Monday Morning Coffee

 

Good morning, my friends! Happy Monday! And, while we are at it,

Yep. There is an official day designated for the celebration and consumption of the best-smelling, most delicious-tasting beverage of all, coffee. Thank you to Madion for pointing out this important fact to me. Have another cup and enjoy!

We were at the condo this past weekend, and had a great time. Nicolas, Madison, and Flynn attended a music festival at the inlet, and they had an absolutely fantastic time. The rain held off, and the bands were great. Their favorites were Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Train, and Vance Joy. They had a blast, as shown in the pictures below.

These two are my first and my last, and they couldn't have more fun together. If you have been around here for some time, you may remember when they looked like this.

As my mom used to say..." Life is but a dream!"

My middle two were visiting National Parks, Peyton, and working very hard, Rhett. Rhett stopped in over the weekend, and Peyton sent some beautiful pictures like this one of Mount Rainier.

(Courtesy of Christopher!)

Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers. Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier's lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park's ecosystems.

(I totally looked that up on the website, you know that, right???)

So, while the young people were at the music festival, visiting national parks, or working...Kyrstin, too, the older ones were sitting on the beach watching the waves.

It was so relaxing and calming. And funny, because when we were young and brought the kids to the beach for a week, I literally remember seeing "old" people like Steve and me sitting on the sand in their beach chairs watching the waves. I used to smile and say, "Well, Steve, there we are someday!" With four children, a teenager out in the water, two young ones playing with Sesame Street sand toys, and a baby in a stroller, that someday seemed far off. Now, here we are! And honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way.

Another benefit of being older? Rising with the sun while you are at the beach, and seeing this happen right before your eyes.

And having your daughter whip up a homemade chocolate cake to snack on throughout the weekend. Thanks, Madison!

Have a cozy Monday, my friends. I will be around to visit you this afternoon. And get that candy corn and those jack-o'-lanterns ready! October, the best month of the year, begins soon!

Billie Jo

Oh! I have another book for you to read! I loved this one!

Friday

Hello, my friends! Here we are at the last weekend of September. No matter how much I long for time to slow down, I cannot seem to succeed. If time cannot be slowed down, and we know it can't, then the answer is simple. I need to slow down. You might think that a funny statement from me, a self-proclaimed homebody and socially hesitant person. However, looking ahead to the upcoming months, I see more calendar squares filled in than not. This is not to say that some things aren't fun and exciting. Not at all. It just shows me that to protect my peace and thrive in this season I love so much, I need to be more discerning of he commitments I make. Some may see this as strange, rude, or annoying. I see it is living the life I love and is right for me and my family. So, I strive to find a balance, but the scale may be a bit lopsided. 

Before we jump into the weekend, here are a minimal number of photos from the past week around here.

Marty is showing his true feelings about Algebra during school...

Cosmo is encouraging me to take that afternoon nap. One guess on how I responded!

Early morning view during my early morning walk. I appreciate the love and support concerning my morning walks, too! And I must be honest. I do enjoy it, and it makes me feel good.

And lastly, Mocha is in her spot during school. On my lap with a blanket. The blanket was a gift to me for my birthday from Flynn. She knows and shares my love of Sesame Street. Big Bird, Elmo, Bert, Ernie, and all their friends have been a part of my life since Madison was a baby. I remember her in her playpen watching this one VHS, and every time the Count appeared to sing his counting song, she would cry, and I would fast-forward! 

One year, Santa brought her a pack of big plastic letters with pictures of the characters on them. Every one of my children learned their alphabet by playing with those letters. We have a tub of Sesame Street Beanie Babies that all of the kids played with too, and we added to it throughout he years. I look back on those days of Sesame Street videos playing, dolls scattered around the room, letters lined up from A to Z, and smile. And I do it with this cozy Sesame Street blanket on my lap.

Well, time to start the day, my friends. We are heading to the condo for the weekend, so I am changing the sheets here, finishing the laundry, and tidying the house. I love coming back to a clean house after being away, even if it is just for the weekend. Have a lovely one yourself, my friends, however you choose to spend it!

