Monday, Monday

Good Monday morning friends. We've had a fun and busy weekend, really the whole week was full and here's how that looked. 

Hubs and I drove over to Daughter2's house in Tennessee on Wednesday. Her hubs planned a special getaway for the two of them for her birthday and we were in charge of their littles. We arrived just as Sugar did a face plant onto the concrete patio so lots of commotion. She was fine, but for the rest of the weekend looked like she'd been in a street fight. 

She's both beautiful and fearless. 

I baked a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing for my girl's birthday, and toted it all the way to Tennessee, but alas the birthday girl didn't get a piece before leaving town. 

Instead she was in the pediatric Urgent Care having Sugar's wrist x-rayed. Not from the face plant. This was incident number two. 

Sugar is her mother's daughter is all I'm gonna say. I made three trips to the ER with her momma before she turned three so I can relate. Thankfully her little wrist wasn't broken but they did send her home in the teeniest tiniest splint you've ever seen. Once they confirmed no break the splint came off and everyone eventually went to bed. We were all ready. 

The parents left before the sun rose on Thursday and after breakfast we took the kids to a nearby playground to play, followed by a stop at Publix where we grandparent-ed like a boss. We bought two kinds of cookies and some strawberry milk. Hubs happened to spy the milk and it made him nostalgic for his childhood so we threw it in the cart. In our defense the strawberry milk was white not pink, so at least no artificial colors?

Hubs brother and sister-in-law drove over from Knoxville to hang out and they arrived about 2. It was so nice to have some extra hands and laps in the house and we always enjoy time spent together. My son-in-law put the bounce house out in the yard before they left town, and we inflated it and let them play in that for the rest of the afternoon. The weather was fabulous. 

My daughter and her hubs bought the bounce house before sweet baby J's  2nd birthday and have used it for three parties and as extra entertainment whenever grandparents are left in charge. It's a nice distraction. 

We ordered Chinese food for dinner and had it Door Dashed. We don't have Door Dash at the lake so this was a treat. After baths and getting the kids to bed we sat on the porch and chatted. It was a heavy week and it was good to decompress with family. I will likely have more to say about the tragic events of the past week once we're back home and I have space to find my words. 

Friday morning I actually ducked out for a couple of hours for something fun...breakfast with another blogger. It's always so nice to put an actual person with the online version, and Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) is as sweet in real life as she seems online. 

She has a daughter who lives very near my daughter2, and she happened to be spending Thursday evening with her, so we made Friday morning work. 

She's adorable and exactly as I thought she would be. While it would have been nice to have more time, the morning we had together was really nice. We could have talked a lot longer, but I left hubs manning the fort and didn't want to push it. Hopefully we can make another meet up happen one day in the future. 

I went back to the house and all was well. We took the kids to the park to play and enjoy the sunshine (did I mention the fabulous weather?!) and then home for lunch and naps. We decided to order pizza for dinner because the dinner hour can be a minefield of emotion and exhaustion and pizza seemed easy. 

Saturday morning we were up and out early for a visit to the zoo. This anteater was especially fascinating and we happened to stop by his area while the zookeeper was there to give him his morning guacamole. Technically it was pureed avocado, but still it was interesting watching him chow down. 

We try to get out with the kids in the morning and then make it home for lunch without anyone falling asleep in the car (that's a trick), so we don't miss that afternoon nap window. We watched our Vols lose to Georgia in overtime (sob) while the kids played in the yard and bounce house. That bounce house was a good purchase!

I'd made spaghetti and meatballs at my house before heading over to Tennessee, so we heated that up for dinner, and then of course there were baths because toddlers can't eat spaghetti without wearing it too.  

We did not attempt church on Sunday since I wasn't sure if the little ones would happily go in to their normal nursery class,  but we'll listen to our pastor's sermon later on. I know he will have some wisdom to share this week especially. 

Instead we went to the Riverwalk Park and played on yet another playground and ran around the field beside it. We got Firehouse subs for lunch then it was home for more of the usual napping and outdoor play.  

The parents got home just after we'd put the kids to bed. They had a really enjoyable getaway and I'm glad my girl was celebrated in a big way for her birthday. I think it's good for parents of young children to have some time to reconnect, away from the busy-ness of parenting, and we get to spend time with our grands. That's always a win-win kind of weekend. 

