Currently

I'm ...

Reading

The Good Widow.  So far, it's an enjoyable summer read … but I'm a bit impatient, waiting for the "twisty, emotional thriller" parts to kick in.

Listening to

Tom's watching America's Got Talent down the hall.  

(Writing this Sunday eve.)  

Are you a fan?

Pondering

Whether or not I really want to go back to work.  I expect to hear this week if there's actually a vacancy to be had ... but right now I'm hoping that lady will elect to stay.    I'm going to feel so awful if Marietta asks me to come on board and I go letting her down.   Dang!

Feeling

Amused!  (#1 grand) Sarah and her beloved have just signed a lease on a little farm house, right down the road from her parents.   When my DIL asked, would they continue sending their dog to daycare, Sarah responded she wasn't sure: "Money doesn't grow on trees, mom!"  

(Feign shock:  It doesn't?!?)

What's in the Kitchen

Leftovers, yum!   We prepared Stacy's stuffed bell peppers yesterday (here's the link) -- but it took two slow cookers to fit everything!

Grateful for

The elderly parishioner at our church who uses horseshoe nails and gold wire to fashion little crosses.  Color me delighted when Mr. Don pressed one into my hand after services!

* about 1/2 the size of a prescription pill bottle *  

Out my Window

It's dark … the humidity's closing in like a downy baby blanket.  But this morning when I walked the dogs?  Clear skies and 72 glorious degrees!

Enjoying

Living near(ish) my son and family.  I can't get over it, really!  Tom and I took son and Lois out to Firebirds on Friday night to celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary.   (If you've a chance to go, their salmon and flash-fried spinach is to die for!)

A quote to share

Have a super week … be safe!

Hugs,

Myra

Water Cooler Wednesday

...once more.  Thanks for dropping by!

It's that time of year when folks traditionally take to the road, set sail or fly, fly away!   

What is one vacation destination that many people think is just fab, but which you have no desire to visit (or re-visit)?

On the flip side ….. 
Is there someplace you're yearning to visit (or revisit)?

Stay cool … be safe!

Hugs,

Myra

1,149 Sweet Miles

Good morning friends!   

So, I've spent the last 90 minutes mentally playing the "last week at this time ..." game.   (Does anyone else take those flights of fancy?)   

Won't you pour a cup and let me tell you about it?   

Super excited, I needn't have concerned myself about staying alert behind the wheel.  Like Sean of the South, "I can't do interstates because they are filled with amateur NASCAR drivers with death wishes."  So, I cranked up the radio and gave my vocal cords a run for their money.  

Wow.  Arriving in my old stomping grounds, I quickly became lost overwhelmed by the sheer growth. :(    
As some of y'all know, I've a serious Love Affair with food … and didn't want to wait until the next day to stop for a bowl of chicken matzo ball soup.  Still, finding the Lucky Dill in U.S. 19's rush-hour traffic was an exercise!    

I really need to do a review out on TripAdvisor about my home-away-from-home.   From the cheerful and chatty front-desk clerks to my spotless accommodations (I hate this tired old phrase) everything exceeded my expectations.

Loved the bath's many built-in's!

Fully-equipped kitchen - including a generous ice-maker.  We don't have a garbage disposal at home … but they do.  LOL!

This signage above the thermostat cracked me up.   What?  I'm on candid camera?

  

  'My only regret is I couldn't figure how to smuggle out the mattress and strap atop my Camry.  It's seriously the most comfortable bed I can recall.   Since ours is way past the manufacturer's suggested life expectancy, I may call and find out what brand IHG uses.

* * *

The next morning Debbie drove over and we returned to the Lucky Dill for lunch.   Their menu can be a bit intimidating, so I just went with the signature Reuben.

(Stock image from net)

Debby stopped at their bakery for fresh rolls, but I already had my mind on offerings at our next stop:

I can't believe Mazzaro's existed while I still lived in Florida but I'd never heard of it!

 Isn't that an adorable little truck?

My driver seems to have lost his head!

The expression on this dude captivated me.  He's probably smirking about the stunned look on my face when I learned the price of the Masi Amarone!

In the end, we settled on bowls of spumoni at the gelato bar.   I'd never had gelato before …. do you like it?

* * *

Wednesday I woke before sun-up, all jittery to meet Sandra (aka, the Mad Snapper) for brunch.   Debbie came to pick me up and we made our way over the bridge.  No matter how many times I've experienced the drive, the Sunshine Skyway still excites me. 

Oh my gosh, y'all.  Had I laughed any longer or harder, I'd be needing to buy stock in Depends.  (TMI?)   So reassured to discover Sandra's just as funny and genuine as her blog reads.  Not sure, but I suspect between us, we could get in some serious mischief!   Who knows if there's not a future wing with our names on it in some unsuspecting nursing home?  LOL.

It looks like I'm going, "Oh, my aching back!"

* * *

If it's Thursday, it must be Lakeland!
Unfortunately, Debbie had taken ill the night before so I was on my own, but that didn't curb my enthusiasm.

What a blessing to meet another blogger -- Terri (Your Friend From Florida) … her handsome hubby, Joe … and find myself standing in the darling home I'd only seen in pictures!

Terri gave me a whirlwind tour of beautiful Lakeland -- Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian home, Hollis Gardens, and of course, the Polk Museum of Art from which she retired.  What a blessing to witness her positivity and passion in person!

After lunch, Terri gave me a generous goodie bag of her homemade pizzelles.  Soooo good and anise-ey!  (What do you mean that's not a real word!)  I've already requested a pizzelle maker of my own for Christmas.

* * *

Before heading back to the hotel I decided to drive around, revisiting my old workplace (now a nail salon), Caraleigh's daycare (gone now), and my townhome in Tarpon Springs.
Sad at the new paint job (it used to be dove gray), and someone ripped out all the hibiscus bushes.

 Finally, a last stop at Lucky Dill for a 'to-go' bag: 3 bowls of matzo ball soup to bring home to Alabama!

It was a great adventure! …
 ...but given the ferocious rainstorms accompanying my trip north, I was mighty thankful to be home in one piece!


Thanks so much for visiting and sharing my vacay!
Y'all have a good week … be safe!

Hugs,

Myra

One More Time Before I Go-Go

Thanks to all who've wished me well!

I feel like such a moron, feeling nervous -- mostly about staying awake along the drive.  (Don't tell Tom, OK?)  I've downloaded an audio book and packed a cooler with Duke's smoked sausages, hard-boiled eggs and unsalted nuts.

Shoot. It wasn't that long ago I was driving 60+ miles each day with nary a care.   In the last 4 months, I think I've driven to the store or the park maybe a dozen times?  This once-independent gal had better re-grow a spine!

I did send a PM to my former boss, but she's tied up in litigation … there's little likelihood of our getting together.   Still, when I wrote, 'I miss you' she responded, 'I miss you, too.' --  and extended an invite to visit their mountain home outside Asheville someday.  What a life lesson, how sometimes love and loathing can be inexplicably entwined.   Foolish, but yes -- I indulged myself in a few hours' regret the other night, wondering what my life would be like had I not turned a deaf ear to her warning. 

So, my upcoming part-time job may not happen after all.  Marietta had asked me to 'come by anytime and visit' but I'd not gotten around to it 'til Friday.   Come to find out, her assistant is having second thoughts about leaving home to pursue a degree.   In fact, the young lady hasn't even been formally accepted -- and classes begin next month!   Naturally, Marietta says, 'I can't just kick her to the curb.'   

Oh well, she's taking a little vacay as well.  We'll see what's-what over lunch week after next  Regardless of the outcome, she's the sort of person I feel like I've known all my life, and I think we could become good friends.   

And oh, I almost forgot!  Thanks to your responses, organic or not, I've backed off the Castor-oil for my dry eyes.   I'd a referral from DIL, but when I called for an appointment to have my eyes re-examined the girl said I needed a referral from my primary care physician.  Whaaaaat's that all about?   Lois suspects it may be on account I'm on Medicare, but still.   So much to learn, and frankly, I'm reluctant to navigate the system.   (maybe-boss) Marietta did give me the low-down on 3 physicians to call when I get back.

You know what?  It's all good!

Tom's put a Mississippi Pot Roast in the slow cooker and we'll share a bottle of wine tonight.

I'll definitely be reading blogs, but don't know how much commenting's going to get done.  For now ...

Gone fishing … be back soon!

Hugs,

Myra

Hodgepodge Nostalgie

G'morning!   

What a pleasure to hook up again with the fine folks at Hodgepodge.  As ever, a big thanks to our hostess, Joyce! 

What's something in your house you'd like to get rid of but can't?

If Tom knew I really wanted to kick our saggy love seat to the curb he'd probably say OK. Reluctantly.  But with it's high sides, it's practically the only place he can sleep comfortably.   (I probably watched too many episodes of Ozzie & Harriet, believing married folks went to bed and arose at the same time each day with nary an ache or pain... sigh.)     

When is the last time you experienced a sense of nostalgia?  Elaborate.

Certain songs are most apt to trigger my emotions.  For instance ...

   

You're only allowed three apps on your smart phone or tablet.  Which three do you keep?

Facebook, Gmail, Google Maps

July 11 is National Blueberry Muffin Day.  Who knew?  Do you like blueberry muffins?  If you were going to have a muffin, would blueberry be your choice?  What's the last thing you baked?

Because I rarely eat bread or fruit, I'll pass.   

Bake?  Every November/December I make my mom's banana nut bread.  Even Tom, who's not especially fond of bananas, loves it.  I suspect her secret was using buttermilk. 

What's the best way you've changed since you were a child?  In what way are you still the same?

Tho' no-one would mistake me for seeming poised and self-assured, I'm no longer ridiculously shy and insecure.   

Still a dreamer … Still a people pleaser.

Insert your own random thought here.

I've so many mixed emotions about next week's trip, y'all!

Friends - old and new - waiting to be embraced! …..

Dishes-which-can't-be-duplicated just waiting to be tasted! …..

On the other hand, I'm inexplicably nervous about calling my former boss.  Once we were extraordinarily close:   My holding Jo Anne's hand in the cardio E.R., while we fibbed to her hubby, "Everything's just fine!" 

…. She holding my head in the back of the limo after I'd too much to drink, post April 15.  Oh, the bottles of wine we used to consume over lunch at Olive Garden!

Although she possesses one of the most brilliant minds in the industry, I've discovered she's become a very negative individual ... venomous about the very things I hold dear.

What to do?  I'm putting it in God's hands.  

Prayers for the journey are appreciated!

Thanks for visiting … have a great day … be safe!

Hugs,

Myra

Friday Foto Friends

So tickled, having an opportunity to join with Deb n' company at Breathing in Grace for another episode of Friday Foto Friends!

So thank-FULL for son and DIL's invite to join them for a little get-together on Independence Day.   Thankful, too, for a rain-free afternoon!   Knock wood, I'm actually becoming accustomed to the humidity here … so much nicer than Arizona's blast-furnace-like conditions.

There was an amazing array of goodies -- fresh lemonade, burgers the size of small roasts, Conecuh sausage, fresh vegetables and (my downfall) a trifle of banana pudding.   One bite and all my 'keto' resolve went flying out the window!  I'm kicking myself for not capturing an image of those huge burgers!

As usual, flowers from my DIL's front yard provided just the right touch.   She makes everything seem so effortless!

These are actually called fireworks.  Neat!

Oh yeah, there was hilarity, too.  

I can't figure how to upload the video here, but someone challenged Sarah to pick up a piece of paper laying flat on the floor … with her mouth … legs straight with both hands clasped behind her back!  Dang if that lithe thing didn't do it!  

Every muscle in my body was cringing!  (What to do but have another helping of banana pudding!)

If I may … a few snapshots of my favorite souls … stolen borrowed from Sarah's FB page.

Troy, (DIL) Lois, Sarah (and her beau) Josh

(Son says "I was just hoping the picture taking was about to be over with." ... but I disagree.  Methinks it's the look of love.)

Molly Jane was captivated by the spinner!

Sisterly love.  (I'm guessing this was before Chloe tried to sabotage Sarah's above exercise. lol!) 

Chloe and Josh (who stands 6'8"!) being all silly.

Oh yeah!

Since we got here, Tom's been obsessed with finding himself a fishing boat.   Sure enough, last week he discovered a 'smoking deal' on FB Marketplace.  Unfortunately, it looks like ...

Next stop, Disney 's Jungle Adventure!

Fortunately it's sound as a drum; just needs some TLC … and a new coat of paint!   I asked him what he's going to name it, but he looked at me like I was nuts.

So I'm taking it to Blogland.  What do you think we should name it?

Happy Friday y'all!   Stay cool if you can … be safe!

Hugs,

Myra

   

Recapping This n' That

Good morning y'all!  This may well be the most boring post I've published … but figure I need to keep my toes in the pond. 

What's new in Coosada?

Some of you spotted Tom on FB ... hard at work on 'his' new fence.  The fellow who mows our yard hadn't shown up when I took these pictures … the humidity was something fierce … and I was a nervous wreck, imagining all sorts of crises.  (That's what I do best.)  

Thankfully, my stubborn old goat Tom stayed hydrated and took lots of breaks.  It's going to be a process for sure.  But seriously, y'all.  We've not lots of disposable income, but I think some things are better left to the younger generation!

* * *

Given the unsettling weather and power outages, I was concerned son and DIL wouldn't be feel comfortable driving up Saturday for burgers and brats.  

Thankfully, the storm rolled north and we enjoyed a nice visit.  Funny aside:  DIL prefers her beef cooked 'well done.'   That's fine ... some like 'Coke', some want, 'Pepsi.'  It's all good. 

Unfortunately, Tom's incapable of understanding 'warm, pink center' is not 'well-done.'  Looking like his little heart was breaking, he resorted to carrying it in, plopping it down in the (non-greased) frying pan and set the burner to 'high.'  (*heavy sigh*)

My mom's salad was a big hit.  I didn't realize Lois is practicing the keto diet, so this was right up her wheel-house.   I was so tickled when they asked me to make another batch to bring for their BBQ tomorrow!

Click to enlarge

Since 'someone' abhors green peas ('hate' is an understatement) I omitted those and he's been enjoying left-overs every day since!

* * *

While I'm acting all 'Betty Crocker' here … may share an olden family recipe?

Funny how my mind works.  A few weeks ago I woke up craving my Grandma Willer's  'East Hampton spread' - something I've not tasted - or thought about - since 1968!   Spread on white bread, it was once a staple in both my dad's and my lunch buckets.

Not being able to locate a written recipe -- and unwilling to resurrect my mom's old hand-crank meat grinder -- I improvised from memory.  Guess who loves it? 

1 pound beef bologna

1 dozen hard-boiled eggs

Small onion

Hellmann's mayo

Dice up the bologna, eggs and onion … throw in mayo (enough to taste) and using both hands squish, squish, squish!

Funny.  I reached out to my cousins to see if anyone had grandma's recipe.  Only one recalled the ingredients -- totally different than what my mother made!   Suppose that occurs in families, when children/grandchildren put their own twists on a dish?

* * *

So yes, my 'orange' hair has faded considerably.  But that didn't stop me from asking my hairdresser yesterday, "Go easy?"

Here's the result … yay? nay?

I think I like it.  At least my roots won't be so noticeable …

* * *

Only 13 days 'til I'm road-tripping!

We'll chat before then ... but meanwhile, have fun, be safe!

Happy Independence Day!

Hugs,

Myra