FREDERICKSBURG AND HALLOWEEN!!!

 Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!!

I know.  Once again, it has been too long between posts.  Sigh.  Just accept my old age and sidetracking on too many other things!

Alrighty.  So... October was the semi-annual Fredericksburg Winery Run.  Have been doing it for so many years, it's become a "standard" run every six months.  But there are always pictures that are yummy (food!), pretty (landscape), and holiday-based in October.  So... going to overwhelm you with the Fredericksburg shots.  Will follow with a few local (Waco) shots of Halloween decorated yards.

First... a few Fredericksburg pics from morning walks as well as a really cool place to shop for exterior items!

Always a few houses with excellent front yards in the older 'hoods where we stay.

And... a first for our morning walks.  We see lots of dogs, cats, squirrels, along with the occasional chickens... but these guys were definitely "new" to our stroll!  They were also quite friendly and enjoyed a little petting before we continued on!  Yes... they were in the "back yard" of a corner house.

One of our favorite places to eat brunch was The Peach Tree Restaurant and Gift Shop.  It had been in Fredericksburg for 49 years.  It closed in late summer of 2019 and was certainly saddening for us.  The food was original recipes and made on-site.  It was delicious.  There were about four different items we had each time we went.  On this visit, we were told a new restaurant had opened at that location.  We were also told it had pretty darned good food!  And we were not lied to about that.  A new addition to our list is now Hill & Vine.  We thought we could share two "Shareables" which we assumed were like Appetizers.  Uh... No.  We were stuffed when leaving... and had not even eaten all of the food served!

Mushroom Toast and Smoke Carnitas Nachos... YUM!!!

Another recent fave for a quick breakfast snack is the Caliche Coffee Bar and Roastery.  We have added Avocado Toast there to our morning walk snack!  Yummy!

So... after all of this, you need to know about Pottery Ranch Fredericksburg!!  This place is LOADED with an incredible amount of indoor/outdoor items.  We always go there and wander through it because new things come and go all the time.  It is just wild.  And yes... we did make purchases.  Oh... and I didn't take pictures... but know there are THOUSANDS (yes, really) of planters of a gazillion sizes, shapes, colors... you will find anything you are hunting!

Now then... we were there the week before Halloween so there were some fun items in some yards.

Upon my return to Waco, my weekend walk provided some more Halloween shots in my 'hood!!

Alright.  If you didn't know or haven't figured it out by now... Halloween has always been my favorite holiday.  There you have it!

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wish you all a lovely, peaceful, yummy day!!  We will be having our "usual" Turkey Day items... Turkey Dogs, Turkey Chili, Tater Tots.  Yep.  That's the way we like it!!

Very best to you all!!  Enjoy the rest of 2021 and please hope that 2022 will improve!!  Lord knows we could use that!!

Until next post...

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET MAJOR RONALD D. MILAM - 09/11/2021

 Greetings to my Blogging Pals.

Those who have been with me a while know about my participation in Project 2996. I began my participation in 2009 and plan to continue this as long as I am able to do so. I ask each of you to take a moment to remember what happened on 9/11/2001. Even if you read my tributes previously, please read them again. It's important that we see this as an individual, personal event... not just something that happened in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania over a decade ago. It affects us all and will continue to do so. I do not see the 12th Anniversary as any different from the 2nd, the 19th, or the 100th. The pain for the families is the same. But this is a tribute to their loved one!! Please read about this wonderful gentleman.

Major Ronald Dutrell Milam was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and had a Bachelors degree from Eastern New Mexico University earned in 1991. He served his country in Germany, Korea, and Saudi Arabia. He had recently received his assignment as Military Assistant for the Secretary of the Army. He had also recently married Jacqueline on January 15, 2000. Things were definitely going well for Major Milam and his new family. His future was clearly a bright one and who knows what wonderful things he would have accomplished!

On 9/11/2001, Major Milam, who had just turned 33 the month before, was at work at the Pentagon. His wife, Jacqueline, five months pregnant with their second child and an Air Force officer, was also at her job at the Pentagon. Neither had an office in the area where Flight 77 struck that morning. Jacqueline was not terribly concerned immediately after the attack assuming they would connect in the parking lot. Major Milam had been attending a staff meeting that morning... right where the aircraft crashed into the Pentagon.

