Thankful Thursday, and some blog business

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I will jump right in with my post for today! This week, I am thankful for:

•  the love of God and the gift that prayer is
• that my boys are safe
• my amazing family
• my wonderful friends
• long showers
• afternoon naps on the days when I just cannot 
• something to look forward to
• this trip that is finally happening after being postponed twice
• knowing that Jonah will be at home to hold the fort down, so to speak
• that I got to see both Graham and Drew on Monday night
• the times when I get to talk to Noah
• my work friend who greatly encourages me, and that she is back
• my job
• the gift of being organized
• my friend Kelly who will run the bookstore for me in my absence

What are you thankful for this week? 

As far as the blog business goes, I'm taking a break after today until Wednesday November 6, when I'll come back for the Currently link party which opens at midnight. The prompts for November are things we're currently loving, looking forward to, smelling, preparing for, and thankful for. I'll share the December prompts on Wednesday's post. 

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! I hope you have a great rest of your week and weekend. I'll see you next week! Love to all. 

Jenn 🖤

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Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond for today's post. I'll jump right in!

1. What are your current priorities in this season of life? Elaborate as much as or as little as you'd like.

This is a loaded question! My current priorities today are to read my Bible and pray often each day, to take one day at a time, to check in on my sons anytime they come to my mind and make sure they're all okay, and to work as faithfully/diligently  as possible. Those are my top four, but additionally, I also aim to have plans as often as possible, to be flexible, and to have grace for myself (and others) when I have bad days. 

2. What's one thing you wish you had more of?

Grace. 🤣 Seriously, I wish I had more energy/motivation/extrovertedness. I feel like those three things are tied together, but maybe that's just me. I was praying about this yesterday, asking the Lord to give me energy for my future, because it will be changing drastically. Maybe it's just my life circumstances that have me feeling like this the majority of the time. I'm hoping for brighter days soon.

3. Do you celebrate Halloween? If so, what are your favorite Halloween traditions? Any special plans for Halloween this year? 

When my sons were little, we went trick-or-treating every year. Some of the family would hang around here at home handing out candy, when the rest of us would go walk with the boys. I always hosted our families for this; and would cook a huge pot of soup. Those were really fun times! When the boys started growing up and wanted to go out on their own, we started staying here to hand out candy; that changed into us sitting in the driveway visiting with neighbors each year. It was always an enjoyable night. 

This year, I am so glad to be out of town on Halloween night. I'll be in Denver with my sisters, and we'll be eating Mexican food and drinking margaritas together. I was already promised this, and I'm holding them to it! 

4. What was the last thing you ate that contained chocolate? What was the last thing you made that called for chocolate?

Last night I had a small handful of chocolate covered almonds from Costco. They're so good! The last thing I made that used chocolate (but didn't call for it) were these cupcakes I made a couple of weeks ago. 

I shared them before, but in case you didn't see that, all you do is make a spice cake according to the instructions on the box, but exchange the eggs for half a can of pumpkin puree. I added chocolate chips, and then topped them with homemade cream cheese frosting. These are delicious! 

5. Do you prefer laid back weekends, or do you prefer to have lots of plans? Thinking back to this past weekend, what did yours look like?

Honestly? I like a good mix of the two. I really need to have plans more right now, because I get lonely a lot if I don't. But I also love to stay at home on a weekend night, eat a comforting dinner and watch a show or movie. This past weekend was really low key, but I didn't mind it too much. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I've been rearranging again! I got this idea on Monday to offer Graham the use of my kitchen table and chairs since he doesn't have one. It looks great in his house, even if it's a little too big for the space, but he is going to use it until he buys something else. Meanwhile, I pulled the table out of the dining room (well, Jonah and I did this together) and put it in the kitchen. We brought the piano into the dining room (thus making it a music room instead?) and moved the desk that is in the living room into the space that held the piano. I still have some things to hang, but now I'll put my Christmas tree into the corner where you see the plant on a stand. I plan on doing that as soon as I come home from Denver next week! Additionally, I brought home some rugs from Mom's house that they're no longer using. I love them both and will take them with me moving forward. 

