Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 536

 

1. January 29th is National Puzzle Day. Do you enjoy puzzles? What kind (crossword, jigsaw, sudoku, etc)?  How often do you work a puzzle? 

It's been forever since I've done a puzzle.  I had a Peanuts Christmas puzzle that I always intended to bring out at the holidays but it never happened.  It ended up going to the charity shop.  I enjoy word search puzzles and have a small book on my desk.  If I'm watching a video, I will usually knock one out.

2. Something you currently find 'puzzling'? 

Are we really going to have a Presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden?  No judgement, no opinion, just an observation.

3. What's your go-to dish to take to someone who needs a meal (new baby, bereavement, etc)? 

First of all, something in a dish that does not have to be returned!  I usually make lasagna and pair it with some bread and a bagged salad.  It can be frozen easily if it won't be eaten in the next few days.

4. Do you watch any HGTV and/or The Food Network? If so, what's your favorite program there? 

We love HGTV - Love It or List It is our favorite and we were slightly addicted to Chopped on The Food Network until they had the episode with chicken in a can, gross!  Then there was this during COVID:

5.  Wrap up your January in five words, with a five word phrase, or with a five word sentence. 

Eat less, feel better, yay!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This looks interesting:

It's a war romantic drama from 2015, available to rent or buy on Amazon .  It popped up on my Facebook, I'd never heard of it but it looks like something I would enjoy.

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #159

 

Today I found a delightful video on You Tube by  Kirsten and Joerg:  2 Germans in Britain.  I've followed them for some time as they travel around England staying in some charming romantic spots and they also share their home, recipes, shopping, and vintage décor.

 Step into the Beauty of a Quintessential English Cottage highlights their stay at Gardener's Cottage, one of the luxury boltholes and holiday cottages on the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire.

Chatsworth has been the ancestral home of the Dukes of Devonshire for 16 generations (any fans of the movie, The Duchess, here?).  According to their website, Chatsworth is a registered charity dedicated to preserving the house, its collections, garden, woodlands, and parkland for everyone to experience and enjoy.  The Devonshire Hotels and Restaurants has a wide range of properties, scroll down to the bottom of the page for a list.

Which property is your favorite?

Hello Monday - January 29, 2024

I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah this morning for Hello Monday and a weekend recap.

Busy-ish weekend.  Vic continued working in the guest room.  He dismantled the cheap wooden closet components and scraped off two layers of borders that had been painted over, what a chore that was!  The so-called wallpaper removal tool was useless and he ended up scoring the borders with an Exacto knife and then scraping away until all the paper was gone.

Husband of a scrapbooker - "Yes, honey, I'll stand here with this ridiculously heavy piece of shelving until you grab the camera!" - he's such a good sport.

I don't think there have been children in this house since the 1990s so you can imagine how tough this was to remove.  At the bottom, you can see the heavily textured paint that will be next - thank goodness for the professional sanding tool, we are certainly getting our money's worth out of it.

While Vic was busy in the house on Friday, I went to my appointment at the Work Injury Clinic.  How long these appointments will go on, I've no idea but I am so over them.  I guess they want to hear that I'm ok now but that's not going to happen.  My knee will never be at 100% again.  I stopped off at Barnes and Noble to return a book I bought earlier this week, it turned out to be the re-released softcover version of a book I already had!  Then it was next door to pick up Crunchie candy bars for Sophia's birthday.  If you haven't tried a Crunchie, it's divine honeycomb enrobed in milk chocolate.

Vic cooked Spinach-Stuffed Salmon for dinner on Friday, it's fast becoming a firm favorite and is on the menu at least once a week.

On Saturday, I ran to the post office to drop Sophia's birthday package, then to Staples to drop the four ink cartridges I'd used to print photos for the retreat.  Do you recycle your ink cartridges?  Staples gives you $2 in reward dollars for each cartridge you drop off.  Final stop was the library where I dropped a book I have just not been able to get into at all.  The parking lot was just about flooded, it's been raining that much.

Home to drive with Vic to the dump to drop off the closet components, some leftover flooring, and other assorted trash.  Malone rode along, too.  We stopped at Joann's on the way home so I could grab some white cardstock.  We were both feeling pretty lazy so dinner was leftovers.

Vic worked his way through a Fast & Furious marathon while I worked on prep work for the retreat.  This is a 12 x 12 album full of top-loading page protectors.  In each one, I drop in the photos, paper, embellishments, and other memorabilia that will be on each page.  It makes it so easy to have it all organized like this.

