Monday Morning Coffee

Good Monday morning, my friends. And welcome to summer! Many of us here are anticipating extreme heat this week, or as I refer to it, scary hot. Since I do not tolerate heat well at all, I will enjoy most of this weather from inside, with the occasional early morning or late evening venture outside to assess the situation. Sometimes I wish I enjoyed the outdoors more. I wish I liked slathering myself in sunscreen, sitting on the beach in the sun, or engaging in outdoor physical activity like hiking, golfing, or biking. Then, I think of being hot, sweaty, tired, and thirsty, and remember my cozy couch and my stack of books, and I snap out of that really quickly.

As an autumn soul, I must admit I have a soft spot for certain aspects of summer. Tomatoes, for instance. Garden tomatoes. Seeing red garden tomatoes in my kitchen is one of life's simple pleasures. Tomato sandwiches for lunch...

A big bowl of homemade pasta salad with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and garlic in the fridge...

And Madison's pasta with tomatoes...

Not to mention the summer aesthetic...

Summer=tomatoes.

Summer also means a short window of time for fresh strawberries. Now, I am going to say something controversial. I don't like strawberries. I know. I know. It's weird. I love raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, but strawberries are a no from me. My family loves them, and fortunately, they all have mastered the art of making delicious desserts with them. And no. I can't eat them with cereal either. Go figure. I will finish up today with random pictures from the past few days, like this one. I apparently thought I needed to take one morning after taking the dogs out. I don't know what the reasoning was, but here it is.

Flynn and I are finishing up homeschool this week. We are in the murky depths of Pre-Algebra, and I am having flashbacks to 1984 with Jordache Jeans, Hubba Bubba gum, and late-night phone calls to my friends for help with surface area equations.

Dinner at Madison and Nico's beautiful home after mass on Saturday night made me realize that suddenly, Steve and I are my mom and dad! They used to come to our house for dinner all the time.

Lastly, I am still thinking about the delicious tea Madison, Kyrstin, and I attended last week. I am also wondering why I never think to make cucumber sandwiches with the crust cut off. 

Today I will work on school with Flynn, do some laundry, write out some cards, and help Steve with dinner. I hope you have a lovely summer day, my friends. Thank you for visiting!

Billie Jo

P.S. Thanks to Google for the Cher image. It is from Moonstruck, one of my mom's favorite movies!

I Have A Little Shadow

My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

Some say Mocha is my shadow. I cannot disagree. My Mocha needs me to be in her line of vision every second of the day! If Flynn and I are homeschooling, she is right here. And if not there, she may be found right here.

Biology and World History are her current favorites! If I am in the kitchen, fixing dinner, she keeps an eye on things from her cozy spot near the fireplace.

And when Madison makes amazing chocolate chip cookies, Mocha eyes mine up every time! Madison made these using Ina Garten's recipe, which I will link below.

Mocha loves and tolerates the other dogs in her life, but given the chance, she prefers to hang out with me and the other humans.

You can do that when you are the oldest and consider yourself the most mature!

Have a lovely weekend, my friends! Stay cool, hydrated, and safe from the sun. See you back here on Monday!

Billie Jo

Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies

What Time?

 

What time of day is your favorite? As I age, my days become more relaxed and unscheduled. I notice time more, and while it still passes much too quickly, I am determined to appreciate and savor the heck out of it all! This morning, when I took the pups outside, I realized that early mornings are definitely my favorite in the summer. 

I love waking early, knowing that the whole day lies ahead. I love waking up with nature and watching it all come alive. On summer mornings, I am slower and more deliberate, lingering outside until the pups insist we go in for their morning treat. I make my coffee, take my pills, and pour fresh water for the dogs. I do all this with light shining through the windows, highlighting the dirt and dust on them, but who cares about that, really? In what universe do my dirty windows matter one single bit? (This new attitude brought to you by Middle Age. Thank you very much!) Then I sit and sip my coffee while I say my morning prayers and watch for the birds to visit. Summer mornings at my stage of life? 10/10. Highly recommend.

What about the fact that I am a self-diagnosed autumn soul? What about the crisp, windy fall days and the snowy winter ones that follow? Well, on those beautiful days, evenings are my favorite. But that is a post for another day. For now, I will sip my coffee and watch my birds. How about you?

