Happy Halloween!

Today is the day! It's Halloween Day! I hope your Halloween is happy and cozy, and spooky! But not too spooky! I am visiting my mom today and taking some special Dunkin' treats for her and her friends. Then Madison is coming over, and we will watch a Halloween movie with Flynn because, in this homeschool, Halloween is a day off! Dinner is a favorite and easy Cheeseburger Casserole before Trick or Treating and the end of a Happy Halloween season!

Friday night was our Third Annual Family Halloween Party! I am always so excited to see the costumes they come up with. I only knew Flynn's since I helped her with it; she looked so good! I will share the pictures, and then below, I will tell you what they dressed as. Can you guess???

Madison and Nicolas with Draper...

Peyton and Chris...

Rhett and Kyrstin...

And Flynn and her friend Bee...

What makes me the happiest is how much these young people enjoy spending time with each other. And how much they humor me when I get going with my games every single holiday.

Once a teacher, always a teacher!

(And don't mind my fuzzy socks. My feet are always cold!)

I served my cheese broccoli soup, traditional mummy dogs, chips, apple slices with dip, and Hawaiian Punch. Because I am fancy like that. But the star of the show had to be Peyton's homemade chocolate cake!

It was as good as it looked!

Well, I hope you have a wonderful Halloween, my friends.

Thank you for visiting!

Billie Jo

And the costumes were:

Madison and Nicolas: Queen Frostine and Lord Licorice with Draper as Plumpy from Candyland

Peyton and Chris: President Trump and First Lady Melania

Rhett and Kyrstin: New York City tourist and The Statue of Liberty

Flynn and Bee: A Plague Doctor and The Grim Reaper

And this year's winners were...

Flynn and Bee!!!!

Pinterest for the fun images!

Friday!

 

Have a wonderful, spooky, fun weekend, my friends!

Halloween festivities around here.

See you Monday on Halloween!

Billie Jo

Little Things Really Do Make Me Happy

 

Hello! Happy Wednesday! You know, getting older has many perks. Yesterday, I realized that small things are what really make me happy these days. In the kitchen, I pulled out the garbage can to throw something away. The garbage had been emptied, and a fresh, clean, empty bag was waiting. I am not kidding when I tell you I felt happy! Knowing that I didn't need to jam my stuff into an overflowing mess, that someone had emptied it, most likely Flynn, and that I didn't need to worry about it made me happy. What other things bring me joy, you ask? I thought about that and came up with a few random things that made me smile. 

1. Opening the dishwasher to see it is still dirty. No unloading!
2. A refrigerator stocked with leftovers the day after Thanksgiving
3. Opening the dryer to find no clothes that need folding
4. Finding an extra gallon of milk in the back of the fridge
5. Wiping the kitchen counter and turning off the light after dinner
6. Getting into a bed with freshly washed sheets

How about you, my friends? What things make you happy on an ordinary day?

Oh, forgot one! Stepping outside on my front porch to let the dog out and seeing this.

Have a cozy day!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

 Good Monday morning! I hope you had a wonderful October weekend. Here in Pennsylvania, we enjoyed an absolutely glorious display of beauty, which I enjoyed from both inside and out. Want to see it? Let's see. Friday afternoon, I took Mocha to the vet for her yearly checkup, and this is what we saw on our way home. This is the view approaching the lake and the marina, where most all the boats are gone now, tucked away for winter.

Saturday afternoon was just as beautiful, so we used that time to pack summer away and organize for winter. I may or may not have forgotten that I am fifty-three years old and should probably leave the heavy lifting to the young people. Nothing a long, hot shower and some cozy couch time couldn't fix, however.

Sunday morning was beautiful as well, and I enjoyed some quiet time outside with my coffee, the lake, and the birds.

Sunday evening, I looked outside and saw this. Words cannot adequately describe it. So, I'll let you see for yourself.

No filter. God doesn't need one, right? 

And that was my weekend, along with mass and laundry, movies, menus, grocery lists, and calls with my mom. Today Flynn and I will sit at the kitchen table and homeschool and Steve is cooking dinner tonight, so I may curl up on the couch later with my book and my pup. I will throw a load of laundry in, change out my bedsheets, and write out some cards too. What are you up to, my friends? Enjoy your day, and thanks for stopping by!

