Friday, August 29. 2025

Happy Friday to all! Not only is it Friday, but it’s Labor Day weekend Friday. Do you get a little sad when Labor Day rolls around? I do. I love fall but I have always dreaded winter. I am trying to work on that.

Let’s share some favorites from the week, ok? I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for their fun Friday link up!

I love my new glasses! I am anxiously awaiting the prescription sunglasses and reading glasses. They said they would take 2 weeks to come in – boo!

I bought this elderflower sparkling wine a few weeks ago at Trader Joe’s and finally tried it Sunday afternoon and it is good. It’s like a lazy man’s Hugo Spritz. I thought the bottle was beautiful.

I ordered pumpkin flavored Premier Protein last fall and didn’t use it all and it’s still not expired. I have several bottles left. It made a fun iced coffee this week. I added a splash of vanilla to it, too. Again, this Nescafe Gold is really good with a cold brew or made into a hot coffee.

I had a spur of the moment fun patio lunch Monday with my friend Beth. Sunday afternoon she texted and said she was free Monday or Thursday and I picked Monday. I love having the time in my schedule to be spontaneous.

I ordered a salmon taco and a chicken taco and they were so good for the price. I need to go here more. You order at the counter and they bring it out to you but the food is really good. I was super impressed.

I had more patio time this week. I love looking up at this tree.

I love when Tom turns the patio lights on in the dark. I rarely think to turn them on so it makes me happy when he does it.

I also had my first PSL on the first day of PSL at Starbuck’s. I got a tall and it was $6! I really do like my coffee better now, but this was a fun treat to celebrate the first day they had it on offering.

Then, I went to look at the fall stuff at Hobby Lobby and I was not impressed. Everything seemed really cheap looking and/or not my style. I left empty handed.

I was not prepared for how much Christmas stuff they had out.

I haven’t been this season, but I have been impressed with Michael’s holiday decor offerings lately. They used to be just a craft store but have gotten more decor. That is where my pencil trees came from, too. I still love them.

You might remember my coffee shop time a couple of weeks ago with my former student Madeleine. She taught in Madrid last year, is going back to Madrid in September for another year, and I met up with her when I was in Madrid last fall. Well, we had a goal to speak only Spanish the next time we met up and we made it happen this week.

We have a little tapas place called Mojito and we sat in this little area that tends to be quieter for dinner. We spoke only Spanish for two hours and it was wonderful! She is so good! We made the rule that we would correct each other if needed. There were a couple of vocabulary words that she didn’t know and I reviewed her on a couple of verb tenses but her accent is better than mine and she is just soooooo good! It was so fun!

When you are a Spanish teacher, you have to speak Spanish teacher Spanish to some degree – as clear as possible, verb tenses and constructions that they know, and vocabulary that they know. I was able to just speak as I would to a native speaker and it was really good practice for me. She is a doll and I am so proud of her! Also, Spanish is a hobby for me and I always want to try to improve and be better.

We had one margarita and it was good!

I let her pick the tapas since I can go anytime.

We had guac and plantain chips:

queso fundido with chorizo:

and not pictured and the star of the meal – dates stuffed with goat cheese wrapped in bacon.

I am pretty excited about football shaped chocolate chips:

It’s not because I love football, but I think the shape will be interesting in chocolate chip cookies! Also, maybe they will be bigger? I plan to look for them!

I like these salad kids and use them as a base for my lunch salads sometimes.

I caught a cute photo of Eddie Otis sleeping on his big lambie or as Tom named him “Lambie Gigante”. He also has a normal sized lambchop stuffie.

I love listening to Tom talk to Eddie Otis. It’s really cute.

What were your favorites this week?

Amy

Thursday, August 28, 2025

It’s Thursday and it’s fashion day with Kellyann and Jill! To me, this is a fun time to get dressed! We have had 70s, y’all! I apologize to my Florida and Texas friends who have asked that I not share the temps we are enjoying right now. I love mixing long sleeves with shorts and jeans with short sleeves. Also, I know that we will get more 90s before fall comes.

As always, I am keeping it real. I take one mirror photo as I’m heading out of my bathroom. Sometimes the lighting is really bad!

I wore this to happy hour Friday – this is my new Walmart denim skirt and this is a TJ Maxx blouse. It was a little hotter than anticipated and the blouse wasn’t very breathable for a patio situation.

