Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Pretend It's Monday

If you're looking for this week's Hodgepodge questions, they are one post down. 

As I walked the recycling bins to the curb this morning I couldn't help but think about how amazing the temperature felt. Just the right amount of warmth on my skin and sunshine reaching down from a bright blue sky. 


We haven't had much of a spring here this year, but these past couple of days have been absolutely gorgeous, the kind of days that make you want to stand outside and turn your face heavenward. I wonder if I'd even mark a morning like this one had the winter been less brutal. Perhaps we need winter to more deeply appreciate the gift of spring. 

There's a life lesson in there somewhere I'm sure. 

We had such a nice weekend, and I hope yours was the same. Of course it feels like a Monday, so I'm going to catch up here as if it were...just play along. Friday hubs and I had an early dinner then came home and finally watched American Hustle, which I thought was just eh. I wanted to like it, but think it was way over hyped. 

So why is it always the case that when you don't have to be up at the crack of dawn, you wake up at the crack of dawn?  Hubs was up before the sun Saturday morning, and wanted me to accompany him to the gun range. For the record, when he gets an idea in his head you need to just get on board. I hadn't even had a full cup of coffee. 


He hit some clay targets and I tried firing the shotgun, which is not really my thing. I'd rather point and shoot my camera, except I didn't bring my camera so you're getting a so-so picture from my phone. Which hubs took (obviously), but let's not blame the photographer, it's the phone. I need an upgrade. 

Remember when we bought phones for making calls and not for the quality of the camera? 

Saturday afternoon we went a few towns over to see a movie. We wanted Indian food for dinner so decided on a theatre closer to the restaurant, which turned out to be a good call. The theatre was small, but all the seats were big huge comfy recliners. The kind that go all the way back. I told hubs the movie better be good, or else to wake me at the end.  No need...we saw Million Dollar Arm and both loved it, and of course having Indian food afterwards felt appropriate. 

We always feel a little homesick for the UK when we eat Indian food. Just sayin'. 


Sunday was an absolutely picture perfect day, and we finally got a few of our pots planted, the patio cleaned up, and some odds and ends done in the yard. Honestly this was the first weekend where that felt possible. Friends came for dinner and hubs made the first fire of the season. We sat outside and let spring soak into our skin.  


Just before Christmas hubs put some solar lights on the bushes that surround our fire pit. Then came the snows. I mean THE SNOWS, and those lights were forgotten. One early April morning I glanced out my kitchen window to see Christmas lights shining in the backyard. Our back is private so we decided to leave them for a bit. Old man winter was hanging on, and seeing those Christmas lights when I looked out the window made me smile.  


Sunday hubs took them off the hedge, but we weren't quite ready to let them go. He got creative and  wrapped them around the pole we hang flower baskets from then dubbed it our 'festivus tree'. Colored twinkle lights make the world a happier place, don't you think? 

Monday morning I went to boot camp. I have to say that a few months ago I would have used the 'holiday' as an excuse not to work out, but not anymore. I got up and went, happily I might add. Hubs ran while I was in 'camp' then we came home, put our flag in it's stand, and headed over to the tinytown parade. 


I think I love small town America on days like this one more than any other. A soft breeze was blowing and flags were flying in neighborhoods and businesses and around the center square. 


Children of all ages donned red, white, and blue, and I always feel such a mixture of pride and patriotism as I stand along Main Street and see the veterans and scout troops and fire fighters pass by.  The high school band played the Marine Corps Hymn right in front of where we stood, which could not have been more perfect. 


Afterwards we sat on the Boardwalk for a while and watched some of the water ski team's exhibition, then grabbed lunch nearby, al fresco of course! We had a delightfully delightful afternoon nap, then hubs grilled burgers for dinner, and we wrapped up the day with Jack. Bauer not Daniels. Ha!   

So how'd you spend your weekend? 

22 comments:

  1. How long have you been going now to boot camp? do you find its getting easier? I joined the gym last September. I do enjoy it and I never thought I would say that. I love lights in a backyard.

