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? 

The Weekend Roundup

It's a two-fer today...linking with both Hello Monday (Holly and Sarah) and also with several bloggers who host a once a month hop called Share Our Lives. I'll add their buttons at the end of this post. 

First, the weekend. Let's discuss. It was gorgeous. Saturday and Sunday both were all day sunshine and low humidity which is my favorite. 

We had two neighbor couples over Saturday night for drinks and s'mores around the firepit. It's so hot and humid here in the summertime that we rarely have a fire then, but this springtime weather was made for one. I had the traditional Hershey bar option, but also bought some of the thin Reeses (have you seen these? oh my!) and nutella for anyone who wanted to spread that on their graham cracker before adding the marshnallow. Hubs made mine because he toasts them to perfection and I tend to get impatient and end up charred.  

Friends we hadn't seen in a while invited us to their club for a Mother's Day brunch and we had a nice time catching up. We came home to find our magnolia blooming -

We have a pygmy magnolia which won't get as tall as other varieties, but the blooms are still large and spectacular. After brunch we took our inaugural boat ride of the season.

We love to see what all has been going on around the lake during the winter months. This picture makes it look like I know what I'm doing-

Which I do as long as all the planets are correctly aligned. They were. Normally you'll find me here-

Hubs made smashburgers for dinner and they were so good. We followed this recipe and it's a keeper. 

We don't have one of those fancy smash tools, but hubs chef spatula, which he's owned for forty years, worked just fine. 

And no, he's not a chef. He just plays one on the internet. 

All this talk of food feels like an appropriate segue into today's Share Our Lives link up. This month's prompt is-your five favorite and five least favorite foods. 

I saw the prompt on Friday and have wracked my brain all weekend to come up with a food I don't actually like. It's a problem y'all. And then limiting my likes to just five? Also a problem. 

I saw a website saying the top three least favorite foods in America are anchovies, black licorice, and oysters. I love oysters and while I prefer red licorice I don't mind the black. And I like anchovies in some dishes so also not on my list. 

Other items that did make the list were fennel, mushrooms, capers, olives (what???), brussel sprouts, and coconut. I feel like mushrooms and coconut are two foods you either love or hate, there's no middle ground there. I'm on the side of love. 

After way too much overthinking my list of least favorite would be...

Liver and onions -blech

Kale- I've tried but it's just eh. I mean if I came to your house for dinner and you served kale I'd eat it, but it's not a favorite. I much prefer it in a salad as opposed to cooked. 

Tofu-no explanation needed, right?

Lima beans-I like them in certain dishes and I always add them to my homemade vegetable soup, but I don't want a side of limas with my meal. When my girls were little they absolutely loved them and whenever I had a babysitter coming they would get so excited because that meant they could have lima beans for dinner. Yay!! Rachel is coming! We get lima beans for dinner! I think they both still love limas. 

Sardines-  I will eat almost any kind of fish, but I've never acquired a taste for sardines. 

Whew! That was hard. Okay, now for my favorites. And these are just five of my favorites, but not necessarily my top five. Too much pressure. 

Watermelon-I love all fruits and could easily have filled the list of favorites with just fruit, but for the sake of variety I've chosen one and watermelon it is.

Popcorn-it's what's for dinner. I kid, but only sort of. When hubs traveled a lot for work I sometimes made popcorn my dinner. 

Steamed Blue Crabs- eaten on a picnic table beside the Bay whenever possible. I love a crab cake too, but sitting with friends around a butcher paper covered table where a bucket of steamed crabs are dumped and then picked is one of my favorite things ever. We lived in the Annapolis area for nine years and this is one of the things we miss most. Also what made us crab cake snobs. Just sayin'. 

A burger-cooked just right on grill with lettuce and tomato and a side of summer sunshine 

Egg Salad -this one kind of popped into my head out of the blue. There's something about an egg salad sandwich that takes me back to my childhood and it's still a favorite for me. 

So tell me what foods would make your love/hate list? 

I hope you had a nice weekend...ours ended with a four foot rat snake slithering across the yard. 

Fortunately for me I married someone who mans the grill, docks the boat, and loves to relocate a snake when relocation is necessary. 

Slithering Into The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Then leave a comment for your neighbor on the list because that's what good blog neighbors do. Here we go-

1. Three things on your spring bucket list? If you don't have an actual list that's fine, pretend you do.

Sort out new furniture for the screened porch, give my closet the once over, and reserve the church and reception venue for daughter2's wedding happening in 2019. 

You can't believe how early people book these venues. The planner at one of the venues I saw today told me she had someone reserve a date and they're not even officially engaged yet. Whaaaat??? You have to pay deposits when you reserve these sites and I can't imagine doing that without a ring on your finger. People are sometimes a little bit crazy! 

2. Where do you find rest? What restores your soul? When was the last time you did whatever it was you answered here?

I find rest in the early morning quiet, in nature, and sleeping in my own bed particularly after a lot of travel. Reading my Bible, journaling, blogging, hiking, a swim or a long walk, a hot bath with the lights down low, and a good nap are all things that restore my soul. These are all activities that quiet the noise in my head which is a necessary pre-requisite for rest. 

I had a nap on Sunday afternoon because I'm pretty sure that's the way God intended it. I try to ease into my weekdays with a cup of coffee and my Bible and that generally makes me feel balanced, less stressed, and ready to take on the day.

3. April is National Celery Month. Who knew? Do you like celery? What's your favorite dish made with celery? On a veggie and dip platter which would you reach for first-carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumbers or cherry tomatoes?

I do like celery. Hubs has a thing about the smell for some reason, but he likes the taste okay. My favorite dish made with celery would be my mama's cornbread dressing. I also love celery in my chicken salad, but cornbread dressing is a rare treat so I'll go with that. On a veggie and dip platter I go for the cucumbers every time. 

4. I read here eight things to do before 8 am to make your day less hectic-Start one load of laundry, drink water, empty the dishwasher, read your Bible, know what you're having for dinner, get dressed, brain dump (two lists-one what you're thankful for and one what's weighing on your mind), and after the brain dump make your to-list for the day

How many of these are you currently doing? Which one do you think would help the most if you added it to your early morning routine?

I actually do most of these tasks, although not always before 8 am. I mean we're retired so what's the rush? That being said I do like to have my day organized from the get go and I agree tackling the items on this list helps. I rarely start laundry before 8 am and I'm not always dressed by 8 am either but the rest of them I can say I do regularly. I love me a good list! 

5. Describe the view from your window.

I see a dogwood in bloom, a squirrel at play and the lake looking still and lovely. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

So this not so little guy showed up on our driveway Monday afternoon. Hubs likes snakes and I do not. He likes to get a closer look and I like to go in the house and watch from the window ready to call 911 should the snake get feisty. 

Hubs informed me this was one of the 'good guys so I shouldn't kill it'. 

Um. Okay. 

Like I'd kill a snake-ha! 

He was about five feet long and looked like he was still digesting whatever critter(s) he'd recently consumed. Shudder!!! 

Where do you stand when it comes to snakes? Do you want a closer look or do you head for the hills?




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