Monday Morning Coffee

Good Monday morning! How was your weekend? This weekend had me thinking about life's different stages and how quickly we travel through each one. Our weekends used to be filled with young children, family movie nights, mass, dinner, and Sunday morning brunch. We went to the park and the pumpkin patch, followed by pizza and brownies, and baths before bed. 

Our weekends are different now but just as fun. Those little kids are grown—three adults and one teenager. This weekend, they went to a music festival here. On Friday and Saturday nights, Steve and I found ourselves here with four dogs! We were at the condo, and it was cozy and fun. We ordered our favorite Italian pasta, watched TV, and sat by the ocean. Oh, and Steve drove and picked up because traffic was insane! The kids had the best time and sent pictures and videos to share with us. I am so happy and thankful that my children are each other's best friends, and they all enjoy spending time together. And Steve and I do as well. We laugh now and say we are suddenly our parents; honestly, there is no one else we would rather be. 

People sometimes comment on how nice it is that my grown children enjoy spending time with each other and us. They say they hope their families are the same and ask how we did it. I quote my fantastic mother, who told me years ago to create a place my children will want to return to when they are grown. I did. And they do. And we are glad. Thanks, Mom. 

She can't resist my new mug. Or the smell of pumpkin spice?

My first and my last.

Madison and Nicolas

Rhett and Kyrstin were there, too, but I don't have a photo of them.

And the beautiful ocean in late September. I will take this over July every time. It is quiet, cool, and cozy, but there is a tiny ominous hint in the air. 

Today, we head over the bridge and back to the house for homeschooling. Flynn has an online art class tonight, and we also have some Big Brother to catch up with. I plan on decorating for Halloween soon, too! It will be spooky fun, not crazy scary! 

Well, I hope your day is cozy and calm. Thank you for visiting!

Billie Jo

 

Dear September

Dear September, so here we are. You just got here, and you will be gone again in a few days. We had such a good time together decorating the house with pumpkins, leaves, and fairy lights. I enjoyed your slow-paced days, your abundance of all things pumpkin-flavored, and all the new seasons of our favorite shows you brought with you. I love that your days are relatively free from the urgent feelings and pressure of the coming months, that your days are ones to just be, to take time to adapt to the changes of a new season and rest before all the holiday excitement begins. Thank you, September. For the calm, the beauty, the new school year, and the promise of all to come. I will miss you! 

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends. Prayers for all affected by the hurricane. Stay safe.

Billie Jo

Google for the fun.

It's Fun To Think Back To When...

 

You opened your locker and found one of these on top of your Algebra book. Should you open it now and rush through reading it, or wait until you have time to overanalyze every word and think of a reply?

You opened this on Christmas morning, spent hours getting it to look exactly like the box, and then used all the perfect white paper that came with it on Christmas Day.

You grabbed this and a Pepsi and flopped on the couch to watch MTV on a Saturday night.

Mom bought this deliciousness at the store on payday, and you poured a big bowl with lots of cold milk for an after-school snack. 

You walked into your classroom and saw this thing set up. You knew it would be a fantastic day because the lights would be off, and your teacher would be too busy wiping the smeary marker off the plastic sheet and fiddling with the lamp to make it clearer that she wouldn't care who was following along.

When your mom called you to set the table for dinner, you saw she was making your favorite macaroni and cheese with butter bread on a Friday night. So you pulled these dishes out of the cupboard and felt happy and content at home.

You find this in the cupboard, which was so much better than 

this.

And, finally, it's fun to go way back to when 

You came home from school and watched reruns of some old favorite shows in the family room with your sisters before dinner on a cozy autumn afternoon.

What things do you remember when you go back, my friends?

Bonus points for anyone who can name all three of these old favorites. I gave you one for a head start!

Billie Jo

 

Monday Morning Coffee ~ Fall Is Here!

( Pinterest )

Good Monday morning! And...drumroll, please...Happy Fall!! It is finally officially acceptable to embrace all the cozy that I have been ready for since late July. We celebrated with a delicious autumn brunch. We had fresh autumn fruit, bacon, eggs, and pumpkin pancakes. It was a group effort, and it came together beautifully!

Unfortunately, Flynn's pup Marty was a bit too late!

And it isn't all fun and food around here; this was my view on Saturday. Do you use Murphy Oil Soap? I do, and every time I open it, I am reminded of my mom and childhood home. She always had a bottle of that, and I still remember her telling me how she loved it. I have to be in the mood for deep cleaning. Thankfully, I was because this area is so dusty! I put in my AirPods and wiped, dusted, vacuumed, and mopped until it sparkled. 

And then, I promptly showered, put on clean, cozy clothes, and collapsed on the sofa.

In even more exciting news, Our Steelers are winning! This weekend, they had some extra special fans who braved the heat to cheer them on! 

Did I mention it is officially fall?

Although we were at the house, I wanted to swim a bit yesterday, so Nicolas drove us across the bridge to the condo, and Flynn and I spent some time in the pool. The off-season is nice here, too. We were the only ones in the crystal-clear indoor pool!

Cosmo says hello and Happy Fall!

I need to get off this couch, get dressed, and start the day. Today, I will homeschool, do laundry, and decide on something for dinner. This afternoon, I plan to put on a YouTube fall-themed ambiance and catch up with you. Have a cozy day. And thank you for visiting!

Ok. I'm done.

Billie Jo

( Pinterest for the cozy images. )

Around Here Lately

 

Madison made muffins ~ Cosmo slept through school ~ Steve and I had a little date night ~ A new visitor arrived ~ And Madison made chicken soup. 

Fall Daily Fun This Week

1. Went for a short walk to see the fall changes

2. Snuggled under a cozy fall blanket

3. Watched Gilmore Girls

4. Decorated the porch for fall

5. Wore Halloween pajamas

6. Watched a spooky movie and made Halloween cookies

7. Had our first soup dinner of the season

And... This weekend, Fall becomes official! Let's celebrate with a few of my favorites from the creative minds of people who are not me!

Have a cozy weekend, my friends! I am going to pour a cup of pumpkin spice and visit with you! 

Thanks for visiting.

Billie Jo