This is a clearance TJ Maxx blouse from last winter and I love the teal/red combo. It’s fully lined and it was fine temp wise for a patio lunch with my friend, but the tag was driving me crazy and itching my neck. I cut it out when I got home and will see if that helps. It’s also very static inducing. I have on a pair of old jeans that I swear have the seam off center in the front. It bugs me. So, I may say goodbye to both of these pieces because who has time for things that make them uncomfortable?

This was a Sunday farmer’s market outfit. I ended up changing shoes because I walked in this first. I changed into my Adidas Sambas.

I mentioned that I ordered straight leg Halaras. I have wide leg in medium denim, light denim, and black.

These are the new straight legs:

I accidentally ordered regular instead of petite length so I had my tailor hem them for $20 which did make the jeans a little pricey. Look what a good job she did on the hem:

And, the length is just perfect for a variety of different footwear.

I tried this on:

I ended up wearing this to dinner with my former student:

So, I am thrilled.

Here is the wide leg for a side by side comparison. Also, my blog reader and friend Kim said that she knows a gal who had the wide legs made less wide by her tailor. That would be a bigger job and more expensive I’m sure. I do think these could stand to be hemmed a bit, as well.

Anyway, now I am the proud owner of 4 pairs of Halaras, soon to be 5 pairs…

Do you follow these 53 year old Michigan twins on IG? They were talking about sweat pant jeans and I was intrigued. Well, they were talking about $218 jeans from Rag and Bone!

Aren’t they cute? So, track pants are going to be big for fall and winter and I think we will also see track pant jeans.

I ordered these! Only certain colors came in petite so I had to go with one of those. Knowing myself, I will probably overthink the stripes and what they can be worn with, but I hope I made a good decision!

I am getting ready to inventory my fall clothing and I think these jeans make sense for me in this stage. I am shunning anything that looks or feels too teachery. I am putting together my retiree wardrobe!

What have you been wearing lately?

What are you excited about for fall?

Amy

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

It’s Wednesday and you know the drill. I’m linking up with Joyce for Hodgepodge. Thanks for being here!

1. When someone finds out what you do or where you’re from, what’s a question they always ask? 

Well, when people found out I was a high school Spanish teacher, I had to listen to some really bad Spanish. They would often just add an “o” to each word. I had to try to smile. I would often get a lot of “I don’t know how you do it”, too.

No one really bats an eye that I am from Indiana since it’s just across the river from where I live now.

2. Did you participate in ‘Greek Life’ when you were in college, or have children who did? If so what was your experience like? Taking another tack…have you ever been to Greece? If not, is that a destination on your bucket list? 

I did! I was a Kappa Delta. I went to a very small college with only three sororities. I am glad I didn’t join until my sophomore year so I got to know and be friends with lots of different people. But, at a small school you couldn’t help being friends with people in other sororities.

My kids – nope.

Can I just say that I think sorority rush has become crazy? Do you see the elaborate dance numbers they have to learn? The themes they have to come up with? The outfits they have to sport? And, the outfits that the girls going through rush have to wear with all the accessories?

I have not been to Greece but I would like to go. One of my best friends is Greek. She moved to the US when she was 19 I believe.

3. Do you like Greek food? If so what’s your favorite dish?  

I love Mediterranean food and sometimes that encompasses Greek food. Victoria introduced me to green beans with tomatoes. I love tzatziki sauce and have learned to make that with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, cucumbers, and Greek seasoning – oh and water! I love feta! Even better if it is whipped feta – see above!

4. What incredibly common thing have you never done? 

I have never been on a cruise.

5. What is a telltale sign that you’re upset? 

Oh, you know when I am upset. My face does not hide my emotions. I usually tell anyone and everyone that I am upset!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I can’t believe how fast my hair has grown out since the end of June.

My haircut end of June:

Now:

Not the best picture, but I feel like it’s grown quite a bit.

What say you to any of these questions?

Amy

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

I like to do these super random posts every now and again! Grab a coffee and let’s chat!

-I’m not interested in drinking much alcohol this summer and apparently drinking alcohol is at a low nationwide. I have noticed more mocktails and non-alcoholic beverages on restaurant menus. Sometimes I just want to feel fancy so I will put a drink in a wine glass or my pretty hob nail glasses. And, adding a slice of fruit makes it fancy, too.

