The Weekend

Hi friends. It's Monday, and on Mondays we recap our weekend happenings with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) and their Hello Monday hop. 

First things first...today is my older and only brother's birthday so happy birthday to him. He grew up with three sisters who all adored him and still do. I think we're all feeling extra grateful for our siblings this year especially. 

One of my favorite pics, wearing our jackets my Dad got us in Okinawa-

It was a spectacular weekend here weather wise, with bright blue skies and dreamy temps. Friday morning I did a few things around the house while hubs dealt with an annoying little problem in the waterfall. Once the waterfall guy came and tried a work around, hubs moved on to cleaning the dock and putting a few things away there. Man makes it hard to relax, but I do try. I declared it too pretty to work and he did agree so we went out to eat instead. 

Lunchtime view...

After lunch I went to a neighbor's house to play Mah Jong which is always fun. Hubs had plans that evening to go to a Clemson basketball game with a friend and I had plans to eat popcorn for dinner and watch a mindless movie on the couch. But! My next door neighbor messaged asking if we wanted to come over for dinner and cards and when I said hubs was going out she said I should come anyway so I did. 

Although a night on the couch was also pretty tempting.  Just sayin' 

It was fun though, and hubs came over after the game and joined us for a few hands. We stayed out way past my bedtime, but had a good time. 

Saturday morning it was coffee on the deck, then a couple of hours spent meandering around a little sip and shop event which was really nice. There were about fifty vendors there and the weather was gorgeous. 

Daughter1 and her crew met us there, and hubs bought all kinds of 'stuff' for the kids. Basically if Little Miss says she wants something he gets it for her. 

Listen, get yourself an adorable granddaughter who wraps you around her dainty little finger and you'll understand too. 

 

We came home and watched football on the screened porch for a couple of hours before heading out late afternoon to a lake party at a friend's house. I guess I should try to get more people in my pics, yes? Maybe next week. 

Some folks came by boat, but we drove because the house is by water a fair distance from us (not so far by car), and we thought it would be too chilly for the ride home. 

Here's something interesting...

This boater had a fire table on his pontoon. Hmmm. I mean it was the perfect day for it, but something about a fire table on a boat feels a little iffy to me. This particular table is made for boating so I guess it's safe? 

One of our favorite local musicians was playing at the party, and he and his band are so talented. There was a Bloody Mary bar, grilled oysters, and a food truck serving BBQ. 

Did I mention the weather? Glorious! 

We got home in time to see some of the Tennessee game, most importantly the win at the end. Such a good game! 

Sunday morning we went to church, had lunch at home, then I made a big pot of vegetable beef soup to have later this week. We have several things going on this week and it will be nice to have soup for whichever one of us is here for dinner. 

We're both out Monday night, but he's one place and I'm another. Same on Tuesday. We have company coming for dinner Wednesday so yay, we'll be cooking at home and together so whoohoo! Then I'm out Thursday and he'll be glad I made his favorite soup. Also a neighbor is having surgery so I'm going to share with them and this recipe makes a lot so I'll probably freeze some too. 

Hubs grilled a steak for our dinner Sunday night, and it was delish. Plus, this weather y'all. I think God knows we need an extra bit of beauty during these ever more contentious election cycles. I know it keeps me looking up...

...helps me remember He's got the whole world in His hands. 

"This is my Father's world, O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.' 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 679

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (November 11) to share answers with the internets. See you there! 

1. Marilyn texted me something that inspired this question, so thank you Marilyn! Of the following sayings, typically associated with the (American) southern way of speaking, which do you most relate to right now? Explain. 

Bless your heart~too big for yer britches~ madder than a wet hen~you're preachin' to the choir~

knee high to a grasshopper~oh my stars

2. The Hodgepodge lands on (US) Veterans Day this year. Are you a veteran? Have a family member who's a veteran? If you answered yes, tell us something about them. Will you do anything to mark the day in some special way? 

3. Is breakfast for dinner a stroke of genius or a sign of total household collapse? Is breakfast for dinner a regular thing at your house? Are all family members on board? 

4. How do you see the world? 

5. And this week's gratitude question-what's something about your surroundings (home, neighborhood, city) you're grateful for? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Share Your Shelf-October

It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to join Joanne and Dara in sharing what we read the month prior. Here's mine-

The Borrowed Life Of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

I actually read this one in September but forgot to include it in last month's recap. This is a sweet story, an enjoyable read, a little too long, and the premise just a little bit unbelievable, but you go with it because you like the characters so much. 

Fred is an 82-year old widower who is broke, lonely, and nearing homelessness after spending his life savings on medical bills for his late wife Dawn. While walking near a river Fred finds a dead man in a wheelchair who happens to look exactly like him. 

After an accidental roll down a hill Fred wakes up in the local nursing home and realizes he's been mistaken for the deceased man (Bernard). Fred decides to stay where the food is good, the bed is warm and he has instant friends. Complications arise when Bernard's estranged and pregnant daughter Hannah makes an unexpected visit and the story unfolds from there. 

Lots of bathroom humor but they're senior citizens in a nursing home so maybe that's to be expected? Still I liked this one. It was sweet and what I'd dub a feel good read. I gave it four stars. 

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

Raise your hand if you read The Help. Everybody read it, right? Or maybe you saw the movie? 

The Calamity Club is Kathryn Stockett's second novel, written some seventeen years after her wildly successful first novel-The Help.  We're back in the south, Mississippi to be precise,  and it's 1933 so the height of the Depression. 

The story follows an 11-year old orphan named Meg, an unmarried bookkeeper named Birdie, and Meg's formerly imprisoned mother Charlie as she and Birdie form an unlikely partnership in an attempt to rescue Meg from institutional abuse. In order to fund the rescue Birdie and Charlie open a 'business'. ahem. 

The book is over 600 pages long and I thought the middle could have been edited down without losing the storyline, but I did listen all the way to the end because I wanted to know what happened. I usually read 'real' books, but the Audible on this one is fantastic. You almost feel like you're listening to a play it's so well done. 

I had trouble rating this one because my feelings were mixed. The 'business' began to wear on me, but the writing is terrific I cared a lot about Meg, who is a delightful little girl despite her circumstances, and I think most readers are rooting for her the whole way through.  In the end I gave it four stars, mostly because I admire Stockett's ability to tell a story so completely and so well. 

The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon 

This is my book club's November read and I'll say right off the bat I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It's well written and in many spots feels like a novel. It's a book where you know the ending from the beginning and that knowledge hovers as you read. 

A shipwreck is pretty much my worst nightmare, and actually not even a shipwreck. Rough seas. No thank you. I think a lot of people in our group voted to read this one because we all like the Gordon Lightfoot song lol. Now that I've read the book I see how accurate the lyrics were. I also love the song Brandy and it's mentioned several times in the book as it became the sailor's anthem of sorts. 

The book chronicles the final, fatal 1975 voyage of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which was the largest freighter on the Great Lakes. We learn about the lives that were lost and the families touched by the tragedy when it sank on Lake Superior during a massive storm. 

I read the actual book which includes photographs. I knew almost nothing about life on the Great Lakes, how dangerous the shipping industry is there, and how brave the sailors. This is not a book I would have picked up on my own, and while I was expecting dry, it was a really interesting and emotional read. Five stars for me. 

Murder Takes A Vacation by Laura Lippman

My daughter's mother-in-law picked this one up in an airport and shared it with me when she was finished reading. I love a good mystery, and while this one did have you wondering, it was also quite silly in parts. However! I had two doctor's appointments last week that had me feeling anxious as I waited to be called in, and this book was a great distraction. 

Sometimes a light mystery is the perfect thing. 

Laura Lippman typically writes mystery, crime fiction, and suspense so this one, while a mystery, was a little lighter than her usual fare. 

