Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

Friday, May 19, 2023

Here is what my board looked like on Monday! Now subtract 5! Woohoo! I am linking up today with Andrea and Erika for a very random list of favorites. I’m grasping at straws here, people. I am dragging myself across the finish line that is called my 29th year! Ha!

Do seniors get out earlier where you are? Ours still technically have to show up each day, but they have a variety of activities including a graduation practice or two. They have a senior breakfast and senior walk, senior sunrise on the football field, senior movie – that kind of thing.

Erica and I have divided up the remaining lunches to continue doing our lunch meal prep. Here was Monday’s burrito bowls. Yum!

I started this book over the weekend but took a break – it is about a custody battle and surrogacy and it’s just kinda heavy.

I picked this up and am almost finished. It’s really cute chick lit and a break from my Colleen Hoover deep dive.

My sister is getting her kids a puppy named Ezra! He is a cavapoo and I am so excited for them! Look at his little tongue!

I really need to stop saying things on the blog that make me eat my words. I placed a Walmart.com order for three dresses. The quality is really good but the sizing runs big. I ordered this and am waiting to try it in a size down:

This one and am waiting to try it in a size down:

And this one:

Their website pictures are horrible, but they are giving Amazon a run for their money with how quickly they have arrived. They are way faster than Target, too. I will let you know which I end up keeping – if any. I should have ordered multiple sizes in my first order.

So fast and so communicative:

We are trying to grow some grass and my patio smells like a barnyard because of the straw…

I have been able to get outside and drink my morning coffee a couple of times and that is a sure sign that summer is coming.

Many years ago I asked myself the question: “What are my favorite things about being on vacation?” and the answer was that I really enjoy drinking my coffee on the patio of the vacation rental. I decided that was not something that should only be reserved for vacation and I started doing it more at home.

I am in love with this new to me Dr. Teal’s scent:

Thank you to Carolina Charm for the rec. I love Dr. Teal’s!

I made Amy McMuffins for breakfast meal prep to take a break from breakfast burritos:

Erica sent this and I loved it – especially because I am trying to get more into white wines.

I went to the Shakespeare at the Nature Center that one of my college kids has been working on as stage manager. It was unique because you started out here and then followed the actors into the woods.

But, I really just don’t enjoy Shakespeare and I ended up with two kids who are qute the fans!

OMG – you probably shouldn’t order these. I was unable to stop myself. They are so good. Have you tried them? I can’t find them in stores and had to order a small bag off of Amazon because I was curious.

I have been keeping my nails natural as much as I don’t like how they look. I ordered an old school nail buffer off of Amazon. I can tell my nails are getting stronger and more healthy.

I got a really funny gift from a student this week – it is a candle that says  “Señora Scott’s Last Nerve – Oh look it’s on fire!” and the scent is margarita! How funny is that?

I hope I don’t act like they are on my last nerve!

I found a new favorite wine! It’s not too dry nor too sweet. Check this out! It is quite refreshing for this spring weather.

Whew! You just got a look inside my brain! It’s all over the place!

Before I go, can I complain about something? Isn’t it just par for the course that Mother’s Day is in the crazy month of May and Father’s Day is in one of the most relaxing months of the year -June? I thought about that this year and it made me mad!

Happy, happy Friday to you and thanks for reading!

Amy

Thursday, May 18, 2023

It’s Thursday and that means time for Fashion Files along with some strange mirror faces from your girl, Amy. Yes, I am still bad at this! I am linking up with Jill and Kellyann.

I usually only take one photo, by the way. I am super professional! These are my actual outfits that I wear out the door!

Saturday, I finally wore my new Aerie toddler denim cutoffs. I call them “toddler” because of the nice elastic in the back. Why don’t more women’s shorts do this? I need a lower heeled sandal. These are just too high to wear with cutoffs – giving me the Daisy Dukes vibe. Anyway, I switched to flip flops for some Saturday errands. I think and hope this cream color will come in handy and cut offs are such a summer staple for me. I now have light denim, medium denim, pink, black, white, and cream. I have accumulated them over several years.

