Fun With Friends

 

You know you have a true, lifelong friend when... a) She and her family drive eight hours to spend time with you. b) You don't feel you have to clean the entire house before they arrive. c) You come down in the morning in your jammies and no makeup. d) You are beyond sad when they leave. My answer? All of the above! 

My beautiful friend Danielle, who has an amazing blog right HERE, and her awesome husband and son are visiting here this week, and my entire family is so thrilled. We have had the best time talking, drinking coffee, playing games, boating, eating, laughing, and just being. There was lunch at a tearoom, coffee at a favorite coffee shop, a pizza-making contest, a fire with music and smores, and so much more. 

I pray everyone finds a friend like Danielle. Someone who laughs with you, who loves to drink coffee, and watches old game shows with you. Someone who gets you and loves your whole family too. Someone who, were it not for these things called Blogs, you never would have known existed. Someone who lives the same life as you do in her own part of the world, but you wish were right next door.

Thanks, Danielle!

We love you guys!

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Billie Jo

Fireworks, Family, Food, and Friends

 

Just like that, The Fourth of July came and went. We were blessed with a beautiful day for celebrating and enjoyed food and fun together. We ended the day with the most spectacular fireworks display, complete with a patriotic playlist supplied by Madison. It was simple, cozy, festive, and fun!

As I looked at the sky and watched the brilliant display of colors, I was reminded that although our country is currently divided and the news is filled with ugliness and hate, we, as a people, have been here before. And we have come through the darkness together. When it gets to be too much for me, and I feel overwhelmed and helpless, I listen to the words of a wonderful friend and priest who told me, " BJ, turn off the news, look away, and pray." And that is what I intend to do. 

Have a cozy summer day, my friends!

Oh, and if you are interested in a mindless but entertaining guilty pleasure, Big Brother starts tonight!

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!

Let's Make Pizza And 31 Years!

 

We are pizza people. When the kids were little, we had pizza every Wednesday night for dinner. Sometimes we ordered out, but usually, Peyton and Rhett stood on stools and spread the sauce and sprinkled cheese from the Chef Boyardee Pizza Kit. (That is actually really good, by the way.) As the kids grew, they helped me broaden my horizons, and we began to make homemade pizza. Honestly, it isn't hard and tastes so much better. It is also a fun family activity, so there's that!

In our search for the best homemade pizza recipe, we have tried several different pizza crusts and have finally settled on one we love. It is actually pizza dough already made from the store. It is in the refrigerated section with the pepperoni and things. It comes individually wrapped in bags; you simply allow it to come to room temperature before spreading it onto the pan. While that is happening, make your sauce. Sautee a few crushed garlic cloves in some olive oil over low heat. I like to use fresh garlic and press it with a garlic press, but minced garlic in the jar works too. Add a large can of crushed tomatoes and a tiny can of tomato paste. Then add some sugar, dried oregano, basil, and parsley. Just do this until it tastes good to you! You can also add some fresh ground pepper. Allow that to simmer for about thirty minutes. Your house will smell so good!

Once the sauce is done, you can make your pizzas! Rhett likes using fresh mozzarella slices, fresh basil, and olive oil. Soo good! I usually opt for a simple cheese pizza. I add freshly grated parmesan cheese first and then freshly shredded mozzarella. Honestly, I get the good stuff here. The Kraft pre-shredded is good for some things, but with pizza, I think it is worth it to pay a little extra for the real cheeses. You will taste the difference, I promise. Have some fun with the toppings! Pepperoni, tomatoes, pineapple, whatever you want! Then bake according to the directions on the crust package. Let it cool a bit before slicing if you can! And be careful not to try it too soon! You will burn your tongue. Ask me how I know.

Before I go, I must post the one photo I have scanned of our wedding day, a sweltering, sunny, magical day thirty-one years ago today! Thirty-one! Looking back, I remember so many things about that day and how wonderful it was. My favorite memory, however, was the feeling I had when Steve and I drove off together, knowing we were beginning the life we had dreamed of since the day we met...This wonderful, blessed life I would be writing about thirty-one years later, while curled up on the sofa in a house on a lake. We didn't know about the joys we would share,  bringing four blessed babies home and watching each grow. We didn't know about the sorrows ahead, the sickness and death of our parents, or the pain of losing a baby before we had a chance to meet her. All that and so much more, the blessings, the laughter, the sadness, and the struggles, were out there, waiting. Those young people knew that they were very much in love. And they would tackle whatever came their way. Together. 

Have a wonderful day, my friends!

