Happy Independence Day!

"One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation forevermore."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Black eyed Susans starburst shape represents Justice.  A fitting flower for Independence Day.

"We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs, but to secure liberty for their souls."

-Rober J McCracken

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Beautiful Va. farmland

Heading out in Virginia countryside to Luray Va. on Fathers day. 

Yes, it's been a little hazy but still beautiful.

We lost haze after the rain came.

Strasburg Va. visit on our trip.   

Queen street diner in Strasburg.  Steve enjoyed a steak breakfast here for Father's day.

Patriotic decorations 

steak breakfast

Husbands' son Steven on Monday past week cooked sliders on our Blackstone griddle.   Seasoned hamburger pushed thin or you can roll out between parchment paper in the shape of the slider or dinner rolls before cutting.  the rolls were toasted on griddle first.  Sauteed onions under cheese placed on rolls then sliced into individual servings. 

Cooking on the green egg are chicken thighs that I marinated in little brown sugar, some Worcestershire sauce, garlic spices and I threw some Italian dressing in the bag also and marinated overnight.  They tasted really good and the hickory wood chips made them even better.  

sides of garden salad and chips were enough with this, it was a hot day, but it's summer, right? It's supposed to be.  

I have seen Pumpkin Displays and other Autumnal displays in the stores.  For heaven's sake, it hasn't been summer for a month yet.  I do not like rushing the seasons. 

below petunia came up from seed left in pot from last summer.  

I have these golden coleuses in several planters now.  They grow very fast.  I have rooted quite a few just by sticking a cutting in the dirt and watering it like this one from another planter.  

The coleus on the right is a cutting.

Happy Independence Day.  We will be heading out for the day tomorrow just to ride maybe to Gordonsville. 

Grab a barbecue at barbecue exchange restaurant maybe.  Would like to see fireworks, not sure where though.     🎆

Happy Sunday everyone

Hard to believe it's July already!  Half a year gone.  Last week in June, we took a day trip to Culpeper County Va.   On our way there we passed this sweet Church called Winston Family Chapel built by the Patriarch of the family in 1908 and it is on U.S. Route 522.   We took a quick turnaround to get a better look at the church.

There are no trespassing signs and cannot go in.  Just checking out the outside of this beauty. 

The church was built in honor of the Families son Malcolm Boddie Winston.  He died at age 22 in 1906.  One story says he died of scarlet fever; another says typhoid.

dangerously fast hi way in front and I was very careful of stepping back and making sure I didn't trip. 

Sure, would love to see this taken care of before it decays any more.  

We went shopping at the Minuteman Mall in Culpeper and need to go back as we could spend much more time there than we did as it was getting late.

I have seen quite a few of these type of pictures in shops lately.   3D maybe it's called.  I like how the objects pop out of the frame.  I think I can do this, I must try it. 

I purchased this basket with a wreath that I will add to.

We have a small kitchenette area downstairs and it needs some fixing up.  I would like something like this with metal or porcelain cabinets, kind of retro and not much to have to worry about.  Porcelain and metal is strong and takes a lot of hard use.  I mean look at this, been around how long?

Repurposed sewing machine.  This is a first I have seen like this.  Makes a nice end table

I have a divider like the white one shown below, mine is brown.  I may use it in a way such as this for my porch.   If I go back and that wrought iron set is there, I am buying.  It was about 300 dollars and the seat bottom is wrought iron also. I can just buy thicker cushions.  

The lantern holds a candle.

In a shop in the town of Culpeper Steve saw this sofa that he liked also.  I really like the color and it can be paired with anything.  Straight lines I love. Dress it up or down.  We didn't purchase. 

In the town we ate at the cafe.  We both enjoyed  veggie omelets for late lunch.  Very good and filling. 

Now onto my chive vinegar at home

I picked chive blossoms from my planter.

I rinsed them off and placed several in a small glass jar, poured over white vinegar.

I kept mine in fridge and when the pink color I wanted was right for me; I drained vinegar, tossed chive blossoms and now will use for dressings etc..

A pretty pink color it turned.  Very light oniony flavor. 

That's it for now 😃

Sunny Sunday it was

 Outside all day because we are supposed to get thunderstorms tonight and rain most of the week.  Not too happy about that as we are having a couple dogwoods taken out and box clipped.  I haven't been keeping up with all the trimmings this year or last for that matter.  So the tree man will take care of the ones in front of house.  Will have to look bad for a while but that is the way that goes. 

Will have to take a before and after picture before he comes on Thursday.

I cut lavender from an old shaggy lavender plant that I do not have the heart to cut down.  It's ugly but the blooms are still coming, and I picked quite a few for sachets, although I am going to try my hand at making a few wands.

This when purchased was called Richmond Va. lavender because it grows so well here. It's actually Provence I believe.  Very strong scent.  

Hard to tell but the stalk it is growing from is to the right.  Very strong and old. 

Picked collards to have for Monday dinner.

I have two pots of these growing.  I pick the leaves and before too long there are more growing.  Keeps replenishing itself. 

Strawberry in pots and in ground are ready for another round.   

I had to do this with my plantings in beds this year.  Put them in anything a mole or vole cannot get to.  So frustrating.  This is the worst year ever for them. 

Found this very pretty and bright coleus this year.  Wizard sun golden.   I have rooted several in pots with other flowers.  Roots fast.  

Here is one taken root among my other plantings.

Early morning before going outside and armed with two over ripe bananas I made banana bread.  The mix I have on hand is from this recipe and I like it a lot.  I used Crisco shortening, butter flavor.  

Took about 1 cup and a half for my bread to fit the container I wanted to bake it in.  Mashed bananas, not much sugar as we want just a hint of sweet, not a lot.  Maybe little over a quarter cup.  Vanilla. Two eggs and little more than a half a cup of sour cream.  It was not a thin dough but a little thick.  I make this so much that I just eyeball it now.  Didn't have cinnamon so I used nutmeg.  Stirred in slivered almonds, poured into loaf pan. added more almonds on top with a sprinkle of golden sugar.  Took about 50 minutes to bake on convection bake. My oven needs to be calibrated for temp. I had to use 365 to bake, otherwise I would use 350.  There are recipes for banana bread out there.  I never have used one.

I over bought fresh berries from the grocer, so I mixed up this cake with Greek yogurt to make this berry breakfast bake. 

I put walnuts, almonds and honey on top and baked.  Husband ate just about all of it.  

I like coconut but he doesn't like it so I didn't add that.   Like I said I used up what I had and now to replenish.

On a day trip to Colonial beach one day last week.  We stopped at Hornes Diner.  This place has had a little redecorating since being taken over by new owners.  Food is very good and hot when served. 

Founded in 1960 by Bob Horne.  Was a single-family owned restaurant expanded into an empire.  60 years later it's the only original restaurant still thriving.  Port Royal Va.

I had the Tommy's salad; it was so much to eat and delicious.  Sun dried tomatoes are a must on my salads now. Pomegranate dressing was so good. 

Steve had the burger which was good but very skimpy on the onion rings this time.

Sunset a few days ago.  It's been smokey in the past I remember when there have been fires and this didn't last that long.  One day it was a stronger smell of smoke but that was it.  Breezy today and wonderful out. 

this was taken this past Thursday.  Much brighter now. 

Like Mom always says, "This too shall pass".  I don't know where that quote came from originally but it's true. 

💖 Betsy

Never Forget

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