Long ago my husband and I took the train from Paris to Istanbul, and stopped in Switzerland on the way. We were in Zug, Switzerland on their National Day, or their Independence Day and above is a photo of Lake Zug. We had a moment when we saw a long canoe emerging from the mist on Lake Zug and a man was playing an alpenhorn which was about eight feet long. That was a moment of profound and unexpected beauty for these two young Americans to witness.
Faith, family, gardening, my dog. I am a widow, mom, happy Christian and librarian. I love to giggle, the USA and I love what is true.
Monday, October 10, 2022
Zug, Switzerland, Lady from Zug, and Alpenhorns
Friday, September 23, 2022
My magnificent coffee creation, red flowers on trees and sunset over the ocean
Yes, I am not humble when I call the above coffee creation my masterpiece. It is pretty and tastes fabulous and I added frothed milk to it and some chocolate mini sprinkles. Below is my new electric milk frother. Why did it take me this long to discover such an appliance?
I pour in one cup of whole milk, press one button and three minutes later have frothed milk that stands up in pretty peaks. The directions say only whole milk works, not lower fat, and I bought whole milk and am using it. Apparently you can froth almond and oat milk, but best to research and find frothers recommended for that. Hey, I am from the dairy state, Wisconsin, so milk it is for me. A nice source of calcium too.
The brand I bought is Secura and I do recommend if you buy one you get one like mine that is in two pieces, the motor in one piece and the pitcher that lifts off for easy cleaning. Many frothers I looked at are one piece and more tricky to clean.
Above is another of my coffee creations. I tried this also with black tea and that worked fine too. There are four settings on the machine, one is cold froth for iced coffee and one is for hot cocoa.
Below is the early phase of a sunset over the Pacific Ocean, photo taken at 7:15 p.m. at the end of my street. "For He hath made all things beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:11 When I see the beauty of the ocean I always pray thankful prayers and sometimes ask God to take my worries. He always does.
Thursday, September 15, 2022
Castle Richmond by Anthony Trollope, my favorite book read thus far in 2022
Castle Richmond by Anthony Trollope
Writing this review in September, Castle Richmond stands out
as my favorite book I have read thus far this year of 50 books read. I like
Trollope’s novels so much that I always buy the print copies and keep them. He wrote in the 1850s -1880s and his books give a wonderful picture of the Victorian era in England and Ireland.
This
book is set in 1860 in Ireland in the time of the Irish potato famine and
explores the ups and downs of the fortunes and loves of three families. Owen
Fitzgerald of Hap House, Patrick Fitzgerald of Castle Richmond and the widow aged
about 38, Lady Desmond, and her daughter Clara age 17 of Desmond Court. The Fitzgerald
cousins deeply love Clara and each was briefly engaged to Clara. Meanwhile the famine begins and is raging across the
land, while Patrick works to provide work and food to the poor. Trollope writes with great insight about the rivalry and mistrust of 2 Protestant ministers and the local Catholic priest as they set aside differences to save the lives of starving people.
How will the love triangle of Clara and her two suitors be resolved? Lady Desmond has her own lonely and impoverished life to consider while she struggles to find the right husband for Clara. Who will inherit the title and estate of Castle Richmond as evil blackmailers cause immense suffering for the family? The whole novel and especially the ending are brilliant and Trollope provides some humor and also his clever asides to the reader, when he makes comments as the author directly to us.
Do you read Anthony Trollope as I do? I just realized some readers might like to try one of his novels, a good one to start with is Barchester Towers. Richmond Castle is also a good choice. Who is your favorite author and what are you reading today? I have many authors I enjoy reading and Trollope is at the top of my list.
Friday, September 9, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II, Rest in Peace
A life of service. Style. Devoted to family, faith, and country. I like the photos of her laughing and with her beloved corgis and horses and family. A role model I admire. R.I.P. Queen Elizabeth.
Above is Princess Elizabeth and her father riding together in the 1930s.
Above is Queen Elizabeth and her four corgis in 1969 at the train station returning from holidays at Balmoral. The first photo below is of her in South Africa and the next two are more recent photos
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Mysterious Occult Buildings Near My Home
Mr. B and I walk past this mysterious building group often since it is near our house. I took these above photos at 8 p.m. The buildings were constructed in the 1940s and the builders moved away in the 1950s. Not much is known for sure about the buildings. The builders incorporated astrology, and there are symbols of the sun and the moon. The builders said that the symbols of the sun and moon will move to signal the beginnings of the end times. I am glad the buildings are preserved, they are on private property but easily seen from the sidewalk.
I used the word "occult" in the title to this blog post so I looked up the meaning of the word "occult". 1. Of, or relating to, or dealing with supernatural or magical influences, agencies or occurrences. 2. Available only to the initiate, secret or mysterious. Synonym is "mysterious".
Above you can see the sun and the moon in the circle and the builders said the sun and the moon in the circle will shift positions signaling the end times. They studied astrology too. Should I check this frequently to see if they shift positions? Just kidding.
Above shows the nice iron work, inlays which may be of shell, and the brick work.
One of several tall spires on the site. I am happy the buildings and spires are preserved by the millionaires who bought it. They said they would build their home there and live there while preserving and protecting the site. The new owners sold it all for $4,000,000 a few years later, but I am sure it is written in the deed that the historic buildings must be preserved.
On a side note think of the property taxes on a home that cost $4,000,000. In California I think the yearly property tax will be $40,000.
Friday, August 12, 2022
Photos I took of fog, sea, trees, fisherman near my home
I went out for tea with two friends at my favorite coffee shop and here are photos I took near my home in California. The above is my favorite as it shows the pretty wisps of fog on a sunny day. Do you see the fisherman and his umbrella? Below you can see him more clearly.
And two more photos, the first looking toward the boardwalk amusement park and wharf and the second is toward the direction of my house. I love the cooling wisps of fog; the fog photos I took at 9:45 a.m. before going inside to order tea and the sunny ones I took at 11 a.m. with the fog on the water pretty much all gone.
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
Chihuahuas, Kohlrabi, New Orchid, Cartoon, Friends and Family Meet During Covid
Bounce looks like the pup on the fourth step from the bottom, on the far left. I have been thinking about adopting a Chihuahua friend for Mr. B., and like the looks of long haired Chihuahuas. This photo has a wonderful diversity of pups, but no long haired ones. When my energy level is high I am inspired to adopt a second dog, when my energy is low I think oh no, two dogs to walk and one person! Two to feed plus my cat, and take to the vet, and I am 77, so my age is a consideration. I am happy with my Bouncey so maybe he will remain my only pup. We shall see.
Who else likes kohlrabi? That and parsnips are two of my favorite root vegetables. I peeled these, sliced them, and ate them raw and sprinkled with salt. Delicious.
Above is my newest orchid, quite a splashy beauty. They are easy care if you have an east facing window. Just feed and water them every two weeks. Usually the flowers last six weeks so that is an economical way for me to keep flowers in my kitchen. I have 10 orchids which bloom at different times.
My sons and Bounce and I had fun recently, we met at my house and walked to a new favorite restaurant for dinner to celebrate my oldest son's birthday. We ate on their spacious covered deck and dogs are welcome. They have a limited menu with delicious food and this is our second visit there.
Yesterday I had our bi-monthly Zoom meeting with two colleagues from the university. We are all retired now and keep up our tradition of meeting via Zoom and in person for lunches. Each Thursday I meet another friend for tea and a treat at my favorite coffee shop, the one on church grounds with a patio surrounded by huge gardens and a view of the ocean. Because of Covid we prefer to meet outdoors, whether for coffee or for lunch at restaurants with outdoor seating. How is your week going?