Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

It’s time for Hodgepodge with Joyce!

1. Are you a naturally trusting person? Is trust built on logic or ‘gut instinct’? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Elaborate. 

Yes and no. I do tend to believe people but as a Scorpio (haha), I also can be suspicious. I am a very good judge of character. I have “called it” on guys my friends dated back in college. I get a sense of a person right away.

I think it’s a little of both – logic and gut instinct. I do think women should follow their gut more. If something doesn’t feel right, there is a reason. I don’t know if everyone deserves a second chance. Can people change? I think that’s a tough one. I think you can quit a bad habit, but I think people are who they are at their core and that we can only change how we react to that behavior. I think expecting someone to change is an exercise in futility. Also, I love the quote, “believe people when they show you who they are”.

2. ‘Beware the Ides of March’…March 15th on the ancient Roman calendar, these words were made famous by William Shakespeare in his play Julius Caesar.  Caesar was assassinated on March 15th 44 B.C. Have you read any Shakespeare? If so, do you have a favorite? Have you ever been to Rome? 

If you had told me how many Shakespeare plays I would have to sit through I wouldn’t have believed you. Both of my kids loved his work and were in many of the plays. I find them hard to follow. I have seen Shakespeare in parks, in the woods, in a parking lot, and in theaters big and small.

I have not been to Rome. I have only been to Venice in Italy. I would like to see more of Italy.

3. Do you like a Caesar salad? If given the choice between a garden/house salad or Caesar which do you order? Anchovies or no? What’s your favorite salad dressing? 

I do, but it’s usually not what I would pick over a garden or house salad. There is a place here that has a fabulous one with pumpkin seeds. I also love when they grill the romaine. No anchovies if I have a choice but I probably am not bothered if they are in the dressing. Tom and I both love honey mustard or balsamic at a restaurant.

4. Where do you typically work (or blog if that’s easier) at home? Do you have a dedicated home office space? Are you happy with that space? 

I would love to have a desk upstairs one day. We don’t have a home office, either. I have a desk in the basement in a little corner, but we don’t let Eddie Otis go down there yet, so I blog at the dining room table. It is not formal at all. It’s a table that doubles in size if you unfold it and we have only four chairs. I am thinking about putting a desk in one of my kids’ former rooms. I am a brand new empty nester.

5. Snow drops, daffodils, lenten roses, crocus, hyacinth, or early tulips…what’s your favorite early Spring flower? 

I have a little row of daffodils right beyond my fence and those are always the harbingers of spring for me. I feel hope when they first pop up. I love all flowers, though.

It was fun to watch these develop so quickly this year due to all the rain.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I know it will get cold again before these 60s and 70s are here to stay. I hope we get a true spring this year. I love the weather in April, May, and June usually. I don’t like it when we don’t transition properly.

Also, if you don’t have a comfortable outdoor chair, it’s worth it to get one. Even if you have to fold it up and put it away when you are done, it will add value to your life to have an outdoor spot.

I love this chair so much! I think we have been through four at this point. At one time, we had a set of two.

We also have a dining table and a sectional under a roof so we can sit there if it’s raining…

And two chairs on the upper deck

I also love this time of year when the bugs aren’t too bad yet.

Here’s what I finally decided…

I thought about what I loved most about going on vacation (like a beach vacation type) and one of my answers was drinking my coffee outside in the morning. So, why not bring that habit home with you? Why would you only derive that pleasure one week a year or less? It adds so much happiness to my life to be outside.

I also decided not to be too precious with my outdoor furniture. I bring my upper deck cushions in after using them every time so that helps, but the furniture does get weathered from being outside. It’s just going to happen. We got a burn hole in one of the sectional cushions from our Solo Stove but it’s outdoor furniture so It’s the price of doing business. Also, our furniture is comfortable. I know some people who have a gorgeous yard, but they don’t have anything they want to sit on.

This year, I also want to upgrade our portable chairs for outdoor concerts and events.

Anywho, who knew I could write so much on this topic?

Amy

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

I’m a little late with my March goals, but that’s ok!

Put up St. Patrick’s Day decor – I feel like I’m missing some of it, but I could have donated some last year – done! It’s been out since the day after Valentine’s Day.

Spruce up plants – did a little of this in February when I visited new location of plant store; plan to buy a spider plant with my 25% discount at the plant BINGO!

Attend plant BINGO at the new plant store – coming up this week! It’s regular BINGO but with plant prizes and it’s BYOB so I might make up a planty cocktail. I am going with friend Elizabeth. I have two other friends who want to go but they couldn’t make this date.

