WOW! Time just flies. As you all know, we just returned home last week, and I hit the ground running at full speed ahead. We haven’t really stopped since we got home, which has put me behind schedule too.

I just finished editing ALL my bazillions of pictures from our trip, and I will be sharing quite a few of them with you. I will NOT inundate you with ALL of them though. 🙂 We have also been keeping our social calendar very busy and very packed, had a funeral to go to, and I am going through all your fabulous submissions for our Great-Bloggers Bake-Off too. A big giant thank you to everyone who participated. I will be sharing those with you in good time. 🙂 Bottom line, I have been very busy since our return home.

But now, back to Washington D.C. We had two very full, jam-packed days in D.C. and saw a ton of things before heading to Richmond, VA for our niece’s wedding. The first day, we literally walked about 15-20 miles and covered a lot of the big to-do things of our nation’s Capital. We have been to Washington D.C. a few times, so many of these things we had seen before. There is just so much to see, it is impossible to see it all in one trip.

The Washington Memorial

We even saw Marine One fly in to pick up the President, though we never saw him. I was told by some of his security that this is a pretty rare sighting to see on a tour day.

The Lincoln Memorial

The WWII Memorial

The Vietnam Memorial

The Red Cross

The Park

The Botanic Gardens

And there is oh so much more that we saw as well. We took in all the sights and I took a ton of pictures along the way. But we were in a hurry and on a mission since we had timed appointments for touring both The White House and The House of Representatives.

I am glad I took the White House tour. It was beautiful and historic, and I can actually say I have been to the White House now, but once is enough. Larry ended up not taking The White House tour though, since neither of us knew we were not allowed to carry bags of any kind in and I had both my purse and my camera bag with me. Larry had already been on the tour, so he kindly sat it out and returned my purse and camera bag back to the car. I met up with him again after the tour had finished, so we could continue our D.C. journey and explorations.

E Pluribus Unum – Out of many, one

I am going to end this portion here and will continue on with another “episode” with many more good things to come. Stay tuned. 🙂

Thank you Dave, aka Gentleman Dave, for this beautiful poem about Mother Earth.

SPECIAL GUEST POET – GENTLEMAN DAVE

OCT 16, 2022 CARAMEL LEAVE A COMMENT

A very joyful part of THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF is the privilege we have of sharing with you some of the phenomenal poets who publish their work on WordPress. Creative writers and poets are a huge part of the WordPress community and it’s a delight to feature them during BAKE OFF weekend.

During recent years, we have seen some powerful creative work expressing the concerns many of us have about damage being done to our natural habitats and climate.

The Wishing Well

Oh wish us well, Wishing Well

When life is bad or life is swell

Was my briefest message to tell

As I sat there by the well

On its old stone wall in the cool of the day

To lament the state of my garden by the way

For though I missed the butterfly and blue jay

And all such things that cause the child to play

The barren earth and withered trees and broken pathway

Were in my heart a cause of great dismay

Then spoke the well to me so wise

Dearest soul, come now, dry your eyes

Though today you see no sunny skies

As surely as after the night comes the sunrise

The earth of beauty will once again arise

Take my pale and lower your sorrow

I will fill it with water and love, today not tomorrow

Pour it out upon the thirsty ground

Though for now, no life there can be found

Again and again you must pour it out

Upon the barren earth and on the drought

No need to cry or ask why

I have an unlimited supply

Then wait and wait and wait some more

Just as the oven yields the cake or pie

In due time these trees will be sky high

A world of green again, imagine it

Wallflowers and weeping hearts will have a home

Children at play will once again roam

Among daisies, lilies, wild violets, and wishbones

Running among wild deer and rabbits, ducks and geese

Laughing and giggling with the joyful sounds of peace

As I poured out the well water over the thirsty soil

I smiled to see it all, all that was worth my toil

My heart was alive, this glowing news to foretell

I was happy I had come down to the wishing well

Oh wish us well, Wishing Well

Whether life is bad or life is swell

For love, peace, and joy running over

Is the water from your well

Author’s Note: I’d like to thank the hosts of the 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE-OFF for inviting me to write a poem for this year’s event. Wishing everyone who participates joyful baking and goodness and happiness for your whole family!

This is a beautiful poem written by Christine Bolton, from Food For Thought. Christine totally captures the love of baking, and why baking is from the heart. it is not so much what you bake, but why you bake and the memories it evokes and the love that is shared in the process of both the baking and the sharing of foods with those we love. Thank you Christine for this beautiful contribution for this year’s 2022 Great Bloggers Bake-Off.

Food for Thought

by Christine Bolton • October 10, 2022 • 10 Comments

Our friend Mel from the blog Caramel features an annual event on site called THE 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF. the theme is The Joy of Baking. It is scheduled for this weekend and you can check out what to expect by clicking on the link.

Mel has invited me to write a food-related poem to share for this special event. As I absolutely love baking I am thrilled to contribute. I wrote this poem at the beginning of the year right after the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. These two holidays are times of sharing and giving thanks with family and friends. There are certain recipes I go to each and every time because they bring back loving and warm memories.l

Wishing Mel and the co hosts of the Great Blogger’ Bake Off a successful day of sharing recipes and writes from around the world. Here is my contribution for the Bake Off.

Made With Love

I pull the faded recipe card
From the tin stored in
its usual place in the pantry 
It is old now and dog-eared
The handwritten words
Faded over time 
No need to read it
Having made this twice a year
Every year since forever

Over time adjustments made
A little more of this
And maybe a little less of that
Sensing the amounts
without measure needed
Layers of love
and the essence of you
folded in and stirred

The smell of it cooking
and the taste evoking
precious memories
of years gone by
Lovingly made for you
This became your favorite dish
From a little boy to a grown man

Even when you moved away
with your family for seven years
you would ask me
to make it and bring it to you
for the holidays
It is food comforting the both of us

WOW!!!!!! These are such kinds words of praise from both Mel and Bernadette, two of our very own much loved and appreciated bloggers in our blogger family. thank you Ladies. I am deeply honored. I love our blogging family.

Mel, https://crushedcaramel.wordpress.com/author/crushedcaramel/of course, is our very own creator of the Great Bloggers Bake-Off and Bernadette is from http://newclassicrecipes.wordpress.com/

THE JOY THAT JEANNE HAS SHARED WITH US

OCT 15, 2022 CARAMEL 3 COMMENTS

We love that THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF is a joyful and fun event on WordPress and that it promotes the international talent and creativity as well as the warm spirit that has developed amongst WordPress. But this year feels a little different somehow. We want to go a stop further than fun and creativity and talk about facts and reality.

That is why the JOY OF BAKING this year is weaved into two other areas – HOW TO MAINTAIN JOY IN LIFE DESPITE RISING COSTS and HOW WE CAN TAKE BETTER CARE OF OUR BEAUTIFUL PLANET.

We know that many of you will share the same concerns that we to over rising costs and the damage being done to this beautiful planet. Two WordPress users were invited to share their thoughts ad feelings on these subjects. First of all, we have none other than our very special BAKE OFF JUDGE JEANNE, the Creator of A JEANNE IN THE KITCHEN!!!

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE RISING COST OF FOOD AND OTHER NECESSITIES AND HAVE YOU MADE ANY CHANGES TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN JOY?

We all know the price of food is rising beyond belief.  I just heard that in the United States, where I live, the price of food has risen over 13.5% in the past year. WOW!!! That is a HUGE increase! But we all have to eat. There is no getting around that basic fact, so what do we do. 

There are all kinds of things we can do to help get around the rising food costs.

• Make a list and buy only what you need.
• Buy the store brands rather than name brands if you can.  More so than not they are exactly the same items as the name brands, and the same quality, just at a lower price.
• Buy in bulk if you can, portion off what you need and freeze or store the rest.
• Use up those leftovers.  Waste not want not.  If you are like me, I am not a big fan of eating leftovers in the same recipe or way as the “firstovers” so I recreate and repurpose them all the time.
• Instead of going out to eat, especially for lunch, bring in your leftovers for lunch.
• For more great tips, visit Jeanne’s post sharing superb practical advice:
• BUDGETING IN THE KITCHEN

• HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT NATURE AND OUR BEAUTIFUL PLANET? WHAT BRINGS YOU THE MOST JOY FROM CREATION?
• We have a beautiful planet.  I am a believer in God, and God is a magnificent artist.  He has given us the most beautiful and fabulous art that we call nature.  There is so much beauty all around us.  All we have to do is open our eyes and look around.  The beauty is there, just waiting to be seen.  There is beauty in everything. 

