Photo by Designecologist: https://www.pexels.com/photo/image-of-river-on-smartphone-1398339/
Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. Yep, it's been a while. When I looked back to see how many Friday Fotos posts I've done this year, I was shocked that I've neglected this blog that much! Maybe I'll do better next year. 😁
The view from my seat during the Tennessee 4A State Football Championship. This is the way to watch a game!
The Alcoa Tornadoes won their 11th straight, 24th overall state championship
At the beginning of the season, I didn't think they'd make it to play in December since they moved up a classification this year. My alma mater has now won a state football championship in 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A (as the school has grown and classifications changed through the years)
Smokey (OS' dog) and Laika in a rare moment of tranquility
The park Christmas Tree is looking a little sad this year. It looks like the lights were just thrown on. The "main" tree is by the municipal building and looks much nicer. There used to be a big tree lighting cerremony at the park (which is the "hub" of the town), but they did it at the city building this year. Maybe they have in other years & I just didn't notice it. I'm just glad the park tree has some lights on it; it would have been very sad not to have had it decorated this year.
As a reference, this is the tree in 2009. It's grown a lot bigger, so maybe they're using the same lights!
There may (or may not) be a Friday Fotos next week. I'm going to try to send 2025 out with a bang!
Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.
1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and commercialism start to take over?
I used to when the boys were young, but now, not so much. Things aren't too busy around here these days. I try to stay out of the stores and concentrate on Advent.
2. What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends?
I'm coming up with a whole lot of nuttin'.
3. December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? If so does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? If Hanukkah is the holiday you celebrate in December do you send cards to mark the occasion?
I haven't sent out cards in years. When someone asks me for my address around this time of year, I make sure they know that I don't do cards anymore, so they won't think they've been snubbed. I hate to sound like a Scrooge or Grinch, but I honestly think it's a waste of time and money.
4. What's your least favorite holiday related task? What's your favorite?
Least favorite: Decorating the tree
Most favorite: Candy making
5. Let's do a little holiday this or that?
shopping or wrapping Neither
baking or decorating Baking (see previous answer)
eggnog or wassail Eggnog (I don't know that I've ever had wassail)
real tree or artificial Real (see random thought)
turkey or ham Ham
white lights or colored lights Either one
ugly sweaters or matching pjs Ugly sweaters
peppermint or cinnamon Peppermint
presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day Christmas Day
6. Insert your own random thought here.
For the first year in a very long time, I have a real tree. 2 years ago, I only put up a couple of tabletop trees; last year I had a 4-ft. artificial one (and it looked very sad!. This year, since OS is in the house, I have a real tree. We put it up (and by "we" I mean OS) and he put the lights on it, but I don't have any ornaments on it yet. When the boys were in school, we waited to decorate until after the State Championship Football Game because things were pretty busy around here. This year, OS was able to go to the tree farm he's worked at and get a tree over Thanksgiving Week. I thought I had pictures from 2023, but either I didn't take any or I deleted them.
Now that I'm back to reading, this link-up is just what I need. Look at the bottom of the post for the hosts, see what others are reading, and for inspiration for new books to read. Here are my books this month:
This book was about one of the Seven Sisters. I read the second book in the series last month, so I continued on to the next book in the series. I love how Lucinda Riley intertwines past history in her books, taking me back to another time (and place). Star's (the main character) love for books and the rekindling of my love for books grabbed my attention.
I couldn't stop with book 3, and since Star (from book 3) and CeCe (from this book) are so close, it was natural that I wouldn't have stopped. Again, I found something that's happening in my life that coincided with something going on in the character's life. I really wanted to read book 5, but I made myself move on to something else.
This was a quick read. I read half of it Thanksgiving night and finished it the next morning. The book club leader (who is a reading teacher) is reading it to her class, and almost every member of the book club (if not every one of them) has read it. They talk about it every time we meet, so I figured I'd better read it so I wouldn't be shunned! Obviously, it was a good book because I finished it so quickly. The club members talked about how they "ugly cried" reading it. I don't know if it's because I was expecting something to happen (because that's all the members talked about) or if it was something else, but I didn't experience the crying. I did tear up at one part; I knew what was going to happen to one of the characters (I just didn't know which one), I figured it out early in the book, so I may have just been ready for it.
I'm currently reading my book club book. We meet every other week; our assignment is to read 200 pages each time. 200 pages to go before we finish the book, but you'll have to come back next month to see what it was & what I thought of it. 😁
I read one more book this month! I don't listen to audiobooks, so what I'm reading, I'm actually reading. No judgment, though. Listening to books puts me to sleep; I have to actually see it to retain it.
If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the hosts' blogs:
Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.
1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'? On a scale of 1-10 how is yours this year? (10=off the charts, 1=still looking for it)
Shouldn't we always have the holiday spirit? Being kind and cheerful, right? I'd say mine is an 8 this year. I had an excellent Thanksgiving (you can read about it here). Things will never be the same, but there is some joy and getting back to the holiday routines going on.
2. What's your favorite character from a (December) holiday-themed movie, book, or TV special? Tell us why.
This is a tough one! Iris from The Holiday or Sybil from The Family Stone would be tops, for sure. I love that Iris found herself and stopped being a doormat, and I love Sybil and how she handled her family.
3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition?
I am definitely a fan of gingerbread...eating it, not building houses with it.
4. Much of our vocabulary is determined by where we live or where we grew up. What say you-sprinkles or jimmies? lightning bugs or fireflies? soda or pop? sneakers, trainers, or tennis shoes? sub, hoagie, grinder, or hero? freeway, highway, or motorway? frosting or icing? sauce or gravy?
Being from the South, I'm sure people can already predict my answers!
Sprinkles, lightning bugs, coke (not soda or pop, although I have learned to say "soda" instead of coke), tennis shoes, sub, highway/interstate, frosting, gravy.
5. Share a favorite holiday memory from your childhood.
Here's one I don't think I've shared before:
Growing up, we didn't have a fireplace where we could hang our stockings; we put them on our bedposts instead. It was so exciting to go to bed with empty stockings & wake up with them full of candy. There were no presents in them, only candy and a tangerine at the bottom.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
We also celebrated St. Nicholas' feast day, but with a little twist. We didn't put our shoes out for St. Nick; we would put plates around the table. Probably because my parents didn't think it was sanitary to put candy in stinky, dirty shoes! I continued that tradition with my boys. They would each get some kind of coloring book or reading book, a Santa chocolate, and a Christmas movie to share.
How else would you start off Thanksgiving morning?
For the first time in a long time (as in, I can't even remember the last time; it may have been during COVID), I actually felt like cooking Thanksgiving dinner. And I was excited about it! I wasn't stressed; I organized myself and went from there. Well, I should say I semi-organized myself. I had to take a couple of quick trips to the grocery store to get some things I forgot. (So much for being organized!)
Tuesday was baking day: pecan pie and pumpkin roll. I kept them in the refrigerator until Thanksgiving Day. I took the pie out earlier in the day on Thanksgiving to take the chill out of it before serving. Wednesday was "get everything ready to cook" day. I delegated the cooked veggies to YS & DIL since that's my least favorite thing to do. I've been accused of not knowing how to cook vegetables, so...yep, delegate it is! The sweet potato casserole, dressing, and deviled eggs were put in the refrigerator.
Wednesday night, I got out the pots and set the table. We went with a simple setting. In reality, I just didn't think ahead on this one. It's not my gift, for sure.
By noon on Thanksgiving Day, this was how my kitchen looked:
By noon, everything was ready to go. The veggie tray was put in the refrigerator, and I made sure to thaw out the rolls. (Yeah, me!) I had a brief moment of insanity when I considered making the rolls, but I regained it pretty quickly. Yes, that is StoveTop Stuffing and gravy in a jar...don't judge. I put in waaaaay too much broth in the Southern Dressing, and even after adding more crackers & bread, I wasn't happy with it. So it was dumped in the garbage, and OS ran to the store. Some things aren't worth the stress. I made a note on the recipe for future reference.
I'm trying something new...turkey breast in the slow cooker. It turned out perfectly; just a few minutes under the broiler before serving browned it nicely.
I started cooking hams in the slow cooker years ago.
My thoughts on using the slow cooker for the meats are two-fold: 1) it frees up the oven for other things since I only have a single oven, and 2) they don't dry out. Well, as long as you remember to put water in the bottom of the pot for the ham. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything. 😜
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner. Since it was cold outside, OS built a fire in the fireplace. My house has 2: one upstairs and one downstairs. I love my "real" fireplaces; the only thing I don't love about them is where they are located. The previous (and first) owner used the kitchen area (where my table is) as a sitting area, so the fireplace wasn't in such an awkward place. Not that she used it much; we had to have a chimney sweep come in and get all of the birds out of the chimney once we bought the house. But, I'm digressing...
