Saturday morning, Hugh, Mom, Kristi, and I headed out to Pea Green for the fall edition of Pickin' at the Pea. Longtime readers here know how much Kristi and I enjoy this particular antique market, and, may be interested to note that, at this point, Mom and Hugh are also becoming big fans.
Ms. Congeniality
Wife, mother of two, recovering Diet Pepsi addict and collector of OPI nailpolish....oh, and I really do want world peace.
Monday, September 25, 2023
Saturday at The Pea
Friday, September 22, 2023
Friday Favorites, September 22 Edition
Ok, when I said I was determined to post a Friday Favorites post every week this month, I didn't mean they would be the only posts I write this month, yet, it appears that this is the case.
All is not lost, I do still have a week left to pull a few out of my ass. We'll see.
In the meanwhile, here are some things that are making me smile this week, including the bouquet that I picked at the flower farm last Sunday. Mom and I were determined to visit the farm one more time before the fields were spent, and I'm happy that we made it happen.
In addition to being the first day of autumn, tomorrow is also the Man-Cub's 25th birthday, which, simply blows my mind. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was 25? Time flies.
And, my son will forever be a favorite. He and the daughter-in-love are camping this weekend, which means we won't see him on his actual birthday, but we plan on celebrating with him on Sunday.
Tomorrow, Mom, Hugh, Kristi, and I are going to spend the morning at Pickin' at the Pea, which is also one of my favorite things to do, so; there will be plenty of things for me to write about in new posts.
Really.
I swear.
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Friday Favorite, September 15th Edition
I'm a day late posting this because, yesterday, I was busy getting my ass kicked by our Barn Dance fundraiser. That is a whole 'nother story for another day. Today, I'm talking about the awesome going away gift that Erin and Kristi gave me. Why did they give me a going away gift, when they are the ones going away, you ask? Because the gift consists of all the things that I will need when I go to visit them, hopefully very soon.
Before I get to the gift, though, I should mention that, technically, only Erin is going away at the moment; Kristi will be staying with us for a while yet, as her spousal visa is still in processing somewhere, in the wonderful world of bureaucracy. Again; story for another day.
The gift bag they gave me is full of awesome stuff, including everything that I will need on the long flight to the UK.
Friday, September 08, 2023
Friday Favorites, September 8th Edition
I said last week that I am determined to post a Friday Favorites every week this month, and look at me! Here again, today! This might just work out.*
Speaking of workouts, one of this week's favorites has to be the fun that we all had at our last golf lesson this past Wednesday. We actually got to get out on the course, where we played a couple of holes with our instructors. Were we any good? Oh, hell no. Did we have fun? Most definitely! Will I sign my staff (and the Daughter-in-Love, because she is a natural and it's so much fun to watch her grow in this sport) up for another session next season? Abso-freaking-lutely!
Golf season has been fun, but I'm ready to move onto my absolute favorite season; spooky season! Hugh got the memo, because, I came home to this last night...
...some men bring their wives flowers. We call these men amateurs.
As we move into spooky season, we move out of gardening season, which I will miss. There are still plenty of goodies in the garden, of course, and; I won't be doing my final harvest for a while yet, but the end is coming. The tomato haul has been especially good this summer, and I recently roasted a batch and made my own pasta sauce. It was really good, and I think I will make several more batches for the freezer.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my new phone case, as it has become one of my favorite cases of all time.
*The author of this statement urges you not to hold your breath and accepts no responsibility for episodes of unconsciousness should you do so.
Sunday, September 03, 2023
You Know It's a Good Party When It Takes an IV to Recover
Two, in fact. Not for me, but for Queen B, who attempted to quell her anxiety about giving her Maid of Honor speech with tequila. I could have told her that was a bad idea, but some lessons just need to be learned the hard way.
Prior to her self-poisoning, Queen B looked absolutely beautiful as she walked the aisle in support of Miss Mia, who, it should be noted, was just about the prettiest bride I've ever seen.

Friday, September 01, 2023
Friday Favorites, September 1st Edition
It's September, y'all! You know what that means, right? It;s time to start decorating for Halloween!
That's what you were thinking, right? You do that, too, I mean, if you're going to go to all the trouble of hauling fifty totes out of the attic, you might as well enjoy the display for longer than a couple of weeks, amiright? I'm right.
As an aside, that is the speech that I make every year when Hugh gives me the side eye about busting out the skeletons. You would think he would have learned by now, after all, we celebrate thirty years of marriage on Monday, and, I have been slightly Halloween obsessed since the day he met me; this is hardly new territory for him.
Anyhoodle, Happy September! Now, on to this week's favorites (honest to God, I am going to do a Friday favorites post every week this month, even if it kills me).
My garden continues to be my favorite way to decompress from a long day at work. My cucumbers and tomatoes are abundant this year, which has resulted in a lot of cucumber salads (for Hugh), Caprese pasta salads, and bruschetta topping, as well as a batch of goat cheese stuffed jalepeno poppers that were so spicy, our eyes watered.
Hands down, my favorite tomato variety this year was the Asian Pink Egg variety, which was new to the garden. The fruits are the prettiest shade of pink on the plant, ripening to a ruby red when picked. They taste amazing and have been so easy to grow. I hope the nursery where I purchased the plant will carry them again next spring.
The anticipation of fall always brings out the crafty side in me, and this year has been no exception. My first craft of the season was this floral arrangement. I liked it so much, I made a smaller companion for it (not pictured) and then changed up the florals and made a third one to be used as one of the door prizes at the upcoming Barn Dance fundraiser for Not So New Job (picture coming soon).