Exploring the simple pleasures in life.
After many years of effort, I have found that the key to true happiness comes with learning to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. It’s in the awesome feeling that you have when the garden is full of beautiful banana peppers. It comes from spending time with the people you love and sharing fantastic adventures with them. This Uncomplicated Life is my way of sharing my journey into finding and enjoying the simple pleasures.
Waterfalls, Waterfalls, Waterfalls
We set off for the mountains on a quest for waterfalls. I was a little concerned that, with it being so late in the year, the waterfalls would not be great, but it had snowed a week before our trip, so we went hoping for the best. My anticipation grew as we got into the mountains. We could see that the river was very high and there were small waterfalls all over the place. We wound our way up and over the mountain until we spotted the beautiful Falling Spring Falls just off to the left of the road. We parked in the small lot and walked down the path for a better view, entranced by the breathtaking view of the falls. The river plunges 80 feet into the valley below. I found it very interesting that the waterfall relocated due to fertilizer mining, was once a 200-foot drop. There were a myriad of puff-ball mushrooms in the parking lot, which Chris loved. Evidently, the moisture from the snowfall, followed by the warmer weather, made conditions conducive for their growth. We made our way back down the winding road to Covington, where we stopped for a nice lunch at Fudge Street [...]
Public Fish and Oyster Review
On our way through Charlottesville, VA we stopped at Public Fish and Oyster for dinner. It is a typical downtown Charlottesville restaurant, small, in a narrow space, but full of character. As you enter a bar sits on the left side and small tables on the right. The tin ceiling overhead is beautiful. We arrived in time to take advantage of their happy hour deals. They offer drink specials as well as discounts on raw oysters. They offer eight different oysters. The Katama Bays had sold out, so we ordered two each of the other seven. This was my first experience with oysters on the half shell. I never knew that oysters had so many different flavors. We sampled oysters from several spots in Virginia, Massachusetts, Long Island, and Prince Edward Island. After experimenting with lemon, mignonette sauce, and cocktail sauce, I found that I like my oysters with just a squeeze of lemon juice. Next, we ordered Moules Frites, Prince Edward Island mussels with Belgian fries and aioli. They offer four different preparations for the mussels. We opted for the Classic Mariniere, white wine, shallots, lemon, parsley, and cream. The mussels were perfectly cooked, the sauce divine and the [...]
Fudge Street Cafe Review
On our quest for waterfalls, we stopped at Fudge Street Cafe in Covington, VA for brunch. The restaurant is in an old warehouse. I found the decor quite charming. There is a floor-to-ceiling mirror, in the old-school, leaning on the wall style, and an old-fashioned dress tree adorning the bathroom. The dining room is spacious with hardwood floors. Sunday's menu is a brunch buffet with both breakfast and lunch items available. The food was nothing particularly special, but it was good. There was a nice variety, including a salad bar, eggs, chicken, pork, fish, vegetables, breads, and dessert. The fried pork chops were tasty and very moist. I also enjoyed the white pepper gravy and the cherry cobbler. The room was festive with holiday decorations and Christmas music playing. I was happy to hear that they included "Baby It's Cold Outside" in their selections. The most outstanding thing in this restaurant was the overwhelming friendliness of the staff. Cost for two cocktails, a shot, and two buffets $51.25.
Our Christmas Town Adventure
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens has been around for 10 years. I have never been. When they first opened, I had season passes for Busch, but they did not include Christmas Town. As the boys grew older and became less interested in family trips to Busch Gardens, I eventually stopped getting passes. Last month I found a promotion for Christmas Town tickets for $20 each. As this will be our last Christmas season in Williamsburg I decided to take advantage of the deal. Christmas Town tickets are date specific, so we picked a Monday night. The least expensive tickets were during the week and I knew we would not be working. The day before we were to go we were hit by a snowstorm. Busch Gardens closed due to the storm. Not knowing if they would reopen on Monday, I looked up their inclement weather policy. If they close, tickets are good for the next six days. I was a bit nervous as we would not be able to go within that time period. Fortunately, it was a non-issue as they were able to open on Monday. We headed to Busch just after the sun went down. When I previously [...]