Sunday it was off to church.  Vic connected with the media team supervisor to volunteer and we met with the small groups coordinator to express our interest in finding a group.  After church, we headed to Whole Foods to pick up three items and came home with thirteen.  It's just too tempting in there although all of our products are either Whole 30 friendly (two more days to go) or gluten-free for our plan for after the Whole 30.  Although I gazed longingly at the bakery case, I resisted.

How was your weekend?

Share 4 Somethings - January 2024

 

A quick post this Saturday morning to link up with Jennifer at Overflowing with Thankfulness for Share 4 Somethings.  This month, we're sharing some things we've loved and/or disliked, accomplished, some things we've improved upon and/or that need improvement, and noticed.

Loved/Disliked

Loved the rain.  Mum and I loved rainy days, my Uncle Jack (Mum's brother) always said we must have been ducks in a former life!  There's just something warm and cozy about being inside with a cup of tea when it's raining outside.  The memory of these times with her is so precious.

A rainy day at home - not sure if you can tell but believe me, it was coming down!

I really dislike people who link up with a post or two or three that has NOTHING to do with a link party.  I think it's so rude and disrespectful.  Maybe I'm making too much of the issue?

Accomplished

26 days of the Whole 30 and still going strong.  The finish line is within sight.  See "Noticed" below.

Improved Upon/Needs Improvement

Our sugar consumption.  Going sugar-free for 30 days taught us the importance of reading EVERY label.  Seriously, who puts sugar in beef stock or in Costco's chilled shrimp?

Noticed

This - not to this extreme (yet) but progress is being made.

Do you have 4 Somethings to share?

Friday Favorites

 

One of my favorite scrapbooking resources, Ali Edwards, launches her Story Play Collection today.  I can't wait to use the products to document a Day in the Life, Read, Foodie, and Love Story.

Speaking of favorite wintertime activities, a visit to my local Barnes and Noble is a favorite anytime!  I'm looking forward to the new book I picked up, A Winter by the Sea by Julie Klassen.  It's Part 2 of the On Devonshire Shores series and I really enjoyed Part 1, The Sisters of Sea View.

Season 24 of Midsomer Murders is now available on Acorn Media.  I first wrote about Midsomer Murders in 2017, in this post, and I'm still a huge fan.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Monthly Musings - January 2024

It's the last Thursday of the month and that means it's time for Monthly Musings.  I'm joining Patty and Holly for some winter self-care.

1.  How do you take care of yourself in winter?  Keeping warm to keep away any colds and coughs.  Warm sweater, hot tea, a cozy blanket.

2.  How do you fight the winter blues?  I really don't have the winter blues if you mean long dreary days and nights because I love the rain, the grey skies, the snow.  It's just another excuse to be cozy.  I actually prefer the winter months to the summer because you can always put on another layer but there is a limit to what you can take off!

3.  Tips to make your living space cozy.  A roaring fire, cozy blankets, a rom-com on a rainy or snowy afternoon, all the good feels.

4.  Suggestions for fun wintertime activities.  When I was younger, I would have said skiing, ice skating, or sledding but with the current prospect of a broken bone meaning a long recovery, I'll opt for something less active.  Coffee or lunch with a friend, browsing in the local bookstore, afternoon tea.

5.  What are your exercise routines in the winter?  Umm, same as in the summer, practically non-existent.  I hate to exercise.

6.  Best tips for restful sleep.  No screens for an hour before bed, a warm bath or shower, cozy pajamas, a sleepy time-type blend in the diffuser.

7.  Favorite warm beverage.  A cup of hot chocolate with lashings of whipped cream.

8.  Best winter skincare tips.  I switch from a regular moisturizer to an intense version and have hand cream in the bathroom, office, kitchen, and my handbag.

9.  Flannel Sheets - yes or no?  Yes.  Our version is a microfiber set I picked up at Costco several years ago.  They are really thick and super warm.

10.  Favorite winter pajamas?  L.L. Bean

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 535

 

It's time for the Hodgepodge.  Click on the photo to see Joyce's post. 

1.  Do you have a word for the year (WOTY)?  If so, and you'd like to share, please share.  How do you decide on a word?  If you don't have a word are you still on the hunt for one in 2024?

I haven't picked a WOTY for 2024, haven't really thought much about it.

2. January 23rd is National Pie Day...will you celebrate? Do you like pie? What's your favorite? 

I thought Pie (Pi) Day was March 14th (3.14) or is that another Pie Day?  A Google search revealed that there are two Pie Days, December 1 and January 23 and Pi Day which is March 14.  Like we need an excuse to eat more pie, am I right?  I love pie but I won't be celebrating this time as we are in the final stretches of our Whole 30 clean eating for January.  We love Marionberry Cheese Pie, lighter than cheesecake, it is a delightfully creamy blend of cream cheese, egg and vanilla in a fresh baked pie crust, made even more irresistible with marionberry topping.  BTW, marionberries are a cross between olallieberries and Chehalem blackberries and are grown exclusively in Oregon.