But this post is a tribute to a man who lived well, with honor and with dedication to his country. His college basketball coach had no doubt Major Milam was a leader and a role model during his years working with him. When Major Milam told his coach he had chosen the military as his career, the coach, who thought Milam should pursue a career in law, told the young man he supported him 100%. Major Milam clearly touched many lives during his own. What a great legacy to leave!! We should all be proud of this young man.

Take a few moments today to visit the sites below. If you can, leave a note for his family at either Legacy.com or at 9-11 Heroes. All of the sites below are links to get you there quickly.

Arlington Cemetery Site - If you read nothing else, read this tribute. Major Milam's wife recounts the events of that day and what has kept her going.

Pentagon Memorial Site - This site has a full obituary providing information on Major Milam's life.

Legacy.Com - Take a moment and leave a note for the family here, if you wish.

Thank you, Major Milam, for your service, for your honor, and for your character. I'm glad I got to know you.

We should never forget.

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET SGT MAJ LARRY STRICKLAND - 9/11/2021

  Greetings to my Blogging Pals.

Those who have been with me a while know about my participation in Project 2996. I began my participation in 2009 and plan to continue this as long as I am able to do so. I ask each of you to take a moment to remember what happened on 9/11/2001. Even if you read my tributes previously, please read them again. It's important that we see this as an individual, personal event... not just something that happened in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania over a decade ago. It affects us all and will continue to do so. It has been 20 years today.  There are many who don't remember this at all. The pain for the families is the same. But this is a tribute to their loved one!! Please read about this wonderful gentleman.

*** This was posted in 2009 as my tribute to Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland. I repeat it here as I will continue doing so on each anniversary of 9/11 as long as I am able. There are a couple of notes and updates from 2010 in italics.

Please meet Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland. He was 52 years old, born in Washington State, and had a Bachelor of Science degree. He had served our country in a lot of places including Germany, Washington State, Washington DC, Texas, and Virginia. He had many awards and decorations. Most devastating for me to learn was his plan to retire upon completion of 30 years of service... at the end of September 2001. After all of his service, he was close to spending more time on his hobbies (fishing, hiking, gourmet cooking, and needlepoint) and especially looking forward to spending more time with his family. SGM Strickland left behind a wife, Debra, who was the Garrison Command Sergeant Major of Fort Belvoir, VA. at the time, three adult children, and one grandson. His parents also were left to deal with the untimely loss of their child.

NOTE: I posted a note to the family at Legacy.com and received two emails.

One was from SGM Strickland's son-in-law and read, in part:

"I came across your blog today while searching for SM Larry Strickland. I am lucky enough to be married to his daughter Julia and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for caring enough to research this remarkable man. Everything you read about him and his character is true. He left behind an amazingly strong wife, a beautiful daughter, his two sons, and his grandson. His grandson was 4, not 1 as many newspaper articles claim, so he does remember his grandfather, and fondly."(I was SO happy to read that his grandson did remember his grandfather and wanted to share that with you all! MNC)

The other email was from SGM Strickland's daughter and read, in part:

"Mary, thank you very much for your kind words. I am Larry's daughter, and it is wonderful to know that though it's been 8 years, remembering him and this tragic event is still as important now as it was the day it happened. He was truly a wonderful man, and the best father anyone could ask for."

SGM Strickland headed out to work that day at the Pentagon as there were some meetings he deemed important enough to attend even though he could have skipped them. He had annual leave built up that needed to be used or lost. He chose to go to work. If you knew nothing more about him than that, you would know the character of the man. It was that character that had him in his office on the second floor when the wing he was in was struck by American Airlines Flight 77.

But this is a tribute to SGM Strickland's life. And I've got to tell you the things said about him and written about him are absolutely glowing!! What a wonderful thing... to have those left behind remember you so well and so lovingly. It's not just family. These were friends, co-workers, people who knew him on a "business" level where, many times, the feelings are not so great. I would suggest you take a few moments today to review three different web sites where there are tributes (and from where I gathered much of the information I am sharing with you). It really won't take that long and, thankfully, most of us did not actually know anyone who was lost that day. Perhaps it would be good to learn about at least one of them. I know it gave me a very new perspective.

Pentagon Memorial Fund - Names of the souls lost at the Pentagon are alphabetical by last name. Scroll down and click on SGM Strickland's name to read about his service career.

Columns - The University of Washington Alumni Magazine- Read a really great article here about SGM Strickland's personal life. Sounds like someone we would all like to have known.

Legacy.com - This is where folks can leave notes for the family. Many folks were positively impacted by SGM Strickland. Some commented here about their appreciation of the man. I invite you to take just a moment to leave a note here to let the family know the loss of their loved one is something we all remember.

Thank you, SGM Strickland, for your service, for your honor, and for your character. I'm glad I got to know you.

We should never forget.

WASHINGTON STATE?!? #3

 Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!  This should be the last post about the trip to Washington State.

So... let's talk about the remaining things done while on the West Coast.

JMA's co-worker/friend lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area.  For many years (I think he may have said 30?), he has been renting a cabin in the Leavenworth area for some "down time"... be it vacation or just to chill.  In fact, he is the one who recommended we consider Leavenworth for a vacay.  He was actually staying at the cabin while we were visiting... unplanned!  But what a delight for us.  He invited us to the cabin for a dinner.  It was such an incredible spot.  We just took it all in and relaxed immediately!

Wow.  Relaxing to just SEE this place!

Nice hot tub for those cooler months.

River? Creek? Stream?  Dunno'.  But a great view from the porch... and a great place to get in for a little cool-off!!  Absolutely beautiful.

The owners, with whom JMA's friend is acquainted after all the years, actually built this place!  Very nicely done.

The kitchen area was just so charming (it does say "Country Charm" so I reckon it's accurate)!

We had a wonderful dinner (grilled salmon... YUM!) with fun conversation.  I totally understand his desire to return here year after year.

So... on our last full day, we decided to take the advice of one of the wine tasting rooms' guy... and travel about an hour+ to the Lake Chelan area for some tastings.  He told us there were incredible wineries out there... plus the beauty of a massive lake.  The drive was interesting.  We literally drove "along" this lake for MILES!  Beautiful scenery.  We visited two excellent wineries.

Benson Vineyard:

This vineyard was atop a hill area, sloping down toward the lake.  This is a picture from the back patio attached to the tasting room.  Below you see the seating areas that are set up for lake viewing, tasting, and dining!

Benson is 100% estate.  All of the wines they offer are made from grapes grown strictly on their property.  And they had very nice wines.

Well... heck... it's just darned pretty... the wine is excellent... why not try the pizza out under the pavilion below?!?  So we did.  And the pizza was excellent, too.  Ahhhhhh.

Tsillan Cellars:

Tsillan Cellars is 100% estate, also.  It was chosen as the 2020 Washington Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest magazine... followed by winning five gold medals at the Washington State Wine Competition!!  Nice.  Again... beautiful outdoor tasting areas with a view of the lake.  Oh... and what's with those glasses? 

Well, this winery provides five wines for tasting.  With a huge outdoor space, they can't really bring you one wine at a time (although you can do that inside)... so... someone came up with this great "stand" that holds the five glasses, pre-poured, for one to carry out (see the circle at the top... hand fits nicely into it!) to choose a table.  It was great.  Again... relaxation to the max.

So... while we were able to do so much in our three full days there, these have been the highlights.  If you somehow end up planning a trip in that area, I can recommend several things!

Until next post...

WASHINGTON STATE?!? #2

 Welcome back, Blogging Buddies!!  Washington State trip continues!

So, while at the Fox Den B&B, we had plenty of fur-babies to enjoy.  The owners were animal rescue fans... and did exactly that!  There were two dogs (Maya, a Husky/Malamute mix, I believe... and "Z", a German Shepherd), two cats (Balou, an orangey/whitish mix... and a new baby totally black with long hair... and yellow eyes), and two miniature horses, (Callie and Cooper).  "Z" adopted us and made certain he walked us to our suite each time we came in.  Pretty funny.  He occasionally slept in the hallway just outside our door, also... which made the need for checking before exiting!  LOL!  The pictures I got were of the mini-horses.

The owners had built this very nice shed, added the fence, and were working to expand the area the horses could roam.

Cooper and Callie each had their own "side" in the shed.

