach so why eat kale? 

That being said,  I'm not a picky eater at all so if I come to your house for dinner and you serve me quinoa with a side of kale I'll eat both. 

4. What do you think is more interesting-art or history? Elaborate. 

I enjoy both I guess for different reasons. Art is so often a reflection of the times in which it's made so in a sense we need art to help us understand history. If I have to choose I'd say I don't want to live in a world without art, but I find history more interesting. 

5. What advice would you give to someone half your age?

Develop a habit of daily prayer. One sentence or whole pages. 

Start a simple stretching or exercise routine. 

Wear sunscreen.

Think for yourself. 

Cultivate a grateful heart. 

Read more, scroll less. 

Print your pictures. 

Write it down. A single sentence about your day or big thoughts about your life. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

42 days until Christmas...how's that for random? 

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The Art Of The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge, our last in October of 2023. Next week November is upon us and the holidays are coming up quick.  If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for your neighbor there. Trick or treating, hodgepodge style. Here we go-

1. October 25th is International Artists Day...do you have a favorite artist? If so tell us who and why. 

I'm not sure I have a favorite. I love the ballet paintings of Degas, the gardens of Monet, and the birds of John James Audubon.  Why? I love ballet and the great outdoors. 

2. Would you describe yourself as artistic? Elaborate. 

No not in the sense of having skill in drawing or as a painter or sculptor. I'm creative with words but I'm not artistic. 

3. What's a skill, task, hobby, or job you've done so often you now have it 'down to a fine art'? 

Loading the dishwasher lol. 

4. How often do you dine out? Fast food, fine dining, or somewhere in between? Tell us about a less than stellar restaurant experience you've had recently (or not so recently if that's easier).  

We don't dine out a lot because choices here in tiny town are pretty limited. We mostly cook at home or dine with friends in their homes. We don't eat fast food (maybe the occasional Chick fil-A when traveling). We love fine dining (our favorite) but again, it's a drive to get to so not something we do often anymore. We belong to a couple of wine clubs that pair wines with food and we enjoy that a lot. Hubs and I get lunch out maybe once a week? Dinner maybe once a week, probably less...depends on the week. 

A less than stellar experience? We met friends for pizza before a concert a couple of weeks ago. The show started at 7:30 and we met at the restaurant (one block from the concert venue) at 5:45. At 7 PM we went to check on the food (or lack thereof) and were told they hadn't even put the order in yet. Bother. 

The bar for restaurant service post-'you know what' is pretty low, but communication is key. If the server had given us an update on the situation (understaffed and overwhelmed) we would have had options. 

5. Do you celebrate Halloween? To what extent? Are there trick or treaters where you live? 

Some years we have something going on, and other years it's quiet. This year we're going to a party and will be dressing up. I do love a costume. I don't decorate my house for Halloween, but do put a few fall pieces out, mums and pumpkins on the porch, that sort of thing. Our neighborhood is hosting a trunk or treat if they get enough of a response. There aren't a lot of young children in our neighborhood. The kayak group is doing a 'dock or treat' and we're hosting a stop at our dock. You give the kayakers a sip of something and a small bite of something before they paddle away. Should be fun. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

This has nothing to do with anything which I suppose is the definition of random but...

I follow a site on insta called SBMowing. He has a landscape business and I think it's once a week he drives around, finds a yard that is overgrown, out-of-control, a community eyesore, and he takes care of it for free. There is something so satisfying about these videos and what he's doing. A little pick me up in a world that needs picking up. 

Here's the link-SBMowing

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 524

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the rest of the world wide webbers. See you there!

1. October 25th is International Artists Day...do you have a favorite artist? If so tell us who and why. 

2. Would you describe yourself as artistic? Elaborate. 

3. What's a skill, task, hobby, or job you've done so often you now have it 'down to a fine art'? 

4. How often do you dine out? Fast food, fine dining, or somewhere in between? Tell us about a less than stellar restaurant experience you've had recently (or not so recently if that's easier).  

5. Do you celebrate Halloween? To what extent? Are there trick or treaters where you live? 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

A Rosy Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, our first edition of the summer. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then pop over and leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. That's the neighborly thing to do here on From This Side of the Pond.

Here we go-

1. This time last year where were you?

Can I sigh a little? Right here on the lake with my not quite two year old grandson. My daughter, son-in-law and grandson spent a month with us prior to their move to South Korea and it was pure gold. 

And now he's turning three and is still as precious and precocious and perfectly hilarious as he was at two, only more so. Grandbabies just keep getting better y'all. 

photo credit: Sincerely Shannon

Plus now he's got a completely adorable baby brother to add to the shenanigans so I can't sigh too awfully much.    

photo credit: Sincerely Shannon 

2. In honor of National Pink Day (June 23rd) tell us your favorite pink food or beverage. Was it on the menu at your house yesterday? Do you like to wear the color pink? If we came to visit would we find this color in your home decor? Blush-fuschia-salmon-raspberry-your favorite shade of pink?

I'm not good at the 'just one' questions. One of my favorites would be salmon which I think is more orange than pink, but salmon is officially considered one of the pinks so salmon it is. And it's often on the menu at our house, but not yesterday. 