This felt good to do and it makes me happy! I love rearranging a room enough to make a big impact. All it takes is a little imagination and some creativity! 

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. I'm excited to read your posts, too, and I love the questions this week. Love to all!


Jenn 🖤

favorite movies & shows

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joanne for today's fun blog post. I've been watching a lot of TV lately since I'm not reading much right now; there have been some great movies on lately that I thought I'd share with you today. There are so many Hallmark Christmas movies that it can almost be overwhelming, so if you feel like that as well, then today's post is all for you. (Watch me get through this entire list, by the way; at this rate, I will!)

Before we get to Christmas, I have a few favorite fall/Halloween movies that are also worth mentioning.

I rewatch this movie every year, because it's one of my favorites! 

I also love watching this show, although I don't rewatch it every year. I love Catherine Bell, and she makes the show. I watch most things on Hallmark plus; for about $10 a month, you have all the movies and shows you want to watch at your fingertips, all of which are commercial free. When I start living on my own, I play to keep this streaming channel along with Frndly TV ($7 monthly) and I'll become a second (separate) user of Netflix on one of my son's accounts and pay them the difference. 

Here's the schedule of Christmas movies for this year! Out of the five from October that have already aired, I've watched them all; my favorite by far was The 5 Year Christmas Party, and second to that was Scouting For Christmas. 

Some of the older ones I love are:

• Christmas Waltz
• Never Kiss a Man Wearing a Christmas Sweater
• Norwegian Holiday
• My Christmas Guide
• Tis the Season to be Merry
• An Unexpected Christmas
• My Christmas Family Tree
• A Very Merry Bridesmaid

The shows I'm watching right now are: 

• Grey's Anatomy (I have vowed to be done, but I can't let it go) (Hulu)
• Gilmore Girls (Netflix)
• Reba (Netflix)
• The Golden Bachelorette (Hulu)
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

What have you watched lately that you've loved? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

weekending

 

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a good weekend! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's post. Did you do anything fun this weekend? Here's what I was up to...

I love a morning when I don't have to rush off; after I did some things in my home Friday morning, I finally got around to getting dressed and leaving for a few errands. When I got to my first stop of the day, this was what greeted me: a parking lot full of gorgeous trees that were bright with fall foliage. This brought a smile to my face, because it surprised me. 

My first stop was my happy place! It's been way too long since I've been there, and I am reminded that I need to stop in more often, and I'm going to try to start doing this weekly again. We have such a wonderful library, and I really enjoy going each time I'm there. I didn't find the book I was looking for, but I did find some books to bring home. I placed a hold on the one I was looking for. 

I thought all of these looked interesting, so they came home with me. I am particularly excited about the book on hygge. 

After this, I ran one personal errand and one work errand, and then I stayed home for the rest of the day. I ate lunch, did a few things around the house, and watched TV. Graham stopped by that night to pick up the baby dogs to take back home with him, and I got to feed him dinner while he was here. I will always love doing that! I stayed up late Friday night talking to my sister Lisa, which I always love. I actually laid in bed while chatting with her, then I watched Reba until I fell asleep. 

I slept in until after 7 Saturday morning, which is unheard of! I made coffee, then sat down to watch one of my favorite Hallmark Christmas movies, Noel Next Door. Have you seen this one? My plans for Saturday included meeting up with Mom and Trish; we ran a couple of errands, ate lunch, and ended the day with my dad's gravesite. 

We made another trip to John Mark's so that Trish could see the store decked out for Christmas. I never mind going over there! 

This is the rotunda where Dad's funeral was held. It was a dreary day by this point, so we wrapped up our time together right after this. 

When I got home, I had a package on my porch containing this: the teddy bear my sister-in-law made me from one of Dad's old shirts. I love it so much! 

Clearly, the trees are showing off right now! These last two pictures were taken on the street at the end of mine. 