Oh, to answer a couple of questions from my last post, Robin, I will absolutely make this again. I will double the recipe so we have some leftovers! And Ginny, these are the noodles I used. They worked perfectly. Enjoy!

Billie Jo

What The Heck?! And A Soup Recipe

What the heck?? Yes. You aren't seeing things. That is me. In a super soft crewneck that Madison and Nicolas gifted me for my birthday. Getting ready for a morning walk!! Yep. I did indeed say walk. I am happy to report that I have once again dug out and laced up my walking shoes and begun my early morning walks with Mocha! I actually enjoy the short stroll around the neighbooorhood while the world wakes up. And, I must admit, the rumors are true. Walking does makes me feel good.

Next up. A delicious Asian soup recipe we made and enjoyed for dinner on the first night of fall. This recipe is easy to put together and is incredibly delicious.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Well, I am off to start my day. A reminder to other lovers of fall television, get those DVRs ready. Survivor and The Golden Bachelor begin tonight! Big Brother is on too! With so much ugliness and hate in the world and on the news, perhaps shutting it out and snuggling in with family and fun shows is the way to go right now. 

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

Wishing you all the cool fall breezes and colorful leaves today.

Billie Jo

First Day of Fall!

Happy first day of fall, my friends! I hope you are ready for all things cozy! I also hope you had a lovely weekend. Mine was the perfect mix of productivity and relaxation, with some good food thrown in too. Saturday has become my cleaning day, and I like to get that done early in the morning. Gone are the days of the whole house weekly clean; now, a quick powder room, bathroom, and bedroom cleaning, plus a change of bedsheets, followed by a wet swiffer and vacuum, does the trick! 

The rest of the day was spent on those little things that keep getting pushed from one to-do list to the next. Currently, my list of things that may get done includes tasks like bathing the dogs, buying a rug, dropping off the dry cleaning, and cleaning my makeup brushes. That last one has been on the list for so long, I could have done it twice by now. I hope Madison isn't reading this. Or maybe she is, and will offer to clean them for me. : ) 

Yesterday was quiet and cozy. In the evening, we went to mass and then met a very good friend of mine for dinner. Tracey and Ken were here in Maryland last week, and I was so happy to see them and spend time talking and eating some good Italian food. And talking some more. 

Peyton and Christopher are on a trip west to see some National Parks, and sent these amazing pictures back. These were taken at Grand Teton National Park. I am so happy for those two. They are having the best time doing all the things they love.

Madison and Nicolas spent some time at the beach and found some amazing shells yesterday.

As for me, I am happy doing my thing here at home.

Have a lovely Monday, my friends. And Happy Fall!!!

Billie Jo

Friday Photos, Or Lack Thereof

Some weeks, my camera roll is filled to the brim with all kinds of "Blog Worthy" photos. This is not that week. I do have these pictures of the view from my back deck after the fog burned off this morning. Today looks to be a beautiful September day here in Maryland. Although I didn't hate the cozy, rainy, stormy day we had earlier in the week. Just sayin'.

In the absence of more personal pictures toady, I dove into my "Yep" file and grabbed a few quotes I found funny or relevant at some point in time and saved them for some reason I can no longer recall. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks to all of you for the Happy Birthday wishes! They mean more to me than you know. Have a lovely September weekend, my friends. I plan on some light housecleaning, some heavy reading, mass, dinner out with friends, and watching Charlie Kirk's funeral on Sunday afternoon. We lost a good soul, a strong patriot, a decent man, and let us not forget a young husband and father, the day Charlie Kirk was killed. Whether or not you feel the same, I hope we can all agree that the public assassination of a young man sharing his views and inviting others into conversation is simply devastating, tragic, foreboding, and unbelievably sad. I pray for his family for strength.

I apologize for not visiting lately, my friends. I will pour a cup and be around to see you soon!

Billie Jo