Weekend Chatter

Hello Monday. Can you believe next week it's March and then summer and then Christmas? A slight exaggeration maybe, but only very slight. 

We had a nice quiet low key weekend here. It felt good to be home sleeping in my own bed and catching up on things here. Friday the sun shone and it was glorious. 

Hubs and I opted for a hike in a nearby state park and the weather was perfection. 

Thermometers don't lie-

The little brown dog was along for the ride, or maybe I should say run, because we moved at a clip the first two thirds of our walk.  

I think he smelled water and was itching to get to it. There wasn't a great swimming spot so that didn't happen, but it wasn't for his lack of trying. 

If we were following the strict rules of 52 dates in 52 weeks we'd be at number 20 this week. We're at 15 and we'll take it. We had company one week, hubs was away one week, I was away one week, there were holidays in the mix, so it's all good. We make the rules, right? 

We were home for lunch and then spent the afternoon chilling aka napping and reading. We made Greek chicken bowls for dinner and they were super delish. 

I used this recipe (more or less) and the marinated chicken grilled was really good, as was the dressing drizzled on top. 

Saturday we watched Olympics, jimmy rigged an electric shade we have that's ridiculous in design, and did a lot of lounging-reading-blogging. The shade is up high and has a battery that needs recharging, not often but often enough to be annoying. Hubs has to get out the extra tall ginormous ladder to reach it, on a staircase to boot, so he came up with a solution to make it easier next time. No pictures because I was responsible for holding the ladder. He survived. 

Saturday night we had dinner plans with friends. We went to a new-to-us Italian restaurant and enjoyed every bite. They started as a pizza place but are more than that now. I could have made a meal of appetizers.  Turns out we knew the wine manager and he brought us a plate of their arancini to start which were scrumptious. Hubs and I both had their lasagne (it's somebody's grandma's recipe) and it was served in small iron skillets which made for a great presentation. Also the portions were enormous and we took half home for lunches. 

Sunday we watched as much of the hockey game as we could before church and were excited to hear the final score when we came out of the service. I saw a lot of the Olympics this time around and loved all that viewing. There were some exciting moments, some beautiful moments, some patriotic moments, and overall thought they were exceptional. 

I spent a lot of Sunday afternoon organizing a few things I'm in charge of organizing and it felt good to get that done. We tried a new recipe for dinner and it received mixed reviews. Bun-less burgers which meant a lettuce wrap in place of the bread. I used this recipe, and I liked the lettuce wrap which was less filling. Hubs wanted a bun. 

I'm joining Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) today for their Hello Monday blog hop. I have a busy week. Honestly the next several are full to the brim with a combination of fun, family, tasks to complete, appointments to keep, relationships to manage, and people to love. 

One of my very favorite verses was part of my last week's lenten reading in the Psalms, and it's one that helps me stay grounded when life is moving fast-

"I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:1-2

Have a great Monday everyone. 

Hey There Monday

Good morning friends. We have a full full calendar on tap here this week with lots happening, including houseguests, meeting new neighbors, and a granddaughter celebrating a birthday. This morning though, I'm joining Holly and Sarah for their weekend recap link up. Here's how ours looked-

Backing up to Thursday because Thursdays are when I think the weekend should start. I volunteer on Thursdays and felt productive in dropping off both dry cleaning and a library book before 8:30 AM. My volunteer stint lasts from about 9-1, then I made one more quick stop before heading home. 

Hubs and I met up with Daughter1 and her family at Max's soccer match a little bit later. His team just keeps on winning and it was fun to watch them advance yet another day in the playoffs. After the game we all went to a local brew pub and had pizza and wings to celebrate. On our way from the soccer pitch to the restaurant we passed this field of cotton in full bloom. 

I'm not usually on this road so have never seen it before, but it was so pretty in the setting sun. I tried to snap a picture as we whizzed by, which isn't the best but it's all I managed. 

We had our first 'table fire' Friday morning. The weather has been absolutely spectacular, and we are spending as much time outside in it as we can. I stayed busy all day with phone calls, meal planning, grocery shopping, and laundry. Hubs played golf. His tee time wasn't until after one and he was playing an hour away so he was out pretty much all afternoon. 

I made a chicken pot pie for dinner and we watched a movie we thought we might have seen, but since neither of us could remember for sure, it was fine. Welcome to 'the third act'-ha! 

Saturday I washed all the slip covers for the chairs in our keeping room. Not gonna lie here...it's a job, but they come out beautifully, so it's worth doing from time to time. These chairs are where people naturally gravitate when they come in to my house, so they get a lot of use.  

There's a seat cushion, a seat back, and then the chair cover itself, all of which zip snuggly around the cushions inside, so it can be a wrestling match getting them off and especially back on. Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day. I like to set the covers outside on a drying rack so wanted to take advantage of the sunshine.

We have company coming Monday and I'm glad this is done. Hubs washed his truck because that's what he loves to do on a sunny Saturday morning. 

Saturday afternoon we went to a party at a friend's house. So much fun! They had BBQ catered and best of all (aside from the glorious weather I mean) was the live music. Two local musicians who are both super talented, played for three solid hours, no breaks. We've seen them around town in one of the breweries and  some of the dining spots that feature live music, but this was in someone's back yard and felt extra.

The musicians performed on our friend's dock and then the party go-ers sat on the hillside above them. It was a great set up. 

Several boaters came by too, and listened in from the water, and we were kind of wishing we'd come by boat because it was a great night for it. 

Sadly not as great a night for football. We got home and caught most of the Tennessee-Alabama game. Ugh. The hometown team also lost so a double whammy. 

Sunday we woke up to rain, which we haven't had in a long while. We heard an excellent message at church, and hubs and I went to brunch right after. Then it was home to clean bathrooms and do some vacuuming so everything would be nice and tidy for our friends arriving Monday. Hubs and our houseguest worked together for a couple of decades+ and we haven't seen one another in a number of years. We're looking forward to showing them the lake and catching up in person. 

Have a great week everyone!

Hello Monday

Good Monday morning friends. We've had the most glorious weather and have spent a lot of time out in it and enjoying our porches too. Here's how our weekend looked-

Friday we did some of the usual stuff that needs doing before the weekend rolls in. I picked up groceries, bought gas, made a quick stop in the drug store, and returned a library book. Hubs scrubbed the showers and did some outdoor tasks including cleaning all the outdoor lanterns, and knocking down the cobwebs from the porch ceilings. 

We left around 2 for the nearby city. We were meeting friends for a late lunch/early dinner around 3, then it was on to an evening with Tara Leigh Cobble and The Bible Recap. Her event was held in a large church and we had great seats. 

We weren't sure what to expect from the evening, but we all agreed it was very well done. For those of you who don't know, Tara Leigh hosts a daily podcast which is a read through the Bible (chronologically) and then she 'recaps' what you read that particular day. You read three or four chapters a day, and then her recap is between 5-10 minutes long. 

She's adorable in person and is so naturally funny. She's also wise and comes across as warm and genuine. There were some fun bits to start, then she spoke on Psalm 23, and then a Q & A at the end. We all enjoyed the evening. 

Saturday we slept in, I cleaned all the bathrooms, and then we hung out on the screened porch and watched some college football. The Vols had the day off, but Hunley says go Tigers! 

Also, he's not allowed on the furniture. Oops. 

Friends invited us to a wine tasting they were hosting which started at 4. The wines were all from the Napa Vineyard- Ladera, and the winemaker Dan Ladera, was there to present the wines. 

They have a great story as to how his family went from Minnesota farmers to Montana ranchers to California winemakers. Our hosts made really nice charcuterie boards and hubs and I called that dinner. 

Sunday we went to church then made a quick stop afterwards at Lowes for something hubs needs for a project here. I grabbed two big mums since we were there, but as usual I forgot to snap a picture. 

They almost made this shot. Almost. 

My daughter and I have been a little bit obsessed with these big wreath bows we've seen online but the price is ka-razy! She's crafty and made one for herself, and on Thursday I met her at Hobby Lobby to pick ribbon so she could make one for me too. She brought it to me at church and I love it! 

Once we were back home hubs vacuumed while I did some dinner prep which included an apple crisp of which I also forgot to snap a picture. It was good though! Our next door neighbors came for dinner, hubs grilled, and we had a nice time catching up in person. 

And that was the weekend. I think fall might finally be here, and I hope the sun shone for you too.  If you'd like to add a recap of your own or read what others are saying, hop over to the host blogs -Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books). 

Have a great week everyone! 

