A Hodgepodge DIY

Welcome to our first Hodgepodge in the month of April. Time's a flyin' isn't it? If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post then be sure to hop over and leave a comment for the blogger before you. Or all the bloggers if you're feeling chatty. Here we go-

1. No foolin'! April is here. What's one fun thing on your April calendar? 

I'm going to a fundraiser with a group of friends this month and the event has a 1920's theme. Everyone will dress up which should be fun. Also, I found out on Monday Allie Beth Stuckey will be speaking at the local university in April, and I signed up for tickets for both my daughter and myself. I've followed her for years and love her podcast. My daughters went to uni with her which is kind of a fun connection. 

2. It's often said, 'A fool and his money are soon parted'...what's the last thing you wasted money on? 

I bought a pair of tennis shoes which were super inexpensive but I didn't like them at all once I tried them on. I intended to return them so I set them aside, then promptly forgot about them until the return window had closed. Bother. I donated them, so someone who needs a new pair of shoes will I'm sure be glad, and maybe that makes it not a total waste. 

3.  April 2nd is National DIY day. Are you a do-it yourself kind of person or maybe you're married to one? If so, what's the last thing you DIY-ed. If you're not a DIY-er what's the most recent job you had to hire someone to complete? 

I am not a DIY-er, unless we're talking cooking and then I am a make it yourself kind of cook. Most of our married life hubs had a job requiring long days and a lot of travel, which doesn't leave a lot of room for DIY. 

He has always enjoyed taking care of the yard and did a great job with that through the years. Now there's an aching back to think about, so something's gotta give. While he still does a great many things in the yard, we also pay for someone else to do the tasks that might be deemed backbreaking. 

Most recently we've hired an electrician to hang a fan and add some outdoor lights. There's no power in the space currently so it's not simple. As soon as he started talking about drilling through a wall I tuned out. He's done other work for us and I trust him to do the job.We would not attempt electrical work of any kind ourselves. 

4. Do you eat lamb? If so do you have a favorite dish that calls for lamb? 

I like lamb, but other than the occasional lamb chops it's rare we serve it at home.  I will order it in a restaurant if I see lamb chops or rack of lamb on the menu. We ate lamb fairly often when we lived in the UK. It was more readily available at a reasonable price, and it's not easy to find where I live. 

5. Do you fit a stereotype in some way? Explain. 

I looked up stereotypes of women my age and some of the descriptors I found were- forgetful, weak, passive, stubborn. Also, not tech-savvy and out of touch with trends. 

There's a kernel of truth in most stereotypes which is how they came to be called stereotypes, and I'm some of these were more accurate several decades ago. Times have changed. Women now approach aging much differently than they did 50 years ago. Our expectation today is to live longer, be active longer, and contribute to the wider world or at least our corner of it, to whatever degree we're able. 

Do any of those descriptors fit me? Well I will admit to being just a little bit stubborn, but that has nothing to do with my age. Just ask my siblings. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm participating in the April A-Z blog challenge this month and today is Day 2. I thought about trying to jam a whole post into my random thought this week, but in the end made today's letter a separate entry. You're welcome. If you're following along you'll find letter B in the post just after the Hodgepodge. 

Here I'm sticking with my original April plan, which was to use this space to share some favorite Easter throwback pictures. Here's one for today- 

Easter, 2010. College students. Statement necklaces. Short hair. 

A lot will happen in the next fifteen years. 

Beware 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 leave a comment for your neighbor there. Here we go-

1. March 15th is known as The Ides of March, the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C....have you ever been to Rome? If so what did you love most about the city? If not, is this a place you'd like to visit? 

I have been to Rome, but it's been a while as evidenced by my short and naturally brunette hair. Also my teeny tiny teenagers who are now grown married women with children of their own. 

While I've been to other parts of Italy since, it's been 20 years since I set foot in Rome and I would not be opposed to going back. 

What did I love most? Well, pretty much everything...the food, the wine, the light, the history, the architecture, the fashion, the language...did I leave anything out? 

2. 'Rome wasn't built in a day.' What project/activity/improvement (of any kind) do you have going on right now to which this saying might be applied? 

We have some lingering bits and pieces to take care of in order for the outdoor space to be considered truly done. We still need the electrician to come out, still need to purchase and install a big fan, and add a couple of other decorative touches to make it feel complete.

