Monday, August 12, 2024

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. 

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

A Light In The Hodgepodge

Hello Hodgepodgers (and everyone else too)! 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-

From this Side of the Pond
1. What's a task you do on a regular (or semi-regular basis) that feels like it should be an Olympic event? 

Changing the sheets on our king sized bed. It's a workout. Also it's a pairs event, because it takes two to accomplish...one to lift the mattress and one to tuck the corners. 

2. What's in the trunk of your car right now? 

In general the trunk of my car stays pretty tidy. Currently it holds my canvas grocery bags and not a lot else. I mean it has the spare and whatever tools would be needed under cover, but as far as what you see when you open the trunk it's just bags. 

3. Summer foods vs. fall foods...which do you prefer? 

I love seasonal food and I like the way menus change right along with the seasons. My answer is both. 

Would you rather-watermelon or caramel apple? watermelon  iced coffee or pumpkin spiced latte? iced coffee potato salad or sweet potato casserole? sweet potato casserole  barbecued ribs or roast turkey? roast turkey  ice cream sandwich or apple pie? ice cream sandwich but it's a close call  corn on the cob or candy corn? corn on the cob 

My choices confirm my love of both fall and summer when it comes to food. I opted for some of each in my answers. 

4. August 7th is National Lighthouse Day. Have you visited any lighthouses? Do you have a favorite? Is a lighthouse something you seek out if you're visiting an area known for theirs? 

I've visited a lot of lighthouses and enjoy seeing them up close and from the water too. We don't plan trips around them, but if there's a lighthouse in or near our path when we're traveling, we will for sure check it out. 

Not sure I have a favorite, but the Portland Head Lamp in Cape Elizabeth Maine ranks right up there. 

5. Light at the end of the tunnel, out like a light, give the green light, a lightbulb moment, in a new light, in the limelight...of the 'light' idioms listed which applies in some way to your life lately? Explain. 

I'm going with 'give the green light' as we recently signed a contract with a stone and landscaping company for our backyard project. I sat on the yellow light for a while, but hubs convinced me to step on the gas and it's happening. 

Not this week though. Apparently they have to load the materials on the barge this week and we'll start next week. Yes, they are bringing materials by way of water. I think I told you I was overruled on keeping it small. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Hubs and I  were in Tennessee last weekend and attended church in the sanctuary we were married in 40 years ago this past June. 

40 years and 51 days to be precise. 

There's a picture in our wedding album of hubs and I standing in front of a pretty arched doorway and we decided an updated picture should happen. 

We snagged the youth pastor to snap a photo as we were leaving and he obliged-


We didn't get the re-pose exactly right, but that's okay. When you've been married a long time you know things don't always go perfectly, and maintaining a sense of humor is key to keeping the proverbial train on the track. 

Forty should be celebrated all year, don't you think? 

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10

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Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 563

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with other world wide webbers. See you there! 

1. What's a task you do on a regular (or semi-regular basis) that feels like it should be an Olympic event? 

2. What's in the trunk of your car right now? 

3. Summer foods vs. fall foods...which do you prefer? 

Would you rather-watermelon or caramel apple? iced coffee or pumpkin spiced latte? potato salad or sweet potato casserole? barbecued ribs or roast turkey? ice cream sandwich or apple pie? corn on the cob or candy corn? 

4. August 7th is National Lighthouse Day. Have you visited any lighthouses? Do you have a favorite? Is a lighthouse something you seek out if you're visiting an area known for theirs? 

5. Light at the end of the tunnel, out like a light, give the green light, a lightbulb moment, in a new light, in the limelight...of the 'light' idioms listed which applies in some way to your life lately? Explain. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Monday, August 5, 2024

Hiya Monday!

Good Monday morning everyone! We had a lovely weekend and are still soaking up summer here. 


Thursday night we had our monthly wine club get together. Yes I'm going back to Thursday night because Thursday night will always be the start of a weekend for me. I blame college. 

Seared sea scallop with a lemon beurre blanc, Miller Farms pickled radish and watercress

Also, we're retired so as hubs likes to say, 'everyday is Saturday'. 

potato leek soup topped with pork cracklins and basil oil 

Besides the two courses pictured above we also had a veal marsala with wild mushrooms, golden raisin, spaghetti squash, and micro greens. Then a fourth course which included duck confit ragout with house made pappardelle, San Marzano tomatoes, Pecorino, Romano, and Ricotta. 

Dessert was a bananas foster cheesecake with caramel stroopwaffel. Yum! The entire menu was so delicious and the wines were wonderful too.  

We are kind of exhausted. When we got home from dinner hubs announced he was not doing a thing on Friday, and we did manage to have a mostly low key day. There was more catching up on laundry happening (yes, still!) then I spent most of the rest of the day in the office sorting, shredding, filing, and dealing with the paperwork mountain that had accumulated while we were busy enjoying in person time with our family.  

Friday night a couple we knew casually but not real well, invited us out to dinner. It was fun getting to know them better over Italian food eaten at a local restaurant we enjoy. 