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee

 

Good Monday morning! It is overcast and humid here today, with the promise of spotty showers and the possibility of an afternoon thunderstorm. What is it about a rainy summer day that makes me feel happy? It may have something to do with my innate love of all things cozy. Who knows? Soon enough, we will have those bright, hot, sunny days, the ones my mom used to sing about... " Roll out those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer! " That song takes me back to the days of Bob Barker and The Price is Right before lunch, drippy ice cream from a plastic bucket scooped onto green, brown, or pink colored cones, rides around town with my dad in his truck with the windows down, and kickball games and Ghost in the Graveyard with our neighbor friends after dinner. Now, summer is many different things, but one of the favorites is something as simple as this.

Tomatoes. Garden tomatoes, to be specific. I am a simple person, and a bowl of ripe garden tomatoes on my counter just brings me joy!

Madison found these sweet salt and pepper shakers for me at Anthropology. She gave them to me for Mother's Day, and yes, that is a Tomato Sandwich candle, too! Madison has a friend who makes them. Tomato sandwiches, pasta with tomatoes, BLT sandwiches...I could go on and on. But I won't! I'll end this with a wish for a happy summer day, my friends! 

I hope you enjoy in the ways that make you happy!

Billie Jo

Friday And Fathers

Happy Friday, my friends! Here we are. It is suddenly in the middle of June, and summer is here! How do I know? The weather outside is hot and humid. The birds sing in the morning, and something...a frog or a toad?...croaks at night. My flowers are blooming beautifully, not because of me, but despite me, and Flynn has been eating Bomb Pops after dinner. Summer. 

I love my summer wreath so much that I decided to keep it up and make a few simple additions for June and July. I added this perfect doormat...a Mother's Day gift from Rhett and Kyrstin, and suddenly, I am decorated for summer on the porch!

Another blog-worthy item from this past week is the delicious strawberry rhubarb cake Madison brought over!

It was amazing.

Steve and I went on an impromptu date in my Jeep the other night. We picked up dinner and ate it at the pier, watching the boats and all the people. Speaking of Steve... Happy Father's Day! One of the things I tell my girls is, "Marry a man like your father." Steve is the concert-goer, trip-taker, clothes-shopper, driving instructor, and financial planner. He is a hard worker and has instilled in our children the importance of finding a job you love. He also reminds them that family and faith are more important and always come first. 

Plus, he reads here all the time. So, Happy Father's Day, Steve! And Happy Father's Day to my dad, who is celebrating in Heaven.

And this year, he has his wife beside him. 

Have a wonderful, summery weekend, my friends! Thank you for visiting! 

Billie Jo

I Like...But I Don't Like...

 I like summer, but I don't like being in the sun.

Or being hot.

Or sweaty.

I like fresh sheets on my bed, but I don't like removing the old ones.

Or washing them.

Or putting them back on.

I like ordering things online, but I don't like all the boxes they come in.

Neither does Steve.

At all.

I like making plans, but I don't always like following through with them.

Sometimes I do.

And then I am glad.

I like ice cream, but I don't like milkshakes.

Weird, I know.

Go figure.

I like reading books.

And novels.

And poetry.

And blogs.

I like being home.

I like not being busy.

I like wearing a housedress.

I like creating a cozy place for the people I love.

I like being me.

The end.

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

Monday Morning Coffee... And A Muffin!

Good Monday morning, my friends. I was lucky to have a delicious blueberry rhubarb muffin with my coffee this morning. It is a happy day when your firstborn bakes and brings you some of her delicious creations so you can enjoy them with your coffee. How was your weekend? We had a nice, quiet one here. The weather has been cloudy and windy, but Friday night, Madison and I were able to spend some time at the beach. It was beautiful and calm.  

On Saturday, we went to mass, and afterward, Steve asked what we wanted to do for dinner. I was hungry for pizza, so we went to our favorite Italian restaurant and enjoyed the most delicious pizza ever. I even had a Coke, which I rarely do because I try to drink water, but hey. Sometimes you just have to let loose and really go wild! : )

Last but not least, I am missing my mamma today. I hear her singing in my heart, though. She always said that you can't be sad if you are singing.

Have a good day, my friends. Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo