Hello Monday. Also Last Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday.

Mondays are when I link with Holly and Sarah for their weekend recaps, but since all of last week felt like the weekend, I'm going to start with last Monday, and hit the whole week's highlights. 

Of which there were many. 

You'll need coffee. 

Friends we hadn't seen in a decade arrived Monday afternoon, their first trip to the lake. Since the weather was so nice we went for a short boat ride, then hung out at home and hubs grilled steaks for dinner.

We had a leisurely late breakfast on Tuesday, then took the boat all the way up to the dam.

 

It's a long ride, and we don't go that far very often, but another beautiful day weather wise so really enjoyable. 

Later we went into town for the 'grand tour' then stopped at a local distillery for drinks and apps. This a newer venue and it's always a fun stop. We went across the road to an Italian restaurant for dinner and ran into two different couples we know. Small town livin' is the best. 

Our guests left around noon on Wednesday and hubs and I declared that afternoon our day date. It was the only real window of time we had the entire week so carpe diem. 

We walked. 

That might not sound like much of a 'date', but small moments are what you make them. 

Also, I haven't really walked in months and the doc said to start slow and easy so we went to a local park and walked their flat path that runs through the woods and around the ball fields. I wore my new shoes and it all felt okay. I'm getting a shot in two weeks so hoping that knocks out the remaining pain. 

Anyway, it was nice. Day date episode 4. Check. 

Not that it's a check list but counting helps us stay on track. 

Thursday I worked my usual volunteer stint, then hurried home to make snacks and set up for guests. We have new neighbors hubs and I had not yet met, but a mutual friend let us know about them because they're from her home town in Illinois. So on Thursday we had them all here for happy hour along with our next door neighbors. 

We did heavy hors d'oeuvres by the waterfall. The weather was wonderful and it was so nice to sit outside. We turned the fire table on once it got dark and passed out blankets for anyone who needed one. It was a fun little gathering.  

And now... the weekend. Finally. 

Daughter2's father-in-law celebrated a milestone birthday recently and my son-in-law organized a fun weekend at a Georgia quail hunting venue. My son-in-law's brother drove up from Florida and met them there. The father-in-law was driving from closer to our neighboring state and was going to pick up hubs at a meet up spot just off the interstate to save him the extra time it would take for him to come to the lake, and then have to backtrack. 

Are you following? 

I was driving hubs to the meet up spot at the crack of dawn so I threw on my cozy earth comfy wear and off we went. As we were driving to the meet up spot (about 45 minutes away) a warning light came on in my car saying there was a transmission issue and don't stop the car or it might not restart. Sigh. 

I dropped hubs and went directly to the dealer another thirty minutes away. They were already busy but were so nice and said they'd figure it out. They put a little computer thingy-ma-bob in the car and voila! It's not the transmission. I needed a new battery, plus 'as long as you're here...' 

I ended up getting an oil change, several filters, and some brake fluid. They said it would take about two hours so I settled in to their comfy lounge, in my comfy clothes, drank their delicious hot coffee and watched HGTV on their big screen while I waited. It seems you can buy shoes and luggage while you wait but I opted for coffee only. 

These little minis were  pretty tempting as I know the grands would love them, but one unexpected car bill is enough. 

When I knew I'd have a whole weekend to myself I imagined spending the whole day Friday taking care of stuff at home. Oh well. Sometimes life throws a punch and ya gotta deal. 

I stopped at daughter1's house on the way home because she was having a small party for Little Miss who turned three on Thursday. (Her birthday letter from Nana aka me, is here-Ode To A Wildflower). There was a mermaid theme, nothing over the top but my daughter did put together this super cute balloon arch. The littles all happily played together and there was lunch and cupcakes and a color sheet tablecloth we moms all enjoyed lol. 

I left before the party ended because the pup had been cooped up all day and needed to be freed and fed. I ate popcorn for dinner and stayed up too late watching tv. Not a super productive day, unless of course you count preventing a future breakdown on some country road as being productive, which I do, so maybe in hindsight it was a good day overall. 

