Episodes Seven and Eight

Linking today with Joanne for Talking About It Tuesdays 

If you've been reading here you know hubs and I are aiming for 52 dates in 52 (ish) weeks. I'm recording them here because I think it might be fun to put them all in a photo book at the end of the year. 

I'm two episodes behind because the days are flying and full and writing it all down isn't happening the way it used to. Today will be a two for one kind of post. 

Day date episode seven. Here it is-

Backing up two weeks to this day, which was part of a week where we had stuff on the calendar every single day. Now some of that 'stuff' meant we spent time together, but I'm trying to make these moments we mark as just for us. 

Lunch at McAllisters it was. 

Hubs had an appointment in the city and I had an appointment to get my nails done. We met for lunch on his way home, after I left the salon and also after I stopped to mail a package, but before I hit the grocery store which happened to be in the same shopping center as McAllisters. 

Some weeks are like this, and I'm going to say simple is very welcome in the middle of busy.

I like their food and we each got a half sandwich with their broccoli cheddar soup which was delish. We had a nice time and talked about some of the day date places we might go and see and do in the new year. 

Day date episode eight happened on Saturday. Originally we had decided on Wednesday, but then the weather was spectacular and it made more sense for hubs to get the outside lights up while he could wear shorts since cooler weather was on the way for the weekend. 

We pivoted to Saturday and we bundled up. Actually it felt festive to put on my furry boots and my 'Canada coat' as it's been dubbed because hubs bought it for me in Canada more than 25 years ago. People still stop me whenever I wear it to ask where I got it. The boots I got in France, not quite 20 years ago but they're still a favorite and so warm. 

We headed into the city to check out a small Christmas market. When I see hubs in his hat I feel like it should have a post of its own.  He bought the hat in Austria after much hard selling on the part of the vendor. She told him she'd add the Edelweiss pin for free if he purchased so he said yes. This hat has been such a fun thing all these many years, the start of many a conversation with people everywhere who spy a pin from a place they love, or who are just curious about what the pins represent. 

The pins (currently numbering 53) started mostly by accident. He added one when he bought the hat, then ended up adding another on that same trip, and then another the next place we went, and so on and so on, and suddenly it became a thing. He's traveled all around the world adding pins to mark the miles, and now this hat tells the story of a most interesting life. 

I love going in to the city this time of year. The past few years we've gone to a Christmas show at the theatre there, but this year we can't make it work, so this might be it. 

The market was set up just outside of The Grand Bohemian Lodge, a luxury hotel whose architecture was inspired by the National Parks. Lots of stone and cedar and it's really beautiful. Besides lodging they have a spa, restaurant, bar, and an art collection featuring both local and internationally known artists. 

The Bohemian has been around for about three years now, but we've never stayed overnight or eaten in their restaurant. It was a chilly day, but we enjoyed browsing the stalls and made a couple of gift purchases before heading inside to warm up and have lunch.  

We sat at the bar, and per usual hubs immediately made friends with the people beside us. It's one of his very best qualities and something I love about him. It can also be annoying but mostly I love it. 

They had a brunch menu with some lunch options and I ordered eggs benedict because if it's on the menu that's what I order. Hubs got shrimp and grits for the same reason. Both were delicious. 

We also had to try an order of their deviled eggs which were so good-pickled mustard seeds, crispy maple duck confit, and chives. 

We walked through town and went in a couple of shops too. It wasn't overly crowded because locals were all inside somewhere watching the Clemson-South Carolina game. Yay Tigers! We were home in time to watch Tennessee play Vandy which was super painful, but we did finish decorating the tree while the madness happened and that helped. 

And now here we are, another week filled to the brim with happenings. Our next date might just be be that trip to Costco with lunch somewhere after since we've put it on the calendar. This is retirement. And December. And our life in this season. 

Which is actually pretty sweet. 

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock n' Hodgepodge

Welcome to a brand new month and another 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. Here we go-

1. What's your favorite fall scent? Would we find this in or around your home right now? 

Probably cinnamon. I also love the smell of a wood fire and of freshly popped popcorn. Both feel fall-ish to me. I don't want them in candle form but I like the scents. When I buy scents I lean toward citrus, lavender or cinnamon. 