The story centers around Muriel Blossom, a 68 -year old widower from Baltimore. Muriel won big in the lottery and booked a dream holiday to London followed by an upscale Seine river cruise in France. Her friend Elinor will join her for the cruise. 

On her way to Europe Muriel meets Allen Turner, romance blooms, and then within 24 hours of arriving in Paris Allan is found murdered. If I had to use one word to describe Muriel it would be naive. Or too-trusting. 

Muriel is then targeted by a number of suspicious characters in search of a missing artifact they believe Allen was carrying and the ending wraps up the whole thing in a tidy package. Like I said light, but still enjoyable. 

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 

Okay, who has read this and what did you think? It seems to be a love it or hate it kind of novel. 

I wasn't going to read it, but a neighbor shared it with me so I figured, why not?  One of my daughters told me she didn't think I'd like it and she was mostly right. Also, I follow Hannah Neeleman on Instagram aka Ballerina Farm, and pretty sure the author snatched a fair chunk of this story from Hannah's life. Not exactly, but I found myself thinking of her as I read. 

Now I will say I loved the premise of this book, but the main character Natalie never hit the mark for me. She's a mother who hates motherhood, a farm wife who hates farming, oh and by the way she isn't too crazy about her husband either.  

The story is described as a psychological thriller but I didn't get the thriller aspect at all. Natalie Heller Mills, is a successful  'Christian tradwife influencer' who has built her brand on a romanticized version of domestic bliss. Following a public scandal Natalie suddenly wakes up in the year 1855, where she's held captive by a brutal version of her own family and is forced to see the reality of the pioneer life she once sold as beatific to her millions of followers. 

I thought this book had so much potential but it's filled with cliches (partly the point I suppose), and felt like it was written for the social media crowd. For sure with the intention of going right to film. Which it will. Honestly I heard Anne Hathaway would star in the book turned movie before the book even had much press. 

I know I'm in the minority on this one but eh. Nope. Not for me. 

If you read something great recently send it my way. Be sure to hop over to the host blogs to see what others are reading too.

Fall Is Blooming In The Hodgepodge

Hello Hodgepodgers. Welcome to November and another week sharing our answers to random questions asked on Sundays, answered on Wednesdays. If you've played along today add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. It's the month of gratitude and everyone is grateful for your kind comments. Here we go-

1. Our  November Hodgepodges always include a question related to gratitude. What is one small thing you're grateful for today? 

Small town life. 

I'm answering these questions on Election Day and I voted.  Two of the poll workers were neighbors of mine, and I ran into three friends there who were also voting, one I hadn't seen in ages. She gave me a big hug and we made plans to get together before the end of the year. I love being out and about town and seeing people I know. 

2. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage-camellias...your favorite in an autumn garden? Would we find any of these in your yard/garden this year? 

I love them all, but I guess pansies might be my favorite of the blooms listed. We have camellias and they're beautiful too.  It's nice to see something blooming bright on a gray November day. 

3. If you could clear out or organize one physical space or mental habit before the year ends, what would it be?

Every time I open my phone or social media I think about how I need to go through all the saved files and open tabs there and get rid of anything I no longer want to make, buy, or remember. 

Then I want to make and buy and put the things I want to remember (quotes, thoughts shared, scripture, etc) in a place where I can refer to them besides on my phone. 

4. Brussels sprouts...love 'em or no thank you? If you said love 'em how do you like them prepared? 

I wouldn't say I love them, but yes I do like them. My favorite way to have them prepared is oven roasted with just salt, pepper, and some olive oil. I had a breakfast bowl recently that used roasted Brussels sprouts as the base instead of potatoes and it was delicious. And I have a recipe for an autumn salad that calls for shaved Brussels sprouts which is really yummy. I'm going to make that for a dinner party we're hosting soon. 

