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Monday, August 8, 2022

another 'catch up' post...

Another busy week and a strange question...

Busy because we had company coming for the weekend and I haven't thoroughly cleaned this house in over 2 years.  I mean I've dusted and mopped, etc., but that's about it. We didn't go anywhere and no one visited except the kids during Covid.

And we were also trying to put together a guest room again... which meant finding a bedroom set we liked, having it delivered, as well as new sheets, quilt, lamps, etc. It took a little doing, but we did it! 



...still needs a little work, but it's useable


DH's younger brother and his wife came this past Thursday and we had a good visit, talking, eating, going to restaurants - there's an Italian restaurant we all love (Valentino's in Rowlett) - food and service is great - family owned and just an overall great experience every time (and fantastic bread pudding!). 

We also hit Ham's Peach Orchard - another favorite - where we all picked up home-made peach ice-cream, peach pulled pork sandwiches, peach cider, as well as an assortment of local produce and products. We sat outside and ate our ice-creams in the rockers out back. The weather was warm... but strange enough, there's always a breeze out there that makes it very comfortable.

The next day we hit the Crepe place (Frogg's Coffee Bar and Creperie) where the Eggs Benedict crepe was a big hit... as well as the Strawberry and Cream crepe... and the Banana's Foster crepe!

(I know that I should have taken pics, but didn't think about it.)

We also went to Eataly's - which is the huge Italian store in the mall that carries everything from Italy... from candies to pasta to fresh and refrigerated products. They also have a wonderful coffee shop as well as a fresh pasta bar and several restaurants. Took home 4 different types of their fresh-made pizzas for supper! Delicious!

Yes, we ate our way through the weekend! But we only do this twice a year. We go to Houston to visit them once during the year and they come here in the summer. Some of the places have become 'usuals' but occasionally we try something new.

It's a lot of 'going' for DH and I who are home-bodies, but fun - as we spend a lot of time talking over coffee and catching up (and while the brothers talked -sometimes the women went off and took a well -needed afternoon nap).


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Now for a strange question:  Does anyone else 'talk' to their car? I sometimes forget to buckle up and the car reminds me with a certain beeping sound... whereas I respond with, "Oops, sorry Mikey!" And DH does the same... usually when a Lexus parks beside us. Mikey is a Lincoln MKC (thus: Mikey). 

These 'smart' cars are unusually perceptive (as are our iPhones) and seem to know exactly where we're going or coming from each day. It surprised me the first time it started to drizzle... and the windshield wipers came on by themselves. And recently I was inundated with ads for those memory foam mattress toppers. The strange thing is that although I had been 'talking' about whether the new guest bed needed one, I had not been looking for one online... so how did they know? Did they listen to me talking? 


Next a pic of one of the smaller Box Turtle that  showed up in the yard recently:


small box turtle in DH's hand


And another video of Mama bunny and her babies:



This video may have to be clicked on twice. I wish I could make it bigger, but don't know how. I think you can do a full page by clicking, but not sure. These are the first 2 generations of baby bunnies, there's a 3rd generation and possibly a 4th... (they do breed like rabbits).


And I'll close with this I found on Facebook:


This is how I get it done these days...


And that's my update for today! Hope everyone is having a good August so far.  School is already starting and before we know it, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us (can you believe?

Hugs (virtual),
Rian 







27 comments:

  1. Your guest room looks MUCH better than ours. It sounds as if you had a delicious and delightful time - which is lovely.
    I don't talk to the car. Perhaps if I did it would be more responsive?

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    1. The guest room needs something more... possible some short sheer curtains over the grey blinds? Or we did see a bench with a grey padded top that would probably work well in there.

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  2. Really cute bunnies! Had a '63 VW bus that we named Buster Blue Bus. I only talk to my car to cuss at it when it doesn't work. Have a better, smarter car now that seems to know that. Linda in Kansas

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    1. 'Mikey' (the car) likes us to talk to him. He doesn't like to be dirty and loves to go through the car wash. Doesn't like it when we don't buckle up nor when a Lexus parks on the side of him...

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  3. Lovely post Rian. It's almost supper time here and my mouth watered as I read all that great food. How nice to enjoy it with family. We have a new car and the electronics on it confound us a little. We both pretend a little that we know what we are doing with it.

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    1. Hi Jocelyn! When we first got our MKC, it was the first 'smart' car we've ever had (and us in our 70's)... so being 'keyless' and 'warming the seats', as well as a host of other things was a little confounding to us also. I sometimes still think that if the doors don't unlock when I pull the door handle (with the keys in my purse) that Mikey is playing games with me.

