Penny's Passion

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Five on Friday - March 15, 2024

It's Friday!  I'm thrilled that we have another weekend right around the corner.  Let's kick off the weekend with my Five on Friday ~

1. Taylor Swift:  The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version)
If you weren't able to catch Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in person or in the theaters, you have a new chance to stream the concert film starting today!  Disney+ will be the exclusive streaming home of the film and will present the concert in its entirety for the first time.  This streaming version will include the song "Cardigan" and four additional acoustic songs.  Pretty excited to finally see this in the comfort of my own home!

I've been listening to Emily P. Freeman's podcast The Next Right Thing for years and was excited to hear Emily announce she was writing another book.  Her newest book, How to Walk into a Room, was released this week and I can't wait to dig into it!  Here's the summary from Amazon ~
What do you do when you start to feel a shift and must decide if it’s time to make a change? When it comes to navigating big decisions about when to stay and go, how can we know for sure when the time is right? Though we enter and exit many rooms over the course of our life—jobs, relationships, communities, life stages—knowing how and when it’s time to leave is a decision that rarely has a clear answer.

Podcast host, spiritual director, and bestselling author of The Next Right Thing, Emily P. Freeman offers guidance to help us recognize when it’s time to move on from situations that no longer fit, allowing us to find new spaces where we can flourish and grow.

How to Walk Into a Room helps us begin to uncover the silent, nuanced, and hidden arrows for anyone asking questions like: How do I know if it’s time to move on? What if I stay and nothing changes? What if I leave and everything falls apart?

Through thought-provoking questions, spiritual practices, and personal stories, How to Walk into a Room will help you to know and name the caution flags in your current spaces, discern the difference between true peace and discomfort avoidance, navigate endings even when there is no closure, find peace for when you feel ready but it isn’t time, and courage for when it’s time but you don’t feel ready.

For anyone standing in a threshold, here’s a book to help discern the how, when, and what now of walking out of rooms and into new ones with peace, confidence, and a whole heart.


3.  St. Patrick's Day Doughnuts
In case you haven't looked ahead on your calendar, Sunday is St. Patrick's Day!  Make sure you dig out your green to wear.  Another fun way to celebrate is to pick up a box of these St. Patrick's Day doughnuts from Krispy Kreme.  Don't they look festive!  Their names are adorable too:  Luck of the Rainbow, Shamrock Cookies 'n Kreme made with Oreo, Plaid Party, and Shooting Shamrock.  


Are you looking for that fun gift to put in the kid's Easter basket?  Check out this Lego set!  It's three things in one box.  After Easter, the pieces can be turned into a parrot or seal.  Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!  The rabbit stands about 5-1/2" tall after being constructed from the 258 piece kit.  


5.  Just sayin'...


Have a great weekend!  I'm hoping to spend a bit of time outside enjoying the warmer weather.  Maybe I'll enjoy reading my new Emily P. Freeman book while sitting outside too!  See you next week.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Sedona Girls' Trip - Day 3

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I talk about something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm thinking about day 3 of our recent girls' trip to Sedona.


We had a special adventure planned for Day 3 of our girls' trip to Sedona.  The day started with breakfast at Coffee Pot Restaurant.  Believe it or not, their menu has over a hundred types of omelets!  Our food was good and the coffee never ran out.  After we ate, we browsed around the adorable gift shop attached to the establishment.  


When we stepped out of the restaurant, we were greeted with falling sleet.  It stopped quickly, but the clouds hung around most of the day.  

For the adventure of the day, we had booked a trip on the Verde Canyon railroad.  The train left from Clarksdale which was about a 30-minute drive from Sedona.  We arrived early enough to roam around a few shops in Clarksdale and tour the little museum at the train depot site.  


We boarded the train and got settled in.  Included in the ticket price was lunch, a snack on the train, and a glass of champagne.  There was a bar in each car if you wanted to have an additional cocktail.


The train takes you on a ride through the backcountry of Arizona.  It was quite the way to see the red-rock canyon!  You get to see what train travel used to be.  The seats were large and comfortable with panoramic windows.  If you wanted to step outside, there were open-air cars attached to each coach.  


Sitting outside wasn't as pleasant the day we were there because it intermittently rained the entire time.  We did step out between the rain showers to take in the beauty of the canyon.  


 The passage will take you over a trestle bridge and through a tunnel.  


From start to finish, the train is a four-hour journey.  We probably would have spent more time outside if the weather had been a bit better, but the seating inside was very comfortable.  

We were rewarded with a rainbow at the end of our journey!


On our drive back to Sedona, we got a great view of the snow dusting on top of the mountains.  I honestly did not think we would see snow in Arizona during our trip!


