June 6, 2022

Monday Morning Coffee Talk



Good Monday morning! And just like that, summer is here. The lake that seemingly just yesterday was frozen solid and still, surrounded by barren trees, now looks like this. It is time for swimming, boating, kayaking, and swimming. The latter will have to wait for the temperature to warm just a bit for this old lady!



We did, however, take the boat out for the first time this season on Saturday night, and it was beautiful. Family time is the best time. Our weekend was not all fun and games, though. It also included outside work like weed pulling, boat cleaning, garage organizing, and sweeping. ( Thank you, Steve and Rhett! )

On the other hand, I worked on a new recipe binder, meal plan, and grocery list. I also watched a few too many episodes of The Walking Dead with Flynn. I had seen several episodes years ago when it was first on tv, but I was happy to restart the series with her. And am surprised how much I don't recall! 


We enjoyed eating outside this weekend. Last night Steve grilled chicken breast and vegetables. Do you ever see those vegetable kabobs at the store? They are so easy to grill or sautee, and all the work of chopping is already done. Simply remove them from the skewer, and you are all set! I bought two that had red onion, green pepper, yellow pweepr, two types of squash, and mushrooms. Steve drizzled them with avocado oil and put them on the griddle. They were delicious! We made enough for lunches this week too. 


However, the highlight of my weekend was visiting this lovely woman! Doesn't my mom look wonderful? Steve and I visited with her Sunday morning, and it was so nice. She is happy and pleasant and so grateful. I am thankful for the immaculate, clean, cozy, loving place she calls home. If you have a loved one in an assisted living facility and think that the unpleasant odors, lack of assistance and love, dirty clothing, and such are normal, I tell you they aren't. We saw that firsthand. Advocate for your loved one and get them out of there! Better places exist. Promise.

This weekend, we watched in awe, joy, and inspiration as England so wonderfully celebrated Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Celebration. As an American who has followed the Royal Family since I was a child, I felt so many emotions as the country came together to honor its monarch. Congratulations to my friends from across the pond on such a fantastic tribute! There are so many beautiful images from Queen Elizabeth's life, but this one from Instagram is my very favorite.


Finally, while I found great joy in watching the celebration in England, I do not feel the same emotions watching the news here in my own country. I refrain from any political discussion here, so I will just say that seeing so many of the issues here in my beloved country fills me with anxiety and sadness. I have chosen to stay informed without becoming oversaturated. I limit my time watching the news. What can I do, then? This quote from St. Joan of Arc is what I am leaning on these days.



Well, that was a long coffee talk today, my friends. Thanks for making it to the end!
Have a lovely Monday. Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo
 

17 comments:

  1. The lake looks lovely and time with the family is the greatest time.
    I know your mom enjoyed your visit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your Mom does look wonderful. I'm glad you found a good home for her to enjoy. Happy to hear you had a lovely weekend. I have been praying a LOT lately for our country. It all seems to be spiraling out of control. I love the quote...take care Billie Jo.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello beautiful friend! I always find your posts so uplifting and thankfully now that I'm on summer break I'll have the time to read them right away. That lake life looks wonderful. And yes, I agree with you on what's been going on lately. It's disheartening for sure. Trusting in God is all we can do.

    Have a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Again this shows up anonymously. I thought I was logged in. This is Dawn.

      Delete
  4. What a great weekend and your mom is lovely! The Royal Jubilee is the bright spot we needed in all of the sad news around. Definitely trusting and trying to spread light and kindness in the world. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I too love the walking dead and was thinking about starting the series over. You are and Anglophile. just like me. I find the Queen fascinating. Not so much her children. But I suppose when you are raised the way they were, you get the results.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your mama is beautiful! She reminded me of you right away. A lovely lady. I'm so glad you have an excellent place for her to live. The photos of the queen were so adorable in that she really hasn't changed all that much. ~smile~ I love that quote from St. Joan of Arc. I'll have to put it in my quote book.
    Blessings,
    Laura
    P.S. When I came home the last day of school, my husband happily said, "I have my wife back!"

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love your lake photos! It looks so inviting and serene. Yay for great family time! Your mom looks lovely and happy.
    I am also a fan of the Queen and read/watched bits and pieces of the celebrations this past weekend. I find the whole royal family fascinating.
    I hope you have a wonderful week my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your Mom looks wonderful, I am glad she has a nice place to call home. Great lake pics!! Enjoy this summer with your family. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I got AMC+ just so I could keep up with the Walking Dead and all the spin off shows. I can't do scary but for some reason I love that show (as long as I don't watch it at night, LOL) Enjoyed reading your coffee talk this afternoon. Hope you have a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello my beautiful lovely wonderful Friend! Catching up on all the posts as life here has been crazy and I didn't get around last week. It's finally looking and feeling like summer, truly, around here now. I hope to get the dock and pontoon in soon too! Your Mom looks so beautiful!! I'm so glad she's doing so well. 😊 I keep putting my faith in God too and believe He'll inspire the right people to make positive peaceful change that will protect us all. Blessings to you and your lovely family for the week ahead. xo

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think I say this every other time I come here, but I DO love your lake! That first photo makes me want to jump right in. It's so nice that you feel good about where your mom is, and she looks very happy! Have a wonderful week, Billie Jo!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Loved the Queen weekend…it is not just in our country..war and economy…Covid…it is world wide…I pray continually but actions help too…I can’t imagine ever a thing that show and believe me our grands won’t…they don’t have tv anyway…lol…take care

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a beautiful (and varied haha!) post! I'm trying to catch up on TWD too haha! Your mom looks lovely - how fortunate you are to still have her with you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your lake is beautiful and I know there will be many hours of fun this Summer! I also watched some of the Jubilee! Your Mom is gorgeous and I know she enjoyed the visit as much as you did. Share recipes please, I need new things to cook:) HUGS!

    ReplyDelete
  15. your mom looks so happy and healthy! So glad you got to see her. Lovely lake photos and blues skies galore.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, when you were talking about yard work, I smiled, as I was out there yesterday doing just that. But it does feel good when it's finished, doesn't it? This picture of your Mom in her hat is so charming. I'm glad she is doing well. The grilled chicken and vegetables sound delicious, and a nice healthy meal. I really like that picture of Madison in all white. There's just something about wearing all white that is appealing. The Instagram photo of the Queen when she was a child is sweet. I saw a bit of the Jubilee on tv while on my road trip. The lake is all ready for you to enjoy, and your photos of it always bring me peace. They really are pretty and calming. I think nature is calling me right now haha.

    ~Sheri

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for saying hello!

Billie Jo