3. Let's do a little this or that with some Italian foods...

• Caprese salad or Prosciuto with melon? Caprese salad
• Bruschetta or Antipasto? Antipasto
• lasagne or ravioli? Ravioli
• bolognese or Carbonara? Bolognese
• Risotto or gnocchi? Risotto
• tiramisu~gelato~cannoli? Tiramisu

4. Of the colors red, white, and green which would I find most prevalent in your home? Which one do you think is most flattering to you in terms of your wardrobe? Have you ever had your colors done? Is that something you'd be interested in doing? 

I have a rug in my main living space with a very dark shade of red in it along with some navy and golds. I live on a lake, so while there's not a lot of green in my home decor there are a lot of windows, so you see a lot of green. 

As far as my wardrobe goes...I love white pants, but it still feels too early to bring them out even though I don't think that 'Labor Day' rule applies anymore. Once it warms up here I'll be wearing a lot of white. I have never had my colors done but think it would be a fun thing to do. It was really popular to do this a few decades ago and it's true that with fashion everything eventually comes round again. 

5. Life would be boring without____________________? 

My hubs who still makes me laugh, nudges me to step out of my comfort zone, encourages me to write more, and is so sweet with the grands it makes my heart melt. 

6. Insert our own random thought here. 

This little guy turns ten on Friday, pictured here with his first love my Daughter1. He was hers before he was ours. 

Then she went and moved to South Korea so he came to live with us. He was four years old then, and full of mischief.  

And now he's ten, still full of mischief, living his best life beside the water. Never was a dog more attached to a human than this one is to the hubs. Where hubs goes, he goes. 

Happy birthday to the little brown dog! 

The smartest, most exasperating, handsomest, sweetest, most loved pup I know.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 593

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here on Wednesday (of course),  March 12th, to share answers. See you there! 

1. March 15th is known as The Ides of March, the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C....have you ever been to Rome? If so what did you love most about the city? If not, is this a place you'd like to visit? 

2. 'Rome wasn't built in a day.' What project/activity/improvement (of any kind) do you have going on right now to which this saying might be applied? 

3. Let's do a little this or that with some Italian foods...

• Caprese salad or Prosciutto with melon? 
• Bruschetta or Antipasto? 
• lasagne or ravioli?
• bolognese or Carbonara?
• Risotto or gnocchi? 
• tiramisu~gelato~cannoli? 

4. Of the colors red, white, and green which would I find most prevalent in your home? Which one do you think is most flattering to you in terms of your wardrobe? Have you ever had your colors done? Is that something you'd be interested in doing? 

5. Life would be boring without____________________?

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Five Things On A Friday

 Linking with Erika and Andrea today and sharing a few favorites from the week that was...

1. My sister was going through some of my mom's boxes (my mom lives with her) and she sent me this-

A Father's day card I made when I was in elementary school. Here's what I wrote inside...

Comparing him to the father of our country and the patriarch of Israel. Not bad for a ten year old. 

My dad was not a man who gushed and the fact that he saved this makes it feel extra special to me. 

2. Luggage. Go big or go home. I bought the world's biggest suitcase before our trip and I'm not even kidding. A stranger in an elevator even commented on the size, and hubs had a lot to say about it too lol. 

Also, I loved it. Empty it weighed just 8 lb, which given it's size wasn't much, and it rolled like a dream. I wore every single item of clothing I brought with me and I had a jacket for hubs and his shaving bag in there too. The brand is Travel Pro Maxlite 5 Breakaway (I chose slate green) and I bought these cute luggage tags (Amazon) to go with-

It's the little things, right? 

3. These shoes-

They're the Skechers Virtue Show Runners and I got them in navy. They came in my last Stitch Fix box and I love them. 

I told the stylist I would be traveling and doing a lot of walking and the comfort factor with these is five star. They're light weight and run true to size. I'm thinking about getting a second pair. 

4. This coat-

True story...I lived in this coat the second week of our trip. I paid 25 pounds (roughly 32$) for it at the Super Tesco near my daughter's home. Yes, I bought a coat at the grocery store. It's got a fleece lining, a hood, is water resistant, and the pockets are perfect. 

I brought my Barbour coat with me but forgot the hood and I also inadvertently left my rain jacket at home (still filled that giant suitcase though lol). It wasn't a problem week one because the weather was amazing, but the Sunday before hubs and I were to head to York I could see there was rain in the forecast.

I was kicking myself for leaving my rain jacket behind, and my daughter suggested I try the local grocery store (this one also has clothing, etc so more like a Walmart). Voila! 