Monthly Musings-May

It's the last Thursday of the month which means it's time for the Monthly Musings link up with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Patty (Good Better Best). Feel free to play along...

1. What am I looking forward to most this summer? 

Lots of things...dining al fresco, lake floats, the 4th of July, sipping iced coffee beside the waterfall, sunset cruises...

...jumping off the dock hand in hand with my grands, homemade peach cobbler, and casual entertaining with friends and family. 

2. Any favorite summer traditions? 

Some of these overlap with my answers to the first question but...

I always jump off the dock holding hands with my oldest grandson to help kick off summer. Hopefully his little brother will join us this year.  I tell him he will never be too old. 

We'll have to see about Nana but so far so good. 

We always watch the fireworks from our dock and shoreline because we have the best view of my across the cove neighbor's spectacular show. 

I make one peach cobbler every summer because summer says you must. Same goes for home made ice cream. 

3. Any summer travel plans? Please dish. 

We typically don't travel in the summer months. We live on a lake so people travel here lol. 

We're a little out of the box this summer as we've rented a beach house for a week for the whole family, and I'm really looking forward to that. The trip won't happen until later in the summer so there will still be plenty of lake time before and after. 

4. How do you red, white, and blue?

First of all, I love the colors...so festive! July 4th is one of my favorite days of the year. We have the flag flying on our dock and on the boat too,  plus a windsock on the dock and flag bunting hanging from the deck of the house. 

I have several t-shirts with patriotic themes/colors so will wear one of those on the holiday. This year I bought cute dresses for the grandgirls and will probably find something coordinating for the boys. 

We typically have a crowd here on the 4th. My girls are usually here with their families and we sometimes have additional houseguests around that time too. Last year hubs brother and his wife came, and we're hoping they come back again this year for the holiday. 

There are a lot of firework shows around the lake, some put on by people who live here, and then the marinas have pretty big displays too, so we'll definitely see fireworks. Not exaggerating when I say the best show on the lake is the one my across the cove neighbor hosts. 

Boaters come from all around the lake and anchor, both in our cove and in the waters around it, and she does an amazing job. When there's an especially beautiful firework all the boaters honk and it's so much fun. It stirs up feelings of pride in America and I love that. 

Hubs will grill something, and I like to make some sort of patriotic dessert, sometimes a trifle since I feel like you need a lot of people to eat one and we'll have a lot of people around. 

Oddly enough we don't usually take the boat out on the 4th. The lake is so busy that day, and since we can boat anytime we opt out of the crazy this day can bring. 

5. Beach, lake, or pool. 

Since I live on a lake it feels wrong not to answer with that one. Plus no salt-no sharks so winning! We swim in our lake and it's crystal clear. 

6. Favorite summer sweet treat? 

Strawberry shortcake, peach cobbler, and homemade blueberry pie. Just give me all the fresh fruity desserts please. 

7. Favorite sunscreens and self-tanners. 

I don't use a self-tanner. I wear sunscreen every day and like a lotion as opposed to a spray.  We go through it here and I'm not particularly loyal to one brand. I've got Neutrogena Ultra Sheer,  Bare Republic Mineral,  Tula Daily, Coppertone Sport, and Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch which might be my favorite. 

8. Best flip flops or sandals? 

I need a little arch in my flip flops, and while they're not inexpensive I do love the Olukai brand. 

I think this is the pair I currently own. As far as sandals go I like mine cute. I also like cute tennis shoes for summer and have several pair. 

9. How are you staying fit this summer? 

Lake life means you stay pretty active. Hubs and I joke we make about fifteen or twenty trips going back and forth to the dock every day, and while it's not steep it's also not flat, so there's that. 

We have kayaks and paddle boards and I love to swim. We have a pool in our neighborhood too, and I like to swim laps there. 

10. Favorite summer themed movies? 

Here's my top five...The Parent Trap (the Lindsay Lohan remake), Jaws, Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia, and  The Deep (with Jacqueline Bisset and Nick Nolte). 

Come on summer...

We're ready for ya!

Hello Monday Thoughts and Things

Good morning friends. Is time flying where you live because it feels like it's flying here. We're still in summer mode, but school has been back in session in our area for two weeks now and that makes me think it should be fall. 

Except it was 96 degrees when we left the house to meet friends for dinner on Friday night, and that's summer, right? 