I love photography, and I love capturing all the beauty we have, whether it be in my own backyard, or when I am underwater scuba diving, or out and about on my travels. There is so much to see and I appreciate every bit of it.

We need to be respectful of all the gifts that both Mother Nature and God have given to us. We need to work together as a team. Humans and animals need oxygen (O2) to survive. Plants need carbon dioxide (CO2) to survive. Humans and animals expel CO2 when we breathe and plants give off O2. Plants use photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide and then release half of it into the atmosphere through respiration. Plants also release oxygen into the atmosphere through photosynthesis. So we have a symbiotic relationship. 

It is a win/win for everyone and for the planet when we work together. We all need each other, so we all need to take care of each other.

Jeanne shares her love for creation regularly in her beautiful posts:

NATURE WALKS

FLOWERS FROM BELIZE

FLAMINGOS FROM BONAIRE

MARINE LIFE FROM COZUMEL

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THE JOY OF BAKING WITH OTHERS?

I love to bake and cook, and I also love to teach others and to share my joys in the kitchen with anyone who is willing to learn.  I have taught kids and adults. Sometimes all we need is just someone who is willing to share their time and knowledge with others, and that will ignite a passion, or at least joy, they may not have known was there.

I believe food is a gift of love.  When we share our food with others, we are also opening up our hearts and sharing our love with them.  I have recently opened up my kitchen to teach adult cooking classes, and I am always hearing about more and more people who want to participate in them.  If they keep growing the way that they have been, I might need a bigger kitchen. Food is one of the best ways to break the ice and to learn about other cultures.  Food = love. 

Jeanne’s cooking and baking posts frequently show how she shares the joy of baking:

HER FRIENDS

HER STUDENTS

HER NEIGHBOURS

HER CONGREGATION

Thank you once again Mel and Bernadette. You are both greatly appreciated for all that you do. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Whenever we travel to places known for fresh seafood, we always eat as much fish as we can. We love seafood, especially fresh seafood. We don’t get fresh seafood here in Denver. This time, we went to Ford’s Fish Shack.

I don’t know if this is a chain or if the same owners have a couple restaurants in different locations, but this is the second location of Ford’s Fish Shack we have enjoyed while in Virginia. Fresh is Best

We had a very full first day in Virginia. After landing, we went straight to The Winery At Bull Run Some Virginia Wines – Part 1 – The Winery At Bull Run, then went to the the battlefields of Bull Run and the Civil War Museum there The Battle Of Bull Run/Manassas. We had worked up quite an appetite, especially since we left Denver early in the morning. So we asked the locals where to go for some fresh seafood, and it landed us back at Ford’s, though a different location. It was just as good as we remember too.

We were both very happy with what we ordered. We started off with some delicious New England clam chowder.

Scallops were the dish of the day for both of us. Oh they were so good too. Larry ordered the scallop platter

and I ordered the scallops over penne pasta. Scallops are some of my absolute favorite seafood. They were cooked to perfection too. They just melted in our mouths.

Larry is much more of a dessert person than I am, so he ordered a slice of the pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. He savored every bite of it. I am not a cheesecake fan, but then I am not a fan of cheese in general. I did take a bite though. I mean, how could I resist? It was so beautifully presented after all.

After a very full day, and full tummies, it was time to call it a day and head into the hotel. We knew we had a full day of more adventures coming up, so we needed to catch a few zzzz’s to get us ready.

Stay tuned. Don’t touch that dial. There is so much more good stuff coming your way. 🙂 Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Since we were at Bull Run/Manassas, it was only fitting to see the battlegrounds too. We learned a lot about the Civil War this trip. I am well versed about WWII, but am still very much a novice when it comes to the history of the Civil War.

