weekending: the Teddy Swims edition

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's blog post. How was your weekend? Mine was really good! Here are some things I loved about the weekend that flew by with lightning speed. 

I had dinner with Marilyn Friday night, then I hung out with the guy I've been seeing...and Saturday was very lazy for me with a little bit of laundry thrown in between naps. It seriously was the least productive day ever, but it was one I needed, so I'm good with how I spent the time. I was resting up for that night, since I knew Mar and I would be out late! I packed a bag with church clothes for me to spend the night with her, then I was at her house by five. We left and grabbed an early dinner at Chick Fil A before the concert. 

I dressed as coolly and comfortably as possible since it was literally hotter than Hades outside, and this was what I came up with. The sandals felt great since I knew we'd be walking a long way to the venue and to our seats. I definitely made the right choice in what I wore! 

Chris met us for dinner! I wanted him to meet Marilyn; we sat there for about an hour before we left for the concert. I'm glad they got to meet. 

We got extra large sized drinks (and water) to stay hydrated, then we found our seats. 

The opening act was a man from Ireland named Cian Ducrot; he was really good! His first few songs made us laugh really hard, but I don't feel comfortable mentioning the titles of them here since this my blog is PG. 🤣 He was burned in a past relationship, and chose to write songs about the trauma he suffered from that; let's just say that we both related to all the songs! 

We were sweating like crazy, but we were ready for Teddy! 

Friends, this was an incredible concert, for sure the best I have ever been to! His voice is beautiful, and for part of the concert, I was brought to tears between his voice and the lyrics to the songs he was singing. Does singing do that to you? It has the power to bring out all the emotions I'm feeling, even if I don't know I'm feeling them at the moment. I loved the name of his tour: I've Tried Everything But Therapy. There was a "group therapy wall" where you could write whatever you needed to write that you'd brought with you to the concert. 

It's hard to read, but I wrote, "all the emotions of my divorce". I don't know why I've been emotional about this lately; it's not like anything has changed, and it's not that I miss him at all, because I don't. It's just that I'm in this weird phase of resenting my singleness and also not wanting a relationship. But when I'm alone, I get lonely, so I keep going on dates and meeting people. Chris is someone I'm interested in, but he's about to be moving further away from me. That bothers me, not that I'd ever hold it against him, it just seems like the timing isn't great. I don't know how it will work with that distance, but it does make me a little sad. He keeps saying we'll make it work, so we'll see what happens. 

I want to believe that, but I'm in a weird phase of not believing any man I meet. I've been lied to so many times that it's hard to get past that, you know? So when I come across one that says something direct, like he's not looking for love, but for a fling, I respect that. Not that I want that, because I don't, but at least he has the brevity to say that, you know? No pretenses! That is what I need. Chris seems so good...he told me that he was catching feelings for me, and that he's second guessing his decision to move further away. I just keep thinking of what good old Mel Robbins says, about how actions are words in motion. I need the action of what a man says. 

I didn't mean to put all of that out there today, but there it is. Life is weird, y'all. I love it and hate it, all at once. The good far, far outweighs the bad, though. I just like to be real here and not pretend that everything is always perfectly fine, because I definitely struggle a lot. While I'm on the subject of dating, I'll talk about a few pet peeves of mine as well, pertaining to that. I talk about things like this with friends who are in the same situation as me, so why not share it here as well? It might shed a little perspective in how you talk to friends who are in a similar life situation. 

Now that I'm divorced, it's like people think I don't have a brain. They tell me things like, "be careful", or "don't meet him at his house for the first date", as if I'm the dumbest person to ever walk the earth. What in the world? People are also quick to offer advice or offer their opinions, and quite honestly, I just don't want them. What I do want are well wishes and encouragement! I need that and don't want or need the unsolicited advice. I also don't like when people tell me I'm not ready for a relationship or to take things slow, because I know that as well! And nobody really knows what I need or don't need except for me. I don't know why I'm spouting off today about all of this, I guess I was in a mood when I wrote this on Sunday. My friend was texting me about a guy we both know and dated, and I got pretty fired up about what she told me. I'm the friend who gets mad for her friends! 

That is a lot of words and feelings for a Monday morning blog post, but I guess it feels good to say it out loud here. You all are so supportive of me, and I greatly appreciate that. Thank you for listening here today, friends...and for always reading my blog and being so kind to me. You mean the world to me. Tell me about your weekend; what was a favorite moment? Please take my mind off all this and tell me! I'd love to hear from you today. Love to all! 

Jenn 

Friday Favorites, 8.15.2025.

 

Happy Friday, friends! This has been a week of ups and downs for me with lots of feelings, thoughts, and emotions. I kind of know what sent me into this tailspin, but I managed to work my way through the days and am so glad it's the weekend. It helps having things to look forward to this weekend! That being said, aside from all the things I felt, I had a great first week with students! Our kiddos started coming to us for intervention on Monday; I've enjoyed getting to meet and know some of the sweetest little humans around. This is such a fun thing about my job: meeting new students, forming a bond with them, and being the recipient of their big smiles, waves, and hugs when I see them in hallways. I will never grow tired of this! 

Here are some of my favorites from the week:

outfits

I'm still living in all the dresses while I can! Do you have a favorite? I would say for me, and considering comfort, it'll always be the black dress. But my favorite is the blush colored dress I wore yesterday that I bought for the Old Dominion concert. Have I shown you my new Dolly hat? I wore it to Mare's house on Monday night; I was having the worst hair day known to mankind, and I threw it on as I walked out the door. It might just be my favorite hat!

place

Our school theme this year is, "Crosswind is the best place to bee!" And you know what? It really is; it's my new favorite place to be other than home or church, and it definitely feels like my happy place. I love my work family! I feel so fortunate to be able to say this, friends. I promise that I don't take one second of my time here for granted! 

randoms

My favorite special friend Cory sent me this on Facebook Messenger this week; he would always send me messages while I worked in the bookstore. I've missed seeing him there, but I got to see him from the stage this past Sunday, and here's what he sent to me. Is that not the sweetest? I kind of think he might have a crush on me, so I'm careful in what I say to him. 

...and speaking of that, this definitely ranked as a top moment for me this week! It's been two years almost to the day of me singing on a stage, and I have missed it immensely. It felt great to be able to help lead in worship again! 

This saying is a favorite thing that I saw this week; my coworker had this on her desk and she offered to print it out for me. I want to frame it and hang it somewhere in my house.

work things

The students are definitely a favorite part of my job! I walk them back and forth all day long, which I love, and they talk my ear off as we walk down the very long hallways. Check out the "affirmation station" with the mirror in my friend Heather's class; I love that they can look in the mirror and know they're all of that and so much more. 

other happenings

Look at my big girls who started back to school this week! They're in third grades and kindergarten. Being a great aunt is my favorite!

Choir was my favorite on Wednesday night! Confetti canons might have been fired as we kicked off the fall season of the worship ministry. It's so good to be back, have I mentioned that? 

I saved my favorite for last; I had different plans on Wednesday night that never happened, and I was frustrated. I randomly texted my friend Kendra, and she asked me to meet her at Rotolo's so she could finally eat dinner after a long day of work. I did! Look how cute this place is; we sat at the bar and talked while we listened to live music. It was the best night! We shared a half price bottle of wine, and when they closed at nine, we moved our talk to an outside patio table and stayed another hour and a half. I had fun plans last night as well, but I'll share those on Monday when I'm back for a weekend recap. 

Tell me about your week; do you have a favorite moment? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

Jenn ❤️

the Wednesday hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce again for today's Hodgepodge. I'll jump right into this fun post! 

1. It's National Golf month...do you play? Do you enjoy following golf? Have you ever been to a professional tournament? Does miniature golf count? I love playing that! I used to be really good at it, both as a young girl and also as an adult. I don't follow golf, and I've never been to a tournament, but this past weekend we had a huge golf tournament here in Memphis. There were lots of big names here playing, and my son Graham and several friends that I know went to be spectators. Pretty cool, right? 

The top picture was when we played mini golf several years ago with their grandparents; Graham loves to go to this driving range today! The one right above this paragraph was when we vacationed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sometimes I don't mind reliving memories, and sometimes it's painful. This one stings a little, if I'm being honest.  

2. Astronaut Jim Lovell from Apollo 13 fame passed away last Thursday. Are you interested in outer space and what's happening today in terms of space exploration? If space travel became common in your lifetime, would you go? How do you personally relate to the idea of exploring something vast and mysterious? Does the idea excite you, intimidate you, or something else? 

I didn't realize he had passed away last week; I'm not really into the whole space exploration thing, both what is going on today and what could come in the future. I honestly wouldn't want to travel to space, because I don't even love flying in an airplane. I can't imagine how much more I'd hate being in something like a space shuttle. When I think about how vast this world is, both the one we walk on and the vastness of the sky and beyond, I'm amazed by God. He created all of this by speaking it into being. I often think of verses that talk about how He holds all things together in His hands; I find comfort in that, because if He can do that, how much more can He handle anything in my life that I have going that stresses me out? It's all about perspective. 

Speaking of space...check out that Sturgeon moon from Saturday night! It was brilliant. 

3. Describe your communication style in three words. I have learned a lot in the world of dating! I've definitely learned how to communicate exactly what it is that I'm looking for or not looking for as far as this goes...but this also carries over well into my everyday life at home, at work, and when I'm on the phone or texting. I would say that I communicate in a way that is clear, kind, and to the point. 

4. Do you have a favorite cookbook? A famous celebrity chef? Do you watch cooking shows on TV? I don't have a favorite cookbook, per se, but I love Ree Drummond and Ina Garten. I loved watching cooking shows on TV when I was married and in the throes of raising my sons; I always needed inspiration in the ways of cooking dinner, and I would always be inspired by these two women. 

5. As a child, did you have any back to school traditions? If so, did you carry those traditions on with your own children? Do you have any back to school traditions you've started on your own? I don't remember back to school traditions, so to speak, but I do remember shopping for the first day of school and getting excited over buying new school supplies. Some things never change! When my boys were little, I let them choose their own dinner for the first night back at school. They usually wanted something simple, like pigs in blankets and a good dessert. 

6. Insert your own thought here. 

I was home last night and in writing this post, I came across this song below. I love this version of the song I Know a Name by Elevation Worship and featuring CeCe Winans. 

I'm excited to read your answers to this week's prompts! Thanks, Joyce, for such an amazing blog party each week. We appreciate you! Thanks for reading today, friends. Love to all!

Jenn ❤️

weekending

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's blog post. How was your weekend? Mine was really good! I accomplished weekend number two as a full time working woman, and I used my time really well. Here's what I was up to all weekend long! 

Before I jump to what happened after work, I took these two pictures to show the distance between the front and back wings at work. This is why I've been meeting my steps goal each and everyday! I'm not complaining, I promise; it feels great to walk that much everyday, and my body is getting used to being more mobile and standing for longer periods of time. You may remember that I mentioned how they call that yellow hallway (the new wing) East Tennessee? This is why; check out that distance! Additionally, each wing goes perpendicular to the hallway that you see here; there are three wings. Each hall is a color for the grades that reside there: it goes purple and red in the front, green and orange in the middle, and yellow in the back. I learned it all really well this week at registration day when i walked fifteen thousand steps.

Okay, moving along to the weekend now...

I'd had a date planned for Friday night, but a couple of things happened to make us cancel. He is into motorcycle racing and helps out/races each time there's an event...one popped up unexpectedly over the weekend, so that's why we went out Thursday night instead. It turns out the race got canceled because of rain, and he ended up sick at home all night. When I found out about the racing event, I made plans for a sister night with Trish! I picked up a pizza and salad for us from my favorite spot (Lost Pizza), and then I took it to her where she was house/dog sitting. We watched My Oxford Year, but I fell dead asleep almost the minute I sat down. I left a little early and came home to meet Graham when he asked if we could swap vehicles for the weekend; it's a long story, but I was happy to oblige. Us moms will do anything for our kids no matter their ages, right?! 

Look at that sunset and this amazing basket of flowers. It was a beautiful night! 

This was my excited face over seeing Marilyn for lunch at our favorite place; you guessed correctly if you guessed The Salad Station! Look at that amazingly beautiful and messy salad. I crave this place all the time, friends! 

Afterward we walked down a few doors to the Sherwin Williams paint store; she was picking out samples of paint for one thing, and I'm thinking of changing my front door again to make it more suitable for fall/winter. I'm leaning towards a beautiful green color...stay tuned!

After I got home, I sat and did this for a while. It was nice! 

I'd made dinner plans with a friend, so I did that and then this is where this post takes a turn; I ended up at the racetrack on Saturday night!

My friend builds/races motorcycles, and was there for the night, so I said yes when he invited me there to join him since I wasn't that far away. It was so much fun! He met me at the gate and paid for me to get in, then I had a blast hanging out with him, meeting his friends, and watching all kinds of vehicles race. I used to do this kind of thing in my early 20's; I'd forgotten how much I love to watch racing in person! And yes, this is a man I've been out on a few dates with now; his name is Chris. It was fun seeing him having fun in his own world, and I was glad he invited me into that with him. Also, if you're not reading between my lines, know that this is the kind of thing I need and want with a man. He got major bonus points this weekend! 

I was home and in bed by ten thirty, and up early for church on Sunday. I was there by eight for praise team rehearsal; it was great to be back!

I didn't have coffee before I left home, so I drank this instead. It was delicious! I had that and a protein bar for my breakfast while I talked to Mare on the phone as she drove to church; she was also the first person I called afterward as I drove to lunch with my parents after my church service ended. It was a great weekend! I did something else that day, but I'll leave off here and pick up with that on Friday.

What did you do that you loved this weekend? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! Love to all! 

Jenn ❤️