Saturday I had plans to meet a long time friend who lives one state over for lunch. We meet halfway and catch up in person now and then, which is so nice. No pics but lots of gabbing. 

After lunch I came home and let the dog out, fed him, let him relax for about an hour, then went back to Daughter1's for a family dinner with the birthday girl, her siblings, and my son-in-law's mom, plus his sister and brother-in-law and their precious new baby. 

While my son-in-law grilled our actual dinner Little Miss made me pretend dinner in the adorable new kitchen her momma and daddy got her for her birthday. We had the best time making 'soup' and discussing the menu options. 

We ate our real dinner and enjoyed the beautiful strawberry cake my daughter made, then I headed home to the pup. He was not happy hubs went hunting without him. 

Sunday I laid low because I was exhausted. For real. Hubs got home about two and we had an early dinner/late lunch of roasted red pepper soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I worked on my blog and did a little laundry while hubs napped. 

And  that was the week. And also the weekend. This week looks somewhat crazy too but October in recent years seems to be busier than May and December. Am I wrong about that? 

So what fun things did you do this weekend? 

If you want to share jump over to the Hello Monday link party happening today. Have a nice week everyone! 

Monday Morning Coffee Hour

Good Monday morning to you. How was your weekend. Ours was sick! 

I wish I meant that in the slangy way the word is sometimes used, but nope, it was the real deal. 

Here's the thing no one tells you about having grandchildren. They come with hugs and kisses and words and germs. Have mercy, the germs! I feel like a first year teacher when I'm around them (iykyk). I still remember having the most wicked case of strep throat ever my first year in the public schools. 

I do think you build up your immune system being around kids, and if that's truly the case mine should be good for the remainder of the year. 

My daughter said, 'you're not going to blog about this are you mom?' Of course not.

Oh my word it has been a week. 

I'll spare you the gruesome details but let's just say one half of the team had a fever-cough-sinus thing and the other half had what I feel certain was norovirus. Sadly I was in the second camp.

Actually by the weekend most of us were fine, but we kept it low key and just did more movie viewing and less eating than we normally would. 

We survived and I have the pictures to prove it. Sort of. Getting five littles to all look the same direction at the same time, whilst also feeling crummy, is not without it's challenges, but we persevered. I plan to have a cousin crew photo every year wearing matchy matchys. They've been told. 

Meanwhile...in Arkansas...

Hubs missed out on all the fun here because he was duck hunting with friends. I know it's not everyone's thing, but rest assured we will cook and eat what's 'caught'. 

Honestly I'm glad hubs wasn't home last week, because we need someone operating at full capacity. 

He always says he thinks I'd enjoy this, but I'm not keen on the idea of cold, dark, early, and wet. Especially the cold part. 

I do enjoy the photos though. 

And that was our weekend. Dead ducks...

... and lame ducks. 

Linking this post today with Holly and Sarah and their Hello Monday blog hop. 

Don't worry...I used lots of hand sanitizer. 

A Ragtag Post

We finally had a quiet at home weekend doing a whole lot of very little which was long overdue. Also not much to blog about, but of course I'm blogging anyway. C'est la vie. 

Hubs had been duck hunting all week and didn't get home until very late Friday night. His trip meant I had four whole entire days in the house by myself which, if you're livin' the retired life, you know is rare. And also appreciated now and then.

Hi hubs! I'm glad you're home. 

It's okay, he gets me lol. Celebrating 40 years of married life this June so yeah, he gets me. 

Back to last week...I'd naturally made a lot of overly ambitious plans (in my head) with hopes of completing some small organizational projects, and got exactly none completed. Oh I did plenty, I just couldn't quite get to my mental list which is still there, still rolling around my brain. 

Here are my excuses...