Attend our kids’ college (they graduated in 2024) baseball game

Make corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread – Jen’s recipe!

Make a candle at Sea Love or buy an already made candle – going to do this with friend Jessica. We visited the adorable shop during the Galentine’s event

Attend boutique grand opening – did it!

Declutter and donate – I am working on the stuff the kids left behind in their rooms so we can do new flooring, ceiling, and paint and turn those into guest rooms or rooms for them when they want to stay

Decide on and buy 5 birthday gifts! My sister Kate has a St. Patrick’s Day birthday and my sister Molly had all four of her kids in March

Buy spring transition shoes to go with jeans and blouses – I think I am done! I will show them on Thursday!

Read outside

Attend St. Patrick’s Day parade and my friend Victoria’s parade party – not sure if I want to get in all that mess this year?

Last year:

Spruce up outside deck and patio and do decor (if Eddie Otis is now mature enough not to steal it)

Walk outside alone more (without EO)

Walk EO in different locations and take him on more errands – maybe more patio dining because he did really well at a brewery

That’s it for now but I might add more as I think of them!

Amy

Monday, March 9, 2026

Hello! How did it get to be March 9th so quickly? How was your weekend? We had a rainy, rainy week with a few thunderstorms mixed in and then another rainy day on Saturday. It’s going to be so green from all this rain! Let’s link up with Holly and Sarah to share.

On Thursday, I went to a busy area of town called The Highlands for a boutique opening. I first stopped at a new coffee shop called Lucia’s Cafecito and spoke Spanish with the darling owner. I had a really good iced coffee to go.

I met my friend Beth, and we checked out a French bakery (first time for me and I got carrot cake for Tom to go) and then went to the opening.

I made a “Spanish lunch” for my former student when I got home. She lived in Spain for a year as a teaching assistant and is subbing now. She was off on this day so it worked out. It was fun!

Eddie Otis took a little sunbath as the rain stopped and the sun came out.

We enjoyed our rainy walks. Thank goodness for my short rainboots. Our mudroom has lived up to its name lately.

Friday I took myself to a much needed pedicure.

I did a light pink.

I think an employee’s daughter is a Girl Scout. They just had all these boxes of GS cookies sitting outside on a bench. I love that we are pretty trusting around here. I did send Tom a photo saying “I know where you can get some Thin Mints” and he replied “Free Girl Scout cookies with every French tip” and it had me wondering how he knows that nail style.

It was so nice out Friday! I had to put on shorts!

I was feeling so lazy, but my friend Elizabeth wanted to go to the last day of this charcuterie place. They are moving to share a space with a distillery so they aren’t going out of business, but we really enjoyed this space.

She brought her very well-behaved dog named Banana who is a big cavapoo.

And mid-sentence photo of Mason who walked down after work and chatted with us for a bit – that was a nice treat!

Saturday was cleaning day. It was really nice for a bit and then the rain came again…

I read outside and inside when I got cold and then Mason came over. He practiced piano and then we did a grocery trip together. He has some crazy hard recipes he is making for the week. I tried not to say too much but I did say, “you need some easy to prepare things for when you are tired”. Then, we took him to Martini’s for dinner.

It was so nice to get to chat with him.

Sunday morning, I felt the time change and was discombobulated all day. I did finish this…

And, now I have read all the Sarah Adams books. A little cheesy, but cute.

Yes, I did take a break from Theo of Golden to read it!

Tom worked on the fence but then I took his helper with me…

to walk with Heather and Heather…

and then EO went to his first brewery. He did pretty well.

What a nice way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

Friday, March 6, 2026

We started the week with this:

The thing that kept me going was this:

Are you ready to “spring forward” overnight Saturday into Sunday? I am!

Mason gave me this devotional book for Christmas and I just started using it because I had January and February left of another one. It’s really nice.

My little blogging companion. He usually is in this spot when I am at my computer.

Monday is the day I like to do some meal prep – lately that has just been roasting sweet potatoes. When will I get tired of this first meal of the day? When will you get tired of me showing it?

This is a great lunch – the sweet potatoes with black beans, red onion, avocado, a little bit of lime and EVOO.

I like to have a non-fiction book going along with my fiction book. Wow – is this good.

Ever since I heard about HSPs – highly sensitive people – I have identified as one. There are just people who feel things deeply. “It’s like carrying an emotional radar that’s always on, always picking up signals, always processing”. Who knows if this is because I was a first-born daughter or a teacher, but this is spot on. And this pretty much sums up the years of teaching after the pandemic: “…it can also leave you drained because you’re carrying the weight of emotions that aren’t even yours”.

