Monday Morning Coffee

Good Monday morning, my friends! What a storm! I pray anyone who was in the vicinity of this weekend's storm is safe, sound, and unharmed. We were spared the worst of it, although the wind and storm surge were tremendous. Friday afternoon, Steve, Flynn, and I went over to the condo to see for ourselves. If you are a Seinfeld fan, you may recognize this famous line.

And it was indeed.

While the waves were rough, the water near our building stayed far enough away to not cause damage. Further down, however, closer to the inlet, so many streets flooded. The power of the ocean is unbelievable at times. And yet, Mother Nature still does her thing in the sky. This is what the sky looked like as we headed back to our house Friday afternoon.

Fortunately, our home sits up high, as do many here, and we were safe from any damage from the bay. Saturday was stormy, so I did the usual Saturday-afternoon things, and then we headed to Mass. I thought a windy, rainy September night called for a cozy supper, so after Mass, I made a roast chicken dinner, and Madison and Nicolas joined us for our first cozy meal of autumn.

I strive to always be transparent here, and I must tell you, it was indeed delicious! It was also semi-homemade! Thanksgiving is when we go all out with the entire made-from-scratch meal, but this one was sort of a fast-paced, it's just as good, from-a-box style. The chicken comes pre-seasoned in a cooking bag, so I just literally put it in the oven. The corn is Birds Eye frozen, and the stuffing is good old Stove Top! The mashed potatoes are the best I have found instant...Idahoan. Now, the gravy, though? The gravy is all me. LOL. A wonderful, wonderful friend taught me long ago to mix water with cornstarch rather than flour to thicken it, and it works beautifully. So, there you go. A semi-homemade delicious chicken dinner.

Never one to pass up a good bowl of soup, I saved the carcasses and boiled it down with some chicken stock and poultry seasoning on Sunday for dinner. It was sooo good on another dark and windy night. I added some cooked pasta and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and dinner was served. 

And that is about it, my friends. Today, the clouds remain, but the sun is peeking through, and it looks like a calm autumn day here. Flynn and I will homeschool, and that is about all we have on the schedule. My days certainly are less busy than they used to be. And while it feels different to have so much more time for myself, I am learning to embrace it. This chapter of my life is quieter, and that really is ok! Have a lovely Monday, my friends! Oh! I wanted to let you know another Blog friend has returned to blogging. Please feel free to visit her; I will put the link here. And if you know of any bloggers you would like to share, please link them in the comments. It is always nice to meet new friends!

A Joyful Life

P.S. October arrives this week! I apologize for all the Halloween and spooky stuff in advance!! 

Billie Jo

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