Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

June 15, 2026

Hello Monday and hello to all of you! How was your weekend? Ours was mostly about Tom! Tom’s birthday fell on a Saturday this year so that was really nice for him. I did have some struggle getting him to tell me what he wanted to do!

Let’s go back a bit, first…

I did something whimsical on Thursday. I was shopping at The Dollar Tree and next to it is a Pizza Hut. I already knew I was going to do it sometime this summer but thought I would go ahead since I was right by one. I treated myself to a personal pan pizza for reading 10 summer books. I think I read 6 in May, and I have read 4 in June so that counts. Anyone remember the Bookit! program? I didn’t get mine for free, but it was only $7 and it was tasty!

Haha! I feel like I need to do more fun child-like things.

I finished this book this week and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the throwback dial up internet and lack of cell phones.

I started this next and it’s cute so far!

I made a personal pan egg bite for my breakfast on Friday. I did two eggs, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, bacon bits, and a sprinkling of shredded cheese and microwaved it in a glass Pyrex.

Friday I visited the library:

And played mah jong with two friends. After that, I picked up dinner for Tom and I at a little place called Gracious Plenty.

Saturday was Tom’s birthday and he requested chocolate cake with chocolate frosting so I got to work:

He took a bike ride while I was working on his cake:

I made him bacon, eggs, and toast after he got out of the shower:

We were going to take the boat out but I think the bike ride did him in so he watched some movies while I ran a couple of errands and piddled around the house.

A family dinner came together! Mason suggested a new seafood restaurant by his house, and we stopped by to see some changes he has made. I was tickled by his kitchen shelf that houses his tea collection:

Mason and his roommate have shopped some flea markets.

I dropped off the cake, there, too, as we were going to have the cake after dinner. Jack met us at the restaurant; I can’t remember the last time all four of us could eat at a restaurant together.

It was delicious and reasonably priced. Mason got horseradish salmon, Jack got fish and chips, and Tom and I split a crab smash burger and fish and chips.

I think Tom was really touched.

We went back to Mason’s after dinner for the cake. It was really nice!

Sunday, we did make it out on the river! Eddie Otis did well once again!

We cruised around a little bit and let EO swim a little bit.

I met a former student at Haymarket, and we sat in the lovely garden. She did semester abroad in Spain last semester. It was so nice to hear about her experience!

I bought a baguette and brought some purse butter (butter that was in my purse). Lol.

Don’t forget that tomorrow is Fashion Files! I’d love to have you join us with one outfit, multiple outfits, new summer clothing – whatever!

Also, because June seems to be flying, I will go ahead and announce the July Currently topics. It will be Wednesday, July 1. I hope my topics aren’t too out there but I was trying to be July-themed!

They are:

Sparkling – What is currently “sparkling” in your life?

Grilling/Cooking –

Heating up –

Using –

Celebrating –

Tell me a highlight of your weekend?

Amy

Friday, June 12, 2026

It’s Friday and that means it’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika for a fun post about all the things that made our week happy.

Look what I woke up to on Monday:

What a gorgeous sunrise. I’m glad I’m an early bird because missing that would be sad. I love to use Mondays as my admin day – laundry, calendar, phone calls, scheduling, etc. I made myself a pretty nice breakfast around 10:

It was diced potatoes, bacon bits, a little cheddar and some scrambled eggs.

It was gloomy and rainy but I had gotten lots of sun over the weekend so it was fine by me. Eddie Otis and I took a few little wandering walks. He likes to read his “p-mails”. Get it? Also, we have a neighborhood fox. He is pretty cute and has a den in the trees by the schoolyard. We see him sometimes on our walks. I get a little worried that EO will take off after him and if I see the fox I quickly leash EO up.

EO and I enjoy filling our bird feeders. Man, these birds are eating me out of house and birdfeeder. The squirrels also partake and I’m ok with that. I also saw a chipmunk. I see the birds and the squirrels eating together in harmony so it seems ok.

I talk to Eddie Otis all day long. I tell him it’s time to do certain things like fill the bird feeder. He seems like he understands. I guess I treat him like I treated my kids when they were toddlers. My sister Kate once commented that “I talk to my kids a lot” and she “didn’t know you were supposed to do that”. Kate always makes me laugh.

In addition to my home stuff this Monday, Mason invited me to meet him for ice cream after he got off work at 2:30. I did a Target return on my way (I returned the entirety of my impulse online Target shop – two sandals and a “set”) and met him at Retta’s which has been on my list.

If one of my kids asks me to do something I really try to say yes and if it’s nice outside, I really try to get outside. Those are two “Rules of Amy”.

They have house made ice cream, fancy desserts after 5 pm, and a chef’s tasting menu of food.

I picked caramel and it was probably the best ice cream I’ve ever had.

I can’t remember what Mason picked but he loved his, too.

I came home and made manicotti and a salad for dinner. This time, I used jumbo shells and they were much easier to stuff. I also added a bit of goat cheese to the ricotta, egg, parmesan mixture. Here is the recipe I used.

I really enjoyed this movie this week! Sadie Sandler is Adam Sandler’s daughter.

I also enjoyed this:

I love Brett Goldstein!

And, look at this news…

Louisville is getting a Jeni’s. We are a Graeter’s town, but I think we have room for Jeni’s, too.

My favorite part of every evening is when Eddie Otis climbs on his Dad’s lap with a stuffed animal.

96.6 pounds of chocolate labrador love!

Natural nails this week to let them heal. I really enjoy doing my nails in front of a show.

My friend Victoria and I tried a new place for brunch this week. Victoria and I have been friends since before she was pregnant with her 24-year-old and since before I was pregnant with my almost 24-year-olds. She was a French teacher at my school. This was a Mexican breakfast and lunch place, and it was pouring rain and storming when we were there.

After we ate, we walked through the Logan Street Market, which is a small food hall with some shops, too.

Our phones started blowing up with flood alerts, so we made our way home.

I made Tom Sloppy Joe’s this week. I use Pioneer Woman’s recipe because my mom didn’t write hers down. My mom made these all the time. The grandkids hated them! I sent a photo to my sisters and brother-in-law in honor of my mom.

Tom’s plate:

He never tells me what he wants for dinner and he eats whatever I make, but I can tell when he’s excited!

Sadly, I finished this book this week. I loved it so much! I might have loved it more than Nora Goes Off Script. So, my fave books of the year include this, Mad Mabel, and This Book Made me Think of You. Notice that I did not say Theo of Golden or The Correspondent. I liked them.

I started this and I’m loving it so far! Can I tell you just how much I love summer books?

I went for two weeks without seeing Mason but then I got to see him twice this week! We met for happy hour to celebrate his completion of recording an audio book. He auditioned and got the job and it took him about 100 hours to read the book and record himself reading it. This is why he has been so busy.

We got small plates off of the happy hour menu and this was my lunch.

Then, he came to see brother Eddie Otis and stayed for dinner. I made spinach salmon salad.

This might be a new thing. Eddie Otis decided to watch the neighborhood from the driveway gate.

I got a “mention” on Instagram this week that filled my cup…

This former student is a new mama, and she mentioned me in her Instagram story as she was reading a book with Spanish to her baby boy. I got to “tag” the mama’s siblings and say that I also taught them. I taught many sets of siblings during that 25 years and it’s something I really cherish. At one time, I could name all the families where I had taught all the kids and I did so in class sometimes “The Pulliams, The Burches, The Givens, The ___, etc.”

Both of the other siblings wrote me a message, too. See? That’s why I can’t hate social media. This connection is really important to me. I am now “coffeecocktailsamyscott” if you want to follow. I’m not looking for a 10K following but I like sharing things that make me happy.

I looked at Tom’s work website because I needed the address. He works for a large commercial construction company. While there, I clicked on their employees tab. I don’t think I had ever seen this photo and I told Tom he looks like a movie star. He looks super laser focused on the job at hand. That’s his “blue steel” gaze. Lol.

He comes from a long line of non-smiling Germans. Speaking of non-smiling Germans, Tom was born in Wiesbaden, Germany many moons ago tomorrow. That means his birthday is tomorrow! I am having trouble getting out of him what exactly he wants to do, so wish me luck today trying to prepare to celebrate him! I love birthdays!

What filled your cup this week – other than coffee? Ha!

Amy

June 11, 2026

I was asked to be part of the Global Writing Challenge hosted by a group of bloggers. My Fashion Files partner Marsha invited me to join in the writing fun.

Don’t you love how we can go shallow with fashion talk but also go deep with profound writing? That was said “tongue in cheek”. And is fashion really shallow? If something allows you to step out and be your best self, maybe that isn’t shallow at all?

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

This month the topic is sunshine, and I’ve had a ton of inspiration for this topic lately. No, I haven’t been to a sunny destination. I live in Kentucky. We aren’t known for sunshine but rather for horses and fried chicken, right? But, even so, we also have sunshine here!