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  4. I really like the lighthouse pillow.
    Oh, yes . . . "they"are definitely listening. I have a friend with Alexa and 'she' does join in on the conversation sometimes. I find it a bit creepy. My friend has Alexa and Google both so she must enjoy the company!

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    1. Olga, I have 4 of those lighthouse pillows. Our son sent them to us when he was in Hawaii. I love them too! As for the 'listening', we don't have Alexa, but there is Siri on the iPhone - although I've never asked her anything.

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  5. Rian, it's good to hear from you. You haven't been blogging like you usually do, and to be honest I was wondering if everything was okay. I hope this doesn't sound weird, but I read the top half of your post here a couple times over because I enjoyed all the food! The new bed looks very nice, I really like that top bed covering. And finally, I don't have a car anymore but I used to whisper good boy to it all the time, haha! Anyway, fun post here Rian. 🙂👍

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    1. Yes, everything is OK, Dug. Thanks for asking. Just busy getting the house together for company. As for the quilt on the bed, I was trying to match the blue in the giant ship puzzle pics DH has framed on the wall in there (room used to be where he built his ship models - which are huge and now all in the front room). Since I didn't want to take them down and have no idea where I would put them, I decided to go with the 'ship/sea' decor.

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  6. What a lovely and busy visit with your brother and sister-in-law. Wunnerful food!

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  7. You said it before I could, you ate your way through the weekend. Sounds like fun and my ears perked up at peach pulled pork sandwiches. First I thought Huh? then I thought, Hum. I can see that working.
    Loved the bunny video with the bossy rooster.

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    1. Those peach pulled pork sandwiches are delicious!

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  8. It sounds like a wonderful visit, lots of enjoying one another's company and lots of good food!
    If you have a smart speaker, they are indeed listening all the time...it's how they know to answer when you say something to them. But sometimes I think they tap into my thoughts because things show up that I know I haven't said out loud. It's freaky!
    The guest room looks lovely!

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    1. I know, Mae, it seems that they do tap into our thoughts... but the thing is, we don't have a smart speaker like Alexa. But we do have a smart TV, iPhone, and car. Maybe they listen?

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  9. You guest room looks terrific! And what a great visit you had--oh, that food. Bread pudding...drool.

    I loved the bunny video too, and that "understanding compassion" graphic from FB. I operate that way now too, practicing self-compassion.

    BTW, I don't have a car to talk to, but I do talk to my 22+ year old washing machine, telling it how good it is and to please keep going because I don't want to replace it. LOL. My Mom and Dad always named their cars when I was growing up, we had a Theodore, an Esmerelda, and Ina, and others too. :-D

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    1. Kea, I probably talk to more than my car also... always to the ferals, to my plants, and probably to a lot of other things (including myself). Sometimes I even talk to the 'ghosts' of our previous cats (that I'm convinced are still in the house).

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  10. Our car talks to us too. Usually when it beeps about the seat belts, I find myself saying (much to the enjoyment of the hubby) "Yes, I know about my seatbelt. Give me a sec to get comfy."

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    1. Hi Peaceful Heart! Well, my hubby can't laugh as he talks to Mikey too!

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  11. I enjoyed this post, too. It's filled with lots of good stuff, and I really enjoyed seeing all those bunnies and that rooster taking the bunny in stride. I don't talk to my car, probably because it's twenty years old and has NO smart features! :-)

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    1. My daughter said the rooster tries to keep the bunnies out of the chicken pen, but they ignore him.

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  12. Oh I just loved seeing the bunnies. The video is perfect. I watched it in full screen. Can't believe Mr. Rooster stole the baby bunny's carrot, or whatever that was. :) I don't talk to my car but more to myself, I guess. Sounds like a really fun time with your company, and lots of good food. I've been wanting homemade peach ice cream.

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    1. Home-made peach ice-cream is really good. Our company brought us some peach blossom honey from a Farm Store in Fairfield. It's really good too.

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  13. YES!!! you should have photographed the food, you know i love food and pictures of food!! it looks like the guest room finished up nicely and i am so happy you had a nice weekend!! eating out makes the time more relaxing. my sister just stayed with me and i did not cook one meal. we either ate out or ate takeout, it was stress free!! i do not talk to my car, no further comment!!

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    1. I know I should have taken pics of the food. I never think of it until the plates are half empty.

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  14. i forgot to say i enjoyed the meme!!

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