Happy Easter

Monthly Musings - March 2024

1.  What is your go-to spring outfit?  It doesn't feel like spring here yet, temperatures still in the 50s and rainy so it would most likely be a top and cardigan combo.  I love this top I got from Amazon, when I find a style I like, I usually buy it in several colors.

2.  Favorite spring fashion pieces?  When the weather warms up, I have several tops in various floral and geometric designs like this purple one.

3.  Do you change up your handbag for spring?  Not usually, I have this vivid blue one that I use pretty much year-round.

4.  When do you bring out your open-toed shoes?  Probably mid-summer, for the week or two that the temperatures really feel like summer!

5.  Favorite spring scents?  For perfume, I wear Lancome's La Vie est Belle year-round but in things like candles and dryer sheets, I like a clean cotton scent.

6.  White after Easter?  After Memorial Day?  Heck, whenever I want.  Usually after Memorial Day, I don't know why, it seems to have always been that way.

7.  Favorite ways to add spring to your wardrobe when the weather is not quite cooperating?  A scarf, something bright and spring-like.

8.  Do you change up your make-up routine for spring?  No, I'm a minimalist when it comes to make-up unless it's a special occasion.

9.  How do you transition your wardrobe for spring?  By moving the sweaters to the back and the lighter fabrics to the front of the closet.

10.  Favorite spring accessories/jewelry?  I have a lot of colorful necklaces, often with matching earrings so it's nice to bring them out.

Not the most current pictures, but the jewelry is still in use.

2024 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Theme Reveal

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” – Henry James

I'm just now getting around to deciding that I am going to participate in the 2024 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  I completely missed the theme reveal date but here it is - I'm under the Lifestyle category and my theme is Tea Time.  I'm going to keep up with some of my regular posts but there will be a Tea Time post every Monday through Saturday in the month of April.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 544

 

It's Wednesday, time for the Hodgepodge

1.What do you love about your life right now?

I love that, after a 30-year career in the Navy, Vic is starting a new chapter, a chapter that will be focused around doing what he wants to do.  He's had several chapters in his Navy career focused around being an instructor, an inspector, a safety officer, an electrician, and he's going back to his first love, the electrical side of things.  Whether that's as a marine electrician, a supervisor of an electrical equipment division, or an electrician in a completely different field, we'll see.

2. March 26th is National Spinach Day...are you a fan? If so, how do you like yours prepared/served? 

Spinach is ok - not my favorite as a vegetable, but I enjoy a spinach salad, spinach dip, and I love the dish that Vic discovered earlier this year, spinach-stuffed salmon.

3. In this current season would you say you need to spend more time looking inward or that you need to get out of your head? Tell us why. 

I'm really not sure how to interpret this.  I can't really say that I need to be looking inward but then I don't feel like I need to get out of my head.  Pass.

4. Are you following the 'March Madness' madness? (That's US college basketball in case you're out of the loop) What's something that feels like actual madness to you right now? 

No, I'm not a sports fan so no March Madness for me.  Madness right now?  Politics.  And the way those who spread all sorts of rubbish about the Princess of Wales are scrambling to retract their statements and express their good wishes.  Phonies.

5. How will you celebrate the Easter/Passover holiday this year?

We'll be helping Sophia move into her new apartment.  I'm not sure how ready her kitchen will be for any food prep so I think we'll be picking up some lunch from somewhere.  We are gathering with our small group for an Easter potluck tonight so that will be our Easter celebration.   

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This one gets me every week!  I'm sure I've had some random thoughts, but can I think of one right now?  How about this one - I saw this headline when I was flipping through the Microsoft Start option that pops up on my new computer when I'm searching for a new webpage - If He Had To Live In A Country That Wasn't The US, Here's Where Rick Steves Would Choose.  Turns out that it's Norway.  Have you ever been to Norway?  Lived there?  Longed to live there?  We live close to Little Norway, the town of Poulsbo that still retains much of its Norwegian heritage having been settled by a large number of Norwegian and other Scandinavian immigrants because of its similarities to their native countries.

I also lived in Norway as a child when my dad was stationed at AFNORTH (Allied Forces Northern Europe) outside of Oslo with the U.S. Army.  We lived in a house with a view of the forest, quite close to Holmenkollen, a mountain and ski recreation area, well-known for its international skiing competitions.

Our wooden house in Norway, Mum and me on the right, with our neighbors Jenny, Jeff and daughter Fiona, on the left.  They were a British family; Jeff was also stationed at AFNORTH.

The view from the back of the house, that's me on the right and Fiona on the left with one of our Norwegian neighbors.

Hello Monday - March 25, 2024

  

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

Friday was a rough day - my allergies were in full force and there were times I felt I couldn't catch my breath in between sneezes!  I relaxed with my box of Kleenex and a Downton Abbey marathon and then saw the news about the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis.  That hit me really hard as I lost my Mum and sister to cancer and so many memories came flooding back.