Our first history lesson was at Bull Run, or Manassas. One of the things I learned was that most of the battles have two names, one from the Confederates (The Southern States) and one from the Union Army (The Northern States). Most often, in unfamiliar territory, the Confederates named their battles after the closest town, whereas the Union soldiers tended to name the battles after streams of running water that ran through the battlefield. Bull Run/Manassas got its name Bull Run because of the stream that ran through the battlefield by the Union Army, and Manassas by the Confederates because the town of Manassas was only about 30 miles outside of Washington D.C. This battle was significant because it was the first actual full-scale battle of the Civil War. This battle was the start of a very long, four-year bloody battle. This round was a Confederate victory. Sadly 22,000 men lost their lives in this bloody battle. The grounds of Bull Run/Manassas are very hallowed grounds, as are so many of their grounds in the Eastern states.

We are in Virginia, which was one of the major battleground states for the Confederates. We are in the South at the moment. Later on into the trip, we were in the northern territory of the Union soldiers. We got the history and perspectives of the war from both sides.

This is a memorial to the fallen Confederate soldiers.

The Civil War Museum of Manassas.

The price of freedom is NEVER free. Freedom is something we have to fight for and defend at all times, at all costs. Throughout history, far too many people have made the ultimate sacrifice so others can live free.

Of course the main reason we went to Virginia was for our niece’s wedding, but the weeding was only one day. We made yet another vacation out of the trip and did oh so much more than the wedding.

Becky was a beautiful bride and the wedding was gorgeous. I will not be posting any pictures of the wedding, however. Becky and Clayton need a chance to see their wedding pictures before everyone else does and also, weddings are personal, not public. I will post a couple of wedding pictures though, just so you see we can actually clean up well when we need to. 🙂

The Bride and Groom with all of Larry’s siblings and spouses, whom we all lovingly call the “outlaws”. Yes, I am most definitely an outlaw. The rebel in me loves this name too.

Aside from the wedding, we also visited a few wineries. The first one we visited was the first thing we did after leaving the airport. It was called The Winery at Bull Run, in Manassas, VA. I LOVED their chardonnay, and we bought a bottle to enjoy during the week. Virginia actually ranks as the 5th highest wine producer in the United States. We have now been to four, with many more to go see.

No only did Bull Run offer some delicious wines, but it is loaded with Civil War history as well. Our wine guides were a lot of fun too. This is Sebastian.

The Winery at Bull Run, actually sits on the Bull Run historic site, which I thought was very interesting. The winery and grounds were beautiful.

Making the wines on sight.

Bull Run is ready to party!

And now some Civil War history to go with our wines.

This old structure was one of the hospitals for wounded soldiers.

Guns and memorabilia actually used in the Civil War.

One of the original Confederate flags.

All wineries have their own unique style and personality, but I can honestly say, this is the first one I have ever been to with a history of the Civil War. Virginia was one of the major Confederate states and a lot of Civil War history can be found all over he state. We actually went to quite a few Civil War sights and learned a lot about it, from both points of view and perspectives. It was very interesting. We learned a lot.

Stay tuned. I have so much more fun and interesting things to share.

This is your last chance to send in your baking photos and stories to Mel for the 2022 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off. If you miss this chance, you will have to wait until next year. We want to see what’s been baking in your kitchens.

THIS WEEKEND….THE 2022 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF!!!

OCT 13, 2022 CARAMEL LEAVE A COMMENT

Send your baking photos to….

crushedcaramel@gmail.com

I’m back and will be posting again real soon. Our flight coming home was delayed over three hours, and I have a ton of things to do before life will get back into its normal routine. Right now, I am editing ALL the bazillion pictures and doing a ton of laundry and cleaning. But soon, I promise. I have so much great stuff to share with all of you. So stay tuned.

There was nothing to see today when I went out walking, with the exception of one lone egret. He was completely at peace and all was serene. He looked like he was thoroughly enjoying having the lake all to himself.

Have a great day Everyone. Be at peace with your surroundings and with yourself.