This is Callie.  The owner chopped up some carrots for us to go give to the horses so we could get a good look at them.  I was handing a piece at a time to Callie.

This is Cooper.  He has apparently been "addressed" by Callie when she wants something he has... so he stays a bit away during the times when goodies are being distributed.  He did, however, get some carrots.  JMA was making sure he received his.

Amusingly enough, Callie left me and headed toward JMA, making Cooper move back.  She apparently thought she should get even more carrots.  JMA, however, did not allow that to happen!!  Callie was scolded.  LOL!

So... on our first full day, we headed downtown to see what was there.  Very interesting place.  Not a true Bavarian town... but structured to appear as one, making for a specific "feeling" while there.  During the Covid pandemic, they had shut down the main street to vehicles, leaving it for pedestrians only (with delivery trucks the exception).  Apparently that had worked well... so they have continued with it as a pedestrian area where one can walk along the street and view all shops, coffee shops, restaurants, wine tasting rooms, etc., without having to deal with constant traffic.  Actually quite nice.

We sat outside on a patio area for a wine tasting... and this is the view that exists up and down the entire street.  It's only about 4 or 5 city blocks long... but lots to see!

The side streets contain lots of shops, etc., as well.  We wandered down 8th Street and found the "Leavenworth Unique Artique" shop!!  It was such fun!  Interesting pieces from various local artists.  The couple running the place were great... and I decided to allow her to provide me with a caricature.  I have two already... one from 1996 while in Austin and one from 2011 while in Louisiana.  Both are quite cute with just a slight caricature-style flair.  The new one?  Oh MY!!!!  A true caricature with rampant flair and insanity!  I LOVE it!!  When she "revealed" it to me, I had to ask her if she had seen some Barbara Streisand in me!  LOL!!  See what you think:

Our second full day there was one when we decided to go do our morning walk downtown.  The B&B owner had given us information on walking paths along the river that were literally right downtown!  So... off we went.  Below are a few shots (and videos) of what we saw as we walked.  Absolutely wonderful.

Alrighty!!  Probably enough for today!  Looks like this may become 4 posts!!  There are still pics to see and tales to hear!

Until next post...

WASHINGTON STATE?!? REALLY?

 Heidy-Ho, my Blogging Buddies!!!

My, oh my.  Things in this country were crazy in 2020... and it seems to be continuing in 2021!  Hang in there, my friends!!

So... won't tell the whole (long) story of why Washington State was where we went.  My TX Bestie, JMA, and I typically do our semi-annual Fredericksburg, TX winery run...and have for years.  After the inability to travel in 2020 and the long story, we ended up making a trip to Sea-Tac airport then a 2.5 hour drive through the Cascades to Leavenworth, WA.  JMA has a co-worker in the Sea-Tac area who advised her we would probably enjoy it there... so we went.  This may take two posts to cover... but for starters...

Airports.  Nightmare.  We stood in line for nearly an hour (on a Monday) to make it through the TSA in Austin, TX.  And we were plum early as our flight departed at 8:00 a.m. and we were there by 6:00 a.m.!!  Insane.  We just laughed our way through it as there was nothing else to do.  Sigh.  For good measure, will mention our return from Sea-Tac where we arrived plenty early for a 12:30 p.m. flight out (on Friday).  It was actually a much easier run to get through... and they are trying out a new method for folks to work through the TSA by scheduling a time & TSA line location.  But... the airport was still rampantly full and it was still a bit challenging.  Enough.  Not flying commercially again for quite some time!

So... the three days in between travel days were just great!  I had booked us at a B&B in Leavenworth.  The owner, who was very kind, had suggested we drive a route from Sea-Tac to there that was much more beautiful than the standard highway route.  It was!  We drove through mountains and small towns all along the way.  Really incredible.

Our B&B: Fox Den B&B.  Too much to tell you but some pics below.  Oh... and breakfast was stellar all three days!  Thank you, Lori and Dan!!!

This is the side of the B&B that faces the view.  Note the lower left corner beneath the lower deck.  That's where guests have a patio to enjoy coffee, wine, snacks, views... whatever.

This is from the side of the B&B where the decks/patio are set.  This is the view.

From the yard area just below the house/decks, one can see the driveway leading up the hillside to the property.

