Friday, August 15, 2025

Happy Friday to all who celebrate! That’s just a little joke from the retired world.

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some faves.

I would like to share a deep thought before we get into the weekly favorites. I ran into a friend at Trader Joe’s and she just closed her retail business at pretty much the same time I retired. So, we were both chatting about both being retirees. I told her I was kind of tired of people asking what I am going to do and why I had to do anything. A lady in her 70s (I would guess) chimed in and said, “that’s exactly right. You go, girls. You have already done your part.” It was nice to get that validation.

And, yes, I live in a place where strangers regularly strike up conversations or join in and I love it!

Now for some favorites…

Monday as the school children were playing behind our house on the elementary playground I snapped this photo of Eddie looking longingly like he wanted to be part of it:

Isn’t that the sweetest? It was until he decided it was time to bark his head off!

Monday I had to get two cavities filled! I haven’t had a filling for 30 years and I only had one filling. Boo! But, the people at the dentist office are so nice and my friend is my dentist!

My reward after was getting to see Madeleine, my former student who taught in Madrid and is going back in September to do another year at the same school.

My outfit for dentist and coffee shop was a favorite:

I always feel weird sharing stuff like this but this blog is also for my memories. I got a follow request on IG from a former student that I honestly didn’t think liked me very much, and, honestly he could be difficult.

Awww! We had a nice little chat back and forth! We have to love them through their high school years and then they come out on top I guess. It’s just a reminder to tell people you appreciate(d) them because it can really make someone’s day.

Sister Kate (she said she sounds like a nun when I say that and I can assure you she is definitely not – lol) asked if my encounters with former students made me sad and I honestly don’t think so. Seeing Madeleine and hearing from the IG former student make me happy.

This book has all the stuff you would think it has to get you motivated…

I really loved this. I have friends and family who can’t park their car in their garage! I also loved “just because you have the space to store it doesn’t mean you should”.

Is anyone else concerned about the literal storage unit businesses we have popping up all the time in this country?

Anyway, what do you do if the clutter isn’t your problem yet? Also, this book has lots of bad words if you are sensitive to that. You can’t really do anything about someone else’s clutter unless they ask you for help in my opinion.

I made copycat Taco Bell enchiritos for dinner this week and I loved them! I never ordered that but apparently it was a thing. Here is the recipe I used.

And, I served it with a Caesar salad because Caesar salad was developed in Mexico! Look at me still teaching!

The next night I made Kristin’s Caesar wraps and added bacon:

Target has really great super chopped salad mixes and I used this:

Lots of Caesar going on around here!

For my baking this week I made such a good peanut butter chocolate bar. You put graham crackers in the peanut butter mixture and it added a little something something. It’s only a 5 ingredient recipe with no baking involved. You’ve got to try this if you are a pb/choc fan.

I also made the Kat James lentil recipe again this week. I can’t get enough of that for my lunches. I actually liked the canned lentils better than the Trader Joe’s refrigerated lentils and you can find canned lentils at any grocery.

Did you know that I am not allowed to step foot on my school property until a 3 month break in service from the date of my retirement? I can’t even go to a football game until October 1. So, I asked Erica to do a pick up at my driveway and I gave her an enchirito, lentils, and some chocolate peanut butter bars for her lunches this week. Erica is my old meal prep partner. I wanted to make her first 5 day week a little easier.

I did a Kroger pick up this week. I went in to the store on Saturday did a pick up mid-week. If you read my Grocery Epiphany post you read that I am trying to buy less at a time to make sure I am using up my food. Pick up is free with a $35 purchase and we all know it’s not hard to get to $35 these days. Go back and read the comments on that post. My readers have a wealth of tips.

I am trying to send more cards and the recipient of this one texted me that they loved it!

I finished this – loved it!

And, I started this. It starts out quite melancholy.

I’ve been putting this off but I finally did it – got my first of the Shingles shot series. I walked around for the 15 minute period that they want you to wait. They gave me a coupon but I didn’t buy anything yet.

Fall stuff it out! I am team love candy corn.

I love to have some seasonal plates and napkins for happy hours and get togethers. I especially like the small cocktail plates and napkins. This reminds me of my mom. She had so many paper products on hand at all times. I am still using some of her napkins that I thought were cute.

It’s been fun and not sad to think of all the ways I am like my mom and the seasonal napkins and plates is definitely one of them. The little ghosts with the glasses are super cute, too. Maybe this is how I will spend my Walgreen’s 20% off coupon.

I feel like this post is getting long because I type like I would talk to you, I guess. It’s like a long one-sided conversation.

I was so, so, so thrilled when Nordstrom.com came through for me! My sister Molly had her bday on Wednesday and she is a big Nike girl. As a first grade teacher she only wears sneakers to school now. Nordstrom told me these wouldn’t arrive til Friday but they were there when she got home on her actual birthday! Yay!

She sent me this picture and said she loved them. They are grey but they look lavender.

Bad photo but Mason, Tom, and I had Mediterranean this week and it hit the spot. This fed all three of us with the addition of some pita and hummus and some sidewinder fries with a spicy dipping sauce. This is rice, salmon, and chicken. It’s so good. It’s Shiraz if you are local.

Tom turned on the patio lights for me the other morning. I am out of the habit of it and enjoyed seeing this when I got up and went outside.

And, that’s a wrap for my favorites of the week! I’d love to hear one of yours and thanks for reading!

Amy

Thursday, August 14, 2025

It’s Fashion day with Kellyann and Jill!

Who is starting to think about fall clothes? Once school starts back I start to think about all things fall. Of course, we will be wearing summer clothes for quite a bit longer, but it’s fun to think about at least!

The ankle jean is back! Now that we have all gotten rid of our ankle jeans, of course! So what I am seeing, is that your ankles are showing so a kick crop or a straight leg with ankle showing would be the most current.

I read that the wide leg will still be in style and the straight leg will still be in style, too. They say the barrel will be, too, but that is not a look for me. And, you know, wear what works for you! I do think the super skinny jegging type jean looks all wrong on me now.

I placed a Halara order for their straight leg pull on jean. I accidentally picked regular instead of petite and then tried to correct it with customer service but I am not sure I was successful. I really don’t want to have to have them hemmed but maybe it would be worth it. We shall see. I will let you know when they come in.

I have been so happy and gotten my money’s worth from my three identical pairs of wide legs from them. I have this medium blue below, light denim, and black. If you have been wanting to try them, I would say do it. My blog reader Kim swears by them as well and took them on her Alaska cruise and wore them the most!

The medium blue are the lightest weight (I think the light blue and black are a little bit heavier material) and I have surprised myself by how much I have pulled them on this summer. The flowy legs allow for air to move whereas if you had sausage casing jeans on in the summer you would not get that same effect!

Meh to this outfit. I was trying to wear my various blouses. I think I just ran to the store. I have a lot of issues with blouse lengths. Sometimes they are so long they are not flattering.

This is what I wore on my first day of NOT going to school after my photo I took. I have loved the white gauzy shirt especially this summer, but I have it in black and hot pink,too. I have the pink and white and red and white versions of these boxer short type shorts. I took myself to breakfast, a pedicure, Starbucks, and to buy fall magazines in this ‘fit.

This is my favorite outfit of the week. I wore my new TJ Maxx fruit blouse with my old Target cut offs and my new Free People espadrille Mary Janes.

I wore the above to go to the new wine bar that turned out to be closed that day. Wasted outfit! Ha!

For the Saturday night wedding I wore this boutique brand She & Sky dress that I found at my consignment store for $12 along with consignment heels that I have had for 3 years or so. They are Target A New Day but they are pretty comfortable for a heel.

And, this is my second favorite outfit of the week. I have two dresses in this style with pretty thick cotton material and pockets. They are both from Walmart. I pictured this dress with red shoes and tried it out and loved it. I also have red clogs and I think I did that before with those.

I mentioned that many of my dresses and skirts felt too teachery. I do not think this one feels it.

Here is the pink version of the same dress. It is a little different in the back and the hemline.

I love my new shoes!

Some red espadrille inspo:

They are not a bright red but more of a muted red and when looking in my closet I couldn’t believe how much I have that will work with them. I was picturing just jeans and a white blouse, too.

I bought another pair of Target Wild Fable shorts. They were still $14 and not on sale in store. These are a brownish purplish color and I took the photo at night so the photo is not representative.

For fall/winter, I am thinking about buying these Birkenstock dupes from Quince. These appeal to me because the price is less than half of the Birks and because they are water repellent.

I have never ordered from Quince. I have heard only good things.

So, pretty soon – like September – it will feel weird to wear my summery colors and fabrics, tropical prints, and things like that. I think it’s so important to have early fall transition pieces. Over the years I have tried to have some summer weight things in fallish colors.

I always like to inventory what I have that I still love and still loves me (lol) before buying anything new.

I’m still figuring out my retirement lewk, of course! I do want to get dressed each day!

I want to have less stuff but more stuff that I love. I want to have more quality and less quantity.

What have you been wearing?

Have you bought anything for fall?

Amy

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

I told myself I wouldn’t mention anyone’s birthday on the blog because I wouldn’t want to leave anyone from my IRL out and have them be mad at me, but it’s my baby sister’s birthday! I still remember the day she came home from the hospital. I was so excited! She is next to me in this photo so you can see our age difference of 7 years. I’m in the Snoopy bathing suit. We were always buddies. She fought with the middle sister but I don’t think she and I ever fought. We had a little dance routine we did together where I would hold her and swing her around.

I sent her a gift and I hope she will be surprised and really like it!

1. August is National Golf month…do you play? Do you enjoy following golf? Have you ever been to a professional tournament? 

I do not. I do not. I have been to Valhalla once here in Louisville for some significant tournament with Tom.