If you don’t know me, I was a high school Spanish teacher for 31 years and have lived my life on a school calendar for almost 50 years. I am a mom to twins who will be turning 24 this year. I am a wife and dog mom, too. Over the last year, I lost my last remaining parent, I retired, and my kids moved out after living at home for a year after college. I have had a lot of change. I have shed a lot of tears and have questioned my next chapter.

Chasing Sunshine at Home…

I have friends who only seem happy on vacation! I had an epiphany in my 30s (thankfully it was at a fairly young age) that I have to also find joy and happiness at home; I can’t wait until I’m on vacation to enjoy the sunshine that surrounds me! I can’t wait until “one day when I live at the beach” or “one day when I have time”.

I asked myself what I personally enjoyed the most about my vacations and one of those things was drinking my morning coffee outside. I also enjoyed a glass of wine outside in the late afternoon. So, I did my best to create outdoor spaces at home to mimic that feeling and to do those things at home. It made a huge difference to my everyday life! I have recently heard how beneficial morning sunlight/sunshine is to a human. If 99% of your life is not spent on vacation and only 1% is on vacation, that is a sad state to only be happy when you are away. I have other friends who have gorgeous outdoor spaces that they never use. A true tragedy, in my opinion! Are you willing to only be happy 1% of your life?

You can do so many things outside – you can eat your meals, drink your coffee, pay your bills, read your book, talk to your friend on the phone, fold your clothes even! I want to encourage everyone to do something outside that you normally do inside.

Even when I had to go to school each day, I made it a point to drink my coffee outside and to get outside after school, too. I was able to walk to school and did this the most in my last couple of years of teaching. If you have a dog, they force you outside, right?

One of the hardest part of my job was that I was kept in captivity. I had no ability to go outside for most of the day. I did have two windows, and I told the students that we would use natural sunlight and open the windows as much as we could.

I am a firm believer that kids need nature and sun! I loved that my own kids walked to elementary school and on the way home, they had to pass the school playground, so of course we played there after school. I also had rules about playing outside and forced it even when they didn’t want to. Adults are no different as they also need nature and sun.

So, I have enjoyed more sunshine this past year, and I needed it after some tough life things in my immediate and extended family. I have had all the changes that I mentioned, I have had some friends disappoint me, and there are some other things that aren’t my story to tell. In this human journey we are on, we need the cloudy and rainy days to appreciate the sunshine. Because of my job where I was stuck in a building, I appreciate my sunshine more now.

I have had the chance to notice the differences between morning sunlight, afternoon sunlight, and evening sunlight. I have enjoyed the fall sunshine, the winter sunshine, the spring sunshine and the summer sunshine. What a gift to get to notice and enjoy this! I have always struggled to get through the month of January but this year I had the ability to get more sunshine and that really helped.

The word sunshine is also used to denote warmth and positive feelings about the human experience. “Sunshine” can be used as a term of endearment as in “Hello, sunshine!” I want to be sunshine for the people in my life.

We also say one has had “dark days” or that they are in the “sunshine of their life”. No one wants those dark days but we all have had them or will have them. Without them, we take the sunshine for granted whether it be literal or figurative.

Sunshine can truly heal us. Sunshine can change our moods and our outlook. I will notice that I am in a funk but then the sun comes out and it’s like a switch has been flipped. It is powerful!

It probably seems like this has been all over the place, and it’s true, but it all makes sense in my brain. My message is to find the sunshine now and don’t wait for the sunshine later. This message is as much for you as it is for me. There is sunshine all around us in every season and in every iteration. We have to look for it, stop and enjoy it where we are in the here and now. We have to enjoy it when we are at home. We can’t wait for a sunny locale.

What is your best advice on chasing the sunshine in your life either literally or figuratively?

Click here to see all the Sunshine entries!

Amy

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

It’s time for another edition of Hodgepodge with Joyce today…

1.  How would you define ‘the good life’? 

I would define the good life as a good balance of time and money. You need money to live, and you need time to enjoy the people that make life worth living. You need a sense of purpose to your life, as well. Having the time to take in the sunrise and beautiful nature seems like the good life to me. Having enough money so that you aren’t kept up at night worrying is part of the good life. You need deep relationships and people you can count on.

2.  What’s the most used app on your phone (and are you proud of that)? 

The texting app/feature, the phone call app/feature, the camera, and my blog app are my most used. Yes, I feel those align with my values of connection with people.

3. ‘Every rose has it’s thorn’, ‘everything’s coming up roses’, ‘looking through rose-colored glasses’, ‘it’s no bed of roses’ or ‘stop and smell the roses’…which rose idiom best relates to something in your life currently. Explain. 