I said I had the house to myself but that's only partly true. The little brown dog was here keeping me company, pining for his favorite mister, racing to the window every time someone pulled down the driveway thinking maybe it was him, needing to go outside in the ridiculous pouring rain which meant I had to go outside in the ridiculous pouring rain, and then I had to get out the towels and the brush and the dryer and do all the things hubs normally does when it rains and the dog needs tending

Hi hubs! I'm glad you're home. 

What else....hmmm...here's something...I talked on the phone. A lot. Not a bad thing as a friend I hadn't spoken to in about a year and a half called and two hours later we were almost all caught up. Then one daughter called, then my mom called, then another daughter called and before I knew what was happening the clock said noon and I was still in my jammies. 

Which is fine, but it's not me, and it throws off my mojo aka my enthusiasm to begin a project. Let's watch HGTV instead, k? 

I still had my usual weekly to-dos like groceries and laundry and bible study on Wednesday and volunteering on Thursday and I got my nails done because priorities people. And I did manage to get beds changed from the last set of houseguests and some lingering bits of Christmas put away with the exception of two nutcrackers whose boxes have to be hunted down. 

Yes. Christmas. I told you, it's been a whirlwind. 

In other news I didn't kill any plants while he was away. Hubs babies the plants here in his efforts to keep outdoor plants alive indoors throughout the winter and I did not let him down. 

I put down a book I was reading and picked up another. Life is too short to read books that are just eh. Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson. I enjoy her writing but I was not getting this one at all. It's a series of stories which I thought were going to be related somehow but I was four stories in and it just wasn't happening. Moving on to Demon Copperhead  by Barbara Kingsolver, which is our March book club selection. 

Hubs and I are also listening to an audible of The Wager : A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann (author of Killers of The Flower Moon). We started this one on the windy curvy drive to Tennessee a couple of weeks ago and had to turn it off because the description of the rough and rolling sea and the conditions the sailors lived in was making me car sick. It doesn't take much. 

Back to my excuses...I cooked. A lot. I didn't eat what I cooked but I did freeze three meals to take to my daughter. Her friends are wonderful and I know will bring food in the early days, but these meals are for that day down the road when the baby is fussy and the toddler needs his momma, and she cannot face making dinner. 

I guess I did more than I thought. 

Hubs spent the weekend getting his hunting gear cleaned and put away and then I washed all the hunting clothes and got my own stuff organized so I'm ready to go to my daughter's when it's time. We had a rainy Saturday so we finished watching the second season of Reacher. We liked it, a bit corny and totally unbelievable in spots, but still we liked it. I'd booked us a date night dinner for Saturday at a restaurant we'd never been to and it was a lovely night out.

Question-when you're retired empty nesters do you still need date nights? 

Yes. Yes you do. We go out all the time, but often it's with other couples or groups of people or to events of one kind or another, and date night is dedicated let's talk about us time. 

We watched all the football today and I guess Taylor Swift is going to the Superbowl lol. What a year she's had, of course she'll be at the Superbowl. Personally I think everyone should calm down about Taylor and direct their outrage toward things going on in our own country and the world at large that are genuinely worthy of outrage. 

I didn't take any pictures all weekend but here's a snapshot of hubs plants, blooming and growing and bringing joy on the grayest of days. 

May we all do the same. 

Life In The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions, add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you so the blog world keeps on turning. Here we go-

1. Do you (or did you used to) watch talk shows? Which are or were your favorite? 

I don't watch any talk shows currently. I was never a die-hard fan but (going to date myself here) I did watch some Phil Donahue back in the day. I also liked Regis and Kathie Lee in their early years. 

Hubs and I used to love The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, but late night talk shows today are just another excuse to rant about politics so we don't tune in. 

2. Would you describe yourself as resilient? If so what do you think made you that way? If you answered no explain why? 

Yes I would describe myself as resilient. I've moved a lot and that's probably the biggest contributor, particularly living outside of America. Growing up with three siblings I'm sure plays a part too. 

3. What parts of life have surprised you the most. Explain. 

I'm going with retirement. It takes more figuring out than I imagined. I don't really even know what I imagined exactly...when I was a kid it seemed like everyone who retired played golf and lunched with friends. Life is so much more complicated than that. 

4. Why do you live where you live? 

Well it's beautiful for one thing. We're retired and can live wherever we want, we love the south, we wanted to be on the water, and you just can't beat the view-

5. A memory from this week that made you smile? 

Pumpkin patch pictures courtesy of these cuties' Momma-

I mean, seriously....

How can you not smile? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Raise your hand if you've ever cooked pheasant? If your hand is up and you have a great recipe send it my way. Vegetarians look away-

Hubs has been in South Dakota with some friends and former colleagues and also his brother who was able to make the trip this year too, so extra fun. 

They'll bring home some birds and while I've cooked them before I'm always interested in trying something new. For the record I only cook them...hubs is in charge of plucking off any feathers that have to stay on through the airport checkpoint.  

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Freaky Friday Fragments

Happy Halloween! I saw an ad for Best Buy last night while watching The Biggest Loser, and while they didn't say ho-ho-ho or the ever popular 'happy holidays', there were Christmas lights twinkling, snow falling and the sound of bells in the background. On October 30th. They didn't even wait for Halloween.

Our local supermarket is also confused, and it seems they've kind of just waved the white flag on this whole holiday season. In a single aisle you can find Halloween candy on one side, Christmas lights and assorted decor on the facing side, and running down the middle are Thanksgiving napkins and turkey related paper goods.

One question-why???? I just do not understand why this is necessary in October. Christmas especially, but even Thanksgiving is late this year. We have a solid month to shop?? for Thanksgiving once Halloween ends, so why???

Hunting was a theme in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. It's funny how strongly people feel about hunting. Most hunters I know are the most responsible of gun owners, and most eat what they kill. With all the talk of hormones and gobbledy-gook injected into our food, hunting is truly getting back to basics. You know where your meat comes from if you hunt.

Unless we're all going vegetarian, our meat is killed in some form or fashion, oftentimes much less humanely than by a hunter's bow or bullet. I think the 'gun debate' in our country has lost all perspective. I'm still waiting for a real discussion about the mental health crisis in our country which, if not at the root of our most recent tragedies, is certainly a factor in nearly all of them.

In happier news I had a facial yesterday. I need to have my skin looking ten years younger by January-ha! Is that possible? I'll let ya know.

I fi-na-lly got Daughter1's car booked with a mover. You're relieved I know. Getting a car from the East Coast to the West Coast within a very narrow window of time has been a teensy tiny bit stressful. But!...her belongings and her vehicle will be collected next week and on their way. I'm pretty sure I'll sleep easier once this portion of the 'wedding planning' is behind us.

Lastly, this video surfaced on YouTube and is making its way round social media. This occurred just up the road so to speak, not far from the mall where I shop, a couple of little towns over from where I live. Hubs and I saw something very similar in our backyard the first year we lived here. The bears reminded us of the way brothers sometimes wrestle. Experts consulted believe the two in the video were likely worked up about a girl-bear. Anyway, it's a pretty incredible snapshot of suburban NJ wildlife. Creation never ceases to amaze-

If you've got fragments from your week to share, hop over to Half Past Kissin' Time and add your link to the party. Enjoy your Friday everyone!

And Merry Christmas! Happy Halloween! Don't eat too much turkey!

The Spooktacular Hodgepodge

'Twas the Hodgepodge before Halloween, and all through the web...

So glad you've joined in this week, October's last Hodgepodge hurrah! Next week we're into November and all things gratitude, turkey and wedding.  

That last bit might just be me. 

If you've answered the questions today, add your link at the end of my post.  Then go say hi to the blogger who linked before you because everybody loves company.  Here we go-

1. My hubs spent last weekend pheasant hunting. Are there hunters in your family? If so, what do they hunt? Which of the following have you tasted-pheasant, rabbit, venison, duck, goose? Which of those would you most like to taste or be most willing to taste?

Vegetarians keep calm and Hodgepodge on.

Hubs enjoys the great outdoors, but is not a big hunter. He really loved the pheasant hunt though, so perhaps there is more of that in his future. Not deer hunting because deer are like family in our neck of the woods.  

That being said I have tasted venison and it's okay. I've tasted all of the above with the exception of rabbit and I really have no interest in trying that one. Course if you served it to me I'd try it, but I wouldn't order it in a restaurant if there were other options. 

I like duck, but am not a big fan of goose. Unless we're talking roasted potatoes with Sunday lunch like they serve in the UK...pretty sure they cook those in goose fat which is what makes them so completely delicious.  

2. What high spot have you visited that gave you a wonderful 'bird's eye view' of something below?

I started to answer this question and realized there were far too many to name. I have a lot of favorite high places, and I think I might give them their own blog post one day soon. Or not soon, but eventually. For today let's keep it simple and go with the one closest to home-

Highpoint...the literal highest point in NJ. It's a great place to hike, you can see NJ, Pennsylvania, and New York from up here, and the surrounding parkland is gorgeous. 

3. Do you have any birds in your home? These could be either real live pets or decorative, as in prints, fabrics, knickknacks, or pottery.

I don't have any birds as pets, although I do refer to the hawk who lives in our backyard tree tops as mine. I love incorporating birds into my decor. We have a couple of Audubon prints in our dining room, framed bird prints in my sunroom and powder room both, and wooden duck decoys in the office. 

I also have a real live bird dog, who can most often be found in her favorite chair, but who also loves to be out stalking birds, squirrels, rabbits, fox, groundhogs, and the occasional fly away plastic grocery bag.

Everyone wave to Dixie.  

4. Tell about a time you killed two birds with one stone.

These kinds of things are always a little hard to come up with off the top of my head. Kinda lame, but a couple of weeks ago hubs needed something from the hardware store and he was going to trek north to a place we frequent. However we were going to grab breakfast at the diner first, and that's south. Then I remembered there was a hardware store practically next door to the diner, so we sort of killed two birds with one stone. We avoided going both north and south in the space of an hour so that was nice. 

5. Your favorite song with a bird in it's title?

Freebird by Lynrd Skynyrd. Everyone knows this one, right? If not, you can listen here, but be forewarned it's gonna shave 9 minutes off your life. Back in the 1970's lots of songs went on for more than two and a half minutes. 

6. What most recently gave you goose bumps?

I can't think of a thing. 

Check back with me on Friday...I've heard talk of a snow shower, but lalalalala.

7. Halloween is this Friday...any plans? Did you trick or treat as a child? Carve pumpkins? Share your most memorable costume.

This is the first Halloween we've been in town for a while so our plan is to dole out candy to the brave, athletically inclined children who hike up our steep drive in the dark of night.  I might make a pot of chili or some kind of soup because it's supposed to get cold here Friday evening. When my girls were growing up we always had chili on Halloween, something warm before they headed out for candy collecting with the hubs and other dads/kids in our little cul-de-sac. 

Did I trick or treat as a child? Of course. Just ask my dentist. We'd go in a big group and walk for what felt like miles, but was probably more like blocks. I grew up in a big neighborhood with sidewalks and street lamps and a more innocent world all the way round, so trick or treating was a much anticipated event. My dad usually carved the pumpkin, but we helped scoop out the guts. 

My most memorable costume was the year I wore a Japanese kimono and wooden shoes, and one of those plastic masks over my face that made it hard to see. The kimono made it hard to walk and I was chased and knocked down by a big German Shepherd. Good times! 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

How 'bout a throw back, Halloween style? That's the bride-to-be on the right, with her maid of honor on the left-

October 31, 1991. 
Be still my heart. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 196

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. My hubs spent last weekend pheasant hunting. Are there hunters in your family? If so, what do they hunt? Which of the following have you tasted-pheasant, rabbit, venison, duck, goose? Which of those would you most like to taste, or be most willing to taste?

Vegetarians keep calm and Hodgepodge on.

