A quick Visit to Nashville

We needed to do a trip to Nashville and it was not easy to find the right time on our calendar. We drove Sunday 10/11 the whole 600 miles this time with few stops. The weather was not nice. Rain and/or fog most of the way. 

As soon as we were closer to Nashville the weather had improved greatly and it was very nice the whole time we were there. 

This time we slept in our townhouse there which we had bought in 2008 when we came back from Singapore and James had retired. We had always said that we would want to move to Virginia and wanted it as a second home to be close to Helen. But about that story another time. It was time to take a look at it and get it ready to sell. We do not need it any longer. Helen and William have a guestroom for us. 

As soon as we had arrived a cat appeared at the door to the deck really wanting to come in. Sorry, Cat, don't really have time for you right now. But she was so cute.

Monday we met with a realtor but about that later too.

We decided that we needed "curb appeal", bought two pots of yellow mums and planted them in Helen's excisting flower pots. 

The back deck had always been a favorite place to sit and enjoy the look and sound of the creek behind the house and the trees there. On the other side of the trees is a golf course and sometimes you could here the sound when a ball was hit and comments of the players.

It was grandson William's fall break from school but he was with his father. On Tuesday the two went for a hike and Ben texted us several photos of it. William is such a nice handsome young men. We four met that evening in Mt Juliet for dinner and I can't believe that I totally forgot to take any photos. At least I have this one.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we were very busy with odd jobs inside the house, driving to hardware stores, etc etc. 

By Thursday we felt that we really couldn't do much more. After lunch we left and it was dark by the time we reached Bristol, Virginia, Welcome Center. We had never seen it in the dark like this. We stopped to make a call for a room reservation in Abingdon for the night.

Short after 8 pm we were checked into a Spark by Hilton and on our way to dinner. 

We were not in a hurry the next day. Continental breakfast was included in the hotel. Soon we were on our way though. The weather was so nice and we kept admiring how pretty everything looked. In the few days  since we had driven the other way the trees had become much more colorful. The sun was shining and fog was in the valleys between the hills. It was gorgeous.

Sarah likes to know about our progress of driving and when we were passing the exit from the highway which is close to where her in-laws live, I asked Siri "text to Sarah" and dictated. Well, Siri misunderstood. Or AI decided what I was saying? Warning! Warning! Be careful when dictating. I was horrified when after a while I could see what actually was written.

I was reluctant to report this. But yes, it is a warning. How quickly could somebody misunderstand what you are texting and you could be loosing friends.

This time driving home we stopped more often because we enjoy little walks. This is a rest stop on Highway 81 in Elliston.

I admired the metall benches with the shape of Virginia in the back. I had quite a job to figure out how to take a photo that it actually shows.

There was also a historic bridge which was moved from somewhere else. I found this on the internet about it (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/060-5066/)

The Bowstring Truss Bridge, fabricated by the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio, was originally erected over Stony Fork in Bedford County in 1878, after flooding destroyed an earlier structure in 1877. Bedford County officials contracted with the manufacturer to replace six bridges destroyed by that flood with the “latest improved patent of Wrought Iron arch bridges.” Of those six bridges, all of the same tubular arch truss design, only this one survives. By the 1930s, the bridge was relocated approximately 10 miles away from its original location.  The Bowstring Truss Bridge was moved again in the 1970s by the Virginia Department of Transportation to its current location at the Ironto rest stop on Interstate 81, in Montgomery County.

Perfect timing. We reached the Staunton area just around lunch time. We had been to the Edelweiss Restaurant before. They serve German food and it was nice, even though it was not like my mother cooked. 

We could sit outside which was lovely.

The sign on the table had advertised genuine German dessert: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte and Strawberry/Rhubarb Cake. As I just had made a Kirschtorte for James' birthday "totally from scratch" and can't pass anything rhubarb we took one piece of each "to go" to share at home.

We enjoyed the dessert of cause when home but I was happy to see that I don't need to change my recipes.

Last but not least a photo of our camelia which is one of our two "before winter" ones. It was gorgeous then but got even better now. Every time we look it seems more red.

As always, if you enjoy reading we are happy if you like to comment ... positive or negative. 

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.