Mostly Happy Birthday

Well, there is no boredom here. Always something going on. Here just a selection. 

Saturday Sept 26 three of us from our church went to an ECW event. It was a fundraiser for the scholarship fund, a tea party. Several of us also went last year. It is always very well done and fun. I even wore my "fascinator" which I had bought for the April trip. There were quite a good number of them to see this time. Most of the delicious things offered where homemade included the scones. 

On Saturday October 3 James and I also attended the monthly "Wine Club" from our church. It's a very friendly event of friends. This time it was at the James River Winery and we are allowed to bring our own snacks. I liked what they did with the corks. For fun James and I have collected corks in a gigantic glass vase. This might be a good idea for a project.

It was not the best day weatherwise. And all those different snacks didn't feel to great in my tummy. We stopped and I fancied something comforting. Just outside our community is a little chinese restaurant with the best hot and sour soup. We got a to-go-cup. Ha, that was just right.

The next day (Sunday) we were invited to Sarah and her family to an early birthday celebration. Again it had not been a great day weatherwise. A lot of the boys' games were lately cancelled. But the children were so sweet welcoming us. They seem to be growing up so fast lately.

Sarah fixed a "Hugo Spritz" for me and her. Seems to be the latest fashion. I never had Elderflower Liqueur or soda before and it is very interesting. For my German people: it is HollunderBlumen syrup!

We had chinese take-out which we all very much like. And then came the celebratory dessert.

The actual Birthday was on Tuesday the 6th. We went to our church's biblestudy at 10 am like usually. I had baked and brought my choco pumpkin cupcakes. I even had brought candles and lightner for James'. 

For lunch Martha and Jerry had invited us to Potros Mexicon Restaurant since it was Taco Tuesday. 

Martha must have told the server because they came with dessert for him (with 4 spoons), a hat and song also.

Happy, happy Birthday, dear James. So many people love you. Cards, telephone calls and facetimes. Kids and Grandkids. But you are the love of my life.

The weather was getting better and my seeded zinnias showed that they really had liked to get finally watered enough. 

The clematis, which I had cut down almost to the ground because it had looked so unruly, But it gave us another show.

Having fun

Yes, I am so happy to report that there are less visits to doctors and more fun outings. James is doing great. 

There are definite signs of fall now ... meaning: it is not so very hot any more. We can take short walks in the neighborhood and hoping that our circles around the blocks will get larger and larger. 

Ha-ha, because it is not so very hot any more there is also no excuse for not deadheading the flowers and pulling some weeds. The gereniums in this planter have done well the whole summer, probably because they are in the shade most of the time.

And I have a new toy! I got the idea a little late though. I love baking and especially those individuell Zwetschgenkuchen. Unfortunately those Italien plums (or prune plums) or only available for a short while and when it seems to be the hottest time of the year. It doesn't seem right to heat up the house baking and turning on the A/C.

And there was an ECW meeting on the calendar for Saturday September 12 and the "church ladies" were happy to come to our house. Sarah was showing us how to make "flower frogs" with clay which you bake in the oven. Another good reason to do the baking not in the house.

I did a lot of research about which "countertop oven" I wanted and finally settled on Ninja Prestige Smart XL Air Fryer & Countertop Oven. 

No more "Zwetschgen" but I used some peaches with the same recipe and this too was a success.

"Our" ALDI had these Nashville hot dogs. Quite spicy and we had to try them. Delicious but found they would have been easier done my usual way. On the other hand, a pork tenderloin was incredible easy and perfectly cooked in my new kitchen gadget.

Ha-ha, we do like visitors. When this toad hoped passed me into the sunroom when I just opened the glass door to the patio, I felt like hopping to the side too. He/she was very fast. I could gently put it outside though.

September 14 was such a splendid day that we enjoyed a little outing and landed in Ashland. It was a Monday and several restaurants were closed. Need to remember these things.

Next day we had another hopping visitor. James came in from the back yard with our rain gage. By golly, it is quite tall but "Freddy" somehow managed to jump in.

We could not just gently pure him/her out but had to offer this way out.

Little while later we saw him/her there. Can you see it? Really, risking to be stepped on?

And very recently I was intrigued when somehow somewhere I had heard or read that the late Queen Elizabeth's favorite cocktail was one made with Dubonnet Aperitif. I had googled and found that one of our Total Wine stores was supposed to have it. But when we drove there especially to buy it they confessed that they actually didn't and could not get it for a while. 

Daughter Sarah had called on her way home from work and when we chatted I told her. I must have sounded very disappointed because later that evening I got a text from her "delivery soon". I was wondering what was going on. It was brought to our door because she had found that it was available at Wegmans and took matters into her hands to surprise us. 

The Queen had good taste! 2 parts Dubonnet, 1 part Gordon's Gin and some ice cubes. I substituted the half lemon wheel with a wedge of a mandarin. 

Thank you, Sarah, for the lovely surprise. Martha and Jerry thank you too. They enjoyed it too when they came to play cards the next day.

It’s time

 …. for an update!

I ended the last blog with the wonderful news that James was discharged from the hospital on August 3rd. Since then he got steadily better. We were very busy with doctors' appointments, his therapy to get strong and walking again and of course it needed sorting out about the arm. We were told that the nerve in his arm might need up to a year but I am happy to report that it has already gotten steadily better too. Yes, we are very happy and thankful.

Since he can use his arm/hand again to eat (for a while eating was a real challenge) we even ventured out to a restaurant for lunch. Here waiting at Potros on August 11 for our food. Even the weather cooperated because we could sit outside. 

And finally some fun. Sarah came on a Saturday to teach me how to make "flower frogs". She had experimented with air-dry clay and clay for baking. 

This what "flower frogs" are used for: to find some flowers in your garden and easily arrange them in a rescued jar.

Ah, its the time for "Zwetschgen" ... Italien plums ... prune plums. I love baking these !!!

August the 17 we got a surprise. Hornets were building a nest right in front of of one of the sunroom windows. We didn't know what to do about it. I called a pest control person and he told me they were bald-faced hornets which are highly aggressive, can sting repeatedly causing intense pain. 

This we know for a fact because the local grandsons with parents visited and Caleb went on the back porch just a minute and was immidiately stand several times which caused a big commotion. 

The first person I had called told me it would be close to $500 to take care of it which gave me a shock. But the next day I was lucky, found somebody by chance who does a lot of work in the neighborhood (reasonable) and took care of it immidiately. Unfortunately the hornets use something very glue and very sticky. You can't clean it off very nicely.

August 20 (a Thursday) we had all 3 with us. For this day and the next they had 4 orders for their business of cleaning trash cans in our neighborhood. Colin wanted to stay with Papa while I took Caleb and Owen to the 2 houses of the day. We had lunch at Jjs which they liked very much.

Next day we only had Caleb since the twins had some sports team commitment. He is a great worker, gets to it, is very thorough and gets done. The results are usually very happy customers and a great tip. He asked me to take a "before photo" because it was very yucky.

"Omi, time for the after photo!"

Afterwards he asked to play Five-crowns with us.

At 2 pm he was gone because his father had picked him up and we could go for a walk. 

Love it when we see something special while walking. 

The following week our "local" grandsons started school too. Nashville is always earlier. Sarah sent this photo of the twins.

Ha-ha, and I am ending this blog with this photo. I was making "stuffed peppers" and could not resist to take a photo of this. Doesn't it look pretty? I had also yellow and orange peppers and the whole dish was very delicious. James loved it, several days in a row (ha-ha). 

PS: I can't believe how long this blog had been sitting with all the photos and almost finished. But so much was happening all the time. We surely can't complain that nothing ever happens.