“Stop and smell the roses” would still relate to my life currently in my first year of retirement. I have time to enjoy the birds in my yard and I feed them. I have noticed more this year, taken more photos this year, and really slowed down. I was wound up really tightly each school year with the stress of doing it all and the pressure to be organized to be able to do it all.

4. How do you feel about floral flavorings in food or drink (rose, hibiscus, elderflower, lavender)? 

Not great! I do love St. Germain elderflower liqueur and a Hugo Spritz or a St. Germain Spritz. I was big into those two summers ago. Oh, and I do love putting a hibiscus flower in prosecco or champagne.

5. Over the course of your life what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else? 

People. I have tried to figure out people. I have always had strong opinions on how people should act and this has caused me heartache. Tom says that I am going to be continually let down when I have these expectations. The Mel Robbins “Let Them” advice is good but leaves a lot to be desired for me because I can “let them” but that doesn’t mean I won’t still ponder why someone did what they did, said what they said, acted the way they did.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I have a very good memory. This is not a good thing when it relates to number 5 above. I remember everything that a person said or did. I can forgive but I can’t forget and that sounds so bad, I do realize.

Have you heard the Rita Mae Brown quote, “One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.” I constantly work on trying to go easier on people, if that makes sense. I have definitely come a long way. I will think “so and so hasn’t checked on me for a bit” and I am the one who last made contact so it’s their turn. Then, I stop myself and realize we aren’t keeping score and I can always be the one to reach out. I am the one who has more time right now.

Wow, Joyce, we went deep today!

Amy

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

What have you been wearing lately? Thank you for joining Marsha and I as we talk fashion today!

Red is still the color! Have you seen red having a moment in fashion? I found this blog post fun to read! I have had so much fun with my red Free People espadrille Mary Janes and my new red Archie’s flip flops…and my red nails last week!

I have been drawn to red, white, and blue this summer. I wonder if it has anything to do with our country’s 250th birthday? Nautical theme is in! Sardines are in! Lol – I bet the sardines never thought they would be “trending”.

Also, here is a podcast worth listening to. I currently have probably five different sizes of clothing in my closet. I have learned to order two different sizes online if I can easily return the one that doesn’t fit to an in-person retailer. Also, it is your choice how you want your clothing to fit. That’s empowering. Jamie talks about how clothing that fits you flatters you so much better and reminds us that too tight clothing is not good. I don’t always get the sizing right. I didn’t find everything in the podcast helpful, but I found enough of it helpful that I want to share with you.

The podcast is called The Savvy Cast and I don’t always relate to the topics but I felt this one was good enough to share. I am linking her website which also has some great recipes.

Basically, don’t feel any sort of way about your clothing tag. Sizing is all over the place. Cut it out if it steals your joy.

I wore this one day last week. I wore it with my New Balances to walk the dog then I took those off and put flip flops on to go out and run an errand. Later that evening I switched to jeans for a mah jong night I went to. This is a new this season Target blouse that I love but that isn’t the most flattering on me. The shorts are old linen Old Navy. The flip flops are Archie’s.

Since it hasn’t been hot and it’s been so pleasant I have been putting on a slightly nicer shorts outfit and using that to walk the dog and run errands.

I wore this to go to a couple of places all in the same shopping center. I was in J.Crew Factory in this photo. I didn’t buy anything but they had a ton of gauze. I was wearing my Old Navy white gauze shirt, my old Old Navy green and white skort (athletic material). I also went in Trader Joe’s.

I tried this as a set at home. These are my Old Navy gauze drawstring shorts. I feel a bit like an orderly.

Different shoes can change things up.

That day I settled on this. I kept the shorts on but paired them with an old consignment button up and my lace up sandals. I walked EO in my New Balances and then switched shoes again.

I went back to Old Navy and bought this orange skort:

and this fun summer printed skort:

I’m not sure why I am standing that way – at attention!

Close up:

Wait – is that a sardine?

Fun athletic shorts – do you see how they have little wings on the sides?

and a short-sleeved chambray blouse that I thought would be practical to have. This was Jenn and I influencing and enabling each other. She shopped the day before at Old Navy. I can’t wait to see her post today. I’m telling you that Old Navy is pretty good this season!

Finally, this is what I wore to my niece’s graduation party. I repeated the dress I got for my day at the track – Churchill Downs Derby week.

I would say I am doing a good job of wearing and rotating through all of my shorts and short sleeved tops. I really don’t have that many but it seems to be enough for my lifestyle. I haven’t worn many dresses yet. I haven’t worn many printed pants or skirts yet, either. I am going to challenge myself to wear more of those things.

I also did another clean out of my closet. I was pretty aggressive about things I wouldn’t currently buy and what I wasn’t excited to wear.