-My credit card was compromised and I used it as an opportunity to put myself on an Amazon diet. I had been using Amazon too freely this summer, to be honest. So, my last order on my old credit card was August 6th and I didn’t place another one until Saturday, August 23rd when I finally loaded my new card on my Amazon account.

-Eddie Otis has been bothered by the morning school commute. We live in front of an elementary school, a block from a middle school, and then just a bit further is the high school (my former school). The elementary starts at 7:30 and the middle and high start at 8:40. He seems to bark the most at the voices just talking as they walk by! This is his morning nap time, by the way. He gets up around 6:00 and has a lot of activity until about 7:30 when he is ready to nap by his mom (me). So, I have started playing some white noise on either my phone or my laptop like this Youtube relaxing ocean sounds for my sensitive baby. Lol!

-I’m going through Rubbermaid totes of my mom’s baby book, yearbooks, photo albums, and different sentimental things. I would say my sisters and I divvied up 10 totes. I found one of my mom’s WWII ration books. Apparently they were numbered and each member of a family received one and then would get another one when it ran out or after a certain amount of time. This led me to do some light research about these ration books. I also read that women would pool their stamps to have enough for birthday cakes and to help each other out. I feel badly that I didn’t know much about this until now. My mom was born in 1942 and WWII ended in 1945. I am assuming her mother saved the ration book and my mom kept it all these years. I am way more interested in history now than when I was in high school. I didn’t hate history class, but it just seems more interesting to me now. I think this is normal.

-Do you think blogging is dying out? I only read about 20 now. I used to read more but I let go of the ones that became only “shopping blogs”. I want a little bit of everything in a blog – life, thoughts, fashion, product recommendations, books, tv, movies, recipes, memes, funny stuff, random stuff – you know. I can’t find many blogs that will give me what I want anymore. Any recs? I am not hating on blogs that have become shopping blogs – more power to them to be making this kind of money. Get it while the getting is good.

-Another thought that is really mostly for bloggers…I want to start a link up. I think I would like it to be re-styling a wardrobe piece or trying a fashion trend. Like one week could just be brown – brown is going to be big for fall. Shocking, I know! Or, what do you already have in your closet that can be a riff off of this catalog photo. I know this is nothing new to the fashion blogging world but I feel that it has been lost in the world of LTK and links for items. This would be you can’t buy something new.

Can you think of a link up idea that you would enjoy either participating in or reading about? I currently do Hello Monday, Tuesday Slices of Life, Wednesday Hodgepodge, Thursday Fashion Files, and Friday Favorites. Tuesday is very free/open to whatever you want to talk about thanks to Joanne. But, maybe running a link up is too much work – lol.

That was fun but my coffee is now cold! I really do appreciate you all showing up here day after day. Do you think my blog has changed since I’ve retired? I think I write longer posts. I know I could make it more professional looking but my son made my header and that’s special to me. I could get all the fancy side bar things but again, I don’t know how much I want to change around here.

Deep thoughts, right?

Amy

Monday, August 25, 2025

Can you even believe it’s the last week of August? And, that this coming weekend is Labor Day weekend? It is early this year if I’m not mistaken. Boy, did that sneak up on me! I am excited for Tom to have a long weekend. He has been so busy at work this summer and has hardly taken any time off.

Let’s link up with Sarah and Holly and recap the weekend which I like to say starts sometime on Thursday here on the ol’ blog!

Why is it just such a pleasure to shop at Trader Joe’s? I apologize again if you don’t have one, but maybe you have your own version of a smaller market that would give you joy?

Anyway… I went there on Thursday.

People keep asking me how I am liking retirement and first, I feel like it’s still summer for some reason so it hasn’t really hit me, and second, I would say I like not being in a hurry. I don’t feel like I am in a hurry right now.

They had these $3.99 bouquets at the front and I thought they were early fall colors.

Mason bought a bougie chocolate milk in a glass container a few weeks ago and I have been saving it for some flowers. Now, how cute is that? You better be sitting in your house saying “so cute”!

This was gone, gone, gone last time I was in TJ’s and I found it this time and it really is quite impressive! It’s 10 calories a squirt. I don’t like that word; it’s a little heavy on the onomatopoeia. I used to be able to spell that without checking, but I must admit that I copied and pasted.

I had a leftover Chick Fil A salad when I got home:

Also, can I say I felt like a different person when the heat broke? Look at this! I told Tom it felt like Michigan Thursday morning!

I made fish sticks, mac and cheese, and peas for dinner – one of Tom’s favorite meals and probably my least favorite.

Friday I did house work and then I met Erica for happy hour at a hole in the wall called Joe’s Older Than Dirt. The night I first met Tom we ended up there so that is a fun memory. Heather was dating his friend so a group of our girl friends met up with Heather’s friend and his posse and the rest is history.

I got a blackberry lemonade slushie. It was a little sweet and I couldn’t finish it all but it was good.

I got there early to avoid traffic and read my book and when Erica arrived we got some pretzels and queso. Their queso is surprisingly really good. She filled me in with school stuff and told me some sweet things people said about my absence. She told me some drama, too. I feel pretty neutral hearing about school. I don’t know if I am just blocking that or if I feel like that was another lifetime ago already!

Then, I went home and Tom picked me up and we met our friends at the Mexican place we like. I ordered what I thought was a skinny strawberry marg and this arrived. It was way too sweet and I couldn’t drink it.

I also had zero chips because I had the prezels and queso. Who even am I? Send ayuda! That’s just a little Spanish.

Saturday morning was another Michigan morning and it feels so good to be able to sit outside again! I forgot to say I had a fresh mini library haul on Thursday, too.

I picked up some interesting canned bevvies – as the young kids say. This lemon mojito was surprisingly good and not too sweet.

And, this can has my heart. And, it’s delish. I am going back for more of these.

I got to drive my favorite road Saturday. It’s been closed for work for quite some time but it’s open for a month break in the work. It runs right along the river.

We had a super chill boat day with my high school friends who are now also Tom’s friends. We looked at the downtown from the river and then pulled into Captain’s Quarters and sat in the shade, ordered lunch, ate the lunch, chewed the cud, and then tooled around a bit more. These people are called Dan, Mike, and Beth.

We saw the cutest little boat that had more dogs than people.

The water and the sun takes it out of you so I showered and then finished this book. So cute! I learned about some NYC landmarks while reading this. It’s like NYC is a character, too.

Then I decided to start this next..

I am pretty much done with books with “summer” in the title. I may have overdosed. Where are the fall books? Anyone?

Kristin mentioned watching Bad Teacher recently so when I saw it coming on the tv Saturday night (Youtube TV so much like the old normal tv/cable) I was able to watch the whole thing. It’s so silly/funny and there are lots of good actors in it. Do I use slashes too much? I like them.

This is what Eddie Otis thought about it:

I love when he has part of his cheek/mouth (I did it again) in his mouth like this. He’s the weirdest dog.

Another cool morning with another frothy coffee. You want to break up with Starbuck’s? Get you some fun coffeecessories like a frother, cute cups, cold foam, etc.

I walked, put laundry away, got a couple of things from Kroger, and then met one of my Heathers at a Sunday afternoon farmer’s market.

She specifically wanted to see this lady that paints gorgeous oyster shells and sells them for a reasonable price. Have you seen these?

We walked around and bought a couple of things and had a nice time.

Then, I got some patio time with my book – ahhhhh.

Saw this on IG this weekend. Isn’t this great? Limit your time with those who drain if you can, right? What if it’s your boss? Um, you just have to deal with that for now.

Tell me something that made you happy this weekend?

Did you also have cooler temps?

Amy

Friday, August 22, 2025

Happy Friday! I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for the most fun post of the week!

This week went by quickly for me! I did something I’ve been putting off which made me feel accomplished, I took something to the tailor, I did some adulting by meeting with our financial planner, and I took some things to a donation center. I didn’t shop for recreation in person or online! So, I had a good week I would say!

I knew my prescription was wrong. I only wear glasses now and I really only wear them to drive and watch tv. During the pandemic when I was teaching from home I just stopped putting in my contacts. I was nearsighted and I just didn’t really need them at home and they compromised my up close reading which I did need so I would have to wear readers. I never went back to contacts!

As you get older, nearsightedness improves but of course you do need the readers. So, I hadn’t been to the eye doctor in 4 years. My nearsightedness is better and my up close vision is still not that bad. I opted not to get bifocals or progressive lens but I did opt to get prescription readers.

