A Special Christmas Gift.

I've been participating in Blogmas. Never heard of it before but it looked like a fun thing to do. I really didn't know what it was so I googled it!! Don't we google everything these days! 

Blogmas is a seasonal blogging challenge. It occurs every December and bloggers use this time to commit to publishing new blog posts.

Some bloggers will try to publish one new blog post a day for the entire month of December, while other bloggers may commit to a smaller number of blog posts, like one every other day or one a week during December.

My Blogmas post for today concerns a tradition from my childhood. My aunt Lena was a teacher and she always saw to it that I got something 'educational' under the Christmas tree. When I was five, I got this large book. It was "Raggedy Ann in the golden Meadow". Beautiful, colorful pictures to look at. Later, when I learned to read it was a favorite of mine.

Guess what! I still have that book today, 85 years later! Think I'll drag it out and read it. Then I'll display it for the holidays. Sort of a Trip Down Memory Lane for me and a 'shout out' to the aunt who first taught me the importance of reading. 

Time For Persimmons!

 It's that time of the year!

We are awaiting our first frost. That brings to mind my childhood when we would wait for the first frost to sweeten the lucious orange-colored persimmons hanging heavy on the tree down in the pasture.

You didn't dare eat one until that frost came, though. Turn your mouth inside out!!

The persimmon tree used to grow abundantly in this country (mainly in the south) but like so many other things, it's getting scarce. 

After Elbert retired from the Navy and we lived on our farm in Alabama, there was a persimmon tree in our pasture. 

One day he loaded me and my mom up in his truck and drove us over the grazing land, parked under the tree and we gathered ripe persimmons. 

Here's a photo of my Mom biting into one. That's just one of the sweet memories I have of the times we spent together. 

Have you ever eaten a persimmon? a native one or a hybrid one? 

Fun On The Farm

 

After 22+ years in the Navy, my husband retired and we headed back to Alabama from 'whence we came'. We had 60 acres, part of it flat, part of it hilly and a creek ran through the corner of it. 

Perfect place for the kids to grow up and learn about nature, country-living, how to survive.

Michael was 12, Shirley 13 and the youngest, Susan was 6.

What a time we had, learning how to be country folk after years of moving around from city to city during our Navy stint. It was exciting but man, was it challenging!

When we had some 'down' time we'd head to the creek. Most of the time the kids would play on a large flat rock that was there. They built a dam across the creek and set leaf 'boats' sailing down the water. Then they would try to sink them by bombing the boats with pebbles.

Sometimes Elbert would fish. He never caught much but he was having fun. Me? I would just sit on the bank and watch my family having the time of their lives. 

We'd go for hikes in the woods and pick wild blueberries which I carried home in a large cowcumber leaf that I had pinned into a bowl using thorns. 

We'd find maypops, trillium and wild iris blooming near the bluff. Yes, there was a bluff by the creek and the kids loved exploring that. 

We left that land in 1999, having lived there for 30 years. The kids were all grown with children of their own.  We'd taken the grandkids on hikes in those same woods and they played in the creek. It was time for a new adventure.

What memories we made in Blackwater Creek on our farm.

Blessings Abound!

 I am so blessed to have a family who cares for me.... lovingly, emotionally, physically. I get a phone call from one of them just about every day. The daughter that lives near me (Shirley) is a constant 'checker-upper'. 

The other day I went to get some lab work done. Out of courtesy I turned my phone ringer off and like I always do, I forget to turn it back on after I'd had my blood drawn.

Hours later, I finally pick up my phone and see that Shirley and Susan had both been trying to call me. I call Shirley and right in the midst of my explaning why I hadn't responded to their calls, a neighbor knocks on my door. Seems as if they had my neighbors out looking for me! A bit embarrassing but sort of sweet, too.

Monday Shirley and John came down to remove my balcony rug. It had been out there about 9 years, in all sorts of weather, and it was in bad shape. They brought me a lovely bouquet of zinnias. 

All through the summer, everytime John buys a watermelon, he cuts it up and I get a large ziplock bag of melon. That man knows his Mother-in-law loves watermelon. 

Another thing I love is chicken and dressing. On Thursdays a restaurant here in town has that dish as their special. Shirley drove down (it's 35 miles to her house) and took me to Holland's so we could have chicken and dressing. This is her plate... I was toooo busy eating mine to be taking pictures of it. 

The restaurant doesn't serve cranberry sauce with this dish so Shirley just brought along a plastic container of it for us to have with our meal. 

Life just doesn't get much better than this....

A Guessing Game

                                                  Guess what I am doing?

hmmm....

            Nope, not that

                            Not that either

                                                You'll never guess. 

I am learning the names of as many countries as I can. 

You see, my grandson, Tighe, knows most of them and he loves to play a game called, what else...                                                                                   Countries. 

We played it in the car when his mom and he were bringing me back to Virginia from my visit with them. I have to admit... I wasn't too shabby! But, of course, he knew more than I did and I knew more than his Mom did. Each person playing takes turns naming a country. If you call one out that has already been used or is not a country. YOU LOSE..

So, I am preparing for the next battle of countries! I am gonna blow his socks off. I hope!

             Do you know how many countries there are in the world?

 There are 195 recognized countries on earth. 

                                                     I had no idea. 

 Guess I have a long way to go to even get a half of them.

How many can you call off, just off the top of your head? No fair cheating, now. Can't look them up. 

You just never know when you might run across someone who loves to play 'Countries' 

Trips At This Age?

 I've been struggling since my return from New York.  I know at some point in my aging journey that I would have to curtail some traveling. It may be closer than I think. 

This trip really took the 'starch' outta me! 

I've been home almost a week and I am just not bouncing back, have little energy, feel weak. I did drive 4 blocks to Bojangles to get me some drive-through breakfast and I just didn't feel comfortable behind the wheel. Dang, this sucks! 

I have such a great time with my kids and grands. I would hate giving up some of my time with them. They all are so busy with their own lives, kids, jobs, etc. that it is easier for me to get away since I don't have those responsibilites.

I guess what I am asking this morning is... have any of you reached this point in your life yet? If so, how did you handle it. 

Now, for more on my trip.  There were lots of scrabble going on! 

Ranger and I spent time on the patio

Loved going to lunch with my daughter 

I rested

and much more! It was a wonderful visit! 

My 4th of July

                                         I'm Home!!

Doing a blog post on my Kindle was too difficult so I just waited til I got back to my computer. Now, it's playing catch-up time! 

I've shared our lunch at Ruby's in downtown Rye, also our trip to Westport, Conn. to a place called Terrain. 

So, I'll do the 4th of July... which happened a week and a half ago... but you do what you can do, right?

4th of July is a big deal at Appawamis Country Club... they go all out. Inflated slides, bouncy thingys for the kids, pony rides. snow cone trucks. There is tons of food all under tents which are placed on the golf course. Red and white and blue and white checkered large squares are spread on the ground for familes to sit on. A lot of people bring folding chairs. There's babies in strollers, kids running amok, grown ups laughing and catching up with friends. There's a band playing folk music (Bob Dylan, John Denver etc) It's quite an atmosphere. 

With daughter Susan

Me and grandson, Griffin

A proud grandma with Owen, who has autism

Grandson Griffin's better half, Kelsey

Grandson Tighe with his Mom, Susan

One of the food tents 

And, then it's dark and the fireworks begin....

Having lunch with Susan

Susan and I  had a fun trip to Westport, Conn. You see, there was this really neat place called Terrain that she knew I'd love. She was sooo right! 

I could have spent a ton of money!

It was my kind of place!

We had lunch there so this post will focus on that but rest assured, there is more to come.

Our bread was served in a pot with wine-shallot whipped butter. I had the strawberry lemonade. 

