Eye See You!

Someone wanted to help Flynn with her Math test yesterday. She was being very sneaky about it, but I saw her! Apparently, Mocha is very confident in her knowledge of fractions, decimals, and percentages.

And I am off early today, my friends. I have my annual eye appointment, and then I am meeting my friend Heather for breakfast. Not lunch because I always schedule the earliest appointment of the day. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

 

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

 

Good Monday morning! Is your Monday starting out like this...

Or is it more like this...

Mine is a little bit of both! I'll have another cup of coffee and get back to you! We are at the beach with our dear friends, who drove an obscene distance to be here with us this week. Our plans include rest, coffee, games, beach time, coffee, movies, and maybe some coffee ice cream! I hope you have a cozy Monday, my friends. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Billie Jo

#Live Like Mocha

If I could live more like my pup, I'd be there for everyone who wanted a friend, like a seventh grader who finds that converting fractions to decimals is easier with someone by your side.

I would snuggle beside my mom when she went to bed early because she had a cold.

And I would just BE. I would rest, relax and live without feeling the pressure to know, go, and do all the things. 

Of course, I would also have to endure a very limited menu of dry food with the occasional piece of egg or slice of cheese, be at the mercy of others for my appearance, and have no say on what I watch on tv, but it would be worth it. Right?

Happy Wednesday!

Billie Jo and Mocha

Puppies And Christmas And An Easy Recipe For Dinner

 

Hello there! It has been some time since I shared a selfie here, but I snapped this one yesterday before we left for the vet. This little lady had a follow-up visit for her dental surgery last week. She is doing great! The vet tech said everything was healing perfectly. 

She still likes the extra attention, though. And Flynn is happy to oblige.

Kirby isn't overly concerned. He did, however, miss Mocha greatly when she was gone. 

Looking for an easy but delicious dinner idea? This one is so good! The other night, I made homemade chicken tenders with fresh green beans and added an old favorite, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, on the side. I am all about keeping it real here, and I really do like that orange powder in the blue box! I will link the recipes down below.

How is your Christmas planning going? You may be done shopping but haven't started wrapping. Or are you still shopping? Are your cards written out? You may not be sending cards out this year. How about your baking? Have you started yet? Or are you not baking this year? (Maybe you have a daughter who loves baking and is baking all your cookies for you!) No matter. Do your own thing and as much or as little as you wish. The older I get, the more I realize that I don't have to repeat the same Christmas year after year. Times change, and children grow. Things can be simpler. Christmas will come, and it will go, whether I iron my napkins or not. Ok. Bad example. I am not going to iron my napkins. Ever. But you get the idea. Show yourself grace this Christmas season, my friends. And enjoy some quiet time by the tree with a throw blanket and a cup of tea. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friends.

Thank you for visiting!

Billie Jo

Baked Chicken Tenders

Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

Mocha And Movies

This little lady had a big day yesterday. She had to have her teeth cleaned and some possibly removed. I have learned that little dogs, especially Yorkies, are prone to periodontal disease. I dropped her off bright and early. Our vet is excellent, and the young lady I left her with put me at ease. They called me later in the day and told me Mocha was waking up and had done very well. She also told me they had to remove 15 teeth! 

I could barely wait until it was time to get her, and boy, was she happy to see me! Once her excitement wore off and we had our instructions and medication, we headed home.

After a happy reunion with Kirby, who didn't know what to do all day without her, Mocha settled in for the night. Right where she belongs.

This time of year does lend itself to cozy nights in front of the tree, doesn't it? It also reminds me of evenings long ago when I had a little Madison who loved Christmas as much as I do. I remember giving her a bath, dressing her in her fresh pajamas and robe, and sitting down with her by the tree to watch the classic Christmas specials. It was cold and dark outside but cozy and warm inside. Every evening starting around six o'clock or so, one channel played the classic Christmas movies like 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, Red Boots For Christmas, Jack Frost, Santa Clause Is Coming To Town, The Year Without A Santa Clause, and of course, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty The Snowman. Those nights with her are some of my most treasured memories. They must also be Madison's because she sent me this last week. It is a schedule of Christmas movies on AMC and looking closely, I see some of those very same memorable movies listed! And they begin early like they used to, so little ones can watch them before bed. There are others, of course, but so many classics and favorites. 

You can save this to your photo stream and enlarge it, or visit AMC's website for the details. This may be what we need this year. We can snuggle in, revisit old Christmas traditions, and reconnect with the calm, peaceful things that bring joy this time of year. With all the technology available and the pressure to constantly go and do today, we need to make a conscious effort to do something that years ago was the norm. That is, coming home after a long day of work or school and turning off the outside, so we can gather together on the inside and enjoy the peace of Christmas. And maybe some cookies and cocoa too.

Have a cozy day, my friends,

and thank you for visiting!

Billie Jo

One Word Wednesday - Sort Of

 

Mocha

Ok. One word is not enough to describe my relationship with this fluffy five-pound friend of mine. 

Mocha...

Comforts me when I am anxious.

Snuggles with me when I am lonely.

