Friday, August 22, 2025

Friday Favorites - August 22, 2025

 

A quick wrap-up of a few of my favorites this week.


After a nasty stomach upset and the associated diarrhoea, we stopped feeding Malone kibble and switched him to The Farmer's Dog.  He's doing great and can't wait for meal times.


In human food news, Costco's French Toast Bagels are amazing!

Lots of great TV coming up.


The Thursday Murder Club premieres on Netflix on August 28.  Solving crime over tea and biscuits, how can you not love that?  What a great cast - Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie.


The Great British Bake Off (aka The Great British Baking Show in the US) is coming in the UK in September which means it will be on Netflix shortly thereafter.  Another very diverse cast of home bakers who will no doubt amaze (and at times dismay) us with their creations.

The Diplomat Season 3 premieres on Netflix on October 16.  I can't remember how Season 2 ended so I'll just have to go back and watch it again!


The fashionistas are back in Emily in Paris Season 5 (or should it be called Emily in Rome?), also on Netflix December 18.

And I saved the best for last - All Creatures Great and Small Season 6 takes us back to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales for more heartwarming human and animal tales but, this time, we find our beloved Skeldale gang in a somewhat different situation as we join them in 1945, just as the war in Europe is coming to a close. We arrive back in Darrowby to veterinary advancements, expanded families, and new faces as they all look ahead to a brighter and more peaceful future. This season will see Herriot’s wonderful characters navigating the opportunities that a new world brings, a host of animals great and small, and of course, each other.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Around the 'Net

I'm amazed at the things I stumble on as I scroll through Facebook and Instagram.  Are you a Downton Abbey fan?  Do you fancy owning a piece of the series?  Here's your chance.


Bonhams, a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques, will offer an auction of iconic props and costumes from Downton Abbey.  There will be a free exhibition open to the public between 18 August and 16 September at their New Bond Street saleroom in London.  Oh, to be in London now.

Check out all the details here.  Is there something on your wish list?  How about Lady Mary or Lady Edith's wedding dresses?  Or Lady Sybil "Harem" pants?  Or the Dowager's walking cane?  Cricket whites?  A riding habit?  Shrimpie's Scottish formalwear?  What an amazing collection.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 616

  From this Side of the Pond

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge!  Here are this week's questions, which you should answer on your own blog and then pop over to Joyce's blog (click on the graphic for the link) Wednesday to add your link to the party.

1.   What's worth standing in line for?

Something delectable from a bakery when it opens and the baked goods are just out of the oven.  I really miss village life in England where we could just walk into town and pick up bread and pies fresh from the oven.

2.  Tell us about a favorite food related memory.

Between 1969 and 1973 (I was 9 to 13 years old), we lived in Belgium and had a trailer at the beach.  We would go up every weekend from April to October and spend our time in the sea and in the sand dunes, just having a blast.  My aunt would come over on the ferry from England and one year, we all went into the local town, to the market and to stop at the bakery for a French baguette and to the British food store where Mum picked up a bottle of HP sauce (it's like A1 but thicker).  Anyway, this particular day, it started to rain so we ducked into the cinema to see The Jungle Book, the animated feature that had come out in 1967.  We were a little hungry, so Mum tore off chunks of the baguette and poured a little HP sauce on each piece.  Why we didn't get popcorn, I don't know!  As time went by, with tummies full and the warmth in the theater, the adults (Mum, Dad, and my aunt) started to doze off while my sister Barbara and I enjoyed the movie.  When the show was over and the lights came up, everyone started to laugh because we were all covered in breadcrumbs!  I can't look at a French baguette or a bottle of HP sauce or see a photo of the animated Jungle Book without this memory.

3. What are some things you find particularly peaceful or calming? 

I love the sound of the ocean, of waves lapping the shore.  I think it brings back the memory of our times at the beach.  I love to sit in a rocking chair, on the porch or the back deck, just rocking and dozing.  I enjoy watching old black and white movies, especially ones that have lots of amazing fashion from anytime when women wore hats and gloves when they went out. 

4. Is there something you do now that gets you just as excited as it did when you were a child? 

Funny you should ask as I just saved this the other day:

5. To what degree are you in touch with friends from grade school? high school? college if you attended college? 

Facebook put me in touch with friends from the late 1970s, my high school years.  I went to the seventh grade in an American high school on the military base in Belgium and then we moved to England.  It's been wonderful to reconnect with friends that I haven't seen for years, to see their families and what direction their lives took.  I'm not in touch with anyone from college - I went to college in my 30s so I was a young mom and Navy wife and not living the single life to go out with friends and develop friendships.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My friend Jodie and I had a hilarious conversation about drinking coffee while camping.  I had visions of a blue enamel coffeepot on the campfire, but she squashed that idea quickly saying, "We have a Keurig!".

Camping has come a long way.  I had to snap this photo of Vic at the local sportsman's store.  The blue enamel camping coffee ware lives, even in espresso sizes!

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #186

  

Happy Belated Birthday to Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, the most hard-working member of the Royal Family. Her birthday, which was Friday, August 15 was somewhat lost in the shuffle of all that was VJ Day.  Her Royal Highness is 75 this year.

 In 2024, she racked up 217 engagements, sometimes more than one in a day.  Renowned for her unwavering dedication and commitment to public service, her position at the top of the list of working royals comes as little surprise to royal watchers and commentators.  She has undertaken royal engagements for 57 years.  