Linking today with Holly and Sarah for their Hello Monday weekend recap hop. If you'd like to join the fun visit Pink Lady Blog or Sunshine and Books and add your own weekend happenings there. Have a nic week everyone! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 620

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here on Wednesday (9/17) to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1.  Are you more life of the party or more party pooper? If your answer is somewhere in the middle which side of the middle do you lean towards more? 

Birthday party, beach party, cocktail party, dinner party, charity fundraiser, surprise party, costume party, garden party, Christmas party, reunion...what's your favorite kind of party? 

2. Cheese, wine, and balsamic vinegar all improve with age. What would you personally add to the list? 

3. How do you feel about your birthday? How do you want to be celebrated? Or don't you? 

4. What remarkable feat, interesting piece of trivia, or historical event occurred on your birth day and month? Not necessarily your same birth year, just the same date/month. 

5. Share two good things about your life right now. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Energized By The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and leave a comment for your neighbor there. That's how the blog world rolls. Here we go-

1. What gives you energy? What takes it away? 

What gives me energy? Sunshine. Ticking to-do's off a list. A good night's sleep. Time spent in nature. 

What takes it away? Complainers and negativity in general.  

2. How often do you shop for clothes? What accessory do you always wear? 

We live in a small town, so I mainly shop online these days. It can be done at my leisure, and most places have made returns easy. I will shop for specific events I know are on the calendar, and I generally add a few things each season as needed too. I just did a pass through my closet last week and have three bags to donate. I didn't get to the drawers but that's coming. 

Accessories I always wear? My wedding and engagement rings on my left hand and a ring hubs gave me for our 15th anniversary on my right. I wear earrings every day, and my iWatch too. And glasses. Are glasses an accessory?  

3. What's something free that you feel grateful for? 

God's grace if we're going deep. Something less deep? the sunrise, music, a starry night sky, and library books. 

4. Breakfast, lunch, dinner...which meal of the day do you enjoy most? What's your go-to comfort food?

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I mean a real breakfast, not a grab and go meal. I love to have breakfast out, love brunch which is always breakfast for me, love sharing it with someone, love lingering over coffee, love the beginning of a new day and the meal that marks it.  

My go-to comfort food? Homemade chicken soup... it's good for what ails you, mind and body both. 

5. This week the world remembers the tragic events of 9/11. Do you mark the day in any way? How do historical events shape your perspective on your personal challenges?

It seems like it shouldn't still feel fresh, yet somehow it does. I don't know if it's because we lived outside D.C. on the day and knew people whose lives were directly impacted, or because we've lived outside NYC a couple of times and the city is a part of the landscape of our lives. 

Sometimes I think it's just that bright blue September sky, so achingly beautiful, that gives me pause. We will remember the day. We'll listen to the names read and will say a prayer for the families who lost so much, for the bravery of so many on that awful day, and for our nation which has been in turmoil of one kind or another ever since. 

I think if you're of a certain age you remember where you were on the day,  and you can't help but think about it when the date comes around each year. 

As far as how historical events shape my perspective when I face personal challenges? Well I suppose they make so many of my own problems feel small in comparison. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Happy birthday today to this little sweetheart...

This picture y'all! 

She was a baby and so was I. She's a momma now, but still and always my baby girl. 

Time is a thief but also a gift. 

I wrote a post yesterday in honor of her special day because that's what I do every year on her birthday. (you can read it here if you're so inclined-The Carousel of Time)

Happy birthday Daughter2...what an absolute joy and privilege it is to be your momma xo 

The Carousel of Time

It's a birthday palooza round here in September, and tomorrow is my Daughter2's special day. Years ago she told me reading my blog on her birthday was one of her favorite parts of the day, so I keep on keeping on. 

Because I host the Hodgepodge on Wednesdays I'm posting a day early this year.  I feel all the feels this whole week anyway, so the day before is definitely allowed. 

Sixteen years of blogging for her birthday means one has to get a little bit creative, so here we go. 

Hey moms still in the trenches...

I want you to know that one of the quiet joys of later life is discovering the unexpected gifts grown daughters bring. These once-tiny beauties who held my hand have become women of real wisdom.

