Tuesday and Life Lately

Happy Tuesday, friends!

It's been ages since I've done a blog post of random things. I feel like I have #allthethings in my head right now and I need to get them out.

① I am like most people, believe it or not—and like you, maybe, I have #allthethoughts and #alltheopinions on #allthethings going on lately in our world and especially in our country.  That being said, my best and oldest friend lost her dad recently. This is him in the picture below, on the left. Larry was exactly what this picture depicts—loving, hilariously funny, refreshing, always surprising, affectionate, the life of a party, the bright light that lit up a room just when by entering. I can see him in my mind and I can hear his laugh when I look at this picture. This was Dad with him almost one year ago to the day, when they buried my best friend's mom and Larry's wife.

And this is my best friend Stacy pictured with Dad and her sister Paige standing behind Dad. I love their whole family so much, and was so saddened to hear that funerals are still events that are being closed off to anyone but immediate family. I am not okay with not being able to attend the funerals of loved ones right now. I'm not okay with how "they", whoever "they" may be, let other nonsense go on and decide funerals will remain shut down. I think it's ridiculous, and this will probably not gain me any friends, but I am not here to debate about it—it's my blog and my own little private space of the interwebs, and I have the right to voice my own opinion.

Moving right along...

② This picture below shows my youngest son, Noah. He's the one with the white hoodie. In November of last year, his best friend Jacob asked him to go to California with him for about five days. It was the trip of a lifetime! I am so glad Noah got to do this—who'd have known it would be the last time he traveled for a long time? He traveled with Jacob, his mom Amy and Amy's sister in law. Noah worked hard to earn the money for his own plane tickets and to have souvenir money.

They left Memphis way before the crack of dawn and when they landed in LA, they hit the ground running. This is them at Warner Brothers and do you know what this kid told me? I'm laughing. Well, before I tell you what he said, know that he brought home gifts for all of us and mine was a beautiful picture of the skyline of LA. I love it and have it hanging where I see it often. But this is what he told me: that he knows I love the Gilmore Girls and he can't figure out why he didn't buy me a souvenir from that show since he walked through and saw the town of Stars Hollow. 😲

I don't know why either, Noah.

③ I miss my friends that I don't live near. Please note that we do live in the same city, I just stay close by my own home a lot. I'm not sure why I do this, but we go to church two minutes from my home, and I suppose I like to stay in my community. That makes me sound terrible. I just don't get out much.

In this picture above, this is one of my best friends Christa and me. I am pretty sure we met for lunch on this day at a Mexican restaurant and caught up with each other. We do have plans to see each other soon, and I can't wait. Also, on a related note, I miss Mexican food. I'm not going out much these days because it's too hot to wear a mask, and because masks are mandated in my county now. I have asthma and technically could get away with not wearing one, but I hate confrontation, so there you go.

④ I love my summer makeup routine. It's so light and easy. I was wearing a different brand, but I guess it felt a little heavy to me and I decided to stop wearing it for now at least, but maybe forever. After I brush my teeth, I put on my Cerave moisturizer and while that soaks in, I make my bed and fold a load of laundry. Then I use that Elf illuminating primer and let that soak in while I pick out my clothes and hang up things in our closet. I use blush next, then set it all with a tiny bit of powder. After that I do eyeshadow (the brown and then the cream color), eyebrow tint {to fill in where I'm losing them, hello mid-forties}, eyeliner and mascara. That may sound like a lot, but trust me—it's not. It all takes less than five minutes.

Sidenote: this blush that's the orange/peachy color is the best blush I've ever used and it cost $5 from Amazon.

⑤ This is my handsome nephew Austin. He and Mike (his dad and Debi's husband) hiked these mountains a couple of weeks ago, and Mike tagged me in this picture on Facebook. Seeing those mountains makes my lungs hurt, and they were at an altitude of above 13,000 feet. I don't know if you know this about me or not, but remember how I said I have asthma? I do, but I don't struggle with it all the time, I only battle it when I exercise. {I'm rolling my eyes.} Mike had a picture of the number of feet they were above sea level and just seeing that number made my eyes burn.

Also, how cute is he? I've always thought that he resembled Zac Effron. His eyes are beautiful and bright blue, just like his pretty mama's. I don't get to see Austin often, but everytime I do, he always gives me the biggest hug and we just talk and talk like we see each other everyday. {This is so random because I just saw his picture on FB—I'd forgotten all about it.}

⑥ I miss Christmas.

Anyone else? I tried to talk my husband into letting me go ahead and put the Christmas tree back up, but he won't let me. I'm laughing.

⑦ Does anyone other than me need to see this today?

No? Just me? I feel like our entire nation and world need to remember this right now.

⑧ I still love my new purse. I wore it as a crossbody on Sunday night when Noah took me grocery shopping. 💕

⑨ Does anyone need a pool sitter? I would love to swim again soon! I have had two chances so far this summer, one time that a friend nearby let me and a day I swam with my sister Trish a couple of weeks ago.

⑩ I mentioned above that Noah took me grocery shopping Sunday night. I think I had a genius moment and decided to go on Sunday night when the store was empty. The shelves were mostly stocked and there were very few people there. The downside to this is there was only one girl checking out, but on the bright side of that, she was really friendly and crazy fast. So was the young man who bagged my groceries. I love talking to the people at my grocery store and getting to know them.

Well, I think that's about all the random-ness I can handle for one day.  Thanks for reading along!

Love to all.