Hello Monday

 

Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah to talk about mine. 

Friday started off in the normal way: I woke up early, made coffee, read blog posts, then ended with making my lunch and quiet time before getting dressed for the day. A couple of weeks ago, my friend Cathy from work mentioned that she'd found an additional copy of her favorite devotional book at Goodwill over the summer. When she asked if I wanted it, I said yes, because I love Paul David Tripp! Work was good on Friday; it was a normal day that went by pretty quickly. After work I came home for a little while before picking Marilyn up for dinner. I requested Mexican so that I could get a soft serve margarita. 

It was packed! We sat at the bar because of that, which I never mind. It's fun to people watch while sitting at a bar, and I always love watching what goes on behind the scenes. Are you like this? After dinner, we went to her house to watch the movie Bridesmaids together. We both needed some laughter, and that provided us with some! When I came home, there were several people here and the music was bumping. 🤣 Jonah had made dinner for some people, and they had football on while listening to music (and Jonah's really loud singing). I love hanging out with my adult "kids"! I went to bed with Oakleigh...I kept Graham's dogs for him all weekend, since he went out of town. I'm not used to having a dog in my bed anymore, but I slept surprisingly well. She doesn't move around a lot, which was good. 

I was up early on Saturday to let my these dogs out, and to take care of my friend's dog for her. When I got back home, I watched tv for a while before getting up to clean and start laundry. I did this for a little while before going back upstairs to get dressed and make my bed. By getting dressed, I mean that I put on my swimsuit and coverup. I went to my friend's house and turned on football while I laid on her couch and cuddled with the dog. Annie doesn't eat while they're gone, so she was able to do that while I was there inside with her. Shortly after that, Mallory and her mom were there to swim with me. We snacked and we swam for a little while, but the pool was cold! We came back to my house around four and sat around talking all night until about ten. It was a fun night, and we ordered good pizza for dinner. 

These are the only pictures I took from the day, which I kind of love. I love it when life takes over, and I'm able to be present in the moment. This is Mallory's mom, Jennifer. I love her and appreciate how much she loves my son! (Also, how funny...one more Jennifer in my life.) It was a great and very full day; I went to bed with a happy heart. 

I had an easy morning on Sunday; I stayed home again and enjoyed drinking coffee for a little longer than usual. It was nice! I went over to Graham's house to help him out some before he came home and ended up being there for a few hours. I did a few other things around the house that day and got ready for the week. It was a good weekend, and once again, one I'm grateful for. I feel ready for the new week! What did you do over the weekend? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

Jen 

Friday Favorites, 9.18.2026.

 

Happy Friday, friends! I hope your week was good; mine went by really fast. I have some favorites from the week that I thought I'd share today! 

It felt so good to meet Kendra on Wednesday night at Rotolo's again this week! We both ordered calzones and shared some wine. It was delicious; there was music in the background, but I loved that he wasn't as loud as some of the others. We were still able to carry on a conversation while the music played, but we also sang along some! He was great. 

Rocket loves being here; this makes me really happy! Even though he can be naughty and his hair shedding is terrible, I really do love him. He is a husky, which means that he "talks" to me; he doesn't bark, but he is very vocal. He always greets me when I come home or when I talk to him, and it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. He loves to share the couch with me and often ends up encroaching my personal space. Ha!

Cooking with Jonah is a favorite! How appropriate is his shirt?! This young man has become quite the chef in the last year, and I'm so proud of him!

I loved having time at work to meal plan and make a grocery order at work this week! My student is independent a lot in the mornings, and while she's working, I have time to do this. I usually journal

I didn't make it to church on Sunday; this was me listening online at home. 

Wednesday night at Rotolo's was a favorite for me! 

What was a favorite for you this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Have a good weekend; I'll see you back here Monday!

Jen 

things I'm thankful for

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I thought I'd talk about the things I'm thankful for today. I'll jump right in!

I'm thankful for the morning time I have. I wake up at five, get coffee, and sit down to read/write blog posts. At six, Noah lets the dogs down, and I let them out and feed them while he starts to get ready for work. We're usually in the kitchen at the same point getting coffee, water, or packing a lunch. I try to pack mine the night before, but sometimes I wait until the day of. I love having extra time in the morning!

I'm thankful for phone calls. I don't know if I'd survive without them! I talk to Marilyn and my mom every morning just about. I talk to Amy one morning most weeks (I need to do this soon!). I talk to my sisters throughout the week at night when I'm at home or while I'm driving. I talk to my sons. I talk to my Missy at least every week and a half, usually on Saturdays. This helps me pass the time! 

I'm thankful for the gift that music is to me, even when I listen to something on repeat. I don't know how I'd make it through life without it, honestly. This is what I do each morning; I get my coffee and sit on the couch in the living room while listening to worship music. Most days find me listening to music instead of watching TV, and I change my playlists up all the time. I definitely have my favorites, though! 

I'm so thankful for work, for the precious little one I care for, the people I work with, and the relationships I've cultivated for the year and few months that I've had this job. I love getting hugs from students, and I've loved getting to know a lot of the parents. This job has been the biggest blessing to me, and I am so grateful that the Lord saw fit to provide this for me. I literally sit and think about this every afternoon, when I've reached the end of my day and I'm sitting talking to my co-workers in some much needed down time. 

I'm thankful for evening plans after work! I started back with Wednesday nights at Rotolo's last night; it's not a big deal, and the food is cheap since it's half priced, but it's the company. It affords me the chance to catch up with Kendra, and we usually stay until it closes at nine. When it's cool outside, we'll just keep sitting on the patio if we have a lot to talk about. 

I'm keeping it short and sweet this week, friends...and for no other reason than I need to leave in a few minutes. I'm also grateful for a great week at work. I haven't been as emotional this week, which is a good thing, too. What are you thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

Jen 

the Wednesday hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce for today's hodgepodge post. I'll jump right in!

1. How do you define beauty? To me, beauty is in the eyes and in the heart. You can be supermodel status gorgeous to look at, but if your eyes don't smile and there isn't kindness in your heart, then I think that mars the appearance. I think older people are beautiful; I love seeing all of the lines and crevices in their faces that tell years worth of stories. I am one who doesn't mind the thought of growing old gracefully. Also, I've been known to tell someone that they had a beautiful heart. 

2. Have you ever taken a trip by train? If so, where did you go and what did you think of the experience? If not, do you have any desire to do so? Where would you like to go? I took one short little jaunt on a train almost ten years ago; I rode from Long Island into Manhattan, New York. I loved it so much! I would definitely do this again and was looking at taking a trip by train with Chris at some point this year. I really have it in my mind that I want to take the train to Chicago for a long weekend; someday I will do that! 

Two years ago, my sisters and I were going to take a train up to Pikes Peak in Colorado; we got off, though, because it had started snowing up there, and we weren't at all prepared to be in snowy weather. Maybe someday...

3. Shell shocked, bombshell, bandshell, shellacking, in a nutshell, walking on eggshells...choose one and tell us why you chose it, or how it relates to your life in some way. I've been shellshocked a lot in my life in the last few years; you all know the reasoning behind this. Sometimes I still wonder how this is my life sometimes; I try to be grateful in all circumstances, though. I love my life at the moment, I mentioned this yesterday. Being at home brings me peace, and I'm here for that. I also think my life feels beautiful; I spend time with the people I love doing things that are meaningful. This brings me great joy.

4. Tacos, pistachios, oysters, clams, eggs...your favorite food on the list that comes in or with a shell? Of the foods listed, my favorite would be tacos. I just ate two on Sunday! I like all of these foods, though.

5. Are birthdays a big deal in your house? Is your own birthday a big deal in some way? Elaborate. Birthdays are a big deal in my house! I always host my whole family for a birthday dinner for my sons. I always love these nights and I try to make things I know they'll love. My own birthday is also a big deal to me; each year, I like to see my mom on the actual day. Additionally, I want to be made a big deal of, especially this year when I turn 50! Have I told you that my sisters and I are taking a trip to NYC for my birthday in December?! We are. We always make birthday trips together, and this one was all my idea. I've been to the city several times, but never at Christmas; we're landing the night they light the Rockefeller tree, and we're staying in Times Square, right where all the action is close by! We're doing all of the quintessential Christmas in NYC things, and I cannot wait.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My student was being independent on Monday morning during the ELA hour, so I worked on a meal plan for this week while she was busy. I wrote it out and then listed my grocery items, and checked them off as I added them to cart on my Walmart app. When I got home at 4:20, my groceries had arrived, and since Jonah was home, he got them from the porch and had put the cold items into the fridge. Walmart+ is worth the $100 a year it costs to join, friends. This has saved my sanity a million times over the last year since I work full time! And, when I order online, I save money. Here's what dinner turned out to be Monday night:

Grilled salmon, a slaw salad mix that I made better, roasted potatoes in the air fryer, and slices of cheese. Don't ask about the last thing, it just sounded good to me. This was the best salmon I've ever eaten. Jonah grilled it for us! 

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. I can't wait to read your posts! I'll see you back here tomorrow, I think. Love to all!