3. Tipping. What are your thoughts, expectations, as to who, when where? Do you appreciate a store/restaurant giving a 'suggested amount'? Have you ever left an extravagant tip? 

I can't tell you how many tipping guides I've saved from the Internet.  I do appreciate good service and the suggested amount is very helpful.  During the holidays, I try to tip 100% at least a couple of times, one of those acts of random kindness gestures.  At that time of the year, I really feel for wait staff who are so busy and at the mercy of less than considerate restaurant patrons.  Here are three guides I saved.  Interesting to see the guidelines for other countries.

I tip my hairdresser and manicurist, usually closer to 25% than 20%.  I tip the suggested 20% at restaurants.  I'm always at a loss with hotel porters and valet parking attendants so I need to keep this hotel tipping guide handy!

4. Share with us one household 'tip' that works for you.

I use a lot of baskets in my kitchen for storage.  It's helpful to pull out a basket with sauce mixes, or rice blends, or even microfiber cloths rather than have to move things around to find what you're looking for.

5. Influencers on social media are people who've built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a particular subject. Do you follow any influencers online? Have you made a purchase or tried something new because of that 'influence'? If there's one you particularly enjoy tell us who they are and why you enjoy them. 

I follow a couple of influencers.  I've been following Caroline Mrs. M since she was a blogger, she now exclusively vlogs on You Tube and Instagram.  You can find her at @caroline_mrsm.  She is a lifestyle vlogger but also does a lot of try-ons for plus-size clothing brands.  I love her dry humor, so British.  I also follow Josie at Fashion Mumblr @josieldn and Lydia Millen @lydiamillen, both of whom live charmed lifestyles in the English countryside.  I haven't been influenced by them because most of their recommendations are way beyond my budget but one can dream.

I haven't had too much success with purchases from influencers, I've been better off with suggestions from bloggers during Prime Purchases hosted by Tanya at The Other Side of the Road.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

You know how you see Christmas coming in stores in the late summer, completely skipping Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Well, two weeks ago at my local Michaels, here is Easter.  What happened to Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day?

BTW, I found Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day, at the back of the store!

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #158

Happy Belated Birthday to The Duchess of Edinburgh who turned 59 on January 20th.  Formerly Sophie Rhys-Jones, then Countess of Wessex upon her marriage, Sophie took the title Duchess of Edinburgh when her husband, Prince Edward, was created Duke of Edinburgh by King Charles III on March 10, 2023.

The Duchess had a career in public relations until 2002 at which time she became a full-time working royal with charity work revolving around people with disabilities, women's rights, avoidable blindness, and agriculture.  Married to the late Queen's youngest son since 1999, Sophie is mother to Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex.

She enjoyed a warm relationship with the late Queen and Prince Philip.  She is close to The Princess of Wales and The Princess Royal and is a treasured member of the Royal Family.

Hello Monday - January 22, 2024

 

I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah this morning for Hello Monday and a weekend recap.

Vic started ten days' leave on Friday - it's so nice to have him home and out came the honey to-do list!  

We started off by heading to my manicure/pedicure appointment.  I'm so happy when he can drop me off as the parking in that area is such a madhouse.  It worked out well for Vic because he got a phone call shortly after I sat in the pedicure chair and spent all the time I was there chatting to an old friend.

I chose my old favorite, Essie's In Stitches, for my toes and just opted for a buff on my fingernails as two were quite short and so my manicurist filed them all to about the same length and I'll go for color next time.

We headed to Costco to get gas and to Trader Joe's for a few supplies and then stopped at the naval hospital on the way home for Vic to pick up his separation physical packet.  It's getting real!

Saturday was a pretty lazy day - it was pouring again, it poured all weekend - so I worked on some scrapbooking and Vic finished up copying his dental record and did some computer work.

I also popped out for lunch with my Lunch Bunch group.  We went to Red Lobster and that was tough to be Whole 30 faithful but I opted for grilled shrimp and a plain baked potato.  It was lovely to see everyone as we haven't been together since November, or maybe it was even October.

Vic worked at my scrapbook desk on the title page "Adventures in Washington" for the album I'll be working on at the retreat.  He's so good with anything precise, I know the title will be perfectly centered.