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  2. Joyce, your long weekend sounds wonderful and relaxing. I must agree with your opinion on small-town parades. Several years ago, we took my parents on a trip to Colorado with us which included being in Creede, Co. on the 4th of July. This was one of the most memorable experiences we had on the whole trip. There is just something especially patriotic about these small town folks. Love your patio and know you will enjoy it many more times before the heat of summer shows its nasty head.

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  3. I am so glad someone else did not care for American Hustle, I thought I was the only one! Loved your recap, sounds like a nice weekend!
    We also had DELICIOUS weather ALL weekend! We did a lot of yardwork, but took in the new X-Men movie and ate around as well.
    Your backyard is just loverly!

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  4. Hubs forgot one important rule of firearms safety. "NEVER give a woman a loaded firearm before she has had her coffee!" I'm glad it all worked out. Love the pictures and thanks for sharing your weekend...definitely a keeper.

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  5. I love your "festivus" pole and your backyard patio looks so inviting! I totally get what you are saying about wanting to turn your face heavenward and enjoy the beautiful day. We had a rough winter here in the Midwest like so much of the country and a very delayed spring so when it's nice now, we appreciate it so much and just want to enjoy it all we can. :)

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  6. Your patio is the perfect place to kick back and enjoy a book, or family and friends! Really lovely, Joyce. I'm from one of those small towns and used to love marching in the band for the Memorial Day parade. It always ended at the cemetery, and the two first trumpets would sneak off to different positions and play echo taps. I still get goosebumps when I hear it. Loved doing that. Thanks for sharing your weekend! I've blogged about ours - visiting the Grandson in Naples, and then pool time at home, with burgers on the grill. It was nice!

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  7. What a weekend! And I don't have to pretend it's Monday. It's been Monday all day to me. And yes, twinkle lights are appropriate all year long in my book. Love them! I haven't had Indian food for a very long time. It sounds wonderful.

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  8. I need to twinkle light my screen porch...a very good idea. I had a good chuckle over the camera/phone comment. Indeed...my husband and I just had a long conversation about that very thing. :-)

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  9. Your patio looks so inviting! I know you must live sitting there.
    It sounds like you had a lovely long weekend, and I'm glad to hear that spring has finally found you :)

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  10. Your week-end sounds totally wonderful to me. Love your patio, and I know just what you mean about the twinkle lights. Several years ago now we hosted an engagement party for my daughter and her future hubby. We decked the whole back yard out in white Christmas twinkle lights, and everyone loved it! It just created the perfect ambiance. So we left them the rest of the summer.

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  11. I love when there are parades that honor these amazing military people.

    HAHA - I just told my husband I want a new phone so I can get better camera :)

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  12. Sounds like you stayed pleasantly busy all weekend. We were quite laid-back with just enough "stuff" to make it fun. I've never had Indian food - wouldn't even know what to order. Do you have a favorite?

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  13. Oh, so glad that Spring has finally found it's way to you. What a lovely, lovely weekend. We're wanting to see Million Dollar Arm. Your patio looks so inviting and all ready for you all to enjoy. Happy rest of the week!

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  14. How wonderful that they played the Marine Corps song right in front of you! Must've felt like God was smiling on you...and your dad, too. We'll be in NYC this Friday and Saturday. Wish I could take a jaunt up to your patio and meet you for some coffee al fresco!

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  15. Looks like it was a fun weekend!! I'll be looking for your Hodgepodge answers. :)

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  16. I love your little backyard paradise! I'll take notes for my "forever home."

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  17. What a wonderful weekend! I wish there was a theater nearby here that had big comfy recliners ... I think we might actually go see a movie now and then! ;-)

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  18. I love the twinkle lights in you tree. I don't think there's any reason to make excuses. Restaurants do it all the time to create "atmosphere." :)

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  19. Sounds like a great weekend! I miss the small town parades. My daughter feels like no one give a care about the fact that Memorial Day is about Veteran's and not about the BBQ's. I told her that there are still towns out there that have parades to honor them.

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  20. I agree that days like Memorial Day make small town life make sense... Which is good because I have to drive 45 minutes to go to Target so the rest of the time I question our sanity...

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