Saturday morning we loaded up the car and the little brown dog and drove over the mountain to East Tennessee to spend a couple of days with hubs mama and his brother and sister-in-law too. We had not seen his mama in person since March so were overdue for some actual face time. 

Hubs family lived in Kentucky for a few years when he was a child and my brother and sister-in-law had very recently been back to that same small Kentucky town. They brought back everyone's favorite barbecue and had frozen the extra so we had that for dinner, then caught the sunset before watching more of the Olympics. 

Question-what do we watch when the Olympics end? 

Sunday morning hubs and I accompanied his mama to church and then to a light lunch afterwards. We went back to my brother-in-law's for a short nap (hi hubs!) and then late afternoon some friends hubs and I have known since college invited all of us to their house for dinner.  

I didn't take any pics of the women, but that's hubs in the middle with one of his best buds on the left and his brother on the right. When hubs and I were first married and lived in Knoxville we spent almost every weekend at this couple's house. Seriously we'd pack a bag and bring some board games and our favorite tunes and we'd move in with them for the weekend. They only lived a few miles away from us, but it was just so much fun to make it a whole weekend. 

Our hosts grilled ribs and we talked about many things old and new, but most importantly our high hopes for Tennessee Volunteer football, which we're all excited about. Go VOLS!  

We have a busy week ahead. Our once small, now somewhat larger than small ahem, backyard project is hopefully getting underway today. We shall see. 

One other note before I dive into this day...my daughter1 and her family (husband plus three small children) have moved to England for a six month stay while her hubs completes an orthopedic surgical fellowship. She blogs. Her writing is rich and precious and so real. If you'd like to follow along visit her blog at Sincerely Shannon. Her first entry related to the move is here-Hello, we've moved. They landed a week ago last Thursday then left for vacation the following Monday. Carpe diem! They were determined to squeeze in some fun travel on top of the actual move travel they'd just done before her hubs reports for work. 

We all live large here. 

Linking today's post with Holly and Sarah for their regular Hello Monday blog hop. Happy Monday everyone! 

Thursday, August 1, 2024

Share Your Shelf-July

Hello friends and happy August! It's still full on summer here and I'm glad. The first Thursday of the month means it's time for Share Your Shelf, hosted by Joanne (Slices of Life), Marilyn (Memphis Bridges), Tanya (The Other Side Of The Road), and Jen (Overflowing With Thankfulness). Here we go...

I think my July books are pretty typical of how I like to read in a given month. There's a couple of fiction (one was Audible), a memoir, and a non-fiction selection too. Here's the lowdown on July-

1. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

I listened to this one and enjoyed the narration. This was a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, so naturally there was a lot of hype around it. I almost don't want to read these books that are endlessly talked about because I have trouble tamping down my expectation. 

I will say her choices often make me think she picks books based on what will translate well to film, which isn't a bad thing and is obviously her niche. This is a cat and mouse tale that I think might actually make a better movie than book, something I hardly ever say. 

There were a number of threads woven together in this one, and some back and forth between past and present which I liked and thought worked. And of course there were some unbelievable bits, but I think enough surprises to keep it interesting. In my opinion the main character wasn't very likable, and without spoiling anything will say that the way she fell into and then excelled at her 'career' felt a little far fetched. Still I gave it four stars. 

2. Hard By A Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili

I loved this book. It definitely took a few pages to get into, but once I got there I wanted to keep reading. It gets rave reviews, but I know won't be everyone's cup of tea. Perhaps because there are escaped zoo animals roaming the city I kept thinking back to Life of Pi by Yann Martel, another book I loved. 

I think if you liked Life of Pi, The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns (one of my all time favorites), then you might like this one too. Completely different plot lines, but similar in mood, and how the book makes you feel. If you pick it up keep reading. 

The title Hard By A Great Forest is taken from the opening line of Hansel and Gretel, and references to various classic literary works are cleverly woven throughout the novel. The setting is Georgia, the country not the state, and a part of the world whose history is rarely told, at least not in anything I've ever read. 

This is a tale of family. Of love and loss and sacrifice set against the backdrop of post war Tblilisi. The main character, Saba, is just a child when he and his father and older brother flee the fighting in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. They're granted asylum in England and their mother is left behind with plans for her to come later. Two decades go by, and all three men are struggling to make peace with both the people and the homeland they left behind. 

When the father decides to return to Georgia his sons wait for news. Weeks go by before they receive a 
message telling them 'I left a trail I can't erase. Do not follow it." But of course how can they not? Saba eventually must retrace his father's footsteps and find what remains of their homeland and their people. 

This is a story about the trauma of war, both on a nation and on the individuals who call that nation home. It's gritty (there's some language just fyi), it's tender, and at times absolutely heart breaking. Five stars for me. 

3. Stolen Focus : Why You Can't Pay Attention And How To Think Deeply Again  by Johann Hari

When I first picked this book up I actually had a thought as to whether or not I could focus well enough to read a book about how we can't focus-ha! In the early chapters Hari presents a lot of well documented information about all the ways technology has hindered our ability to focus, and what our brains actually need in order to focus. 