We moved the big TV out of the guest room and into the morning room.  Vic was waiting for an anti-static bag so he could send the main circuit off for repair.  We're clearing the guest room so that he can start detexturing the walls.  It has been a storage room (in the UK, we'd call that a box room, a place to store anything and everything) and it's time to make it into a guest room.

We went to church on Sunday - worship included one of my favorite songs, I was humming it all day.

We also signed up for The Marriage Course which looks like it will be interesting and I'm sure full of helpful hints.

The rest of Sunday was pretty quiet.  Vic changed up the spinach-stuffed salmon to be spinach-stuffed chicken and used the frozen chopped spinach I'd picked up on Saturday.  It was a fail, fresh spinach is the way to go!

And that's my usual photo-light Hello Monday - must.remember.to.take.more.photos!  Have a great week, everyone!

Friday Favorites

Is anyone else watching, or have you watched Julia on Max?  I love Sarah Lancashire and she heads up a great cast.  Season 2 actually came out in November so I'm just catching up and I was very sorry to hear that the series ends there.

Our new favorite condiment, Whole 30 approved, and my favorite way to use it right now is to add about a teaspoon to a half of an avocado, mashed, and spread it on turkey slices to make turkey roll-ups.  Add a slice of Whole 30 approved bacon, Applegate Farms is our favorite, and you have a delicious lunch.  If there's one thing we've learned following the Whole 30 program is the amount of sugar in so many products.

No photo for number three I'm afraid but I had a wonderful reunion over lunch this week with three of my former co-workers.  They tried to talk me into going back to work, they were actually interviewing for my former position but I said thanks but no thanks, I don't think I could face a 4:00am wake-up if I tried!

Around the 'Net

 

I sometimes struggle with finding a topic for a blog post on Thursdays so here's a quick and easy new feature, Around the 'Net.  What have you found lately that was interesting or intriguing?

As you know, if you've been reading my blog in the last 17 days, we've been following the Whole 30 program to kick off healthier eating in 2024.  One thing I really miss is bread and so, looking forward to my first slice, here are four ideas that look delicious.

There wasn't a description with the photo so here's my guess:  On the bottom is Nutella with raspberries (be still my heart!), left center is avocado, right center is a nut butter with bananas and chocolate shavings, and at the top is yogurt drizzled with a red berry syrup and topped with blueberries and granola.  I think Yoplait's Oui French Style Yogurt would work well here as it's thicker than many yogurts.

Which one is your favorite?

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 534

 

It's time for the Hodgepodge.  Click on the photo to see Joyce's post.

1. On January 18th we commemorate A.A. Milne's birthday. Milne is the author of the beloved classic Winnie the Pooh. In many ways Pooh represents innocence and simplicity. His optimism reminds us to appreciate the little things. What are three little things you're appreciating in mid-January? 

A cozy home, not having to get up at 4:00am to get ready for work, and reliable transportation if Vic's commute is in wintery weather.

2. Piglet teaches us even the smallest of individuals can achieve big things with the proper amount of determination. How do your current responsibilities make you feel? 

Relaxed.  Not having to juggle work and home took a huge weight off my shoulders.  I can do things at my leisure, not having to cram all the errands into Saturday and Sunday, and face household chores in the evenings after work.

3. Tigger is known for his enthusiasm and energy, his boundless joy and love of life. What's something you're interested in learning more about in this new year? 

How to help Malone to get over his reactivity to other animals.  We need some professional training so that he can play nicely with other dogs.

4. Eeyore, while a melancholy character, teaches us the importance of resilience and perseverance. How do you stay motivated and persevere in difficult circumstances?

Drawing support from family and friends, keeping my eye on what needs to be done to get through the circumstance.

5. What's the last thing you ate that was made with honey? 

Nothing in the last 17 days as I've stuck faithfully to the Whole 30 program.  In 2023, I thought Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken might have honey in it but a quick check of the ingredients told me know.  I really can't think of anything I've eaten with honey.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I have to admit I found today's questions tough so I've kept my answers short and sweet and I'll leave you with this.

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #157

A trip across the North Sea today for a momentous occasion from Denmark.  On January 14, Queen Margrethe II abdicated her throne, passing the baton to her son who is now King Frederick X.   Queen Margrethe had previously stated that she would reign for life but back surgery last year and perhaps the desire to pass the crown to the younger generation I'm sure played a part in her decision.  Queen Margrethe reigned for 52 years.

A few photos from Sunday...

A poignant shot of Queen Margrethe taking her leave, having signed the instrument of abdication and speaking her final words "God Save the King" on this occasion.  She will be known as Her Majesty Queen Margrethe as the style of Her Majesty The Queen will now be held by Queen Mary.

King Frederick X and Queen Mary