HSP plus Enneagram 2 and there ya go…

I have been transparent over the last week on the blog about a couple of friendship hurts I have had and then I shared my new empty-nester status this week and this book is really helping me to understand where these emotions are coming from. I realize I have more time now than I have had in 31 years to even think about my friendships this much and I am taking this into account.

I made an entree salad one night for dinner this week that is a re-creation of Tom’s favorite dish at Harry’s/Malone’s. Malone’s is the nice restaurant on the first floor and Harry’s is the bar atop. It turned out pretty well and was super healthy.

I have been a fan of SNL over the past several months. I record it from Saturday night and usually watch it Sunday night. It’s extremely liberal and it’s not politically correct. I realize as I type those things that they are contradictory. They had the star of Heated Rivalry (which I don’t watch) as the host and then two members of the men’s and two members of the women’s Olympic hockey teams on. My favorite part of SNL is Weekend Update with Collin Jost (Scarlet Johannsen’s hub) and Michael Che. I enjoyed the hockey jokes, and they had a skit with Punch the monkey’s mom. It was ridiculous but I laughed my head off.

By the way, are you up on pop culture? I was talking to my high school friends last week about how some ladies I know have no clue about current pop culture. They told me they get their pop culture from my blog. Ha! Do you care about pop culture? I felt like it was part of my job as a high school teacher. I still think I am pretty up on pop culture.

I’m over Love is Blind 10 and even Love Story! Love is Blind 10 is painful. I don’t like any of the couples except one and they are boring. I am fast forwarding. I really don’t care who actually gets married. They are all messed up. I am on Episode 5 of Love Story, and it’s lost its shine for me. This is very typical of me, though. I will like a show at the beginning and then I will lose interest. I think the fight in Battery Park made me mad. It’s not a spoiler; they fought in Battery Park and all the paparazzi took photos of what looked like a very physical and toxic fight in a very public place.

This is a sweet photo. Mason’s new house has a big dip at the bottom of the driveway and Tom taught him how to drill and secure “curb bumpers”.

First, they had to dig out the crumbling pavement. It was so cold and next to a two lane road and it was quite scary. Tom found a work vest in his truck for me to wear so I had a very important purpose.

Have you tried Lambrusco? It’s a fizzy red wine. I picked this up at Trader Joe’s and it’s really good.

OMG – the chocolate chip cookie dough at TJ’s is amazing. It’s not cheap at $5.49 for about a dozen – maybe a few more – but these are like bakery cookies.

Have you heard of an “analog bag”? This is a tote bag of non-tech things to do – a book to read, a crossword puzzle book, a crochet or embroidery project, etc. I love this idea for me and for children, too. Wouldn’t this be a fun grandparent project to create a bag for the kids for a gift?

By the way, I told my mom I wanted her to stop bringing my kids gifts every time she visited and suggested a “grandma bag” instead of things she would bring and then take home. She loved the idea and jumped on it. My kids loved it, too, and it helped them to not be so spoiled – maybe?

When I was a babysitter, I had a babysitting bag of things I would bring to the kids – coloring pages, old toys of mine and my sisters and things like that. The kids loved it.

Look how cute – Kroger has these 99 cent carrot bags that I think I will use as “Easter baskets” for adult offspring this year.

I had tutoring this week and it went really well. My student got an A on the last quiz!

I just ordered a drip coffee and added cinnamon and it was quite nice. This was $2 and change!

Remember how I’m a sourdough flunkie? I really think the summer humidity hurt me. But, anyway, Kristin has written up her method and I think I could even do this.

Speaking of bread…

I had lunch with my friend Elizabeth this week and she gave me a retirement gift. She is so funny; she said she had been waiting until she could get it just perfect.

It was a basket of things I love. One thing was this Amish Friendship Bread starter. The bread is a cinnamon bread and it contains a dry pudding mix which is interesting. I can’t bake it for about 10 days because I have to follow the process.

She wrote me a poem!

An Eddie Otis keychain was part of the gift!

There were a few other things, too. How thoughtful!

We went to one of my favorite places for their…

cup of soup with puff pastry – I had tomato and she had lobster bisque and they have fries that taste like bougie McDonald’s fries.

I finished this and it could be my favorite book of 2026. I just loved it.

I started this next…

Have you read it?

It’s so promising to see the first signs of spring…

And inside my white hydrangeas are still beautiful – two weeks later!

Thank you for all the comments on my February Spending Diary post; it was like sharing my dirty laundry. I have started tracking for March.

Thank you for your comments on my Adult Children – New Empty Nest post, too. I’m doing pretty well with my new normal.

You all are the best!