Before I go, I must give a shoutout to a wonderfully kind and extremely talented blogger who helps me immensely whenever I need it. You may not believe this, but I am incredibly inept with the technological side of blogging. I know what I know, and what I don't know, I don't try to figure out! Thankfully, I found a lovely friend who can design and fix anything! Her name is Linda, and you can find her HERE. She has saved me and this little old blog many times, and I cannot recommend her enough. 

Billie Jo

Friday Thoughts

Morning, my friends! I am coming to you from my spot on the couch today, staring out at a gorgeous autumn day. The snow stayed just long enough to remind us what is to come. Today is bright and chilly, with the sun dancing off the leaves. Our weekend is relatively free, with the possibility of a few fall festivities, depending on the weather. Another thing I am taking into consideration lately is the resurgence of Covid in our area. This latest strain is highly contagious, and we have so many testing positive around here and getting very sick. While I know we cannot completely hide from it, I realize how serious it can be. So, there's that. 

On a brighter note, Madison made pie. And it was delicious. Last night she brought a cranberry cherry pie with a crumble topping. I quietly thanked young mom Billie Jo for having kids in the kitchen with her all those years ago. 

 Look at this beauty. 

I don't write much about homeschooling anymore, but we are still at it and loving seventh grade. Flynn is the best student and is so interested in learning. She loves science, especially Earth and Space Science and World History. She excels at Math...thanks, Steve...and even secretly enjoys Grammar. I think. She is a good sport, too, allowing me to perpetually believe that she is still in elementary school. I just cannot give up the stickers.  

Well, that's about it around here. I am off to listen to Taylor Swift's brand-new album. Later, I have to take Mocha to the vet for her yearly checkup. I am thinking of stopping at the Dunkin drive-thru for a little Pumpkin Spice Latte treat afterward. Dinner tonight is leftover goulash and Italian bread. And then, Flynn and I will probably watch a not-so-spooky movie before bed. 

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends. Thanks for visiting!!!

Billie Jo

Cozy Dinnertime!!

What's that, you ask? Cozy dinnertime? Indeed. It is time. The temperature here in Pennsylvania has dipped enough for the annual switch from summer dinners to cozy, fall ones. First up, Irish Stew! 

We enjoyed this last night with some store-bought loaves of sourdough bread. It was delicious! The recipe is found HERE. I followed it completely, except I realized all the boxes in the pantry were chicken broth, not beef broth. According to Madison, that made it even better! 

In other news, 

I lit the candle this morning,

Poured my coffee and sat by the fire,

Because. Snow. And...cozy.

Have a lovely day, my good friends. How are you enjoying this October day? And, if you get tired of me and my cozy, please let me know. I'll stop. Maybe. : )

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

 

Good morning, my friends! How was your weekend? I hope it was everything you planned and hoped it would be. It seems like this time of year passes in a blur, and before we know it, January is here. I keep reminding myself to be in the moment. And appreciate the beauty of every blessed day. It isn't hard to do when the days look like this...

Today I have school with Flynn, some mail to work through, mounds of laundry to sort, and a meatloaf dinner to make. For me, a perfect day. I hope you enjoy your October day, my friends. Thanks for visiting. Remember to take a few minutes to just be. 

Billie Jo

Checking Out My Photos

 Good morning, my friends! Happy October weekend! I am enjoying this beautiful time more simply this year. My front porch is not yet decorated with cornstalks and pumpkins. I haven't made my traditional crockpot Pumpkin Spice Latte, and I haven't even gone on a leaf ride to see the colors in our little part of the world. You know what? That's ok. 

If I do none of these things, October will still be here, offering the cool, cozy days and the same colorful leaves turning and falling and swirling in the wind. I can enjoy them from my porch, drink coffee with pumpkin creamer, hang my wreath on my front door, and call it a day. That is ok. I am choosing to show myself some grace. I am learning to let some traditions go in favor of new ones. And that is good.

In other news, have you ever scrolled through the camera roll on your phone and been amazed at the amount of stuff there? I have. And I am sharing just a few of the things I found. Some are pictures I can't believe I missed, and others are screenshots of things I wanted to remember. Clearly, I didn't! In any case, in no particular order, I give you the top seven pictures I recently found on my phone...

There you go, my friends! Because I know you were wondering about all this! Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for visiting. I am always glad you do!

Billie Jo

( Credit to whoever came up with those clever screenshots. Clearly, it wasn't me! )