It's so cozy comfy and definitely saved the day. 

5. Our outdoor project. It's mostly done. Not 100% which is the goal, but we plan to break in the BBQ bar this weekend. 

The project was basically three pieces-the waterfall, the BBQ bar, and the outdoor dining space under the screened porch. This is the view looking down from the porch above. 

Prior to the project we had riverstone underneath the screened porch. Almost as soon as we built the house hubs was wishing we'd made this area a patio. Until we took the riverstone away I didn't realize how big the space was. 

We added pavers in their place and we're waiting on a fan and some twinkle lights to be installed in that section. This is the lower level of our house and we mainly use these garages for storage and a little car hubs gets out from time to time. Mostly we use this driveway for cornhole so it will be nice to have the grilling bar right there. There's room for some bar stools but add that to the list of things we need to buy. 

I don't have a picture of the actual dining space but once we get the fan and the lights and some furniture in there I'll share. I have family coming for dinner on Sunday and we'll probably use the space with our current table and a folding table and that will be fun too. 

Have a nice weekend everyone! 

Weekending

Good Monday morning friends. Joining Holly and Sarah today for their regular Monday morning catch up. Hope you had a nice weekend. Here's how ours looked-

Thursday. Our first full day home from vacation. I was up early and out the door to the volunteer slot I work every Thursday. I stopped for gas before remembering my usual spot that takes my grocery points is cash only due to Helene. 

This is our lake and those are the Blue Ridge Mountains. So much staggering beauty. So much pain and heartache. 

I know the scope and geography are hard for people unfamiliar with the area to understand, but you should know this is not a case of people being told to evacuate, and instead deciding to ignore the instruction and ride out a hurricane, hoping for the best. That isn't what happened here. These are people who have been overwhelmed by flash flooding, rain, wind, and a literal mountain of water. 

If you're looking for a way to help consider a donation to Samaritan's Purse. They are a trustworthy organization with boots on the ground in the most devastated areas. 

Life is never all one thing, although there are times it certainly feels that way. It's awkward to write about the mundane when we're on the edge of this disaster and know so many directly impacted by it. I'm going to continue with my regular posts but will likely mention the storm fallout from time to time for the next little while. 

The weekend. 

We had our monthly wine dinner Thursday evening and yes we did indeed attend a five course wine dinner our first day back from a two-week holiday. I admit I was tired and not all that excited to go, but it was super delicious and we sat with people we didn't know prior,  so it ended up being a lot of fun. One couple at our table were getting ready to go on an African safari which is something we've talked about. The Mrs. did say there are six different bush flights on their trip, so I'm gonna have to think really hard about whether their itinerary is one I'd want to follow. 

I didn't capture every course in pictures (I blame jet lag), but I got a few. This baked brie appetizer was sooo good. 

Friday I went to the grocery store for real. The stores are a bit hit and miss right now, particularly meat and dairy, and one of our main stores is still cash only so a long way to go. My frig was pretty empty when we left town, but anything I did leave was lost. Besides food for the week I needed to start restocking the basics...mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressing, that sort of thing. 

I had to throw away all the food in my chest freezer, which should have been fine but the gfi tripped and it didn't reset when the power returned so ugh, what a mess. We had to empty the freezer then pull it out of the garage and drain the icky liquid inside, then scrub it clean before we could get it going again. Fortunately I had a Good Ranchers order arriving over the weekend so we're pretty well re-stocked for meat. 

Friday night friends invited us to their house for dinner and cards. Our next door neighbors came too and we had a wonderful meal and lots of fun playing a card game called Swoop. Somehow when we looked at the clock it was 1 am and I cannot tell you the last time I was up at 1 am. I blame jet lag. 

Also I made an apple crisp to take for dessert and here's proof-

I forgot to take a picture when I pulled it out of the oven but trust me, it was yummy. I followed this recipe-The Best Ever Apple Crisp-and will definitely make it again. 

The Friday night sunset from their dock was a beauty. 

Saturday morning hubs and I took our coffee out to the new patio space beside the waterfall. We don't have any furniture there yet but the weather was beautiful and the light golden. 

We pulled a couple of chairs from the dock over to the patio space and sipped our coffee with a waterfall soundtrack. I love it. 

We're still waiting on a guy to come back and install the griddle and connect the water to the sink in the BBQ bar before we break it in. These projects are a little bit 'if you give a mouse a cookie he's gonna need new patio furniture to go with it' if you know what I mean. 

We'll make do with our current stuff until we figure out what we want for the new outdoor dining space. It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be and my current outdoor table looks dinky in there. Plus the plan going forward is to cook big breakfasts and dinners out there when our grands are here and there's a lot of them lol. We need a bigger table.  

We also need an electrician to come out so we can hang a fan and get some twinkle lights in, and like I said...that mouse needs at least ten somethings to go with his cookie. 

Saturday night we went to a party at our neighborhood clubhouse-a low country boil. Yes three nights home, three nights out. We hit the post-vacation ground running! I forgot to take a picture (it's the jet lag I'm sure) but for those who don't know a low country boil is usually shrimp-corn-sausage and red potatoes boiled in a big pot with seasonings. It originated in the Carolinas and it's delicious. Friday was a gorgeous day, the temps still feel summery here although it's supposed to cool off later this week, and we had a great time catching up with some of the neighbors we haven't seen in a while. 

We didn't stay late because the Vols were playing Arkansas Saturday night, and we needed to be home for that. Our hometown team also had a big game happening at the same time so there was some channel flip flopping. Yay for the hometown team who pulled off a win. The Vols were not so lucky. 

Sunday afternoon we went for a boat ride. Officially autumn but still 80 degrees so why not? The lake is so pretty this time of year. 

We putted around the neighborhood to see if there was any visible damage and saw a few huge trees down in several places. Overall we're very lucky here. There weren't a lot of boaters out and we flew down to the far end of the lake for fuel. Our usual closer marina had only gotten their power back on Friday and they were without gas anyway. 

After buying gas we flew back down (up?) the lake to my daughter1's in-law's dock. They were home so we tied up and went inside to visit for a few minutes, and of course we never leave there empty handed.

 

Hubs grilled some flat iron steaks for dinner and we ate on the screened porch which has a birds eye view of the new waterfall. It was a lovely way to end the day. 

I'm off to the dentist this morning which is not my favorite thing, but I'm determined not to whine about it. Life is so hard for so many right now, and I feel fortunate to be able to get in my car with a full tank of gas and do something as ordinary as go to the dentist. 

Have a nice Monday everyone! 

Everybody's Workin' For The Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you, or all the bloggers if you have the time. Here we go- 

1. Something you're working on currently? 

Cleaning out my closet and getting myself organized for our hop across the pond. I've needed new luggage for a while now and finally ordered myself a two piece set from Travelpro. Hubs has traveled round the world with his and it's held up well so I went with them again.  

I rarely use an extra large suitcase, but for longer trips it's nice to have that option. I'm bringing birthday gifts for two of my grandchildren and a few Christmas items I've picked up as well so I think I'll need the space. 

2. Tell us something about your first job? Was it a positive or negative experience for you? Did your parents insist you work while in school (either high school or college) or did you work because you wanted to? 

I guess technically my first job would be babysitter. I started babysitting after school for our across the street neighbor's nine month old daughter when I was in Jr. High. I was a responsible young teenager, and my mom was right across the road. My neighbor was a nurse and worked the second shift, so I'd sit for a couple of hours after school until the dad got home. They overpaid me all the time and I loved that little girl so much. They were true New Yorkers and would go out to dinner at something like 9 PM and come home in the wee hours of the morning and occasionally they'd find me sound asleep. 

Babysitting was a positive for me. I've always loved children and enjoy spending time with them. I always wanted to be a mother and I think babysitting only made me more certain of that. 

The family moved my senior year in high school and I got a job in a nursing home, working in the dining room. I liked the work and the people so would say this was also a positive experience. 

I don't think my parents insisted I work. I guess they probably expected us to work and we all did. That's just what teenagers/college students on summer break did. I'm not sure any of us saw not working as an option, but we didn't complain about it either. There were far fewer activities on the calendar when I was a teenager, so that probably helped. I enjoyed having spending money and liked the sense of responsibility a job gave me. I think those early jobs were confidence boosters too. 

3. Have you ever had a job that required overnight travel? How did you feel about that? Have you ever had a job that required you to wear a uniform? Do you work better in the morning or at night? 

I've never had a job that required overnight travel, but my hubs always had a job that required a lot of overnight travel, so I've experienced that side of it. When you have a hubs who travels a lot you learn to manage things you might not manage otherwise, you get on with things, and take care of the business of running a home.  I would say those are all positives. 

Here we are back in the mid-90's at BWI Airport, picking up hubs from an out of town work trip. How sweet it was to step off a plane and have your girls run right into your arms. Remember when you could greet your family right at the airport gate? Remember Continental Airlines-ha! 

Re: uniforms...the nursing home position I mentioned above required me to wear a white uniform, apron, white hose!, and white work shoes that were truly ugly. I didn't love the uniform, but it was part of the job. 

No question about it, I work better in the morning. I have never been a night owl. 

4. What's something you bake or cook that is labor intensive? Is it worth it? 

Eggplant parmesan would be one. I make Alex Guarnaschelli's recipe and it's definitely labor intensive and definitely worth it. I usually make one a year with eggplant my daughter's mother-in-law grows and shares. 

My mama's enchilada recipe is an all day affair too, also totally worth it. My mom used to make them every year for hub's birthday because he could eat a whole pan himself. I haven't made them in a long while, but this post has me thinking about how good they are so maybe that will happen soon. Or at least before year's end. 

5. One thing you're looking forward to in the month of September? 

The list is long, but first things first...it's my birthday month. On top of that I'll be seeing both of my girls and all of my grands in person (not at the same time but we take what we can get) and, best of all, we're making a trip back to a place I lived and loved and have tucked into my heart for always (England). 

Out of all the months on the calendar I think September might just be my favorite.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

There were no less than a dozen people here Tuesday working on 'the great backyard reset' as I've taken to calling it. As a result lots of progress has been made and I can finally see what it is we're doing lol.

Of course we still have a ways to go...

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone! 

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S'More Hodgepodge Please

Welcome to the last Wednesday Hodgepodge of the month. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, and don't forget to leave a comment for your neighbor there before you run off. Here we go-

1. What is one cliche you think is nonsense? What's one you think holds truth? 

The first part of this question was hard. I think cliches are cliche for a reason, in that there's an element of truth to them. Which one is nonsense? I'm going with 'no use crying over spilled milk'. 

Sometimes a good cry over something that has already happened and cannot be changed is actually very useful. It's a release of emotion that when spilled often leaves us feeling better about whatever it was that upset us. 

Which one holds truth?  'Time flies when you're having fun' certainly feels true in my life. 

2. What's the last thing you broke and how did it happen? 

I can't think of anything small I've accidentally broken or something here at home that's been broken due to clumsiness. It's been almost two years now, but I'm going to have to say my elbow, which was definitely accidental and only partially due to clumsiness. 

We were on vacation in California, driving up the coast from San Diego to Half Moon Bay for a wedding. Fortunately we were nearing the end of our trip because besides my elbow I also broke my glasses and that was a problem too. I wrote about the whole thing here-Going Coastal

3. Are you a fan of s'mores? Have you had a s'more this summer? Last thing you ate that you wanted to ask for 's'more of'? 

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I'm a fan, but I like them okay. We invited some neighbors over one night back in early summer, it might have even still been spring, and had s'mores around the firepit. We don't do a lot of fires here in the summer months because it's too hot. 

4. A mode of transportation you've never tried? Will you someday? 

A hot air balloon. I'm not planning on it, but never say never. 

5. Believe it or not, next week's Hodgepodge lands in a brand new month. What's your happiest memory from the month we're bidding adieu? 

It's been a pretty nice month here, busy with all the projects happening, but lots of nice moments too. I don't know if this one is my happiest, but it's definitely a favorite. I finally got the painters here and had one of the guest suite bathrooms painted and the water closet wallpapered. First up a couple of before shots...

It's not an easy room to photograph because it's an L-shape, with a doorway from the guest bedroom on one end, and a door to the hall on the other.  

All the walls in my house are this color, a very livable neutral from Sherwin Williams called Canvas Tan. Because of the lake we have a lot of windows, so there's a lot going on without adding anything too busy to the walls.

While I'll stick with mostly neutrals, a pop of color here and there feels right, and the new wall color is a pretty blue, which looks a little gray in the photos but is definitely blue in person-

We brightened up the trim too, as a test to see if we might want to repaint all the trim a brighter white. My upstairs trim is stained but the lower level is paint. 

This is the water closet and we added wallpaper in there-

The wallpaper is from Wayfair, and it's a nautical map mostly vague in location, in shades of sand and blue. 

