Monday Morning Coffee On Halloween Week!

Good morning, my friends! Well, here we are. It's Halloween Week! I mean, there are only so many scary movies, so much fun food, and so much spooky music one can cram into a day, so we like to spread it out. Hence, Halloween Week. Meanwhile, October has been lovely this year: unrushed days, mild temperatures, and colorful scenes all around.

Morning walks

On-the-way-to-Mass selfies

And AMAZING Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies made by Flynn and our friend Ross. 

And as I am typing this, Madison and Nicolas are departing their beloved Copenhagen after a wonderful trip visiting with his family and their friends. I am so happy for them all. Today I am putting some chicken in the crockpot for Chicken and Noodles later, along with some carrots with olive oil,  rosemary, and thyme. Then I am going to pour another cup of coffee before going over Flynn's schoolwork for the day. She has an Anatomy Lab that involves a microscope and skin slides, so there's that. I remember the days of pumpkin-seed and candy-corn science experiments. Time marches on!

Have a lovely Monday, my friends. Enjoy the last week of October. Soon enough we will be eating leftover turkey, turning on Christmas tree lights, and jingling all the way! Can't wait! In the meantime, this will be me for the next week...

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

And...It's Friday Again

Hello! How was your week? I hope it was nice, cozy, and productive. Our weather in Maryland is pleasant and very much fall-like, especially in the morning. When the sun comes out, it gets a bit warmer, making for a perfect late autumn afternoon. I have walked every morning this week, except yesterday, when a friend and I went Christmas decoration shopping! I am still enthralled with all things Halloween; however, I am one to be prepared for when the clocks strike twelve on Halloween night, Christmas arrives!

I don't have much to share in terms of food this week. That is not to imply that we didn't eat, of course. For instance, lunch one day ...                                                                                                                                                                                                                

We enjoyed a full week of homeschool, with our bonus student doing very well so far this year. And we kept in touch with Peyton, who is happy as can be, baking and sending us pictures of all her yummy meals and treats!

In other news, my Madison and Nicolas are safe and sound in his beloved Denmark, and are having a wonderful, wonderful time enjoying family, friends, and Copenhagen! I am getting beautiful photos too, like a traditional Danish breakfast with grapes grown by Peter, Nicolas' father.

So happy for and proud of these two. Miss them also. And lastly, Steve and our friend Ross walk along the boardwalk and take pictures for all of us. The ocean is unbelievably breathtaking in October. Highly underrated.

Flynn added one of her own from her bedroom window. 

Today we have homeschool, and I also heard a rumor about some chocolate chip cookies. Made with brown butter. Sounds perfect for my afternoon coffee. Tomorrow we are going to Mass and then out to dinner with some friends of ours from Pennsylvania. They were just married, so we are so excited to see them and celebrate with them. The remainder of the weekend is up in the air, so I am thinking possibly some Halloween movies, laundry, lesson plans, and a nap, too. 

Let's see what Pinterest is thinking about today.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends.

Next week is Halloween Week!!

Billie Jo

Wednesday, Morticia, Lily...

 And...Bats.

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee

Good morning, my friends. Today was the first day I needed a jacket for my morning walk. And that made me happy. I will take a chilly day with a soft zip-up jacket over a hot, sweaty day every single time. Anyway, the transition from bright, colorful October to the more subdued browns of November has begun here, and I couldn't help but think this morning how thankful I am that as each new season approaches, I am in some way ready for the change. As much as I love the colors, leaves, and excitement of early autumn, I am also ready to embrace the cozy, more muted days of late autumn through November. It feels like the right time to slow down and start preparing for the cozy days ahead. My walk today reflected the changes taking place as the vibrant greens faded and the water, once bustling with activity, grew still.

Madison and Nicolas are off to Denmark today! They are so very happy to return to his beloved Copenhagen to visit with his family. Steve cooked dinner last night for them, and Madison requested sloppy joes and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Spirals. Our favorite. If you look closely at my plate, you may notice the macaroni-and-cheese-to-zucchini ratio is a bit off, especially for this fifty-seven-year-old. Still, there is something about that blue box macaroni and cheese that gets me every time!

I contributed Halloween cupcakes for dessert, and they were delicious! Again, boxed, but sometimes Pillsbury does it better. Especially the festive holiday mixes I cannot resist.

Sharing this picture of my handsome, hilarious, and hardworking son because he is the best. And because I love the young man my little boy became. 

Lastly, last night I went to throw something away, and the garbage can was empty, with a fresh new bag in it. Can I tell you how happy that made me?! I started thinking about other seemingly small things like that because, more often than not, we find happiness in the simplest things. Here are a few of those things for me...

~ Opening the dishwasher to find it has been emptied

~ The first night sleeping in fresh sheets

~ Stirring pumpkin creamer into my hot cup of coffee

~ A stack of new books sitting on my bedside table

~ Lighting the Yankee Home For The Holidays candle for the first time each year

~ Plugging in the Christmas Tree on a dark December morning



Feel free to add something simple that makes you happy!

And have a cozy Monday!

Billie Jo