The Weekend

Good Monday morning friends. My blog and I are out of sync and need to get reacquainted. I spent last week helping get my mom moved which entailed, among other things, driving more than 700 miles (all local!!), and I have either a whole lot to say about it or nothing at all. I haven't quite decided. 

It was a bit of a tough week, with some bright spots too of course, but I think I'll put that on the back burner for now and just chat about my weekend, pretty blooming things, and how much joy motherhood has brought to my life. 

Backing up to Wednesday because the day was a beauty and for dinner I made this delicious one-pan chicken and spinach orzo which needs to be mentioned. 

The recipe calls for rotisserie chicken but I brushed a couple of chicken breasts with Italian dressing, roasted them, then shredded, and I liked the flavor this brought to the dish. Really good!! Hubs loved it and ate the leftovers for lunch the rest of the week. 

In other news I am in love with everything blooming in our yard right now.  

The color of these azaleas is so delicate. 

Thursday was my volunteer day, then I came home and washed my hair, made stuffed peppers for dinner, and crashed on the couch. 

Friday I spent most of the day with my mama who now resides in the Palmetto State. My older sister and my niece both live just a few minutes from my mom's new home and the three of us joined her for  a lovely Mother's Day luncheon there. 

I got back to the lake about 3:30 and met hubs at our local wine shop for a tasting. A vintner from Italy he’d met on one of his earlier visits to the lake was in town, so hubs wanted to stop by the tasting. I was exhausted so didn't stay long and we came home and had a low key Friday night. We had leftover peppers for dinner, then watched a movie-Solo Mio, which we thought was really cute. 

I'd love a trip to Italy right about now, please and thank you. 

Saturday morning we made a trip to Lowes to pick up more potting soil, dirt so hubs could repair the yard where the sprinkler repair happened the day before, and lightbulbs for our outdoor lanterns. I wanted to sit outside and blog and read, but it was a little too cool and cloudy so I planted myself on the couch instead. 

Hubs did a million things like clean the boat bimini, fix the yard where it needed fixing, repotted some tomatoes, and got ribs going on the Big Green Egg. Happy Mother's Day to me. He knows I've had a month week and has pretty much let me be. 

It warmed up some close to dinner time so we sat by the waterfall with a glass of wine which felt like a great big much needed exhale. The lake was quiet and the sound of the waterfall soothing. 

Also these ribs y'all. 

He has mastered it.  

Sunday. Mother's Day. We went to church and heard a really good message taken from James 3 about the power of the tongue, which I think gave everyone something to think about, or maybe that's just me? Right after church daughter1 and I sent the guys home and she and I went to see Devil Wears Prada2. A quiet theatre with chairs that recline and a tub of popcorn to share for our Mother's Day lunch. 

What more could a mom ask for? We both liked the movie and it confirmed my need for a trip to Italy. Also a pair of super chic sunglasses which I'll be adding to my birthday wish list. 

I bought both of my girls the same thing as a little Mother's Day gift this year, and went all in with my hedgehog theme. I ordered this wrapping paper from Zazzle and it was so cute and of great quality. I dislike flimsy wrapping. 

Both my girls have gardens and you know how we feel about hedgehogs. 

These watering cans are from Uncommon Goods and I saw them at Christmas time, but they sold out fast. I remembered them and went back and looked a couple of months ago and success! They're sturdy and  adorable both so I might have to go back and get one for myself too.  

My girls both gave me sweet gifts that confirm they know me well. I appreciate when there is thought behind a present.  

I came home after the movie and hubs and I finally!! took the boat out for this season's maiden voyage. The sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day to be on the water. We motored by a house hubs recently sold so he could snap some pics from the water to send the soon-to-be new owners, but mostly we just moseyed around  nearby coves before coming back to the house to get dinner going. 

Hubs grilled steaks and they were delicious. After dinner we took a short walk before deciding to jump back on the boat to try and catch the sunset-

A beautiful ending to the Mother's Day weekend and always a sweet reminder that God is faithful. 

Visit Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Books and Sunshine) to read more 

or to add your own weekend recap. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 653

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (May 13th) to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What's one piece of advice you would you give a recent or soon-to-be graduate? 

2. May 15th marks the birth date of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At this point in time are you more in need of brains, courage, heart, or a trip back home? Explain. 

3.  "There's no place like home" is an oft repeated line from Baum's book. When was the last time you felt the truth of that statement? 

4. May is National BBQ Month...do you own a grill? Who does the grilling at your house? What's your favorite thing to throw on the grill? What's the last thing you grilled? 

5. What's a memory you replay in your head when you need a little joy? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Share Your Shelf-April

It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to share what we read the month prior. Between all the blogging and all the life-living, I didn't read as much as I would have liked. Here's how April looked-

The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd

This was our book club selection for May and I mostly enjoyed it. The author normally writes contemporary romantic fiction, and she couldn't quite get away from that style as much as she needed to in this book. Overall though an interesting read about a historical figure previously unknown to me. Here's a bit of trivia for you-George Washington asked to be a pall bearer at her funeral. 

The Indigo Girl is a work of historical fiction based on real life horticulturalist Eliza Lucas, who learns  how to grow and extract dye from indigo plants on her family's South Carolina plantation. 

Eliza is sixteen when her father leaves her in charge of his three South Carolina plantations. Her father was mortgaging the properties to further his military career and soon her family is in danger of losing everything. When Eliza learns how much the French are willing to pay for indigo dye she thinks this might be the answer she's looking for. 

Eliza finds allies in an aging horticulturalist, a married gentleman lawyer and a slave with whom she makes a dangerous deal. He'll teach her how to make the 1000 year old dye and in return she'll break the law and teach him to read. 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I continue to try for a classic each month and in April it was Jane Eyre. My favorite thing about reading these classic novels is the precision of the language and the deliberate word choice.  That alone usually makes me bump up my rating, and while this novel met that criteria the storyline here wasn't my favorite. My daughter told me she read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys which is something like a prequel to Jane Eyre and she liked that much better. 

The novel Jane Eyre follows an orphaned girl, Jane, who endures a harsh childhood before becoming a governess at Thornfield Hall. There she falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester, but discovers he's hiding a dark secret that upends their relationship. 

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro 

This is an older book (1989), one that was extremely popular when it was released, yet somehow I missed it. I had a one year old in 1989 so Goodnight Moon was likely more my speed. 

The Remains of the Day won The Booker Prize that same year, and was made into a feature film starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. This is also one of the books mentioned in The Correspondent and I'm working my way through that list this year. 

The story is told in the first-person narration of an English butler named Stevens. Stevens lives and has worked as a butler for more than thirty years in a stately home called Darlington Hall. In 1956 he takes a road trip from Darlington Hall to the west country of England, with his primary purpose being a visit to Miss Kenton, the former housekeeper who left twenty years earlier to get married. 

Stevens has received a letter from Miss Kenton, and believes it hints that her marriage is failing and she might like to return to her post as housekeeper. Though Stevens never says so outright, the reader knows without a doubt he has held on to repressed romantic feelings for Miss Kenton. 

Much of the novel is comprised of Stevens's memories of his work as a butler during and just after WWII.  He's an  unreliable narrator who lies to himself most of all, yet he's also a likable character which is not an easy balance for an author to achieve. 

Upon Lord Darlington's death the  house is sold to an American gentleman (Mr. Farraday) and Stevens realizes he is unable to interact with his new employer in the way  Mr. Farraday would like. He needs to learn to banter. 

"Perhaps it is indeed time I began to look at this whole matter of bantering more enthusiastically. After all, when one thinks about it, it is not such a foolish thing to indulge in-particularly if it is the case that in bantering lies the key to human warmth." from The Remains of the Day 

The voice of the butler never wears on the reader and the writing is exquisite. Stevens is stoic and ever proper in word and deed, but it's what's left unsaid that feels so profound. Feelings of regret, of love lost or missed altogether are written about in a way that's subtle, but the reader feels them nonetheless.  

The novel is quiet and moves at a very gentle pace. I liked that. It's not anything like most of what we read today, and while not a lot actually happens, the story is poignant. When I turned that last page the emotion lingered. 

This won't be everyone's cup of tea (pun intended) but it's definitely mine. Five stars for me. 

'What is pertinent is the calmness of beauty, its sense of restraint. It is as though the land knows of its own beauty, it's own greatness, and feels no need to shout it." Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day 

Hop over to (Slices of Life) or (Not In Jersey) to see what others are reading. 

I'll Give You Something To Hodgepodge About

Nothing like blogging for a month straight then dropping off the internet for a week or so. It's been busy here and something had to give. The blog it was. 

It's Hodgepodge day and if you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger there before you. Here we go...

1. What's something you may do this month?

I may get in the lake. 

I'd love to go for a float but the water needs to warm up some. There are people out there paddle boarding, swimming,  and jet skiing, but not me. I don't mind the water being on the cool side if the air is hot, but that hasn't been the case so far this spring. Soon though! Maybe even May. 

2. Hola! Hodgepodge Day lands just after Cinco de Mayo... how do you feel about Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? Do you make it at home or is it a strictly dine out option? 

I love Mexican food and enchiladas are probably my favorite dish. My mama's homemade especially. Guacamole is one of my favorite foods and I like a margarita with spicy recipes. 

I don't make a lot of Mexican food at home, but we do have tacos, tortilla soup, and a salsa style grilled chicken bowl on occasion. I make my own guac and hubs makes a great margarita. Add a bowl of chips and I could call that dinner. 

3. When the children of today grow up what do you think they'll say about this time period? What do you most hope they remember? 

What might they say? 

I think they'll say we were all a little bit crazy with the masking and the incredible isolation we forced upon them at a very important and vulnerable time in their lives.  

What do I hope they remember? 

I'm thinking of my grandchildren as I answer this one. I hope they remember feeling loved and secure, and sheer joy at the kind of  freedom they had that belongs to childhood. 

4. What advice would you give a new mother? 

The internet and complete strangers are full of opinions...trust your instincts. God made you this child's mother by design. 

Don't be afraid to ask for help from those closest to you if you feel overly tired or overwhelmed. 

5. What's a phrase your mother often said to you? If you're a mom do you say it to your own children? 

I wracked my brain, but couldn't come up with a particular phrase my mom said. My dad had a bunch of sayings he used, but we're talking mothers this month.

I think if you asked my girls they could share a few that I said often through the years, and maybe occasionally still do...'no hanky panky', 'text to let me know you made it home', and 'every little thing is gonna be alright' are some of those.  I'm going to ask them because this question has me curious. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Worth the wait...

She finally bloomed! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 652

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (May 6) to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What's something you may do this month?

2. Hola! Hodgepodge Day lands just after Cinco de Mayo... how do you feel about Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? Do you make it at home or is it a strictly dine out option? 

3. When the children of today grow up what do you think they'll say about this time period? What do you most hope they remember? 

4. What advice would you give a new mother? 

5. What's a phrase your mother often said to you? If you're a mom do you say it to your own children? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Zing!

Well here we are. The end of April and the end of the alphabet. It's actually been a lot of fun thinking about some of the ordinary objects I keep and why I keep them.  

Day 26-Z is for Zenith 

I've had a long day and my brain isn't firing on all cylinders so keeping this short and sweet. The non-astronomical definition of the word zenith  is 'the highest point, peak, or maximum success'. I think we can say reaching the end of the alphabet is the highest point in the A-Z so works for me. 

In taking note of the mostly ordinary objects I've held on to through the years I've reached a conclusion. It's the memories the objects stir up, and not the objects themselves, that I've been holding all along. 

Zee end. 

And now back to your regularly scheduled hit or miss blog programming. 

Y The Hodgepodge?

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge and (yahoo!) the second to last letter in the April A-Z blog challenge. Not that I'm counting. I've included letter Y in my random thought today (question #6 for anyone new). 

If you've answered today's Hodgepodge questions add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Y not?  

1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why. 

Can rest be an option here because that's what I'd like right about now? If not then full steam ahead it is. 

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate.  

Impossible question. I like them all and while each would be considered art, they're not at all the same kind of art. My answer is all of the above. Each one appeals to me on some level. I suppose if you forced me to choose I'd say literature, but I love museums, beautiful architecture, live music, and live theatre too. 

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers? 

Dinner time varies here. In the summer it's generally sometime between 7 and 8. In the winter months we dine earlier, usually between 6 and 6:30.  My hubs would love for us to eat late year round and I'd love to eat at 5 so we're most often somewhere in the middle. 

As far as leftovers my feelings are mixed. I am good with things like pasta or pizza leftovers, but I'm funny about meat. I don't usually care for leftover meat warmed up, unless it's in a casserole. A leftover piece of chicken warmed up? No thanks. Chicken pot pie left over? Sure. 

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating? 

My husband shared something he was reading about AI doing an analysis on the Shroud of Turin and I then went down the rabbit hole myself reading about it. Don't ask me to explain it though. 

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...

At what are you 'self-taught?' 

I'm going with all things computer related. I'm the only one in my family with no formal computer classes or training. I've muddled through and learned by doing. I'm a work in progress here still. Obviously. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We're nearing the end of the A-Z blog challenge and I'm using this space for today's letter. I didn't think too hard on this one, but instead ran through a mental list of things that start with Y and picked one I could work with. 

Day 24-Y is for Yardstick 

Do you own a yardstick? Do you know where it is? I own one and bonus, I know where it is. I feel like a yardstick is one of those things you need very rarely, but when you need it you need it. 

Mine lives tucked into a corner of my pantry and it has a felt sleeve to fancy it up.  This yardstick was part of an end of year gift from a kindergarten student I taught in the year 1999. 

His mama made the sleeve and I've kept it all these years. fyi-it does have my full name down the front but I try not to put my full name here on the blog. Anyway, I've used this yardstick from time to time, and when I do I think of that super sweet kindergarten class, the wonderful parents who made that year an absolute joy, and the little boy (Brent-yes I remember his name) who would be 33 years old today. 

That's the kind of math that makes me feel another Y word-not young.