Jen 

fashion files and some random thoughts

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm talking about more things I'm saying yes to this week. I'm also linking up with Amy for the weekly Fashion Files and Joanne for Tuesday Talk. I'll jump right in! 

News flash: it's still hotter than Hades here. Have I mentioned lately how over this I am? For the love, it's the worst weather we've had in a long time. I'm still living in dresses and this weekend I wore the reddish/orange skort. I literally can't wait to even put on leggings again...or jeans...anything, honestly. Ha! 

Alright, now onto the next part of this blog...

I've noticed that people are fragile with me, and I am okay with this. There's someone I work with that likes to gripe to me a lot, and I've noticed that instead of coming to me with things like that, she now comes to me for a hug and to check in. I could get used to this kind of treatment.

I'm enjoying living a normal life again, one where I plan meals and cook. It was wonderful having meals provided for us, but I missed this part of it, honestly. Last night felt great to come home and prepare a meal with my son; he grilled salmon for us. It was the best I've had to date! 

I don't know what I was thinking letting my hair go darker. I have an appointment today to focus on my dark roots. I need them light again! I asked her to add lowlights, but I might change my mind. Stay tuned! It's a perk having a near daughter in law who does hair. 

I've been reading a lot on my lunch break and have almost finished a book since after the funeral. While I can read now, I can't watch tv. I've been re-watching Grey's Anatomy. Life is weird. 

I'm still in love with my bedroom after I rearranged it a couple of months ago. I love the curtains, my little candle warmer lamp and the delicious smelling candle that I keep up there, and I love the cozy feeling it gives off. I love going to bed at night! I don't know what this says about me, but...

Alright, well...I'll see y'all back here tomorrow. Love to all, friends!

Jen 

hello Monday

 

Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah to talk about mine, backing up with Wednesday of this week. I'm starting there since real life took over and I didn't talk about any of this thing on Thursday's post; I was out to late that night to blog on Friday, but that's to be understood, right? 

Okay, I'll jump in...

My friend Kendra invited me to go with her to her friend Melissa's house for a pre-watch party; the movie of the night was Practical Magic. This was so much fun! We had pizza, snacks, sweet treats, and Midnight Margaritas! IYKYK. I was grateful to have something to do for two nights in a row after a rough start to the week. Then on Thursday after work, we all went to dinner, and to see...

Practical Magic 2! This time, Marilyn went with us. This was such a great movie, I'd easily go see it again. 

Friday was a full day! It was a field trip day for fourth grade; we went to the high school and saw the play, How to Train Your Dragon Jr. It was so cute! My little student loved it, and it made for a spectacularly fun Friday. That afternoon, I went home to rest for a while, then changed and picked up Marilyn for a birthday celebration. Mallory (Drew's girlfriend) and Meredith (her twin sister) turned 26, so we met them all at a restaurant called Hog and Hominy in Memphis. 

It was a fun night!

I love that they also invited Marilyn! This was such a fun night, and these girls kept all of us in stitches. For the rest of the weekend, I stayed home and cleaned my house. I skipped over that last weekend, so it was much needed! I went to Marilyn's house for a while on Saturday night, and we ended up working on our blogs while we watched Sleepless in Seattle. I went to church on Sunday, then I ran some errands before going back home after lunch with Mom and Bill. 

I'm anticipating a better week! I'm grateful that real life trumped my blog this week, and that I was so busy that I didn't have time to write for Friday. I love that! Did you do anything fun this weekend? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jen 🖤

happies from the week

Happy Thursday, friends! I thought I'd share an uplifting post today, since mine have been kind of sad all week. I know you understand, and I love you for that. I'll jump in!

• good phone conversations that go on and on
• random text messages from people checking on me or telling me they just prayed for me
• seeing all of my sons on Sunday, though at different times
• a short week
• fun Wednesday night plans (tonight too!)
• good coffee
• God's new morning mercies
• fresh days
• a really great night of sleep 
• the friendships I have at work and the midday laughter they bring
• seeing students in the hall and hearing their sweet/hilarious greetings ("Good morning, ya cutie!" from the kid who called me Ms. Loyal all of last year)
• getting to know the kindergarten babies who drive me bonkers in the line each afternoon as we wait to exit the building for dismissal
• distractions that help me when I'm at home for too long
• my social media algorithms...it's all dogs, food, fashion, and grief
• knowing that I get to go back to the counselor today for my weekly appointment
• fun plans after and a weeknight trip to the movie theater (more on these things tomorrow)
• my job that I love and the sweet little girl I get to watch over...I taught her the sign for "I love you" yesterday and then she proceeded to sign that to me all day

What's something you're thankful for this week or something that brought you some joy? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. I'll see you back here tomorrow. Love to all!

Jen