Make the Memories; Be in the Pictures

 Good Wednesday Morning, my friends!

I hope you're having a great week so far. I've been keeping busy around the house and having trouble keeping up with what day it is for some reason. I guess the holiday last week through me off track. 

Yesterday David and I attended the funeral for our friend Judy who passed away suddenly. True to how funerals go, we saw so many old friends, and we all agreed...we have to stop meeting like this. If there's one good thing about Facebook, at least we can keep up with those we don't see very often. 

But while watching the slideshow the family put together in memory of Judy, I was impressed with how many photos there were of Judy and her family and it got me thinking about how many times I duck out of the way and don't want to be in the picture.

Over the years, as age has settled in, along with weight, gray hair, skin sagging and all the other things we see when we look in the mirror, the more I shy away from ever being in pictures. And I know I'm not the only woman to feel this way. 

But as I sat watching the slideshow of Judy, I thought to myself, what would it be like if my family had to go looking for a stack of photos of me? Would they find many? Probably not. And how sad that would be to let insecurities be the reason that memories weren't documented at family gatherings.  

As I shared this thought with my daughter-in-loves last night at our family dinner, Morgan took out her phone and snapped this picture of Ella and I. 

We had just been playing with this scarf in my hair; figuring out how to wear it with my curls and so I had no idea what my hair would look like in the picture, but it didn't matter. I needed to be in the picture with my sweet granddaughter and capture the moment and the memory, without worrying about the details. 

And so it begins. Not being afraid to look imperfect. Not hiding away from family photos because I wore my sweatpants that night. Not missing a chance to document this amazing family I have and the fun we have together. 

I know it sounds heavy, but the pastor said yesterday, that we write our own funeral by how we live our life. And I've heard that before. But every time I hear it, it is such a great reminder that how we live, is how we are remembered. And I want to be remembered for being present. Being in the picture. Having the fun and not caring about the picture, but about the people. 

So in case you have been the one ducking out of the pictures, in case you're the one who's always behind the camera and never in front of...this post is for you. 

Your people love you and they want to see you. Pictures are memories captured for the future. Make sure you're in them. 

Have a beautiful day, my friends.

Until Next Time...

Blessings 💛

The Making of a Lemon Cake

It's Monday. My favorite day of the week. I love the return of the routine, the rhythm of setting the house right, after an active weekend. David goes to work and I return to my job of running the household, cleaning things, washing things, dealing with garbage that didn't get picked up due to the holiday last Monday. Making sure the bills are up to date, the bug people get called, dinner plans planned and taking time to touch base with people too. 

But first...

I've poured myself a second cup of coffee and I'll be sitting here at the computer for a second, connecting with all of you, because this brings me joy. This sharing of our days, our homes, our families. This matters too. And there's a big old world out there, calling to us, making us rush and feel like we don't have time to invest in the lives of others. All the more reason...we need to sit for a second and do this. 

So here's the lemon cake I just felt like making last night. No special occasion. No party to attend, no fanfare or celebration. Just David and I watching tv after a weekend full of grandkids and big kids and so much blessing from it all. I just wanted a lemon cake...with lots of icing.

And so I made one. In between episodes of our current show. In between eating leftovers from lunch we had with our kids. In between putting on our pj's at 7:00pm because that's who we've become. In between all of that, I baked and I iced and we each enjoyed a piece of cake on a Sunday evening, just because.

 I'm no cake expert. I grew up on box mixes and unless I'm feeling super industrious, it's always a box mix and icing too. Any tips I know about baking cakes, I learned from Ruby, my stepmom. She always had multiple cake mixes in the freezer. Yep. That's where she kept them. I guess so they would always be fresh. 

She would show me how to scrape every bit of mix out of the bowl and into the cake pan, so nothing was  wasted. The house was an old house on piers, so we knew (after lots of reminding) that you never run or slam a door when a cake is in the oven, in an old house on piers. That's a rule that's never left me. Even though I no longer live in an old house on piers. Some rules are just good enough to stick to. 

So today, after all the work has been done, but before time to start dinner, I'll probably make another cup of coffee, grab a good book and have my one piece of cake for the day; savoring every sweet morsel and feeling no guilt. 

Because Mondays are good and so is cake and the two should be mingled together sometimes, don't you think?

I treasure you, my friends 💛

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

A Family Style Weekend

Happy Saturday, Friends! 

Talk about a short week! It went by so fast. I took a break from homeschooling the girls this week, thinking I would get some things done and relax a bit before kicking the summer off, but that's not exactly the way things turned out. 

Monday was a holiday, which meant David was home and we worked around the house together. Tuesday brought in a pesky dental appointment right tin the middle of the day. Wednesday I spent hours working on my MIL's bills and getting her Medicaid notes all in order. (Working with a nursing home can be a pain). Thursday I went to Sam's and stocked up on many items for the pantry. That took hours of shopping and then unloading all of it by myself while David was working. 

And this is what Friday looked like...😀💙😀💙

Keeping the boys for a few hours while mommy and daddy worked. Morgan was baking for people who put in orders for some of her baked goodies and Collin was working on his studio. So true to how I go, I could not go an entire week without seeing the kids 😅 If they weren't so darn adorable and so much fun, then maybe. 

 We started out playing outside, but a very aggressive bumblebee was determined to ruin the fun and he did. So we opted for the air conditioning and toys instead. Which was fine. Thirty five snacks later and lots of Millie playing with toys that Asa kept handing me, Morgan came to get her babies and I took to the couch with my latest library book. 

Today we will have the other bunch (all 5 of them!) while Ted and Alex go have a kid-free lunch together. I know they'll want to play outside, so I'm taking the fly swatter with me this time! 🐝

Tomorrow the girls are singing in church with Ted, so we will be the proud grandparents in the crowd. I never want to miss seeing them do scary things, like getting on stage. 

So I guess you could say it's all about the kids this weekend. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

In other news...

David and I lost a dear friend this week, to a sudden illness. It was very quick and unexpected and of course, it makes you think about the fragile state of life. There is no way to ever be totally prepared when life takes someone suddenly, but it does make you think a bit about being intentional with those you love. 

Put in the effort to show people you care. Make the call. Say hello. Pray for people. Send the letters. 

When people pass away, there is always guilt, to some degree. Live life in such a way that you have minimal regrets. I am speaking from experience. No one gets it right 100% of the time. But when you can, put in the effort to let people know you love them. 

And so...today I will play with more babies, hug my other big kids, fix snacks, feed lunches, and then collapse on the couch tonight and watch my favorite shows with my husband and then we'll start all over again tomorrow, putting in the effort of loving people and making life about more than just ourselves. 

That's the only true way to ever be fulfilled.

💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll see you next week, right back here. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Book Recommendation : Theo of Golden

 Happy Thursday, my friends!

A quick post today to tell you about the book I just finished...Theo of Golden.

I had never heard of this book, except for the fact that it was showing up everywhere and that made me curious. 

I will admit, it took me a good month to finish it because it's very detailed and that makes for a slow read, to me. But it was worth every page to get to know Theo of Golden.

I actually finished the book yesterday morning, by the light of an emergency lantern, as David and I woke up to no electricity around 4:15am, due to a storm that was blowing through. What else was there to do, but sit and enjoy the quiet of the morning, so I took that opportunity to finish the book. 

Theo of Golden will be added to my shelf as one of my favorites. It will be one that I will never part with.

To sum up the book, without spoilers, Theo is an old man who comes to the city of Golden to stay awhile. He walks into a coffee shop and sees portraits of people on the walls, painted by a local artist. He begins to choose one portrait at a time to present to the person in the portrait. By doing this, he slowly gets to know each person and builds a community of friends. 

This was the premise that drew me to the book. I wanted to get to know the characters too. I like knowing about people and their lives. It's always been something that interests me. 

As you read the book, you become invested in each character and their interactions with Theo. But, as every good book should have...there is an element of mystery. Who is Theo? Why did he come to Golden?

The author does a great job of keeping this mystery going until the end of the book and it's worth it. 

This book reminded me a lot of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, which is also a favorite. 

Two heartfelt stories about men that would be a pleasure to know. Good men who care about others and are determined to spread joy in their remaining days. 

So, if you're looking for decent books to read this summer, Theo of Golden is highly recommended and so is The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife. 

And with that, I will say goodbye for today, but going out with this picture of the clouds from Tuesday afternoon. I just thought they were amazing. 

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Looking Back: A Weekend Recap

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend and Memorial Day. We've enjoyed the weekend at home and just taking the days at a slow pace.