Here are my new distance vision glasses and they were already ready the same day!

I have to wait two weeks or so for my readers to come in but this is what I chose:

And, prescription sunglasses are a game changer. I had mine stolen last summer from Tom’s car and just never replaced them. I will say it was fun to wear different pairs of cheap sunglasses but lately I had been wearing them over my regular glasses and it was just not a cool look.

I went with classics but these are a more updated aviator than the ones I had before:

This is what I wore – again finding things that work with my new red Free People espadrille Mary Janes! By the way, I ended up wearing these that day from 9 am until 7 pm without ever taking them off. They are that comfortable and breathable.

I should have done my hair because of all the glasses photos I was going to be taking..

I took off my white mani and replaced it with this fun highlighter yellow. I use Impress brand and they really work for me. Here is a more detailed post if you have been curious. I’m sorry I talk about them so much, but these are definitely a favorite.

I ran out of my coconut oil and got a replacement jar. I try to get organic since I’m using it on my face. I use this cute little wooden spoon to get it out of the jar and then the coconut oil melts a bit in your hands. I use this as a makeup remover and just put it on my face before every shower even if I didn’t wear makeup. I also put it on both elbows. I’m not kidding when I say this has been life changing for my skin. I never have dry skin anymore.

Sadly, I finished Gilded Age season 3! This is the season that it got so good but you had to have the back story of seasons 1 and 2, of course. I’m so sad I finished it. The clothes are stunning and it’s interesting to think of what life was like in NYC during the gilded age of our country. And, yes I did some reading about this time period and want to do more!

I’m so sad I finished this book this week, too! I really enjoyed this story!

She also wrote The Flatshare which I loved. I can’t remember if I tried to watch the show version of that book. I think I tried it and didn’t like it.

Now, I have started this and love it so far!

I guess my iphone photos used to be this bad, but I came across this middle school photo of my boys this week. The went to public school but wore uniforms from K-8 and I loved it! Jack is in the black and Mason is in the gold. You can see their silly personalities in this photo.

I came across this photo of Eddie Otis’ dad Terry and thought I would compare EO now that he is growing up. He won’t be two years old until February but I feel like he might be at his full grown size now.

Dad Terry:

Son Eddie Otis:

Do you think they look alike? Terry has a really interesting face. Do you give dogs voices? I feel like Terry has a real country accent and is maybe a red neck.

Did I tell you that I connected with Eddie Otis’ brother Rowdy on Facebook? Well, I connected with Rowdy’s mom. They really look alike. The kennel where we got EO has a Facebook page and that is how I get to see other pups.

This week Eddie Otis stole my bra and ran around the house with it. It was in my bathroom. He also found a nickel and chewed on it for awhile until I could get it. If we were to do an x-ray right now there’s no telling what would be in his stomach. Have I told you how many socks he’s eaten? This dog!

You all seemed to really enjoy talking about extroverts and introverts this week and that made me happy!

I came across this photo of Frida Kahlo with the headline about an “otrovert”. Oh no!

Isn’t that just a human emotion that we sometimes all feel? Come on now, we don’t need another classification.

I kind of forgot about this CFA drink but got it again this week. It’s the pineapple dragonfruit lemonade and I got the diet version. It’s super sweet. It’s limited so try it soon if that sounds like something you would like, too!

This was my mom’s favorite comfort food and I needed it this week. It’s just macaroni noodles and tomato sauce.

Erica is keeping me in the loop about school stuff (Erica is my former co-worker/Spanish teacher/bestie from work) and there has been some drama. I had an afternoon coffee this week and this mug seemed appropriate! She gave this to me, too – “It’s not my problem anymore!” And, we are talking about the other adults in the building causing the drama. The kids are great! There are power hungry people in schools, too. They want more meetings than is necessary and they forget what they are they for – the kids!

I made taco salad again this week and used this mini Doritos and I think they work great for a taco salad. They are so cute!

I thought this was interesting…

I think people are just struggling with how expensive eating out has become! I love that more people are cooking at home. I especially love how many of my twenty something former students are learning to meal prep and cook and my own kids are included in that. Many of my former students post their meals on Instagram!

If you have a Fresh Market near you, I found out they have $5 pizzas on Tuesdays that are 12 inches (so pretty big!) and they have some great flavors. They also have $5 sushi on Thursdays. These little deals are good to remember in this high priced food economy.