Like so much in parenting, the shift happens gradually—so naturally you don’t notice it, until one day you do. The ones you once nurtured, taught and guided begin offering guidance in return. They grow into thoughtful companions, and surprise you with insights that catch you off guard. Suddenly, you're seeking their opinion.

They see the world through a different lens—not just because they're of another generation, but also because they've built a perspective in life that's all their own. It's remarkable how much of yourself you recognize in them still… and even more remarkable how far beyond you they've grown. Still their mother’s daughter, yet wholly their own. 

There's a quote I read (author unknown) that says this-

'Raising them was the work of my heart...knowing them now is the reward.' 

Happy birthday Daughter2! One day I hope you read these words as you write your own birthday message to your now tiny beauty who will have grown into a woman you adore and learn from too.

I love my front row seat to the extraordinary woman you've become, and pray you're blessed beyond measure in the year ahead, and all the ones after too. 

xoxo Momma 

Linking today with Joanne and her Talking About It Tuesday blog hop. 

Hey It's Monday

Good Monday morning friends. How was your weekend? Ours was pretty good, the weather was wacky, our Vols won, our Tigers eked out a win too, and we spent time with friends, family, and at home which is my favorite place to be. I didn't take a lot of photos this weekend, but c'est la vie. 

Friday hubs golfed with some guys and I trekked into the nearby city for my mammogram followed by a Costco run. Good times, right? Costco was an absolute zoo which is why I try never to be there on a Friday afternoon. Since I was in the neighborhood it made sense to brave it this week. 

I didn't get home until after 5 PM and was glad I'd made dinner before I left home that morning. We had chicken pot pie and watched a movie, then called it a night pretty early. 

Saturday morning hubs popped over to the baseball field to watch the mancub practice and to hang out with the grands for a little while too. Daughter1's inlaws had come out to the lake for the weekend and brought us an assorted pepper haul from their garden. I'm going to pickle the jalapenos and probably the tabasco peppers too. 

We had a party to go to later that afternoon so I spent the morning making something to add to the meal. I'd kind of forgotten about this recipe which I used to make a lot a couple of decades ago, but it popped up online recently and I decided to bring it back. Veggie pizzas. A crescent roll crust topped with an herbed cream cheese-sour cream 'sauce' then whatever veggies you like. So pretty and really tasty too.

We left around 3 to go to a friend's house for an oyster roast. They were also grilling brats and burgers for the non-oyster eaters, and it was a big group so lots of delicious sides. 

Right around the time our host was going to light the grill, the sky grew black and then opened up with the craziest wind and rain. 

The local college football game had started and they had to stop play due to lightning. Not really a bad thing as they were taking a beating, and that break seemed to help a little.  

There was plenty of room for everyone inside and eventually the rain moved out and it turned into a pretty night. 

Sunday we went to church, then out to breakfast-lunch with daughter1 and her kiddos. Her hubs was on call this weekend so didn't make it to church, but managed to meet us for lunch which was nice.

I spent the afternoon blogging, dozing, and reading as I had five books on hold at the library and they all came in on Friday. I was number 18 in the queue for one of them, so not sure how I moved up on the list so quickly, but of course this is not a bad problem to have. 

So how did you spend your weekend? 

If you'd like to share, hop over to add your own link with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) today. Have a nice week! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 619

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (Sept 10) to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. What gives you energy? What takes it away? 

2. How often do you shop for clothes? What accessory do you always wear? 

3. What's something free that you feel grateful for? 

4. Breakfast, lunch, dinner...which meal of the day do you enjoy most? What's your go-to comfort food? 

5. This week the world remembers the tragic events of 9/11. Do you mark the day in any way? How do historical events shape your perspective on your personal challenges? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Share Your Shelf-August

It's the first Thursday of the month, which means it's time to share what we read the month prior. If you want to add your own list link, or read what others are reading visit Tanya, Marilyn, Joanne, or Jenn who host this monthly book party. Here's what I read in August-

I had a lot of company this month and as a result did less reading than I normally would. I had two wins and two that were something less than a win. Actually one was a DNF (did not finish) which rarely happens for me. Here we go...

1. Among Friends by Hal Ebbot

Amos and Emerson have been friends for decades, since they were college students. Close friends who lean on one another for emotional support, advice, and camaraderie, and their long friendship seems to have stood the test of time. Emerson comes from a privileged background, Amos does not although he has become a successful adult. Their wives are friends and they each have a sixteen year old daughter. The families have spent a lot of time together through the years and the men are especially close. 

