The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. The tornado, hail, and fierce thunderstorms, went North and South of us.

2. Quill and I took a nice nap together.

3. We had breakfast for supper. I made myself a fried egg over easy. I haven't had one of those in a long time, and I didn't break the yolk

4. I did a little organizing in the studio.

5. I went to  a birthday lunch with childhood friends to celebrate we're 70

How was your week?

T Stands for Anniversary Dinner

For our 40th wedding anniversary last month, we decided to celebrate at our favorite, special occasion, restaurant the UxLocale.

After some wicked hot and humid days, the evening we chose to go out was a Goldilocks kind of night. We went early in the hopes of being able to sit out on the patio. Our wish came true and we had a lovely table outside. 

While waiting for our drinks and appetizer, we remarked how there were no mosquito or no-see-um bugs with giant teeth on the patio. Himself was looking at the herbs and plants that Elaine, the owner, has planted. I wonder what this thing is? Plant.net told us it was Citronella. Well, that's why no bugs

For our beverages, I had a glass of Prosecco and Himself had a Coke. Our appetizer was a burrata pesto tomato jam crostini. 

We each got a house salad with a red wine balsamic dressing

Himself ordered salmon and risotto for his entree. I ordered the Get Figgy With It pizza. I know, I know. I have said more than once fruit, especially pineapple, on pizza is a mortal sin. I'll gladly sell my soul for this outstanding combination. A white base pizza, fig preserves, sliced tart apple, prosciutto, arugula with a balsamic glaze.

It was also nice when Elaine came out to take care of some business with the band setting up. She saw us and came over to chat. Elaine used to work at the museum where I teach calligraphy. It's always nice to see her and to catch up.

We were tempted to order dessert, but had no room.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s blog to find out what the rest of the T gang is up to. If you want to play, include a beverage or beverage container in your post. Don’t forget to link your blog from Bleubeard and Elizabeth’s page.

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Another anniversary celebration. Dinner at Elaine's restaurant. It was a beautiful night to dine al fresco on the patio.

2. Two Old Ladies were back on the road again, back to our little cabin with a screened porch at the Half Moon Motel and Cottages where we stayed last year in Weirs Beach, New Hampshire

3. We had sundaes at the Kellerhaus for supper

4. I had early morning tea while sitting on the front porch and watching the boats on the lake.

5. We went to Edicott Park. Teague went swimming. I dipped my toes in as Lake Winnipesaukee was too cold for me.

How was your week?

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. Last month, I applied for the  old people's parking pass to Massachusetts state parks. The pass is for people 60 and over, costs a one time fee of $10, and is good for life! I think they figure us Weebles aren't going to last long.

2. I made giambotta, an Italian vegetable stew, with veggies from the garden.

3. We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with Chinese food take-out and hanging out in the sunroom.

4. I Skyped  Microsoft Teamed with the Young One

5.  I received some Happy Mail 

How was your week?

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week

1. When you don't want to cook, chicken stir fry over ramen is quick and easy

2. 2 Old ladies are going on the road again at the end of the month

3. A long talk with my cousin. She's been ill so it was good to catch up

4. The washer was fixed

5. This week I received birthday greetings galore and a cute video of the grandniece and nephew singing the birthday song sent by their mother.

How was your week?

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week

1. The Eldest sent a text from work asking me to keep an eye out for FedEx. The Package being delivered is for me and is perishable.

2. We enjoyed a Netflix movie called Nonnas based on a true story

3. Video call with The Young One, chocolate covered strawberries and wine from The Eldest, and dinner take-out courtesy of Himself. A perfect Mother's day.

4. I had a meatball with roasted, green peppers from Tony's. It had been a long time since we had ordered there. I forgot how good their sandwiches are.

5. Another rainy Thursday at Teague's but at least it was warm enough to hang out in the sunroom.

How was your week?

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. We DoorDashed Valentine's Dinner from a new to us Italian restaurant next town over. Dinner was very yummy and abbondanza. We each got 3 meals out of our dinners.

2. I got a Valentine's Day greeting and chat with the Young One.

3. I received a notice that the cat food order would arrive on Saturday instead of Wednesday  of the weather across the country.

4. I was just leaving to go grocery shopping and to pick up some cans of cat food, when UPS brought the package to the door. On Wednesday

5. I hate grocery shopping. Himself usually does that chore, but he's having issues with his knee and can't get around. So I had to go shopping. As I was going around the store I was thinking Look at you! Grocery shopping and sh stuff. You deserve a medal girl!

How was your week?

Second on the Second - Groundhog Day Craft

 From: Thursday, February 2, 2023

Join me and the millions of preschoolers around the country that celebrate a rodent predicting  666 days left of Winter.