My grilled cheese sandwich was unreal...guereye cheese with thin slices of apple and fig preserves. 

Susan's salad looked good. 

Why I did this, I have no idea...stuck one part of the bill in my mouth to get it out of the way of my signing our bill. Susan of course, just had to snap my pic.

Family and Food

 Had a lovely flight up last Thursday. My limo driver (wheelchair pusher) at Norfolk airport was a sweetie, so attentive and concerning,  he got a handsome tip from me. Not so with the wheelchair pusher I had at LaGuardia in New York. You can bet he didn't get the tip the first one received!

My time so far has been full of family and food! I mean, what more could you asked for!

Friday Grandson Tighe was not working so Susan, Tighe and I went into Rye for a sidewalk lunch at Rubys. It was mid afternoon so I decided I'd just eat lunch and supper and ordered bacon a wrapped scallops on a bed of risotto. It was sooo good!

Then Tighe escorted his grand mom down the street to an ice cream parlor. That lemon sorbet was perfect!

More about fun and food and family later on..

Getting It Done!

 I am so proud of myself. I so seldom advocate for me. But, I did think this was a good thing to ask for.

I love going to a place called Holland's Restaurant in downtown Suffolk. But......

the only entry is a rather steep (although short) incline to the door. With my unbalance I just never go alone, always have someone to help me nagivate that. I go up better than I go down any incline.

So, I called the owner. She was so nice and said they'd had handrails up there before but the door would swing open and the glass would break. So, down they came. She said she'd look into it.

Shirley and I went back last Wednesday to eat. And, we are sitting there chowing down on some porkchops, mashed potatoes and fried okra when the owner came by, says, 'Did you see the handrails?' I hadn't. Well, in my defense, they don't look like handrails and I was concentrating on getting up to the door safely. 

But, let me tell you... When we left, I came down that incline like butter in a hot skillet, just walked down easy as pie. 

So, it does help to advocate for yourself. 

Today is Father's Day

I never knew my Dad. I hear tell he was one fine man. 

The older I get the more I wish I'd known him. 

My Dad was killed by lightning while my Mom was pregnant with me.

So, if you have a Dad still with you, hug him tight, tell him you love him. Make him know he's the most important man in your life. 

I wish I could do that with my Dad. 

A Sleepover, then An Herb Thief!

Shirley and I just had a lovely 'late mother's day sleepover' with her daughter and son-in-law. We were supposed to do that a week earlier but bad weather changed our plans. It couldn't have worked out better. 

I find the Eastern Shore of Virginia to be very calming, peaceful, a good place to relax and rewind. We arrived at my granddaughters in time to just visit and then get ready for a belated Mother's Day dinner at the Yacht Club. What excellent food, what excellent company. It was great but no pictures inside. They don't like cellphones in the club. But, trust me. It was grand. 

The next morning Shirley and I had breakfast at the Coffee House in Cape Charles. Such a charming place, and the scrambled eggs were divine! 

We stopped at Baines Farm Market and bought strawberries fresh out of the field. In fact, we got the last of the morning's pickings. And, that's what I had for breakfast this morning. 

Coming across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel we saw a Navy ship and a submarine, both heading for home base. We always are thrilled to see our Navy boys wherever they are... I still miss our Navy days all these many years later. 

On another note: It has been bird nest building time around our apartment complex. I saw a crow gathering sticks for his nest one day. Managed to get his picture. 

No picture of this. and dang it, I wish I'd had my camera ready. But, I saw a starling sitting on the edge of the pot of rosemary on my balcony. He was breaking off limbs and carrying them back to his nest. Man, that's gonna be one good smelling next! 

A day or two later I saw a smaller bird breaking off stems from my pot of spearmint. Poor thing, it's one sided now. I did bring the spearmint inside. I left the rosemary outside and it is a bit smaller in size than it was.Oh heck, I  wasn't going to use all those herbs, anyway. Might as well share with my feathered friends.