Saturday 9/Sweet City Woman

Hello, dear friends.  How is your weekend going so far?  I found that I have a little extra time on my hands, so I decided to link up with Sam over at Saturday 9.  The theme of the day is the song Sweet City Woman which was released in 1971.  

If you are too young to remember 1971 clearly or not at all, my condolences. 
It must be tough being so young.

Sweet City Woman

1) The lyrics tell us the singer is on his way to catch a train and he really wants to be on time. When is the last time you were late for something?

I'm one of those people who hates to be late for anything.  Usually, I leave hours in advance to avoid it.  Ask my family. When I am running late, it's most likely because of the frustrating Boston traffic.

2) He sings he's on his way to meet a woman known for her macaroons. What's your favorite cookie?

The Cooking Actress

I never met a cookie that I didn't like.  If I had to choose, it would be Panera's Everything But The Kitchen Sink cookie, which is a combo of sweet and salty.  Here is the knockoff recipe.

3) His girlfriend's face is so pretty she lights up the city night. How many lights are in the room you're in? How many are switched on?

Right now, it's 6:04AM and I have three lights on.  

Side note:  All my lights are on dimmers because they make me look ten years younger.

At least I think so. 

4) This is the rare top 40 tune that prominently features a banjo. Sam has always been crazy about the sound of a banjo. What sound makes you smile? (It doesn't have to be a musical instrument. Think bacon sizzling, church bells, etc.)

I know this sounds corny, but the best sound in the world to me is hearing my two girls laugh together. I don't even care if I am the butt of their joke, which is usually the case.

5) 47 years after their record was a hit, The Stampeders still tour every summer, playing festivals across the US and their native Canada. Do you enjoy live music under the stars? Or would you prefer to be seated in a theater?

freepik

I'm more of a theater girl, myself.

If you're wondering if that's a pic of me, it is.  

In my dreams. 

6) In 1971, when this song was popular on the radio, detective shows were popular on TV. Mannix, Ironside, and Cannon were all in the Top 20. Who is your favorite TV detective?

The first one that popped into my mind is the late handsome Robert Urich in Spenser For Hire.  

If you don't remember it, I won't hold it against you.

7) Also in 1971, the Post Office Department was disbanded as a Cabinet department and became The United States Postal Service. When did you last go to the post office? Were you mailing something? Buying stamps? Picking up a package? Renewing your passport? 

I visit our local Post Office five to six days a week because mail service is not available on my street. Also, the Mister likes to look at the mail every day.  If it were up to me, I would only make a pick-up on Fridays because that is the day my People magazine arrives. 

8) Race car legend Jeff Gordon was born in 1971. Do you watch NASCAR?

No, I can honestly say that I have never watched NASCAR.

Although after seeing this pic, I may reconsider.
I wonder how many times he would ask his wife to go to the Post Office.

9) Random question -- Do you have a vaccination scar? If so, where is it?

Ballinger Athletic Performance

I used to have a scar on my arm.  It isn't noticeable these days due to an increase in fat muscle.

If you're wondering if that is my arm, it is not.

Mine has the Burger King logo.

Until next time...

Punchy the Great

Fall Tour & Dinner Party

Hello, dear friends.  Can you hear me now?  This post is one of the past.  I needed to run something to see if this dumb old email is fixed.  Unfortunately, I had no post in the wings so I am posting this from last year.  I knew you wouldn't mind.

This post began as a Fall Tour of the house, and then I added some pics of a dinner party that we hosted recently.     

This year we decorated with mums, pumpkins just large enough for Chowdah not to fit into his mouth, scattered gourds that were strategically placed out of Chowdahs reach, and cabbage.  We usually jump the gun and plant too early.  By the time Halloween arrives everything is a depressing shade of brown surrounded by rotting pumpkins.

  

This year we planted a little later, and we are just going to make it to the finish line.

I took these pics over the course of a couple of weeks with different cameras and exposures.  Not because I wanted to experiment - I am just unorganized.  Ask my husband, Felix Unger.

Can you spell H-A-M?

He wasn't even offered a treat for these "candids."

This year, for the mantle I used Baby Boo pumpkins which are homegrown.  Not really - just wanted to see if you are paying attention.  I also incorporated scented pinecones, which, incidentally, does an amazing job camouflaging the scent of wet dog.

I also threw in some unpolished silver for a kind of a rustic look, or maybe I was just lazy.  You decide.

Lots of mums and my MC pumpkin that my buddy, KTG gifted me years ago.

I like to use cranberries and apples to freshen up the dining room.  Plus, I felt I was starting to overdo it with the mums.

This pic does not do them justice, but I found the prettiest tangerine colored linen placemats during my bi-weekly inventory inspection at Homegoods.  I also bought some burlap-looking napkins to go with them.  Again, carrying through on that whole "rustic" theme or maybe I bought them because they didn't need to be ironed.  

You decide. 

Enough with the table... on with the food.

Appetizers included the Mister's favorite tart shells with pork belly, caramelized pear, and blue cheese.

Also assorted sausage with dijon aioli and pumpkin hummus with pumpkin seeds and toasted Naan.