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

Good Monday morning, my friends! I woke up with the sun yesterday and was greeted with this beautiful sight. Note to self: Slow down and appreciate the beauty God shares with us.

My kids requested raspberry muffins for breakfast. I was happy to oblige. They are as good as they look! I'd share the recipe with you, but I don't have one. If you want to try them...go to the store and buy this!

Yep. These! Sprinkle some sugar on top, and enjoy!

 

The muffins were good, but our smoothies were better!

We ended the day with homemade pizza. Rhett made the fresh mozzarella and basil, and I worked on the three-cheese pizza. We made the homemade sauce too. So easy and fresh.

Today I am going to the hospital to be with a dear friend who is having surgery. She is a wonderful person, and I am thankful to be able to be with her, as she has been there for our family many times over the years. Tomorrow Kirby has a vet appointment, and I am hopeful he will get some relief for the spots that keep appearing. He is fourteen years old, and the bumps bother him. Wednesday, we are planning on having my mom out for dinner! She loves the Fourth of July, and since the fireworks are way too late for her, Madison suggested we celebrate with her earlier. We will enjoy hot dogs, patriotic music, and sparklers on Wednesday evening! 

Later in the week, I will clean the bathrooms and put fresh sheets on the guest bed because we have some visitors coming in for the Fourth of July! Luckily, they are such good friends I don't feel like I need to clean the whole house. That is how you know you found a true friend, right? 

Well, I better get going. I hope you all have a relaxing summer day, my friends. Thanks for visiting! Stay cool!

Billie Jo

Friday Favorites

Harry's latest in my Jeep. On repeat...

Homemade waffles with local berries and powdered sugar...

Skies like this on the way home...

After watching a fun movie that played in our local theatre, which went all out...

And a candle I can burn during summer that smells more cozy and less flowery.

Weekend plans include everyone here for dinner tonight. Yay! Mass on Saturday. Possibly watching online. And a lazy Sunday before a busy week. I hope you have a great weekend, my friends. Stay cool and cozy!

Billie Jo

 

Random Thoughts On A Wednesday In Summer

 

Hello, my friends. Won't you join me for coffee on the front porch in the morning and dinner on the deck during the evenings? As you know, autumn is my happy place, but as I get older, I am also learning to appreciate the beauty of summer. My summers are probably different than many, and I let that bother me for many years. I don't enjoy the heat and the sun. I don't go to the pool in the afternoon or go out on the boat in the middle of the day. Summer for my family and me takes place in the morning and evening.

When the kids were little, summer mornings were spent outside, playing with balls and bubbles, riding bikes, jumping in a blue plastic pool, and eating breakfast on a dusty picnic table. Evenings meant dinner on the screened-in porch with Daddy, bike rides, basketball, walks down the road, and drippy ice cream on colored cones. The time in between was cozy. We played inside while the world went on outside around us. The hot sun was hidden behind blinds as we gathered on the couch to watch movies and tv shows together. 

I used to care when people asked me why we never went to the pool in the afternoon. It bothered me when they asked what we did all day and why we never had suntans. It doesn't anymore. I am so happy that we did summer the way we wanted to. The memories we made and the fun we had together on those hot summer days are some of the best. So...if you need to hear it today...You do You. And don't give a darn what other people think. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

 Good Monday morning! Welcome to the last full week of June! Can you believe it? Time waits for no one, right? This is beautifully illustrated below with this photo Madison sent me on Friday afternoon. She took Flynn to the hairdresser, coffee shop, and Father's Day shopping. Wasn't it just yesterday that Madison was twelve, and she and her friends planned a surprise baby shower for me right before Flynn was born? Look at these two now. They also visited with my mom and stopped to get her a favorite chocolate milkshake!

Doesn't she look great?! Little visits bring such joy. To all of us! Sunday, we celebrated Steve on Father's Day! He requested burgers on the grill, so while he did cook, the kids all helped with everything else. Dinner was delicious! Burgers, fresh veggies, and potato salad. There were gifts, games, and fresh strawberry pie, made by Madison. So good!

Today is cooler here in Pennsylvania, so I am putting some chicken breast in the crockpot for a much-requested meal of Chicken and Waffles. Today I have laundry and some vacuuming to do, and I am also planning on starting to look through Flynn's books for the upcoming school year, something I actually get excited about! I hope you have a lovely Monday in your part of the world. What is for dinner at your house tonight?

 ( This poor little thing was thinking the tiki torch was a tree. I think I know how he feels sometimes! )

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo