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! 

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! 

Monday Morning Musings

Hi Friends. I'm jumping right into the Hello Monday link party this morning, hosted by Holly and Sarah. This is where we chat about our weekends, and here's how ours looked. 

Fun. Fun is how it looked. 

Once upon a time I went to college and was part of a sorority and this weekend ten of those girls came to the lake for a reunion. 

We've gotten together at various times over the years, but were definitely overdue for another in person gathering. Four of us live within an hour of one another, and one of the girls has a house on the same lake as me, so we decided to invite everyone here. 

Three of us organized the food and we had half the group sleep at my house and half at the second lake house. Two of the girls flew in from a bit further away and arrived Thursday night. One  was a bridesmaid in my wedding and she's been to the lake before, and the other I hadn't seen in 40 years. 

We just picked right up like we'd all been together yesterday instead of yesteryear. 

Everyone convened at my house for breakfast Friday morning and the rest of the group rolled in throughout the day so the whole gang was together by late afternoon. 

The weather. Eh. Not the best, but then not the worst either. We didn't see the sun but it didn't rain us out either. We spent the entire day Friday sitting on my patio talking and catching up. Actually the clouds made it really pleasant for patio sitting and it was a super relaxed day. 

Hubs was a rock star all weekend long. He has also known these girls four decades, and enjoyed seeing us all together. He waited on us hand and foot, and cooked the most delicious pork BBQ for our Friday night dinner. We had pasta salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, and cole slaw too, and one of the girls aka another one of my bridesmaids, brought a scrumptious strawberry pound cake from a Tennessee bakery for dessert. 

We stayed up late and talked about all manner of things including old memories and our young(er) selves, new challenges, long ago mischief making, life in the third act, family, food, travels, work and not working, grandchildren, and in some cases what in the world we've been doing for the past forty years. There's nothing like a solid 48 hours spent with friends who knew you when you barely knew yourself. 

Saturday morning breakfast happened in whatever house you slept in, then my house loaded up on the boat and hubs motored us over to the other house. The weather wasn't ideal, but you can't come to the lake and not get out for a boat ride, can you? 

We spent the whole day Saturday at the other lake house. Some of us floated, some tried the paddle board, and some relaxed on the dock. There were lots of little conversations happening as everyone caught up with everyone. It was just a really lovely, special day. 

We all went back to my house for dinner. I'd made baked ziti earlier in the week and froze it before baking, so easy peasy and also super delicious. Another girl made a yummy salad and garlic bread and we sat outside under the twinkle lights and laughed ourselves silly. 

It was another late night, and then before you knew it the sun was up and it was time to say goodbye.

The last car load pulled away around 1 o'clock and I started some laundry, opened the weekend mail, we listened to our Bible recap, and hubs had a nap. He earned it after acting as the cabana boy-grillmaster-bartender-D.J., and chief 'could you bring us _______' guy all weekend long. 

He washed dishes, refilled glasses, ran up and down the stairs for whatever we left up or down the stairs, chauffeured us by boat, all without a single complaint, irritated tone of voice, or roll of the eye. He wanted the weekend to be fun for me and it absolutely was. 

He's a keeper. 

The last semi-large reunion we had was also lakeside. It was 2018 and we got up extra early that Saturday morning to watch Prince Harry marry Meghan Markle. Time flies, doesn't it? 

The world has changed a lot in four decades. When I was an 18-year old freshman phones were on the wall, we wrote checks when we needed money,  and computers were the size of a whole entire room that I had no need to enter since my major was not business. 

Our school was in a small town without a lot going on, but we made our own fun. We didn't take a lot of pictures so the memories live mostly in our heads. 

Today the students there have phones in their pockets, Apple Pay at their fingertips, and laptops with streaming services for their favorite shows they can watch any time of the day or night while typing a paper they'll email not print. The town has grown, the campus has grown...

...but we're still here making our own fun.

So what did you get up to this weekend? 

The Weekend Rundown

Good Monday morning friends. We had a fun weekend catching up with college friends, floating, boating, wining, dining, and just being together. Linking today with Holly and Sarah for their regularly scheduled Monday morning weekend recap party, and here's how ours looked-

Two couples we've known since way back when we were fresh faced college students in beautiful East Tennessee, made a trip to the lake to spend the weekend. The guys were fraternity brothers and have remained close…

Their girlfriends turned wives have also always been close...

Everyone arrived around lunchtime and we sat on the deck chatting, then decided to move ourselves to the water because the air was toasty. 

One of the girls brought her famous super-secret-recipe of a savory cheesecake for an appetizer and it was delicious as always. One of the guys is in the food business and brought some pre-cooked ribs for us to warm up on the grill for dinner. Of course about an hour before dinner the skies opened up and it rained buckets well into the night.  