Saturday night and I wore white jeans and my TJ Maxx blouse – I am worried that I won’t be able to wear long sleeves for much longer and this has been one of my favorite spring blouses. Good job on this purchase, Amy! I was so hot, though, because the restaurant where we went had a malfunctioning AC unit! My friends were in dresses and I was so jealous. Oh well.

Sunday outfit and I broke out my old Amazon palm print skirt. It’s too long. I have to hike it up really high to be the length I want it.

Later in the day, I changed to my Target blouse and my Costco skort to go see a play. Nothing to write home about, but I was going to be sitting in a folding chair in the woods and I didn’t want to flash anyone while standing up, so I thought a skort would be good.

Monday for work I wore my tropical skirt (matches a top that is a bit too snug and not work appropriate – got both pieces at TJ Maxx last year) with my Old Navy chambray shirt. I changed shoes later in the day at work. Now this skirt is the perfect length. I hadn’t really thought about wearing it without the matching top, but I am glad I did. I think it would look good with a white blouse, too. The print makes me happy. Do you have anything you can separate in your closet that you hadn’t thought about before?

And, yesterday for work, I wore one of my favorite blouses and a long white gauzy skirt that I got for like $5 on the clearance rack at Chico’s a few years ago. Yes, I wore my Hobby Lobby sandals. I have hit rock bottom.

Here are some looks I want to try:

I have a pink and white gingham headband and a black and white gingham headband and pretty much all the elements in the above outfits.

I want to find a kitten heel sandal like this but probably in cognac:

Do you follow Lucky Peacock on IG? I love her style. I have all the elements below and have probably worn it, but this is a good reminder!

Where do you find outfit inspiration?

Are you adventurous in trying new trends and looks? Lewks?

What have you been wearing lately?

Amy

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

This idea was from a reader but I can’t remember who! Thank you, though!

So, we have a boat that we enjoy from May-ish until October or November-ish. We have now been boat owners for almost 8 years and had the same boat. I pray it continues to serve us because it’s really perfect for our needs. We really only use it on the Ohio River because it is a lot to tow it elsewhere and and we can be on the river from our home in an easy 15 minutes or so if the boat ramp is empty. We keep the boat in a storage barn very near to the ramp and shout out to Marine Sales and Service, by the way!

I think I have now had my Bogg bag for 5 years? I remember they were so popular that I had to take the color I could get from a local boutique. We keep towels on our boat in a big Rubbermaid tote under a seat and I take them and wash them and put them back so I usually don’t have to worry about packing towels. We also keep paper towels, trash bags, and some sunscreen on the boat. We have outlets and phone chargers, too, which come in handy.

This is pretty close to the perfect boat bag as it stays upright and you can easily squeeze it between a captain’s chair and our cooler. It is quite heavy, though, so I would not say it’s a great bag if you have to carry it a long way.

I also have this bag that is more of a pool bag, but sometimes it comes along on the boat to hold additional stuff.

Within the Bogg bag, I put this big pouch. This came as a free gift with purchase from Ulta, I think. It also had a clear tote, but the tote fell apart.

Inside of it, I like to have sunscreen, some sort of wipe, and a spray bottle. My sister-in-law taught me the need for a spray bottle. When you aren’t able to get in the water, it really keeps you cool and it’s nice to have fresh water handy to spray on you and not river water. These are my Lume wipes in cool cucumber and I also always have baby wipes for cleaning hands after sunscreen or before eating. I need to buy some new ones.

I have not chosen this year’s sunscreen yet, so this is from last year. I try not to skimp on sunscreen. I always apply lotion at home and then only use the spray for re-application. I just think that is the best protection. I also need to make sure to get lip sunscreen and I am really curious about the powder to keep your part from burning but I almost always have a hat on, too. Tom has a bald head spray sunscreen he uses. He, he.

I usually have a couple of hat options stuffed in the Bogg bag. Not pictured is an extra hair tie that I keep in the palm print bag.

