Thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I'm here with Rebecca Jo again...we would love for you to join us in our link party this week!

I'm out of town and because of that, my list will be short and sweet. 

I'm so grateful to my friend for inviting me to her beach house. I promise to never ever take this gift for granted! It's nice being here, but out this whole situation, what I'm most grateful for is her and her sweet friendship. 

I'm grateful my husband never minds when I do things like this! He's so encouraging to me about this and has always pushed me to enjoy and do things with my friends. I realize a lot of men are not like this, and I am so thankful he's always been one to push me to do things outside of our family. We love each other and being together, of course, but we also both never mind when the other goes off on a solo thing with friends. I believe strong marriages can withhold that kind of thing and I'm grateful for ours.

I'm so thankful my mom rode with me and that she's having a blast with her best friend! I've texted with her several times and talked to her once and she's having the time of her life.

I'd love to hear from you! What's something you're thankful for this week? Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all. 

What's Up Wednesday

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Sheaffer and Shay for this blog post. I'll jump right in!

What we're eating this week:

Well, I'm eating all the fresh seafood I can get my hands on! As you read this, I'm at the beach with some friends from church and my favorite thing about being here is the seafood and the gorgeous views.

What I'm reminiscing about:

This picture above cracks me up. This was last Sunday after church. My husband was shooting firecrackers under our deck to scare off the critters living underneath. We have tons of bunnies and chipmunks, but while they're adorable, they're destroying our yard. His hope was to scare them off, but I don't think it worked.

What I'm loving:

Spending time with friends at the beach and for long conversations with my husband to catch up while I'm gone. We've been talking a lot since I left yesterday. I'm so glad he's been able to work from home this week to keep up with our pups while I'm away. I think he's enjoying a house to himself that's quiet and helps him to be productive while the others are at work. I'm loving lazy days of summer and spending time with family and friends.

What we've been up to:

Well, I could answer this, or I could point you to a post I wrote last week giving an update on all the people in my family. Click here to read that post. 

What I'm dreading:

I can't ever think of anything I'm dreading! I also try to be the type of person who looks on the bright side of everything, so I don't usually dread a lot. 

What I'm working on:

Currently I'm writing blog posts for this week because I'm out of town. I'm also working on the Bible study I mentioned yesterday and making changes or helping when I'm able. I'm going to be working on something new when I get home, a "job" of sorts, that I'm excited about. I'll share more about it when I'm more comfortable with it and to give you an update on what it is and how I'm doing.

What I'm excited about:

The rest of this week at the beach! I'm excited about the Fourth of July too. We always go to my mom's and stepdad's for a big party and yummy food. 

What I'm watching/ reading:

I'm currently watching a show called Below Deck, a reality show on sailboating/yachting on Peacock that is SO GOOD. I also binge watched all of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Tv over the weekend and highly recommend it. 

As far as the books I'm reading, check back on Thursday! I'm sharing the books I read in June in that post. 

What I'm listening to:

Currently I'm listening to music and the drum of the A/C. We're about to leave to eat an early dinner tonight at McGuire's Pub in Destin. I'm excited! We haven't really eaten yet today and have just snacked. 

What I'm wearing:

A dress. Minimal makeup. Lotion that smells like the beach. A coverup and swimsuit. Wedges. White shorts and flowy tops. Rinse and repeat.

What I'm doing this weekend:

Well, our town will do fireworks Saturday night, so that and some of the usual. 

What I'm looking forward to next month:

I think I'm just looking forward to more of the same! As I wrote yesterday, I'm soaking up the summer season this year. 

Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Love to all. 

share four somethings, June edition

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm linking up with Heather G for this blog post. We're sharing what we've loved, what we've gleaned, what we've braved or saved,  and what we've achieved. I'll jump right in!

Something I've loved:

I've LOVED pool days with my mom-in-love. I swim, she water aerobicizes, we talk. What can be better than that? 

I've loved having a summer glow about my skin, which makes my clothes and makeup look better. I've loved reading all the beachy books, I've loved the easy summer dinners. For someone who said she didn't love summer, it sure seems the opposite, right? I think the bottom line is that I enjoy something about every season, like the brighter and more fun colors when it's hot.

Something I've gleaned:

I've gleaned a lot from the summer series our pastor is preaching at church. It's been awesome walking through the book of Psalm together and hearing incredible sermons week after week. Our first week was on Psalm 16, then Psalm 1 and this past Sunday we had a guest speaker preach on Psalm 19. 