Isn’t this the truth?

Like I said, I took another load to donation this week. I decided it doesn’t have to be huge but that every load I take can bless someone else and help me manage my spaces.

Love this!

Are you suffering from “friendflation”? I was recently thinking about how expensive being a bridesmaid has gotten. There is almost always a bachelorette trip now.

It’s good to have friends that want to do cheaper activities.

I love this!

Many of you commented on me standing in line for a ham. It wasn’t just any ham. But, yes, it is kind of like Christmas with the Kranks movie! Honeybaked ham has a heavenly crust baked in and it really is the best ham you will ever have. You ordered it online or on the phone back then and had certain windows to pick it up, I think. I just felt that I had to explain that – lol.

Well, happy Friday to you! What was a favorite of yours this week?

Amy

Thursday, August 21, 2025

It’s Thursday and fashion day with Kellyann and Jill.

I wore this TJ Maxx blouse to happy hour last Friday.

I ordered light denim straight leg Halaras (also pull on – no zipper) and they were too long. I accidentally ordered regular instead of petite, but even if I had ordered petite I think they would have been too long. So, I took them to my tailor to hem them. The wide legs above are petite and almost too long with a couple of inch heel. I love my tailor. She is so sweet. She said I hadn’t been there in a long time and that is so true. I kid you not, there is a cobbler right next door. If only there was a candlestick maker. Wait – I think I got that wrong. By the way, the cobbler does more than just cobble. I think he fixes purses and belts, too.

I got a new denim miniskirt! It was less than $10 at Walmart and was exactly what I was looking for! I think it is no out of stock or close to out of stock, sadly. Maybe you could find it in the store in person? Also, the price has gone up to $16. It is still in stock in many sizes in the beige version.

This is my new white sleeveless. I wore this to run an errand and learned not to wear this kimono while driving. I got it caught in my seatbelt buckle. This kimono has already been fixed from my “accident” at school. I zipped it up in my jeans zipper and it was stuck and I couldn’t finish zipping or get it unstuck alone. Erica had to come in the bathroom and help me get it out and we were both late to our classes.

I got some new Nikes for fall. I really liked this combo and I think I will wear them with jeans, too.

What do you all think of the longer sock trend? It’s growing on me. I mean – if it weren’t 95 degrees. I had to hurry and strip these suckers off.

Here are two I am trying. The ones above are here. And, I also got ruffled ones here. These were both Kathleen Jennings recs if you follow her.

You might remember I was looking for a basic black and basic white sleeveless shirt to wear under things, but you might not because who cares besides me? I went to Clothes Mentor and found both for about $7 each. Then, I went to Sassy Fox to see their early fall and fall offerings. They started taking fall clothes at the end of July.

I found this Banana Republic cream blouse and it was $9:

I found this Evereve blouse and it was $5:

And, I found this Express cardigan and it was $4:

The pieces were either 50% or 75% off! And, this is why I love consignment shopping. It is a bit of a treasure hunt and the clothes are usually less than the clothes at Goodwill.

Now, I did kind of break my rule. I like to go through my old fall stuff before I bring anything new home. I did not do that yet but the things I bought were pretty practical items I think.

Are you turning to fall fashion yet?

I really am not a Talbot’s shopper. The stuff doesn’t fit me well and I am not quite that conservative/tailored in my style. But, I did work at the Talbot’s Surplus store in Lexington, Kentucky for a bit in the early 90s. I received a fall catalog of theirs in the mail the other day and I swooned and plan to use it for some fall inspo:

I liked the pops of red, the leopard, and the blue. I liked the London background, too.

I also read a really comprehensive denim post by Jo Lynne Shane – check this out if you are curious about denim for fall 2025.

There’s a really weird fall fashion 2025 going on… have you seen the Anthropologie website lately? There are dogs er’where on the clothing.

Well, this was a long one! What have you been wearing lately? What are you wanting to buy for fall?

Amy

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Tom played golf for work at this beautiful club here in Louisville this week!

It’s Wednesday and time for Hodgepodge with Joyce!

1. What’s worth standing in line for? 

Gosh, not much. I did stand in line for a Honeybaked Ham a couple of years if I was the one charged with getting it. My mom would often ask me to get one for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

I put this photo on Facebook:

Yup. I waited in line for a freaking ham.