The chef spinning his magic and getting impatient with his gorgeous, younger-than-Springtime trophy wife for taking too many photos.

The entree was roasted chicken, creamed corn polenta, with oven roasted brussel sprouts, baby carrots, shitake, and prosciutto cracklins. 

Btw... am I the only one who has never heard of prosciutto cracklins before this post?

Why is dessert always my favorite?

The piece de la resistance was a caramel apple cobbler with a side of vanilla gelato topped with toasted marshmallows.

Nothing like a light, low-calorie meal to give you a good night's sleep. 

If you don't mind, I am trying this again.  If you are a subscriber, can you leave me a note if this appears in your mailbox?

Until next time...

Linking up with:

Friendship Friday

BFF Open House

Friday at the Station

Friday Favorites

Bloggers Link Up

Sunday Features

Snickerdoodle

Silver Pennies Sundays

Happiness is Homemade

Sundays At Home

Saturday Sparks

Dare to Share

Best of the Weekend

Positano & Capri

Hello, dear friends.  Thank you for letting me know that there were problems with my blog email delivery.  My Fairy Blog Mother and dear friend, Linda has been working tirelessly in getting the situation remedied.  Can you do me a favor?  Can you leave me a comment as to whether you received or did not receive this post via email?

This is the second installment of my Cruisin' 2018 series.  If you missed the first post, or like me, can't remember it, you can find it here.

Our first stop was Sorrento.  The Mister and I signed us up for an 8-hour tour of Positano and Capri.

Here is your geography lesson for the day. 

After almost 29 years of wedded bliss, the Mister and I have drafted a travel pact.  My one stipulation is that we book a nice suite.  The Mister's request is that we take lots of excursions.


That way, everybody's happy.

As a side note - I learned something about myself.  Eight hours is a tad too long for me.  It was a great tour, but after about five hours, I became slightly delusional and kept experiencing visions of a comfy deck chair on the boat.

Lucky for the Mister, I don't complain.  Much.

We met our tour guide right off the ship and hopped on the air-conditioned bus.  There were about twelve couples in all on the tour.  We met many lovely people from all over the world on these day trips. 

The drive was spectacular.

The bus driver was kind enough to make a few stops for photo ops in case there were any supermodel trophy wives were on board.

Lucky for all, there was one.

Our first stop was Positano, a cliffside village. It is known for its pebble beachfront and steep, narrow streets lined with boutiques and cafes.

I was pretty glad that I chose to wear my New Balance running shoes as opposed to my standard stilettos. 

If you are in the market for anything lemon related, handpainted pottery, or gorgeous linens, Positano is the place to be.  Along with beautiful wares, the shopkeepers were friendly and hospitable.

We spent an hour and a half walking around the village and then went down to the pier to meet our group for the ferry excursion to Capri. 

We finished our shopping early and found a nice seat in the shade across from this souvenir shop.  The setting was perfect for my favorite cardio workout - people watching.

We also had time to sharpen our selfie skills.

The ferry ride to Capri was just under an hour.

We were delighted that it had air conditioning because the temps were in the 90's.  I am not complaining, I'm just stating the facts. Translation:  this Mama should have donned waterproof mascara.

Our tour guide gave us some lunch recommendations.  She mentioned this hotel as being one of the best in Capri.

My translation:  Nice potties and air conditioning.
The Mister's translation:  fabulous food!

We walked around the hotel for a bit. 

Indeed, it was lovely.

Unfortunately, the hotel was only serving lunch outside on the patio which was fine with me.  If I can't have air conditioning, I can at least finish my workout of people watching.  According to my Fitbit, I had another hour to go.

We found the hotel luncheon staff to be uninterested and apathetic at best.  Our waiter, Mr. Wonderful, is pictured. I ordered a roast chicken sandwich which consisted of scraps of chicken on the Italian version of Wonder Bread drowned in mayonnaise.

If you're in Capri, save your euros, and go to a cute cafe.

I give it an A+ for ambiance and potties.
The Mister gives it a D- for service and food.

Although we were not eating on the water, we did have a lovely view to the right... 

... and to the left.

After lunch, we did some shopping and stopped for some of the most delicious gelato I have ever tasted.

Lucky for me, I have been keeping up with my cardio.

We strolled the square where this guy was getting a lot of attention.  This is Stefano Bombardieri's Marta e l'elefante. The sculpture represents a dream, a world seen with children's eyes, where everything is possible, even a little girl raising up an elephant.

Did I mention that my friend, l'elefante has a great view?

We then joined many other sweaty tourists in the not-so-funicular for a ride down to meet our cruising buddies for our journey back to our home-away-from-home.

I had a deck chair waiting that needed some attention.

Hopefully, this post is arriving in your email.  Please leave a comment updating me on the email situation.

Until next time...

It was in the 30's this morning!
The hooligans got to try out their new down vests.
Can't you tell how much they love them?
They are wearing their thrilled to pieces expressions.
It's the same look my girls would give me when they were teens.

Linking up with:
Wonderful Wednesday
Share Your Cup
TFT
Share Your Style
The Weekly Postcard