Something I've braved or saved:

I always love the summer months because I can look back on the beautiful photos I saved on my phone from our trip to Iceland twelve years ago, like this one above. It was the trip of a lifetime! I wrote a memory about it here that you can read about, if you'd like. It's crazy to think it's been that long since we've been there. I would love to go there again someday, in a different capacity and for our sons to see the land as well. 

Something I've achieved:

I've achieved some cleaning projects like this one above in our dining room, I've achieved learning to cook in our air fryer and I achieved major progress on our Bible study that will come out in August. (I'm on a writing team of five women at my church and we write Bible studies to take with the women in our church each fall. Our next one is on 1,2, 3 John and Jude and is titled, That You May Know.) 

What about you? What's something you've loved, gleaned, braved/saved or achieved this month? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog! Love to all. 

Hello Monday/weekending

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for this blog post. 

I got the weekend started with Dad. For our Friday, it was a busy day! I had been out at seven that morning to get an oil change in my car and by the time he got here, I felt like it had been a full day. He came over and was busy as well and dealing with the company who was scheduled to go to his house to repair their A/C unit.

His phone kept ringing, which was a good thing because it meant they were getting it fixed. It was a really hot week here last week and it wasn't the best timing to be down an A/C unit. We finally finished our BLT's from McAlister's, then we came to my house, where everyone kept coming home. 🤣 Todd has been here for three Fridays in a row, then Graham and Jonah were in and out as well, because they finished early for the day. It was a little chaotic, needless to say, and it went by faster than we'd hoped, but it was still a fun day. He loves getting to see everyone, because that doesn't usually happen anymore since they all work full time.

That night I came home and watched the show I've been watching on Peacock, Below Deck. Have you seen this? I love it! It's a reality show about the sailboat/yacht life and all that entails running such a thing. I had mahi mahi and rice for dinner, which sounds good but was a little overcooked. (I did the fish in the air fryer again and cooked it too long.)

On Saturday, I spent the morning and part of the afternoon with Mom and Trish, my sister. We just ran a few errands and then had a yummy lunch at a Mexican restaurant, where we just had chips and dips. (Salsa, white queso and guacamole.) I came home and read while Todd got ready for work that night, then had pizza for dinner while I watched AN ENTIRE SHOW on Prime Tv. 

I made Oakley ride with me to pick up the pizza. The show I watched is based on a book by Jenny Han—The Summer I Turned Pretty. It's been on my to-read list forever, but I've never gotten around to reading it. I broke my cardinal rule and decided to watch the show before I read the book and I'm glad I did! It was incredible. Have you seen it? There is some language in it, but the rating is 16+, so it's not bad. You should watch it and let me know what you think, but it's the perfect summer show.

On Sunday I went to church and sang in choir, then afterward I joined my husband in the tech room he runs. He is the one who runs the livestream for all of our services. He's very good at his job, which I'm happy to say is actually another job now and he's considered part of the church staff and making compensation for the many hours he puts into this work. 

I love watching him at work. I enjoyed being in there with him, especially when I got hot and he turned on a fan behind me to cool me down. He's my lobster. 😉 

We hung out together for a bit before he went to work, then I went to Costco to load up on food for the guys in my life at home this week, filled up my gas tank, had cauliflower pizza for dinner, did laundry, cleaned up in the house and started packing.

This pizza was SO GOOD! It's Costco's brand of cauliflower pizza that comes with two in a box for $12. I read a little, watched some tv and called it a night so that my mom and I could get an early start on our trip this week. I'll be back here throughout the week, so stay tuned and check back each day!

Tell me something good from your weekend! I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Love to all! 

Friday Favorites, 6.24.22

 

Happy Friday, friends! I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for today's weekly blog post where a bunch of post about our favorites from the week. 

This banner and screensaver for the summer are my favorite things right now. I would love to have one of those fancy art frame tvs , but there are so many things you can do with a regular smart tv to make it look like art. 

We have a free app on our main selection that is called HD Screensaver or something like that with tons of choices for what you want. I change the screensavers with each season or every few weeks. The patriotic one is one of my favorites, along with one that has old houses that I use in September and October. I also mentioned before that you can find videos on YouTube that are like screensavers for your tv. Calmed By Nature is one of my favorite YouTube channels for that. My friend Tanya taught me this and I love to pass it on.

I was looking for something under my bathroom sink a few days ago and came across this spray that I'd forgotten about. It's the same brand of shampoo and conditioner that I've been using, but this is a spray that helps boost the curls in my hair.

I love how it smells! I spray this in my hair both when it's wet and when I wake up in the morning. 