Passing this on the driveway heading to the B&B lets you know how lovely it will be!!

Here is the lower back patio where we spent some quality time with coffee, wine, snacks... and peace.

Looking from the lower patio, you can see the level of slope the property has!!  Lovely (and glad I don't have to mow it!)

Another view from the back patio looking to the other side.

We noticed a few Staghorn Ferns hanging on the posts of the patio.  Had not seen any for many years.  Enjoyed seeing them again!

First morning walk got us down to the main road.  This was the view.  Beautiful!

Finally (this trip may take 3 posts!), one of the things we enjoyed was sitting on the back patio watching nature.  We "met" a Robin that appeared to have claimed the barrel fountain for its bath!!  We saw it using it for that more than once!  So cute.  Had to video it as it was quite a busy bath!  (There are sprinklers going off in the background behind the Robin... not rain.)

So... this was Round One of the trip.  More to come about the downtown Leavenworth area as well as some funny things.

Until next post...

TESTING 1, 2, 3....

 Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!

Well now... this is technically a test to make certain you all receive the email with the link to this post!  I know I sent out a notice about two weeks ago letting you know you won't get the actual post in the email anymore.  Sorry 'bout that.  That's on "Blogger" where I have my blog account.  (Shame on them!)

I know it has been a while since my last post.  Most of the times that happens, I just haven't had anything to post about!  😀😀😀  This time, however, I am going to fill you in on a few things that have kept me away from my computer for a bit!

So... let's look back.

April 28th.  This was supposed to be a standard day.  A quick run to Sam's Club for some goods.  Normal stuff the rest of the day.  While out moving my heirloom tomato plants on their little dollies, I somehow (have NO clue what actually occurred!) found myself seeing the concrete of the patio coming at my face awfully fast!  WHAT?!?  Uh... now I am lying on the patio concrete wondering what the H*** just happened?  Hmmmm.  Body part check.  Nothing seems broken or fractured.  There is some pain in the right (ahem) "cheek" which is apparently where I landed... but am totally surprised to discover I was able to get myself up, walk slowly back into the house, and decide that movement was the best thing to do.  So... off to Sam's Club.  Took about 4 days for the mega-bruise of the "cheek" to appear... and it was sore for quite a bit... but that appeared to be the only actual "damage" done!  So... while I was not happy to take my first "old broad" fall, I was definitely blessed by the result!!  Watching where my feet are going much more closely these days!  (In considering, I think I may have caught my right heel on the leg of the bench while moving one of the plants.)  DOH!

May.  Finally closed on one of my listings that had been pushed back due to the inability to obtain an appraisal in a timely manner.  Sigh.  The listing hit our MLS on April 1st.  By the end of the day, there had been 17 showings and 7 offers were in my email (4 above list price)!!  WHAT?!?  Welcome to the insane world of real estate these days.  But it did close and my (now ex) neighbors have relocated to Pflugerville, TX (connects to Austin) and the buyers have moved in.

June.  Was able to meet up with a childhood pal during this month, which was wonderful!  Always so good to be able to do something like that!  Spent lots of time mowing the yard (which I LOVE to do!) and putzing around outside.  Wetter than usual June here in Central Texas.  Great for the plants and grass as they try to recover from "Snowmageddon" in February!  I did lose a few plants which have been replaced.  The only sad thing right now is our Red Oak in the back yard which has no leaves on any of the branches!!  There are only clumps of leaves around the trunk.  Hopefully, it will recover and leaf out next year.  It is still alive... and there are lots just like it all around the neighborhood.  Fingers crossed!

July.  Had another meet up with another childhood pal this month already!!  WOW!!  Has felt really good being able to get caught up and finding out about the world of others with whom I spent many hours as a young'un!  Have a trip planned with my friend in Austin.  Spending a week out-of-state somewhere we have never been.  Looking forward to it!!  Hope I get some good pics to share upon my return.  Oh... and did I mention The Man and I are hitting the 30-year mark?  Who would have ever thought anyone would put up with me for that long!!!  LOL!!  Bless his heart.  He has been incredibly fabulous.

Alrighty!  There you have it.  I truly hope things are going well for each and every one of you!!  Have a great rest-of-your-summer!!

Until next post...