I had high hopes for this book, and it grabbed me right from the start. As the book wore on the author felt the need to insert more and more of his political viewpoints (completely non-essential to the content) into his writing and blech!! BLECH! I absolutely cannot stand when an author decides he/she needs to educate the reader as to how they should think about issues that have zero to do with the topic at hand. 

I went online and read a bit about the author, and he has a checkered past in terms of journalism, including being suspended from one publication, and then later resigning due to plagiarism. He has also been accused of fabricating elements of his stories on more than one occasion. It takes a lot for me not to finish a book, but about halfway through opted not to finish this one. 

4. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I love Ann Patchett's writing voice. This isn't a page turner by any means, but not a bad read either.  It wasn't about a whole lot, and I think maybe that was the point. 

The plot centers around a family who own a cherry farm, and who shelter in place together during the pandemic. Covid isn't talked about in any big way, it just explains why these grown young women ended up back home with their parents. The mom (Lara) and dad (Joe) together have three young adult daughters. As they work the orchard Lara tells her girls about a season in her life (in the 80's) spent at Tom Lake, a summer stock theatre kind of place. While there she had a relationship with a fellow actor who went on to become very famous. The girls consider what they thought they knew about their mother, the choices she made, and they begin to see her in a slightly different light... as a woman, and not just their mom. 

I've heard this described as a gentle read, one that reminds us everyone has a story, and I agree. I gave it three stars. 

5. When The World Didn't End: A Memoir by Guinevere Turner

Wow, this was a tough book to read. When The World Didn't End is Turner's experience growing up in the Lyman family cult, eventually being forced to leave the cult, and ending up in an even more dire living situation with her mother and the mother's abusive boyfriend. 

She spent the first 11 years of her life in the cult, with well over 100 other children and various adults coming and going from the different properties. The children did not attend traditional school, medical care was hit and miss, and girls were given as brides to the men around the age of 13 or 14. The Lyman cult believed the world was coming to an end on January 5th 1974, and their group would be taken to Venus by spaceship. 

Turner kept journals all throughout her childhood mostly because journaling was required by the cult leaders. In her memoir she tells of her experiences from ages 6-18, using her own journal writings, but without adding in her now adult perspective. I'm sure recounting all that took place during her tumultuous childhood was extremely painful, and maybe that's why she never inserted her adult voice into the story. I get it, but I thought the book absolutely needed a dose of adult wisdom and hindsight. 

I would have liked to know more about the Lyman family in terms of what their actual beliefs were, and that information is scarce here, again probably because it's mostly told from a child's perspective. 

For the most part, I don't like rating memoirs. Rating a person's personal life story shared in writing is not the same as rating a work of fiction. It was interesting to get a peek into the cult, but like I said earlier, this was a hard read. Today Turner is a successful screenwriter and penned American Psycho among other works.


What have you been reading this summer? If it's good, do share! 

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

You Never Outgrow The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the end of July and this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.  If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my blog, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. 

Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond

1. What is a childhood habit or preference you will never outgrow? 

My love of jelly beans, words, going barefoot, and getting lost for hours in a good book. 

2. Did you know July is beans month? What's your favorite bean? Your favorite recipe that calls for beans? When it comes to chili are you team beans or team no beans?  

I'm assuming jelly beans don't count teehee. I like all beans but green beans are my favorite. I'm not sure I have a favorite bean recipe, but I do make a white bean soup that's really tasty. I put beans in my chili which is my preference, but I like it without too. 

3. Some historical figures have a tag line after their name, something like 'the brave' or 'the wise' or 'the mad'...what would your tag line be? Explain why? 

This was harder than I thought it would be. How about Joyce the overthinker? Joyce the reluctant adventurer? Joyce the dreamer...I like that one. 

4. The way to my heart is______________________________. 

Small thoughtful acts, kind words, and a gentle tone. 

5.  The calendar rolls into August this week, but before we go give us four adjectives that describe your July. 

joyful, noisy, active, sun-kissed

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

After the kids left last week hubs started to put away all the baby related gear. Not so fast please.

An impromptu Round 2 happened this week. 

Daughter2 was at her in-laws this past weekend, helping host a baby shower for a high school friend of her hubs. We're more or less the halfway point in her drive to/from, so she stopped here on her way home Monday. Her hubs had a few days of work related travel so she and her babies have been with us for a couple of extra fun in the sun days. 

We're not mad about it. 

If you want life to slow down enough to smell the roses I recommend hanging out with a toddler. 

They're not in a hurry for the world to go by and help you notice small wonders you might otherwise miss. 

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

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Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 562

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What is a childhood habit or preference you will never outgrow? 

2. Did you know July is beans month? What's your favorite bean? Your favorite recipe that calls for beans? When it comes to chili are you team beans or team no beans?  

3. Some historical figures have a tag line after their name, something like 'the brave' or 'the wise' or 'the mad'...what would your tag line be? Explain why? 

4. The way to my heart is______________________________. 

5.  The calendar rolls into August this week, but before we go give us four adjectives that describe your July. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.