These are my favorite kinds of dinners in the summer! Cold shrimp cocktail and pasta salad from Costco. Anytime I don't have to turn on the oven is a win when it's so hot outside.

Speaking of ovens, we bought an air fryer this week and have used it four nights in a row. Needless to say, it's my newest favorite gadget and it has a new permanent home on the kitchen counter. On the first night I made salmon in it, then chicken, then mahi mahi for Todd, and last night I made sautéed onions for our hamburgers. They were delicious! I just coated them in olive oil and some coarse sea salt.

This is what I look like when I head to the pool with the mom-in-love. I wear a hat of some sort to keep the sun off my face, I wear zinc oxide all over my face, neck and ears and I always wear lipstick because it's protection from the sun. The visor is my favorite hat to wear, because it's lightweight and doesn't make me hotter. I bought it on Amazon a few years ago for less than $8. 

Time with Mom is my favorite and yesterday we ran errands together and ate lunch at this adorable coffee shop. We had yummy sandwiches that hit the spot. I'm a sucker for a cute coffee shop! This one is Carrington Oaks Coffee. 

Your turn! What's a favorite thing from your week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

Thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! Rebecca Jo and I are back for another installment of Thankful Thursday. We'd love for you to join us!

I am thankful for the dads I have in my life. I'm fortunate enough to have three! My dad, my dad-in-love and my stepdad. I get to see them all pretty regularly, which is another thing I'm thankful for. As you know, Dad comes over every Friday and I've been seeing Wiley my dad-in-love weekly, then I see Bill at church or at their house when I go out there. 

They've all influenced me in the best ways throughout my life and have taught me so much. They each bring differing things into my life and though they're all different and wonderful in their own ways, one thing they have in common is that they love God and their families. 

I'm thankful that Todd was able to spend last weekend doing what he loves most—working with the sheriff's department. It's his favorite thing and though technically it is "work", it is also his hobby and passion, which makes it fun. He and Graham did this together both Saturday and Sunday nights. 

I am so thankful for answered prayers. I shared about a prayer request that the Lord answered for me with Drew, but He answered another one regarding Noah. He ended up quitting his job yesterday and to say I'm relieved is the understatement of the century. There are so many reasons why, but I was mainly praying over spiritual protection for him. It's a long and drawn out story, but I am so grateful that God answered so quickly. I know He doesn't always answer quickly, but Noah had an opportunity to talk to his boss and he took it. 

I'm thankful for praying friends! My best friend is my prayer warrior and I go to her with a lot. She comes to me too, but the gift of a praying friend like her is priceless. 

I'm thankful for places to cool off, like pools, living rooms and upstairs bedrooms at night with the fan blowing. 

I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to keep a home. I don't know that I've ever said that here before, but I mean every word of that statement. I love doing mundane things around the house and gain immense satisfaction from things like folding laundry, straightening up when everyone leaves, doing other little things that make our house a home and a haven for our family. I am so grateful for this life the Lord has given to me.

Lastly, I'm grateful for things like quality time, music that leads me to worship, a really good new tv show to watch, great books to read, a husband that never minds when I go out of town and quiet nights at home. 

It's your turn! What's something you're thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all!

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Life Lately

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I thought I'd share a little life lately or a life update on all of us. I hope you enjoy reading about my family! I'll start with our sons and go from there. 

Graham—

My handsome oldest has all kinds of fun things going on right now. He had wanted to buy a house to get out on his own, but when the market went crazy, he was advised to put it on hold for a bit. He was talking to a friend who may be moving here for work yesterday and he is looking for a roommate. I don't know if that'll even happen or when it will happen, but he was exciting talking about it and I am excited for him! It's fun to think about these things. He's been seeing someone for a couple of weeks and we got to meet her Sunday when he brought her to church. She's adorable and so sweet. 

And he's living it up with his new (to him) Mustang. And yes, he still has the truck and I love that they're matchy-matchy. That wasn't intentional.

Drew—

Drew is getting ready to move soon, as I mentioned yesterday and he is busier than ever. He quit his job at St. Jude for a lot of different reasons and is working as a valet all over the city of Memphis right now. He makes good money doing this, but it's not something he will want to do forever. He's in a holding pattern for now with any decision making for his future and is never opposed to going back to school to finish his degree, but it won't be in nursing. He's just waiting for a while until he makes a big decision. He works for a few hours almost everyday and I don't see him near as often as I used to. His shifts are never more than five hours, but it's everyday and a couple of his locations are out in the full sunshine during the lunch hour, so he is tan and stays hot. He is looking forward to putting the pool at his new place to good use when they all move! 