Can I talk about Top Golf? We went there for a work event and it is terrifying. We were on the third floor and I could have so easily tripped and fallen into the net and then plummeted to the ground.

2. Astronaut Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame passed away this past Thursday. Are you interested in outer space and what’s happening today in terms of space exploration? If space travel became common in your lifetime would you go? How do you personally relate to the idea of exploring something vast and mysterious…does the idea excite you, intimidate you, or something else? 

I am not really. I don’t understand how planes work let alone how a space ship works. I did take a bit of interest in the rich and famous people that flew to the edge of space recently for a crazy sum of money. No thank you. I was also very invested in the poor astronauts who only prepared to be in space for a week at the space station but then had to stay for months. The poor female astronaut went gray in space and people talked about how much she aged. Come on now! That’s just mean! She only planned to be in space for a week. I told my students they thought they had a bad day; think about those two.

3. Describe your communication style in three words. 

Honest, blunt, direct

I used to say I could express my feelings better in writing but I have gotten better with my verbal abilities. I hope that I express my feelings with kindness and understanding but if you ask for my opinion you are going to get it. I also realize the older that I get that I may not have the answer. When you are younger you feel that you have it all figured out. I know now that I do not.

4. Do you have a favorite cookbook? A favorite celebrity chef? Do you watch any cooking shows on TV? 

I used to have a small tv in the corner of my kitchen counter and I loved watching cooking shows while I cooked. Pioneer Woman was always my favorite but I wouldn’t say it was healthy cooking so I moved away from her recipes. Damaris Phillips is a local celebrity chef who is on Food Network.

My favorite cookbooks are the church cookbooks or cookbooks where people submit their best recipes. They are seriously the best!

5. As a child did you have any back to school traditions? If so, did you carry on those same traditions with your own children? Do you have any back to school traditions you’ve started on your own? 

I don’t remember having any traditions other than buying a new lunch box – the metal kind with a character on it. We had LLBean backpacks before they were trendy and those lasted us for years. I guess we went to Kmart to get school supplies. It just didn’t seem to be as big of a production back then. I was always excited, though! I loved school!

I always took my kids back to school shopping at Target and sometimes we also had to hit Office Max or Depot. They came to my classroom with me to “help” me, too. We always got new tennis shoes for them and Tom was usually involved in that.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I chatted at a coffee shop with Madeleine for two hours on Monday! She is my former student that was an assistant teacher in Madrid last year. She is doing it again this year from September through June at the same school. We had so much to talk about that the two hours just flew by.

As we were finishing up, we noticed two big tables of ladies playing cards. It was around 2:30 at this point. I thought it was so lovely to see this!

What would you say about any of the Hodgepodge topics today?

Amy

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

I feel like I have done it all – shopping in store, pick up, delivery and have been everywhere – Kroger (like any big supermarket), Walmart, Walmart Neighborhood Market (just the grocery part of a Walmart), Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Fresh Market.

I don’t want to even think about how much of my time and mental energy I have used on the task of grocery shopping.

We buy almost all of our gas and groceries on our US Bank Kroger credit card. Kroger is the king supermarket around here and the credit card gives us really good gas discounts. Last month it was ugly. I spent at least $1500 on groceries. That may not even be all of it since sometimes I don’t use the credit card. Since my salary has gone down in retirement, I have been doing a spending audit.

What I am trying now is to buy less. That’s it. It’s that simple. I’m trying to use up what I have before buying more even if it isn’t what I would ideally pick. In order to use it up, buying less is helping me.

I need a less crowded fridge so I don’t waste food. We need to eat what is going to spoil first, too.

Tom likes to take 2 cuties, one banana, and one Oikos Pro yogurt to work so I literally count out how many he needs a week for my list.

I do think by going in you can find some deals and discounts and adjust your meal plan possibly based on what you find. I have been buying some bagged salads that are discounted, for example. It often means that they are expiring that very day or the next. No big deal.

Recently we have eaten:

blackened tilapia sandwiches

BLTs

hot dogs

spaghetti

Doritos Tacos Locos Taco Salad – you make a taco salad and then put Taco Bell mild sauce (bottle from the Mexican aisle at the grocery) and crushed up original Doritos on top

Loaded baked potato and salad

Salmon, broccoli, and potatoes (Tom says he needs a break from the salmon!)

A couple of things I have realized…

It’s ok to have a sandwich for dinner.

It’s ok to not all eat the same thing as the other family members. Use up or repurpose leftovers one night.

You don’t need two sides. You can just have one.

I have more energy in the morning so I made my taco meat in the morning. It’s wonderful to have the bulk of the work done when 5:00 rolls around!

I am trying to embrace the summer meals and foods but looking forward to what I consider to be more fall foods! That bowl of chili at the beginning of my post looks good to me!

If you are a teacher or have kid starting school, I would say plan super simple meals for the first week.

It’s not joke that our groceries are super expensive right now. I do think by sticking to real food and not as much packaged and processed food I can save money. That’s the goal.

So, I used to think that buying more and going in the store/ordering/getting delivery less often (but buying more at a time) saved money but now I feel like buying less at a time is going to save money. I am excited to compare this month’s amount to last month’s of $1500ish.

What grocery epiphanies have you had recently?

What meals have you been cooking or craving?

Amy

Monday, August 11, 2025

How was your weekend? Mine was good! Let’s link up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday!

Thursday was our district’s first day back to school so I did some self-care and had some fun and if you read my post Friday you saw this:

And, I kept my fun day going by NOT cooking dinner, either! We went to a new to us sushi drive-thru – yes I said sushi drive-thru for take out and I was impressed! Mason is usually home at dinner time with us so we have started the new season of The Bear.

I love their ginger dressing!

I did a white press on mani that would work/go with my pink pedi.

Friday I did chores around the house – trying to feel out the back to school traffic and didn’t want to be on either end of it and I did mention it, but there is tons of road construction near my house. But, around 2:30, Mason agreed to go with me to a new wine tasting room from a Washington state vineyard.

Sadly, it was closed for a private event that was happening later, but the chef had us come in and look around and poured us two wines to taste. He did not have to do that! So nice! So, if you are local, check out The Wine Room by J.Bell Wines. I asked him what the Louisville/Washington state connection was and he said the owner of the vineyard is from Louisville. So, now I really want to support a business that was so nice to me!

Mason and I couldn’t think of another place we wanted to go and the traffic was getting bad so we went home. I made salmon and over cooked potato wedges and Trader Joe’s vegetable nests.

Eddie Otis slept in on Saturday morning and I thought this photo was so funny!

He’s so long when he stretches out!

Tom took EO out for a couple of hours and mama had some peace. I am loving this book!

More eggs with chives…

I went to the library and their themed bookshelf was “dog days of summer”…

I got this:

and this…

The second one is written by “Messie Condo”. I’m pretty sure that’s a pen name.

I also went in to Kroger and I did in person shopping again.

I am obsessed with Cobb salads lately and had one for lunch.

I had to make the smart, adult decision later in the afternoon, guys. I could hardly stand in these shoes, let alone walk. Does someone not test out a shoe? I’d like to see the person that can walk in these. So, I am returning them.

I went with my old consignment shoes that I bought to be in my friend’s wedding a few years ago. So, this dress is consignment for $12 and the shoes were consignment for about the same amount. I did decide to wear my rosé earrings to add a little spice.

We were off to our friends’ daughter’s wedding at a botanical garden about 20 minutes away called Yew Dell. Tom said, “this is inside, right?” to which I replied yes. Oops. It was not inside.

Also, we had to walk a long way from the parking lot to the field where the wedding was held so I was so glad about my shoe decision!

Everyone staying in the shade as long as possible:

Some moved chairs to the shade and some stood in the shade.

The reception was outside but it was in an open air pavilion that had a roof and fans.

It was a lovely wedding!

Sunday was going to be another hot day so Tom and I went out on the boat early to beat the heat.

It was lovely and we had the river to ourselves! We had McDonald’s and I had a…

mimosa (when it got a little later)!

I took a shower and then read outside and it wasn’t too bad with my fans going.

I made a late afternoon trip to Target and found some Swedish candy I wanted to try. It wasn’t very sweet, but it was good.

And, I needed more coffee for the week and I couldn’t leave Eddie Otis on the shelf. Doesn’t it look like him?

For reference:

They even have the same collar! I will become Eddie Otis’ agent and he will make us lots of money from his modeling career!

Tell me a highlight from your weekend!

Amy

Friday, August 8, 2025

Hi and happy Friday! How are you all? How was your week? I am linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some favorites of mine.

Stay tuned until the end because it was my first day of NOT going back to school! That would be the biggest thing that didn’t happen this week, but I will be sharing some mundane things that made me happy.

First favorite – fresh chives. Yup, guys, this is how exciting my blog is becoming. We shall celebrate herbs.

Why does this make such a difference? I bought them for potatoes and I have been putting them in my eggs. I use two eggs, about a half cup of cottage cheese (I never measure), and then some chives.

I eat breakfast around 9:00 or so and I love that I can do this now. I truly wait until I’m hungry most days. This feels like a luxury. I’m trying to eat slower, too.

I ran out of this and my other brand (rhymes with “shutter”) just didn’t work as well. I highly recommend this for the “clean feel” and I think it works. I do make sure to always shower it off at the end of the day.

Poor Tom – he has a really bad case of poison ivy on his ankles. He went hiking Saturday and he saw the poison ivy and he avoided it – he thought. He wore tennis shoes and short socks. I remember telling him to wear pants before he left. It is unlike him to not be outdoorsy prepared so I know he is kicking himself. He is miserable. I bought more bug spray while buying him every type of anti-itch cream on the market. We already had most types and calamine lotion. I found a Benadryl brand anti-itch and added that. His ankles are even swollen.