We have had so.much.rain. but no matter, we warmed the ribs in the oven, added roasted vegetables, deviled eggs, and a pasta salad and we ate in the dining room instead of on the porch as planned. It wasn't a late night as everyone was tired. 

Not too tired for this yummy key lime pie though. This recipe is a no-fail keeper. 

Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful and hubs made bacon and eggs on the griddle outside. We dined al fresco, then loaded up for a day of boating. With kids back in school and sports taking over the calendars of so many, the lake in August hums a quieter tune.  

We love it. We packed the coolers with assorted snacks and beverages, then motored back to a cove, dropped the anchor, and whiled away a few hours on the water. 

A small but somewhat black cloud rolled in, but we weren't worried. The forecast was for maybe rain later in the day, but that black cloud started to grow and we decided to pack up and head back to the dock. My daughter1 was going to drop by with her kids to say hi to the friends who've known her all her life so the timing was good. 

Not quite good enough though. When we came around the bend the sky was ominous. Luckily we were already wet because we had to fly through a downpour before coming out into sunshine on the other side. It was the kind of rain where you can't see your hand in front of your face, but hubs managed it like a pro. 

Daughter1 stopped by the dock with two of her three littles. One grandson is playing soccer and one is playing baseball and never the twain shall be conveniently meeting at the same park, back to back. C'est la vie. Her hubs took the mancub to baseball and she did the soccer run. Little Miss was along for the ride. 

We had dinner reservations at a nice local restaurant that evening. Hubs and I have only been there once before and we enjoyed the food. We've heard it can be a little loud, but as hubs said, 'well, we're a little loud', so we booked a table. 

It was absolutely fabulous. We were seated and presented with a chef's treat which was the most delicious little morsel of cacio e pepe shortbread topped with a dollop of parmesan aioli cream. 

We raved about them so much the chef sent us out another bite. He seriously should package and sell these. We also shared their 'Wellington' poptart starter, another delicious item. The whole evening was pretty much perfect. 

From the food, to the service, to the friends around the table it was a solid ten. Bonus fun fact Nikki Haley was a few tables over enjoying her dinner too. We didn't interrupt to say hello, but we absolutely considered it.  We came home and stayed up too late playing our favorite card game Swoop. 

Sunday morning one couple got on the road right after breakfast, but the other hung around long enough for a boat ride and an early lunch on the lake. 

Once we were back at the house they loaded up their car and hubs and I planted ourselves on the couch for an afternoon siesta. 

It will be a week of regrouping here, changing all the beds, washing towels, getting groceries and meal prepping for another round of company this weekend. It's still summer here and we're not mad about it. 

So what kind of fun did you have this weekend? Are you in fall mode or still hanging on to summer? 

A Midsomer Hodgepodge

Welcome to August and this week's 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. The midpoint of summer (believe it or not) is August 7th. Describe a perfect summer day. Have you had one this year? 

A clear bright blue sky, although a few puffy non-threatening clouds are okay too...coffee on the porch, a book on a float on the lake, an outdoor shower, friends dropping by, hubs grilling a steak to perfection, music under the starry night sky...that would be one formula for a perfect summer day. 

We've had a few. 

That being said there are may ways to have a perfect summer day. Case in point-

2. What's one thing you wish you knew before starting high school? 

There's a lot of pressure in high school, both socially and academically. Lots of big feelings you're trying to manage. These can be, and often are, wonderful years, but you're still learning who you are and who you want to be. These are not the best years of your life. 

3. What's something that bothers you if it's not done perfectly? 

The way the dishwasher is loaded. Ridiculous I know, but there is a right way lol. 

4. What's the most overrated food you're convinced people are just pretending to enjoy?

Matcha

What's a trendy food you actually do enjoy and would say is definitely not overrated?  

sushi, oysters 

5. Wrapping it up this week with five fun this or thats...

personal stylist or personal chef? 

Stylist for sure

dance like nobody's watching or sing like nobody's listening? 

hmmm...I've been known to do both, but probably singing

unlimited tacos or free pizza?

free pizza

bookshelf organization-by size or by genre? 

by genre, but then within genres by size

ten minutes late or ten minutes early? 

early of course

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Vitamin Sea...

...for when life feels a little too salty. 

2,922 Days

I like to write letters to my grandchildren on their birthdays and today is one of those days. No they don't read my blog, but I keep these letters for them to have when they're older and need reminding of how very much they are loved. 

Dear Mancub, 

2,922 Days. That's how long I've known you. And while that sounds like a long time it feels like just  yesterday I walked into your home on the other side of the country and met you face to face.

You had a full head of very dark hair, the most perfect little face, and a sweetness about you that remains there still today. 