Let's back up to Wednesday. Friends invited us to their house to play water volleyball and it was so much fun. There were about 25 people there and the hosts ordered pizza and everybody brought a snack or side to share. Nobody took the game playing too seriously so we laughed a lot. 

Thursday I got a few things done at the house, including getting one of the guest baths downstairs emptied out because painters are coming next week. I told hubs the economy is tanking but we're doing our part to  keep it going here with home improvement projects. 

I've been wanting to add some wallpaper to this bathroom pretty much since we built, and I'm finally getting around to choosing the paper and finding a hanger and having a decorator help me with the paint color for the room that will be just paint, no paper. It will be two days of painting and then one day to wallpaper and I'm excited to have it finished. It's going to be a nice change. We're reframing a print we've had hanging on the wall too so once that's done I'll share some pictures.

We've been in our house almost eight years now, and it's time to re-do a few things that are in need of re-doing. I'd like to paint the whole interior but we've got that other big project happening outside, also starting this week (fingers crossed) so paint will be on next years docket. 

Friday afternoon I had my yearly mammo scheduled. My appointment was at 4:45 PM which seemed like an odd time of day to do this, but whatever, at least it wasn't busy. And since it meant trekking in to the nearby city we made plans to meet up with our old neighbors at a place we've all been wanting to try. 

Oh my it was so good. 

Do you like sushi? If you don't like sushi you might not be on board, but we all like sushi and agreed this was excellent. The restaurant is called O-ku and they have locations in a handful of cities, mostly in the south. 

They do fancy cocktails and I had something called Sugar and Spice which was a jalapeno infused vodka with passion fruit juice and a sugar rim. Scrumptious! Hubs had a bourbon something called Tokyo which he enjoyed. 

The menu is a bit different than your typical sushi restaurant and we shared some small plates to start. This was blue fin tuna, fried shallot, compressed watermelon, and a brown butter sauce, which sounds crazy but it was wonderful. 

We each ordered our own rolls which we also ended up sharing, then added some Wagyu beef we cooked ourselves (it was the real deal!)...

Wagyu beef cooked in wagyu butter is something else. Yum! We were there for over three hours just enjoying the food, the company, and the truly excellent service, and we all agreed it was a fun dining experience. 

Saturday was another scorcher here with temps still  again in the 90's. Hubs and I hung out in the lake.  Literally. We have not had a day to just chill on the water and it was so nice to have nowhere to go and nothing we absolutely had to do. 

I spent an hour right here. 

I'm tied to the dock so I don't float away. 

We followed that up with a boat ride to check out a part of the lake we haven't really seen much of this summer. We always like to see what kind of new construction went up in the winter months and we like to see what people are doing to their property in terms of landscaping in case we want to copy. 

Hubs had to stop the boat once for me to jump in because I was melting. 

We came back to our dock and swam a little, then we showered (outside because that's still a thing here) and hubs grilled us steak while I added a salad and baked potato, which in my opinion is a perfect meal. There were a few clouds in the sky after dinner, but we chanced it and ran the boat out in time to catch the sunset.

Never disappoints. 

We ended the day with more Olympics. We have really enjoyed them this time around and I'm kind of sad they're ending. I think the US Women's track team was my favorite viewing. Such talent and speed, brains and beauty too. 

Sunday. It was hot. We had a friend coming by to look at our lemon tree and give us some advice on fertilizer and care and tell us if it's in a good spot, sun wise which it is. She has a lot of fruit trees and knows how to grow citrus. Ours is loaded with lemons that are still very green, but she assured us all is well, gave us some fertilizer and told us what to buy. Fingers crossed we'll have yellow lemons in another couple of months. 

Sunday afternoon we loaded up the car with various framing projects we want done (I think there are five)  and we drove to Michaels. Nobody was working the frame department and their 'framer' was at a training all week. Ugh. We'll shift gears and go to Hobby Lobby instead, hopefully Monday before the barge gets here with the landscaping materials. 

Hopefully the barge gets here Monday. 

Sunday afternoon we beat the heat and watched a movie, hubs grilled chicken for dinner and I made a side of pesto pasta with my homemade pesto, then we ended the day with a float. 

The lake kind not the Root beer kind.

So how was your weekend? 

Linking this post with the regular Hello Monday party hosted by Holly and Sarah.