Some of Our Summer So Far

 

Nightly visits from some friends

Mornings on the porch with my pup

Happy visits with my beautiful mom

Lunch with my girls at Eat'n Park

Allergies. And then an added bonus of Pink Eye! 

Why not, right? 

Fresh pups all ready for the holiday

Brownies for the return of our Monday night Bachelorette viewing

Snuggling inside. Because allergies and wildfire smoke

And a Mango Mister Misty for me with a twist dish for Flynn

Tomorrow is July!

Enjoy, my friends!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

Good Monday morning, my friends! I hope your weekend was lovely and cozy, exciting and fun, or a bit of all that rolled into one! As you can see from the above pictures, spring arrived here in Pennsylvania. As if by magic, green and blue appeared, promising beautiful summer days to follow. Helped along with the tremendous amount of pollen floating around, no doubt. That will pass, I remind myself!

Our weekend was blissfully busy! Friday night, some of the kids and I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It was so good! It was refreshingly free of politically correct themes and scenes that many movies insist on including these days. It was what a movie should be. Entertaining. It offered an escape from all the current noise of the world, rather than forcibly including things just for the sake of inclusion. And movie theatre popcorn? Come on!

Saturday afternoon, we went to mass and then dinner at one of our favorite cozy places. It is old, comfortable, unpretentious, and has the best old-fashioned food. I got the turkey dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy and enjoyed it immensely. We had planned on a campfire after dinner, but the party girl that I am, I chose instead to come home, wash my face, and put on my pajamas for some comfy time on the couch. 

Sunday was Mother's Day! I was blessed to spend the afternoon with my own beautiful mother and the evening with all my awesome kids. Steve, Flynn, and I took lunch to my mom at her assisted living home and were able to sit outside and visit with her. She is the most special person I will ever know, and spending time with her is something I cherish. Her memory of current events and people is fading and being replaced with more detailed memories of her childhood and youth. As hard as that is for me, I see how happy it makes her to talk about her mom, dad, and siblings, so that is what we do! My mom loves music and singing, so I played some songs for her that I knew she loved. She sang along to Elvis Presley's  Love Me Tender, as well as one of her very favorites, Yankee Doodle Dandy! We had a beautiful visit sitting outside in her beautiful backyard.

Later in the evening, Madison and Nicolas, Peyton and Chris, Rhett and Kyrstin, and Flynn and Steve prepared the most yummy dinner for me. They had asked me earlier what I wanted, and I chose hotdogs on the grill, Peyton's deviled eggs, and Madison's macaroni and cheese! Peyton made my favorite chocolate chip cookie skillet for dessert. We took no pictures because we were too busy having fun! It was a beautiful day celebrating the blessing that is my vocation in life: motherhood. Today I have laundry, schooling with Flynn, some random things to clear off my counter, and some phone calls to make. I hope you have a cozy day with your people, whatever your plans may be! Thanks for visiting!

Mocha is happy to see you too!

Billie Jo

A Good Week And Good Friday

Good morning, my friends. This week brought the warmest weather of the year so far to our little lake in Pennsylvania. Young Billie Jo would have most certainly organized a "Clean and Scrub the Deck Furniture" family event, but Older and Wiser Billie Jo simply had Steve pull out the dirty chairs that were stacked last fall so we could sit outside for a few hours. 

Favorite meal of the week? Rhett and Kyrstin planned and prepared a delicious breaded chicken with pasta alfredo meal for all of us! Delicious! And I know my dear Dad was smiling down from Heaven when Rhett used rigatoni! That was his very favorite.

Peyton provided the best dessert for Holy Week. She made Hot Cross Buns! 

Here is my beautiful Momma! Steve's Sister Sally, AKA The best person in the world, visited my Mom this week and took her an Easter surprise! How blessed am I that so many others love my Momma? Madison also saw her this week and Facetimed so I could visit too!

Today is Good Friday, and Flynn and I will fast, abstain, and pray the Stations of The Cross. Tomorrow we will prepare for Easter and attend Mass, and Sunday, we celebrate Easter Sunday with brunch and joy and chocolate and each other.

Happy and Blessed Easter, my friends.