We had this taco salad one night this week and it hit the spot. I have a grocery post coming next week about an epiphany I am having. Chives and grocery epiphanies. Are you on the edge of your seat? I used original Doritos and they slapped. You could do Cool Ranch and they would equally have the ability to slap.

I bought a Reese’s pumpkin! Oh, the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate is so much better, right? And, that is the danger of going into the grocery store! I have a posse of former students that work at Kroger and a big group of them are all guys who go to University of Kentucky. It’s always fun to see them. They keep asking me about retirement and it’s the cutest.

I love going through the car wash and I treated myself to one this week. Tell me you don’t sing , “Car Wash” like me. I know you do! I wish the car wash took longer because I really enjoy it. What does that say about me?

My fruit flies/gnats are gone! My two plug in Zevos are working to get them and the occassional fly that enters, but this tip is also interesting…

I guess you better start drinking some wine…are you willing to put in the work?

I’m gonna tell you what I think the root of the problem was with my personal fruit flies and it’s pretty gross. Eddie Otis has food and water bowls on a plastic stand up off the floor. It’s better for big dogs to digest their food we have heard. He is the most vigorous eater and moves his bowl around while eating. Well, some of his food got trapped below the bowl and that created the perfect environment.

We are now more diligent about washing his bowl and lifting it up off the stand after every meal, too. Oh, Eddie!

So, just in case you aren’t taking notes – chives, grocery epiphanies, fruit flies…

I made the best cold foam coffee with my instant espresso and my new frother. I think the frother is a great gift or great investment. It makes home coffee so much better!

I think this is an old phone of my mom’s. I found it while going through some stuff! I didn’t even remember phones like this! I had this type of Nokia (I think we all did), but I don’t remember the designs?

A couple of updates…

Finished this – I really, really liked the story. Anyone else? It was a quick read for me. And, now I want to go to Maine.

I couldn’t finish this. But, now I am curious about the ending based on what someone on the interwebs said. Did you watch it? It is muy mature fyi.

My niece Nora and I have not continued our cooking project, sadly. She got busy. We did stromboli, black bean burgers, Spanish shrimp and potatoes. I realized it doesn’t have to just be a summer thing so if she wants to pick it back up we can! Also, I want to invite Lena to do it with me next summer. She is a sophomore this year.

I picked up this drink at Trader Joe’s and it is good. You must like ginger because the ginger juice is pretty strong.

Loved this! I don’t like a matching mani/pedi anymore. I want it to go but I like the contrast.

Do you like the combos?

Ok, to wrap up the favorites…

Yesterday was the first day of school in my district and I joined in the fun with my first day photo:

It’s just orange juice! I got some really sweet messages yesterday about NOT going to school. I got a sweet email from reader Sally! Hi Sally!

Then, I took myself to Con Huevos which is a fabulous Mexican breakfast place. My former student waited on me! She knew what day it was and was so sweet to me!

She talked me into their new hibiscus mimosa…

And I ordered chilaquiles which are basically breakfast nachos – lol.

Then, I got myself a strawberry acai lemonade and took it to my…

pedicure. I tried to get Bubble Bath because I currently have a white mani (see chart above) but the tech wouldn’t let me. She said it was too light. So, this is what I ended up with. Meh. I didn’t feel like fighting it!

I was going to go look at fall decor but it’s just so hot so I will save that for another day! I did get a fall magazine which is a treat! But, they really didn’t have many fall magazines out yet.

The nice thing was that I parked my car and walked to all of these places in the same shopping center. I went to the nail salon, Kroger, Con Huevos, and Starbucks without moving my car. Peachy!

What were your favorites this week? I hope you had many!

Amy

Thursday, August 7, 2025

It’s the first day of school in my district today. I will try to avoid school traffic as best as I can! We have all kinds of road construction going on near me and I am afraid it’s going to be ugly out there.

I am happy to link up with Kellyann and Jill for Fashion Files. Let’s do this!

As a first year retired teacher, I can’t help but reflect on what I normally would be doing with my wardrobe right now…

I would have scoured the stores/online sites for the perfect cute/stylish/comfortable teachers shoes and I would have all my dresses lined up and ready for duty along with my summery printed pants to mix in. I spent a lot of time and money getting my “teacher wardrobe” ready.

I must admit that some of my clothes feel too teachery now. I am trying to find my new style. I want to get dressed each day in an actual outfit!

Saturday night I went out to dinner and I wanted to be cool and comfortable after my overheating blow dryer episode. See exhibit below:

I never blow dry my hair because I wash at night but I had been lazy the night before and found myself needing to wash my hair in the afternoon! Then, I blew dry my hair and got soooo hot. I wore my necklace fan to counteract.

I love this dress although it’s probably not the most flattering. I should have worn a heel but I felt weird from the blow dryer episode. It has pockets! The purse looks real stupid. I guess I can’t make the strap longer. Oh well. You win some and you lose some.

