Wishful Wednesday

Yesterday, Flynn and I went to the dentist. No cavities, by the way! I saw this little peek of yellow in the parking lot and knew I had to take a picture. If you have read here for a while, you know why. If not, let me explain with pictures.

Years ago, when Flynn was little, she noticed all the beautiful specks of yellow popping up in our yard and ran outside to admire them. While many see these annual visitors as a nuisance, Flynn sees them as a bright and cheery part of nature. We began to wait each year for her dandelions and captured her happiness with a few pictures, showing her joy. Well, years passed, as they seem to do, and although we no longer document these little signs of spring, we still notice and remember the days of Flynn's dandelions. I am thankful to her, for in that initial moment of childhood innocence, she instilled in me something I always remember. We can see certain things in life as weeds needing harsh removal or as flowers that, for a brief time, offer us an opportunity to pause and admire them before they blow away as wishes in the wind.

I wish a dandelion-filled Wednesday for you, my friends.

Have a cozy day!

Billie Jo

An Extra Special Saturday Post

 Because something this special deserves its own post! 

Introducing...

Cosmo!!!

Steve found him and knew Kirby didn't want him to be lonely. Wednesday afternoon, Steve, Flynn, Rhett, and Kyrstin went to pick him up while I stayed and got things ready. I soon received photos and knew Steve had found his new best friend.

The first meeting went very well, and Mocha is cautiously curious about her new brother.

Cosmo is a five-month-old Cavapoo and has stolen our hearts.

Especially this guy, who has so much love to give this fluffy little friend.

Happy weekend, my friends!

BillieJo

Friday Photos And Pumpkin Pasta!

Good Friday morning, my friends! How was your week? Our week was gloriously ordinary and ordinarily glorious. Flynn and I did homeschool, Steve ran errands, made phone calls, and worked on the list of things he never had time to do before. We cooked a delicious meal with produce from the farmer's market and played our favorite Halloween game. 

Guess who ended up with the Old Mummy ??

Mocha is proud to be our middle school mascot.

Breakfast one day this week: Cheddar cheese on baguette bread and fresh fruit. 

Something that made me happy this week? Getting these photos from my girls. They continued our pumpkin patch tradition! Even though Peyton grew her own perfect pumpkins, they went and had a blast! Afterward, they went to Peyton's for dinner. She made pumpkin stuffed shells, homemade dinner rolls, and this fantastic pie...

Another thing that made me happy this week was talking to this wonderful woman I am blessed to call Mom. Thanks to my sister Margie, who goes every day at dinnertime and calls me while she's there, I can talk to her every day. I love her so much.

Finally, my blog friend Ginny, who writes HERE, asked about the recipe for Madison's delicious-looking pasta I posted the other day. I texted Madison, and she was so happy to share. 

• 1 box of rigatoni 
• drizzle of olive oil
• 4 ounces of prosciutto sliced thin
• dried or fresh thyme
• 1 shallot, diced
• splash of white wine or chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
• salt and pepper 
• 1/2 cup of goat cheese crumbles plus more for serving (can also use Parmesan)
• chopped chives
• 1 - 2 cups of reserved pasta water

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, and cook the pasta. Once cooked, ladle out some pasta water and set it aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat up a drizzle of olive oil in a pot on medium-low heat. (I used my Dutch oven.) Add prosciutto and stir often. Cook until it is crispy, and set it aside on a plate. 
3. In the same pot, add the diced shallot and thyme. (You may need to add a bit more olive oil.) Cook until the shallot is translucent. Deglaze the pot with a splash of white wine, chicken broth, or even just a bit of water. Use whatever you have! 
4. Add the can of pumpkin, half and half, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk continuously until it begins to simmer. Depending on how thick the sauce is, add some pasta water along with the goat cheese and whisk until combined. 
5. Add the strained pasta to the pot and toss it in the sauce. Add more pasta water if the sauce is still too thick. (It should be similar to the consistency of a tomato sauce but not too watery.) Allow the pasta to cook a minute or two more in the sauce. 
6. Spoon the pasta onto a plate and top with goat cheese crumbles, chopped chives, and crispy prosciutto. Add salt and pepper if you'd like, but remember that the prosciutto is already quite salty! 