 

Yesterday we did some odd jobs around the house, such as hanging some plants on the front porch, clearing off the entire kitchen counter, wiping it down and putting it all back together for a fresh look, several loads of laundry and I finally got some real letters written to a few friends. We also had Whataburger for lunch and then later went back to town for a hot fudge sundae. 

Back in the summer of last year, when we were trying to sell our house, we sold our outdoor grill, and talked about replacing it, but we decided it wasn't worth the money for the amount of times we actually used it. Which is why our Memorial Day burger came from Whataburger instead. And funny story...we went through the drive-thru and the lady working the window kept getting our order wrong when repeating it back. She then asked for a name and David said "David." When we got home with the order and looked at the ticket on the bag, the name was "Steven" and we had a good laugh. How she got Steven from David will remain a mystery. Kind of like when I said "mayo, ketchup and pickles" and her repeat was "mayo, pickles and cheese?" Hmmm...😅 Thankfully the order came out just as we asked. Miracles do happen. 

Yesterday we also enjoyed about 11 deer throughout the day. We've discovered their route. They come out of the woods on our property, go around to the front yard, linger for a bit and sometimes even cross the street. Then they make their way into the neighbor's backyard, then around to us if we have corn for them. If not, they just go back into the woods. Yesterday they spent a lot of time in that back meadow and back to the fence for corn. We just love watching them and can't believe they are brave enough to come this close. 

Sunday was Asa's 4th birthday and we had so much fun celebrating him at his party. Morgan and Collin rented a play place and he had so many friends and family come to play. He got lots of toys and clothes and had the best time playing with all of his friends. He's just the sweetest boy and I can't believe he's already 4 years old.

Saturday we went shopping for a new leaf blower for David. Back in the summer of last year, when the house was being shown by realtors, we left the side door to the garage unlocked so the agents could show the garage to potential buyers. Well, that was a huge mistake because someone came back and stole a bunch of items out of our garage. We didn't have cameras back then, so in the cover of dark, they helped themselves to David's blower, 2 chainsaws, tools and a classic Chevy tailgate off of an old truck we once had. At first we noticed the tailgate gone, and then little by little David began noticing the other items, as he would look for them and not find them. Needless to say, we now have the door locked and cameras all around the house. You live and learn. 

Thursday I had the girls and as usual now, we had to visit two different libraries to find the books they wanted. While there, at the one I used to work at, we spotted my books on the "Local Authors" shelves and I snapped some pictures of the girls and my books. 

When I see the smiles and facial expressions on each girl, it makes me laugh. They each have their own special attitudes and are so unique. 

At the top, you can see little Addie, who is 99% full of joy. In the middle is Ella, who is dainty and elegant and smarter than a lot of adults I know 😅

Then there's Emmy, who is going on 11 this year and a mixture of sensitivity and sass and the biggest heart of everyone. 

It's amazing what God packs into each one of these children, isn't it?

Well, that's it for the recap of the past week. I'm certain I will be mixed up this week, being that Monday was a holiday. But today I have a dental appointment and I know there will be grocery shopping thrown in at some point. I need to work on meal planning for the week, as well as get some summer plans made for the kids when they're here. I'm seeing lots of pool time, playhouse time, popsicles and books on the horizon. Sounds like the perfect summer to me.

I'll be back soon with more exciting recaps, I'm sure 😅

In the meantime, have a wonderful week my friends!

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Budgeting - Super Detailed or Big Picture?

 

Hello friends! Two posts in a row! What's happening to me? 😀 Well, I thought I would come back before I forgot, to talk about the "cash envelope" thing I mentioned a few days ago, since several of you asked about it.

For those who aren't familiar with the system, it's basically just a way to divide your spending money into certain envelopes to keep you on track. The idea being that you spend what's in the grocery envelope and when it's gone, you wait until the next paycheck. It's not a new system. It's probably something our grandmothers did many years ago, but maybe it was simply called a household budget and they stuffed it into a coffee tin in the cupboard. 

Nevertheless, the idea is to stay within your limit and of course, these days people have made it into a marketable idea and are teaching others how to do it and selling the products to go with it. 

I've tried various methods over the years and carrying around a bunch of cash divided into small categories doesn't really work for me. I'm not a detail kind of person, but more of a big picture girl. 

I don't like 15 steps between point A and point B. I just want to get from one side to the other with minimal trouble. In this case, I just want to not overspend and have some money left over at the end of the month. 

So what I've done for many years, instead of creating a spending budget with tiny little categories, is created one that has a set amount for each week of the month and here's why...

I don't need an envelope titled "hair" or "nails" or "Valentine's Day," and put $2.00 in each one for the next 6 months, when that money might need to go elsewhere. I mean, yes, it's nice to get to those events and remember that you've saved and now you have $25 for some new nails. But while all of that money is sitting in those random envelopes, waiting to be used, someone is going to need to get a tire fixed or remember that a co-worker has a birthday coming up. 

Inevitably, needs arise and if it's not in the specific category, then what do you do? 

So recently I thought I would watch more videos on this topic and see if there was anything new that might work for me. But alas...no. It's still the same method and my brain doesn't like it. 

What I did learn was that there are such things as "Macro-budgets" and "Micro-budgets." Who knew?

That information was helpful though, because it explained why some like very detailed categories and some need a big-picture number to work with.

I'm the big-picture person.

Much to Dave Ramsey's chagrin, I make my monthly budget, figure out what my monthly spending amount is and divide by 4 weeks. I then come up with my figure that I need to stay within and I track what I spend each week. This is simple and easy and allows for unexpected needs that come up. This way I don't have envelopes full of cash just sitting in a binder somewhere, that might be needed elsewhere. That just doesn't make sense. Oh, and I use a credit card and pay it off every month. He would really hate that. 

I will hand it to all the ladies who work this method and are rocking it, because it takes time and patience. And now they're all on Youtube making money off their advice. I mean, that's not a bad job! 

But for me, I'll just stick to my low-key method of paying, saving, and spending. Sometimes simple just works. 

If you're still interested in the micro-budgeting methods, just look for "cash envelopes" on YouTube and you will get plenty to choose from.

I hope this helps and if you have any fun ways of budgeting, please share. It's one of my favorite topics! 

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

A Little Housekeeping, A Movie Rec and a Sneak Peek

 Good Tuesday Morning, my friends! 

Why is May moving along so fast?  Well, it is one of the busiest months, so I guess that's why.

Yesterday was a great day spent at home. I did have a Walmart grocery order to pick up at 10:00, so I got out for that and then later I went to the bank.  But otherwise I had a great day doing ordinary things, such as laundry, washing dishes, and just puttering around the house all day. 

After all the housework was taken care of, I sat down to relax and ended up watching an entire movie! I don't normally do that during the day, but I got caught up in this movie and had to finish it.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

This was a great movie, although there were some not so great moments of bad language. But I love that it was based on a true story and at the very end they show the real kids in present day. The movie (in case you haven't heard of it) was about a 1950's housewife and mom who enters all of the contests they had back then. She wins all sorts of prizes, from appliances, to toys, food and even shopping sprees. The story follows her life through the years and the scenery and nostalgia are perfect. 

If you enjoy that era, you might enjoy this movie. I might even watch it again, when I have time. 

Well, moving on to this current day...

Tonight we'll be having family dinner here and the big reveal of the playhouse David built for the kids. I think it turned out so cute! Between all of the swings, toys and now the playhouse, our backyard looks like somewhat of a playground 😅 But that's what having grandbabies is all about. 

I'll be making sloppy joes, corn on the cob, pasta salad and a fresh peach cobbler, baked from scratch using Marcy Jo's recipe found here on this video of Marcy Jo's Mealhouse. 

If you've never heard of Marcy Jo's, it was the most precious little diner in Tennessee. Sadly it has closed now, but every time we went to Nashville, we would stop and eat there. We followed Joey and Rory for many years through their music career and watched their tv show while it was on. When we lived in our farmhouse, every Saturday evening you would find me in the kitchen making dinner while listening to the Joey and Rory radio show, which would come on just before the Grand Ole Opry on WSM radio. Those are precious memories, for sure.

If you enjoy cooking videos and a little humor mixed in...you should check out the rest of their videos on Youtube after you watch the one above. 

And now I'll leave you with a sneak peek of the new playhouse for the kids...

And I'll talk to you soon!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!

Random Thoughts on This Saturday

 Well, it's Saturday and it feels good to sit down and write out some thoughts and catch up with my favorite blogging friends. 

I hope you all have had a great week. 

My week was full of school with my girls, visiting two different libraries looking for specific titles the girls wanted to read, several videos from Asa and Sunday, wishing my mom a happy 83rd birthday and chats with several friends and one sister during the week. We also had family dinner on Tuesday night, so basically I had a week full of family, friends and home, which is just the perfect combination, if you ask me. 

Around the house - I sat this pile of linens on the bed at some point and later, when walking by, I glanced in the room and was reminded of my grandmother for some reason. Who knows if it was an actual memory or what, but I stopped to take a picture because it had the element of something old fashioned, which I love. 

As a young girl I hung many a piles of clothes on the clothesline outside. I remember wearing the little apron around my waist, full of clothespins, stepping on my tiptoes to reach the top of the line to pin the clothes up there. 

There was another day that I unwrapped a fresh bar of soap and again, the feel of the bar and the way Ivory hasn't really changed in all of these years, had me feeling nostalgic. To all the big influencers out there...this has been working as a face wash for all of my years. You don't really need all of that fancy stuff. Just a free tidbit for you 😉

But let's move on to other random thoughts from this week...

Random Thought #1

Do you ever wonder how some people end up at the front desk of a business, when their personalities are absolutely not right for the position? Not to be harsh, but some people are just better suited to be in the back room and not the first person to greet the customers. And that's ok! Not everyone has a personality for customer service. I think it's up to the supervisor to do a better job of putting people up front who act like they like people or are enjoying life. No one wants to see a sour face and crummy attitude at the front desk. It's so unpleasant and unprofessional. 

Random Thought #2

I've been watching budgeting videos in my spare time this week. Have you ever used the cash envelope system? I've tried it many times and totally failed at it. But I was so shocked at the number of youtube channels that show how to stuff your cash envelopes! I think it's the perfect hobby for someone who loves to be creative, loves budgeting and wants to get a handle on spending. So guess what? I'm giving it another try. I'll let you know how it goes 😅

Random Thought #3

Check on your friends. I checked on a few of my close friends this week and they all have major things going on in their lives. One was actually at the hospital with her dad when I texted her. I'm glad I followed the prompting to check on her because it gave me the opportunity to pray for her dad afterwards. Another is stressed over various aspects of her life and we had a good talk about the Lord and life. It's always nice to be checked on, but sometimes it's time to check on others. Many times the Holy Spirit will give you that nudge and we write it off as just thinking about someone. But really, it's a prompt to let you know they need you as a friend. So here's your friendly reminder 💛

Well, that's it for today. I must be off to help David build a playhouse in the backyard. The kids are going to be so surprised when they see it!

I hope you have a wonderful Saturday and I'll catch up with you next week!

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

A Fun Little Gathering

 Good Tuesday Morning everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend and a happy Mother's Day. I had a great weekend full of fun and family. 

On Saturday I hosted a small brunch for my two daughters-in-love, a cousin and (my DIL) Alex's mom. I had been wanting to host a get-together for a while and this seemed like the perfect weekend to do that. 

I started planning about a month ago, buying the craft kits, plates and napkins, making gifts and putting all the plans together. So I was fully prepared. But the morning of, I was doubting my idea...would they like the craft? Will they think this is silly?

You know how we women are (hopefully it's not just me). We overthink everything. 

But, it turned out to be such a fun day and everyone loved the craft idea and it lent itself to hours of us sitting at the table, painting and talking. It was perfect. 

So here are the final results of this cute little paint by number activity...

This was my finished painting.

The kits came with everything you needed:

canvas, paints, brushes and the cute frame.

This was cousin Amy's. She still had a ways to go, but

it was already cute! 

This was Alex's and I love it!

She says that Asa calls her house "the orange house,"

so that was her inspiration.

This was Michele's house and she did such a great job!

It looks almost exactly like the original, which

is amazing because those numbers were so tiny.

I don't know how she did it. 

This is Morgan's and when I saw it,

I was blown away.

She was sitting across from me, so I couldn't see it

until she finished, but I was so impressed

that she and Alex just did their own thing.

That would have been a lot easier and more fun.

I wish I would have thought of that 😅

Everyone had a bag with their paint kit,

an easel and a small gift.

I also had a small jar and towel for each person,

to wash their paint brush in between colors. 

I had a little jar of questions that we passed around to spark

conversations.

I love a good question and answer session. 

I had to lend Amy a pair of reading glasses because

the numbers were so small on the canvas 👓 😎

I asked everyone to bring something and as always,

we had way too much food, 

but everything was delicious.