I loved this outfit. I have on my new fruit shirt with my orange gauzy shorts. Do I look fruity? Sorry I am always in my Hari Mari flip flops. I love them.

This needed a front tuck. I love the off white blouse with detail and tried it on with my light Halaras and my new Adidas.

Pool ‘fit:

She’s judging me in her Lilly Pulitzer coverup. Whatever.

My hair is not cooperating. I think I need a new conditioner.

I put this outfit on that I have worn before – gauzy blue Umgee pants and light, light blue consignment button up with my new Adidas.

New Adidas:

New wedding guest shoes. Still waiting for them to arrive – I chose the bottom pattern to go with a solid hot pink dress:

And, I got a wild hair and ordered two more pairs of shoes that I am waiting on and might return if they don’t work out:

I just loved the tan/black combo. I love that they are kinda retro.

In my defense, I have been looking for red espadrilles all summer. I found these on Zappos for less than the price shown here.

So, not a lot of outfits this week, but I sure did make up for it in shoes!

What have you been wearing?

Amy

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Today is a twofer – I am linking up with Jenn’s Currently and Joyce’s Hodgepodge!

Let’s start with Currently!

Currently Loving

In the food department, I am kind of obsessed with a Cobb salad. I made this for lunch on Monday for Erica (my old work friend and meal prep partner) and I. I started with one of those bowl kits (as opposed to bag kit) and then added more lettuce, tomatoes, more egg, more chicken, more bacon, and avocado. I just used the dressing it came with. For some reason, starting with a kit seems easier.

I invited Erica to lunch on my patio for her first teacher work day because she also wanted lesson planning help for a new course she is teaching that I taught. It worked out great. As a side note, I did not feel sad to not be teaching it one bit. In fact, the talk exhausted me. Lol.

We also had loaded baked potatoes. Is there a better lunch? I rubbed them in olive oil, pricked them, and then rubbed them in Maldon sea salt, wrapped them in foil and baked them the old fashioned way in the oven for a long time. They were perfect. They had butter, sour cream, chives, cheese, and bacon. I am constantly reminded that the simplest foods can be the best foods.

And, you guys…two eggs, a half cup of cottage cheese, and fresh chives – This is delicious for your breakfast!

So, I am loving the food I can cook for myself and for my people and I also love that I enjoy the act of cooking.

I love my library and I am on my second really good book in a row!

Currently Looking Forward To

I am starting to really think about fall and fall weather! We had a sneak preview of early fall temperatures this weekend and it was glorious!

My task is to go through my fall decor and to be ruthless in donating what I don’t still love/wouldn’t buy. Then, I will let myself go buy a few new fall things.

Currently Scheduling

I am scheduling my Shingles shot and my cavity filling appointment (ugh) and all the things. I am also scheduling fun with old friends!

Currently Buying

Well, I am still waiting on possible wedding guest shoes that I hope will work out because the wedding is Saturday:

The bottom design is what I ordered to go with a solid hot pink dress.

And, I got a wild hair and bought these:

Aren’t they cute?

And, I got another wild hair and ordered these:

Oopsie. Why do I love buying sneakers so much? If they don’t work, I will send them back. I just loved the tan/black combo.

Currently Gearing Up For

I guess going through the totes I have from my mom’s house.

Last week I started the process of kind of seeing where I’m at and how much I need to go through. When we emptied my mom’s house, my sisters and I just divided up the totes of photo albums, papers, and sentimental items. I think we were supposed to go through them on our own and then bring it all back together at one of our houses at some point. I am very daunted by this. I also have my totes of stuff I have saved for my kids to go through and my teaching stuff to go through. Eek!

And now, Hodgepodge time…

1. The midpoint of summer (believe it or not) is August 7th. Describe a perfect summer day. Have you had one this year? 

Wow! That is weird since that is the day the school buses start rolling in my city. A perfect summer day involves time outside, some sun, some reading, some water, and some good food or drink or both.

I would start outside with coffee and reading, then go to a pool or lake, then shower and eat on a patio. And, there would be no mosquitoes!

2. What’s one thing you wish you knew before starting high school? 

I guess how short of a period of time that would be in the grand scheme of life. But, even so, it’s such an impactful short period of time. The labels stick with you. The friends stick with you. The teachers – man do they ever – stick with you. I can’t tell you how often I think of a high school teacher and what they said or how they made me feel. I am so lucky to have had some great teachers.

Did I tell you that my beloved journalism teacher (I had her for three years) now works at the funeral home where my mom’s services were? I got to talk to her for about an hour when I picked something up before the visitation day and then she came to the visitation.

I wanted to be a writer/reporter for a long time.

3. What’s something that bothers you if it’s not done perfectly? 

I’m pretty chill about just getting things done/not expecting them to be perfect, but here is something I hate. Tom does this to me sometimes. When my dryer clothes aren’t all the way dry and someone takes them out and stuffs them in my basket. Tom is often deceived by the heat of the clothing when it’s still damp. Don’t touch my laundry! I am very good about folding/hanging it immediately.