I started carrying a fanny pack as a wallet for the times when we stop to eat on the river. We can either pack our own food and anchor and eat in a cove or we can pull up to a few restaurants that are pretty close to home. Sometimes we go about 30 minutes to a pizza place on the Indiana side.

I grab my wallet pouch (currently using my Ipsy pouch) from my purse and my purse ibuprofen and eye drops or I just grab my whole purse sometimes.

Now, when I go to the pool, the Bogg bag is just too heavy. I just use the bag from above or my L.L.Bean bag.

I also usually put chips or crackers in my Bogg bag and have a small soft sided cooler that fits in there as well for anything that needs to stay cold. Tom keeps a big drink cooler on the boat. I also have a big gallon ziplock of napkins, paper plates, and straws.

I am considering buying a couple of Turkish towels. Thoughts? I am very picky about my towels and my current favorite are Tommy Bahama from Costco.

I always try to bring Yeti type cups with a lid because sloshing does occur.

I also grab my book in case we park and I have a chance to read.

I keep the Bogg bag packed pretty much from now until the fall.

I am sure I am forgetting some things. Sound off in the comments if you have any tips or items you think would be handy!

Amy

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

I am off today for primary election day. It does make for a weird week because we go Monday, stay home Tuesday, and then Wednesday through Friday. We still have AP testing going on this week because we were out on May 5th and that exam had to be on the makeup day and we are doing state testing for sophomores and juniors. Too much testing, right?

I thought I would do a casual coffee talk post today just catching you up on all aspects behind the scenes here at the casa.

College Kids:

So, the college kids have been home for a little over a week now. They kind of gradually moved out of their respective dorm rooms and went back to campus when they had an in person final and turned in a few papers from home. I tried not to micromanage anything. Tom and I did not step foot on campus to help them move out. Boy, do things change after freshman year. We gladly would have helped, but they insisted they were fine.

The IKEA blue bags – some are still going strong, but some had to be tossed after 3 years. I love them so much. They really are the best.

Their college stuff is mostly still in bags in their bedrooms – ugh. Some of their stuff is in their basement hang out room. They have desks in there, a tv, gaming systems, a futon, and a bathroom. I am going to try to push them to really unpack and let me donate some things as soon as I get done with school, if not sooner.

Mason has been directing outdoor practices and performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at our nature center and has been gone most nights at dinner time. That job just ended and now he needs to find his real summer job.

Jack starts his summer job this week at a music store. I am happy he had a little bit of down time. He also had to sing at some college graduation events, so that kept him a little busy, but still gave him a break after finals.

It’s really nice that they are home with Ernie during the day. I have been rushing home from school since the end of January and this takes a little off of my plate.

There is a bit of a transition period getting used to having 4 in the house and also not overstepping with your kids who have been managing themselves. Also, I have forgotten how to shop for and cook for four people! We have only gotten to eat dinner together a handful of times so far because of the play practice, but I am hoping we get to do it more.

Anyway, I love having them here. I feel like I get more hugs and words of appreciation now and it’s very sweet. They were always like that until the teen years and now I feel like it’s back again.

School

I have 7 more days with my seniors and 11 more days with my underclassmen. I have had a really great school year. I am sad because you never get the same dynamic again in your 6 classes. I have laughed more than I deserve this year because of them.

I also really worked on my work/life balance and it made a world of difference. I didn’t check email after hours or on weekends with a few exceptions. I didn’t watch the 9 a.m. Sunday Memo from my principal until Monday morning. Guess what – I didn’t miss anything and there were no emergencies. I continued to meal prep and it was a saving grace. I also challenged myself with learning lots of new technology and getting on Tik Tok.

There were definitely things I wish I had done better but that’s the beauty of teaching – I get a do over next year.

Shopping

I haven’t been clothes or shoe shopping much for myself and I continue to track my spending as I have in January, February, March, and April. I am trying to be content with what I have. Summer clothes and shoes are my absolute favorite, though, and when I have more time I shop more. I’m ok with that as the timing usually works out that things start going on sale just as I get out of school!