My favorite shade of pink is blush. 

If you came to visit would you find the color in my home decor? Not inside, but does outside count? 

Yes it totally counts. 

3. Stop and smell the roses, looking through rose colored glasses, a rose by any other name, not all moonlight and roses, no rose without a thorn...which rosy saying currently fits your life in some way? Explain.

I am known for my perpetual wearing of the rose colored glasses, but y'all the mean crazy in this world is smudging them a little. Still I think we always have a choice as to how we'll view our circumstances and I'm going to choose the bright side as often as I can. 

4. Are you a 'reader'? Do you tend to read lighter books in the summer months? Do you have a summer reading list? If so, give us a title or two.

I'm a reader and always have a general list of -to be read- books going, not specific to the summer season. I don't purposely read anything that falls under the heading of 'beach read' because I prefer meatier stuff. Not that all beach reads are light, but I think it's fair to say most are, and that's generally not my cup of tea. 

I'm currently reading The Dutch House by Ann Patchett and it's good so far.  Next up American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins and The Huntress by Kate Quinn. 

5. Share with us one rose and one thorn from your weekend.

No daughters in the house on Father's Day, no grandsons either which would be my thorn. However we are masters of FaceTime and making the most of what technology has to offer when it comes to communicating long distance, so it was still a mostly rosy weekend. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Artist John Marshall makes cardboard cutouts and sets them against sunsets and it is so cool. Check them out by clicking the link here.

West Coast Wanderings

Where were we? Oh yeah-everywhere. 

Or maybe it just felt that way? I know I travel a lot, but have I mentioned here I'm not a great traveler? Hubs is a great traveler and sometimes a great traveler traveling with a mediocre traveler is a test of how much you are loved.

A lot apparently.

Oh and guess what I'm doing again before a new month rolls in? Mostly I love to travel, except when I don't. When flights are delayed, then cancelled, when it rains buckets in a state where 'it never rains in California', when our luggage doesn't make the connection we ourselves had to run for...

As an aside, I've informed hubs I do not run in airports. It's a travel policy of mine, one of them anyway. Hubs says I have a whole handbook of travel policies, but tops on the list is I am not running in an airport. I will walk briskly and skip the restroom stop if I must, but I'm not running.

So where were we really? Mostly San Francisco, but we started our travels in Washington State because another rule I have is if we're going to be anywhere on the west coast we're either coming or going via Washington State. Daughter1 and her hubs did not get to come home for Christmas this year, and while I'd seen them back in October on my side trek from Arizona (hey I was already out west remember), hubs hadn't seen them since the end of July, and that's just way too long not to see your girl.

I will try not to blabber on about how beautiful the Seattle-Tacoma area is, how much I love Mt. Rainier, how tall the trees are and how expansive the Puget Sound, but y'all seriously this part of the country is stunning.

And very very far from the Eastern half of the U. S. of A.

We had a lovely few days walking in the woods, helping Daughter1 with some garage shelving and organizing, and eating lots of clam chowder in picturesque venues. We also took the newlyweds out to celebrate their second wedding anniversary which occurred the day before we arrived. Two years. Be still my heart.

Daughter1 dropped us at the airport on Sunday to catch our flight to San Francisco, but between the monsoon like rains in California and the snowy weather across the rest of the country we were delayed. Then delayed some more, and then some more, and then finally cancelled.

Hubs and I had a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant because what else are you going to do when your flight gets cancelled, and then finally made our flight to California the next afternoon. Not without more delays, but we did get there and I guess that's what counts. Actually I know that's what counts-ha!

We entered the hotel lobby and were immediately swept up in a literal sea of navy blue suits. The conference had taken over every hotel, Starbucks, suite, nook, and cranny in Union Square. It was a fantastic spot for people watching that's for sure!

Tuesday the weather was bordering on monsoon so I went with Plan B. I'm not a wimp about walking in the rain, but this was beyond rain. Umbrellas were inside out and the wind was whipping. Insanity! I walked a little more than half a mile in it and spent the rest of the day inside the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Question for you...who decides what is art? I was so missing my Daughters who can always be counted on to educate me as to why this is art-

It looks suspiciously like the light in our garage.

There was a whole lot I loved, particularly the William Kentridge Refusal of Time exhibit for anyone reading here who enjoys art and museums and is fascinated by the passing of time like me, and it was the perfect way to spend a rainy day in a new city.

Wednesday the sun peeked out, or rather the rain stayed mostly away so I hiked over to Chinatown while hubs worked, then later we Ubered out to the suburbs to catch up with some of our oldest and bestest friends.

It poured again on Thursday and it was cold too, so I read a book and napped while the guys worked and then on Friday the sun shone and it was glorious and we rambled around Napa all the day long.

Hmm...it appears this should have been three two posts, but in short (ha!) here's my take away from our ten days on the go-

The Evergreen State ranks right up there as one of the prettiest.

Washington is too far from South Carolina.

Old friends pick up right where they left off no matter the time or distance between them, and actually it does rain in California which means I need to go back to San Fran to see all the many things I missed, and also I wish I had an orange tree in my backyard.

