Wednesday, March 29, 2023

What's Up Wednesday, March 2023 Edition

 

Guess what I've been doing this month? If you said: Bitching about the weather; you obviously read here! Thanks for that. Seriously, though...the weather....

Anyhoodle, despite Mother Nature ignoring the fact that it is now the end of March (a solid NINE DAYS past the official first day of spring, might I add), it is, indeed, the end of March. And, what does one do on this here blog at the end of each month? What's Up Wednesday, naturally! So, thank you to Sheaffer and Shay for the link-up and on we go.


What I'm Eating

In an effort to balance my carb consumption with something resembling a leafy green; I tried this Mediterranean-inspired salad from the local brew pub. It was delicious. And, nutritious, so score one for me.


Then, immediately subtract points for the cinnamon bread and lemon scones that I baked and ate with wild abandon.
 

Then, split the difference with the drunken noodles that I ordered from the new neighborhood Thai truck because, while it racked up the carbs, it also featured veggies.


I'm not sure if corned beef and cabbage raised or lowered my score, especially since they were accompanied by freshly-baked Irish soda bread, so, we'll just pretend that it did and call it good. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Which, I did not eat, but, now that I think about it; that sounds delicious. And, I digress.



What I'm Reminiscing About

My cousin's children recently reached out to request that friends and family members send cards to celebrate their parent's upcoming 50th wedding anniversary as a surprise. My cousin and her husband didn't want a celebration or any type of party, so their kids thought this would be a good way to recognize the achievement, while respecting their wishes. I think it is really sweet of them, and, since I was the flower girl in that particular wedding, I was quick to purchase a card.

I also went back into my photo archives and found pictures from the wedding that I had scanned from our family albums. Behold! Yours truly as a flower girl! 



Behold, also, some truly iconic 1970's photographic wizardry...
 

What I most remember about this wedding were the cream cheese mints that were served with the wedding cake (addictive!) and the tiny locket that my cousin gave me to wear with the dress. I also remember that my shoes were new, and tight, and that my toes were scrunched up and uncomfortable. The flower wreath on my head was made of carnations, and I still recall the spicy scent. 

The wedding was held in a Catholic church, and while I don't remember if there was a full mass, I do remember that the day was long. This last picture clearly indicates just how over the entire thing I  apparently was. 


The blond cutie next to me is my cousin Gayleen, who had ring bearer honors, and, the handsome fella on whose lap I am sitting is my cousin's (now ex) husband, Charlie, who was patiently teaching me the Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple game to distract me from my boredom and what I can only assume was some classic kid-sized crankiness. Bless his heart.

What I'm Loving

I came across a recipe for dog biscuits and, since I am doing a lot of baking recently, I figured why not add dog treats to the menu? Boomer Dog is definitely a fan, and, I am a fan of the Boomer Dog, so it's a win-win.




What I've Been Up To

Since the weather has been absolute crap this month, I have spent a great deal of time inside, catching up on organizational chores and baking like my fat cells depend on it (spoiler: they most certainly do not). I've also been making a valiant effort to catch up on the kids' scrapbooks; I'm on Queen B's Junior year in High School, currently. This feels like an accomplishment until I remind myself that the child will have her ten-year High School reunion next summer. Then? Not so much.


What I'm Working On

Not So New Day Job is hosting the 3rd annual Run to Defeat Child Abuse Virtual 5K in April and we have been working hard on the promotional video for the event. Kristi loaned us her awesome acting talents again this year and we had a lot of fun filming her "running through the four seasons of spring in Colorado". Totally apropos considering the weather we have been experiencing lately.


What I'm Dreading

The crappy economy has hit the hardware store pretty hard and there are Decisions to be made. The capitalization of Decisions indicates the importance of said Decisions and none of us are looking forward to making them.