For dinner, we had reservations at Dahl & Di Luca.  This rare gem in the Italian culinary world is one of the restaurants created by Executive Chef Lisa Dahl.  We each ordered an entree and shared the dishes.  So, so delicious!  


Day 4 of our trip will be coming soon.  In the meantime, what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!



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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - March 13, 2024

 
Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!  We are so glad that you stopped by.

Here you will find inspiration from dozens of bloggers including recipes, home DIY, gardening, decor, family fun, traveling, fitness, and so much more.

A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.

If you are a blogger, then be sure to link up below. You may be our next feature! 

Before we get this party started, let’s meet the hosts and check out this week’s featured favorites.

MEET THE HOSTS
  1. Bev – ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
  2. Penny – PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
  3. Sinea – DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
  4. Tammy – MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
  5. Tara – STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST
  6. Denise –THISISMYEVERYBODY | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER

TOP VIEWED
VERY POPULAR

EDITOR'S CHOICE

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.

Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please.  Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.

Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries 
will be seen no matter when you arrive. Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let’s Party!

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Thursday, March 7, 2024

Five on Friday - March 8, 2024

March is moving right along and we are already at Friday again!  I'm so glad the weekend is here.  And I'm glad to share my five for today with you!

1.  Daylight Savings Time 
This is the weekend most of us will spring forward an hour at 2 a.m. early Sunday morning.  As much as I hate losing an hour, I love driving home in daylight and having longer days.  We always change our clocks before we go to bed on Saturday so we see the correct time when we wake up on Sunday morning.  Definitely don't want to be walking into church an hour late!  

Barbie is turning 65 this year and what better way to celebrate than to have a collectible doll in her honor.  One was released this week!  She's wearing a black and white gown inspired by the swimsuit worn by the original Barbie.  I think she's looking pretty sassy, don't you?  Grab one before they are gone.


3.  2024 Academy Awards
Sunday night Jimmy Kimmel will once again be hosting the Oscars.  You can see the winners as ABC airs the show.  Our goal every year is to watch all the movies nominated for best picture.  This year we've fallen short of that goal, but that won't stop me from watching the show and cheering on our favorites.  The arrivals are one of my favorite things and I can't wait to see the fashion walking down the red carpet.  What movies will you be rooting for?  

Danielle Steel's newest book, Never Too Late, was released this week.  Her books are great to curl up with while sipping a nice cup of hot tea. Here's the summary of Never Too Late from Amazon ~
Kezia Cooper Hobson, recently widowed, arrives in New York from San Francisco. Determined to make a fresh start, she has just completed the sale of her Pacific Heights home, not to mention her husband’s venture capital firm, and in doing so, is also freed from her responsibility as a board member of the company. Bringing with her only a few personal treasures, she is excited to move into the blank slate of a beautiful midtown penthouse, in the city that she has always loved. It is also where her two adult daughters now live.

As Kezia settles into her new apartment, she meets her movie-star next-door neighbor, Sam Stewart, whose terrace borders hers. Just a couple of weeks after she arrives, however, a devastating crisis strikes New York City. Kezia and Sam find themselves connecting over their strong impulse to help those in need. As they share a life-changing experience of volunteering, a bond is sparked and a friendship is formed.

Kezia’s daughters, Kate and Felicity, are taken aback by their mother’s new friendship, both more focused on their own love lives than hers. But Kezia is learning that the changes she’s making are just what she needs to open new horizons.

In this powerful and moving new novel, Danielle Steel illuminates the importance of human connection and embracing brave change, proving it’s never too late for a brand-new start.

5.  What not to say...

Have a great weekend!  I'm going to be busy making invitations for an upcoming wedding and shower I'm working on.  Also, we will be celebrating our son's birthday!  Fun times ahead!  See you back next week.  

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

What I Read in February 2024

Hi there!  Thanks for stopping by Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I talk about something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm sharing the books I read in February.

February was a decent reading month for me.  I read four books and I would rate one excellent, two above average and one okay.  Here's what they were ~


The Measure by Nikki Erlick
I'd been hearing buzz about The Measure for some time and was glad when my book club chose this as the February book selection.  Talk about a book that really makes you think about your life!  It also makes for a great book club discussion.  Have you read it?  Would you open your box?  Here's the summary ~
Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is an ambitious, invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.

Some months ago, I read The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and really liked it.  It's not my typical genre, but I enjoyed dipping my toes into the mystery, thriller, and suspense area.  When The Fury, written by the same author as The Silent Patient, came out in January it went on my TBR list and bubbled to the top in February.  Rating this one Okay.  The story was kind of all over the place and I had a hard time staying interested.  With that being said, I listened to this one and the narrator was awesome!  There were plenty of twists and turns.  If this is your style, you would probably like it more than I did.  Here's the summary ~
This is a tale of murder.

Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.

I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

This book is the one I rated excellent!  The story captivated me from the very first page and was hard to put down.  It's based on a girl who served time in Vietnam.  I hadn't read much about Vietnam and this book was definitely an eye-opener.  Kristin Hannah did not disappoint with this one!  Here's the summary ~
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

Five Winters was free on Kindle Unlimited so I added it to my cart.  It did not disappoint!  The story was easy to follow and the ending was a tad bit predictable, but there were plenty of twists to the story to keep you intrigued and interested.  Here's the summary ~
A bighearted novel about motherhood, friendship, moving on, and love of all kinds.

Ever since Beth Bailey was a girl, she’s been in love with her best friend’s older brother, Mark. She’s continued to hold out hope that maybe, someday, he’ll love her back. But now Beth is thirty-five years old, and on the day of Mark’s wedding to another woman, she finally accepts the wake-up call she needs to move on.

Beth’s dream of marrying her first love may be over, but her other biggest desire is still within reach: becoming a mother. Having lost her own parents very young, there’s nothing Beth wants more in life, and nothing she’ll stop at to make her wish come true.

Over the course of five years, and with unexpected twists along the way, Beth will come to startling realisations about family, friendship, the meaning of love, and most importantly, herself on the winding path to happiness and, she hopes, to motherhood.

Overall, February ended up being a great reading month.  I'm currently reading The Book of Charlie by David Von Drehle, which is our March book club selection.  Have you picked your Amazon First Reads book yet?  There were a couple on the list that looked good to me.  I ended up choosing Friends in Napa.  Let me know which book you choose.

Now it's your turn.  What are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - March 6, 2024


 Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!  We are so glad that you stopped by.

Here you will find inspiration from dozens of bloggers including recipes, home DIY, gardening, decor, family fun, traveling, fitness, and so much more.

A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.

If you are a blogger, then be sure to link up below. You may be our next feature! 

Before we get this party started, let’s meet the hosts and check out this week’s featured favorites.

MEET THE HOSTS
  1. Bev – ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
  2. Penny – PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
  3. Sinea – DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
  4. Tammy – MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
  5. Tara – STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST
  6. Denise –THISISMYEVERYBODY | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER

TOP VIEWED
VERY POPULAR


LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.

Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please.  Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.

Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries 
will be seen no matter when you arrive. Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let’s Party!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Five on Friday - March 1, 2024

Happy Friday friends!  Did you make the most of leap day yesterday?  Now it's time to welcome in March.  Let's kick off the month with Five on Friday ~

1.  Dirt Cake Oreos
A new flavor of Oreos is hitting the shelves soon so be on the lookout.  The Dirt Cake Oreo features a chocolate cookie filled with a layer of brownie-flavored creme and a layer of chocolate creme mixed with Oreo crumbs.  On the top, you'll find multicolored gummy worm-inspired sprinkles.  Does it get any better than that?


2.  Dune:  Part Two
Sure to be a box office hit, Dune:  Part Two opens this weekend.  Do you have tickets already?  Here's the summary ~
"Dune: Part Two" will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Our weather was all over the place this week.  In one day, we had a 40-degree swing in the temperature.  The day it was 79 degrees, I got excited about putting away my winter sweaters and went looking on Amazon for a lighter-weight dress for work thinking it was going to be spring soon.  Found one!  This one is reasonably priced and as cute in real life as in the picture.  It also will travel well on a couple upcoming trips I have.  Now I'm ready for when the weather warms up a tad!


Anna Quindlen's newest book was released this week and it sounds intriguing.  Definitely going on my TBR read.  Here's the summary ~
When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her children, and her closest friend are left to find a way forward without the woman who has been the lynchpin of all their lives. Bill is overwhelmed without his beloved wife, and Annemarie wrestles with the bad habits her best friend had helped her overcome. And Ali, the eldest of Annie’s children, has to grow up overnight, to care for her younger brothers and even her father and to puzzle out for herself many of the mysteries of adult life.

Over the course of the next year what saves them all is Annie, ever-present in their minds, loving but not sentimental, caring but nobody’s fool, a voice in their heads that is funny and sharp and remarkably clear. The power she has given to those who loved her is the power to go on without her. The lesson they learn is that no one beloved is ever truly gone.

Written in Quindlen’s emotionally resonant voice and with her deep and generous understanding of people, After Annie is about hope, and about the unexpected power of adversity to change us in profound and indelible ways.

5.  Dating these days...

Have a great weekend!  My daughter-in-law and I are going to a Joya event tonight.  I can't wait to see their new jewelry line!  
We are supposed to have great weather on Saturday and Sunday so we need to think of something to do outside.  See you back next week!