Monday Morning Musings

Before we get to our weekend recap I want to say a heart felt thank you to all of the men and women who've served this land I love in some branch of the armed services. I have so much respect and admiration for those who take this path and for the many sacrifices they make. Their families too. My dad was a career marine and my son-in-law was in the Army, and I'm both proud and grateful today for their service. 

Linking this post with Holly and Sarah and their Hello Monday party happening today-

Our weekend kicked off with a trip to the lawyer's office Friday morning. Hubs and I had some financial stuff we needed to deal with and we finally made ourselves book an appointment. Who else loathes talking about anything related to taxes, wills, estate planning, and such? 

We had new wills made about fifteen years ago, but our girls were in college then, and we lived in another state, and so much has changed that it just made sense to update. We also spent some time figuring out if we need a trust or don't need a trust, or if you're me, what even is a trust? 

These are the sorts of things I want someone else to figure out and then just tell me where to sign, but I adult-ed like an adult and we got it done. We spent an hour and a half with the lawyer and he did let me know he won't charge us for the twenty minute sidebar he and hubs had discussing their mutual love of bourbon. We got home just in time for hubs to meet a tree guy about a big tree (sob) that needs to come out. 

The fun never ends 'round here. 

Friday afternoon I baked a batch of mini cupcakes to take to an evening event. I did minis because I feel like a sweet bite as opposed to a whole cupcake is what most people want at something like our once a month Friday evening socials. In November the organizers always recognize and honor any Veterans and active duty military in the neighborhood which I love to see. 

These are banana cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting and I used this recipe- Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes. The icing is fabulous, so light, and I think would be really good on a chocolate cake or cupcake too. I had a big bottle of fall sprinkles so why not

Saturday morning hubs went to our quarterly HOA meeting and I went grocery shopping.  Like I said...it was a weekend chock a block full of excitement. Have you seen this in your market? 

I know pickle juice is supposed to be good for you and we always put some in our Bloody Marys, but that might not be what they mean when they say it's good for you -ha! It's also good for leg cramps, electrolyte replenishment, and your gut, but this is quite the jug isn't it? I can't imagine how long it would take me to consume all of that. 

I don't like grocery shopping on the weekend, but since I didn't do my pre-weekend shop I had no choice. Also, I wore shorts. The weather has been so warm it's hard to know how to dress. 

We've been walking most days, and while it doesn't feel like summer it's warm for fall. My basil plant is happy though, and still going strong, so Saturday afternoon I snipped a bunch and made pesto to use on Sunday. We watched a lot of college football and hubs and I went out for Thai food Saturday night. 

Daughter2 and her hubs and kiddos had been at my son-in-law's university homecoming all weekend long, and we were sort of on their way home so they made us an overnight stop. I hadn't seen these grands in two months and was so happy to have some in person time together. 

I might come back and add pictures to this post later, but they arrived close to dinner time Sunday, and Sugar was not feeling her best. Big brother made a beeline for the toy box and then we ate and did baths  and I kind of forgot about taking any pictures. 

Daughter2 and I have been baking along with The Great British Bakeoff this season and had this crazy idea we'd be able to do the week 4 bake (caramel) while we were together. No way that was happening Sunday night. 

We might try to add this one in at the end or somewhere in the middle when a bake pops up that we're unable to complete for our own 'technical' reasons. We make the rules and we say it's okay. 

We didn't do a lot but somehow the weekend flew right on by. And I love waking up to Monday morning coffee with a daughter in the house. 

Have a great week everyone!

The Weekend Recap...Prost!

We had a nice weekend, somewhat low key, but honestly things never feel completely low key here. I don't think those are words that would be used to describe us. 

Thursday is my day to volunteer and I'm out of the house most of the day. I'd made soup on Wednesday evening to take to a friend whose husband has been in the hospital, so I packaged that up and hubs and I made the delivery. We decided to grab dinner out and had a nice meal at a local favorite spot. The moon was amazing every night last week. 

Friday I had an appointment for a facial and hubs had conveniently booked himself a hair cut in that same time frame. Approximately. Both appointments are in the nearby city so we were able to take one car. It required a little logistical planning, but I dropped him at the hair place and the plan was he would Uber to Costco after, and I'd meet him there once my facial wrapped up. 

A facial is the most relaxing hour of my life. 

Carry on. 

I wasn't thinking when we left the house and forgot to bring the cooler which meant Costco shopping was a bit limited. We live an hour from Costco. We did get the paper products restocked and hubs grabbed a jar of his peanut butter stuffed pretzels along with a few things like batteries, Mr. Clean erasers, and Rao's spaghetti sauce which I like to keep on hand, but nothing cold. Bother. 

We had lunch at a nearby bakery we enjoy and realized we were very near the outdoor furniture shop where we bought some of our porch furniture. We decided to make one more stop. Question-why is outdoor furniture so ding dang pricey???

