Vintage Coffee Mug

Good morning,

This is a fun mug to have. 

The ships listed on the mug are the original Royal Caribbean ships. 

Those ships were sold and left the fleet many years ago.  If placed beside the current Royal Caribbean fleet, they would be extremely tiny!

Yes, we are still drinking coffee from these mugs. 

:),
Lois

Couch Buddy

Good morning,

It is still chilly enough here to enjoy the fireplace morning and evening. 

I had just carried in buckets of logs and put a few on the fire when I sat down to be sure the fire was burning correctly before I walked into the kitchen.  I sat where there was very little space between the end of the couch and me.  Elsa managed to fit herself into that very little space.  :)

What a sweetheart!

All the best,
Lois

Tulip Magnolia This Week

Good morning,

I took these images over a few days as the gorgeous Tulip Magnolia in front of our home was coming into bloom.

The buds are developing in this image, but not quite open.

The next day there was more progress.

And, this image was taken yesterday.

 Just beautiful!

 This beautiful tree was here when we moved in 41 years ago and it has given us great beauty every year since.

Happy Spring,
Lois

Chicken Marsala

Good morning,

As I mentioned a few days ago, our daughter, Catherine, is doing our grocery shopping for us during this stay-at-home time.  She came in a few days ago all excited and announced, "I scored some chicken!"

She made this marvelous Chicken Marsala that reminded us the same dish we enjoyed while aboard Royal Caribbean ships.

She made the chicken and the potatoes separately in two crock posts so that she could go to her office for a few hours.  She owns her own building so is able to shelter in place there.  She is postponing client meetings until the social distancing instructions are lifted.   See my "aside" below.

When she came home she made brussel sprouts with bacon.  Oh, so good!

 The chicken breast was served on top of the mashed potatoes.  That chicken breast was so big that the pups each got a nice taste.

 Stay safe, stay well, stay strong!

Lois

An aside:  Catherine and I are members of the American Institute of CPAs.  All members were asked to write to the Treasury Secretary last week asking for the tax filing deadline to be delayed to match the tax payment due date that had already been extended.  The next day, the President extended the filing deadline.  This is very important to CPAs and tax preparers who have to meet with clients during tax season to be able to prepare returns by tax deadlines.  Thanks to the President's order, we can now keep our CPAs and their clients safer from the Corona Virus.  Thank you, Mr. President.  We appreciate your listening to concerns and your leadership in these trying times.

Possum or Opossum?

Good morning,

This is a zoomed image of a possum in the next yard from us.  Our pups made sure to let us (and the entire neighborhood) know she was there early one morning. 

Since she's out in the daytime, she probably has a passel of babies so is looking for food.  After I got these shots she went through an opening in the fence on the right side, then disappeared into a wooded area to the left of the stone benches.  We've seen possums here often during the years.  They eat all kinds of things we don't want around including slugs and ticks so we politely leave them alone.

And, either Possum or Opossum is correct.

:),
Lois

Hyacinth in the Rain

Good morning,

This pretty little flower has been blooming in our yard every Spring for many years now.  There are more getting ready to bloom, too.

The aroma is fabulous!

We're looking at all the positives!

Stay well, stay safe, stay strong,
Lois

Doggie Yoga

Good morning,

Elsa does her doggie yoga every day.  It's amazing how "long" she is!  She is definitely taller than our other Labs.

She is also developing a darker yellow back.  Our Yellow Lab started out nearly all white.  She is looking more and more like her Great Great Aunt Penny as a young girl.

We hope your "sheltering in place" is continuing to go well.

All the very best,
Lois