Not many husbands give their wives a chainsaw for a birthday present, but I did, and Nancy loves it.  My sweet wife loves to putz around the yard,  sprucing up, weeding,  watering and general maintenance. I would consider that work. She considers it therapy. In her therapy, she is having an on-going war with a certain holly bush in the front yard and a stand of forsythia in the back. … [Read more...]

  I don’t shop often at Harris Teeter. It’s a little out of the way and I find it pricey, but when I do, I look for their Argentine Shrimp. They make the trip worthwhile. Harris Teeter is one of the few stores that regularly stocks Argentine Shrimp. As advertised, these shrimp are wild-caught off the coast of Patagonia, in Argentina. They are also known as Wild Red Shrimp and Patagonian … [Read more...]

  My go-to breakfast recently has been a thin slice of country ham on a potato roll slider bun with some melon on the side. Country ham, I’ve found, has a lot less calories than bacon or a slab of sausage, so I can eat that breakfast, get my meat and protein fix and still lose weight. Not every grocery store stocks country ham for slicing, but I had stopped at the Food Lion Deli in … [Read more...]

  I was picking up a few last-minute items from Food Lion in Ruckersville and saw an end-counter display of marinades. I am always looking for good marinades and one caught my eye – it was a Sweet Apple Marinade made by Taste of Inspirations. Sweet apple? That sealed the deal. I was having a pork tenderloin cooked on the grill and apples and pork go together like Robinson and … [Read more...]

  If you can’t go to the Outer Banks, bring the Outer Banks to you. That’s what we did a year ago. After a great four-day getaway, we stopped by Outer Banks Driftwood in Kill Devil Hills on our way back home and bought three pieces of beautiful driftwood. One is now overlooking our goldfish pond. It’s a classic cypress stump that washed up on shores of the Outer Banks, no telling how many … [Read more...]

I know we’re supposed to “social distance” and all that mask stuff, but when it comes to birds, I want to draw a crowd. The more the merrier, bring ‘em on. The best way, I have found to attract lots of birds is to – first – provide fresh water – and second, provide multiple food sources. If you put up a feeder with sunflower and basic seeds, you’ll certainly attract birds, but a limited … [Read more...]

  I had a Food Saver years ago. I used it often and regularly. Then, one day, the sealer no longer worked, and a Food Saver is of no use if it can’t seal packages. I went without for a while, then saw a Brand-X Food Saver that was considerably less than the real thing. I bought it and it never worked. So for maybe 10 years I have done without and relied on Zip-Locks. Last Christmas, my … [Read more...]

  Sam’s Club never ceases to amaze me. They are always bringing in new and exciting products - most recently Kobe Beef hamburger. Well, it’s really not Kobe (Japanese) hamburger. It’s the American version of Kobe beef - Wagyu Beef, and it’s just as good. When we go to Bonefish Grill, if I don’t order Fish N Chips, I’ll order the Wagyu Burger – it is scrumptious. Sam’s Club now … [Read more...]