My daughter bought me this really cute lamp for my birthday and a candle to go with. The candle is a mediterranean lemon which I love. 

You set an unlit candle below the lampshade and the candle melts enough for you to get a pleasant aroma without actually lighting the candle. It's not huge and makes a nice counter light in my kitchen. 

2. October is Country Music Month...are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville? In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse? 

We listen to a mix of music here and country is part of the mix. I like a lot of artists, both old and new. A  few favorites are George Strait, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Brooks and Dunn, and Kenny Chesney. 

I have been to Nashville more than once and like it okay. Last time I was there I thought it could use a good power wash. Just sayin'.  

I'm a country mouse who enjoys visiting the city from time to time. I've always loved big cities but the crazier the world gets the less appeal a city holds.  

3. How about 'country cooking'? (loosely defined as rich flavors, familiar foods, large portions, often fried, and often associated with the southern region of the US of A)? 

chicken and dumplings-fried chicken-shrimp and grits-biscuits and gravy-mac and cheese-fried green tomatoes-cornbread-collard or turnip greens-deviled eggs-'barbecue'-gumbo-banana pudding 

Which of the foods listed is your favorite? Any on the list you haven't tried or would say a firm no thank you to if offered? 

I like southern comfort cooking, but am not a huge fan of fried foods in general and a lot of southern dishes feature fried foods. I prefer grilled, broiled, or baked. That being said, there's nothing on the list here that I don't like. I don't love collard greens so that would be my least favorite. They're a little too bitter for my taste. My favorite on the list is shrimp and grits. Deviled eggs would be a close second. 

4. What's something that always has a positive impact on your mood? 

I suppose I could go deep here, but I'm going another way-ha! Getting my hair cut and highlighted. 

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you. 

Y'all know I struggle with single words so I'm going with compound words instead. Two for the price of one-

birthday bonanza, schedule-slammed, lightning fast

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I bought my first Christmas present on Tuesday. A small stocking stuffer for one of my girls. They read here so I won't say more, but I popped into a nursery/gift shop to browse their fall decor and couldn't resist a peek into their Christmas shop. 

Too early? 

Sort of. I mean I haven't even dug into fall yet so I'm definitely not ready to see decorated Christmas trees all lit up, but there they were. Right behind the pumpkins. And looking so pretty! 

So have you bought any Christmas gifts yet? Or is it just way too early to think about that? 86 days but who's counting? 

Hello Monday, So Long September

September has been a whirlwind of activity, appointments and celebrations, and now somehow we've reached the end of one of my favorite months of the year. 

We had a nice weekend and Mondays are when we link up with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) to chat about them. Here's how ours looked-

Friday morning hubs had a couple of errands to run and I went to Publix to pick up a few groceries and subs for lunch. We took them to Daughter1's house and spent a couple of hours there eating, checking out her new built-in shelves we hadn't seen in person yet, listening to Max read us a book (a new skill for him) and the Mancub play the piano, followed by a fun (yes, it actually was fun) math game with the Mancub called Corners. 

Late Friday afternoon I went to a friend's house with three other girls to catch up and play Mexican Train Dominoes. We had a lot of fun and I'd say time flew, but how many times can I say time is flying without sounding like a granny. 

Which I am, but still. What's up with time? 

Friday night my son-in-law was going to the high school football game and the boys sometimes go with him, but the weather was questionable so everyone came to our house instead. Hubs grilled burgers and then my son-in-law went on to the game and the rest of us strolled down memory lane going through two big boxes of VHS tapes and books I've been saving for decades. 

When we first mentioned to the girls that we had these two huge boxes of VHS tapes they were quick to say might as well get rid of them. Then daughter1 got her hands on the actual movie cases and said we couldn't possibly get rid of them lol. She's talked hubs into buying a tv for one of the guest rooms that we can connect a player too so the kids can watch the classics. She's including herself in the term 'kids' because once she saw The King and I, My Fair Lady, and The Little Princess she was down the rabbit hole of her childhood. 

Saturday I made another quick run to the library to pick up yet another book I'd put on hold that had arrived. When it rains it pours I guess. I've been a reading machine this month and I'm not mad about it. We left about 12:30 to drive into the nearby city for a surprise birthday party for Daughter1's mother-in-law. 