The story is set around the weekend gathering of both families to celebrate Emerson's 52nd birthday. A very serious and traumatic event occurs during the weekend, and the aftermath of that event makes up the remainder of the book. There are some flashbacks in the story which aren't always clear as flashbacks. 

As the weekend unravels deep seated resentments are revealed, and class tensions come to the surface. The men are forced to confront the choices they must make about friendship, loyalty, and truth. 

In my mind, there was no choice to be made, the right way forward was abundantly clear, yet somehow it was agonized over and considered from absolutely every conceivable angle. And as to 'why' the event occurred the reader is left to mostly figure that out for him/herself. 

I'm not sure how this ended up on my to-read list, but it wasn't worth the time I spent reading. I gave it two stars because I did read all the way to the end waiting for some big revelation, which sadly did not materialize. 

2. Holiness by J. C. Ryle

I absolutely loved this book. In my top ten. I was reading it on the beach and hubs asked me if I was studying for an exam lol. I had highlighter in hand and was furiously underlining what felt like every other sentence. So full of wisdom and insightful commentary. 

Ryle was an evangelical Anglican bishop who came to faith while attending Oxford. His book was first published in 1877, but feels like it could have been written today. I found myself reading and nodding my head and then would suddenly remember it was written more than a hundred years ago. 

Each chapter is a separate paper, some of which were sermons, all focused on scriptural holiness and what that means. Without overstating things this book felt life changing to me. I wanted to take my time with it, and I did. I will go back to what I've highlighted and read again from time to time. It's challenging, convicting, encouraging, and easy to read in spite of the date of publication. 

If you're a Christian and haven't read this one I highly highly recommend. If you're not a Christian I still recommend. Five stars for me. 

3. Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Gray 

This might seem an odd choice, but I really enjoyed this one. Hubs wanted to read it so I downloaded on Audible and we tried listening on our drive to Hilton Head. He found it too slow moving with a lot of description initially, but I stuck with it and was glad I did. We have to be in the right frame of mind to read certain books and classics for sure fall into that category. They tend to be more descriptive, so you have to be patient and get the rhythm the author is going for. The pace on this one definitely picked up. 

Riders of the Purple Sage is considered the first novel in the western genre. Not my normal pick, although I did love Lonesome Dove and all the Tony Hillerman mysteries set on the Navajo reservation. 

I didn't know anything about the plot of Riders before hitting play, but in a nutshell it's the story of a devout Mormon woman named Jane Withersteen who has inherited a sprawling ranch from her father. Jane is under pressure from the church to marry an elder and add her land, herd, and particularly her water/spring to the Mormon settlement there. When she resists the elder resorts to threats, intimidation, and more. A mysterious gunman named Lassiter, and another prominent character by the name of Vetners, have both been on the receiving end of persecution by the Mormons in the fictional town of Cottonwood in southern Utah, and they strive to come to the aid of Jane.  

I am not a Mormon, and I have to wonder what the Mormon reaction was to this book when it first came out? I read that during WW2 it was rejected for publication as an Armed Services Edition because of it's perceived bias towards Mormons. The fictional community in this story are fundamentalists with multiple wives. 

Also, this hit me as more of a romance with a western setting as opposed to a real western, but then maybe the best westerns have a little romance in them too? 4 stars for me. 

4. So Far Gone by Jess Walter

I was all over the map this month it seems. This one was a DNF. Ugh. It starts with the main character Kinnick, a former journalist, reluctantly having Thanksgiving dinner at his daughter's home where he ends up punching her 'Trumper' husband before taking off to live off the grid. All the cliches are unleased here. Not for me. I don't mind reading a book that reflects current culture, but I hate the sterotyping that so often goes along with it. 

September Hodgepodging

Welcome to September and The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go...

1. Next Sunday is Grandparent's Day. Share a favorite memory, photo, recipe, or something you learned from a grandparent. 

We've had a busy August so I'm trying to catch up now on some of the business of life that gets set aside when you have houseguests coming and going. Let's just go with one of my favorite pictures here for now-

My precious grandmother, known as GiGi to her grandgirls (it stands for great-grandma), but she was Grandma to me. Here she is with my daughter2 and the sweetness of this photo can make me cry.