I love Mom's and Bill's side porch right now; I went to their house for dinner on Saturday night, and then I came home pretty early because it was getting extremely foggy. Sunday was noneventful; I had planned something fun after church, but I had to cancel. I came home with a terrible headache and tried to sleep it off that afternoon. I had dinner and watched movies for the rest of the night. 

How was your weekend? What did you do that you loved? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all!

Jenn 🖤

Share 4 Somethings

 

Happy Saturday, friends! First off, let me start by saying that if you're here, I'm glad, since I totally forgot to mention this yesterday (or this week, for that matter). Today we're talking about the things we loved or disliked, accomplished, improved upon/needs improvement, and noticed this month. I'll jump in! 

I've loved the fall temperatures this month!

Because of those wonderful temperatures, I've enjoyed some time outside this month. This is why I love October, and though I was dreading it with everything in me, it's been better than I'd hoped it would be. This is greatly because of my family and friends. I am so thankful for them! 

I feel like I didn't accomplish a lot this month, so something that I need to improve upon is my motivation. I have some things that I need to do around my house, but I have zero want-to. This would also require me getting in touch with you know who, and because I am better off not doing that, I'm dragging my feet. 

This month I noticed myself being in a better head space, even though were pockets of time that I didn't feel that way. I noticed that I've stopped stalking him and her, at the suggestion of my counselor and friends. 🤣 IYKYK.

I'm looking forward to reading your posts! Thanks for reading my blog today and being a part of this link party. Love to all! 

Jenn 🖤 

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Friday Favorites, 10.25.2024.

 

Happy Friday, friends! I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for today's blog post. How has your week been? My week was pretty good, but also mundane at the same time; that being said, I don't have a lot of pictures to share here. Sometimes things just go that way, right? 

These two images above were my favorite things that I saw on social media this week, especially that first one. It's true! I'm ready to say hasta la vista to 2024.

Days off are always a favorite! I voted on Monday, and even though it took an hour and a half, you'll never hear me complain about people voting and having to wait.

I bought a chicken pot pie from Costco on Sunday. Have you ever had one of them from there? It's already made, so all you have to do it bake it for about an hour. It may be my new favorite thing, friends; I've eaten on it all week!

I enjoyed a glass of my favorite wine this week in this adorable wine tumbler that my sister Debi gave me a couple of years ago. Isn't this cute? (Stella Rosa is my favorite brand, and the flavor was peach.)

I bought myself some new tennis shoes from the TikTok shop a couple of weeks ago, and they came in last Thursday. They're a brand called Ruibao; here's some that are similar on Amazon. 

Here's what mine look like on. I've worn them several times already; they're so comfy! 

Thursdays have been slow lately, and because I didn't have a lot going on yesterday, I spent two hours in this closet tackling the mess that it was. I share half of this closet with my friend Amy, our women's ministry leader; her side was a mess! In her defense, she has so many people that help her, that when things get put up, they just kind of get thrown anywhere. It's nowhere near perfect after my attempt yesterday, but it's so much better than it was, and you can walk all the way around the shelves now! Bonus! 

And this is just an appreciation comment for my favorite place to be when I'm not at home: work! I love my job, still, fourteen months later. I think the store looks really cute right now, all dressed up for fall, don't you? I stopped to take this on my way out yesterday, but I wish I'd gotten it when the lights were turned on, and the twinkly lights plugged in. 

What was a favorite of yours from this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jenn 🖤

Thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I thought I'd do my typical Thankful Thursday post today, because I am trying to practice gratitude each and everyday. It really does make a difference when you're going through something hard, because it shifts your perspective. I don't know how you're feeling in your life, but I definitely need a new dose of perspective! I'll jump in with my usual bullet point list, because why not? I love them so much. 

