Good Day Sunshine

Hello friends. We've had an absolutely gorgeous fall weekend here weather wise and it looks to be more of the same all week. I'm joining Holly and Sarah for their weekend recap link today so here we go-

First of all, it's hard to get things done when you have a brand new waterfall in your backyard. 

Especially on a sunny day. I kind of just want to hang out here and think deep thoughts or nothing at all.  Our travels and the busy days following have caught up with us and we were feeling it this weekend. At one point on Saturday I knew hubs had gone outside to sort out a few things and when I went looking for him he was sacked out in the hammock. Just taking a little rest he said lol. 

Let's back up to Friday. I spent the afternoon with a little baking project I'll talk more about later, but suffice it to say I made the biggest mess in my kitchen and when I was three quarters of the way through friends dropped by the dock to say hi. Hubs invited them up and I'm not kidding when I say there was sugar on every surface of my kitchen. 

These friends had never actually been inside my house before so 'oh hi, don't put your hand down on my countertop or you might be stuck there permanently'. I decided to finish the baking project later and have a glass of wine on the deck instead. In my apron, but hey that's lake life. Come as you are. 

We chatted for a while then they boated on home. Hubs fired up the new griddle while I tried to put the kitchen in to some sort of order and then we had our first BBQ in the new space. 

The chef's view is a win-

We made fajitas and by we I mean hubs grilled everything and I watched. They were delish. 

Saturday morning was another beauty. You should know I take a million pictures of the sunrise this time of year. It's the best. 

Does your neighborhood Boo people? It's a thing as Halloween approaches where someone secretly leaves a bag or bucket or box of goodies on your porch with a message inside that tells you to now go do the same for another neighbor. There's a foam pumpkin in the bag too,  that gets hung on your mailbox so you know who has been boo-ed and who hasn't. 

I snapped a picture of what was in my bucket...two cute pumpkin coffee mugs, some cinnamon flavored coffee, a fall kitchen towel and pot holder, two jumbo Reese's cups, a little cup filled with snickers bites along with candy corn and a decorative pumpkin.  

I'm not going to say what I put in the bag I gave away because a few neighbors read here and it's supposed to be hush hush. 

Except everyone in my neighborhood has cameras so it's hard to be too hush hush. I dropped mine off after dark and donned a baseball cap and a dark jacket to make the delivery. It's a fun little neighborly thing to do this time of year and I enjoy seeing what people put in their bags.

Hubs and I spent Saturday mostly trying to get the house cleaned and ready for company on Sunday. I finally tackled all the bathrooms and he vacuumed and then we both conked out and watched football. 

The Vols. Have mercy. That game was so painful to watch. Will they ever play a game where we're not yelling at the TV? A win is a win, but it was not pretty. Or quiet. 

The lake this time of year often looks 'smoky' early morning and Sunday was one of those times. It's called steam fog and it happens when warm water vapor rises from the lake into cooler air to form a mist you can see. It adds a mysterious quality to the early morning and I love it. 

Sunday was a fun family day. My momma and my younger sister and her family plus two of my nephew's friends all flew to SC for the weekend. My older sister lives about an hour from here and they were with her on Saturday then everyone came here on Sunday. 

Half of the crew came early so they could swim and have lots of lake time, the other half came a little later. Hubs and my brother-in-law took the boys for a boat ride while my sister and I sat by the waterfall and got caught up. We don't have a lot of time where it's just the two of us so this was really nice. 

The pup even got in on the action and hopped on a paddle board. The boys swam and kayaked and played corn hole and pool and they couldn't have asked for better October weather. The lake is still warm enough for swimming and the air was 82 degrees on Sunday so plenty warm out of the water too.

My sister brought my mom out to the lake later and my niece and her husband came too, so a houseful. A patio full? Hubs grilled burgers and wings and we put a couple of tables in the new outdoor dining area and declared it open. 

Furniture, fans, and lights will come later, but on Sunday we made do with what we had and it was better than fine. 

My younger sister has a birthday in about three weeks, but because we're almost never together on our birthdays I decided to get her a cake and celebrate a little early. 

It was a fun surprise. This was from our Publix bakery, and I don't know who did the decorating but they had some serious skill with a pastry tip. We all thought it was the prettiest writing on any cake we've seen. 

It was a great day. As the saying goes...I'm glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. 

And sisters too. 

It Might Be My Birthday

There are two kinds of people when it comes to birthdays. Those who try their best to keep theirs a secret, who don't want anyone to make a fuss of any kind, and who definitely do not want anyone to know their actual age. 

And then there are those who make sure everyone knows it's their birthday. 

I think you know which camp I land in, although it's possibly been a little over the top this year, even for me. For some reason my hubs has been hosting a weeklong Facebook celebration to mark the day, which has me feeling like I need to lay low for a while. Too much me on social media lol. 

Except here I am blogging so whatever. 

This year isn't a particularly 'big' birthday but he has posted a lot of pictures (a lot!!) anyway, and he's written words and it's been sweet and only a teensy bit embarrassing. Hubs can rally people around some fun y'all, which is why I've been wished happy birthday more times than I can count in the past seven days. 

I usually place some imaginary pressure on myself to write something profound when this day rolls around, but right now I'm not feeling it. Maybe this is the year I'll just quietly become a year older.  

Quietly being a relative term, ahem. 

I am going to do a bit of a phone dump because catching up here makes me happy, and hey, it's my birthday! 

In viewing hubs online photography extravaganza I realized I never posted any pics from the beginning of the month when my whole family was here. We were celebrating the life of my brother-in-law, and it felt so good to have everyone together. 

The two youngest grands had not met many of my extended family and it was so nice to be able to introduce them to everyone in person. The two oldest grands spent one whole entire complete day in the lake with my nephew, who happens to be a teenager with boundless energy. Even he had to admit the little ones have him beat. 

Solidarity nephew. I get it.

In other September happenings we went to a fun float party in a quiet cove one afternoon. Summer is still in full swing on the lake mid-September, and we take advantage of that as much as we can. 

I'm a cloud groupie and the sky showed off big early one Wednesday morning.  

Two Wednesday mornings actually. 

Really every morning.

Hubs and I have taken a couple of hikes this month and yes, the little brown dog came too. He is not one to miss a walk in the woods. 

One hike was to a nearby waterfall we hadn't seen before.

In the middle of a thick forest water rains down from 70 feet above, as it runs over huge slabs of rock and fallen trees.  

The hike is described as relatively easy, and in terms of elevation it was. 

It was also a narrow 'rooty' trail and you had to duck under downed limbs and clamber over rocks and across a 'balance beam' to find your footing on the small strip of sand. 

We ate  lunch perched on a big ol' rock as we soaked up the quiet of the forest and the beauty of creation. 

Shifting gears, or venues if you will, Saturday night we saw a Bee Gees cover band in a neighboring small town. Hitting those high notes like Barry Gibb ain't no small thing, but these guys did it, and we loved the show. 

I've been so spoiled this past week with cards and gifts, phone calls, chocolate cake, a fun little getaway too. I think for now I'll just share my usual profound thought about birthdays...

...it's so good to have them. 

Zee End Of The A-Z Challenge

We've come to the end of the alphabet and as per my usual way of completing these sorts of challenges I go out with more of a whimper than a bang.

Today's word comes from my nephew (yes, another one), a high school student currently finishing up the school year you know where. While I'm sure the academic side of life is happening, what's missing are all those little extras that make the high school years so memorable.

Memorable in a good way, not memorable in a global pandemic sort of way.

Day 26-Z is for Zest

Is it wrong that when I first saw the word I immediately thought food? Lemon zest. Lime zest. Which leads me to thinking of lemon curd, and key lime pie, and maybe I've been spending too much time in the kitchen? Hey, in the age of Corona you take your zest where you can get it, right?  Life lately has been less salsa, more clear chicken broth and we're ready for a bit more spice.

I read a quote attributed I think to Bertrand Russell that said, 'Hunger is to food as zest is to life.'

Hunger sends you in search of food. Zest sends you in search of life.

As we move into month number three of social distancing confusion abounds. Should we stay in or should we get out and mix it up a little, see what happens? Numbers are up or numbers are down or nobody has a firm grasp on what the real numbers might be? On a scale of 1-10, what is the current crisis level? Expert A says we're a 2 and Expert B says we're at least an 11 so who do we believe?

We're home too much and concerned about the long term effects the precautions we're taking will have on children, the elderly, and the anxious. We miss our people, our paychecks, our classrooms, and our plans.

What is zest for life anyway and how do we find it in this very strange season?

