Whole Foods Three Blocks Away

Everyone in the neighborhood was waiting for the big day. Whole Foods was finally going to open in the Yards. We weren’t able to make the grand opening morning, but walked over the following Sunday to pick up something for supper. The place was PACKED. And you see a lot of Whole Foods shopping bags coming in our building. After all, it is located hardly three blocks from here - just on the other side of the overpass. So this morning we decided to stop in and pick up a couple of items - peppers, cheese, bread, and a cooked chicken for dinner. The place was empty at that time of the day. So we checked out the aisles to see what was available. I don’t see it as our “go to” grocery store because it doesn’t have a lot of the more familiar brands we prefer. But it is very convenient for a couple of items kind of thing and Amazon Prime might get us a bit of a discount. Everything looked good and maybe we just need to get more familiar with it. They do have a breakfast bar which may come in handy after the morning walk. But the timing must be right to avoid the morning/lunch change up. When we moved to DC twelve years ago none of this existed. From our house to the Nationals Stadium the neighborhood has been completely transformed. Being able to walk to groceries, restaurants, dentist, doctor, haircut, etc is really nice - if you can stand all the inconvenience and noise of an urban environment. 

Plated Road Trip - Road to Discovery Tour

It looked like any other trailer on the road, but when we reached it, it was quite different. It had a name and website on it, but I had never heard of plated.com. So I looked it up and it has something to do with cooking and the audience appears to be for folks who are rediscovering the joy of cooking. I never cared for cooking, and luckily I have a husband who loves not only cooking but also grocery shopping. And if I do cook, I need to follow a recipe precisely - whereas he just throws stuff together and it always comes out right. The idea for plated.com is that you order food and it gets delivered to you in just the right amount and portions with a recipe for you to create a perfectly balanced meal. A meal for four runs close to $100.00. I know we won't ever use this service, but I suppose it must meet a need and or is a niche service for those eager to check out another way of doing things. So we didn't exactly join them on the road to discovery, but it interested me enough to learn more about it. Have you used this service? 

PetSmart Blue Health Bars

We got our Borzoi from a farm in Indiana many years ago. We met the breeder at a dog show when we were trying to figure out what kind of dog would be best for us. We went to see this particular breed and learn more about it. We haven't driven to Wisconsin since we moved to DC nine years ago. So we decided we would on this trip to visit our neighbors and see some old friends. And on the way back home we plan to stop by the horse farm in Lowell Indiana to visit the place our pooch came from all those years ago. But we couldn't go without some treats. So we stopped at a PetSmart and picked up a variety of Blue cookies. I can't wait to see all the furry wolfhounds that age in ranges from puppy to senior citizen. Do you think my husband will notice if I sneak one in to the car? It's been awhile since we've even been in a pet store. I never heard of the Blue brand. I don't think the dogs will care. After all, it's the thought that counts. 

Create a Pinterest Life History - A Great Way to Get to Know Someone - Yourself!

There are a lot of ways to get to know someone. But I think I found a way that is easy to put together, and fun to look at whenever you - or someone else - feel like reviewing your life. I don't know exactly what came over me to even think about it. I use a LOT of social media sites to promote my digital art. In fact, I spend a lot of time keeping things updated on a daily basis- including this blog. Pinterest is known for its visual appeal, and it is full of every category from food, to books, to movies, to TV shows, historical places, people - you name it. So a week ago I started thinking about the kinds of things I really like - the things that bring a smile to my face and force a recall of pleasant memories - and created a new Pinterest board called My Favorite Things. It began with my favorite borzoi dog, and ended up with the Masterpiece Mystery show Endeavor. I don't think there was one item I could not find as a sample picture of what I was thinking. There is a lot of stuff in between - Mr. Potato Head, Madame Alexander dolls, favorite movies and books, places we have visited. Now when I think of something else, I just add it on. I know it sounds a little sick, but it could be used as a eulogy in a manner of speaking. You might be surprised to see someone's personal favorite board. I'm wondering what my husband will think of mine. I highly recommend this little activity that could turn in to a pastime. It really does bring a smile to my face whenever I look at it. 

The McLean Adventure

It's so wonderful to be off today! So we decided to run a couple errands and explore McLean, Virginia. The best part is the drive along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. And wouldn't you know there was a red mini convertible right in front of us most of the way. There is this thing about minis in this neighborhood....check out an earlier blog post! Anyway, we got off on highway 123 and headed towards our destination. We usually tend to dine in Alexandria, but thought we'd try something new. To my delight, and my husband's dismay, we ended up at the McLean Family Restaurant - the first thing we came upon. It reminded us both of Ma Fisher's in Milwaukee. It is a typical Greek, cheap, but always busy place. We stopped at the little Potomac Farm Market for some corn and watermelon. It's always got a steady stream of customers. We ended up with a pear the guy really wanted us to try. The Total Wine Store was the real reason for the trip. It's huge, and you can get just about anything, plus cheese, at a significant discount than the grocery stores. The gas price in Georgetown was $5.29 this weekend! And along the way today the prices varied from $4.25 to the deal we found at $3.81. It doesn't take much for us to have a good day - and this was one of them.

Indigo Landing

Driving along the George Washington Parkway this afternoon on our way to Alexandria for lunch and errands, we always pass by Indigo Landing. We've been to this restaurant several times, but not recently. It reminds us of a place called Pieces of Eight in Milwaukee, because it was also located on the water- Lake Michigan - and was nestled among a lot if sailing vessels. It's a great place to watch planes flying in and taking off from Reagan Airport, and has a birds-eye view of DC. During the summer, the kids take sailing and parasailing lessons, and it is all quite colorful. The bike/walking trail winds its way past here to Mount Vernon. It has the feel of an old supper club, even though it was recently renovated. There are two other restaurant choices right on the parkway- Cedar Knoll and the restaurant at Mount Vernon. Once in a while it's worth the trip, but probably not habit forming.

Something Stuffed Food Truck

A new entry in to the food truck craze is Something Stuffed. A purple truck was parked right in front of Subway and Bullfeathers and the Thai place along First Street. Right next to the truck was the shoeshine guy that sets up his shop every day in front of Bullfeathers. He always extends a warm greeting and has become somewhat of a fixture. Regardless of how long the customer line is anxiously waiting to be served, it always blocks the sidewalk and no one has the intention of moving out of your way, even though it is plain as day that someone is trying to pass by. This truck serves up local ingredients and the menu changes around depending on what is in season. Veggie and meat chili, dumplings filled with a variety of stuffings, and even apple pie can be had. As I get to go home for lunch every day, I never actually taste the options, but at least folks who work around here can. I just wish they would move out of the way once in a while.