Sometimes he will do this with towels and I hate a damp towel!

4. What’s the most overrated food you’re convinced people are just pretending to enjoy? What’s a trendy food you actually do enjoy and would say is definitely not overrated? 

I like sushi, but I’m not obsessed with it. Some people seem to be. I think it’s better as an appetizer – like a few pieces, you know? I feel like cottage cheese is talked about a lot right now but I don’t love it as it is. I do like it mixed in eggs or with a few recipes. The kale marketing team was hired by cottage cheese. Remember when kale was so sexy?

5. Wrapping it up this week with five fun this or thats…

personal stylist or personal chef?  I actually like both of these things so can I say personal house cleaner?
dance like nobody’s watching or sing like nobody’s listening? dance like nobody’s watching. I need to dance more.
unlimited tacos or free pizza? Pizza but there are some really bad pizzas out there so I can not be tempted by a cheap gross pizza

bookshelf organization-by size or by genre? genre
ten minutes late or ten minutes early? ten minutes early! I get the sweats if I’m late or going to be late. Early bird gets the worm!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I have decided how to spend my first day of school as a retiree tomorrow. I plan to have breakfast out with a mimosa and then get a pedicure. I will try not to be on the roads when the school traffic is heavy! I plan to take my first day of school outfit pic, too!

If you are still here (this post was long), what would you say to any of these topics?

Amy

Monday, August 4, 2025

I like to make lists each season of things I want to do because I think it makes me more intentional with my time. I’m excited to write up my fall list! I’m actually really getting excited for fall!

Here is my original summer bucket list post for summer 2025! This year I used a cute little worksheet and shared it with my friends Erica and Elizabeth on my patio during a happy hour in May. I filled it out more later, too.

It’s been a weird and quick summer. The weather was super rainy and then super hot. I literally don’t know where the time has gone! I think I did a lot on my list and really just kind of had low expectations knowing that it would be an emotional summer for me with retiring and with my mom’s estate. I have so much to be thankful for; I do know that!

-Find a summer scent – I think I have done this with my Ouai hair and body mist paired with my Trader Joe’s brazilian nut body wash and body butter. It’s a coconuty beachy scent. – I tried to love Philosophy Amazing Grace but it wasn’t me. I am still open to finding my scent!

-Go to Waterfront Wednesday to see my favorite and only cellist – lol – He is the Dad of my student of two years and I followed him and liked him and saw him in concert even before he was a Dad. So, it was a cool connection that I got to teach his kid! His name is Ben Sollee. – I did not go sadly. I didn’t want to mess with the crowds and it was still so hot!

-Go to an outdoor concert at a nearby neighborhood – We have not gone to one yet!

-Visit the botanical gardens for the first time – Not yet. I think it might be really pleasant in early fall.

-Watch White Lotus –Yes and it wasn’t my cup of tea.

-Go to the adult pool – Yes – I went twice!

-Go to the boutique hotel pool – Wednesdays free for teachers – Yes! I went a few times with different friends. I realized that the free for teachers day meant it was too teachery and felt like a professional development.

-Go to Erica’s country club pool – Yes! And, we have plans for me to meet her there another time.

-Go to new steakhouse at a downtown hotel – I had a reservation but we had to go to my hometown and it was going to be a struggle. We will try again.

-Make strawberry freezer jam again –Yes and it was fun!

-Farmer’s Market – Yes – one time and I felt like the shine has worn off. It’s just so busy and crowded and really, really pricey. Maybe I need to find another one.

-Pool party for the class of 90 – Yes and it was so nice. I got to visit with several people and it filled my cup.

-Boat – This has been a weird year for boating! First we had the flood aftermath and the river was in bad shape – high with debris. Then, at the end of June we finally got out but we had so many rainy weekend days. We really can only boat on weekends because of my captain’s work schedule and routine (Tom).

-Buy a grill – I really want a Blackstone! Help! – Nope. We have not bought a grill!

-Go to Penny and Pearl’s cookie shop with Elizabeth (she has never been) – No, but I went with Beth and she loved it.

-Buy elderflower syrup and do my spritzes again – Yes! I still like them but I am not as obsessed with the Hugo or St. Germaine spritz this year. By the way, I have not had much alcohol this summer.

-Go to Regatta in my hometown (hydroplane race) – No. It was hot. The end.

-Go to Ribberfest in my hometown (ribs and blues) – It is in two weeks and we might go.

-Go to Unbroken Circle music festival in my hometown – Hope to!

-Chautauqua in my hometown (arts festival in September)- Hope to!

-35th class reunion – Plan to go! I am also trying to get Tom to go to his 40th. I will go to his if he will go to mine!

Now, I know we still technically have summer weather for a long time, but once school starts in your area, the fall feels come on!

How has your summer gone?

What should I add to my list?

Thoughts?

Amy

Monday, August 4, 2025

It’s Monday link up day with Sarah and Holly!