Finally, when you get home at almost 2 am without your luggage, but then you wake up in your own bed and sip morning coffee on your dock in near 70 degree temps in the middle of January you will feel a little bit like Dorothy...

...there's no place like home.

Another Birthday In The Books

In case you missed it I had a birthday. Ha! If you're on social media it was pretty hard to miss. But it was fun!

Let's back up to Thursday which for the sake of blogging we'll just go ahead and call my birthday eve's-eve's-eve. I told you I can work a birthday.

A friend who lives on the lake invited me to join her for an outing with her neighborhood day trip group.

They were going to spend the day at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and since Dale Chihuly currently has an installation there how could I say no?

He is one of my absolute favorites. I went to his exhibit in Seattle in May while visiting my daughter and wrote about that here. Coincidentally I noticed he has a birthday tomorrow, and since I imagine he's reading my blog...happy birthday Dale Chihuly! Your art in cities and gardens all around the world is so very lovely.

And inspiring. There's something about glass in a garden I find inspiring.

I'd never been to the Atlanta gardens and would definitely go back. Workers were in the process of installing holiday lights (I know!!) for the Christmas season, and since there are literally thousands they have to start wrapping tree trunks at the end of summer.

It was a great day and I spent Friday catching up at home. Hubs returned from an out of town business trip that evening, and then I woke up to this on Saturday morning (aka my birthday eve)-

We were going to walk a trail into a nearby town and while I was getting ready to go he ducked out and came home with these gorgeous roses. He wanted to sneak out and back before I noticed, but I noticed and was preparing to be annoyed that he had gone to wash the car before we took our walk, so I popped out to scold him and caught him coming in.

I did not scold him.  He also knows I love these ginormous balloons and got me two for my birthday. He gave me one for Valentine's Day and I might have left it tied to the kitchen chair for months. Those things have some serious staying power. 

We walked a little over three miles to a restaurant one town over (there's a great paved trail, mostly through the woods), had a yummy breakfast, then walked a little over three miles back home. It was cloudy and not too humid so really enjoyable.

I did a little birthday shopping in the afternoon, then we headed downtown for dinner. We started at one of my favorite little venues, a rooftop wine bar overlooking downtown.

The temperature was just right and we toasted another year with a glass of Prosecco before heading a few blocks over for dinner in the park. Al fresco dining is on my list of favorite things, especially on my birthday eve.

Sunday (finally-my actual birthday!) we met Daughter2 and her boyfriend for a noontime brunch and I was spoiled with gifts from my girls. Then hubs and I had to trek out to the lake to give the go-ahead on stain color, because there is no escaping the home build even on your birthday. Since it was beginning to drizzle we pretty much trekked right back home for some football and a nap on the couch. Hubs picked up Chinese food for dinner and we called it a day.

Cheers to birthdays, thoughtful husbands, adorable daughters, friends near and far, and finding beauty wherever a new year takes you.

People Who Live Near Glass Gardens Should Take Lots Of Pictures

Just a reminder there will not be a Wednesday Hodgepodge this week. Go here to read my overly long explanation as to why not. No worries though...we'll be back with the random next week, May 17/18th. 

Continuing now the ongoing saga of my Washington adventure. This is Day 2. Really more like Day 1 because I didn't arrive until midday Sunday and every second counts when you live on opposite coasts. 

When we made our first trip to Seattle last May we had Mother's Day Brunch in the Space Needle. Pretty sure the law says you must visit The Space Needle if you're a first time visitor to the city, and it's definitely worth a ride to the top. As we made our way into the queue that day I noticed something lovely peeking out from behind the fence next door.  

The Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit. 

Be still my heart. I might be his biggest fan. I told Daughter1 that was on my must-see list for next time, so first thing Monday morning we trekked into Seattle and did just that. 

Y'all I am totally in love with this man's art and talent. I first saw his work when we lived in the UK and he had an installation in Kew Gardens. Since then I look for the name Dale Chihuly when we travel and make it a point to seek out his beautiful glass works. 

As it happens he hails from Tacoma Washington so there's plenty of gorgeousness close to my daughter's home. The first thing you see as you round the corner into the museum is this-

These pictures will not do the beauty justice, but until you can see them for yourself photos will have to suffice. Just know they're enormous and bold and my daughter and I agree there's something very soothing about glass art. 

The 'spears' are as tall as I am if that helps put the piece in perspective. This 'under the sea' display stretched from floor to ceiling. 

Go big or go home-

The Sistine Chapel meets the Pacific Northwest-

My favorite pieces by far are the ones he sets so naturally in the garden. This is something Chihuly's known for and I would surely love for him to landscape a little corner of my lake lot.

 Or create a chandelier for my covered deck-

We had the best day. My daughter1 has a bit of the artiste in her so this was right up her alley. When we finished meandering in the garden we moved on to another of our shared loves...charming French cafes and long leisurely lunches. 

Moms of littles! Stay the course! Grown up girls will rock your world in a hundred thousand little ways. One day they're coloring at your kitchen table and the next they're by your side relishing the beauty of a Seattle Monday in a garden filled with glass.