We need a lot of outdoor furniture. We have a lot of outdoor furniture, but now we've added all these new spaces and people gotta sit. This store has so many beautiful things but since we didn't know we were making a stop here we didn't have any measurements with us. 

Batting 1000 on preparedness Friday. 

As it turns out the shop has a free design service and someone will come to the house to draw up a plan, make recommendations, and tell us what would fit best in all these new spaces. We said yes to that, and the designer will be here tomorrow. I'm anxious to see what he suggests. 

We didn't get home until almost dinner time at which point who felt like cooking? BLTs for the win. After dinner we watched a few episodes of that new show called High Potential with Kaitlin Olson. It's cute and doesn't strain your brain which is what we needed after a long day.

Saturday we sipped coffee and watched College Game Day, then watched Clemson win their game while somebody got a haircut. The groomer comes to our house with a van designed for just such a purpose and the little brown dog does not enjoy the experience at all. 

But he sure looks cute. 

Our VOLS played Bama which is a rivalry for the ages and we watched the first half at home. Volunteer football is so hard on the nerves. Always. We had plans to meet up with friends at a local Octoberfest celebration so had to head that way at halftime. 

Not quite like being in Germany but lots of fun nonetheless. 

Hubs hat is the real deal. 

The beer tent had big TVs behind the bar so hubs and I stood there to watch the last few minutes of the game. When the VOLS won the whole crowd around us cheered. For those not in the know, everyone in the SEC roots for whatever team is playing Bama, unless you happened to go to school there.  

The weather all weekend long was beautiful, but Sunday was perfection. Sunday afternoon hubs and I took a long walk in the neighborhood and hubs threw the ball for the little brown dog.

There aren't a lot of Halloween decorations in our neighborhood, but this chicken skeleton is a good one. 

We're still really green here, although a few trees are finally starting to turn. We've heard some of the roads into the mountains are now navigable so we'll take a drive up there soon for some true leaf peeping. 

Hubs had a project going on at the dock and I spent the rest of the afternoon right here working on my Bible Study (Jen Wilkin's Revelation), catching up on my blog, sipping tea, and reading one of the books I've currently got going-Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See. It's good so far, and I always enjoy her books. 

Fall is my favorite. 

And every once in a while I guess we can do low key. 

I'm joining Holly and Sarah for their regular Monday morning link up today. 

What kind of fun did you have this weekend? 

Grantchester

September is the nicest month in England. That's how I remember it anyway, and so far it's proved to be true. 

Thursday was another beautiful day weather wise and we had plans to go in to the nearby village of Grantchester while the boys were in school. Max had a change of heart and decided he needed to hang with us so the five of us made the short drive into the village. 

Do you watch the show Grantchester? I thought it was a fictional place, but it's real and it's lovely. It's called a village, but there's not really a 'town' here. There is a beautiful church...

several pubs...

 ...adorable stone houses, thatched roofs, and a tea room with a garden made for sitting and sipping which is where we started.

We had tea in the garden then a nice long ramble along the river that runs just beyond the orchard...

It's one of the things I miss most about life here. 

Long walks on public footpaths all across the countryside. 

You frequently encounter 'wildlife' on these rambles, usually sheep but today it was cows.

We came up the river path into the village and we had to take a peek inside the beautiful Church of St. Andrew and St. Mary featured in the television series...

The care that was taken in the building of these old churches is awe inspiring.

The oldest part of the church dates all the way back to 1250, a date that pretty much boggles the mind. The chancel itself was built in the 14th century, and the bell tower in the 15th century. 

It was the perfect way to spend the day, and we were home in time for naps...little miss and ours both lol. Once the Mancub got home from school we sat in their very lovely garden and sipped a cup of Pimms while their momma made my birthday dinner. 

We'd gone to the pub on my actual birthday but she wanted to cook a meal for me at home and it was delish. There was even a yummy apple crisp for dessert made with apples from the trees growing just outside their kitchen.  A two day birthday celebration. 

I highly recommend.

Friday Faves-Episode 2

Who blogs late afternoon on a Friday? Just me? Who reads blogs late afternoon on a Friday? I guess we'll find out.

I love Friday afternoons. My hubs may be adding sand to the firepit patio as we speak, is washing down the chairs there, and in general making everything in that area of the yard squeaky clean for friends to enjoy tomorrow night, but I've declared it quittin' time and am sitting with a cup of tea, my laptop, and a gentle breeze on the deck thinking about blogging. 

We're retired. We can call it a day at 3 PM on a sunny Friday in May. 

Well hubs can't because he's a machine when it comes to yard work and chores, which I have to say, is not a bad quality in a husband.

I'm linking a little bit of this and that from the week that was today with Erika and Andrea on Friday Favorites. 

First things first...I'm still walking with the Better Me app and invited hubs to go with me one day this week. Normally I like to do these walks alone, listen to my book, and not think about my achilles and these hills. Hubs likes to say things like, 'These hills are so good for you!' and 'We should do this twice a day' while in my head I'm wondering why it is he bounces up the hills like it ain't no thing and I huff and puff like it is? 

Our neighborhood has walking trails through the woods that connect the various sections. I like hubs with me when I take any of the wooded routes, on the off chance we see a bear. We've never encountered one on a walk, but they are in the neighborhood from time to time. 

If hubs walks with me his number one fan gets to come too. 

Second fave-I had lunch with a friend on Wednesday, which was long overdo. And since it's graduation week at the local university we opted for a drive in the country and lunch with a view. Crazy storms came in later and the mountains were already feeling it, but still gorgeous. 

Another fave...On Thursday nights in tinytown they close the main street to cars, invite food trucks in and have a stage with live music. We hadn't been in ages but made it there last night, and it was so much fun. 

We got there early and had margaritas and shared some nachos before the main band played. We ran into lots of friends, which is one of the best things about small town living, and the weather was perfection. 

My favorite fave-I did some grocery shopping this morning while hubs was at a meeting and then sometime after he walked in the door with these-

Fresh flowers are one of my love languages and this arrangement is over the top. 

Lastly, I'm wishing all the mamas out there a weekend filled with the things and people you love. I'm so grateful to still have my mother in my life. She taught me how to mother and has loved me with her whole heart from the very beginning-

I'm so very grateful too for my own sweet daughters...

...who mother their littles with patience, humor, and intention in a way that makes my heart go to absolute mush. 

Hello Monday

Linking up today for a weekend recap with Holly from Pink Lady and Sarah at Sunshine and Books. 

We had a pretty quiet weekend here, mostly because hubs had a lot of real estate-ing happening, and that meant we needed to stick close to home. He worked with a client all day Friday and I did some things around the house that needed doing, which always feels good. We ate leftovers for dinner and watched the movie Moneyball that evening. It's been out for more than ten years, but somehow I'd never seen it. I liked it. 

In my efforts to get myself in gear this year I've started using a walking app called Better Me. Hello, yes I know it's nearly May but I'm just now getting around to sticking my big toe into 2024. 

Question-does anybody really need an app for walking? 

I mean it seems pretty straightforward, but exercise is such a mind game for me, I find the app helps. It's a series of timed walks of varying speeds, and each walk is broken up into blocks so you change your pace a few times along the way. It took me a couple of days to figure out how much faster fast walking should be than brisk walking, but I've got my pace now and have been sticking with it. Sticking with it is really the thing, right? 

Also I should get extra credit for fast walking in my neighborhood because we've got some hills that make you want to cry. Not just me! I've had runners tell me they won't run in our neighborhood because it's so deceptively steep. The app helps me keep going. 

Back to Friday night's leftovers...I made a knock off California Pizza Kitchen BBQ chicken salad last week and it was delish. 

I had to watch a youtube video on how to cut a jicama but no blood was shed in the process (which is not always the case with me and knives) so whoohoo. 

I followed this recipe more or less. It sounded like a lot of dressing so I cut back on that, and hubs grilled the chicken then just topped it with a little BBQ sauce. 

The salad tasted very much like what I remember having at the CPK restaurant, although it's been more than a decade since I've eaten in one, so I can't say for sure.

Wait!! It's been more than two decades? Is that right? 

Yes I know it's right because my kids were kids last time I ate in a CPK, not grown married women with kids of their own. They weren't even in high school. Gulp. 

Are CPK's still around? There was one in the mall when we lived in Annapolis and we used to go every now and then. Now I'm wondering if people even still go to the mall? 

All that to say I will for sure make this recipe again. And I promise there is grilled chicken under there. My food photo snaps could use some work. 

Saturday hubs had more real estate-ing to do and I spent a fair bit of time on the phone with my siblings and my momma and also caught up on laundry and then took care of some paper work that had accumulated in the office. Why is there so much paper when everything is paperless? 

Hubs wrapped up work on the early side and we decided to go for sushi at a local place we enjoy. An unplanned date night-

My neighbor texted and asked if we wanted to come by for a glass of wine on their patio when we got home, so that's what we did. It was such a pretty evening, the temperature was absolute perfection, and it made me so ready for summer nights, porch sitting, sunset chasing, and al fresco dinners with friends and family. 

Hubs had still more real estate-ing to do on Sunday so we didn't go to church, and I watched online instead. l got all my grocery shopping done for the week, then came home and baked peanut butter cookies for two different friends who've had a bit of a rough time lately. A homemade cookie says someone is thinking of you. 

And just in case you're wondering, the amaryllis king is still in business. This is the same plant my daughter brought home from her classroom five years ago, that she somehow dumped over in her car on the way here so it was a literal stick by the time she pulled in the driveway. She planned to throw it away, but hubs worked his magic and she's still blooming beautifully. 

You'll have to take my word for it. My plant snaps could also use some work.