We lived with her when I was a year old and my dad was overseas and my mama had an 8 year old, a 6-year old, me, and my baby sister who got off to a rocky start in life. I spent a lot of time with my grandma and loved her so much. 

I'm so thankful my girls got to know her and I had her in my life well into my adult years. I'm thankful for her wisdom, her prayers, her made from scratch dinner rolls, and her love. 

2. What's a quote from a book (besides The Bible) that has stayed with you? 

I could write a book with quotes I love from books I've read, and how do you choose an answer here? Pat Conroy is one of my favorite authors so I'm going with one of his-

"I could bear the memory, but I could not bear the music that made the memory such a killing thing." Pat Conroy in Beach Music

3. What's your number one food pet peeve? 

Someone talking with food in their mouth. 

4. What's one thing about you that is still the same as it was when you were young? 

I still love books, walking barefoot, sweet treats, and a full table with family and friends gathered round. I'm still an optimist, and it takes a lot to make me angry. 

5. September is National Preparedness Month...does your family have an emergency plan? Do you have some sort of preparedness kit you keep on hand? If so, tell us one thing that's kept there. 

We do not currently have an official emergency plan, but we are also not totally unprepared for an emergency. We've had plans in the past, mostly when the girls were single and we were all living in different parts of the country, but circumstances change and we don't have a firm plan in place in this house. 

It's become something we all laugh about (except me because I'm serious about this sort of thing), but my girls will tell you I give them some sort of emergency preparedness gift every Christmas. Everything from weather radios and fire starters to an earthquake evacuation kit for Daughter1 when she lived in Washington State. She was living there as a newlywed when the scary New Yorker article about the risk of earthquakes along the Cascadia Fault came out. The article was called The Big One and the title alone was enough to make me hit purchase.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

My basil has absolutely exploded this year. I think it's loved all the summer rain we've had and it has thrived. My grands love it right off the stem and they snatch a leaf to snack on every time they walk past. 

I harvested a big bowl full over the weekend and made pesto with it. I used this recipe  and it is delicious. 

For dinner Sunday evening I sauteéd some tomatoes from our tomato 'tree' (seriously, it's a tree, not a plant) and a little bit of onion and garlic, and then boiled some pasta. I stirred the tomatoes and pesto into the noodles, topped it with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and it was molto delizioso!

It's also good topped with some shrimp or grilled chicken, but we'd had a big late breakfast after church and wanted a lighter dinner.

Everyday Images From The Weekend That Was

Hello friends. It's Tuesday, but of course will feel like Monday all the ding dong day. I'm linking with Joanne for Talking About It Tuesdays, Holly and Sarah at Hello Monday, and with Kym for her Everyday Images prompt today, using pics I've snapped these past few days. This week's photo prompts are: 

at home-bright~town~miniature~empty and/or full~ design 

At home...

While this is technically a covered deck, it's also pretty much where we live. We spend a lot of time right here and the view never gets old. When you step inside my house you see the lake. It feels natural to walk right on through the great room to sit right here. Come on over. I'll bring you tea. Or coffee. Or a glass of wine, a pillow,  and a good book. 

Bright-

Good morning sunshine...

I stepped outside Friday morning and it was so bright. Perfect. We have our coffee on the deck most mornings and the sun was doing it's thing behind my potted plant, which is hanging in for the arrival of fall. 

town-

I've got hubs on board with the photo prompts and he keeps an eye out for something that might work. He suggested this one. 

I had to run to the Dollar Store to pick up a couple of things I needed for his birthday dinner (paper plates and birthday napkins) and of course when it comes to Dollar Stores we all have choice. Why is there a Dollar Store every few hundred feet everywhere you go? 

Anyway, our street address is in one tiny town, but we're kind of in between two tiny towns, and there are Dollar Generals any which way you want to go. I opted for the one close to town so I could snap a picture. I took this on Labor Day and a lot of shops were closed so the sidewalks were quiet. 

We like this little town a lot. It feels a little bit like you stepped back in time, but there are a couple of fun brew spots, a nice library, some shops I enjoy browsing and two good coffee-breakfast spots. Plus a cheesesteak place that is legit. I grew up in the land of the cheesesteak so I'm a harsh critic. Tiny town does one that tastes like the real deal. 

