Holiday Solutions from a Wandering Mind

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My mind is wandering. The chaos of the holidays is especially confusing this year and of course I can blame it all on the pandemic.

Is the Covid-19 pandemic evolving or devolving? Is it now called endemic because the cases are going down? Or is it because the numbers of hospital stays are decreasing? Or is it the number of deaths? Or maybe things are not improving at all.

They say there is a new “variant” emerging that could be faster at spreading than ever and maybe more lethal. Or is it? Boosters might help or might not. Hunkering down again might help or might not. Should I wear a mask all the time or just in public or just among the unvaccinated? Should it be made of cloth or what?

Really I have more important things to think about. Almost my whole family are coming for Thanksgiving. Who will bring what or cook what and how will we all be seated? My mind is wandering.

It is not even Halloween yet but I already have plans for Thanksgiving. Planning is the secret.

• I will make a big beautiful chocolate bundt cake the day before. That is in case there is a pumpkin shortage. They are predicting shortages you know and pumpkin is one (due to some sort of fungus on the crops… or is it a dearth of trucks for transport?). I do love pumpkin pie but chocolate will take the yearning away if need be. I have all the cake ingredients now so Ready-Get Set-Go!
• I will also make my own favorite cranberry salad two days ahead to give it time to set and merge. There is a joke in the family about the grand who added 3 cups of sugar to the salad making it inedible. Not this time although she has graciously offered to make it again!
• But just in case there is a problem or a shortage of cranberries we have two cans of the jellied version – the old fashioned kind we used to get when I was a child.
• I will also make my own favorite veggies with carrots and turnips the day before.
• We are stocked up with Stovetop Stuffing.
• There is nothing like instant mashed potatoes nowadays but I will have a bag of real potatoes on hand just in case.
• My friend reminded me of the merits in making a marinated salad so forget the green bean casserole.
• That only leaves the turkey and gravy!

And there you have it. This is what happens when my mind wanders.

Now onto Christmas!

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She Must Have Been Texting

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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A Virginian Visits the Old World

 

 

We were on our way to the “old country!”

En route I spotted a ghostly cloud in the shape of a sister-jet following along for good luck.

This is what I saw through our plane window.

 

Bill and I were on our way to a riverboat cruise featuring the Highlights of Germany.

And there are now 193 photographs awaiting your viewing pleasure!

No, please don’t worry.  This is a Virginia blog after all and the subject is always Virginia Views.

I will only share the best of the best of cathedrals, castles, and narrow streets.   Now they have already  blended into one delightful memory.  The truth is, we can’t remember where we have been!  At least that’s what Bill says.  After awhile one castle looks a lot like the last one.

But I’m baaaaaack!  The called for “Time Out” is over.

And now, tradition has it that I must post a wayward witch’s photo to celebrate the season.

It was not taken in Germany but a few years ago “down the street” right here in the neighborhood.

Many thanks to the neighbor who took the time to put up this funny lady.

They don’t make much of Halloween in the Germany we visited and I am glad to be back among all the U.S. pumpkins, gourds, and all the anticipation in the air about costumes, tricks and treats.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN my friends!

It’s good to be home.

She must have been texting!

 

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Witch Off Course En Route to Halloween!

Bringing back last year’s  witch to wish you a Happy Halloween!

She must have been texting!

I was driving along when I saw this evidence of the humor that abounds in my rural county in Viginia.

I kept thinking of the Wizard of Oz and humming “Ding Dong The Wicked Witch is Dead!”

I think she may have been texting.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Witch Off Course En Route to Halloween!

I was driving along when I saw this evidence of the humor that abounds in my rural county in Viginia.

I kept thinking of the Wizard of Oz and humming “Ding Dong The Wicked Witch is Dead!”

I think she may have been texting.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Halloween Morn

This morning was “haunting” befitting a Halloween morning following Super Storm Sandy.

There was a sense of eeriness in the sky.  

The old barn across the way took on a mysterious mantle.

The mountains of the beautiful Blue Ridge exposed an eerie light.

And suddenly as if to say, “I’m sorry,” the looming clouds turned pink and bright

and shared the promise of a new day.

Eeerie Halloween Morn

Dawn Breaks on Halloween

Skylights

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Halloween Horrors

Life is full of mysteries and frights – especially around Halloween.

The innocence of kittens is the secret ingredient that makes this video special.

And the music will make your heart race.

Enjoy!

The Scary Thing

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Adding Color to Autumn

My only excuse is the fall colors have not quite arrived in this part of the world.  Oh, there are falling leaves all right, but there no really vibrant colors yet.   It’s sweater weather and feels like autumn.  It even looks a bit like it.  Maybe if we add our own color, we can hurry the process along.

Bill and I are craving the look and feel of a fall season that isn’t really here yet.  From grocery store to grocery store and all over the garden and home improvement centers there are vibrant displays of chrysanthemums in a myriad of colors.  And we simply cannot resist.

I love this one because it looks like the daisies of summer.  Why am I craving summer flowers when the air is suddenly suggestive of cozy winter evenings near the wood stove?  Is it because we always want what we can’t have?  We even wound up with a bunch of bright yellow mums.  Are we lamenting the loss of summer?  I didn’t think so.

We have some impatiens left but the nights are getting colder and threatening frost.  I thought last night would do them in, but they remain stoic in the protected front garden with the house walls behind to warm them.

And of course we had to have a pumpkin too and found a beauty for $3.98.  “Artfully” placed we hope that Peter Pumpkin will add more color to what should eventually be nature’s normally brilliant display.

I think the autumn season is lovely all by itself and needs no further human adornment.  Still, it’s fun to try to stage the show with just a bit of our own invention, especially when the changing leaves are changing too slowly to suit us.

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