Vic picked up Chick-fil-A for dinner and we had a quiet evening at home.

Off to meet the Lunch Bunch at a local restaurant on Saturday.  We went to a local (to me) Italian restaurant, and it was delicious.  I can't believe I've lived here for five years and never stopped by.  In addition to the restaurant, they have a whole deli area and grocery section (everything you've ever needed for a charcuterie board) as well as drinks to go, ready meals, and GELATO!

I had a Black Forest Panini which was so good.  I told Vic all about it when I got home and we ended up ordering some sandwiches to go for dinner (with gelato, of course!).

Before dinner, we headed up to the British food store to pick up an Easter egg for Sophia.  I wasn't sure if one would be available at our gourmet market (it wasn't) so it was a good thing I checked at the British food store even if I did have to pay their robber prices.

This is her all-time favorite - Crunchie is a honeycomb candy bar covered in chocolate, so good.

We stopped by the gourmet market after all to pick up a few things and then headed home.  Dinner from the Italian restaurant was as good as my lunch but of course, I forgot to take any photos!  I had a turkey panini with a cup of soup and Vic had a Mediterranean panini with a Greek salad.  I had chocolate gelato and he had Marionberry.

Probably because of all the rich food I ate yesterday, I woke up on Sunday with an upset stomach, so we skipped church and just relaxed at home until it was time for Vic to get a haircut.  I swung into the commissary for a few supplies including my new favorite breakfast.

Oui vanilla yogurt sprinkled with vanilla almond crisp granola.  I love the little glass jars even more now that I found these on Amazon.

And a quick stop at the donut shop - those are key lime-filled donuts at the back and they are amazing.  Vic's favorite Bavarian cremes are in the front.

Home for a cup of coffee and a donut and then Vic started to cook for the week - pancit and his ground beef and green beans dish, that's lunch for the week!

And that was our weekend!

Princess of Wales Cancer Statement

 

Very sorry to read this announcement.  I share just a couple of the sentiments posted by commenters on the Facebook post from the What Kate Wore website.

Absolutely disgusting the way Kate has been treated, no one knows what a family is going through. She needed time to recover from her surgery, then after found out she has cancer. They needed time as a family, to speak to the children who are all under 11 years old. So they fully understood what was going on, before the media started reporting it. It’s really sad that Kate has had to make a video, telling the world what’s going on. Instead of coming to terms with her diagnosis, while receiving chemotherapy.  Shame on the media, and all those making up wild accusations & conspiracy theories. I wish Kate well on her cancer journey, and send strength. Hopefully now she can continue, this journey & her treatment in peace. Without all this intrusion.  Wishing her a full and speedy recovery.

 I am furious on her behalf. It is abhorrent that internet and media trolls pushed her to this point with their spiteful, unending conspiracy theories. Do they feel better now they know what she’s been coping with while they’ve been piling on. She is so gracious in the face of all this, but she should have been giving the space she asked for at the beginning. I hope people can now give this beautiful family time to heal and cope in privacy.

Heartbreaking, both about her condition and that, in my opinion, she was forced to go public about her condition. What she says in there about needing to process with the kids and that being her focus is spot on. Wishing you a full recovery, Princess!

Friday Favorites

  

This!

And this!  Two of my favorite series coming back - Outlander in November and Downton Abbey TBD.

My third favorite today is a piece of nostalgia - an ice cream brick, does anyone remember them?  Do they make them any longer?  I don't think so.  I was fighting with the ice cream tub last night, trying to get the ice cream scoop to go around the tub without completely destroying it (the tub) when I remembered fondly the brick.  Just open it up and cut a slice.  I can remember very small bricks from the commissary as well, just enough for a single serving.  I can't remember if they came with little wooden spoons or if my Mum just carried a couple around.  We'd go to the commissary to shop, and my sister and I would enjoy a brick each on the way home.  I suppose it was a precursor to the single serve plastic tub.  Fond memories.

Around the 'Net

 

A little vegetable trivia today.

This reminded me of a page from a DK book.  We loved our DK Illustrated English-French Dictionary when our French exchange student came to stay.  If we couldn't think of the word, or couldn't get the pronunciation right, we could always point to the picture!

So, what's your favorite vegetable?  Any on this picture you don't like?  Any you've never heard of?  I have to say I've never heard of knol khol, moringa, and ash gourd.  My favorite would be cauliflower especially in a cauliflower cheese and I don't like okra at all.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 543

 

It's Wednesday, time for the Hodgepodge!

1. Spring is officially upon us, no matter what the weather may be in your neck of the woods. Is there any 'spring cleaning' on your to-do list? What's your most dreaded task? 

Since Malone joined the family, it seems like every week is spring cleaning week!  If it's not the dog hair, then it's the pine needles or mulch that he tracks in from the back yard, no matter how quickly I try to grab him and wipe his feet.  I suppose my most dreaded task is washing the windows, they really need it.

