What We Did in June 2024

Hello there!  It's been a hot minute since I wrote a Weekending post.  Frankly, it's just been too much to sit down on a Sunday night and put a post together.  But...I am sad that all the fun things we do on the weekends haven't been recorded.  So my thought is I'll put together a monthly post so we'll be able to look back at the fun things we did!  Here's what went down in June ~

On the first weekend of the month, we had dinner with some friends Eric knew from high school. It's always great to see them! We always promise to get together more often, but then it ends up being years before we reconnect. I really hope this time is different!

I've been working hard trying to get our new hydrangeas to be blue.  Keeping them alive and blooming was step 1.  Now it's on to their color!  I bought some fertilizer that is supposed to help turn the blooms blue.  I've also read that putting crushed egg shells and coffee grounds will help.  We will see!

James Taylor was in town, and we spent an evening with good friends listening to his performance. The weather was perfect for an outdoor concert! Despite his age, his voice is still good. It was so much fun singing along to all our favorite songs!

The second weekend we got together for dinner with some friends who had just returned from a fabulous trip to Italy.  We couldn't wait to see their pictures and hear their stories!  Gosh, I love Italy!  Someday we will definitely revisit, but until then it's fun living vicariously through our friends!  Their daughter put together an awesome charcuterie board for us to enjoy while we sipped a bottle of wine they had shipped home from their trip.  It was a lovely evening!

We celebrated Father's Day at our son and daughter-in-law's house.  It was a relaxing day spent staying cool in their pool.  Kayla made a wonderful sangria that I hope to blog about soon!  

Every year we try to make it to at least one of our nephew's baseball games.  I so wish we lived a little closer so we could make it more of the kids' activities!  But we were grateful to be able to see him play at least once!

My friend Sherri invited us to visit her to see her new-to-her home and we couldn't wait to get there!  Her new hometown, Monticello, is so charming!  Friday night we walked up to the square and had dinner outside.  

The weekend we visited was the annual rodeo, complete with a rodeo parade.  The parade went right be her house, which meant we got to sit on her porch and watch it go by.  Have you ever seen the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile?  It was in the parade!

After the parade, we ventured back up to the square to do a little retail therapy.  We bought enough that we had to send Eric for the car because we couldn't carry everything home!  

In the evening we headed for the rodeo, which proved to be quite captivating!  There is no way I could do half of what those cowboys do!  

The St. Louis Cardinals started the season pretty rocky this year, but they are making a comeback!  We caught a game and got to see a winner.  Even if they had lost, it was fun hanging out with our son and daughter-in-law!

I wrapped up the month by attending an author event at the new St. Louis County Library.  Have you heard of the Friends and Fiction group of authors?  It consists of Kristy Woodson Harvey, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry.  They host a weekly podcast and have a fabulous Facebook group.  I have gotten so many book recommendations from the Facebook group!

Kristy Woodson Harvey has a new book out titled A Happier Life.  My friend, Peggy, and I enjoyed listening to the ladies talk about the book and about themselves.  I got a copy of the book and I can't wait to dive in!

We topped off the evening by getting her new book signed!

And that's a wrap in June!  Half the year is over.  I'm ready to dig in and make the second half fantastic!

Five on Friday - June 28, 2024

Hi there!  Happy Friday!  I'm in a little bit of shock that this is the last weekend of June.  Where is the summer going?!?  Before we get into the weekend, let's look at my five for today ~

1.  Resurrection

Danielle Steel's newest book hit the stands this week.  I know you're not supposed to judge a book by the cover, but I'm a sucker for anything that has the Eiffel Tower on it.  If the Eiffel Tower wasn't enough, the book's character is a blogger!  Here's the summary ~

Darcy Gray is a successful influencer with her blog, The Gray Zone, trusted by more than a million followers for her integrity and taste. At forty-two, she has the life she wants in many ways. Darcy and her husband, department store magnate Charles Gray, are a power couple in Manhattan and on the international stage. Their beloved twin daughters are each enjoying their junior year abroad, Penny in Hong Kong and Zoe at the Sorbonne in Paris.

To celebrate twenty years of marriage, Darcy impulsively flies to Rome to surprise Charlie, who is tending to business interests there. Instead, she gets the shock of her life, which upends her whole world.

Still reeling, Darcy flees to Paris to see Zoe. But a rapidly escalating worldwide health crisis forces her to remain indefinitely in France. Suddenly thrust into a gray zone of her own, her forced separation from Zoe and the rest of her family feels like too much to bear . . .

Until Darcy finds a welcoming refuge in the home of the aging French movie star Sybille Carton. There, she meets a widowed American engineer and former Marine who is also stranded. Bill Thompson is kind and courteous but also carries an air of mystery about him. In this shared confinement, and despite worries about her girls, Darcy begins to see glimpses of new possibilities.

In Resurrection, Danielle Steel poignantly shows how the hardest of times can give birth to a beautiful new life.

Available HERE

2.  Krispy Kreme 

Fourth of July is next week and if you're looking for a fun way to celebrate, look at these adorable doughnuts from Krispy Kreme!  The Star Spangled Sweetness Specialty dozen includes 3 Freedom Flag, 3 Cotton Candy Sparkler, 3 Firework Cookies & Kreme™, and 3 Original Glazed® doughnuts. The kiddos would love starting the day by eating the delicious patriotic treats.  Oh, who am I kidding, the adults would love them too!  I see a trip through the drive-thru in my future.  Pick up your dozen in our specialty box today!