2. What high spot have you visited that gave you a wonderful 'bird's eye view' of something below?

3.  Do you have any birds in your home? These could be either real live pets or decorative, as in bird prints, knickknacks, fabric or pottery.

4. Tell about a time you 'killed two birds with one stone'?

5. Your favorite song with a bird in it's title?

6. What most recently gave you goose bumps?

7. Halloween is this Friday...any plans? Did you trick or treat as a child? Carve pumpkins? Share your most memorable costume.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

All Over the Map. Per Usual.

Why did I schedule a dental appointment for first thing Monday morning after a weekend away? Ugh. But done so that's something.

So here's what last week looked like. Get up in the dark of night Wednesday to drop hubs at Newark Airport for his trip to South Dakota. I know. Who goes to South Dakota? No offense South Dakotans, but it's just not a place most East Coasters ever get to see.

Unless they pheasant hunt.
We'll get back to that.

I left the airport and drove another hour and a half down to my mom's house in South Jersey, arriving just in time for breakfast. Like I said...early. My mom had a lot on her calendar Wednesday so the pup and I went for a walk, napped, and read while she was out. Thursday I drove another 2 1/2 hours down to DC to my daughters, stopping en route to pick up her car key from the detailer so that once I picked her up from the Metro we could then get back in rush hour traffic and collect her actual car. Keep up people! After we got the car we decided to have a leisurely dinner and allow some of the commuters time to get off the road. Not sure that ever happens around the Beltway, but by 8 PM it was some better.

Daughter1 went to work on Friday and I got busy packing up her share of the townhouse. In my head I had imagined this job being fairly quick and painless. Ha! Midway through the day I had to go to Home Depot and get a few more supplies. Have mercy!!, the traffic y'all. No wonder our politicians are all cranky. Home Depot is about 3 miles from my girl's house, but everybody's going somewhere, all at the same time, all the time it seems. I file these thoughts onto the 'reasons to be happy Daughter1 is moving out of DC' list I keep in my head. It's a short list, but the fact that she will leave all this traffic behind makes me a little bit happy. I know people talk about Seattle traffic, but a) she's not moving to Seattle, so won't be driving in it every day, and b) in terms of traffic DC trumps the state with a similar name by a mile.

Did you come here to read about traffic?

Even though there was a lot to get done, I had a nice time with my girl. Chatting, planning, working our way through a bag of Cow Tales. In our defense it was a small bag. She still has more packing to do, but we made a big huge dent in the process this past weekend. I'll be trekking back to DC next week to accompany her to her final dress fitting in the store, finish up the last bits of packing, and then bringing her home to NJ. Whoohoo! So excited to have her sleeping in her bed upstairs for a solid week before she flies to SC and then out to Washington State, and then back to SC, and then back to NJ with her sister for Christmas.

We won't think too hard about airplanes and Ebola.

Meanwhile, in South Dakota...hubs and some buds had a manly man's weekend pheasant hunting in the wilds of The Mount Rushmore State. He did not see Mount Rushmore, but he did come home with some beautiful birds.

If you're squeamish about such things don't look-

And don't open my freezer which is full of birds.

With a wing still on, which kind of skeeves me out so I'm avoiding the freezer too. Apparently one wing has to be left on for travel in case you're inspected. They need to know you only took males as it's illegal to take the hens.

And yes we plan to eat them, but I don't think I'll manage the whole 'under glass' thing. Remember in the old cartoons they were always serving pheasant under glass? Did I just date myself? Ours will likely be marinated in something and perhaps wrapped in bacon because we've heard they can be dry, and bacon makes everything deliciously moist. If you have a recipe you love send it my way.

Hubs had a wonderful time, and was overdue for some R & R. Of course he made friends with all the hunting dogs and no he did not wear flip flops in the field. He said I'd have loved taking pictures out there, so maybe one of these days.

With a side trip to Mt. Rushmore though, because if I'm going all the way to South Dakota I'm going to see the faces carved into a granite mountainside.