In celebration of her special birthday, a royal first as the Royal Mint released a commemorative coin to commemorate her remarkable lifetime of service.  


This is the first time Her Royal Highness has been honoured on an official UK coin, representing a significant numismatic milestone in British coinage.  Don't you just love that word, numismatic?

Monday, August 18, 2025

Life Last Week (11-17 August 2025)

 

It's time to get back to blogging!  I so want to put up an autumn graphic - the BER months are just around the corner - but I'll give summer just a little bit more time.

The weather for the week ahead:::



On my reading pile:::


It's a LONG read - almost 400 pages including a four-page Selected Cast of Characters.  It's taken me three renewals at the library and another checkout, so I hope to get through it this week.

On my TV:::

With VE Day and VJ Day this year, we rewatched Band of Brothers and The Pacific on HBO, both excellent series.



On a lighter note, Our Little Secret on Netflix was cute.


Checked off the list:::

  • Dropped off the latest box going to FOREVER for digitization and finished labeling and sorting the 1250 photos that came in the last box.
  • Lunch Bunch for August was fun since one of our former members (now living in Florida) was here to visit her daughter and grands and was able to join us.
  • Ran all those pesky errands - post office, bank, Costco, Lowe's pick-up (new hanging garage organizer), and Vic's VA appointment.
Crafts roundup:::

Caught up on my memory planner and designating Monday as the day to work on the week before so I can stay current.
 
And in other news:::

A trip to Seattle for Vic's VA appointment meant a trip to Le Panier, our favorite French bakery.  So much goodness.


Lunch for Vic - Spinach Puff Pastry Tart


Lunch for me - Jambon Beurre Baguette - there's nothing like French butter


Roulé Cannelle - Croissant swirled with cinnamon and sugar


Chouquettes - little airy choux pastry puffs


Espresso Eclairs

It's a good thing we only stop here once every couple of months!

Almost top on my list for last week was the announcement that December Daily is coming and the publication of the timeline for the next two weeks, as well as special dates for October and November.  This is my favorite craft project each year, a story a day during the month of December.


This, however, was top on the list for the week - Sophia got a full-time job for the next school year.  She'll be working in a private arts-integrated program that offers play-based learning for preschool and Pre-K students, focusing on self-expression and confidence through various art disciplines such as visual arts, music, and theatre.  The program is designed to support cognitive, social, and emotional development, providing a creative environment for children to explore their interests and talents.  Camp programs are also offered during school breaks, allowing children to engage in week-long themed camps that explore painting, sculpture, drama, and more.  She's been working as a relief teacher and also during the camp programs, so they are happy to have her on staff full-time.

Last week was a great week, friends.

Friday, August 15, 2025

VJ Day (A Special Edition of If this is Tuesday, it must be England on Friday)


VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is commemorated on August 15 each year and marks the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, bringing World War II to an end after nearly six years.


King Charles III and Queen Camilla, along with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, attend a special VJ Day remembrance service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire.  During the national service of remembrance, the King and Queen laid flowers in tribute.  Around 33 men, now aged between 96 and 105, who served in the military in the Far East and Pacific, were the guests of honour at the event.


Meanwhile, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attend a memorial service marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender.  In a national ceremony at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan Hall, about 4500 officials, bereaved families, and their descendants from around the country observed a moment of silence at noon - the time when the then-emperor Hirohito's surrender speech began on August 15, 1945.

In the United States, VJ Day is officially acknowledged on September 2, the day of the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Japan's Tokyo Bay.

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #185

  

Happy Birthday to Prince George who is 12 years old today.  Prince George is the eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales and heir presumptive to the British throne.  Interesting fact, he can no longer fly on the same aircraft as his father to safeguard the line of succession.

Monday, July 14, 2025

Christmas in July - Week Three

Wimbledon 2025

 It's been two glorious weeks of cucumber sandwiches, strawberries and cream, spotting the famous faces in the Royal Box, and at times, nail-biting matches.  Congratulations to the winners of the Ladies and Gentlemen's Finals, a first-time Wimbledon win for both players.


Loved the Wimbledon home page for all the schedules, players, and more.

Monday, June 30, 2025

Christmas in July 2025 - Week One

Christmas in July starts on the Hallmark Channel tonight!  My Norwegian Holiday was one of our all-time favorite movies, looking forward to watching it again.

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Happy Mother's Day

 

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and caregivers of human and animal children.  To my Mum, my sister, and my mother-in-law in heaven, and to all my friends near and far, have a lovely day and I hope you are spoiled. 


Remembering my Mum - everything I learned about love, respect, kindness, and compassion and a thousand other things, I learned from her. The pain of losing her will never go away, but the wonderful memories keep her in our hearts every day.

Thursday, May 8, 2025

VE Day


Remembering those who served and came home, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #184

The Queen and Harrison Machin, 5, plant the final poppies in an installation at the Tower of London to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War. This act of Remembrance saw Her Majesty representing all those who served the Nation, with Harrison planting his poppy on behalf of the younger generation.
 
‘The Tower Remembers’ installation recalls the sacrifice and resilience of the wartime generation and will stand as a reminder of the long-lasting impact of conflict.

The Tower, which was itself bombed during the Blitz, will display nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies on the lawn to mark the year of Remembrance.