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

37 thoughts on “Currently + Hodgepodge”

  1. Oh yes I LOVE flip flop weather! I can’t stand pickles and pretty much avoid them so I often give my pickle away to anyone at the table. I love Father of the Bride. I mean I like most wedding movies but that is definitely one of my favorites.

    Like

    Reply

  2. I had almost the exact same reaction to the Fitzgerald quote- that I thought it a bit more relatable if talking about spring, not summer. That is so sad about your mom and her hair limiting her! My mom was the exact opposite. She wasn’t vain at all wearing little to no make up and never fussing with her hair. (But she denied my siblings and me almost every dairy product so… every mom has her quirks I guess.) I don’t quite get the cupcake trend. I’m with it on everything except the spoon part. Like the spoon is supposed to scrape off the sprinkles? Thanks for the link up… oops I haven’t done that yet!

    Like

    Reply

    1. Right? It seems more spring-like. I think so, too. She missed out on things because of vanity. She was vain her whole life.
      Dairy Denied – put that on a t-shirt. Do you love dairy now?
      I think I was supposed to chop up the cake and put layers of frosting in a cup like a trifle. The scraping is just to make a satisfying sound. I bet people come up with these trends and then laugh their heads off at the sheep who follow!

      Like

      Reply

  3. What is it with Kroger?!? My husband and I went in Saturday morning to get my favorite bread (I only buy bread now when the kids are home because I don’t eat it enough/fast enough myself) and they didn’t have any out. I asked someone in the bakery if they had any that had just been baked and not put out yet and two different people confirmed that they have discontinued it. I really couldn’t believe it…sometimes we shop at Kroger only to get that bread. Funny enough, last night, we went into Kroger to return something we bought Saturday (still on the lookout for the “perfect“ cooler) and customer service was closed. Apparently it closes at 8 PM? We walked out and my husband asked out loud if I thought Kroger was in trouble? I can’t imagine…but shopping trends have changed so much in the last decade I’m sure it’s difficult to stay in business in such a changing environment.
    I wonder, when we really look at ourselves, what is it that “rules” our life (maybe we don’t even realize it”? I think me answer would be being cold. I HATE being cold and will say “no” to things just b/c I don’t want to be cold.
    You’ve inspired me to try that salad!

    Like

    Reply

    1. I really don’t know! Our Kroger has made changes for the worse and I get mad when I go in now. They extended shelving really high up and moved things around and it’s just annoying. I don’t think I have been in since April. I have been doing pick ups and then the one delivery! What is your favorite bread? I am not curious and want to see if we have it. I need to visit the Murray’s Cheese Shop guy because he loves to give me samples – lol.
      That is such a good and deep question. I think you are right about the being cold thing. I really needed to get out more this winter. There is no bad weather, just bad clothing? Ha!
      The salad is really basic but I really love Greek flavors. I bought a lemon chicken breast (already cooked) at Trader Joe’s yesterday to put with the salad. I also might add grape tomatoes today.

      Like

      Reply

    2. Oh, also – keep your bread in the freezer or split the into half and put the other half in the freezer. I have also done this with hot dog buns since we only use two at a time.

      Like

      Reply

  5. I’m excited for all the summer produce. We are growing tomatoes in pots and there are lots of flowers happening on the plants now so hopefully we have a good crop. I love a tomato pie and will for sure make one this summer. I’m mostly looking forward to a tomato sandwich which is my favorite way to eat a tomato. I’d go tile shopping with you. I love looking at tile : ) But I’ll eat my pickle so won’t be sharing that. Have a great day!

    Like

    Reply

    1. Yes! I think I will go to the farmer’s market tonight and Saturday morning possibly, too. I wish I could try that but I know myself and I would give up. I have the tomato pie recipe from someone’s mom in Alabama from a podcast. It looks like a solid recipe but I need perfect tomatoes. Haha – I tell Tom to pick his two favorite and then let me pick. He is very into design and has very good taste and ideas if I do say so. I understand that you won’t share your pickle. I like to get extra pickles at Chick Fil A if I remember. I haven’t had that in ages. You too!

