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Friday Favorites

This week’s favorites start with a no brainer since we began the week by celebrating my little sister’s birthday…

Favorite # ONE

Gina

pictured with that famous lemon cake I single-handedly tried to destroy.

We met for another family meeting on Sunday to celebrate Gina’s birthday.  We enjoyed appetizers, dessert, and craft time since that is what she wanted to do.

Happy birthday Gina!

~

On Monday, LB had a special delivery

Favorite # TWO

Dirt

We have several large trees on our property and their roots have emerged.  In an effort to keep the lawn mower blade intact, LB decided that I should cover those roots.  So this week I moved dirt.  One shovel-full at a time.  It was a pleasure.

~

Tuesday was voting day, so…

Favorite # THREE

WE VOTED

~

This morning, LB met his friend Wayne for coffee and catch-up time at one of their favorite coffee meeting places.  So I decided to treat myself to

Favorite # FOUR

Steak & Eggs

A perfect way to start the day!

~

We have gotten a lot of rain lately.  I haven’t had to pull the hose around the house in over a week.  Even Mama, who has been known to water her plants right before a storm, has skipped watering.  I haven’t seen her in the yard even once.  But I’m not complaining because the plants and flowers love it.  They are my

Favorite # FIVE

I don’t know why but my plants and flowers make me happy!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

I’ll start with the obvious… Sunday.  On Sunday, LB and I met friends for dinner at a favorite Mexican restaurant.

Favorite # ONE

Dinner with Friends

Before we arrived, I made a mental note to have the waiter to take a photo of us.  When we sat down I completely forgot.  Since I have no new photo to post, I’ll stick an old one in here

~

Favorite # TWO

Lemon Cake

Surprise Surprise I’m making the cake for my sister’s birthday.

I’ve decided to do a recipe post for the Luscious Lemon Cake in my Southern Cake Book.  I’ll post that next week.

~

Every time Ozzy displays typical kitty behavior, I feel the need to intervene.  So this week, he got a new “toy”

Favorite # THREE

Ozzy’s Scratching Pad

23″ L-Shaped Scratch Pad

Purposely situated at the end of the leather sofa… a favorite place to scratch.

This is an attempt to stop him from trying to get LB’s attention by clawing the arm of our leather sofa where LB typically sits.

Not only does he enjoy scratching his new pad, he enjoys chewing the top #wildcat

~

Last fall, after having my eyes checked, I wasn’t able to update my favorite Coach sunglasses.  Target Optical advised that they were no longer carrying the lenses.  On Tuesday, LB and I went shopping for new sunglasses.  I opted for these lovelies by Nicole Miller…

Favorite # FOUR

I’ll share them again in another Friday Favorites in the next seven to ten working days.

~

I am always taking pictures of Ozzy.

This week I captured a particularly funny close up of him.

I put it in google and asked “what famous personality does this kitty resemble?”

Google came back with:

Favorite # FIVE

lolol

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

There has been a whole lot of nothing going on this week so I am going to have to reach into the recesses of my mind for 5 Friday Favorites.  This is actually a good thing because Friday Favorites are partially about making a list of things that I’m Thankful for.

I look forward to seeing what I come up with ☺️

 

I started a new book this week.

Favorite # ONE

A New Book

This Book Made Me Think of you by Libby Page has 4.32 stars on Goodreads

I’ll let you know what I think in a future post.

~

LB wants to travel.  In my heart of hearts, I want to stay home.   LB has an intangible bucket list.  Coincidentally, I have a bucket list in my blog website that I created in 2019.  This bucket list DOES include travel.

That said, we have begun planning a big trip.

Favorite # TWO

Planning a Trip

 LB has a theory that after retirement, there is a window that will close causing the retiree to not want to do anything anymore.  Interestingly, I found that window before retirement lol.  But I suppose I do need to continue to cross off some of the bucket list items.

More to come.

~

Favorite # THREE

The Ninja CREAMi

The Ninja CREAMi is basically an ice cream maker.  I received mine as a Christmas gift a few years ago.  This is a perfect appliance for people who want to try to eat clean.  Lately LB and I have been using this fairly often.  There are many recipes on the website and on Pinterest.  You’ll need to plan and prep ahead to freeze for 24 hours.  And then enjoy while you watch your favorite Marvel movie.