I hope you have a lovely October weekend. I am patiently waiting for the leaves to change color here, and I hope they will soon! Thanks for visiting. I am always thankful you do!

BillieJo

Today Is The Day!

 

Good Wednesday morning! This is a picture from last night as we took our last boat ride of the season. It was so beautiful, if a bit chilly, on a September evening on the lake. The cool air, the quiet lake, and the early darkness confirmed that summer has finally relinquished herself to fall. 

Today, we are loading up and heading to the ocean! Our house is about fifteen minutes from the beach, on a quiet little road on the bay. And, as the lovely woman who built and owned the house told us, "It is a Pennsylvania house!" Strangely enough, she and her husband are from our hometown!!! We had just found out when we bought the house! No wonder I felt at home the minute I walked in the door! We will stay at the condo for a few days until the beds are made up, and the kitchen is put together. My first task? Decorating for fall and Halloween! Stay tuned. : )

This day begins a new chapter in our family's life. Our lives are less structured now, and I have always thrived on structure and routine. As I have gotten older, however, I realize that I can enjoy each day as it comes, regardless of whether or not I know exactly what tomorrow brings. I can enjoy a September afternoon without wishing it was Halloween. When Christmas comes, I will be ready. And if I'm not, I will enjoy it just as much. If I leave today to stay at the beach, and I am not sure exactly what day I will return, I am good. ( Sometime in early November. ) This is a gift that comes with age. And I am most thankful for it.

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday, my friends. Thank you for visiting! I will see you on Friday!

BillieJo

Happy September Days

 

Good Friday morning! September days have blessed us with slightly cooler weather, and I love it. While many people thrive on the hot, sunny summer days, I relish the cooler autumn ones, just like yesterday.

If you have read here for a while, you may remember our beautiful friend, Blueberry Mary. We met Mary and her husband, Tom, years ago at church. We call her Blueberry Mary because she used to pick the best blueberries ever and would always bring us some. Tom passed away several years ago, and Mary often joined us for dinner and game nights. We haven't seen Mary as much since we moved, but we still have weekly phone visits, and at ninety-two, Mary is as sharp as she has always been. She now lives in an assisted living, and this week, Steve and I had the chance to surprise her with a visit!

We had the most wonderful time! She showed us all around, we sat and talked, and I showed her pictures of the kids. She is a wonderful, classy lady; we were so thankful to spend some time with her. Look what she had on her wall. She gave me permission to take a picture of it. Look at this beautiful photo of two young people, ready to begin a life together.

Yesterday morning looked like this. How fitting since yesterday was my birthday! I told you I am an autumn soul. This just sealed the deal. 

I had a fantastic day turning fifty-four. I was home, happy with my people, doing what I love: teaching. Flynn and I did homeschool, and Rhett and Kyrstin got lunch for us all. I sat outside for a bit, and then my best friend Heather brought the party to me! She made homemade chicken parmesan, garlic bread, carrot cake, and peanut butter pie! For all of us! It was so delicious! Then there were gifts and laughs and our family tradition of each person sharing something he or she loves about the birthday person and a special memory we share. We have done this forever, and I am always touched by what is shared. My sister Margie called when she was with my momma, so I was able to have a beautiful birthday visit with her on the phone. I thought back fifty-four years to when she was a young woman, bringing her fourth little girl into the world. I thought of all the things she has done for me over the years and how, on that day so many years ago, she wouldn't have thought that someday, that little baby would be a fifty-four-year-old, and she an eighty-six-year-old, and the two would be visiting on the phone. That is the beauty of the circle of life. Living in the moment, letting tomorrow be, and smiling when remembering the past.

I've learned so many things throughout my life, and not least among them is this. When you find joy in doing things for others, allowing others to do the same for you can be difficult. Yet, I finally realized that I cannot rob them of experiencing that same great joy of doing for someone, for blessing them with your care. And so last night, I sat down and let my kids and Heather do it all. They did the cooking, decorating, serving, and cleaning from start to finish. I was so happy and so blessed.