      Like

      Reply

  6. That is a shame if you don’t do things because you are worried about your hair, life is too short to worry about things like that! The Other Bennet Sister and Off Campus is on my list of things to eventually get around to watching. This summer is the first one which isn’t running buy the school calendar when my girl leaves education at the end of the month. It is going to be strange. I said Father of the Bride for #4 too. It is such a sweet and funny movie and very similar for #5. Yes, I saw the viral dot cupcake for the first time last night and I need to try it!

    Like

    Reply

    1. I agree! It’s just hair but maybe it’s more than that for some.
      Let us know if you like those shows.
      I bet you will feel free without the school calendar, too.
      I wish I had also said Crazy Rich Asians!
      It’s just sprinkles! They are going crazy!

      Like

      Reply

  8. I loved all of your answers! The salad at the end looks amazing; I love a simple salad! There is a girl I followed on TikTok (I deactivated my account there) that was great at making finely chopped homemade salads. All her dressings had an oil and vinegar base, with salt and pep, not sugar. I don’t love sweet dressings. I forgot about tomato pie! I think it’s one you’ll enjoy, it’s so summery! Thank you so much for the shopping opinions yesterday! I’m going back to get that yellow dress; after looking at the picture again, I’m good with that color. I hope they still have it!

    Like

    Reply

    1. I am having so much fun – not the word, really – making my own dressing in the Bonne Maman jam jars. I think our favorite is evoo, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of dijon, and you can thin out with water. I add some garlic, salt, and pepper. You can do less maple syrup for less sweet. You can add lemon juice. It’s really fun to play around. I am big on my salads being finely chopped!
      Our shopping consult was so fun!

      Like

      Reply

  10. I said the same thing about this blogging community 🙂 I feel like I am too much like your mom- my hair rules so much of my schedule-just insane- probably because I have always had difficult hair and was bullied as a kid due to my frizzy hair…anyway, I digress, love your flip flops!

    Like

    Reply

    1. It’s so sweet!
      I kept that in mind as I was writing – hair is not easy for some. It sounds like you are aware but I don’t see you missing out due to it. Maybe it simply rules your routine?
      Thank you!

      Like

      Reply

  11. Your thoughts about your mom and her hair made me think of both of my grandmothers. When I was a kid and we would go out on my parents boat, both of my grandmothers would tie scarves over their hair to keep it from getting messed up. I thought they really missed out on the wind in their hair! They would also wear long long sleeve shirts to protect their skin and as a result they had beautiful skin. I probably should do that more as my arms are really getting more brown spots.

    Like

    Reply

  12. Without school age kids at home, summer doesn’t vibe the same for me, either. For while, it meant summer for Hubby and I to visit wineries and breweries. Maybe lounge in our chairs on the weekends. Nowadays, all of that is done and I have to find another season to be my new favorite. I’m thinking Fall…

    Like

    Reply

  14. I love the story about not knowing the Spanish word for “fan” and working around the problem to make yourself understood.

    I would love for you to do a post on great ways to learn Spanish. I have been using the Duolingo app for a year. I can tell that I am learning a lot of vocabulary and that my RECEPTIVE understanding is improving but I have a LONG way to go with improving my EXPRESSIVE language.

    I work part time and homeschool my kids so I need something that I can do on my own instead of taking a class.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Haha – thank you!
      Oh gosh, I am a fan of the traditional classroom with Duolingo for supplemental. I will think about that!
      I get that! Good for you for working on this! I need to try to learn another language so maybe that will motivate me.

      Like

      Reply

  15. Thanks for all the show recommendations! That is funny about Tom’s bread. And how wonderful that you don’t have to tip the Kroger delivery!

    Like

    Reply

  17. I’m one of those people who doesn’t like a sunroof being open because it does weird things to my ears! My mom was exactly like yours! I love pickles on cheeseburgers but have to be in the mood to eat them plain. Fried pickles are a definite yes! I’ll try to get a Currently post done.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment