Just an 80 -plus -year- old grandmother who is keeping her mind active by posting some simple blogs from time to time. This gives me something to do that is somewhat creative each day. I have to remember how to take a few photos and once taken how to add them to my blog. Feedback is welcome. Photos by me unless otherwise noted.
There are many beautifully landscaped yards in our Budleigh neighborhood that I enjoy when I'm out walking Maggie. We don't have an official Yard of the Month, but I'm personally choosing my "Yard of the Month" and it's a beauty over on Chester Road. It is truly breathtaking.
Hydrangeas and roses.
The bank of blue hydrangeas are just a little past their peak, but still quite nice.
A carpet of green.
Between and around the islands of shrubs and flowering plants is a carpet of grass. And the white daises among the blue hydrangeas and red of the Japanese maple make for a nice color palette.
Daisies, hydrangeas and Japanese maple.
Many shades of green.
There are many (okay maybe there aren't fifty) shades of green in the shrubbery from dark forest green to a light lime green.
My selection for "Yard of the Month" in our neighborhood.
I'm heading out right now for a walk that will take me around the corner to Chester Road where I will once again enjoy this lovely landscape.
Once long ago when I was temporarily teaching earth science, I remember we studied perigee and apogee of the moon. Somehow those two terms stuck in my mind all these years, so when I saw that there was going to be a perigee moon, I knew just what that meant. The moon is nearest the earth in its orbit and consequently appears brighter and larger than usual.
I was fairly confident that I would not be able to get a good photo of this, because I never seem to be able to get an acceptable photo of the moon, so I've quit trying. My niece Kelly has gotten some good ones. One in particular I like very much where it looks like her son Andy is holding the moon.
Andy "holding" the moon. (Photo by Kelly Cabaniss Snellings.)
And another one of the full moon coming over the trees.
Full moon rising. (Photo by Kelly Cabaniss Snellings.)
Super moon (Photo by Kelly Cabaniss Snellings.)
I snagged some off the internet to share with you.
From the WRAL website (Photo AP Julio Cortez)
In Charlotte, NC (AP Photo Chuck Burton.)
It was rainy and cloudy, so I didn't even get to see the perigee moon.
Dan and I met Laura and Anthony in Durham for dinner last night to celebrate a late Father's Day. Laura made a reservation for an early seating at Watts Grocery, the popular restaurant on Broad Street, because we wanted to beat the crowd. We find the food here exceptional, but when it is crowded the noise is quite bothersome.
The food is always fresh and whenever possible local. I had had a late lunch, so I chose a starter as my entree. The waitress recommended the salad special of local heirloom tomatoes and fava beans served on top of their signature cornbread and garnished with fresh basil, goat cheese and a creamy vinaigrette dressing. The tomatoes tasted like "real" tomatoes (like homegrown tomatoes of my childhood) and the creamy dressing complemented the tomatoes and fava beans perfectly. The salad was filling yet left room for dessert. I always try to leave room for dessert.
Heirloom tomato and fava bean salad topped with fresh basil and goat cheese.
Dan and Anthony enjoyed grilled local yellow fin tuna with peas and mushrooms which they pronounced delicious. Laura was pleased with her fish stew as well. The presentation of all our selections was beautiful and the serving size just perfect. For dessert, Dan was a bit disappointed in the Sour Lime Sorbet which he found a little bit too sour and slightly bitter. Anthony was happy with his cheesecake with blueberry sauce.
Cheesecake with blueberry sauce. (Photo by Anthony Benson.)
I was intrigued with the Summer Berry Slump and asked the waitress what constituted a slump as opposed to say a cobbler, or a crisp, or a buckle. She explained that the topping was more cake-like than the crust of a cobbler. And the topping on this Slump practically melted in one's mouth. I shared this dessert with Laura, and we both surmised there must be a lot of butter in the topping. Oh so good. The berries were blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Buttermilk ice cream on top provided a slight tartness that was perfect with the sweetness of the cake and berries.
Summer Berry Slump with Buttermilk Ice Cream. (Photo by Anthony Benson.)
Watts Grocery is best known for its brunches, apparently. If their brunch is any better than our dinner, then I can't wait to give it a try. We'll be back.
I've been known to pull off a number of surprise birthday parties in the past, but this time the tables were turned on me, and boy was I surprised. With the help of her daughters I had surprised my sister, Martha, with a party on her 70th birthday.
My sister Martha at her Surprise Birthday Party that I arranged.
But now Martha with the help of her daughters took the opportunity of my recent visit in Shelby to surprise me with an early birthday party (my birthday is actually in August).
I was definitely surprised. (Photo by Kelly Snellings).
Dan was surprised as well and enjoying it. (Photo by Martha Cabaniss)
My niece CeCe and her husband Louie had asked Dan and me to go to the Smoke on the Square with them for dinner on Monday night. Smoke on the Square is a favorite place of mine, and Dan and I assumed the four of us were just out for a quiet dinner. When we walked in to be seated I noticed there seemed to be a group of folks in one room, and then when I got closer I saw my sister. and the "group" turned out to be my whole extended Cleveland County family (except Ally who was in Charlotte and had to work) including little Cason, the first great grand child in the family.
My sister Martha and brother-in-law Hal and me enjoying the party. (Photo by Laura Grigg.)
My niece CeCe with Cason. (Photo by Martha Cabaniss).
My niece Kelly with me. ( Photo by Laura Grigg.)
My niece, Leslie. (Photo by Martha Cabaniss)
Cute little Cason ready to eat. (Photo by Martha Cabaniss)
There were gifts and a birthday cake.
My birthday cake.
A photo of me at my first Easter with my mother and Aunt Betsey. What a nice gift. (Photo by Laura Grigg.)
This is the first surprise birthday I ever had and it was so much fun, and it was so good to see the whole family. We don't get to Shelby often, and rarely do we get together with all the family and one time.
Now that the weather is warming and it's almost summer, my attention turns to ice cream. Oh who am I kidding, I love ice cream all season long. There's no better place in Raleigh, NC to get ice cream than the Fresh Local Ice Cream Shop over on Glenwood Avenue.
Many different flavors.
They use local fresh dairy products.
This must be one of Raleigh's best kept secrets. The Shop is in a little building that was formerly a bank in the Oak Park Shopping Center, and it is easily missed when cruising down Glenwood. If you know where Taverna Agora, the Greek restaurant, is, Fresh Local is next door to the east.
Maple-walnut ice cream.
To my knowledge, this is the only place in Raleigh, that one can find maple-walnut ice cream. I discovered this flavor many years ago in Nova Scotia. There the flavor is readily available in cartons in Sobey's, but my favorite is down in Halifax at Cow's Ice Cream. But in Raleigh, Fresh Local Ice Cream is my favorite place for any kind of ice cream, but especially maple-walnut.
They make ice cream cakes for special occasions.
They have fresh lemonade and strawberry lemonade too.
My friend, Marcia, and I have made a pact to limit the amount of sweets we eat in June---trying to lose a bit of weight---and ice cream is considered "a sweet". Once a week, however, we have agreed that when we get together we will allow ourselves a trip over to Fresh Local Ice Cream, where I will surely have a maple-walnut ice cream milkshake.
Maple-walnut milkshake.
If you haven't discovered this little shop over on Glenwood, and if you like ice cream, you should hurry on over to Fresh Local Ice Cream. You won't be disappointed.