Favorite # FOUR

Easy Recipe

by Ninja CREAMi

Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, for mix-in

Instructions

  1. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the cream cheese for 10 seconds. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and with a whisk or rubber spatula, combine until the mixture looks like frosting, about 60 seconds.
  2. Slowly mix in the heavy cream and milk until fully combined and sugar is dissolved.
  3. Pour base into an empty CREAMi® Breeze™ Pint. Place storage lid on pint and freeze for 24 hours.
  4. Remove pint from freezer and remove storage lid from pint. Please refer to the quick start guide for assembly and unit interaction information.
  5. Select ICE CREAM.
  6. With a spoon, create a 1 1/2-inch wide hole that reaches the bottom of the pint. Add chocolate chips to the hole in the pint and process again using the MIX-IN program.

I’m not gonna lie.  I’ll try this with substitutions: almond milk and Stevia.

~

So I was thinking about what I spend most of my time doing and the answers were cleaning my house, tending to my kitten, and working in my yard.  I am thankful for the opportunity and ability to do each of these.  Today I’m focusing on working in my yard, as my favorite.

Recently I asked ChatGPT to help me landscape the west side of my pool enclosure.  This is one of the photos I submitted

This is the landscape plan ChatGPT returned…

 

and this is the photo of me working on that landscape plan that ChatGPT returned…

Favorite # FIVE

of course I don’t wear makeup when I work in the yard, and I typically have my hair up and sunglasses on, and I will NOT be kneeling down in my yard since I saw a snake yesterday.

But I like the photo better than anything LB might have captured 🤪

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

I absolutely cannot believe July 2026 is coming to an end.  Time flies when you get old!  Today is the last Friday of the month and I have some weekly favorites to share.

Last week I mentioned that I had finished our Book Club book (Cold Sassy Tree) and was looking for another book to start.

I picked one and finished it in 3 days…

Favorite # ONE

Mad Mabel

The story is about the life of Elsie [Mabel Waller] Fitzpatrick, an 81-year-old woman with a horribly troubled past. It is told in a dual timeline format , moving between past and present.  One thing I liked about this story were the characters, especially Elsie Mabel and her best friend Daphne.  From the moment I started,  I found myself looking for quiet time to move on to the next chapter as I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.  I’ll give it 5 stars for that.

Goodreads book review

~

This favorite is a stretch.

On Tuesday I had an appointment to get my teeth cleaned.  You would think that I would work that in to my favorites somehow, but no.  I HATE getting my teeth cleaned.  It doesn’t feel good at all.

After that, LB and I went to ACE Hardware to walk through the garden center.  Since I’ve planned to landscape the west side of my pool enclosure we purchased several plants

Favorite # TWO

LIRIOPE

I managed to get them all planted before the rain came on Thursday.

~

LB and I used to visit the beaches in town at least once a week.  We had stopped doing this in the past few years so, knowing how much he always enjoyed it, I suggested we go this week.  We went to Little Talbot Island.  It was hot and overcast and the biting flies were abundant.  We only stayed for an hour.  Needless to say, my next favorite is not the beach.  It is this little guy who landed on LB’s hat…

Favorite # THREE

It looked like something was wrong with him so he just held on to LB for comfort while we were there.

~

In last week’s favorites I mentioned the faux suede jacket I had purchased, but I didn’t mention that it was only part of an order…

Favorite # FOUR

Early Fall Haul

with some pretty sweet deals…

~

Ozzy has a favorite this week to share…

Favorite # FIVE

Ozzy’s New Kitty Toy

Interactive Cat Toys for Indoor Cats

~

This is a public service announcement:

It is not recommended to go to the beach while the temperature is in the upper 90s!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

 

Friday Favorites

Another week has passed and I did not take the time to create a post about all the birthday cakes I have made.  I’m still trying to remember out how it all started.  I know that one of my first creations was Rory’s one year smash cake, but it seems like Stephanie was the person who started my cake baking “hobby”.  I’ll figure it out eventually.

  So, no cake post, but I did take the time to put together another Friday Favorites post.

Here goes…

Favorite # ONE

PROJECT HAIL MARY

The movie

I finished our book club pick on Sunday so I thought I would start another book of my own choosing.  I’ve been thinking about reading Project Hail Mary, but recently saw that it has been made into a movie and is currently on Prime.  So I watched it Tuesday night.  Project Hail Mary is a science fiction story about  a space mission to solve a problem that threatens to end life on earth.  The issue involves a microscopic organism that is consuming the sun.  Dr. Ryland Grace, [played by a very unkempt Ryan Gosling], travels into space to find a cure.  Although I had doubts during the first half of the story, it turned out to be a feel good movie.