Well, my coffee has gotten cold and I have run out of talk.

What would you tell me if we were sitting down for a cup of coffee?

Amy

Monday, May 15, 2023

Well, you guys – I hardly took any photos this weekend so this is going to be short and sweet! I am linking up with Holly and Sarah, though, so be sure to check some other posts!

I got a sweet Teacher Appreciate gift Friday from three girls who went together! How cute! One girl had asked me what my favorite chips were a few days before…

My face…I was touched but it looks like I was constipated.

Friday night called for breakfast for dinner and this was mine:

Saturday running errands outfit:

Trader Joe’s was one of my stops and I got these for hummus and pizzas:

Saturday night going out outfit:

Paloma:

Mother’s Day Brunch outfit:

And, that’s all I took! Can you believe it?

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

Friday, May 12, 2023

It’s Friday and time to link up with Andrea and Erika!

Here are some of my favorites from the week!

Got my old email back- not sure what I did that was different, but I was able to get back in. Now, I am transitioning to a gmail account. I was right that I was not missing anything important in my old email account, but it’s good that I have access again.

Jen showed Mother’s Day gifts from the.enneagram.com for her type and I looked up my type – 2. Yes, I do love all of these things!

I have been wearing my natural nails lately. I don’t love having them bare, but they are really loving this “rest”.

A photo of a wet (from the morning dew) photo of Ernie came up in my Facebook memories. We got him when our kids were in 4th grade. I had an arrangement to work 2nd period until an hour after school back then. I did this from my kids’ k-5th grade. They were on a 9:05 to 3:45 schedule and I was on a 7:40-2:20 schedule and then when they started middle school we were on the same schedule. I was able to drop them off at 8:40 and still get to my 2nd period on time and then I did the after school detention. I loved this arrangement and it also enabled me to walk Ernie when it was light out.

Ernie and I would walk to pick them up from school, also, as I still got home in plenty of time to do that. Teaching is the least flexible job ever, but sometimes you can look for creative solutions like this. My motto has always been to ask the question and the worst you are going to hear is “no”. I didn’t enjoy doing detention, but it was a means to have that schedule.

My school is changing start and end times next year. We are going from 7:40-2:20 to 8:40-3:20. I guess it will be nice to have a little more time in the morning, but I am not excited about losing an hour after school. I am trying to have an open mind and maybe I will end up liking it. I didn’t think I would like having last period planning this year, but it turns out that I have loved it!

I read this book so quickly. I really liked it! Are you a COHO fan? Colleen Hoover has become so popular with the teen girls, by the way. Her books do have mature content so I would think they are best for 17 and up? Some of my girl students and I have been talking about her books. Someone is letting me borrow Ugly Love soon. I think they are watching Netflix shows with the same mature topics and maybe even worse than what is in COHO’s books. Teens today know SO MUCH MORE than I did at their age.

Then, I started this one and will probably need to take a COHO break for a bit. The weather has been amazing! I come home from school, walk Ernie, and then read for a bit, start dinner, read a bit more. It’s giving me life to be able to sit outside and soak up some nature.

I made a really good dish based on Slender Kitchen’s one pot orzo – I changed the noodles to these cool ones from Trader Joe’s and I left out the cannellini beans. I think the beans tasted odd with pasta last time I made this. The dish also has chicken, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and chicken broth. This was Sunday dinner and Monday’s lunch for E and I.

This seemed significant! It’s hard to believe that 500,000 views have been made to this little old blog and that people have read my drivel.

I found the Cheese Gal chablis and I absolutely love it! It is a really good crisp, white wine for this time of year. I enjoyed a glass one evening this week on my patio. I am trying to deep dive into whites and see what I like. I am not a fan of chardonnay but this is a type of chardonnay – but unoaked – according to the fabulous wine guy at Trader Joe’s. Seriously, I have found my wine guy. He is so knowledgeable and patient and approaches me like he wants to hear my tales of what wines I like and don’t like. I also have a wine guy at the Kroger wine shop and he is a former co-worker’s friend. It really doesn’t feel like I live in a big city!