It was an afternoon gathering on a rooftop venue and the surprise was a success. We also had a bird's eye view of the spot where Daughter1's wedding reception was held ten years ago. 

The birthday party venue was in a hotel with a Ruth's Chris steakhouse in the lobby and hubs and I thought why not? 

So after the party we popped in and sat at the bar for dinner. We split a steak and lobster tail and a delicious caesar salad before heading for home. We hadn't eaten in a Ruth's Chris in many years, but the food was very good and the service was excellent. 

We caught the tail end of the TN football game and in true Volunteer fashion they kept us on pins and needles until the very last overtime minute. Whew this team can take years off your life, but a win is a win and we'll take it. 

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear without the humidity we've been having lately. So nice! We went to church and while we normally go to brunch with the kids right after, hubs and I decided it was too nice not to take the boat for a spin. 

I made lunch and we tooled around the lake for a while, had our lunch in a quiet cove, then more motoring around before coming home to watch football. I made a pot of chili and we went back to church for their evening service. We haven't been to the evening service since we started going to this church, but they're doing a study of C.S. Lewis's book -Mere Christianity, and since it's one of my all time favorite reads, I wanted to attend.  

And then it was home for a bowl of chili and more football. 'Tis the season, right? If you want to join the Monday recap party, hop over to the host blogs and add your link there. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 622

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (10/1)  to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What's your favorite fall scent? Would we find this in or around your home right now? 

2. October is Country Music Month...are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville? In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse? 

3. How about 'country cooking'? (loosely defined as rich flavors, familiar foods, large portions, often fried, and often associated with the southern region of the US of A)? 

chicken and dumplings-fried chicken-shrimp and grits-biscuits and gravy-mac and cheese-fried green tomatoes-cornbread-collard or turnip greens-deviled eggs-'barbecue'-gumbo-banana pudding 

Which of the foods listed is your favorite? Any on the list you haven't tried or would say a firm no thank you to if offered? 

4. What's something that always has a positive impact on your mood? 

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Grab Your Mug...It's The Hodgepodge

Welcome to our mid-July random aka The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and leave a comment for your neighbor there. Or all your neighbors if you've got the time. Here we go-

1. What's a characteristic you admire in others? Elaborate. 

There are many, but one of the biggest is selflessness. I so admire people who think of others first. Humility and integrity are other traits I greatly admire and they often go hand in hand with selflessness.

2. Do you have a favorite mug? Let's see it. Why is this one your favorite? 

This is my favorite-

And it has somehow disappeared. It may have broken and no one told me because they knew it was my favorite? It's also possible I set it down somewhere and it's still sitting there waiting for me to re-discover it's whereabouts. Too bad it's not linked to my watch the way my phone is. Bother. 

Daughter1 gave it to me because she knows how much I love the verse in my blog header and the mug design reminded her of that verse. Now I'm going on the hunt for it, because I'm wondering if I stashed it somewhere when I made room for the Christmas mugs. Do you need to know this? Carry on. 

I have other favorite mugs in terms of size, both the width and the depth and especially the handle. I'm particular about the handle. I have a couple of others that are favorites in terms of the giver and the meaning behind them. You know I have a hedgehog mug because of course I do. 

3. July 15th is/was National Give Something Away Day...will you (or did you, depending on what day you answer these questions) give something away? If so what? Do you regularly give away or do you 'accumulate'? 

I didn't give anything away on the 15th, but I keep a bag in my closet that once filled will be donated. We pretty regularly get rid of clothing we no longer wear. Hubs thinks our attic is full of things we could give away, but I disagree. We'll see once we get up there for the great clean out, which will not happen until the temperature drops about twenty degrees and I can walk without a boot. 

4. You're planning a trip. Do you prefer exploring big cities or smaller, more off the grid towns? World Atlas lists these 12 'off the grid' towns to see in 2025. How many on the list have you seen? Of those listed which one would you most like to visit? Tell us why? 

Boothbay Harbor Maine, Middlebury Vermont, New Hope Pennsylvania, Rehoboth Beach Delaware, Brevard North Carolina, Saugatuck Michigan, Medora North Dakota, Ouray Colorado, Lamoille Nevada, Neah Bay Washington, Hood River Oregon, or Cambria California

*You can read more about each destination by clicking the link above. 