Drew was somewhere up in this giant men's choir on Father's day at our church...somewhere on the left in a bright green polo style shirt. I was proud of him for going up there! The other three did not. 🤣

Jonah—

Oh, Jonah. This young man loves his truck and comes home every other day to do something to it. Yesterday he wrapped the pillars? I don't know what that means. He washes it every Friday afternoon. My dad and I laugh about this all the time, because nobody is a freak about cleanliness as much as Jonah. This is why he is a great person to detail vehicles! He had his own business doing that from the time he turned fifteen to present day. He would love to do more of this on the side and is always trying to get a few to do on the weekends, but he's not been successful at making that happen. These gas prices are draining bank accounts! He has friends that ask him to do theirs (for free) all the time, and I made him promise me that he was going to start charging them. He pays good money for the products that he uses and they're not cheap where he buys from online. Aside from that, he is working during the days and playing at night. He's also currently cat sitting for a friend and has been to the lake a few times so far this summer.

Noah—

I NEVER see Noah. He's not even living at home this week, but he's staying with his friend at his house since his mom and sisters are out of town. He did come home last night and we actually sat and talked, which was nice. He is working at a custom car shop and learning a ton of things. He loves the work, but we talked about the financial aspect of it last night, because I'm discerning that he's being taken advantage of right now. I won't get into it here, but he also has that same feeling and has been thinking about all that I talked to him about last night. Todd came downstairs without knowing what we had been talking about and said all the same things I said—how funny that we both said the exact same things, right? Discernment is a top spiritual gift for both of us. He just works all the time, which I don't love, but he doesn't mind it a bit because of how much he enjoys what he does. That is something to be thankful for and I am, trust me.

Todd—

My husband is up to all the same things. He worked all weekend with the sheriff's department, which he loves, but Sunday night was a long and difficult night. I can't say too much, but someone who works on them had an adult child die while they were on shift. It was shocking to them all and Todd hasn't been able to stop thinking about his co-worker. It's someone he knows and really likes and the son that died was in his late twenties. He broke down talking about it last night and I have cried as well, thinking about their family. 

On a lighter note, he is down 45 pounds and a couple of sizes! He's doing excellent on his weight loss journey and I am so proud of him. He's about to have to buy a few new things, like a belt and a couple of pairs of jeans and maybe even some boots. Yes, his feet are getting smaller too, which I always think something funny about where someone can lose weight. 

Me—

I'm working on the computer this week to get our Bible study finalized for publishing in July. Aside from that, I have something going on everyday (except yesterday) this week., for at least part of the day. In between coming and going, I'm working at all hours to try to finish with editing and formatting. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing around with our new air fryer and had the best salmon I've ever eaten Monday night. Last night I made chicken, but I'm writing this on Tuesday afternoon, so hopefully it turned out delicious! Lastly, I am getting ready to go out of town next week. My friend invited me to her house on the beach again and I am so excited. I leave Monday morning and will return on Friday. I'm driving myself and my mom and my mom is going to see her best friend who lives less than 30 minutes from my friend in Destin. I'll deliver Mom to her friend and will see her again on Thursday when I drive back to stay with her so we can leave early on Friday. I'm excited! 

I'm pretty pumped to see views like this again and I always have the best time with this friend. 

Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Love to all. 

let's talk about it Tuesday

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'd love to talk about some things I love right now. I hope you enjoy this post and the things I love as much as I do. 

Here are a few worship/Christian radio songs that I currently love.

I'm starting off with one of my favorite newer worship songs, Honey in the Rock by Brooke Ligertwood and this one features Brandon Lake.

Another song I love is Yes He Can by Cain. 

Phil Wickham is one of the greatest hymn writers and musicians of his time, in my opinion. This song below is him singing Worthy of My Song.

Lastly, I love this song called Run to the Father by Cody Carnes.

I receive emails with quotes and interesting facts of the day and I saw this quote on yesterday's email. I immediately loved it and took a screenshot, because it's so true. 

I've been loving keeping up with a prayer journal. I was cleaning out my cabinet that sits by my seat at the kitchen table a few weeks ago and came across an unused composition notebook, so I turned it into my prayer journal. I've been keeping up with keeping it updated each week and I make it from Monday to Sunday. I skipped doing that yesterday morning because other things that needed to be done took precedence, but I'll spend time updating it for this week. Additionally, I allow space between each request and I keep track of how God answers prayers. It's so faith building! 

I'll give you an example—a couple of weeks ago (3?), Drew called to tell me that their lease was running out at the end of the month and they needed to find somewhere nearby and comparable to what they're paying now, in a timely manner. I started praying and wrote it in my journal and recorded the date when God answered my prayer! I'm happy to say they found a nicer place to live in a much safer area, and they only pay $100 more a month, or $25 a piece, since there are four of them. They also get more bang for their buck and are upgrading from 3 bedrooms 1 bath to 3 bedrooms with 2 1/2 baths! I was so thankful for all of this and they're all super excited about the upgrades. It's a townhouse that has been newly remodeled, so his kitchen will be nicer than mine.

I 

Is this true or what?

Yesterday I mentioned that my sister and I went to Dad's to visit for Father's day, well while we were there my stepmom wanted a picture of us all and though I won't share that here (my sister would kill me), I'll share you this little edited version of me now alongside a picture of third grade me.

I need to point out several things. First and foremost is that the side ponytail I was sporting on Sunday was NOT intentional. I was hot and threw it up really quick, but I had to laugh when I saw it next to 3rd grade me with the very intentional side pony. Secondly, I had pink nails then and I have them now. Thirdly, I was wearing jewelry in that elementary school photo and I still wear jewelry today! Lastly, I thought I looked so cute in that school picture and I liked my outfit yesterday. Is that not hilarious?! 

I love the hearth in our living room decked out for the summer.

While I don't love the heat this week, I do love and feel grateful that I have a place to swim. 

I'll be melting while I'm not in the pool, but honestly I'm melting most of the time anyway. I'm ready for fall! 

Your turn! What are some things you love right now? Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

Hello Monday!

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for this weekly blog post. How was your weekend? Mine was good. It felt like I blinked and it went from Friday to Sunday night, when I sat down to write this blog post. 

As usual, my weekend started off with Dad. We went to Costco together so that I could grab a few things, then we ate lunch there. We both had the cheese pizza, which is my absolute favorite pizza. After lunch, I filled up with gas while I was at Costco (it hurts less when I fill up often), then we came home. Todd was here when we got home, then he went into work with the sheriff's department that night. When Dad left, I had an early shower, changed, then had leftovers for dinner while I watched the "new" Father of the Bride movie on HBO Max. Have you seen it or heard about it? You should save your time, if you haven't watched it yet. The old version of that movie was my favorite in my teen years, so nothing would have compared.

{I decided I'm going to start taking pictures of Dad each week. I decided that a few weeks ago, but I just now remembered to start this past Friday. Isn't he handsome? I love his hat and think he looks so dapper.}

I was up before the sun and dressed on Saturday morning, because I had an all day training session. I'm getting involved with a mentoring ministry and we trained from nine until three that day. They provided lunch for us, which was very nice, and the whole day was packed with practical and interesting information. I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would.

It was a long day, even if it was interesting, and I was so tired afterward. I came home and changed, grabbed some delicious and easy dinner and watch the new show I started Friday night. (Below Deck on Peacock.)

I had another really yummy glass of that Stella Rosa wine I mentioned on Friday, this one peach flavored. I bought a bottle of that to try, but the pineapple is still my favorite.

Once again, I was up and dressed by five thirty on Sunday so that I could be at church before eight. I helped out in the audio visual tech booth again and loved seeing the 200 plus men's choir that came up to sing for us on Father's day!

We came home after church, Todd and Graham worked again (they worked last night as well), then my sister Trish came over and we rode together to go see my dad. After we left, I came home to feed the dogs, then she and I went to our favorite Japanese restaurant for chicken fried rice. It was SO. GOOD. I relaxed for the rest of the night, which felt so good, because it seemed like a busy weekend! It was great, just busier than usual. Today on my agenda is a possible grocery run (or a plan to go tomorrow), catching up on Bible reading, cleaning the house and resetting it from the weekend, having lunch with a friend and planning for dinner tonight. 

Tell me something good about your weekend! I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

Friday Favorites, 6.17.22.

 

Happy Friday, friends! I'm joining in with Erika and Andrea for this weekly blog post of all our favorite things and moments. I'll jump right in!

New journals are my FAVORITE. I picked this one up at Hobby Lobby last Saturday. I am sort of picky with journals—if there isn't a spiral on the side, it has to lay flat. I also like for the lines to be a bit dark and for the pages to be white. Don't ask, but I also loved this one because it has a portion of my favorite Bible verses on the cover. 