Crumbl cookies for dessert...yum!

The day was so much fun and I'm glad I didn't talk myself out of doing it. And I love that we all have a small token of our day together. 

If you're not a natural hostess or you tend to think of ideas but talk yourself out of things, here's my encouragement to you. Do it anyway! Make the plans, call the people, open the doors and have fun.

I think you'll be so glad you did. I know I am. 

Have a wonderful day, my friends!

Until Next Time...

Blessings! 

Some Scenes from the Week

 Happy Friday Everyone!

This week has gone by fast, don't you think? I guess I've just been busy. 

Here are some random photos from the week. 

One school day when the girls were playing outside, I looked out the window

and saw Addie standing there like this. 😀

I had to snap a picture because it reminded me of those

old photos of the man and woman standing there with pitchforks.

I saw Emmy making a donut tower one morning,

so I snapped this shot.

🍩

Here's a sneak peek at some tags I made for the Mother's Day brunch.

Here's my Mother's Day gift from my mom.

She recently made it to the Fickle Pickle store and ordered these

to be sent here, for which I'm so thankful and excited!

Fickle Pickles are THE best sweet and spicy pickles you will ever eat.

🥒

And last but not least, here are the library books the girls checked out yesterday. 

They have become amazing readers and because of that, 

I don't mind making a trip to the library every week.

My biggest challenge has been getting them to branch out

and try new authors/series,

but they are getting there. 

As a life long reader, this thrills my heart to have them

love reading as much as they do.

📚

Now, on to today...

Grocery shopping for the brunch tomorrow.

Cleaning.

Preparing food.

And hopefully some sit-down time 😅

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend

and a 

Happy Mother's Day!

🌷🌸🌹🌺🌻🌼

Just An Ordinary Monday (my favorite)

Good Morning, my friends!

Happy Tuesday! It's also a Millie School day, which means the table is set with school books, pencil boxes and other fun supplies. 

 Yesterday was a typical Monday, as far as chores and responsibilities go. I started my day making a trip to town to return some things to the UPS store and since HEB is in the same parking lot, I decided to make my way inside to do a little shopping. We needed milk, lunchmeat and a few other items, but I like to stop by this HEB every now and then to see what they have on sale. 

This HEB is one of the huge stores and they carry all kinds of things besides groceries. They have a middle section filled with toys and home goods, which is dangerous if you like to shop 😅 I mean, who wouldn't want to pick up an extra throw pillow while shopping for bread? (I did NOT, by the way). 

I got a few things, had a good look around, but didn't do much damage there, which was good. This week I actually had a Hello Fresh order coming, so I had the meals taken care of and didn't need much. 

I got home and started putting the groceries away and got caught up organizing some pantry items into some plastic containers. Next thing I knew, I had spent a good hour in the kitchen working on things. But it was time well spent. 

Everything is so green now!

I did a few loads of laundry - washed, folded, and put away. This doesn't happen all at once. I actually like to fold laundry at night while we're watching tv. It keeps me awake and keeps me from getting restless. 

But, back to the day...I cleaned out the school cabinet and got the girl's work ready for today. I always have the table set with their books and boxes when they come in. I usually have something ready for a quick breakfast or mid-morning snack if they need one. 

I ordered Asa's birthday present for his upcoming 4th birthday. Checked that off the list ✅ Also wrote out a note on a friend's birthday card and got that ready to mail. 

David came home mid-afternoon and we had a cup of coffee together and talked about his day. Eventually I got up to go do some things, but for the life of me, I can't even remember what I was busy with. But I must have been walking back and forth staying busy because the next thing I knew, my FitBit was telling me I had reached my steps for the day and I had just started cooking supper. So, I consider the day a "win" as far as exercise goes 😅

After dinner we watched a great movie that came highly recommended by Candace Cameron. It's called Solo Mio starring Kevin James. The movie was a delight! It had all the elements - made us laugh and cry - and had not even one bad word or scene, which was such a reprieve from every other show these days. I highly recommend it!

We had apple tartlets for dessert and caught the live show of American Idol before heading off to bed. And just as I was dozing off, the front door camera dinged and it was the usual suspect...a cat making it's way across the front porch 🐈 Thankfully I had no trouble going back to sleep.

Thanks for reading about my Monday. Nothing too exciting - just an ordinary day...but those are my favorites. 

I hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by!

Until Next Time...

Blessings!