Monday, November 10, 2025

How was your weekend? Let’s link up with Holly and Sarah to find out about mine!

You guys!!! This is my neighbor’s tree, and the sun has been hitting it just right this week. Isn’t this gorgeous? I know people talk about leaf peeping trips and country drives and cabins in the woods – and I do, too – but there is so much beauty around us in our everyday lives, too. I am so thankful to live amongst this beauty!

Starting from Thursday, here is my weekend…

I treated myself to a “running errands coffee” and decided to make it iced…

Here is what I did. It needs more of some type of milk, but it was good and I will definitely get it again. I appreciate the people that come up with these lower calorie swaps!

I want to try this one, too!

I picked up two books from the library!

This one:

And, this one:

I didn’t know who Caroline Chambers was, but someone recommended this. I have not connected with a cookbook like this in forever. There are so many things I want to cook, you guys! Here is her website. Her recipes look like things we like to eat (for the most part), don’t contain crazy ingredients (or too many ingredients), and she offers lots of “riffs”. It just is very approachable. I have been feeling very uninspired in the kitchen lately so I am hoping this is my remedy.

I love these indices in the back:

What to cook when… you want something healthy, you’re craving something cozy, etc.

She also has them organized by protein but encourages protein swaps.

I love reading cookbooks cover to cover like they are a novel!

Tom worked so hard last week and into the weekend. I am amazed at all he got done. He redid the fence – just has a little section left.

He filled this dumpster with old patio boards, carpet, and garage things and topped it off with our leaves.

Friday morning, I had a breakfast date with my friend Beth. We tried a new place called Grale Goods and it was so good!

I came home to Tom and assistant Eddie Otis taking a break…

Tom would not like me showing you his dome.

I read outside for a bit – fall vibes book – with my tea and candle.

I watched some of the work…and went and helped Tom with some of the things that the thumbless EO was not good at like holding a tape measure. I also brought a sandwich out for them. See, I helped?

My friend Heather picked me up for this holiday open house late Friday afternoon. We had so much fun looking at the holiday decor and gifts and getting lots of tastes of wine and nibbles. It was hopping with more middle-aged ladies than you thought possible.

Then, we had a drink and dinner in a cool lounge…

I had a power bowl:

I came home to this:

I noticed this on socials. This is a street by my house and a coffee/donut place I shared about recently:

Saturday, I did some housework and I gave Tom the day off to go hiking with his friend so I had to solo parent Eddie Otis.

At 6:00 we went to our friends’ house and I had an excellent spicy marg with just the ingredients shown below:

Our friends made Philly cheesesteak sandwiches on their Blackstone along with onion rings in their air fryer before we went to a concert.

Their dog Luna:

The concert didn’t start until 8:00 so I was nervous. I think it’s my favorite concert venue in Louisville now and it’s called Paristown Hall. It’s in a cool fixed up area.

We bought the cheap seats which actually are the best in the house. I thought it was standing room only in the balcony, but they had high tables and chairs and couches. It was awesome!

We saw The Wood Brothers and a duet opener from Ireland that we really liked.

Sunday, I made some banana bread because we had lots of brown bananas.

We got home late Saturday night, and I didn’t sleep in, so I was pretty tired and lazy much of the day. I did manage to plan some meals, order groceries, finish laundry, organize my closet, and piddle around a bit. The weather turned cold yesterday and we might have snow as you are reading this! Eek! Too soon! But, it should be back to the 60s by the weekend.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

15 thoughts on “Hello Monday”

  1. I agree with looking at all this fall beauty around us! I love this time of year in the south. I am so glad to hear you had a place to sit and enjoy the concert Saturday night. That makes a late night more enjoyable :). The holiday open house sounds like a good kick off to this Christmas season. Have a good day friend!

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  2. The middle age ladies have more time to look around than the young ones, many of whom likely have young kids they need to ferry around and the older ladies have more than enough “stuff”- my thoughts on the middle age shoppers but my analysis could be completely wrong, lol. Your outings all sound fun! Though definitely late- glad you could have a relaxing day yesterday and that your husband got so much done when he was off work. We have the same cruddy weather- we got snow and more is predicted and it will be lovely and warm(ish) again by the weekend.

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  3. That sounds a lot like my Sunday. I got home around midnight Saturday after dropping Alec off after Hadestown and then I was up by 5 on Sunday… despite trying to sleep in, I just could not. I did nap for a bit around noon though so that certainly helped.

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  5. Sounds like a great weekend! I love how EO helps, and that you call him Thumbless EO. The fence looks great, and your Saturday night sounds fun! So does the walking around with the friend…we have something like that in my town, but I didn’t love it the last two times I went. It’s like a ladies night out on the square when you can Christmas shop and everything stays open late…we didn’t even attempt to go last year. I love the look of the book you’re reading…it’s perfect to read outside. Speaking of that, the pics of your trees in the neighborhood are stunning. I’ve been enjoying that as well lately in my neck of the woods. You’re so right about not even having to travel to see beauty…but I do also love to travel. I’m taking a solo road trip in a couple of weeks to see my Noah! It’ll be my first time to go there alone, but I cannot wait to get my arms around him.

    That was so random, all that I mentioned! I hope you have a great day, friend. xoxo

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  6. Your street is so pretty! And love the EO photos! He’s a working dog, lol. I too love reading cookbooks and looking at new suggestions. I cook most nights and run out of ideas so love seeing new things. Have a great week!

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  7. Your neighbor’s tree us gorgeous!! We have a couple of trees that change color but not until end of November. The highlight of my weekend is the cold front that came through.😄 I finally tried Walmart+ for grocery delivery. It’s awesome!! I have used it for other things but not groceries. Have a good week!

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  8. That tree really is beautiful and I do that too, treat myself to an errands coffee and yum to the Sugar Cookie Espresso!
    I haven’t heard of Caroline Chambers but she sounds like my type of cook. I like recipes without crazy ingredients. I love the sound of the recipes.
    It sounds like a great concert.

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  9. I was afraid the trees here wouldn’t have any color since it’s been so dry. But, I think they decided, collectively, to really show off! And, they surely have. Today, they’re covered with snow…so it’s like we’re swaddled in snow…it’s so quiet. I am going to look for that cookbook because I feel that way all the time!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com

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  10. I agree that the trees around us are just as pretty as the ones in the woods! I would prefer to live in a place surrounded by trees anyway. I have been turned off oatmilk ever since I read/considered about how it’s really just liquid carbs because it’s oats. It crashes your blood sugar. I think that now every time I see an influencer peddling an oatmilk something or other. Unless, of course, you have issues with dairy!

    I’ve always been too chicken to try making jalapeno margaritas?

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    1. Well now you’ve ruined oat milk for me – lol. I guess that’s why I like it. Carbs!
      The Trader Joe’s or this bottle she used were not too spicy for me. Oh she added a bit of lime Spindrift on top!

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  11. Tom got a lot done! I love the fall color you always share. Grace had snow in Nash this morning. I’m putting that cookbook on hold – it looks so good!

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