And now you're eight. 

You're kind and tender hearted, and you're funny too. You're such a good big brother to your baby sister, and also to your little brother who loves and admires you whole heartedly. Like your momma, you are so very intuitive about people and their feelings, a truly wonderful quality to possess. 

The change from little boy to 'just a boy' happens seemingly overnight, but you're there now. No longer little, but also not too big to hug your Nana. 

fyi-you are never too big to hug your Nana. 

You love the great outdoors and since moving to our neck of the woods have spent a lot of time literally in the woods. You love climbing trees and wading in creeks and fishing with Daddy and brother, and hikes to the many nearby waterfalls. Exploring the woods and wide open spaces the way all boys should. 

You're a lego wizard and still love building all sorts of things. Currently you're a big fan of Star Wars and are busy collecting the lego sets that go along with that. You are rarely without a book in your hand and love to talk about what you're reading too. 

You loved playing baseball this year and grew so much in terms of skill and grit. You had a lot of fun cheering on the local college team too. 

You still eat and sleep like a teenager and the water is where you want to be. 

After five moves in seven years you're happy to say this is where I live. Happy for friends you won't have to move away from in a year's time. Happy to let your roots sink down deep into the red clay soil of South Carolina.  

We're happy too. 

Happy to be near enough to say come swim. To sit beside you in church on Sunday mornings. To watch you play baseball, rock the paddle board, and celebrate birthdays and the ordinary days in between without a plane ride, a passport, or a Facetime screen. 

Happy birthday to the one who gave me my favorite name. I'm grateful to have a front row seat to watch all the ways God is working out His perfect and unique plan for your life. I pray your love for Him grows more with every candle added to the cake, and that you seek Him daily in all things. 

Know for always your Nana loves you deep and wide xo 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6

Everyday Images on a July Monday

Trying something a little different today and linking with Kym (A Fresh Cup of Coffee) and her Everyday Images blog hop. She posts a list of photo prompts every two weeks and leaves the party open until the next link rolls around. 

I'm also joining Holly and Sarah for their Hello Monday hop since today's photos are a reflection of my weekend activity. 

I want to take more pictures...better pictures. I have a crummy phone camera, and think I want a 'real' camera for my birthday this year. About fifteen years ago my hubs bought me a nice Canon. He bought it from our local camera shop and the owner of the shop gave me several lessons in how to use it. So helpful. The Canon needs a repair that is costly so buying a new camera makes more sense. My birthday isn't until September, so for now a phone camera it is. 

I looked at the most recent prompts Kym posted, and tried this weekend to snap some pictures when one of the words came to mind. Here are the most recent prompts-

doorway • on my plate • on the road • glowing • hills • community 

Doorway-

Hubs and I made a drive to pick peaches at a country orchard on Saturday morning.

Besides the fruit trees there's also a cute shop...

...a cafe with patio seating, a distillery, wedding reception space, and a view that literally takes your breath away-

The doorway pictured above takes you to the covered patio dining space. When you cross the patio you'll see the orchard which is where these beauties can be found-

on my plate: After the peach picking we drove a couple of miles up the road to a well known, but very much off the beaten path, pizza restaurant. It's a hot spot for hikers and kayakers coming off the nearby trails and river. We arrived close to noon and it wasn't busy, but I know it gets really busy as the day goes on. 

Hubs and I shared what they call their Chattooga White Pizza which is named for the river, and is made with a pesto base, spinach, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and feta. Hubs is normally not a big fan of feta, but the guy behind the counter said it was his favorite pizza so that's what we ordered. The feta was not overwhelming at all and the pizza was delicious and perfectly cooked. Hubs loved it too. 

In keeping with the prompt we went next door and walked through this bright yellow entrance for ice cream... 

We sat outside and shared one scoop of peach and one of banana, both were yummy. 

on the road: my favorite summertime drive-

glowing: Sunday morning sunshine sets the lake aglow-

hills-technically they're mountains but close enough. More specifically The Blue Ridge and the farm we visited on Saturday offers you a 270-degree view. Didn't measure it myself but I trust their website. 

community: we went to church Sunday morning which is community of the best kind, but no photo. After church we changed clothes and took the boat to meet up with friends for a float in a nearby cove. It was a scorcher of a day so the water felt wonderful. I didn't capture the whole group, but I was trying not to break my other ankle lol. 

Lake people are also our people. 

This little photo challenge was fun. The prompts helped make me mindful of what I was seeing all around me and that's one reason I love blogging. If you'd like to participate visit Kym's blog (A Fresh Cup of Coffee) for the prompts, which are updated every two weeks. 

And if you want to chat about your weekend visit Holly and Sarah and add your recap there. Happy Monday everyone!