We've been going to church in this town too so we're here at least once a week. 

miniature-

These two little guys love my lantana...

empty and/or full-

I'm going with full. As in my heart is full. We had the loveliest weekend...the weather was pretty much perfect...there was college football and boating, and family here to celebrate hubs birthday. A super relaxed Labor Day weekend. 

design-

I had some college girlfriends here two weekends ago and one of the girls sent me the loveliest thank you gift. Our hummingbirds were putting on a show while everyone was here and she loved watching them. She found these solar lanterns with a hummingbird design, which need just a six hour charge in the sun. 

We happened to be on our screened porch when they came on and the design is beautiful, both on the lantern itself-

And on the table where it's sitting. 

I liked it so much I ordered one and sent it to my sister-in-law on Saturday, and true story-I placed the order at 8 am and Amazon said she'd receive it between 10 am and 2 pm that same day. A marvel of the 21st century y'all. 

Hope your Labor Day weekend was light on labor! 

For The Man Of The Hour

It's Monday. It's Labor Day here in the US of A. And most importantly it's my hubs birthday. Whoohoo! Let's discuss. I mean let's discuss more than I have already discussed him on the blog over the past sixteen years. 

Have I been blogging for sixteen years? It seems so. 

Anywho let's celebrate the hubs with a list of my top ten favorite things about him.  Coming up with list of things I love about him sounded familiar so I looked back at my trusty blog and yup. I found a list from 2011 which is like a hundred years ago, so time for an update. There's some overlap but he's still that guy and I love what I love, which I think is a good thing.

1. He's funny. Always quick with a comeback, comment, humorous observation. Makes me laugh when I want to cry. Makes me laugh when I'm mad which, let's be honest, can sometimes make me madder except it's hard to be mad when you're trying not to laugh. 

2. He's neat as a pin. If you know him you're laughing, especially my girls. I'm not sloppy, but he is something much more than just not sloppy. He vacuums, cleans the showers, washes windows when the dog's nose prints become too much, and picks up pinecones in the yard when he's got nothing better to do. He's also in charge of the floors, the granite, and cleaning the stovetop, so what's left for me? Still plenty, but it's nice to know he will happily do his tasks and anything extra that needs doing and they will be done perfectly.  

3. He's a wonderful grandfather. I always knew he would be. He's so crazy about our crew and he shows it, lives it, loves them with words and actions and humor. They all know he's funny too. 

4. He's reading through the Bible with me this year. I've done this many times, but he's never read it cover to cover, and y'all it's September and we're still in the Old Testament. It can be a bit of a challenge to stick with it, but he's stuck with it and I appreciate the commitment. He keeps his word. 

5. He makes the icky phone calls and deals with repairs I'd prefer to handle by pretending if I can't see it then there's nothing that needs repairing. Who's with me? He's always one step ahead of whatever needs doing around here and I know he'll find the right person to do the job and will call said person at least three times to make sure they didn't forget, they're really coming, and also they definitely have us on their calendar for Tuesday at ten, yes just checking. He is the squeaky wheel and nothing is left undone, half done, or badly done. 

6. He's the mayor. Not the actual mayor, but he never met a stranger and makes everyone feel welcome wherever he goes. He draws people out and helps people who aren't comfortable in a group feel comfortable in a group. If there's a microphone he's happily behind it. 

7. He's an excellent dancer. Seriously. This made my first list too but it's still worth mentioning. 

8. He watches out for me. Thinks of me. Cares for me. Opens doors, tells me to watch my step (more so in recent years because let's be honest here, I've missed a couple), walks on the traffic side of the sidewalk, drops me off when the weather is yucky, brings me coffee, knows when I've had too much motion and not enough Dramamine, gives me his jacket when I'm cold, says let's eat out when I've had a full day, understands my need for space and words and books and a long hot bath. 

There's more. Lots more. A thousand little things that are meaningful and thoughtful and that fill up the well I'm always talking about in marriage.   

9. He encourages me to write more, to try something I think I won't like before I've ever tried it but he knows I will, to step out of my comfort zone, to give myself credit when credit is due, to let go of hurts I tend to hold on to, to not dwell, not panic, not overthink. 

10. He thinks he's the lucky one. 

Happy birthday hubs...you're still a cutie xoxo