I did a mini-Target impulse shop. I listened to a couple of influencers. I am going to decide what to keep. Even when I do get influenced I am getting better about knowing what to keep and what to return. I will show you those next week.

Link up here!

Amy

Monday, June 8, 2026

How was your weekend? Let’s link up with Sarah and Holly to share!

Friday was a really nice day! I was going to go to the library and maybe stop by a store by myself but Eddie Otis seemed to want to go in the car with me so I took him with! He waited in the car while I got my requests and then we walked around the library and the surrounding neighborhood. I think he loved it because we came home and I actually put on my bathing suit and read outside and he napped for a long time.

I took some photos of the pretty little yards around the library.

I ordered Domino’s pizza for dinner (it was gross) and Tom and I watched our shows. It was a super chill and relaxing day.

I got another Kroger delivery at 7:45 am Saturday morning.

I think this is the bread Tanya talked about. You bake it the rest of the way and have a fresh baguette.

I got a surprise visit from Jack and made chocolate chip pancakes for him; he was on his way to work.

I had a little project. I separated out all the red gummy bears because my high school mascot were the Cubs and we were red and white.

I had a themed cocktail I was taking…

to a high school pool party – my high school friends. I didn’t crash a current high schooler’s pool party.

I made the cream cheese and red pepper jelly dip with Wheat Thins and…

Mexican layer dip.

This is Ruby Sue in her pineapple bikini.

It was so nice! My friends Beth and Mike host this every year. They live about 20 minutes from me and we have local high school friends and some friends that travel to come to it.

It was one of those days where you don’t have your phone on you to take photos as it should be. We stayed from about 1-6.

The drive there is very “Kentucky”.

And Sunday meant a road trip for Eddie Otis!

We made the drive to Columbus, Ohio for a niece’s graduation party!

Sister picture – I didn’t have a drink.

Don’t forget that Fashion Files is tomorrow! Show us what you have been wearing or buying for early summer. Show us what you want to wear. Show us anything fashion adjacent!

Amy

Friday, June 5, 2026

How was your week? Let’s link up with Andrea and Erika to share some favorites and some things that made us smile.

I finally went in Kroger. I think it had been a month or so of just doing pickups. I just needed four things so it didn’t feel hard. I had to stop and admire this heirloom tomato.

Even though I live in a big city, my city has a small-town feel. That may seem crazy to read. Of course, I have my little pocket of the city – my house, my job, my kids’ schools, their orthodontist, our gym, my Kroger, and several restaurants were/are all in walking distance.

While in Kroger I ran into two people, an old friend and a former student. I see someone everywhere I go.

In my continuing nail saga, I went back to press ons Sunday night and admired them at the gym on Monday morning. Red is speaking to me lately! I heard red is a neutral.

This may not seem like a big deal, but I can take EO to the vet by myself now. I used to need help (usually Mason). EO has calmed down and he made me so proud at the vet. We love our vet and have gone to him for 26 years – our whole marriage! It makes it sound like I married a canine, no? Dr. Hill complimented my calm dog mom demeanor. I have rarely been complimented on being calm, by the way. Our boy is 96.6 pounds. Lordy!

I try to reward him with a new sniff walk after a traumatic vet visit. I actually don’t think he thinks it’s traumatic but it’s different and people are messing with him.

This book is so cute and what I needed after a pretty heavy book. It includes a hunky Brit, food talk, tea and coffee talk, small town charm, and the stuff I like in a light summer read.

Our weather has been the stuff that dreams are made of! I have been outside as much as I can be. There was an unfortunate “wasp rave” going on in a hole in my porch railing, though. I watched as wasp after wasp entered the party. They were about a foot away from me and I remained calm (there goes that word again!). I did tell Tom we needed to break up the party, though, when he got home.

One thing that might surprise you about me is that I don’t freak out about bugs – except for ticks and mosquitoes. I am not scared to touch or move a bug and would always simply put them out my classroom window and not kill them while my students shrieked.

I made myself a fab bagel sandwich for my brunch one day this week. I like to wrap it in foil to melt really well.

I got several IG comments asking where I bought it!

I made a yummy romaine, feta, dill, green onion, lemon juice, EVOO, salt and pepper salad this week a few times.

I made a sheet pan dinner of turkey sausage, onion, pepper, and potato this week.

The photo is blurry but I made funfetti cupcakes, iced them, and rolled them in non-pareil sprinkles this week. I gave some away to friends. This is apparently a viral trend right now? What’s new about sprinkles? I really don’t know!

I played mah jong this week! It had been three weeks and I was rusty. Dang, this game!

I won once so that gave me a confidence boost.

Look at all these people playing mah jong and there was a lower level, too.

I found this really funny…

I thought I had a stain on my shirt or my mirror when I shared this on Fashion Files. When I zoomed in, I realized it was my sunglasses! Duh!

This is my favorite face cleanser I have ever used. Don’t let the name Vanicream brand name fool you – it’s a facial cleanser. I love the consistency and the clean smell. I am very picky. This will be a re-purchase for me. A little goes a long way, too, and makes the best lather.

This winter/early spring I was into my “colors”. My mom had my colors done in the 80s and I was a “summer” and she was a “winter”. I still have my palette. One thing recommended for summers is brown mascara. I’m in love. This looks so natural, but I feel like it enhances my eye color and my skin tone. I have been using this along with brown eye liner.

Another easy meal this week was jacket potatoes. I feel that you have to devote almost two hours to get the right texture. I wash them, poke them with a fork, squirt EVOO, massage sea salt, then wrap in foil. Perfection. I think I checked them at 1.5 hours this time and they were done because they were a little smaller.

I bought this Trader Joe’s meatloaf, did corn and brussels sprouts during the last 30 minutes of potato cook time. Tom gave the TJ meatloaf his approval which is a big deal! He is picky ’bout his loaf.

Jenn and I did some enabling of each other one day this week and it was fun! She went to Old Navy and found some awesome things; I can’t wait for her Fashion Files next week.

She found things I didn’t know about like this linen skort. I couldn’t find white like she did, but I found orange and loved it!

I also got out my old lace up sandals!

I had tried to find this skort before but they didn’t have my size and I didn’t want to order it. I found it in my size this time! It is the cutest print!

Close up of the print:

I said I was set for summer but summer clothes are so fun! I can’t help myself! The shorts, skorts, flip flops, coverups – ahhhhh! They are so much more fun to buy than winter clothes, in my opinion.

I think the weather was the highlight! It’s been so beautiful here!

And I will leave you with niece Lena in her itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini! She is 16 now and I sent her this photo!

Cheers to the weekend,

Amy

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Grammar and spelling are very important to me. I know my grammar is not always perfect and Mason says I need to embrace the comma. I tend to write on my blog like I would speak is what I tell him. He is not a regular reader, but I have asked him for advice! My kids are absolutely better writers than I am, by the way.

Are you in a work setting where grammar might matter?

I would regularly receive emails from higher ups in my field (of education!) with really unprofessional grammar. I did judge them! They also were not taking advantage of using editing features and spell check.

Once one is an adult, the red ink pen corrections are no more, so where does one go to learn? Professor Google?

I sometimes don’t edit well enough and make mistakes even in words like “hear” and “here” and I am mortified! It’s easy to do when you are typing quickly. I always give people passes on things like that. I hate typing on my phone and I know that can cause errors.

Even though I was a Spanish teacher, I taught some English grammar that was imperative to the learning of the new language and if they ever had to write in English, I also wanted them to be the best they could be. Jen, my English teacher and blogger friend, let me know what I forget!

I absolutely think grammar should still be taught. It goes hand in hand with reading and writing and comprehension of a text.

Here we go…

Their, They’re, and there are homophones – words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Apostrophes are used to replace/represent missing letters in a contraction.

Their – is a possessive so you would use this spelling for “their house was simply gorgeous”

They’re – this is a contraction which means a morphing of two words – they and are. “They’re just adorable!” You could have also said, “They are just adorable!”

There – is an adverb of place so it is used like this “There are lots of kids in our neighborhood”

Some common contractions:

I’ve is “I have”

Isn’t is “Is not”

Doesn’t is “Does not”

Won’t is “will not” – can you imagine teaching this one to a non-native speaker of English – confusing!

It’s and its – Ok, this is one I see so many people use incorrectly and I distinctly remember when a teacher corrected me and that’s why I know it now – Thank you, Mr. A! I really wanted to impress him, too.

It’s – It’s is a contraction – a morphing of the words It and is “It’s a long way from here to there”

Its – this is the possessive – “We adopted a puppy but its mom is not done weaning yet” – this does not get the apostrophe because we are not saying “it is”

Who’s – this is a contraction of who and is – “who’s the chairperson of the committee?”

Whose – this is a possessive – “She is Mary whose daughter is Sarah”

Your – this is a possessive – “Your daughter is Sarah” – no apostrophes are needed

You’re – this is a contraction of you and are “You’re the apple of my eye”

Her – “Her daughter is Sarah”

Hers – “He is a friend of hers” – this does not get an apostrophe.

Mary’s – you use an apostrophe to show possession.

The kids’ – if more than one person owns something, your apostrophe goes after the “s” – “This is the kids’ playroom”

Here is a tricky one – if the name already ends in “s” you can choose – James’s or James’

Last names also don’t take an apostrophe. If you write a card to a family you would say “The Scotts” or you can say “The Scott Family” to avoid the “s”. The Jones’s or the Jones’ would correct. That’s a tricky one.

Plurals don’t take an apostrophe. All you need is the “s” at the end – “There are two girls in the group”

What trips you up? Do you have any grammar questions? My mom was an English and Art major and she taught both subjects during her long career. My Dad was the one that corrected our grammar, though. He was an excellent student and an excellent writer.

Thank you for attending class today,

Amy

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Today is Currently and Hodgepodge with Joyce!

Let’s start with Currently…

Enjoying:

Open sun roofs – I was stopped but it is quite challenging to get a sun roof photo!

Deep thoughts by Amy – wouldn’t it be sad if you were worried about your hair and couldn’t open your sunroof? Or the windows? Or get your hair wet? I know some people have difficult hair, but it makes me sad. My mom spent her whole life never wanting to mess up her hair and letting her hair rule her schedule, really. She wouldn’t go places due to her hair, even. I remember her always talking about what she couldn’t do because of her hair.

Flip flop weather

Summer reading stacks

Outdoor reading

Ahhhh – if that doesn’t say summer I don’t know what does!

Wearing:

Shorts!

Watching:

With Tom – this is pretty good! I think the main character is so pretty – naturally pretty.

And, then, my shows…

This is simply charming. I am anxiously awaiting the rest of the episodes.

You know that I love some blind love! My friend lived in Poland for a year so I am excited to talk to her about what I noticed about Polish culture.

I am at a standstill with this. I really liked the first few episodes but then I kept falling asleep and now I need to back track. It’s for the young ones and sometimes I’m in the mood and sometimes I’m not.

Also, I watch all my Bravo shows – Below Deck, Real Housewives, etc.

Listening to:

My dog’s soft snoring as I type! Why is dog snoring cute but grown man snoring so not cute?

My fan. I bought a small fan last season, and this thing really moves air – lol. I was at an inn in Spain and didn’t know the word for “fan” when I went to the front desk, so I asked for a “machine that moves air”. It worked! I always told that story to my students as an example of how to work around words you don’t know. One day during the rainy spell the house felt stuffy, and I set that bad boy up and it just felt better.

The neighbor’s ex-husband use the leaf blower or something else noisy. Come on, you would miss it if I didn’t talk about him, wouldn’t you? He is there almost every single day. Tom doesn’t think he’s allowed in the house. We have lots of theories. Lots of theories. He blows.

Buying:

I have been buying some “summer staples” from my post! I bought a new sunshade for my car and now I just have to remember to use it.

I have been buying gauze from Old Navy. Now I have enough!

I bought a $6.95 Kroger delivery this week because Tom’s bread is not available in our Kroger anymore and only available from the warehouse where the deliveries come from. How do you like that? So, I had this week’s groceries delivered. There is a no tipping policy when it gets delivered from Kroger and not Instacart or another third party. I must admit that it was kind of nice. Please don’t tell me to tell Tom to find a different bread. Tom is extremely brand loyal. It’s weird. I pick my battles.

Link up here for Currently!

And, now for Hodgepodge…

1.What’s something you find extremely difficult that most people would say is simple?

I’m not sure most people would say this but these are some things that come to mind.

Gardening

Home decor things like picking out tile

2.  “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow fast in movies I  had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” 

~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Does the season of summer make you feel this way? Elaborate. 

In the past, yes! Summer was the chance to get my life together, clean up my act, and be a whole and new person for the next school year. Since my life is no longer running on a school calendar, I think summer will no longer be my favorite. I will be glad my sisters are out, my nieces and nephews are on break, and my teacher friends are out, but I don’t think it will hold the same meaning as before. I did feel such an awakening in the spring this year, though. I was so happy to see the world come back to life after a long and cold winter. I think I would replace “summer” with “spring” in that quote.

3. Pickles. Love ’em or no thank you? What’s your favorite type of pickle? What’s something you eat that definitely needs a pickle added?

I love pickles! I love them on burgers and sandwiches and dill are my favorite. I love them cut up in my sub in a tub and my burger bowl. I love fried pickles but only if they are the chips, not the spears. I will ask for your spear if you are wasting it.

4. Tis the season…do you know any June brides? Are there any weddings on your summer calendar? What’s your favorite movie wedding? 

I don’t! We don’t have any weddings this summer. I think I would have to go with Father of the Bride because it’s one I watched with my mom and sisters multiple times.

5. June 1st is/was National Say Something Nice Day…say something nice here. 

Joyce comes up with the best questions! The blog world is so kind. What a nice thing we have here, no?

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Summer is the time for simple foods, right? I know this isn’t earth-shattering, but I made this romaine, fresh dill, green onions, feta, lemon juice, evoo, salt and pepper salad and it was so good.

I am excited for good tomatoes. I am going to try my first tomato pie!

Have you heard of the “viral dot cupcake trend”? It’s so simple and it’s nothing new. I had a funfetti cake mix and some frosting. I leveled off the cupcakes to make them flat and then frosted and rolled in non-pareils sprinkles. Then, you are supposed to scrape your spoon on top? I had to refrigerate my cupcakes to get the satisfying scrape. We live in a weird world.

I changed my Instagram name to be more like my blog now that I’m not a teacher. @coffeecocktailsamyscott is my account. I tried to do a separate blog account years ago and couldn’t keep up with it. I share what I’m reading, eating, local businesses, and happy stuff.

Amy

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Can you believe I am typing “June”? This is crazy, but it means that the summer clothing is going to be on sale soon! Today is Fashion Files with Marsha and myself and we hope you will link up with us. Let’s keep “fashion” blogging alive! Maybe you will “meet” a new blogger. Maybe I will stop using quotes? Probably not!

Last week I had a good old-fashioned wander around Target. I took advantage of their mirror to show you that I wore my Crocs Miami in black, my Aerie cut offs(click on this link and they are $9.99 in pink petal colorway), and my navy Old Navy blouse (that’s fun to say). It appears the ruffle blouse is sold out in every size and every color, but you might be able to find it in store.

I did not buy any clothing, shoes, or accessories. I bought cleaning and food stuffs and only spent $40. Am I growing up?

One day last week Tom and I had an appointment with our financial advisor dude and I had been wanting to wear some of my dresses. I wore this Umgee dress, very old Target buckle sandals, and a J.Crew consignment cardigan. I have thought about upgrading my flat buckle sandals but there really wasn’t a need.

I went to visit my old school in this – old Target olive green Universal Thread shorts, Marshall’s floral embroidery blouse, and my Kork Ease buckle sandals. I also wore this to happy hour with a friend later on in the afternoon.

Let’s talk about gauze now. I ordered brown and white gauze tops that are identical to my mustard gauze. I am on the fence about if this style is flattering on me. I’m on the fence if I care because they are great tops for summer. These are $15 each. I have already washed and dried the mustard a few times and it did well. Bonus, if I eat a hot dog with mustard and spill I will be ok.

I wore this out to dinner – the white one with very old printed pants and Aerie gold flip flops. I am confused about the stains in the photo – there is nothing on my mirror and nothing on my shirt in real life.

I also bought the corresponding gauzy drawstring shorts in mustard, brown, and white – thinking that I could create “sets”. Sets are hard when your bottom half ain’t the same size as your top half. In this very bad photo example below of the “peppercorn”, my bottom size is 3 sizes smaller than my top size. I could have gone up a size in one and down in one probably. Who is getting lotion on my mirror? I think it’s a good reminder that sizes are not gospel. Sometimes you want to try multiple sizes and choose how you want something to fit.

I can wear them as a set or separately.

I ordered Archie’s flip flops in chili last week that you see in the above photo. They are good quality but I almost think my arches aren’t high enough for them. Anyone tried Archie’s? This was honestly such an impulse purchase.

I popped into my consignment shop and found some J.Crew simple lightweight black shorts for $7 and they are in this photo with the brown gauzy top:

And here:

I already had turquoise and orange gauzy shorts from my local boutique’s sales rack and I wear these quite a bit.

These are the new mustard, peppercorn, and I also have white.

I wore this graphic tee with the mustard:

Do you feel comfortable wearing shorts out of the house for non-exercise outings? I do, but I do hate the feel of my legs sticking to a chair or a booth so I prefer not to wear them to sitting down things.

I am trying to either wear what I have or let it go. I am more comfortable with a smaller selection.

Don’t forget that Currently is tomorrow! I hope you will join me to share what you are: enjoying, wearing, watching, listening to, and buying!

For today’s Fashion Files,

Link up here! Thank you!

Tell me your thoughts on any of my outfits or your thoughts on gauze. Are you a gauzy girl? Or boy? I don’t want to leave my two male readers out.

XOXO,

Amy