2. Tell us about a favorite food related memory. 

My Dad’s mom was a great southern cook and always made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, the whole she-bang. She taught me to make mashed potatoes when I was elementary school aged and she would always laugh that I would choose leftover mashed potatoes later when everyone else was having a piece of pie. My own mom never made mashed potatoes so this was a treat.

My Dad started really enjoying cooking and baking after his career job ended. He was an Air Force pilot and air control commander until he turned 50 and had to retire from the military. Then, he flew a local chemical company corporate air plane but had lots of free time. He got into baking bread. He made bean soup. We would often talk about recipes. I still think of him often in regards to things I know he would love. He loved everything I made, though, and always told me it was amazing. He also loved my cocktail concoctions I came up with even though he wasn’t a big drinker. He would have one beer after mowing the lawn. He would have one thing if it was offered to him. But, my parents never had a liquor cabinet. My mom didn’t drink at all.

I would bring things like “Santa’s Tipsy Spritzer” to Christmas or my Fall Sangria to Thanksgiving and he always seemed like he couldn’t believe I could make those drinks!

Here is an example of something I came up with but I don’t remember the name:

3. What are some things you find particularly peaceful or calming? 

My puppy’s light snore

Waterfalls

Rain

Libraries

Classical music

4. Is there something you do now that gets you just as excited as it did when you were a child? 

A library haul! What could be better than a massive stack of books to read that I didn’t have to pay for? I still get excited and always show the photo of my book haul.

New shoes! I distinctly remember always wearing the new shoes out of the store and putting my old ones in the box. Did your mom let you do that? My mom wasn’t as shoe obsessed but she always told people it was her fault because she dressed me up like a doll from day one. I always had a bow in my hair, too. I still love new shoes more than new clothes.

5. To what degree are you in touch with friends from grade school? high school? college if you attended college? 

I am still in touch with quite a few people that I went to grade school, junior high (that’s what we called grades 7-9), and high school. Many of them live in Louisville which is the closest big city to my hometown of Madison, Indiana.

My two college besties live here, too. I am also in touch with other college friends but mainly on social media. I see them every now and again and it’s like no time has passed.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I went ahead and bought this and I have used it already! Yum!

I really love all things pumpkin!

What would you say to any of these questions today?

Amy

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

I went through my whole life thinking I was an extrovert but about five years ago I found out there were such people called “introverted extroverts” and “extroverted introverts”. Hmmm. So, now I think I am actually closer to one of those categories, but for the purposes of this post let’s go with…

Amy is an extrovert. Tom is an introvert.

Extroverts by definition: Extroverts are often “social, talkative, optimistic, outgoing, gregarious, friendly, and willing to take risks,” says Nancy Colier, psychotherapist, public speaker, and author of The Emotionally Exhausted Woman. Unlike introverts, when they are going through a problem or issue, “they are more inclined to talk it out with others than internalize and keep it inward,” says Astley. “They easily express their thoughts, feelings, and opinions and are action-oriented.”

With that said, being an extrovert may have its costs in many scenarios. For example, “Since extroverts are fast processors, they may unintentionally say embarrassing things that result in a need for relational repair,” says Charnin.

Um, that is exactly me. I have always loved being the center of attention. I am usually not nervous in social situations or when I have to do public speaking. You know how I am feeling and I talk out my problems with people. And, I have processed too quickly and stuck my foot in my mouth a lot.

Introverts by definition: Introverts are often misunderstood and are experienced as being shy, antisocial, and self-centered,” says Astley. “In actuality, introverts do not fear people or socializing with people; rather, they prefer to limit their interactional time and enjoy intimate gathering over large ones.”

…since introverts are so aware of their inner world, they have a great capacity to speak with thoughtful intention, which can be beneficial for honing relationships. When it comes to making decisions, introverts tend to “focus on their internal thoughts and feelings rather than external forces,” says Astley. This is why they are known to be quieter than extroverts. Instead of talking things out with another person, they prefer to spend time alone to come to their own conclusions. “One of their many strengths is that introverts make great active listeners,” says Astley.

Umm, that is exactly Tom. He is better one on one and he can talk your ear off if the situation and his mood is right. The most common thing I have heard about Tom is that people were shocked when his personality didn’t match how he first appeared. He is misunderstood sometimes.