For this craft you will need: scissors, white glue like Elmer's, 5 or 6 cotton balls, an X-acto knife, craft stick, paper to draw a groundhog, pencil, and a 3 oz. (bathroom) paper cup

If you don't want to draw your own groundhog, head over to Clipart Library where you can find a selection of copyright free images to download. You may need to resize the image to 2 in. wide by 3 in. tall. My finished image measured 2 in. by 2.5 in.

I used mixed media paper, watercolor pencils, and a Pigma pen. Cardstock would also be a good paper to either print or draw on.

With your X-acto knife, carefully cut a slit in the bottom of the cup. The cup I used was plastic so I had to cut a notch so the craft stick would slide up straight from the bottom of the cup.

Fluff out the cotton balls and glue them around the top edge (drinking edge) of your cup. The is the snow that surrounds your groundhog's burrow. Set aside to dry.

Draw, color, and cut out or print a clipart groundhog, color, and cut out. I had some googly eyes which I used on my groundhog. 

Glue your groundhog to your craft stick. The ground hog's bottom should be about 1.5 in. from the top of the stick

Insert the craft stick into the top of the cup. Pull the stick through the slot until you can only see the top of your groundhog's head.

Push the stick up and your groundhog is ready to predict whether Winter ends, and there's an early Spring, or if there are still 666 days to the longest month of the year (February). Hint: there are still 666 days left.

I made a little sign for my ground hog to express my feelings about Winter,

I have friends who delight in Winter and snow, and they love to tease me because I do not share the same joy. They gleefully send me memes  such as the one in the image above.

I made another sign for the groundhog and my friends who revel in Winter. Happy Groundhog Day

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

Monet and Me

Today is The Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings' Day. In Italian tradition on Epiphany Eve, La Befana, is an old woman or witch, who brings gifts and candies to the children who have been good through the year. 

The story of La Befana is she was known for being the best housekeeper and hostess. The story goes the Three Wisemen stopped to ask her for directions where to find the Baby Jesus. She didn't know, but invited the Magi to rest and spend the night. In the morning, they asked her to continue the journey with them, but she said she was too busy with her housework. Later she had a change of heart gathered some gifts for the baby, grabbed her broom to help the new mother clean, and set out to look for the Magi and the Baby Jesus. She never found him and continues searching to this day. On the way, she leaves gifts and goodies to the children who have been good, but for the naughty ones she leaves

Garlic and Onions. Gee, Monet. we must have been really bad as she didn't even leave the real stuff. 

New Christmas Decorations

 

A bit of a variation from the wreaths I usually make.

Himself got into the crafting act and made snowmen from snow globes, battery operated lights, and a snowman snowball game purchased from the Dollar Store

My favorite decoration is the creche where everyone is welcome. This year, Quill decided to participate in the Christmas pageant.

and it's quite all right if you're not feeling merry and bright.

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Calli and Quill didn't put up the usual fuss about going into the cat carriers for the vet visit. They weren't happy, but it didn't take long to wrangle them into the carriers.

2. The new television was delivered. The picture is WOW!

3. An afternoon spent with The Brother and His Wife, The Nephew and his family so the little ones could see Santa come by the house on the firetruck. Santa was late and it was very cold and dark so after an hour we all went inside for dinner. While we were eating, the firetruck roared by the house. The kids waved to Santa from the window.

4. Haircut day and I checked us in just in time. When we got there there were 6 people on the waiting list behind us.

5. Play day with Teague and a nice lunch at Owen O'Leary's

How was your week?

Monet and Me

 

are going to be putting up the creche

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Pastina in a little chicken broth best cure for an upset stomach

2. Fun visit with The Brother and SIL at the grand-nephew's 4th birthday party

3. A late afternoon doctor's appointment so Himself called in a take-out order to Harry's. Finally got some fried clams

4.  A visit to the chiropractor. He made me taller!

5. Teague Day. We went for ice cream at J.J's in Upton. I had a cup of German Chocolate Cake. Heaven!

How was your week?

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. We had a Skype date with the Young One.

2. In a box of art stuff in the basement, I found the Gelli Printing Plate

3.We celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary. We thought about taking a riverboat trip around Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg (Webster Lake). Rain was predicted.  I had to pick up a prescription so on the way home I stopped at the grocery story and picked up an eye roast, sweet potatoes, crescent rolls, and an ice cream cake. We stayed home, avoided the rain, hung out in the sunroom and watched old movies. I made a nice dinner, and we were content.

4.  Some new toys arrived

5. I gave the kitchen a makeover.

How was your week?

T Stands for A Mug, Postcards, and Teas

 Back in June on our first trip to Ogunquit this year, Teague and I ate breakfast at The Egg and I, and I was quite taken with the mugs. At the time, it was too busy in the restaurant to ask if the mugs were for sale.

Last week, back in Ogunquit and since our motel was across the street from The Egg and I, we walked over for breakfast. While waiting to be seated, I asked if the mugs were for sale. They were! So after breakfast, I bought two, one for each of us to have as a souvenir.

When I got home from my trip

Lisca's second postcard for the 11th T Day Anniversary had arrived. Lisca wrote the picture is from Gaudix, a town near where she lives and where she frequently shops. She had recently been there with her son and his family. She said, "It was so hot that I enjoy looking at the snow in this card. (it was 40 oC or 104 oF.)

While it's been very hot and humid where I live, it hasn't been that hot. Though to some it might feel like it was that hot. I don't really complain about the heat and humidity. Winter lasts so long. Summer is flying by and Winter is coming.

For those who enjoy the stamps, this travel stamp with the little people with their luggage and backpacks must be the postcard rate. The Correos, the postal service of Spain, did a nice job with the postmark. The card was postmarked in Granada on the July 23. It took about a week to get here.  Impressive.

If arriving home to happy mail wasn't enough, in Monday's mail this envelope and notecard from Lisca. The notecard has a picture of a market and a vendor selling garlic bulbs. It reminds me of when I was little and we would go into Boston to visit my maternal grandmother. Sometimes, Ma would have Dad stop at Haymarket Square where there would be vendors selling fruits and vegetables.

Inside the notecard were 3 teabags. In her note Lisca explains, Pukka is an English brand that has many different herbal teas. The Lord Nelson is from the European supermarket Lidl and it is a sleepy-time tea of chamomile, fennel, and valerian.

The third teabag is called Sex on the Beach and is a cold-brew tea. It immediately got dunked in cold water so I can try it after dinner while relaxing in the sunroom. 

Then because the first postcard I received had a slight mishap in Lisca's bag when her water bottle leaked (though it wasn't damaged), she sent this magnificent postcard of a toreador. Just look at those roses! 

Thank you, Lisca, for being my T Day Anniversary partner.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week

1. Friday is usually the day I change the sheets on the bed and do laundry. It seemed silly to fold my clothes and put them in the drawer when I would need them on my trip. So, I packed my suitcase for the Ogunquit trip

2. The Young One sent me a UPS tracking number. The package is schedule to arrive on Tuesday. I will have already left for Ogunquit so it will be a nice surprise when I get home.

3. Happy Birthday to me! Birthday muffins, Birthday pastrami on bulkie rolls, watching old movies in the sunroom, takeout from the Outback, ice cream cake. Godiva chocolates from the Eldest, something from Himself that requires assembly which he will do while I'm away, and lots of birthday greetings from family and friends. The Young One sent me the Pusheen image in this post.

4. Monday was a red letter day for Happy Mail

5. Tuesday was Ogunquit or Bust!

How was your week?

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. In the afternoon, a bag of dog food was delivered to my front door for someone named L.  I posted on the town Facebook page if anyone knew her thinking that the address must be 4 or 5 houses away. Someone did know her and I was able to make contact. Turns out the delivery people weren't even close. She lived 4 towns away from me and she got my pet delivery of kitty litter liners. 

Himself suggested we put in a take out order at Bertucci's and meet L there to exchange the items. Perfect, we get our correct order and I don't have to cook.

2. The Young One didn't get the Mrs. Field cookies and Birthday Teddy Bear I had delivered (possibly due to the CrowdStrike outage), but she did get my card on time.

3. The cookies and teddy bear arrived a day after her birthday. They weren't late. They were just prolonging the celebration.

4. I ordered supplies for the watercolor class. The cheapest prices were from Jerry's Artarama.

5. I splurged and bought a package of Stroopwafels

How was your week?

T Stands for the 11th Anniversary of T DAy

 

Jigsaw puzzle subject image credit: jdross75/Shutterstock.com

Today, the T Gang is celebrating the 11th anniversary of T Day. My swap partner and our hostess, Elizabeth haven't received the items for the swap. I don't want to spoil things for them. As they say, check's in the mail. 😉

Happy Anniversary, everyone! 🫖☕🧋🍵🍶🍷🧃🍺🥤💦So grab your favorite beverage and raise a glass to T Day.

Thank you, Elizabeth, Bleubeard, and Squiggles for making Tuesday a day to look forward to.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit

 

Background image from Freepik

Welcome to Birthday Month and the new blog background for July.

We celebrate three birthdays this month: The Eldest, The Young One, and Mine. 

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Saturday per my request we had an early Mother's Day dinner courtesy of Harry's and then we watched  the new Doctor Who.

2. I received Mother's Day greetings from The Young One and other family members

3. One of my continuing students got the green light from his surgeon to take my class. It was so nice to see him.

4. I emailed the IT Manager to ask if I needed a special app to cast or mirror the iPad to the monitor in the studio. He said it would just be plug and play and he also had the Lightning to HDMI connector so I wouldn't have to buy one.

5. Himself's birthday celebration. Take-out from Outback,  made from scratch yellow cake with chocolate frosting

How was your week?