This week I'm thankful for:

• the extra pups I've had with me this week—I know Graham has appreciated the help with his classes all week, and I am glad to do this for him, because he never asks for anything. 
• the living and active word of God
• my sisters, and particularly Lisa who answers my call every single time I call her freaking out about something new (it's all the time, friends)
• this beautiful blog community
• encouragement from godly friends
• unexpected blessings
• the fact that I have things to look forward to
• the fact that I am able to sleep, even on the hard days—it may be hit or miss throughout the night, but overall, I'm glad to say that I still get at least six hours of decent sleep each night.
• the freedom to vote
• being able to draw boundary lines and practice restraint with my words
• a son who bragged on me to his friend this week and then him telling me about it—I felt honored to hear him tell me that he admires me.
• phone calls with all my sons
• hugs from my friend Abbey every Wednesday

What are you thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond for today's post. I'll jump right in!

1. Monday was National Apple Day...did you eat an apple or enjoy something with apples on that day? Do you like apples? Do you prefer them raw, baked, or in cider? Do you have a favorite variety of apple? 

I had no idea that Monday was National Apple Day, and I did not eat anything with apples, nor did I even eat an apple. I love them, though, anyway you present them to me and in all of the ways listed here. When I was growing up, my grandmother used to make baked cinnamon apples with red hot candies; to my knowledge, that was all she added to the dish, and when baked low and slow, I'd imagine, it turned the dish a beautiful red color. I still love them today, but I haven't eaten that in years. My favorite variety of apple is the Gala apple; it's a perfect blend of sweet and tart. 

2. Do you think there's any truth to "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Of the following healthy habits, which do you find easiest to incorporate into your life, and which is the most difficult for you to adopt? The choices are: adequate sleep, a balanced diet, plenty of water, eat breakfast, don't smoke, exercise, limit alcohol, include fruits and vegetables into your diet, manage stress, limit screen time. 

I don't know how much truth there is to eating an apple each day to prevent all ailments, but I do think the general idea of eating healthy does in fact, keep the doctor away. We are what we eat, and I can tell when I haven't eaten enough fruits and veggies. My body starts to crave them, and nothing satisfies it until I partake. The easiest of these habits for me to incorporate into my life daily is getting enough sleep; I often take an afternoon nap when I'm at home, and I go to bed fairy early each night. (I feel tired a lot right now, maybe it's stress?) The hardest choice for me right now would be to eat a balanced diet. I need to get better about cooking again, but it's difficult to cook for just two people, particularly when the other one is extremely picky. 

This chicken pot pie from Costco hit the spot Monday night! 

3. Who taught you how to drive? Do you enjoy driving? Would you rather be the driver or the passenger? Do you have a favorite scenic drive near you? 

My dad taught me how to drive; imagine that! He also taught all of my sons how to drive, which I love. I love driving! Although overall I prefer to be the one driving when it's me and my friends, I also enjoy being the passenger on occasion. Since I no longer have a husband around, I miss this, although I hated his driving. Recently I have let my sons be the ones to drive when we've been together. I love that they're all excellent drivers, and that they seem to have inherited more of my habits than those less than stellar ones of their dad regarding their driving skills. 🙄

Part of the Natchez Trace Parkway is near me, and I've been able to enjoy it from time to time in the last twenty years. It's beautiful! There's also a lovely canopied road that is close to my house: Rocky Point Road. It's twisty and draped with trees; my favorite time of year to be on that road is right now in this season.  

4. What small habit has had a big impact on your life? Without any hesitation, I would say that the habit of reading my Bible everyday has had the biggest impact on my life. I have learned so much about the character of God, and I've also gained inspiration on how to live my own life each and everyday. 

5. Tell us about something nice that happened to you recently. Just recently, I've been the recipient of some very thoughtful gifts; these gifts are monetary in value, and I am storing them away for Christmas gift buying this year since I'm going through a divorce. I'm very grateful for this, because I had wondered what Christmas would look like for my sons this year; thank the Lord they're older and that they understand, but this eases my mind some that I will be able to buy for them. 

On a lighter note, I thought this was a sweet gift that I received yesterday. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. My current favorite Spotify playlist is the Vince Guaraldi fall playlist that I found; he's the one who wrote (composed?) the song Autumn Leaves that you'll recognize from Charlie Brown. It's playing as I write this, and it's so soothing. 

I am always excited to read your answers to these questions! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jenn 🖤