Wishing you a happy Friday and something this weekend that fills your cup whether that be a coffee cup or a cocktail glass!

Amy

Thursday, March 5, 2026

This is a crazy time of year to get dressed! I know I’m not the only one who thinks this! So, just like our Kentucky weather, this post will be all over the place. You’ve pretty much come to expect that from me, though.

I knew Saturday would be nice by afternoon and it wasn’t too bad for my morning errands. I put on my faux Birkenstocks without socks because with socks they would be slippery. But, there is something that makes a scratch on my darn toe every time I wear them. I paired them with my new Amazon jeans, my (new in January) Old Navy graphic tee and an old Target cardigan.

Thursday I wore my new Target fish sweater to happy hour. I wore my tan suede pumps. I have been thinking about my color palette. I had my colors done in the 80s and was a summer. I did another color analysis online recently and I’m still a summer. I would love to have them done again by a real human but the price is crazy high. I read that you really don’t change as you age in the color analysis realm. So, the interesting thing is – this fish sweater is in my color palette, and I bought it without thinking about that or remembering that.

I added my Target vest. Boy have I gotten my money’s worth from this vest. It’s just a great vest!

I really don’t know how to “put my face” for selfies so for that I apologize. I did my makeup using my colors. I am following “summer” Instagram accounts and tried to use only what they recommended for lip color and blush color – using what I already had in my makeup stash. What do you think? Also, my hair color matches one of the suggested hair colors for summers given to me by the online analysis. I would share that website, but I don’t remember which one I used.

Gosh, I love my Christmas gift from Tom – this coat. The brand is Delta Roam and this is their D-Robe. It is so warm. Tom started wearing it to walk the dog, too. It’s now the communal dog walking coat.

This is kind of sad. I get my mom’s Talbot’s catalogs. She loved Talbot’s. I still get her mail forwarded to me. She gets lots of river cruise catalogs, too. I get something in my mail daily that is addressed to her. It’s hard some days.

Back to Talkbot’s…

Look how pretty their silk scarves look when styled as such:

I like the stripes with the floral scarf.

I learned a couple of new silk scarf ties on Instagram! It just takes practice. Here is me totally blocking the scarf – doh! I love my Target crochet sweater.

Did you have “boat shoes” in the 80s? They are back! I am kind of obsessed with some slim low-profile versions I’m seeing. I remember the preppiest girl that transferred to my elementary school. Her name was Lolly and she had boat shoes where the laces were done in those spirals and she had stepped on the backs of them and turned them into mules. She was very cool. I think that was the first time I saw boat shoes.

Scarf plus boat shoes?????

But then you have to have the “right jeans”, too?

Aren’t fashion trends fun?

What have you been wearing lately?

What are you excited to wear?

Amy

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Link up below if you are joining me for another edition of Currently and thank you! Also, thank you to Jenn for coming up with most of this month’s prompts!

Saving my life right now – sounds dramatic, but this is just what really adds light to your life:

Seeing the sun, books to read, blogging, texts and phone calls from people I care about

Cleaning/purging:

Oh gosh – so much! I have not written out my “40 Bags in 40 days” of Lent list this year but maybe I need that tangible crossing off to help motivate me.

Loving

A nice mix in my weekly schedule of time at home and time out being social.

Planning (trip wise):

I had a couple of ideas fall through so I am still working on what our next trip will be. I am thinking that Tom, Eddie Otis, and I will drive to a beach soon.

Taking a break from:

Too much social media, worrying about things that aren’t mine to worry about, one-sided relationships

Now for Hodgepodge with Joyce…

1.  As the saying goes, ‘March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.’ Did your March come in roaring or like some other animal? Every month carries with it certain feelings, which is why some people love and anticipate December and others dread it. How do you feel about the month of March? 

Saturday, February 28 was so gorgeous! I had to change into shorts and a t-shirt to sit in the sun! Sunday, March 1 was around 38 and rainy when I woke up, but I’ll take it! I don’t know what animal I would equate it to. I love March. I filled up my bird feeders. I am enjoying hearing the sounds of birds chirping again.

2. Where in your life are you a lion? Where are you a lamb? 

I am a lion when it comes to my kids being wronged – or Tom. I am a lamb when it comes to my kids and nieces and nephews. I try to smooth over my niece and nephew transgressions with their parents if I can.

3. The Hodgepodge lands on National Pound Cake day. Do you like pound cake? If so do you have a favorite flavor? Let’s play this or that-

I like it but never think about it. Isn’t it only sold in the freezer section? It seems very 80s to me. Oh, and I think I have cut it up for fondue?

• pound cake or layer cake?
• pound cake or cheesecake?
• pound cake or angel food cake?
• pound cake or brownie?
• pound cake or pie?

Layer, cheesecake, angel food cake, brownie, pie

Sorry, pound cake!

It is derived from England, and the name comes from the original recipe of a pound of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Dang! That’s a lot!

4. What makes you feel childlike wonder right now? 

Nature! The sun! A stack of library books – for free?! Well, I do pay my taxes.

Colorful things! Pretty store displays! Seasonal decor!

5. What’s one thing you need to add to your wardrobe to get ready for spring? If you’re in the southern hemisphere, then answer for fall? 

I need a pair of comfortable but stylish spring shoes. I am looking at mary janes, loafers, or not very high clogs. Nothing is really better than what I currently have. I just need a closed toe neutral that looks more modern – something that is as comfortable as a sneaker but a little elevated?

I will not be getting these:

My friend Victoria said this is a dupe of a very expensive designer shoe. I still just don’t get the toe situation. These shoes give me nightmares.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I am reflecting on how different this March is compared to last March in so many ways.

What would you say to a Currently or Hodgepodge topic?

Now link up here if you are a blogger:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Amy

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

My goal was to have a “low spend” February. I felt like I was ordering too much on Amazon in January and spending a lot on groceries. I think the winter storm affected that! I was worried about having all the food to cook on hand. We snacked more. We ate our feelings. I was tired of winter and its clothing. You know the drill.

I do think I cut down on eating out this month and we did less take out, as well. Tom has expressed interest in taking lunch to work a couple of days a week, too. He’s finding it harder to find lunch deals and the cold and the traffic have made it more appealing to stay in his office. Yay! This makes me happy. For years he has gone out to eat five days a week to get out of the office but he’s growing up, I guess.

Another goal was to keep a pretty organized fridge, to eat from the freezer, and to cut down on food waste.

I also did not want to shop for myself too much. I feel like I spend too much on toiletries, too. Why do I buy something and then I turn around and need another toiletry? I am trying to use up what I’ve got and keep a list of what I would like in the toiletry department.

I also wanted to have fun this month on a budget. I looked for free things or happy hour deals and free events. .

I continued to use the library and read 6 books this month; the library really is my best friend. If I were to buy those books new – Let’s average the cost of about $15 a book at Target – it would have cost close to $100. Girl math says I can use that on shoes!

I think I had a pretty good month all things considered! I would give myself a B probably if I were getting graded.

Here’s the breakdown to the best of my knowledge…

Amy’s Entertainment (meals out or things with friends): $159

Osteria $51, Green District $15. Steak and Bourbon $20, El Mundo $14, Highland Morning $26, Cheddar Box $20, Red Hog $13

Amy Beauty: $184

eyebrow wax/tint: $61, hair: $123 including tips of 20-25%

I am still so happy with my eyebrows! Tinting is so amazing! No regrets!

Tom and Amy date night: Mojito $86 (included a meal for Mason), Black Rabbit $66 including tips of 25-30%.

We stayed in (even on Valentine’s Day) for dinner a lot more this month than in January.

Amy Clothing: $196

I think I made some really good purchases, but I didn’t plan to shop this much.

Target cream crochet sweater: $37

Target fish sweater: $30

Target plaid short sleeve: $25

Amazon jeans x 2: $42 + $42 (really proud of myself – this was only Amazon fashion purchase of the month)

Consignment striped button up: $10

Consignment sleeveless sweater: $10

Kroger: $786

This is my main grocery shopping place. I usually do pickups. It’s right by my house. We use a lot of Kroger brand items.

All groceries for the month combined: $1109

2/2 $79.06

2/5 $121.63

2/6: $62

2/10: $11.61

2/13: $127.86 and $46.97

2/16: $13

2/18: $6

2/19: $161

2/26 $160 – I had to break down and do an order. We were literally out of everything, but I did well from 2/19-2/25 using up what we had!

Paul’s: $99

This is a little market near my house. It’s too easy to pop in!

2/1: $31

2/7 $42

2/8 $26

Trader Joe’s: $51, $72, and $50

I really reduced my TJ’s runs this month!

2/9 $51

2/15 $72

2/27 $50

Costco:

2/19: $99 – mainly dog food

Daily Expenditures:

Sunday, Feb. 1 – Paul’s Fruit Market $31

Monday, Feb. 2 – Kroger pick up $81, Feeder’s Supply dog treats and one toy $37, $3.95 Starbuck’s while tutoring my Spanish student (have to buy something to use their table!) +$40 tutoring money earned

Tuesday, Feb. 3 – Target lace trimmed track suit $70 – ended up returning.

Wednesday, Feb. 4 – $64 brow wax, tint, and tip, $40 Osteria happy hour with Jen that turned into dinner also – her idea and we split a chicken parm +40 Facebook Marketplace selling my yellow Hunter boots I never wear

Thursday, Feb. 5 – $110 Kroger pick up, $195 Costco run, $40 Walgreen’s toiletry items

Friday, Feb. 6 -Mojito $25 happy hour with old school friends

Saturday, Feb. 7 – $42 Paul’s Fruit Market (mostly sympathy gift for friends); Dave’s Hot Chicken $50 dinner

Sunday, Feb. 8 – Walgreens $42, car wash $15, gym $0, Paul’s $26

Monday, Feb. 9 – Library $0, Trader Joe’s $51

Tuesday, Feb. 10 – consignment shopping with friend $0, Lunch at Green District Salad $16 with tip

Wednesday, Feb. 11 – Amazon Return, Goodwill drop off, Kroger $11.61, Walgreens Shingle $0

Thursday, Feb. 12 – Free Galentine’s Event but did buy a 12 cent mimosa (!!) and then spent $16 on an appetizer at Steak and Bourbon

Friday, Feb. 13 – Target Return +$70 but saw crochet sweater $35, Kroger Pick up for Valentine’s meal and staples we were out of $127.86 and I went in and spent $46.97 more! Ugh!

Saturday, Feb. 14 – Haymarket sandwich for lunch $12

Sunday, Feb. 15 – Shiraz $13 and Thai $32

Monday, Feb. 16 – McDonald’s $5, Kroger $13, El Mundo $13

Tuesday, Feb. 17 – Hair day! $123, Cajun gumbo delivery because mine was ruined $30

Wednesday, Feb. 18 – charity dinner $53 (pre-paid), Kroger milk and a frozen meal for Tom to take to work $8

Thursday, Feb. 19 – Kroger pick up $150, Costo $99 (dog food and a few food items)

Friday, Feb. 20 – $20

Breakfast, $40 plant store, $20

Consignment, $60 dinner

Saturday, Feb. 21 – $0 – ordered gold mary janes on Amazon

Sunday, Feb. 22 – Target return +$26 and Target purchase $48

Monday, Feb. 23 – tutor student +$40, Starbuck’s $9 (too much! – I go there to do my tutoring and freeze because I don’t know what to order)

Tuesday, Feb. 24 – Amazon return at UPS store $0, Lunch with friend Beth $20, purchase of two of the cutest pink and green candlesticks and tiny taper candles $14

Wednesday, Feb. 25 -EO pedicure $26, feeders treats and bday toy $48 -oopsie, Taco Bell $9

Th, Feb. 26 – Beth and Jenny high school friends for happy hour at Red Hog – I only spent $8 but with tip it was $13. I bought a bottle of wine next door for $13, too.

Friday, Feb. 27 – movie ticket $12 with online fees (maybe next matinee I will just wait to buy ticket), Kroger pick up $160, Door Dash dinner $50

Sat, Feb. 28 – library $0, Trader Joe’s $50, pizza $20

It was hard to record everything this month, but it was eye opening and it helped me to be intentional. I would like to have more zero spend days going forward.

I feel like you just saw my dirty laundry!

Amy

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

You either have adult children or you will have adult children, no? I am inspired by mothers a bit ahead of me in this walk. I have parented harder in the last few years than I really thought I would if you want to know the truth. It’s a different sort of parenting. I remember my cousin who is ahead of me in the parenting game by a few years saying she longed for the days of physical rather than mental exhaustion. Have you ever felt that way?

Ok, this might be good! If I find out these movie ads I’m seeing are a hoax I will be upset!

I have 23-year-old twins. They were pretty neck and neck with things in life until senior year of college. Mason studied abroad in England for the first semester of senior year and Jack found himself in an uncomfortable dorm suite situation with three strangers and decided to move home for senior year and commute. I was disappointed but agreed that it made sense.

So, from beginning of senior year until this past September, Jack was at home with us. Mason lived on campus until the end of senior year and then lived at home with us until two weeks ago. Wahhhh! All in all, it was about the same amount of time. There isn’t the stigma with moving back home with your parents that there used to be. In Europe, kids live at home all through college and up until they get married.

Looking back now, we could not have had a puppy without them at home. I was out of the house from 8-4 and unable to come home to let the dog out (Who let the dogs out? The kids, the kids). Tom was out of the house from 7:30-almost 6 and could come home but it wasn’t that easy with about a 20-minute commute. They were able to help us between their two work schedules. I really enjoyed most of that time that they were at home, too. I felt like they had a time of re-connection in their relationship, too.