3.  Reader Sunglasses 

I buy readers in bulk.  They are on every end table in the house, in every purse, and shoved in my suitcases.  And still, I find myself occasionally looking for a pair!  Somewhere I had misplaced my reading sunglasses so it prompted me to buy another set of readers to sprinkle through the house.  The sunglasses usually get lost first, but the price for the set isn't too bad if I have to reorder.  With summer here, reading outside in the sun happens more frequently.  These are my latest additions to my reader collection ~

Available HERE

4.  Horizon - An American Saga

This weekend I'm carving out some time to watch Horizon - An American Saga.  Kevin Costner is starring in the movie with several other stars by his side.  Chapter 1 opens today and Chapter 2 will follow in August.  Here's the summary ~

In the great tradition of Warner Bros. Pictures’ iconic Westerns, Horizon: An American Saga explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won—and lost—through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Kevin Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.

5.  Know this feeling?

Have a great weekend!  We have very little on the agenda and I'm fine with that.  A couple days of putzing around sounds pretty great!  See you next week.

Let's Go to Waco! Days 3 and 4

Hello!  So glad you stopped by Thinking Out Loud Thursday today.  I'm going to share something I'm thinking about and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm wrapping up the summary of my trip to Waco and The Silos!  If you missed the recap from days 1 and 2, you can find it HERE.  

My friend Sherri and I were excited to start our day at The Silos on Monday!  We had purchased tickets for the 45-minute tour of the grounds and wanted to grab a little something at the coffee shop before our tour started.  

If you are interested in taking the tour of the grounds, buy your tickets in advance because it does sell out.  Tickets are available HERE.  Currently, you can also purchase tickets for two of the renovations Chip and Joanna have done.  Unfortunately, these were not available when we were there.  Oh well, it gives us something to look forward to if we ever go back!  

The tour of the grounds was interesting and gave us quite a bit of history.  Our tour guide was so darn cute and entertained every question posed to her.  One of the areas you only get to see if you're on the tour is the rooftop.  Our guide said they really aren't using the area for anything right now besides bringing people up on the tours.  My mind immediately started thinking of all the cool ways it could be put to use:  weddings, corporate events, private dining with a cooking class.  Joanna - if you're reading this and need an event coordinator for this space, let me know!

After the tour, we needed to leave the Silos and get to our lunch destination at Magnolia Table.  The restaurant, Magnolia Table, is about a 15-minute drive from the Silos.  This is another place you are going to want to make a reservation in advance.   We had a short wait that we filled up by looking through the gift shop and then sat down to enjoy the culinary choices.  I had seen Joanna make strawberry butter on one of her cooking shows, so I was excited to see how it tasted in person.  It was as good as I had hoped it would be!

My selection for lunch was the 1919 Pimiento Grilled Cheese.  I love a good grilled cheese and this one was delicious!  

After lunch, we headed back to The Silos for more browsing and exploring.  On the grounds, there is a church that was moved to this location.  Like the rooftop, the church currently has nothing happening inside it.  And again, my mind was on fire with all the possibilities this space could be!

One of the unique things on the grounds is the Katy Ballpark.  The field is set up to play wiffle ball now, but the field once hosted the great Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in a game.  

You can even place your feet on the brass plates that are the exact place of Babe Ruth's stance.  Pretty cool!

We filled the afternoon by wandering in and out of the shops and taking in all the decorating ideas on display.  When we had our fill for the day, we decided to visit some other shops around town we hadn't gotten to on Sunday.

One of the things I love to do in cities I'm visiting is to go to a local bookstore.  The bookstore we visited in Waco was Fabled Bookshop and Cafe.  It was adorable!  

Store clerk Abby and I were even reading the same book!

There were several unique reading nooks throughout the space.  They even had a special area for kids and a story hour just for them!

For dinner, we picked a local favorite - George O's.  It was a fun atmosphere to sit back and relax.  We reflected on our day and mapped out a plan for the next day.  We'd have a little bit of time in Waco before flying home.

Tuesday morning we check out of our treehouse and found our way back to The Silos.  We still had a bit of the grounds we wanted to explore and we were also going to have lunch from one of the food trucks on site.

For lunch, we each selected what sounded good to us from the variety of food trucks on the grounds.  My choice was once again a grilled cheese!

To drink, I had to try the sweet tea from The Alabama Sweet Tea Company.  When we buy a drink, it comes in a refillable glass jar you get to keep.  If you're thinking of getting a glass, I would suggest buying it early so you can take advantage of the refills!

All through our visit to Waco, I was enamored by the vibrant street art and murals, which add a lot of character to the city.  Here's a few ~

After lunch, we traveled back to Austin for our flight home.  Exploring Waco and The Silos, enjoying the food at Magnolia Table, and appreciating the street art has created many wonderful memories.  So glad I got to experience it all with a good friend!

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

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Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - June 26, 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

Grilled Tomato Pimento Cheese Sandwich

VERY POPULAR

Chicken Pillows

Fruit Tarts with Puff Pastry

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Lemon Tart Recipe

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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