I love the CSB translation: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Seeing pretty flowers on my kitchen table is my favorite. I sometimes pick up an inexpensive bouquet at the grocery store while I'm out. 

Once upon a time, the bookshelf in my bedroom was organized by the colors of the rainbow. It drove me crazy because it meant that the books were separated by color instead of by author like I usually have them. Before it drove me crazy, it was my favorite thing to see all the books lined up so beautifully by color and size! I'm thinking of doing that again since I read on a Kindle now and rarely pick up a book. It's been ONE YEAR since I've read exclusively on my Kindle and I still love it as much as I did the first day Todd brought one home for me. 

Seeing old pictures like this is my favorite. Dad and Sandy have always been known for their long and meaningful vacations and always brought the boys home the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts. They were so excited in this picture, because he came over this Friday bearing gifts for them. They always sent postcards to them from their locations, too, telling them about the area they were visiting and it was ALWAYS educational. I feel like Dad helped homeschool my kids. 

Pool days with my mom-in-love are my favorite days! The water was so refreshing on Wednesday while we were there. It's been hotter than Hades here all week and the only way to be outside is if you're in the water.

I ordered this tub of body butter from Amazon this week and oh my stars, it smells AMAZING. Summer lotions are my favorite and this scent far exceeded my expectations.

Todd went to Cheers (our local liquor store) the other night and brought me home my new favorite wine. Occasionally I love to have a glass at night and when I sent him, I just asked for something fruity, fizzy and cold. This was what the guy there recommended for me and it is delicious! I immediately shared it with my sisters, because we all have similar taste for this kind of thing. This Stella Rosa brand is my favorite. The others flavors I love in this brand are blueberry and black cherry. 

Other favorite moments from this week include talking to or being with my sons, even Drew who I don't see much these days. He has this thing where he calls me when he's at work and not busy. I love it! I love seeing my son Graham so happy—he's been seeing someone the past few weeks and has been loving spending time getting to know her. I love my nights with Todd when we're together and winding down from the day. I love having phone (and in person) conversations with my mom and sisters. I love when I make up a recipe from leftovers and it turns into one of your new favorite dishes. 

I'll leave you with this one last thing. Have you seen this on social media? It's my favorite thing I've seen on the internet all week. I couldn't agree more! This is an account on Facebook called Hey Salty Lady. I liked her page immediately and followed her after reading this, because I couldn't agree more! (I put quotation marks around what she wrote, because it's original content.)

"There’s a reason everyone loves Top Gun Maverick… aside from the nostalgia for us “seasoned” folks, aside from the G’s, Mach 10, and dogfight (football) scene… it will make hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars for this reason:

It was JUST entertainment.

It didn’t make you feel like garbage about your country, your gender, your race, political party, religion, or values.

There were good guys.

There were bad guys.

There was right and wrong.

The hero was humbled.

Confidence, even arrogance wasn’t shameful… because it was merited.

Someone could be the best or excellent at what they did without apologizing for privilege.

No one was hellbent on upending fairly healthy social norms, hierarchies, or authorities.

Someone was in charge and someone wasn’t… and that’s life.

Elders were respected and revered, homage and honor was given instead of discarding or dismissing.

Children weren’t saving the world while parents were portrayed as helpless morons.

Duty and responsibility were positives not negatives. Risk was assumed for the benefit of others.

Jack-wagonry/muttonheadedness wasn’t glorified.

It wasn’t trying to normalize deviancy.

It wasn’t PG but it wasn’t gratuitous with language, stupidity or sex.

Shall I go on? It wasn’t Shakespeare. It wasn’t Schindler’s List or Shawshank. It wasn’t even necessarily edifying from a religious perspective. And yet look how refreshing it was! There’s a need for entertainment that doesn’t try to damage or depress the audience.

Arts and entertainment have been degraded into either purposeful propaganda or indulgent idiocy. And it’s making us sick… and frustrated and miserable. There’s a reason the Bible is in narrative form, it’s because common stories, common heroes, common language and shared experience are good for society— which is why the Enemy undermines all of it.

#talktomegoose

Pay attention Hollywood. People still go to the movies. When they are not rubbish."

I'll wrap this post up with this, along with the recommendation to GO SEE TOPGUN in the theater if you haven't already. It is my favorite movie that I've seen in forever and I cannot recommend it enough. Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Tell me something that was your favorite this week. I'd love to hear from you! Love to all. 

P.s. In case you missed my blog posts this week, I'll include links below.

Monday.

Tuesday.

Wednesday. 

Thursday.