I feel like Tom and I dabbled in the empty nest world during each of those three years they were on campus. They chose the same liberal arts college in our city but lived on campus. They started at the height of Covid in August of 2020, and Tom and I felt really good about the college’s policies and the fact that they were near if they got sick. This was in the days of mandatory testing, vaccines, mask wearing, etc. Oh, and our kids went to college without driver’s licenses because their lessons got cancelled and the DMV shut down. They drug their feet a bit about starting the permit and license process and then poof their lessons got cancelled and we didn’t know when the DMV would open back up. They did get their licenses the summer after freshman year of college.

Having twins and no other children, we only got one shot and had to divide our attention between two young humans hitting all the milestones together – if that makes sense.

I try to respect my kids’ privacy and don’t share a whole lot here on the blog. Neither of them is active on social media much and I have always said they act more like kids of the 80s. They both love records (especially Mason), comic books, and board games.

They both live here in our city with a roommate each. I think both of them have a good first apartment/house in the “real world” situation. They aren’t great with phone calls, but they text quite a bit.

Jack’s text last week:

So sweet. Forgive the mistakes.

And, this cracked me up. Mason had just moved out:

He was looking for capers to whip up a casual chicken piccata dish in his new place! So Mason!

Tom never thought the college years should be defined as us being “empty nesters”. He said they were still coming home for the summers and breaks and such and that didn’t count. I guess he was right because this feels more permanent even though one or both could end up back here at some point.

I was ready for Jack to move out in September because we had started butting heads about household contributions and I didn’t love how late he would sleep on certain days. It also made me nervous knowing his commitments and what time he was leaving to get places on time. Both of my kids think it’s rude to be early. What the what? I was from a military family that said, “if you are on time, you are late”. It’s so part of my makeup to be early and to allow more time for any place I have to go. Honestly, it improved our relationship greatly for him to move out. He regularly asks about me now and it feels like he has so much more appreciation for us and what we provided.

Mason moving out a couple of weeks ago was harder. He was a big help to me and Eddie Otis and was pleasant and actually wanted to talk and spend time with Tom and I… until about a month ago. We started butting heads and I was doing more parenting than is healthy at this stage. I just couldn’t help myself. He was annoyed with things I was doing (like unloading the dishwasher too early and horrible things like that) and it was really getting old.

So, I am in an adjustment period right now and I have my moments. I feel like the making dinner pressure is off a bit because it’s easy to just cook for Tom and I and I feel like Tom and I can be on our schedule now – we both get up early and go to bed early and don’t have to worry about when anyone is coming home. We don’t have to be as quiet in the kitchen with someone else asleep.

I’m also sad that I don’t have a kid at home to give me that “mothering” purpose.

I miss the younger years with my sweet kids.

I am trying to say things like “let me know what you need help with” when I talk to my kids. I am trying not to use “you should” and “back in my day I did___”. I can still remember how opinionated my parents were with me and that sometimes it really made me feel bad. I would have thoughts that they weren’t proud of me when they said they didn’t agree with my adult decisions.

I will say that the world is not the same today as it was in 1994 when I graduated from college. It just isn’t. It is very, very expensive to have now what I was able to afford at 22. I was able to have an apartment (with a roommate), a car payment on a brand-new car, afford travel, and have a pretty good social life on my first salary of $21, 000. It’s a fine line between being understanding and letting the kids use today’s world as a crutch for why they can’t do something, though.

Since I have twins, when they are together it’s almost as if no one else exists. They have inside jokes and are just really in tune with each other. I try to get them one on one so I can chat with each one separately. I’m hoping to take them out one on one soon. I also like to nurture their bond and I try to give them some money to have fun together every few months. It’s super important to me and I know that has been one of the hardest things for them to go from living together to not living together and having conflicting work schedules.

Anyway…I’m doing ok with my new normal, but I did have my moments as I was getting adjusted and still have my moments.

Amy

Monday, March 2, 2026

I had such a nice weekend! We need to go back to Thursday, though… and let’s link up with Holly and Sarah.

I had a happy hour at one of my favorite places, Red Hog, which has a really long marble table inside a heated outdoor structure. Unfortunately, there was a private party, but my two high school friends that live nearby and I made do with this table next to a heater. It was still a bit chilly out that afternoon.

We ordered drinks and this homemade brioche bread and butter to share.

It was so nice catching up and laughing together!

This is how Tom told me he was on his way home from work. Ok….

No words – just his selfie. That’s my “hi” below.

Friday I finally saw Wuthering Heights at a matinee with my college roommate and bestie.