We reframed an Audubon print we've had for many years and I love the softer wood tones. We still have one more print to reframe and I need something for the wall behind the toilet, but overall I love the new color, the wallpaper, and how clean it all looks. 

Thus concludes the little tour of my guest bath. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

That was more enough random for one day I think. 
I'm sure you do too. 

Happy Wednesday! 

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Monday Monday

Linking up today with Holly and Sarah for a Monday morning weekend recap so let's get to it. 

Thursday more rock was delivered. Yay I guess. I mean we need more rock, but what a mess we've got going here at the moment. And not just the backyard where the actual project is happening, but the front yard too. All that rock has to be dumped in the front, then brought around back one bucket load at a time. 

Serenity now. 

Trying not to think about the irrigation system and the driveway dings and the plant roots that are suffering in the meantime. Everything is fixable is my current mantra. 

I recommend a sunset boat ride when it's all a little too much. 

Thursday's was a beauty. 

Friday morning I drove into the nearby small big city for my facial. It is perhaps the most relaxing hour of the day-week-year and I love it. As I'm getting out of the car to go inside hubs calls. He's out for a walk but tells me a neighbor just phoned asking if our excavator was supposed to be doing what it was doing and he's headed back to the house to see. 

Serenity now. 

Last week one of our 'rocks' got away from the machine and rolled through the silt fence into the lake. These rocks are more like ROCKS!! so not small and also not inexpensive. We buy boulders. That's how this project happens. Anyhoo, where the rock went into the water wasn't too far from the shoreline so the excavator operator was pretty sure he could snag it, and he did. He also got himself stuck for a short time on the riprap that lines the shore and was this close to going into the lake, machine and all. 

Not the sort of thing you want to hear when you're heading in for an hour of relaxation. 

Thankfully the guys who operate equipment like this have skills, and we got our rock back. All's well that ends well, right? 

After my facial wrapped up I popped into Costco. Question-can you 'pop in' to Costco? Is that possible? Apparently so, because a quick $200 later I was back in the car heading for home. 

We had plans with friends for an early dinner at the local Cabana so we headed to their house around 4:30. We went to dinner by boat which is my favorite way to go to dinner and said cheers to the weekend with an orange crush. I've got my hat pulled as low as it will go because I suddenly remembered my facial. 

After dinner we motored back to their house and floated while the sun dropped into the water. 

Saturday morning there was a huge Trump boat parade on the lake. There are literally hundreds of boats that take part and it's a crazy kind of fun. Back in 2020 there was another huge boat parade and we participated briefly in that one before deciding the traffic was a little too crazy for us. So many boats which created a tremendous amount of wake and we ducked out of that one early.

This time around we got close enough to watch, but not close enough to have our boat swamped. It was fun! DT was on the boat beside us lol. 

Hubs and I got home and decided to go into town to see if we could get a repair piece we need for our pantry door and also to look at some outdoor furniture we're considering for the patio. Fun times. By the time we finished with our errands it was after 2 PM so we stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant, then spent the rest of the day on the back deck reading, listening to music, and playing a board game we like called Shut the Box. 

Did I mention my freezer? No. Well my ice maker quit working (again!!) and the part had to be ordered, except when the repairman came on Wednesday and got the whole thing out he discovered it was actually a different part, so now I'd need to empty the frig and turn that off too, until it could be fixed. Ugh. I'm so glad I have another frig and freezer downstairs, but all that up and down and back and forth doesn't inspire me to cook. Lunch/dinner out was a win. 

Our repairman Matt (he's been here enough times now we're on a first name basis) is supposed to be coming back Monday (or Tuesday, sigh) to make the repair. He's great and it's not his fault appliances that used to have six hoses now have something like 180.  I'm pretty sure my mom had the same frig/freezer my entire childhood, and well into my adult years too. 

We had a slow Sunday morning and ended up going for a hike to some nearby waterfalls. Outdoor worship is good for the soul. 

As we made our way down the gravel road into the parking area hubs spotted a snake in the road. If you want to spot wildlife in the wild he's your guy. 

It's a timber rattlesnake. Yikes. 

Naturally he had to get out of the car to see it up close and personal and let me just say the snake didn't like it much and he hissed and rattled and I yelled helpful things like "don't get too close!!" Hubs knows a lot about snakes and is interested in all kinds so this made his day. 

The little brown dog was with us too, and he could smell the water a mile away. He just wanted to get on with it. 

And if he could talk would tell you it was a pretty great weekend. 

What fun things have you been up to lately?