Every Day is a Gift!
On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 6:33 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched successfully from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket was on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.
The sky was perfectly clear as I waited for the rocket to appear. Just a few minutes after launch the Falcon 9 lit up the sky with it’s exhaust plume known as a Space Jellyfish.
What an amazing way to start a Tuesday morning!
Shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday
One of my granddaughters helped me plant a Cara Cara Orange tree in April, 2021. The tree has survived snow, an ice storm, and tropical storms. Up until this year the tree has only produced a few edible oranges.
There are several oranges on the tree but it will be a while before they are ready to pick. I can’t wait!
Shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday
October 10, 2023 – Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
When I read that the 2026 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta began yesterday, October 3, memories of my experience at the Fiesta three years ago came flooding back.
Tuesday, October 10 was the first of three incredible days at the Fiesta. There was a lot of activity on the field as the pilots and crews prepared their balloons for launch. The sky was filled with hot air balloons of all shapes, sizes and colors.
My brother volunteers as a launch director every year. They are called Zebras because of their black and white striped shirts. Their job is to make sure the balloons take off safely. I tried to keep up with him as he ran around the field giving the pilots the go ahead to launch their balloon.
I was exhausted and my feet hurt at the end of each day of the Fiesta but it was an experience I will never forget.
Shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday
When I read Joy Neal Kidney’s post Ruby Neal’s Tater Tot Casserole I got it in my head that I had to make it. I live in the south eastern United State in the southern state of Georgia. Until I read Joy’s blog post I had never even heard of a Tater Tot Casserole (in some parts of the U. S. a casserole is known as a Hot Dish.)
I am a fan of Tater Tots and usually have a bag in my freezer but I was out of them. I made a trip to my favorite Publix grocery store and went straight to the frozen potato section of the store. Much to my surprise the shelves where the Tater Tots should be were empty except for a few bags of Star Tater Tots. There was another shopper staring at the empty shelves. We had a short discussion about the situation. In the end he bought a bag of the Star Tots. I decided to go back another day for the original log shaped Tots.
The next afternoon I returned to the store, went back to the frozen potatoes and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw there were still out of Tater Tots! As I was pushing my shopping cart to another aisle a helpful Publix employee asked me if I found everything I needed. I told her they were out of Tater Tots.
She was surprised to hear that. She said “I work in a different department but I will find someone who can check to see if we have any in stock.”
About that time another employee who worked in the freezer department was walking by. She asked him to see if there were any Tater Tots available. He went with me to the empty shelves and did a search on his phone. He looked at me and said “We have a shipment coming tomorrow afternoon.”
I was still standing in front of the freezer when the first employee came up to check on things. We started talking about Tater Tot casseroles and I told her I wasn’t sure if the Star Tater Tots would be good.
A third Publix employee overheard our conversation and walked up to us to join us in staring at the empty freezer shelves. She said “I made a Tater Tot Casserole with the Star Tots and it was good.”
That was exactly what I needed to hear. I thanked them all for their help, tossed the bag into my cart and finished my shopping.
I made the casserole the next night. I made a few tweaks to the recipe from Joy’s post. Many thanks to Joy for the inspiration for this post and to Joy’s grandma Ruby Neal for the inspiration for this recipe.
Wandering Dawgs Tater Tot Casserole
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef in large skillet, stir in onion, garlic, and carrot about 5 minutes, Drain excess fat, reserving about 2 tablespoons. Stir in flour for a couple of minutes, then gradually stir in milk and beef stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Worcestershire sauce. Cook until sauce starts to thicken. If too thick, add a little more beef stock. Stir in frozen peas and frozen corn. Pour into 9×9 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Arrange Tater Tots to cover the top of the casserole. Cook in preheated oven 25 -30 minutes until bubbly and Tots are golden brown.
Henry and I both gave the dish two thumbs up! I think the stars made it more festive and fun.
Publix advertises their stores as “Publix: Where Shopping is a Pleasure.” I’ve always had excellent customer service at this store but having three employees helping me went above and beyond customer service.
Shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday
August 30, 2022
Four years ago today we were cruising south towards Vancouver, Canada on the last day of our incredible Inside Passage cruise on the Viking Orion. The sunny day was perfect for sitting outside enjoying the beautiful views.
Shared with John’s Cellpic Sunday
Every Day is a Gift