What I'm Excited About

Queen B is the Maid-of-Honor in Miss Mia's upcoming wedding and I am helping her plan a bridal shower the month before the wedding. It's been a hot minute since I planned an event unrelated to work, and I am really excited about it. Mia is a pretty simple gal, but she has expressed a desire to go super-girly for the shower, which we immediately interpreted as BOUGIE AS HELL. Think: fancy mimosa bar, delicious brunch, rose wine fountain, individually boxed cupcakes as a party favor, and tons of flowers and crystal everywhere. It's going to be epic!


What I'm Watching

I watched each installment of Daisy Jones and the Six as they dropped and then re-watched the entire series in one sitting. I loved this adaptation of the book, which is saying a lot because I loved, loved, loved the book. I thought Sam Claflin and Riley Keough did an amazing job in their roles, and the wardrobe people need an award, immediately!


I also binge watched The Class of 2007, at Queen B's recommendation. It was funny, cute, and easy to watch, which is rapidly becoming my favorite three qualities in a series.



What I'm Reading

I've done more reading the past few weeks than I have done for quite a while, which makes my inner book nerd very, very happy. I have been taking this book along with me when I sit in the infrared sauna; I find it very interesting and can usually get through two chapters in the thirty minutes that I am sweating the toxins from my body.

I'm also three books into the Wagons West series that I purchased a while back; only twenty-two more to go! When I'm not reading for pleasure, I am reading for work. I am collaborating with a local service group to bring the author of this book to Hooterville for a community presentation later this summer, so I needed to properly vet the book.

While the books I have been reading lately have all been of the paperback variety, I did recently purchase a new Kindle Paperwhite. I had no choice; my original Kindle Fire is no longer supported (I've had it since the Man-Cub was in Middle School), so I couldn't access the Amazon Store for downloads to the device. I figured it had lived a good, long life and deserved to be retired from service. I also ordered a pretty case.


What I'm Listening To

At the moment, I am listening to the hum of the space heater under my desk, because, in case I haven't bitched about it enough already; it is cold here. 


What I'm Wearing

I'd love to say that I am wearing all of my Spring wardrobe, but that would be a lie; with the weather being as unpredictable as it has been, I've been reluctant to bust out my white jeans and espadrilles just yet. I have, however, been buying tops in Spring shades, specifically the classic green, crystal rose (which is an orchid shade), summer song, and beetroot purple shades from the 2023 Pantone palette. I don't have pictures of the tops, so you'll have to trust me.




Doing This Weekend

Mom is coming over on Saturday so we can decorate the Easter cookies that I baked this past weekend. We are also going to practice using my Russian piping tips, so I will be proficient with them when I decorate the cupcakes for the bridal shower (see above: BOUGIE AS HELL).



Looking Forward to Next Month

Easter! I am planning to serve brunch this year, which means crepes and mimosas and a ham and egg casserole that is to die for. Oh, and the Easter Bunny will be hopping by with treats for everyone. I haven'y quite figured out what exactly those treats will be, but I have no doubt they will be ah-may-zing!



Favorite Amazon Find This Month

Earlier, I mentioned that Queen B and I are hosting Miss Mia's bridal shower later this summer; one of the things that we envisioned for the party was a flower wall, in front of which we could have guests take pictures with the bride. I searched all of greater Hooterville-and a span beyond-for a flower wall that I could rent, and, had no luck. So, I bit the bullet and I bought one. It was a little pricey, but I figure I can either re-sell it when I'm done with it, or rent it out until I recoup my investment. Either way, we now have a flower wall for the shower. I wasn't kidding when I said this party was going to be epic.



3 comments:

  1. That shower does sound like it's going to be epic!! Those flower girl photos are so cute. I really enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six and have Class of 2007 up next for my watchlist.

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  2. I love corned beef and Irish soda bread, but don't like cabbage - all the same, your meal looks delicious and beautiful! Visiting from WUW today!

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  3. I'm a little late catching up on my What's Up Wednesday reading. I want to attend this bridal shower. It sounds AH-MAZING, flower wall and all!!! And I am thinking of you all as you make Decisions -- I'm sorry they need to be made.

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