For me having a zest for life means approaching life with enthusiasm. A sense of excitement for what's ahead, but also satisfaction in the here and now. Easy peasy, right? Ha! Sometimes it actually is a pretty simple thing, but lately I think we're all finding it more of a challenge. How do we retain our zest for life when one day looks a whole lot like the next and everything seems to end in a question mark?

Here's my personal strategy for times when zest is waning-fake it til you make it. 

I'm a big believer in the idea that if I tell myself what I want to feel, then act as if I already feel it, eventually there comes a day when I discover I really do. It's not foolproof, but more often than not it works.

Thanks for reading along in the A-Z Challenge this month. And thank you especially to friends and family who've supplied the words. You add zest to my blog and to my life.

Holding Out For A Hero

Remember that song? I guess everybody knows it now thanks to Shrek, but who remembers the original sung by Bonnie Tyler? The video released with it was very dramatic, which fit with the 1980's and the early days of sitting around watching music videos with your friends. Then music video stations morphed into less than stellar reality TV programming and now everyone just watches youtube on their phones.

Let's hop off the rabbit trail and focus on today's letter.

Day 8-H is for Hero

My thirteen year old nephew picked this one. It's a good word, and one we're hearing often these days in reference to healthcare workers on the front line, classroom teachers who, without missing a beat, rapidly shifted gears, and company CEO's who've turned their factories and businesses into something completely new and different in an effort to provide what's needed in the immediate.

Earlier this year we cheered the bravery of firefighters around the world, and of course our men and women in uniform are often called upon to perform small and large acts of heroism in service to our country.

I'm someone who likes words, who think words matter. When a word is used too casually, it loses some of it's power. The same can be said of words that are over used to the point they become watery and then when we really need the word, when it truly fits as a descriptor of a person or situation, it doesn't get the attention it deserves. We don't sit up and take notice the way we should because we've become numb to it. I have a list of words I think fall into this category but for now let's stick with hero.

I've seen people called heroic for speaking their mind. Is that heroic? In some cases it might be brave, but heroic? Are bravery and heroism the same thing? Maybe if you're preparing to die for your beliefs, but is speaking out from behind a computer screen on a social media site in the same category as true heroism? I would say no.

I think we often use the word hero when what we really mean is role model or mentor, maybe even just a good example for others to follow. Real heroes are all of those things, but I don't think the reverse is neccessarily true. You can be a good example and role model without being heroic.

So who are the heroes?

I think true heroes behave in a sacrificial manner, with no thought given to the fame or notoriety that may come their way as a result of their actions. Their actions change the world, or at least change the situation at hand from something dangerous-life threatening-potentially disasterous to something better.

I read about a survey conducted a couple of years ago among British children ages 6-13 asking them who are their heroes. Guess who took the top spot?

Mom.

Well Mum because because it was a British survey , but either way that answer made me happy.

If we think about what good mothers do day in and day out the word fits. Mothers put themselves last. They aren't seeking fame for their accomplishments and in fact they've often set aside their own dreams and aspirations to ensure their children grow up reaching for the stars.

Mothers can change a child's world or at least how the child sees the world and his place in it. A gentle hug, wisdom bestowed, a quiet act of kindness. With the routine sameness of always being there doing all those little things that in hindsight turn out to be not so little.

I think right now the medical people suiting up daily and marching into hospital rooms where people are sick and dying, with many unknowns still out there, is heroic. On a different scale but perhaps no less important, moms keeping in check the mental, physical, and emotional health of the humans in their care during this season of change and uncertainty might also be worthy of the word.

In The Good Ole Summertime

It's Monday so how about a catch up post? That's pretty much been my summer blog theme, and hey! it's still summer so there ya go. Daughter2 will greet a new classroom full of students today, but it's the middle of August on the lake and we've got the humidity to prove it.

My sister and her hubs were in town all last week along with my twelve year old nephew and his best bud. They got a kick out of prepping the pork butt for the grill.

The weather was perfection every single day which was a good thing because these boys lived in the water. 

We tubed (and by we I mean they), we taught them to water ski (and by we I mean hubs and the brother-in-law taught them to ski)-

Also the skier pictured here is hubs. They might have taught the boys to ski, but they're not looking like this just yet-ha!

We hung out on one of the island beaches, took a sunset cruise, and motored all over the lake while the boys each had a turn at the wheel.

We played tag at the waterfall...

There were a few boats at the falls, but nothing like you see on a hot June or July weekend. Weekdays are where it's at.

Also it was hubs and the boys who played tag. My sister and I chillaxed on the boat.

It was fun to have a whole week to swim and boat after being away from it for three weeks. This is the last of our summertime company, but not the last of our summertime fun. Lots still on the calendar which is how we roll here on This Side Of The Pond.  Enjoy your Monday everyone! 

Well That Was Fun

What a fun few days we've had with my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. This was their first trip to the lake, and my nephew declared it would not be his last. He was only here about five minutes before he started asking his mom if they could stay a little longer. Real life beckons so that was not to be, but we did make the most of the time we had together.

I guess I won't mention how I whiled away four hours the afternoon of their arrival in the Emergency Room making sure I hadn't broken any ribs since that was kind of the low point of the
monthweekend for me.

Okay, I'll mention it.

I was happily minding my own business Wednesday, getting the house ready for company when the incident occurred. Since my brother-in-law's birthday was Thursday I thought I'd get a jump start on the meal by making the cake the day before. His favorite-a homemade three layer carrot cake with buttermilk glaze poured over each layer and a cream cheese icing over the whole thing.

Hubs had run to the store for the 47th time and as I was mixing up the icing I noticed our hummingbird feeder hanging sideways on the kitchen window. I stopped what I was doing and went outside to find all the sticky sugary syrup dripping on to the deck where it was baking courtesy of the hot hot sun. I went inside and grabbed a cup of boiling water and poured it on the mess, all the while thinking how helpful I was to get this knocked out before hubs came home. Then I realized the sticky stuff had dripped through the deck and was running down the lower level bedroom window, so I got my trusty step ladder and ever so carefully wiped the window clean.

As I was admiring my handiwork the ladder somehow collapsed, I slid, and hit the bar going across the top of the ladder. HIT should be capitalized. I hit that bar so hard, like a Floyd Mayweather jab just below the rib cage. I might have cried. Hubs got home about fifteen minutes later and I was frosting my cake and crying and he said we probably needed to make sure I hadn't broken a rib or ruptured my spleen and we argued a little about whether or not I could drive myself while he finished getting the dinner prep done for our soon-to-be-arriving company or he would drive me there himself. Guess who won?

It only took an hour to get into the exam room. The doctor said I'd have to have a chest x-ray and if any ribs were broken I'd have to have a cat scan to be sure my spleen was intact and long story short I have some very severely bruised ribs that will take two to three weeks to heal.

Hello company! I hung tough, but was definitely off my hostess game. Fortunately the weather was absolute perfection and we pretty much spent the entire three days in the water.  Seriously if we hadn't insisted my nephew get out of the lake he'd still be in there swimming.

Thursday morning we packed a lunch and motored out to a little island we love. There's a nice sandy beach and we felt like we had the whole lake to ourselves.

I think he had fun?

Hubs grilled steaks on the Green Egg for our brother-in-law's birthday dinner, then got up Friday morning and put a pork butt on the grill to smoke all day. Somebody enjoyed being sous chef.

And fishing with his uncle.

And catching a football thrown from the water.

We were on the boat again all day Friday and there was more swimming and flipping and the required sister selfie.

I don't see my younger sister often, and normally when we're together it's around a holiday, so this was really special. No agenda, just relaxation and conversation.

Friday night Daughter2 and her roommate drove out to spend the night and have BBQ with us, and Saturday morning we all got right back in the lake for some repeat fun.

About noon Daughter2's boyfriend arrived with her pup who is NOT a swimmer (although we tried to coax her in) and then my older sister and her hubs arrived from their nearby town to join us for an early dinner.

We grilled burgers and did our best to finish up the carrot cake before we had to say our farewells. My younger sister and her family started their long drive home Saturday night because work on Monday, school starting soon, and other non-summer bits of life that need tending. 

These cousins got the good hair gene.You're welcome kids!

Daughter2, her boyfriend, and her roommate stayed for an evening sunset cruise, then her roommate had to hurry home, and it was just the four of us once more. I think Daughter2 and her boyfriend played some pool, but I can't say for sure. I took my Advil and fell asleep sitting up in the comfy recliner because laying flat is still completely miserable.

The longish weekend went too fast and my nephew is already making his travel plans for next summer. We can't wait to do it all again!

Except the part about where I crack my ribs.
Next time I'll skip that and go straight to the fun.
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