I want to credit this article for the above definitions and it’s a good one if you want to delve more deeply into this topic.

I love taking pictures and Tom does not. I love when people know it’s my birthday and Tom does not.

Why is it important to understand your partner’s personality type? I would say it’s also important to know and understand this about your parents, siblings, kids, co-workers, etc. I think we can take things personally if we misunderstand someone.

I have wanted Tom to make quicker decisions in the past and now I realize he needs time to process things. I have mistaken his personality for his feelings towards me in the past.

I worked with an extreme introvert. I found out she was really funny on text message or on Instagram DMs, but you would not know that if you only interacted with her in person. She wasn’t going to walk down to my room and chat, but she liked to “talk” in other forms. I think understanding her was beneficial to my work relationship with her.

That is also some food for thought. Are we more extroverted around certain people and more introverted around others? We have all met people where the conversation feels natural and we just jibe and we have all met people where it felt like pulling teeth and there were awkward silences, no?

Do you believe opposites attract? I kind of do. I think we can complement each other when we have different strengths. I know for a fact that Tom has helped me slow down, not be too wordy, be more patient, and much more. I think I have helped him to make decisions, take more risks and to be more social.

What we have in common: We are both the first borns in our families of origin. We both have a strong work ethic. We are both frugal and practical. We are routine-oriented. We both love learning new things. We are both interested in other countries and cultures. We have the same sense of humor and make each other laugh.

Tom loves tv. He seriously loves it. I prefer reading even though I do also enjoy tv. I can usually read in the same room so we are spending time together. If Tom is home, the tv is usually on. I don’t turn tv on during the day very much at all.

Tom gets all the socializing he needs at work. He goes to lunch everyday because he needs to get out of the office and this becomes social time as he always takes some guys with him. He knows I need to go out to dinner to get a break from cooking about once a week. He knows I need to be social sometimes. It’s not that he doesn’t value our friendships, but he just doesn’t need to be as social as I do.

I would like to make sure I do something social alone once or twice a week so that I can respect his need to be at home and not socializing. We’ve generally done pretty well with this.

He doesn’t get home until almost 6:00 on the weeknights and then his bestie Eddie Otis needs lots of attention. So, going out on weeknights just isn’t in the cards for Tom in this season. But, he is happy to go out on the weekend and he is fine if it’s just he and I.

The thing is…we really aren’t that different. I like to be home and showered and in my pjs early and go to bed on the early side so I feel my best. I want to eat mostly at home and like to cook.

Are you interested in this topic? Would you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert? If you have a partner, are you opposites?

Amy

Monday, August 18, 2025

It’s Monday and that means it’s link up day with Sarah and Holly. I didn’t take many photos this weekend but the star of my weekend was my AC unit. I’m tired of talking about the heat. I apologize.

Is this the first sign of fall?

Still looks like summer!

I’m reading this and it’s cute but a bit sad and slow moving.

Friday Mason and I did a happy hour and I had a lovely blueberry lemon drop martini…

and Mason picked the appetizer of a local bread with dipping oil, balsamic, and butter…

We stopped at Fresh Market to get some dinner for everyone and I picked up Jenn’s fave ice cream. You don’t need much because it is rich but it’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted!

I went to bed early Friday night. I got my Shingles shot on Wednesday and I didn’t really have side effects except I was very tired.

Saturday Tom and Eddie Otis went out and did their thing and I cleaned for two hours and I loved it. I washed rugs, too!

I still love my hall bath so much…

And, I still love my bathroom so much!

I also cleaned the basement bathroom. I might take a photo of that one, soon, for you. I determined I needed to get some new rugs for that one because I think the rugs were at least 10 years old. So, I went out to Target along with my library pick up. I also bought new hand towels and soaps.

You guys….acorn spice is out!

Here are my two library pick ups:

It’s almost time to stop reading summer books, no?

Tom took me out to a very fancy dinner after reading and staying in the AC the rest of Saturday. We went to Rooster’s! It’s a chain but I’m not sure where they are located.

We split the onion feathers but the rest of my meal was healthy – salad and grilled chicken.

Sunday I enjoyed my frothy coffee and Tom’s amazing fan.

What about you? Did you also stay inside in the AC?

Amy