That ends the birthday celebrations for a couple months. Now, we settle into all things autumn. We are heading down to Maryland next week, so I plan on getting some things together and doing a few things around here this weekend. We have a family wedding on Saturday, a visit to see my momma on Sunday, a football game, and a lunch date. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, my friends. Thank you for visiting!

I am looking forward to visiting you this weekend!

BillieJo

Dear Fall,

Well, hello there, fall! Welcome back. You have been missed! I look forward to spending time with you and promise to appreciate every cool breeze and colorful leaf you offer. People sometimes ask me what it is about this time of year I love so much. I tell them I am an autumn soul. I am happiest surrounded by cooler air, vibrant colors, shorter days, and longer nights. Fall is earlier evenings together after dinner, with apple cake and cozy movies. Fall is soups and bread, pumpkin bars, and pumpkin bread. Our Spiced Pumpkin Yankee Candle returns and fills our house with the scent my children know as simply as Home. I love autumn for all these things. I love the soft throw blankets, the mums on the porch, and the trees' red, gold, purple, and yellow leaves, fluttering down in the wind, swirling onto the ground, and finally resting there to begin again. I love my grown children wanting to watch Halloweentown while making place and bake cookies with pumpkins on them. I tell people that autumn is my time. It is dark, cozy, and calm. Thank you, autumn, for all these things and more. Thank you for always returning and asking nothing of me except a short walk on a late September day down a quiet road with colorful leaves surrounding me. Welcome back. I've missed you.

BillieJo

Monday Morning Coffee

 

Good Monday morning, my friends! Thank you for all the Happy Birthday wishes for Steve. He had a wonderful birthday, as depicted in the following few photos. His day started with breakfast at a new place, where Peyton and Christopher surprised him!!! They were vacationing nearby and came to celebrate his birthday with him. This super secret mission was devised and executed by the kids themselves. Steve was so happy! 

We received these pictures of some of their delicious breakfasts.

Not to be outdone, I promptly responded with an image of what my delicious, if not nutritious, breakfast was. I'm sure they were jealous. 

They spent part of Steve's birthday getting some things ready at the new house. Flynn and I were home enjoying school; really, we actually enjoy it! Then Madison, Nicolas, Rhett, and Kyrstin took Steve to a new restaurant for his birthday dinner. They all had a wonderful time, and I am so thankful to my children for making Steve's day super special. 

Saturday, while they were on their way home, my best friend Heather came over, and Flynn helped us make our favorite apples. We have a wonderful friend named Frank, who had a shop here in town, and his wife made the most delicious apples. We bought them for every holiday. Last fall, she passed, and Frank closed the store. One day, shortly before Christmas, Frank came over with apples he had made himself. We were so touched by his thoughtfulness. Frank then offered to come over and teach us how to make them. So one day last winter, he did! And they were delicious as always. 

Heather suggested we make some before I head down to Maryland, so after a consultation with Frank, we did. They turned out great! Although not as aesthetically pleasing as Frank's wonderful wife's, they are every bit as delicious. And I have one set aside for Frank. You may think they look similar to any caramel apple covered in chocolate. You are partially correct. Want to know what makes these apples so extra?? There is a layer of peanut butter between the caramel and the chocolate! Let's keep that just between us.

And finally, while I was sitting home under my fall throw blanket eating apples, Steve was off at the Steeler game! He took Rhett, Kyrstin, and her brother to the game, and although they gave him a hard time about wearing a 49ers jersey, he came out the victor, as our Steelers lost the home opener 30-7. Could make for a long season. 

Have a cozy Monday, my friends. September is moving along, and I fear I am not fully embracing fall as I should be. But then, with temperatures in the 90s, it is hard to do. This week looks cooler, thank goodness! This is the last full week we will be here in Pennsylvania until November, and I miss my pumpkin decor. Soon! Thank you for visiting! I am always thankful you do!

Leaving you with this today. 

The passage of time will never diminish America's courage on September 11, 2001.

BillieJo