Appreciating the Small Pleasures
It seems that, in this world that we live in, it is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we very often miss out on enjoying life. Between working to make ends meet, the fast pace of raising kids with all of their activities, keeping up with home life and the pursuit of recreation it is difficult sometimes to see what is right in front of us. We always seem to have to be this place at this time and get so wrapped up in the schedule that we forget to slow down and just enjoy what is. Yesterday I had plans for how I was going to spend my day off. My intent was to finish up my Christmas shopping, write a post and do some laundry. Yesterday it snowed. Not an "oh, isn't it pretty" and now let me get on with my day snow, this was a heavy, wet, shut everything down, cars all over the road, power out kind of snow, . Christmas shopping cancelled. Laundry halfway done. No writing. I decided that I would go for a walk to take some pictures of the snow. It was cold [...]
Chao Phraya Thai and Sushi Grill Review
We recently stopped at Chao Phraya Thai and Sushi Grill in Kilmarnock, VA for dinner. I have never had Thai cuisine before, so the idea of tasting something new excited me. The hostess greeted us and seated us promptly. We ordered sake and the Golden Calamari and Veggies (broccoli and sweet potatoes). The calamari was delicious with a very delicate breading. We took our time looking over the menu as I was not familiar with any of the dishes. Our server gave us our space until we were ready to order. I settled on the Gai Pad Khing Sapparot, stir-fried chicken with black mushroom, pineapple, ginger, scallion and chilis in a chef special seasoning sauce. The sauce had a beautiful full flavor. The dish had a very dark, thin strip that I did not recognize. Curious to figure out what it was, I tasted the strip to realize that it was the mushroom. I really enjoyed the sense of discovery that I felt. The ginger added a lovely pop of peppery brightness and the pineapple brought a wonderful touch of sweetness. The dish was perfectly sized, leaving me comfortably full without feeling stuffed. Chris had the Seafood Paradise, a combination of [...]
Fossils, Mushrooms and a Ferry
Our latest adventure was close to home. We ventured across the James River on the ferry to Chippokes Plantation State Park. Our timing to the ferry was good. We could see it approaching as we pulled up and knew the wait would not be long. We had some fries left from our stop for a snack at Wendy's. We enjoyed feeding the gulls while we waited for the ferry. They flocked around us almost taking the fries right out of Chris's hand. I was particularly entertained by the gull who landed on the hood of our car and strutted around begging for a fry. Of course, we rewarded him for his efforts. After we boarded the ferry I enjoyed watching the many cormorants posted up on the moorings as if they were sentinels. Once we were underway, I headed to the back of the ferry to feed the multitude of gulls the last of the fries. It was amusing watching them as they swooped, soared and dipped around the back of the boat. After the 15-minute ferry ride, we made our way to The Surry Seafood Company where we enjoyed lunch. After a short drive, we arrived at Chippokes Plantation State Park. [...]
Two Drummers Smokehouse Review
On our way to York River State Park, we decided to stop for lunch at Two Drummers Smokehouse. We had heard good things about it, but it is a little off our beaten path. Located a few miles past Toano, it was worth the drive out. We opted to sit at the bar and I started with a Drummers Rum Punch, a lovely concoction of light and dark rums, orange and pineapple juices and grenadine with a splash of soda. We ordered the Pork Belly Burnt Ends, twice smoked pork belly in a honey BBQ sauce with pickled red onions and feta on a toasted tortilla. The burnt ends had a rich smoky caramelized flavor and the tacos were delicious. Chris ordered the 12 Hour Beef Brisket with collard greens and a cheddar grit cake. There are three sauces on the table, a vinegar-based (my favorite of the three), a mustard-based, and a honey BBQ sauce. The brisket had a wonderful smoky flavor. The cornbread was delicious and very moist. I had the Two Drummers Reuben, smoky brisket with sauerkraut, 1000 Island and Swiss cheese. I really enjoyed the flavor of the brisket with the Reuben flavors. The sandwich was [...]
The Surry Seafood Company Review
Last week we made our way across the James River on the ferry and had lunch at The Surry Seafood Company. The restaurant is on the water with large windows across the back which allows for a great view while dining. There is a large outdoor patio as well and plenty of dock space if you choose to arrive by boat. Ericka was friendly and quick to replace the dirty appetizer plates that were on our table. I ordered a Sunset Crush from the cocktail menu, a bright, refreshing, delicious combination of Absolut Mandarin, Triple Sec and Sprite with muddled oranges. Chris ordered the Classic Oyster Shooter made with wild-caught local oysters. The shooter had two oysters and was a little too big to shoot. He also noticed that the oysters, while local, had been frozen. My Crab Soup was the highlight of the meal. Made with backfin from local blue crabs the luscious soup was rich and creamy. I wish I had ordered a bowl instead of the cup. We both ordered scallops. Chris chose a plate with half broiled scallops and half blackened with squash and onion rings. The scallops were beautifully cooked. The onion rings had a [...]
What Am I Thankful For?
Photo by Sigmon Taylor Photography. I do my best to remember to appreciate what I have every day. It tends to keep my life in perspective, especially when I am going through hard times or am just feeling a little off. Since today is Thanksgiving I have decided to share just some of what I am thankful for. First and foremost I am thankful for my wonderful family, Chris, our three young men and now the three lovely young ladies who have become part of our family. My family is my life. They are the reason I get up every morning. They are the reason I work so hard. They are everything to me. I am thankful for my boys. Raising them has been the most amazing adventure I have undertaken. I am thankful that I could be a stay-at-home mom for their early years and was able to share in all of their activities...sports, school plays, scouts and just general everyday stuff. We managed to make it through the teenage years pretty unscathed and intact. I am very thankful that they have grown into well-adjusted and promising young men. Do they have it all figured out? No, but they are [...]
Black & Decker Portable Power Station Review
Our first time camping at the festival Chris had the foresight to make sure that I was comfortable in the hopes that I would enjoy the experience and want to do it again (that definitely worked out). One of our purchases to ensure my comfort was an air mattress. We borrowed our son's power station to inflate it. When we started our monthly excursions we borrowed the power supply again. When we packed up from our trip in November, we had a problem with starting the car. In attempting to get it to start, we killed the battery. Here we were all alone in an empty campground with a dead battery. We pulled out the power station, jumped the battery with it and were soon on our way. We decided to get our own power station. We found the Black & Decker Portable Power Station for a great price on eBay. It is small, measuring 15.2 by 13 inches and 6 inches high, so fits in the truck without taking up a lot of space. It fits nicely under our small bedside table so we can charge our phones and speaker in the tent. It weighs about 20 pounds so [...]
Shorty’s Diner Review
Shorty's Diner is one of my favorite places for breakfast in Williamsburg. They are open from 6 am to 2 pm every day. They serve breakfast all day, which is great for me since I rarely make it out in time for a typical restaurant breakfast. Shorty's Diner is just that, a diner. The tables are close together and there is a wonderful cacophony of sound as people enjoy their food. An eclectic collection of knickknacks decorates the dining room. One of our favorite items to get is their Classic Reuben, which we add a fried egg to. While a messy sandwich, it is absolutely delicious with the beautiful egg yolk blending with the corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and dressing. We went yesterday (Sunday) near noon, which is a very busy time for them. Expecting to wait for a table, we were nicely surprised when we were immediately seated. In no time we Shaniqua greeted us. She was friendly, efficient and attentive. We ordered the chicken fried steak with grits and Eggs Benedict with hash browns. Despite the restaurant being completely packed, our food arrived quickly. Perfectly cooked, the food was delicious. We were never made to feel rushed even though there was a [...]