This and that

We seem to be quite busy every day but somehow there is not much to report which might interest you. Have to share my flowers though.

Oh, and something else. This blog https://christa-feelingblessed.blogspot.com/2026/04/trip-belgium-and-holland-in-springtime_11.html talks about the awesome painting "Mystic Lamb" in the cathedral in Ghent.  It was one of the paintings almost perished in WWII. As soon as we could we watched the movie "The Monument Men". Seeing it and having seen the painting made a huge difference, in many ways. Highly recommend it!

When we came back from Nashville I almost did not believe my eyes. Every year this lily came up, had lots of buds and looked so promising. Before it could show its beauty something/somebody (most likely a rabbit) came along and ate it all the way down til only a bit of the trunk was left. A great disappointment every year. Nothing bad happened to it this year. Most likely the hawk got the rabbit!

We don't make the boys sport games very often. Caleb's soccer games had been quite some distance away or at very inconvenient times. Same with Colin and Owen's baseball games. Saturday May 30 we made it to Rockwood Park and had fun watching. It was very hot though and we tried to find shade. I finally understand the game better and totally forgot to take photos, just these two to remember that we did it.

Next day we could finally get together with our friends Martha and Jerry. We had bought a "Tres Leches" Cake for Jerry's birthday on May 5th but had to put it into the freezer because we could not "sync our calendars". Finally we could say "happy birthday".

Every time this indoor plant gets neglected (has dried out) and I remember to water it again, it rewards me soon with a flower. This wax plant or porcelain plant or hoya carnosa is very easy.

Saturday June 6 our church wine club had an outing to the Jolene Family Winery in Quinton. After our "meeting" and before we left, Martha, Jerry, James and I walked a little around on the property because it was so pretty.

Our local grandsons are now having their summer break too. The twins are gone this week to an overnight camp but Caleb staid and in the mornings attends this week a goalie camp. James and I were asked to pick him up from there on Tuesday at 11:30am. Sarah told us that nothing else was on their calendar for that day and we could do something else with him afterwards. We really enjoyed that!

When we had him in the car and asked him what he would like to do he answered with "lunch". He was very hungry but he didn't want Asian food. He told us that it is not lunch but should be dinner. So, pho was out. When I asked what else he would like and may be something like Olive Garden, he immidiately reacted that that would be great. It was only 1.4 miles away.

He also told us immidiately that next door is a bakery were they just a few days had bought a birthday cake for an Aunt and it was sooooo good. Needless to say, that was the plan for after the lunch. 

When I asked what else he wanted to do in the afternoon .... one of the museums? Or ....? He right away answered that he wanted to play the five crowns card game with us. 

So we bought the "nothing bundt cakes" (one of course for his mother) and drove to our house.

Happy boy!

And, even though it didn't look so good in the beginning for him, he ended up being the winner. Omi lost mightily. 

Of course I had to try making another flower arrangement. The blue hydrangeas are there best right now. Unfortunately they are on very short stems coming off main stems were others are coming off too. Difficult to cut. When I looked around what else I could pair them with I saw the rose of sharon bush which never looks like much but when I cut a few stems I was excited how nice they are in a vase. I also wanted to find out how they are as cut-flowers. The result: great!

 

This is the bush which keeps giving right now for our enjoyment.

And this is the pink hydrangea bush. It might have been wrongly pruned by the community garden company. The internet says "the golden rule of pruning huydrangeas is knowing whether they bloom on old wood (growth from last year) or new wood (growth from this spring/summer).

(In front of it are daisies which will show their beauty soon.)

I did see this lonely flower on it though. 

And then there are all those ordinary household chores. Outdoor plants should be watered in the morning. James has sometimes PT appointments. We managed to buy a suitcase for our next trip since one of ours suffered a wheel casualty on the last trip. Ha-ha, that seemed to have been a more difficult decision than deciding on which trip to go. And don't forget our daily card game. We still have lots of fun with that.

Oh yes, and yesterday we got our two silk rugs back. They needed cleaning and also repair. The fringes on both were almost gone and looked terrible. What to do? I had heard that somebody could put a binding on. I had received that info from carpet people who have sometimes edged remnants after a floor to floor installation. When I called I was told it would be best if the carpets are cleaned. That, of course, we had done before by a specialty company who takes care of oriental rugs. 

Here we got the information that they too do repairs but not by machine. Everything is handmade and with silk thread on silk rugs. That sounded so much better  ... and of course also much more expensive. 

The smaller beige/brown rug also had a special border on the fringe side I had actually forgotten about. We were told that we would loose that border if the rug would get the binding. If we would opt for a new handmade fringe the border could be preserved. 

Oh, decision, decision. 

Being a lacemaker and quilter I know how long handmade things take. So we decided that we wanted to enjoy the rugs for as long as we can and paid for them being made lovely again. Too bad I don't have a before-photo of the fringe. You would understand.

 

It is very hot here right now. Virginia summer with humidity. We try to walk either as early we can in the morning or late in the evening. Evenings are not so easy though because of course that is when our ages show, ha-ha. Of course I can not complain in summer because I am complaining about cold in winter. You can only complain once.

A Roadtrip to Nashville

High time to visit Helen and William! And for the timing there is a very important reason. William has a birthday and he is turning 16!  

Thursday May 14 we tackled the 600miles drive again. Always starting without breakfast but having a thermos cup with tea each. After 2 and a half hours we usually reach our breakfast stop. McD's Sausage MacMuffin (which used to be just one dollar each) is our favorite. And a "senior coffee".

When we needed to fill some gas we also combined it with getting some "Subway". A state park was just the right place to enjoy it later.

We were too late to pick William up from school but we could unload. Helen has done a great job to make the guest room suit very comfortable. (Hope she doesn't think too comfortable. Just kidding!) She even coordinated a comforter to the "Biber quilt", which was made "in honor" of the biber who had cut down a few trees next to the creek behind the townhouse they had moved out last year.

While we were unloading Helen took the birthday boy to the DMV to pick up his driver license. This was a "selfie" kind of situation. He was holding a big poster to put his face into.

One of William's favorite restaurants is the Thai Samurai in Mt. Juliet. We met his father Ben there and had a very nice dinner. 

Helen, James and I each had "Tempura Udon". We were surprised what we got. It was a huge portion. And very good. Thank you, Ben. He insisted on being the host. William was very happy too.

Helen had been trying to make the day special for William too. He woke up to a lot of balloons in his room. And they kept floating around for quite a long time.

James and I like it when we can help. On Friday (Helen's only day off) she wanted to assemble a pair of night stands she had purchased. We congratulated her about this find. They are a lot like our teak wood bedroom furniture we had ? years ago, gave up part of it because we got a waterbed (and regretted it later) but still have a really nice chest of drawers very similar to this.

Next day on Saturday we went to pick up her basket of veggies. I forgot what it is called but it is a system where you give farmers (organisation similar to a coop) seed money and during the summer you get your veggies every week. It was very interesting and very nice.

They could pick which basket they wanted to take. Of course they are very similar but still...

I volunteered to make tomato sandwiches on Helen's whole kernel Russian bread with the farmers tomatoes and one of the basket onions. So much fun.

Helen had also picked a purple cauliflower and talked me into my cauliflower and egg salad for a later meal. That was also a lot of fun.

Sunday William, James and I went to the Church of the Advent Episcopal on Franklin Pike. We had been there on our previous visit and found the people very welcoming. It is a very old and established church.

William was very stressed at this visit. He just had a few days left until school was out but had very difficult texts every day. He was studying every minute. Still, we needed to find his birthday gift. He wished for a suit. I had asked daughter Sarah were to go and she had questioned friends which recommended Jos. A Bank. Goggled told us were to go. Quite convenient. I knew my way because it was on the other side of the street from his high school. # 278

I forgot to take pictures in the store but he was kind inough to show his mother. Papa and I felt happy and old. Our grandson was a young man, so handsome and so nice. And quickly back to studying.

Another great find of Helen's. We all kept looking for a smaller round table which can be expanded in auctions or estate sales but could not find anything. This was new and needed to be assembled but we were so impressed about the quality and mechanism. This is the larger version. She also had bought a matching lazy susan. 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were William's last days of this school year. We picked him up at 10:35 am on the three first days because Helen was still teaching at that time and the Public Library he previously would go to when she had to be a little late was under renovation. Of course we were happy to have some time with our "first grandson". 

We witnessed how every day he got a little bit less stressed when one or two of the tests were done. On Wednesday we went to "Sushi Train", a restaurant which is another favorite. All you can eat!

He wasn't quite as hungry as he usually is. And I had way too much. Sigh.

Besides tests he still had other work to do at home. Here is a poster he was supposed to design for the next day. I am at awe about how much work these students have to do. The work for this poster was so specific.  I can't quite remember but there had to be a border, a statement about last year, goals and improvement this year etc etc. 

We think he did a great job. 

And finally most of William's stress was gone and he started smiling more. 

Since we were leaving the next morning Helen also wanted to change the table size too. James and I were eager to see it. The new chairs were also stackable. 

We had been so lucky with the days we had been visiting. When we left Thursday May 21 the weather was not that nice. Actually it rained almost the whole 600 miles home. Sometimes in the mountains it rained even so hard that we needed the emergency flashers going and go really slow since we neither could see the cars in front or back of us. 

We have gone this way so often that we have certain habits. Going home it is always breakfast at Strawberry Plains. This time we were too late for the usual Sausage McMuffins. James had the very last they had. I had to have a Sausage Burrito. 

Rain had (almost except for a sprinkle) stopped at the halfway Bristol welcome center.

We had to enjoy some goodies from Helen's guestroom bowl. Thank you, Helen, I enjoyed that chocolate stick. 

And Papa savored his special chocolate and managed to still get half of it all the way home.

It got so late that we could not see ourselves manage dinner at home and decided on some Wendy's salad.

The next day though we boiled the eggs we had been given from William and Ben's hens. Soft-boiled eggs for breakfast ...

... while having the flowers in view Helen and William had given me for Mother's Day. So much fun!

Unfortunately we brought the cold and rain with us to Virginia. I don't want an excuse not immidiately having to work in the garden. But enough to do inside.