How was your weekend? One highlight of mine was the weather and all of my reading time outside! You all know that I am a fair weather reader! I did improve my ability to read indoors this year, but I can’t tell you how happy outdoor reading makes me.

Yay for lower humidity! The mosquitoes are still here, unfortunately, but we can’t get everything we want.

Friday morning I finally set a timer for 30 minutes and tackled my basement storage room. I am lucky to have a storage room, but it had gotten out of control with some school boxes I brought home and some of my mom’s things that my sisters and I divided up. And, you can see there is a Christmas tree just hanging out by the door since Christmas.

I donated an entire back of my car’s worth of stuff but I still have lots more to go through. It didn’t spark joy.

I went to lunch with Mason at his favorite Cafe Classico on Friday. I honestly have not gone out to breakfast or lunch much this summer so this was a nice treat.

Ok, guys, I have an announcement. I received a sourdough starter Thursday night from a friend of a friend. I had just listened to Midlife Matters podcast about sourdough and really felt that I could do it.

I don’t think I can do it! Look at baby’s first loaf! She ain’t pretty!

It looked a little better on the inside but it was gummy and not done all the way. Also, I don’t have a Dutch oven. It’s just like me to jump into something without having all the right tools and thinking I can make it work.

Also, if it isn’t going to taste super sourdoughy, I would just prefer to do the delicious and easy no knead bread. I have my hands full with Eddie Otis. Do I need to have to feed something else?

It is now Sunday afternoon as I type this and I am feeding this starter like it’s a freaking pet and I am attempting another recipe to see if I can make it work. But, do I want a loaf of bread that requires over 24 hours of time! I was told that at this age I have to pick sourdough, pickleball, mahjong, or I don’t know! Who decided this?

I have so many library books right now! I picked up three more summer requests!

I read and finished this book this weekend and it took me a bit to get into it but once I was in, I was in. It’s so cute!

I got the nicest piece of mail. My aunt was telling us stories in Michigan and then took the time to type up more details and send this to my sisters and I. These were stories we had never heard and we were just enthralled. Turns out the my mom’s brother met his wife/my aunt at teacher orientation and they were married by the end of the school year. We counted that we have 12 current or former teachers on my mom’s side of the family. Did I tell you that?

Friday night Tom and I went to some outdoor music mainly to see our friend who invited us. The evening was so pretty but the food trucks were a fail. They said they would have food trucks plural but only had one with food we didn’t want so we ended up driving through McDonald’s on the way home at 8:30 and my stomach paid for it.

Saturday I delivered a birthday gift to my sister in law and then went to Haymarket.

The tomato display was oh so cute!

I had a lazy Saturday but I was on Eddie Otis duty because Tom went hiking with a friend. I was so ready for Tom to be home and handle him. When I have him outside he barks at every little noise and we have never had a dog that barks like this.

I literally never blow dry my hair, but I needed to wash my hair badly before Saturday night out. I got so hot that I had to call in my fan necklace.

This is middle age in a photo:

Also, that’s fun – my nostrils are now lopsided in middle age.

We hadn’t been out with my Heathers and their hubs in a long time and we had this reservation for a new Japanese place for maybe a month. They have only been open for two months and usually it’s good to wait a bit.

The decor was super cool. Some people were eating in these booths that kind of looked like beds and we realized they had to keep their legs and feet out in front of them while eating. Awkward. Can you imagine that on a first date?

Luckily we had a normal table:

I loved that the restaurant was super air conditioned since I still had my blow dryer sweats.

The details were great but the menu was not. It was so small and they were out of like three of the menu items. They only had 4 types of sushi and my friend is a vegetarian and had to make a special request for a vegetarian sushi roll. So, I just did the same that she did.

It was underwhelming. Fresh Market sushi is better especially on Thursdays when it is $5.

Tom is a notoriously bad orderer. He takes forever and then picks odd things. Like, we went to a fried chicken place and he ordered a Sloppy Joe and then didn’t think the restaurant was very good. Plus, who orders a Sloppy Joe at a restaurant? That’s like ordering spaghetti.

He ordered something that had three pieces of raw tuna and caviar and came in a lit up bowl of ice.

We all left hungry. I said, “You get food at home”. It was kind of like a Saturday Night Live skit.

Sunday morning and the air was cool…

Look at that froth!

I started this!

Isn’t the cover pretty?

Am I becoming negative? I hope not. I am just not fake (or I don’t think I am) so I am going to tell it like it is.

Sunday morning I had the house to myself for a couple of hours! Like, no one and no dog. It’s so rare now. I try to balance that time with relaxation and chores.

Today is the first teacher work day in my old district so I am feeling for my friends. I am feeling pretty giddy. How should I mark the first day of school for students on Thursday? I think I should get a massage or a pedicure and do something I could never do as a teacher. Any ideas? Last year I told the students that I would be sitting in a lawn chair heckling all the teachers and students as they pulled in to the parking lot. I also think I should do a first day of school outfit pic!

Tell me what you did this weekend!

Amy