Five on Friday - April 28, 2023

We've made it to Friday!  Thanks for popping into Five on Friday.  Let's get right to my five for today ~

1.  National Arbor Day

Celebrate National Arbor Day today by planting a tree!  My dad has always said, the best day to plant a tree is yesterday.  Pick a fast-growing tree so you can enjoy it sooner, or a slower-growing tree to invest in the future.  Either way your actions will give generations to come shade and beauty.  Happy tree planting!

2.  Happy Place

Emily Henry's newest book came out this week and it's just in time to add to your beach reads for the summer.  I really enjoy Emily's writing style.  It's light and fun.  Perfect for vacation!  Here's the summary from Amazon ~

A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?

3.  Somewhere in Queens

I'd love to catch a movie this weekend and my pick is going to be Somewhere in Queens.  It came out last weekend and it is getting pretty good reviews.  We saw the trailer and it looks like one I would like.  It starring Ray Romano and here's the synopsis ~

Leo Russo lives a simple life in Queens, New York with his wife Angela, their shy but talented son “Sticks”, and Leo’s close-knit network of Italian-American relatives and neighborhood friends. Happy enough working at the family construction business alongside his father and younger brother, Leo lives each week for Sticks’ high-school basketball games, never missing a chance to cheer on his only child as he rules the court as a star athlete. When the high-school senior gets a surprising and life-changing opportunity to play basketball in college, Leo jumps at the chance to provide a plan for his future, away from the family construction business. But when sudden heartbreak threatens to derail Sticks, Leo goes to unexpected lengths to keep his son on this new path.

4.  Mornings with God

Last Saturday I hosted a tea for a group of my friends.  I'm excited to share all the details with you in a separate post coming soon.  As a favor, I got each guest the book Mornings with God.  It was a hit!  This little book is packed with prayers and devotionals.  The perfect way to start each day!  And the perfect little gift to send to your friends, give to someone recouping from an illness, or tuck in a basket of goodies for Mother's Day!

5.  Thought on grocery shopping...

Hope you enjoy this last weekend in April!  As April comes to an end, so does my career at my current employer.  I gave my notice a couple weeks ago and today is my last day at a place I've worked for over 25 years.  I'm feeling all the emotions!  I have a few weeks off before starting my new job and a new chapter in my life.  We're celebrating all weekend long!