5. It's reassuring to know that____________________. 

As one of my favorite podcasters likes to say...God's eternal plan of redemption is going off without a hitch. Nothing that happens in this world comes as a surprise to Him and there is great comfort in remembering that. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

When I can't come up with anything random here's what you get...50 days until Christmas. Have you started shopping? Finished? In full on Thanksgiving mode until December? 

Autumn's Everyday Images

We've had such a beautiful fall. Even now with the leaves beginning to drop and many turning brown it's still beautiful. Our temperatures have been so nice during the day and while we need some rain I'm not going to complain about the sunshine that filled October. 

I'm linking today with Kym's most recent Everyday Images photo prompt challenge and I snapped most of these on walks around my neighborhood. It's a sea of gold and I love it. Photos can't completely capture the beauty. Several pictures could be used for more than one word prompt this time around and I like that. Here we go-

current season (quarterly)~crunchy~leaf~at home (monthly)~mailbox~wild~ black and white 

Current season~

It's fall y'all...

crunchy~

A walk this time of year takes me back to childhood. You're never to old to stomp through fallen leaves...

leaf~

at home~

We have walking paths throughout our neighborhood that connect the different sections. They're steep and I've got the ankle to prove it, but the woods are so pretty and we like walking here this time of year especially. 

This is a another side of 'at home'...

The lake. 

Autumn skies are the best, and I snapped this one from the dock because the sky said November, don't you think? 

wild~

We've got lemons. Another bumper crop which is wild to me. They normally take a little longer to ripen than they did this year, but these are ready. We've already picked some and I'm going to make lemon bars for friends who are coming to dinner tomorrow night. Hubs makes limoncello every year and most go to that, but I'll use a few for cooking too. 

Also we still have a handful of azaleas blooming here, but this is South Carolina and she clings to her summer blooms. 

mailbox/black and white~

There's always a prompt that proves to be a bit of a challenge, but I like trying to find something that fits. All the mailboxes in our neighborhood are the same so not that interesting, but they are black so that works. I spied a singular white gardenia bloom hanging on beside this one and voila...black and white and a mailbox too-

"Autumn carries more gold in it's pocket than all the other seasons." Jim Bishop 

Remember Remember...

It's somehow November. We had a good weekend here and Mondays are when we chat about what we did. 

Friday night our neighborhood had a costume party and it was a lot fun. Hubs and I had what might be dubbed a 'couples costume' as in we went together. He dressed as a boy scout and I was the campfire. My costume was comfy and fun to wear and hubs was an actual boy scout so used most of his own stuff.

The party was in our neighborhood clubhouse and the food was catered. There were a couple of games which were just right, and then we all voted on best costume. The weather was perfect and I'm going to say we've had an absolutely spectacular fall. 

Saturday morning sunrise says I'm right. 

Hubs and I took the little brown dog for a nice walk around the neighborhood, then spent the afternoon reading, watching football, and I took a nap because life has caught up with me. Later we met up with daughter1 and her crew for dinner at a local brewery after they finished trick or treating. 

They had the best costumes, each one a character from Lord of The Rings. My daughter and son-in-law read the series aloud to the boys so they know who's who. So good! My youngest grandson was under the weather on Halloween so missed some of the fun, but dad took Sugar trick or treating and she shared with her brother. She was dressed as a princess and we think that's perfect for her. 

Sunday hubs and I went to church, then after lunch he went to watch football with a neighbor and I worked on my blog. We regrouped late afternoon to go to our middle grandson's birthday party which had a pirate theme. 

My daughter has an art background and as a momma to three kids their birthdays give her an outlet for her creative side. 

She drew the tablecloths as pirate maps-

Everyone found their pirate name, they mined for treasures...

...ate pizza, roasted marshmallows, and of course celebrated the birthday boy with a fabulous chocolate cake. 

It was another fun backyard birthday where the kids ran around, played soccer, climbed on the playset, and had a ball just being kids. 

Looking forward to a month where gratitude is the focus and there is so much to be grateful for. Hope your weekend was a good one too. 

If you blogged hop over to the host blogs and add your link too-Holly (The Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books).