I saw the package of portabella mushrooms at Sam’s Club from two aisles away. There were four, large portabellas in the pack, nearly perfect in size for stuffing something, so I bought them. But what to stuff? Sam’s Club also had a sweet deal on their fresh crabmeat. It looked fresh, so I bought a pound, perfect for stuffing the portabellas. To create a delicious entrée with portabella … [Read more...]
Remembering the Christmas Specials
For the heck of it, we watched Frosty the Snow Man on TV one night this week. Jimmy Durante was the narrator, of course, and we sang along to the words of Frosty the Snow Man. “Thumpity, Thump, Thumpity, Thump, Look at Frosty Go.” One thing I dearly miss from our Boomer years is a December full of great Christmas specials on TV. This was entertainment at its finest – top stars, top acts, great … [Read more...]
Bluebirds, Bluebirds Everywhere
I am on the Next-Door mailing list, which lets neighbors share tips, warnings, and general messages. One of the neighbors wrote about late nesting bluebirds and others chimed in that they had seen more bluebirds this year than ever. And I agree. My bluebirds had three successful nests, including a late hatch, and my feeders and birdbaths have since been filled with the cheerful … [Read more...]
A Dirty Birthday Present
My daughter asked what I want for my birthday – something I really wanted. I thought a minute and said that what I’d really like is for somebody to bring 20 bags of processed manure, dump it on my garden and plow it up. So, my three sweet children went in together, hired a skilled landscape guy who came out, thoroughly tilled the garden, added the manure, and tilled it again. My garden is … [Read more...]
Virginia Saltwater Thanksgiving Fishing Report
Fishing for rockfish, speckled trout and puppy drum is excellent, offering a perfect opportunity for those with extra time off this weekend. Speckled trout are being caught in Lynnhaven, Rudee, and Little Creek inlets, Poquoson Flats, creeks along the Eastern Shore Bayside, and the York and Elizabeth rivers. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel pilings are holding striped bass, with … [Read more...]
A Christmas Card Booklet
I wrote a short story called “While Shepherds Watched” and published a few booklets last year. It is a story about a young shepherd boy and his experience on Christmas Eve as he kept watch over his flocks by night. We sold all the booklets quickly at $10 each. In the publishing business, the more you print, the less expensive they are, so this year I printed a bunch and got the price down to $5 … [Read more...]
Old Businesses of Charlottesville
Miller & Rhoads Miller & Rhoads was as Virginia as a field of Wakefield peanuts. A prestigious department store based out of Richmond; Miller & Rhoads had two locations in Charlottesville when I came to town in 1968. The Downtown Store and one at Barracks Road Shopping Center. There are two things that stand out in my memories of Miller & Rhoads - the Gift Wrap Lady and … [Read more...]
Toys of My Life
A Wham-O Sling Shot It was one of the top 5 of my favorite toys and possessions as I grew up in the 1950’s. It was a Wham-O sling shot. I bought my first one for a dollar at Al Cohen’s Pawn Shop in Beckley, WV. My sidekick, Freddie Arnold, and I saw them on display in the store on our way from a Tarzan movie and we each had a crisp dollar bill in our wallets. We spent hours and hours with what … [Read more...]
Taco Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
Everybody loves tacos. Everybody loves sliders and everybody loves Hawaiian Rolls. Why not throw them all together for a fun and delicious dish – Taco Sliders. When I saw the recipe, it sounded so good I had to try it and it’s a winner as either an appetizer or an entree. And easy, as well. Start by browning a pound of lean ground beef, then add a packet of taco seasoning. You could also add … [Read more...]
Five Stars for Five Star Painting
Our kitchen cabinets needed painting. They had chipped and scuffed over the years and needed either replacing or some serious painting. We went with painting, but cabinets aren’t like walls and ceilings. They need special care, the right paint, and the right painters. In the old days, we could call one of our painter friends, but most are now long gone, and we had no painter contacts. We called … [Read more...]
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