Speaking of that – it is kind of a running joke with my kids and my friends that I see a current or former student everywhere I go. You can run but you can’t hide.

After I scheduled my Hello Monday post on Sunday, my weekend continued. The day was dreary, cold, and rainy but we walked Ernie at a neighborhood that has a farmer’s market and a co-worker’s wife sells slices of cake. Tom picked out pineapple upside down cake and chocolate mint cake – 2 that I would not have picked so that was good so he could eat them.

Ernie had so much fun going on an outing with us and then he sat on a patio while we ate Waldo’s Chicken and Beer chicken sandwiches for lunch.

I think we need to do this more. We have so many dog friendly patios.

I got a spur of the moment invite to Mojitos late Sunday afternoon with my two college besties. The three of us have not been together in a long time – both of them have college kids that just came home, too, and one of them has an 8th grader doing all the 8th grade end of year stuff and the other has a high school senior who just made a college decision so there has been a lot going on.

We had a pitcher of passionfruit mojitos and…

plantain chips and guacamole,

and split a fish sandwich and flatbread. It was so nice to catch up and have a fun thing to cap off my weekend.

Another dinner this week was a favorite. I made a simple teriyaki sauce of:

1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 T water, 2 T. brown sugar, 2 t. sesame oil, 1 t. sriracha sauce, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1 T. ginger minced (I buy the tube). I had already cooked chicken that I put in that sauce on the stove for a bit along with some already cooked shrimp. I built bowls with rice, broccoli, pickled carrot, cucumber, and then the final step was a sauce made from 1 t. rice vinegar, 1 t. soy sauce, 2 t. sriracha sauce, and 3 T. mayo.

It turned out really good and I am just loving all the Asian inspired recipes lately.

Did you miss my Amazon post Tuesday or my Fashion Files yesterday? If so, I hope you will check those out.

I hope you had many, many favorites this week! Can you even believe we are at mid-May already?

Amy

Thursday, May 11, 2023

It’s time to link up with Kellyann and Jill for Fashion Files. I am sorry I didn’t post yesterday – I was wiped out and hadn’t planned ahead with a topic, so I just let it go. Sometimes that is the right call!

I wore this outfit last week – old Matilda Janes, old Old Navy floral tank, old consignment cardigan.

I also wore this last week – new skort from Costco (have worn it two or three times already) and an old blouse.

Cinco de mayo outfit – Target cut offs, Coconuts by Matisse sandals, old tank, and an Umgee Mexican looking kimono.

I believe this will be my third season with these:

Derby party outfit – consignment sandals, Versona clearance pants, Old Navy gauzy top that I got at a consignment shop new with tags.

Sunday’s walking the dog outfit was my new “Shell Yeah” t-shirt.

This week at school has been Teacher Appreciation Week including a theme week. Monday was
“Summer Vibes”. Erica did European traveler and I did tropical.

And, in real fashion news…

My niece had a stunning prom dress!

And, my sister Kate looks awfully stylish, too!

What kind of fashion have you been sporting lately?

Even though I am not finished until June 2, I counted that I only have 11 more school outfits to create! I am still doing well at not repeating any items. I need to pull the things I haven’t worn yet and move them to one section of my closet.

Thanks for reading,

Amy

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

I have been doing pretty well on the Amazon front lately, but I figured it was time to round up my purchases.

I get nervous when I get down to my last can of popcorn spray. This is seriously so good!

For the new bathroom, I ordered this toilet paper stand and I am happy with it. I even managed to put it together all by myself!

I am now using this detangling spray. I like it. I am not sure I will buy it again, but it’s fine for now.

I love these soft and nubby bath mats and have them in my other bathrooms, too.

My beloved hairspray is available again and I am so happy!

This is the fascinator I bought for the horse track.

These are the tanks I sleep and lounge in.

I needed to restock on my beloved Ashwagandha. Are you chewing one gummy before bed yet?

I found these The Drop lounge shorts for $13.

I have black, leopard, and gold Amazon Essentials flip flops now. They were $11-13 and are way more comfortable than J.Crew, but look exactly like J.Crew.

I am happy with how I did last month. I cleaned out my closet and took inventory and intentionally replaced a few things that needed replacing.

I hate returns, so I am trying to read reviews and be thoughful about my purchases. I rarely click buy right away, but let things hang out in my cart for a bit.

What have you been buying Amazon lately?

Amy

Monday, May 8, 2023

Ok, it’s Monday and it’s a 5 day week and I am trying to mentally prepare myself. My big AP Spanish exam is Wednesday and I don’t get to see my kids today because most of them have AP Calculus, so tomorrow is it. I call it my Blitz Day!

I am linking up with Sarah and Holly to talk about my weekend. Let’s go!

I had Friday off because it is a Flex PD day – I already worked it over the summer or in one of my after school sessions. They did that because too many teachers took it off to go to The Kentucky Oaks – the day before Derby races.

It was seriously hot out! I finished up my book:

I started this:

I put on my most Cinco de Mayo looking thing – a kimono to run my errands.

I had to change out of the long sleeve underneath to a tank to wear it out to dinner later:

I went to Trader Joe’s and got this:

and the famed Chablis from Cheese Gal:

And, it is amazing! I need to go get more before it sells out.

I got a few British things for the coronation:

M and I decided we love crumpets! You need to toast them and the butter seeps into the cool little holes.

I also went to World Market and got tea and a couple other little things:

I finally made the Ted Lasso biscuits with the boss shortbread recipe. It’s very easy and delish! We are watching Ted Lasso’s current season with our kids.

M is directing a Shakepeare play at the nature center and has practice many evenings and then the performace starts this week. Tom, J, and I went to the new Condado Tacos at the mall next to Top Golf.

Not impressed. The chips were thick and tasted whole wheat? It was so noisy we couldn’t hear ourselves think but now we know.

I went to bed pretty early and got up at 5 a.m. to watch the coronation:

My favorite part:

I did a Homegoods return and bought Tom’s beer cheese at Liquor Barn and then I came home and made hot brown dip:

It was pretty cloudy and a bit breezy so I decided to wear this with my jockey earrings and white fascinator to the Derby party we were invited to:

What a gorgeous area and look how cute the horse floats were!

We had a great time!

Sunday morning I finished this book and I will never be the same. It was so good and I got an education about a world I didn’t know much about.

I’m glad I got some outdoor time because we could tell a storm was coming. Ernie looks very concerned, right?

And, this is how I feel today. Just like Ernie!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Amy

Friday, May 5, 2023

Happy Oaks Day (the day before the Derby!

Happy Cinco de mayo! We don’t capitalize months in Spanish, but I am not sure about capitalizing it in the phrase “Cinco de mayo”!

Are you having Mexican food tonight? This day really just commemorates the battle at Puebla and we make a bigger deal out of it in the U.S. than they do in Mexico.

It’s time to link up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites!

A couple of favorite recipes I tried last weekend that I want to share. Also, as some of you moms are getting excited/nervous about all the free time stretching out in front of you this summer, I think these would be great to do with kids.

The Yummiest Banana Bread – I found myself with 6 very over ripe bananas and I think that is what contributed to this being the best (I know I have said it before, but I really mean it now) banana bread I have ever made. I gave a loaf to my friend Elizabeth and she immediately texted me asking how I made it so moist. She had to have the recipe.

Buttermilk Pancakes – I like to treat my college kids sometimes and made these on Saturday. I put mini chocolate chips on top – I don’t mix it in with the batter because I think they sink or the ratio turns out wrong. These were the most delicious pancakes I have ever made. I also love my electric non-stick griddle that enables me to make 4-6 at a time depending on size.