Billie Jo

 

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

Good Monday morning, on what seems to be the twenty-seventh Monday of January this year, but who's counting?! I hope your weekend was restful and fun, productive and cozy, or maybe a mix of all those things. Since I last saw you, I have had an appointment with an audiologist, as my hearing is not as sharp as it used to be. Fortunately...or not...my results concluded that my hearing was indeed fine, and I may need to pay better attention when listening! The weather was a bit sketchy, so I rode in with Steve, who had a physical therapy appointment around the same time. This is the photo I sent to my kids, sharing what a date looks like when you have been married for almost thirty-two years. Morning rides to appointments!

And because of my stellar performance at the ear doctor, I finished pretty early, so I phoned my super son-in-law working nearby to see if he could give me a ride home. He was kind enough to do so and even stopped for coffees on the way.

Saturday was a catch-up on all things around the house day for me. I sat at the kitchen table, wrote a meal plan, made grocery orders, and completed lesson plans. I got out Valentine's decorations that made me miss Christmas a bit less and caught up on enough laundry that I can now see the floor in my bathroom. We watched a beautiful mass on television too. 

Yesterday, we all gathered in a room in my mom's assisted living facility for a little surprise party to celebrate the most wonderful woman I know on her 86th Birthday, which she celebrates today! My sister Margie and her husband Chris joined us for gifts and cake, and Mom was very happy! She smiled and laughed the entire time. We gifted her a pair of slip-on sneakers, a soft cuddle throw blanket, and a beautiful new bag to attach to her walker. Peyton made the most delicious cake, and we all shared happy and funny memories together, 

It was the perfect way to celebrate this amazing woman I call Mom. I said to my children as we were waiting for her to arrive that eighty-six years ago, my mom was a tiny newborn baby. Her mother cared for her child, planning special celebrations for each passing year. She may not have considered that years later, people she will have never met will celebrate that baby for her as the circle of life continues.

My mother has one remaining sibling, her younger brother Jim. He messaged me with the most beautiful Birthday wish for Mom, and she was so very happy when I read it to her; tears welled in her eyes. Uncle Jim also sent along a picture of the two of them. It is so beautiful and a reminder that long before she was Mom and Grandma, she was a little girl playing in the snow with her baby brother.

Have a wonderful day, my friends. 

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Friday Photos

Hello! Happy Friday! The week passed quickly around here, as December weeks do. After Mocha's vet appointment on Tuesday, the girls and I had a wonderful visit with my Mom at her assisted living home. It is decorated beautifully for Christmas! This is the door to go inside. And the inside is just as festive and cozy! My Mom was so happy to see us. We had a wonderful visit and left just as her lunch was being served.

Isn't she beautiful? I can only hope to be as happy, pleasant, and lovely as she is when I am 85. Wednesday afternoon, Madison, Flynn, Steve, and I took a dear family friend to Pittsburgh for an appointment. We spent some time downtown enjoying the Christmas festivities, and Steve even took a selfie!

POV: Two middle-aged parents and the kids who aren't embarrassed to be seen taking a selfie with them. Thursday, we returned home, but not before stopping at an old favorite diner on the way. Pie and coffee pics courtesy of Madison.

Thursday evening found me showered in fresh jammies on my couch in front of the Christmas tree with a cup of coffee. I like going, but I like coming home even more. 

Have a lovely weekend. I am planning on wrapping. And napping. And preparing some meals. And watching some favorite movies like Rudolph and Christmas with the Kranks. How about you, my friends? Any fun or festive plans? Enjoy whatever you are doing. See you back here Monday!

Billie Jo

P.S. Thanks for all the comments on my glasses. They are actually glasses I ordered from Pair Eyewear. You may have seen them on Shark Tank! You purchase frames with your prescription and then can buy different magnetic tops with just about any design you can think of! I love them and have already ordered another Christmas top. I'm not affiliated with them or anything. They are just really neat!

( Almost ) Wordless Wednesday

 I had a wonderful visit with my beautiful mom yesterday. We sat in her room and visited and talked about life. About how blessed we are and how quickly life passes. Before I left, I hugged her goodbye, and when I returned home, I immediately looked at this...

My mom~ on her Confirmation 

I looked at that beautiful young woman and thought of all that awaited her: happiness, joy, laughter, sadness, pain, loss, and love. Always love. I thought about how this young woman, my mom, faces every single circumstance in her life with happiness and hope. And I knew she was right about the song she always sings that ends with the line, "... Life is but a dream."

Happy Wednesday, my friends.

Billie Jo

Wrapping Up The Week

 Hello, my friends! Labor Day Weekend is here! For some, it means the end of summer. For others, the beginning of fall. Whatever September is for you, I encourage you to embrace this transitional month with all the cozy you can. September is many things, among them a respite from the many summer activities we love, as well as a deep breath of calm before we are immersed in celebrations from October through January. September isn't pumpkins, turkeys, gifts, or noisemakers. Although I, of course, love all those things. September just is. And I am here for it. And so is Mocha.

The past week went quickly, as they seem to do. I caught up on a long to-do list and crossed off several things, like getting my driver's license renewed and mailing out a few packages. The highlight of my week was a truly happy visit with my mom. 

Madison and I spent time with my mom one day this week, and I want to remember every moment. Since moving her to this new assisted living facility, she has flourished! The love, care, and stimulation have seemed to slow the progression of her Alzheimers and have vastly increased her peace and happiness. She is living. She does not merely exist as she did before. A lesson to be shared? Advocate for your loved ones. Don't assume that because someone tells you something, it is true. Ask questions. Get answers. And act upon them. I am thankful every day that we did and that God led us to her new home, where she gets the care and love she deserves.

Madison and my mom played a memory card game I had made for her. You upload photos, and they are printed on cards for a memory game. My mom loves it! Seeing her recognize our family members and try to match them is so fun. 

I also brought in some new clothes to supplement her wardrobe for fall. She loves these comfy two-piece outfits, which are easy for her to get into with minimal help. My sister got her a couple pairs of jeans like these, and Mom loves them!

My Madison and my mom. My mom was there the day she was born, and they have been together ever since. My mom cared for Madison; now, Madison can do the same for her. What a blessing, right?! 

Well, that is all for now. I could write more, but I am starving, so I need to get up and get some Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Swirl Toast and a cup of coffee. Or two. Have a wonderful long weekend, my friends! Enjoy!

Billie Jo

Weekly Wrap Up And Fourth Of July Weekend

Hello, and Happy Friday, my friends. Thank you for the prayers and words of support for my friend this week. She had her surgery Monday morning. Unfortunately, we did not get the results we were hoping for, but she took it in stride, as she does with everything. She was up and walking that first afternoon! She is seventy-three years old and has no family other than her brother, who she cares for. She is a happy, busy, amazing woman, and she will not let this setback stop her. Her doctor is wonderful and has already arranged for her to start chemo next week. The surgery was to remove a cancerous tumor in her colon, but unfortunately, the cancer had invaded her uterus, so she will have chemo to shrink the tumor, and we will try again in a few months. Please keep her in your prayers. 

Tuesday, after I checked on my friend, I decided at the last minute to pick up a couple lemonades and head over to visit my mom. She was getting her hair done and was so happy to see me! She said we must have a connection because she was thinking about me all day! So if you hear a voice in your head suggesting you do something, do it. God may be whispering to your heart. Look how awesome my momma is!

 

I had no plans for dinner that night, so I raided the fridge and came up with corn tortillas, Colby jack cheese, and a zucchini. I recruited Steve to grill some quesadillas and zucchini. Quick and delicious!

 

Wednesday, we celebrated our anniversary! Steve and I drove my friend home and got her settled. Then we went to dinner at one of our favorite places. Steve had a steak salad, and I had the same thing I get every single time I go there. It is a shrimp bowl with coconut rice and mango salsa. So good! Steve agreed to take a pic with me, and although my glasses have a glare, and this was the third take, I think it came out ok.

Now, while we were doing that, look what my children and their significant others were doing!

Yep! They took a Fourth of July party to my mom! She loves this holiday, and the fireworks are too late for her now, so Madison organized a party with burgers, fries, and patriotic music. Peyton made cupcakes that I heard were delicious! I was beyond touched and thankful to all my children for making Mom so very happy. I think about the love and care my mom gave each one of my children from the day they were born, and I am reminded of how roles reverse as time passes and our lives change. And just how quickly it happens.

What are your plans for the long holiday weekend, my friends? We plan on celebrating with food, family, friends, and fireworks. And a nap or two, of course. I hope you have a wonderful, safe, healthy, and happy weekend, whatever you are planning! Happy Fourth of July!