During Dr. Grace’s journey he meets “Rocky”

Rocky is totally cute and all the reason you need to watch this.

~

Earlier this week I asked AI for ideas on landscaping the west side of my pool enclosure…

This is what AI suggested…

Favorite # TWO

The photo came with instructions and identified each plant.  Aside from the pictured suggestion that I landscape in front of the screen door, I like it.

I’ll be working on this in the next week or so.

~

Favorite # THREE

Jimothy

Clearly he had to be included.

He is all over social media.  If you haven’t seen him yet, google “Jimothy the racoon” and he will walk across your screen.

~

I’ve  been eyeing a fall staple that is new to Old Navy and this week it went on sale…

Favorite # FOUR

Classic Faux-Suede Jacket

Originally it was $69.99.   You can get it for $41.99. With additional perks, I got it for $35.00!

~

Friday night is pizza night and we have moved up from the little pizzas that LB once loved to this…

Favorite # FIVE

 

This 12 inch supreme starts with this Aldi refrigerated pizza dough

LB highly recommends this!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Friday Favorites

So much has happened in the last 2 months!  We’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to put anything in this blog.  Since it was May 1st that I published my last post, I figured I better publish something before wordpress shuts me down.  Here are my latest Friday Favorites…

Because we celebrated her birthday this week, she will be my

Favorite # ONE

LYDIA

She is 11 years old and I can’t believe it.

The party theme this year was Star Wars…

Everyone came to celebrate the day and shower Lydia with birthday gifts!

 

Glammy was in charge of the cake…

I’ve been thinking about doing a blog post all about the cakes I’ve made.

Maybe next week.

~

Favorite # TWO

I love these adorable little flowers.  They are called Catharanthus roseus and look like a miniature periwinkle (both are of the genus vinca).  The periwinkle is a perennial, which I appreciate, but sadly these little guys are not.  They will last and grow beautifully until we have a freeze.

~

Favorite # THREE

OZZY

is 9 months old.  He has quickly grown to be a big kitty, although he still behaves very much like a kitten.  In this picture he is resting after a major case of the zoomies.  He is so worn out that he didn’t even object to me putting his mouse in his ear 🤪

~

This month the Book Club is reading my

Favorite # FOUR

Cold Sassy Tree

I’m on chapter 42 and so far it has been a fun story.

~

In honor of my paternal grandmother’s birthday, Mema Reid is my

Favorite # FIVE

Irma Nell Knox-Reid was born July 16, 1929.  I published a post all about her here.

Happy Birthday in Heaven Mema!

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog

Friday Favorites

Favorite # ONE

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

This is the most recent read that was chosen by the book club.  It is a fictional story that “follows the journey of three characters brought together through grief and trauma. In Violet, Frank, and Harriet’s converging paths, Wood explores The Effects of Incarceration, The Healing Power of Books, and the importance of Forgiveness of Self and Others” (supersummary.com).

The story was captivating and I enjoyed following Violet’s journey, but the discussion and language used by the prisoners was enough to make a Southern Baptist squirm.

~

Favorite # TWO

This beauty

from my garden

Lilium ‘Tiny Massive’ or Asiatic hybrid lily

I found it at Home Depot last summer and luckily the many freezes we had this past winter did not wipe it out.

~

Favorite # THREE

OZZY

This baby is getting so BIG.  He has a delightful personality and makes my heart happy.  In this photo he is sucking on my orange blanket.  I don’t know what it is that he enjoys about this, but it doesn’t seem to be hurting anything.

~

Favorite # FOUR

Forever Friends

When this was posted in our family group chat, my comment was “this makes me happy and sad all in one”.  Many others commented “me too”.

The Starlings spent some time with the Rigdons on their last full day in Florida.  Although the tears were shed later, this photo shows how much these cousins enjoy each other and the great love they have for one another.  I hope they will always remember.

~

Favorite # FIVE

Eaglemania

at the Alhambra Theatre and Dining

LB and I are season ticket holders to Alhambra because it is our favorite type of date night.  If there is music to be heard, I’m usually right on board!  This Eagles tribute band did not disappoint.

~

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

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