I can get on board with a trip to a big city or a small town, as both appeal to me in different ways. I live in a small town, and I've been to a few of the small towns that made this list-New Hope PA (really cute!), Rehoboth Beach Delaware (we vacationed in neighboring Bethany Beach several summers) Brevard NC (not far from where I live so an easy day trip for us), and Cambria California-

California is such a beautiful state, one of the prettiest I think, but between the cost of living and the crazy politics there I would never want to call it home. 

It's hard to choose just one, but if I must I'm going with Medora North Dakota. Why? Because I've never been to that particular state and it's in a part of the country I'd like to explore.  Also my hubs has read several books about Theodore Roosevelt who is a really interesting man, so I know he would enjoy making the trip with me. 

5. Have you ever...ridden a motorcycle? been to a Disney park? met a celebrity? won a contest? Tell us something about whatever you answered yes to on this list. 

I had a brief ride on a motorcycle when I was young, about ten I think. My cousin gave my sister and I both, plus another cousin, a short ride around the neighborhood on his bike, and he went super slow. Still it was exciting to my ten year old self. That being said, my son-in-law is an orthopedic surgeon and not a fan of motorcycles. He's worked in ER Trauma and has seen too much, which kind of puts me off motorcycles. 

I've been to Disney World in Orlando three different times, and Disneyland Paris once. 

I've never been to the California Disney park. And I've never won a contest, but I have met a handful of celebrities. Here are two that stand out-

When we lived in the UK I was invited to a small luncheon in The House of Lords with David Cameron. I think there were about a dozen guests at the table.  He wasn't Prime Minister at the time, but became Prime Minister a couple of years later.  The club I was president of did a lot of fundraising for a charity very close to his heart and I was invited to the luncheon as a representative of our group. I sat next to Felicity Dahl who was Roald Dahl's second wife. It was a completely surreal experience for me. 

Closer to home-I met George Clooney in a NYC hotel when hubs and I were there with a group of his co-workers for an event. Meeting George now wouldn't be as exciting as it was then because I'm completely over celebrity culture in general, but especially celebs who bring politics into every situation. Still it was a fun night. 

The blogger  who hosted the random dozen which was the precursor to the Wednesday Hodgepodge sometimes mentioned George on her blog in a humorous way, and when I told her I'd met him once she demanded an explanation lol. I've linked the post with all the details here for anyone who's curious- George Clooney...here's the 411. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

So who here has joined the Mah Jong craze? I learned to play towards the end of the Covid 'era', and I still play almost every week in my neighborhood. When I was growing up Mah Jong was a game Jewish grandmas played and that's kind of what I associated it with. That and China which is where the game originated. Who knew it was so much fun? It's surging in popularity now with lots of young moms playing too. So who here plays?  

The Golden State

I've posted a few pics on my Facebook page this week, but you know I need all the words too, so here we go. First things first-I spent the morning at the orthopedist and am happy to report my fractured elbow will not require surgery. Whoohoo! If you don't know what I'm talking about I mentioned it to Hodgepodgers in a quick post yesterday (linked here) and will likely mention it again when I get to the end of my trip recap. 

If you're new here you should know I can make blogging about a trip longer than the trip itself, but I'm still a little wonky with the typing so maybe my injury will inspire me to be less wordy. 

Maybe. 

See, here we are three paragraphs in and I haven't even gotten started on the actual travel. California. It seems a little bit crazy to make a road trip in California just now, given the price of gas there (7$!!) and really just the price of everything (how do people live here???), but we had friends hosting a wedding and we were not going to miss that. 

These are special friends. Friends who go all the way back and have known my girls since they were babies. We both started moving here-there-everywhere, always keeping in touch and seeing one another in person from time to time, until one day, in an absolutely wonderful display of God's amazing goodness, we ended up living in England at the very same time. 

Our babies who were born just a few weeks apart (her first, my second), and who moved three or four times in the middle years, ended up graduating from high school together while living in the same small village across the pond. This friendship has been such a gift and no matter the miles we always pick up right where we left off. 

When we received the invitation to their youngest daughter's wedding on the California coast we decided to make it a holiday. When in Rome and all that, right? 