Then again, I could find a local window washer to take care of the task!

2. What's something many people seem to love, but to you feels like 'watching the grass grow'? 

Fishing, so boring.  I'm glad Vic's not a fan because then I'd feel like I should go with him every once in a while, and that would be like watching paint dry.

3. Mint grows in abundance during the spring season. Are you a fan? What's your favorite food with a 'minty' flavor? 

Not really a mint fan - Thin Mints, Andes Mints, mint chocolate chip ice cream - but I never serve lamb without mint sauce.  Never mint jelly, it's sauce.  Takes me right back to Sunday dinners at my British granny's house.

4. It's been said, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Agree or disagree? Explain.

Yes, definitely agree.  After all the deployments in Vic's career, my heart is overflowing when I see the ship pull up to the pier. 

5. Are there any festive spring events in your city or town? If so, will you take advantage of them?

Not in our town, but spring is tulip and daffodil season nearby.  So beautiful and such a great place to take photos.

There are also the local farmer's markets, I really would like to make more of an effort to check them out this year.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Young people today are getting priced right out of home ownership, it's a tragedy.

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #164

Happy 34th Birthday on March 23rd to Her Royal Highness, Princess Eugenie of York, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank.  Princess Eugenie is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and his wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.

Princess Eugenie shown here with her cousin, Zara Tindall, at the Cheltenham Festival, a four-day horse racing-based meeting held every March at the Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Princess Eugenie and her husband, a marketing professional, have two sons, August and Ernest.

Hello Monday - March 18, 2024

 

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

I left the house early on Friday to get to the hospital pharmacy ahead of the crowd.  I think I was in and out in under 15 minutes, unheard of!  Then it was off to the base for a quick stop at the exchange and the commissary.  I got stuck at the gate (you have to show your ID to get on the base) behind a young man who had not only an expired ID card, but also an expired driver's license (and he was driving!).  He was dropping his active-duty wife off at work, so he had to move to the passenger seat while she got behind the wheel.  Then the military policeman (there were five of them present at this time) pointed out that after he dropped her off, he wasn't going to be able to drive.  I'm not sure how it was resolved but off they went, escorted by the military police, so she could get to work.  Perhaps they escorted him to the nearest DMV?  All in all, it was about a twenty-five-minute wait for the resolution.

I finished my shopping and headed home, making a quick stop at the donut shop.  They were closing early so the only filled donuts they had were key lime - oh my goodness, this is my new favorite donut, they were delicious!  Sorry, there's no photo, by this time, I was starving and pretty much inhaled it!

Laundry and a few chores and then Vic came home, walked Malone, and we headed out to the movies to see One Life with Anthony Hopkins.   

As a parent, it was really hard to watch but an excellent movie. I knew the story, but I still cried.

Movie night dinner. 

Speaking of movie food, anyone else appalled by the cost of concessions these days?  Along with all of the other prices that have gone up, a soda and tub of popcorn are getting unreal.

Vic checked his e-mail while we were waiting for the movie to start and there was an e-mail from one of the companies he was interested in, requesting that he contact them for an interview.  It's an exciting and very busy time in our household.  Resumes, references, applications, interviews...it's all go.

 It's finally warm and dry so on Saturday, the gardeners arrived to take care of the yard.  I asked them if they had time to tidy up the mulch area in the corner of the backyard.  They did and quoted me a very reasonable price and it looks great now.  It was a layer of underlayment covered with mulch and Malone had just destroyed it doing the "I've finished my business" dance.  Vic plans to clear the rest of the mulch and gravel and plant grass here.

Just to the left of the tree is Malone's favorite spot.  On the other side of the fence is Pepper, the neighbor's dog and they carry on quite a conversation whenever they are both outside.

Here's an aerial view from the photos that were posted when we bought the house.

Vic headed out to church for the quarterly Men's Breakfast while I took a shower, started some laundry, and had breakfast.  When he got home, we bundled Malone into the truck and headed out to the post office (time to send our taxes off to the tax lady), and the supermarket (refill time for the 5-gallon water bottles).  Home for a quick snack for lunch and then Vic went into the guest room to continue his work while I sat down to work on this post.

Dinner was pizza from our favorite spot.

Off to church on Sunday morning and then home for Vic to continue in the guest room.  I snapped these daffodils in the grass next to the church parking Iot.

It was such a beautiful afternoon that we decided to take a drive to check out the commute to one of the Boeing facilities near us.  It could be a job opportunity and we weren't too familiar with the route.  It turned out to be a reasonable commute, let's hope that if it is the one, it's still a reasonable commute to and from work.

I put corned beef in the CrockPot so we enjoyed that with champ and marionberry pie for dessert.

My favorite leprechaun, taken after we attended the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Rhode Island in 2010. 

And that was our weekend!