The chairs are so comfortable that I was afraid I might fall asleep but I didn’t!

It was stunning! It was so good. I don’t know that I ever read the book, but I read up on the plot before going. I am not sure how close it was to the original story. I also realized you didn’t really need any background to enjoy the movie. I loved it so much. I would see it again. It’s best seen in the theater for sure. I read that it was filmed in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in England. The landscape was gorgeous.

I came home and Eddie Otis and I picked up groceries and walked. I read outside a little bit but it was still chilly. I did finish this book on Friday. Oh wow. It was thought-provoking. I didn’t really like the mom or the dad. I had a problem with the dad buying White Claws for his just turned 18 year old son. I didn’t give anything away. I didn’t love how they parented. Look at me – so judgey.

With that being said, I’m glad I read the book and it scared me even more about AI. It won’t be one of my favorites, but I did like it.

We ordered some take out for dinner and I got this Greek salad – it was unique.

Saturday morning I got up and out early to run some errands and I took a homemade breakfast burrito to go in my car – yum!

I went to Kroger to return stinky salmon – yes I did, to the library, and to Trader Joe’s. I ran into an old teaching friend at Trader Joe’s and that was so nice!

Look at my stack:

I started this and I am loving it!

At this point, I got hot! I changed into shorts and a t-shirt!

Eddie Otis did some sunbathing:

Mason ate lunch on the deck:

As if my day couldn’t get any better, these magazines arrived and my former student dropped off our Girl Scout cookies.

I filled up my bird feeders:

Around 5, Tom, Eddie Otis, and I drove downtown to walk around the NULU area, and it was hopping and there was literally no parking! I don’t know if something was going on or if the weather just brought people out. We ended up just driving along the river and getting some pizza for dinner. We are watching How to Get to Heaven from Belfast and watched an episode.

Sunday Tom and I ran an errand, but it was a lazy, lazy day. It turned cold again but I did go for a walk without a canine.

Don’t forget the March edition of Currently is this Wednesday:

Saving my life right now – sounds dramatic, but this is just what really adds light to your life,Cleaning/purging,Loving,Planning (trip wise),Taking a break from – are the prompts.

I hope you will join me!

What did you do this weekend?

Amy

Saturday, February 28, 2026

It’s a rare Saturday post coming at you so I can link up with Jenn!

Something I loved

Gosh, this month went by quickly! I love looking back at my February photos to jog my memory. I also love referring back to my February goals list to see how I did. I had a full month and feel very blessed. I also did really well on my goals list. We had a cold month and our electric bill doubled what it was in January!

I loved having fires in my fireplace on the cold and snowy weekend days. I loved having my Valentine’s decor up, too.

I loved all my themed meals I tried to make.

Since the Olympics was set in Italy, I went to World Market and got a few authentic Italian things.

Here was my cacio e pepe for the opening of the Olympics. I didn’t watch as much as I thought I would. I am more a Summer Olympics gal! I can’t wait to make cacio e pepe again.

I loved making my German Valentine’s meals and my attempt at Mardi Gras gumbo. Oh well. I love a theme and would you believe I have been making themed meals for Tom since we were dating? I had a little one-bedroom apartment and made him some funny themed meals in my tiny kitchen.

I loved one on one time with friends this month. I went to a Galentine’s event with my friend Jessica and we ended the night with the best lemondrop martini.

A nice happy hour and meal with my friend Jennifer:

I had a consignment shopping day with Katie and a plant shopping day with Kara. I had a lunch and shopping day with Beth, and finally a happy hour with two high school girls that live nearby.

Something that sustained me

The sun – even when it was cold, we had a lot of sunny days. Even when I’m just in my car picking up groceries the blue sky and sun help me!

My reading life – check out my February books

A bit more routine – albeit a loose one

A joyful attitude – more joy and less sadness

Phone calls and texts with family and friends – along with in person time mentioned above

Something I’m carrying forward into March

Learning how to better parent adult children

Worrying about what is mine to worry about – I can make a problem mine very easily

Matching energy – I had some let downs with people in my life in February. One person lied to me and one person didn’t make it seem like I was important in their life. So, I need to take these actions at face value, realize those actions are about the other person and not me, and spend my energy elsewhere. I think?

Something I’m making space for this month

More walks outside alone. I love walking EO, but I also need to walk alone.

Music. I am playing more music at home, and I am also anticipating some live music opportunities coming up. The music rather than a podcast has really lifted my spirits. Sometimes I think we have too much talking and not enough music in our lives, no?

Well, my Four Somethings got deep real fast!

What is something you would share with me today?

Amy