Hubs and I have driven the northern California coast all the way from San Francisco to Tacoma Washington (recap link starts here), but I had never seen any of the southern coast. We added a few days to the front end of the wedding date so we could take our time meandering through some of the loveliest little seaside spots in America. 

We went total cliche and rented a convertible because why not? The weather was absolute perfection (is this why people live here???) and we rode with the top down most of the way, hence baseball caps and crazy haired pics. C'est la vie. 

This was our first flight since pre-Covid days and we had a connection both ways so opted not to check bags. We've heard too many nightmare stories of lost luggage and since we were hopping from one spot to the next we worried delayed bags might never reach us. The travel itself went so smoothly in both directions, something of a rarity these days and we were grateful. 

We arrived in San Diego on a Friday afternoon and by the time we rented the car, got out of the airport, and checked in to our hotel it was time for dinner. An early dinner as we were definitely still on East Coast time lol. We stayed at The Westin in the Gaslight District because we wanted to be in that part of town, but also because we had hotel points. Gotta make up for that 7$ gas somewhere now, don't we? 

We spent part of the day in San Diego before driving to our next locale and chose a couple of things to see that would give us a feel for the city. 

We started in Balboa Park and really enjoyed that. It was a gorgeous day (probably going to be saying that a lot) and we walked around soaking up all the beautiful scenery and sunshine. 

After seeing as much of Balboa Park as we could we headed next to the Embarcadero for a tour of The USS Midway museum. 

It is absolutely something to see and as you read the placards and hear the stories of so many brave, mostly young, servicemen you remember what you love about America. 

There was a quote beside one of the placards that really touched me. Rear Admiral Timothy Ziemer is cited as the speaker who said this, " What we share...is a pride for having sacrificed together for a cause greater than our individual pursuits. A pride for having our courage and honor affirmed and tested in one moment in history. Pride for having replaced comfort and security with the inconvenience of the unknown and not being broken by the experience." 

Our friends own a condo in San Clemente and we planned to spend the next two nights there. We stopped en route for an ocean view late lunch in La Jolla. Hubs likes this town a lot and wanted me to see it. Parking was a bit challenging on a sunny Saturday but we found a spot and had a wonderful relaxed meal at George's at the Cove. 

Rose all day. 

I mean I could have but there were places to go and people to see. 

Next stop...sea lions, surfers and San Clemente. 

And sunshine of course because it's the California coast. 

Once Upon A Time

I'm playing a little bit of catch up today since I was without power earlier in the week and missed a letter.

Today's letters come from my sister and also from a long time dear friend who worked with hubs for many many years. Both made trips to our home in England way back when and the words they chose go together, so it's a combo post today. 

Day 12-L is for London

Day 15-O is for Once

Once upon a time we lived in England. Not London, but nearby in a small village about 15 miles west of the city. A dot on the map where we walked our pup through the commons, met friends for dinner in the local pub, and hopped a train to London any time we pleased. Which was often. 

Where we mastered the art of parallel parking in minuscule spaces, puzzled over the rules of Cricket, and learned a whole new vocabulary.

Where we fell in love with Indian curries, iced buns, and Sunday roasts with a side of yorkshire pudding. 

Where we indulged daily in the pure pleasure of a cuppa with a friend. 

Where we raised teenagers...

Drove left while seated right...

And spent hours in a garden where poppies and foxglove and people grew. 

Where we donned wellies to hike past ancient trees and fields of rapeseed...

Across moors and bridges and old stone walls in the middle of nowhere.

Around bluebell blankets and fields of sheep. 

Through kissing gates that led to wide open spaces and beauty as far as the eye could see. 

Where history was at every turn...

And when the sun shone it was your favorite day of all the days. 

This picture popped up on my Facebook page last week, our first tagged photo on the site some 11 years ago-

We're in front of Buckingham Palace here and asked a stranger to take our picture. Selfies weren't a thing yet, or at least they weren't for us. I think the trend was just getting started back in 2009 but 11 years later we still haven't mastered it, so yeah. We asked a stranger to take a picture and they obliged. 

A moment marked with the click of a camera.
There were a thousand more. 

Once upon a time we fell in love with a place and words and people. 

We are in love with them still.