But, wait you say – you have found really good box mixes. Nope! Don’t even go there. These recipes take maybe 5 more minutes but you control the ingredients and you know there are things you cannot pronounce on the ingredients list of the box mix. With the leftover buttermilk, make mashed potatoes for my KFC Copycat Bowl that I got from Andrea, I think. I couldn’t find her post about it.

Reminders:

Tomorrow is The Kentucky Derby and the big race occurs at 6:57 p.m.

King Charles’ Coronation can be watched starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern time. Will you be sipping tea and eating scones in your p.j.’s with a big hat as your accessory?

I am so happy to have my favorite hairspray again from Amazon! It wasn’t available for a while and I settled but then I checked and it’s back!

And, trying a new detangler and I really like it and the smell.

I figured out how to dust my decorative rocks… I dumped them out on a towel and rubbed. I cleaned the vases, too. They look so much better.

Tuesday was a favorite this week because I took one of my two remaining personal days! I got very cheap tickets to the horse races at Churchill Downs and Erica and I took a personal day and I invited my niece Brooke. We started the day with brunch at Gralehaus, which is the absolute cutest and has great food.

Soon to be college graduate and RN starting in June – so lovely and fun to be with!

We all got a breakfast sandwich on a homemade biscuit and it was delish. I am so glad we ate before the track because food was super expensive and many of the food and drink stands were cash only? So weird.

The garden behind Gralehaus:

The weather forecast was looking dicey – more clouds and wind than preferable. I ended up sticking with my original outfit and the only thing new was my $11 Amazon fascinator. I did take a sweater but only needed it at the very end. We really lucked out as it was super sunny and I was appropriately dressed all day. I was also very comfy in last year’s Amazon sandals. I do look like I’m wearing Granny’s nightgown, but whatever.

Some outfits as we headed in:

There was everything from jeans to a full on Derby Day ‘fit with pretty heels, dresses, and hats.

Our first drink was the Oaks Lily:

We were able to snag a box on the railing at the finish line! I guess there are advantages to getting there early in the day. I have never had such good seats!

I picked a winner in every single race until the last one. I didn’t bet a lot of money but I won anywhere from $2-6 each race! But, I have to tell you this or I am a bad person. In the last race we stayed for (the second to last of the day), we were walking out to cash out our tickets and we saw a horse lying down on the track. So, something happened after the race was over – the horse may have had a heart condition or hurt his leg. They immediately brought out a big tarp like tent thing and a truck came on the track and of course that only meant one thing. We later heard that another horse died after the 5th race. Two horses died! We felt like such bad people for betting after that. This is why Tom is not a fan of horse racing or really anything that involves humans taking advantage of animals. He hates the circus. So I know this is controversial, but I had to share that. I know people will come back and say that thoroughbred horses are treated like kings, but to me it sounds like they were pushed too hard and I used this as a form of diversion.

Anyway, it was a great day until the end when that happened.

Wednesday night was the great steamboat race down at Marine Sales and Service where we keep our boat. Tom, Ernie, and I went.

Ernie waiting on Tom to drop a scrap:

It was so nice to be out in the sun on a weeknight and we saw lots of people we hadn’t seen in a while, so that was really nice.

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week and they have us dressing in themes like the kids do at Spirit Week. Monday is “Dress like you are in summer mode”. I will try to do them all because it will make deciding what to wear easy.

Remember that my favorite thing to get as a teacher is a handwritten heartfelt note from a parent or a student. I save them all. As far as gifts go, I think I most appreciate a gift card. I spend my own money throughout the year on little things that are just not worth trying to get reimbursed for so if you do go the gift route, don’t think a gift card is lame. But, again, a card or note is really my favorite.

Happy, happy Friday and did I mention I am off today? This is a day we worked in the summer to have today off – a flexible PD day. It is Oaks so many teachers were taking it off years ago and that is why they decided to make it one of our flex PD days. Also, it’s college move out day so I will be going to campus to help provide more space with my car and then trying to get a couple of people who shall not be named to unpack and organize when they get home now that finals are over.

Thanks for reading!

Amy