Follows me everywhere.

Everywhere.

Waits for me on the steps when I leave.

Barks when she can't see me.

Barks when she is hungry.

Barks when she is happy.

Made this cat lady a proud puppy mom.

Happy Wednesday!

Prayers for Ukraine.

Billie Jo

 

Monday Morning Cozy

Good Monday Morning, my friends. It is a blustery cold day here in Pennsylvania. The lake is starting to freeze outside, making it look more like January than October. We stayed put this past weekend because of the cold, icy weather and a poor young man who came down with Influenza on Thursday. However, we had plenty to do, and I am happy to report that most of it got done. 

First up. Packing away Christmas. It always amazes me how quickly our home can go from festive, cozy Christmas to uncluttered, cozy winter. I was sad to pack it away. I always am. Next year I am decorating earlier. Remind me of that, please. 

Flynn and I watched this last night. It was good! If you are a Liam Neeson fan, you won't be disappointed. I believe it is streaming on Amazon Prime.

I found most of the ingredients for this delicious Asian Noodle Soup on hand Friday afternoon, and with Rhett not feeling well, I made a huge pot for dinner. It was delicious and hit the spot on a cold winter night. The recipe is right HERE if you would like to try it. I didn't have all the vegetables, but I think that was just fine with everyone!

We also watched a beautiful mass online. I am so thankful to our friend and pastor, Fr. Ross, for making it available and allowing those who can't or aren't ready to attend in-person to participate in weekly mass. What else? Oh yes. Football. And the almost unbelievable way the Steelers managed to sneak into the playoffs! Ben can't hang up his helmet just yet. 

Well, that is about all, my friends. Today brings school with Flynn, shredded chicken in the crockpot for dinner, and hopefully some relief for my patient, Rhett. If you are interested, I found a great explanation of the daily stages of the flu. Rhett has literally followed this exactly! It is a good resource, especially now when every sneeze brings fear of Covid. I will link it right HERE.

Stay happy and healthy. And cozy. Always cozy.

Billie Jo

Birthdays, Snowflakes, and Puppies

Twelve years. We are all so thankful God blessed us with this beautiful, easygoing, creative, music-loving soul. Flynn Grace, you are loved.

And then this. Twenty-five! Our firstborn is twenty-five. A lovely, confident, hardworking, selfless, Taylor Swift loving, fashion icon young lady and loving wife. Madison Marie, we love you!

What else have we been up to? We watched some snow fall.  We took some naps. We thought about decorating. We even pulled the tubs down off the shelves. And then we snuggled by the fire some more. How about you, my friends? How is December treating you so far?

Enjoy. And this year, keep it simple.

Billie Jo

Cozy October Days

I love this time of year. But you already knew that, right? I wish October were longer so I would have more time to sit on the porch with my morning coffee and watch the leaves fall from the colorful trees in the front yard. I wish I had more time to ride slowly through our neighborhood, admiring the shades of red, yellow, and orange on display around me. I wish I had more time to hold Mocha as we ride around the lake in the boat and marvel at the beauty of the trees around us. 

But maybe I don't need more time. Perhaps I need to make better use of the time October offers. I have the time. I have thirty-one days to enjoy this time I wait for all year. I simply need to remind myself to pause a bit and look around rather than rush to complete whatever it is I am doing. Yesterday, Flynn and I were at the kitchen table, reading about chemical weathering and how it differs from mechanical weathering when I looked up and saw the most beautiful sight. Colorful leaves were literally fluttering in the wind, as if dancing, before falling to the ground, their job complete. We stopped our science lesson and watched those leaves, and I reminded Flynn that we have but a few days each year to see such a sight. So I suppose I am trying to savor these cozy October days, after all. 

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

We have nothing planned!

How about you?

Billie Jo

 

Tea Party, Puppy Pics, And More

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! It was indeed a lovely day. The day after my birthday, my girls surprised me with a luncheon at our favorite tea room! Madison, Peyton, Flynn, Kyrstin, and I enjoyed delicious food and beverages in the most quaint setting. I was so touched by their thoughtfulness.

My little Mocha is leash trained, meaning I take her out on a leash at all times. We live in an area with lots of wildlife, and I don't like to leave her on her own. Yesterday, Flynn and I were in the backyard while doing a sketch for her nature journal during her art lesson. Mocha was on my lap, and I set her down for a minute to grab some art supplies to carry inside. Mocha was uncertain of what to do at first, but when I told her to go ahead and run around, she tentatively started out, and they suddenly she realized she could run around and literally pranced around so happily! It was so cute. She kept looking back at me to be sure she was still ok, and when she was done, she ran to the steps and waited by the gate to go up to the deck. I was able to snap a few phone pictures while she was taking a break. 

I received some happy mail this week from a dear, have -yet-to-meet-in-person, fellow fall-loving blog friend who is beyond talented in every area I can think of! Leslie, who blogs HERE and also has a youtube channel HERE, created this fantastic magazine herself! I have been enjoying it with my soft autumn blanket and my pumpkin spice coffee! 

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

Any plans?

Billie Jo