Picture courtesy of OS; his dog, Smokey, is checking things out
Pre-dinner drink to remember the fellow pilgrims who were on the Greece Pilgrimage
Thanksgiving Dinner. Photobomb by Girl Dog.
Pumpkin Roll is always a hit. We also had Coconut Flan, made by DIL. It was absolutely delicious!
The family. Smiles all around!
In the Thanksgiving Dinner picture, you'll notice some deviled eggs are missing. And I think you can see what I mean by the fireplace being in an odd place. I would love to have a big comfy reading chair in there. Maybe when my niece is ready for the china hutch, and I'm able to have a little more room. {sigh}
After dinner, the boys sat around the table and talked while the dishes were done and the dishwasher loaded. (Typical, right?) YS & DIL had to leave a little early since YS had to be at work very early. OS, MS & GF, and I sat around the kitchen table enjoying the fire and talking. It was a very good day, indeed!
Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.
1. What does patriotism mean to you?
Loving your country and defending it. Even when things are going as you would like, realizing this is the best country in the world.
2. September-October-November...your favorite fall month? Tell us why. If you live in the southern hemisphere use these months but sub spring for the word fall.
November. The beginning of sweater/sweatshirt weather, football, soups, and stews.
3. A song you love with the word thanks (or some form of that word) in the title or lyrics?
4. November is National Peanut Butter Month. Are you a fan? What's the last peanut butter bite you had? Fill in the blank: peanut butter and _____________________ .
Oh, and you can't say jelly.
I love peanut butter. My favorite cold-weather lunch is chicken noodle soup and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. With Ruffles. Since I last had a Reese's Cup, I'm going with peanut butter and chocolate.
5. This week's gratitude question-What event from this past year are you most grateful for?
There are so many. Being with my siblings and my boys, being able to go back to Ireland, going to TX to tour the painted churches (and see friends & cousins) & learn more about my heritage, going on pilgrimage to Greece, and gaining a daughter-in-law. But maybe my favorite was being able to celebrate CH's life as he requested. My BIL set up the venue, and family & friends gathered.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
"Give Thanks" was the meditation song for CH's funeral mass. It was a perfect way to thank God for everything He has done for us as a couple and as a family with our boys. CH's body was worn out from fighting colon/anal cancer, but he continued to thank God for giving him the life he had. 2025 has been a tough year; people told me the 2nd year would be harder, and they weren't kidding. Our life wasn't perfect (but whose is?), but I'm so thankful to have been able to experience that once-in-a-lifetime love CH & I shared.
These are the last 2 selfies we took while in Colorado in 2023, 4 months before he passed away.
Thanks to Joyce for making me aware of this blog linky. Now that I'm back to reading, I hope my lists will grow each month. But for now, this post is going to be pretty meager.
As I said in my Back to Reading Post, this is the book that the book club I'm in read and finished in October. I hope that still counts since I didn't read the whole book that month! We started at the end of Sept., met every 2 weeks after reading approximately 200 pages, and finished it mid-October.
I knew the book was going to be good since it was by Anthony Doerr. One participant in the book club (another Speech-Language Pathologist) said that she had to make a graphic organizer to keep up with who was in what time period. The end of the book left me wanting more information. I'll just leave it at that.
This is definitely one to put on your "must-read" shelf!
This is the 2nd book in the Seven Sisters series. I read the first book quite a while ago and read this one while I was on my last pilgrimage to Greece. There were things that I read in the book that paralleled my life. One was the "evil eye" pendant that Ally was given. The evil eye (or God's eye in Turkiye) was everywhere in Greece. And, Ally is a flautist. So I had a connection, but that was where the connection ended.
The premise of the series is that a man (Pa Salt) adopted 6 girls (the 7th girl hasn't arrived on the scene yet for some reason). Each of the girls is named after a star in a constellation. When Pa Salt (who is a billionaire) dies, he leaves a clue to each girl's heritage; it's up to them to discover it if they wish.
There is some factual history in the books (which I like), but it is in the nonfiction genre. It is definitely an interesting read.
So...that's it for October. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick up more books this month. If you need ideas for what to read next, check out the hosts' blogs:
I'm reading again. Finally. After CH passed away, I tried to read. I ended up frustrated because nothing could hold my attention enough to finish a book. I tried different genres without luck. I was beginning to think I'd never read another book again. I've been a book lover my whole life, so it was a little distressing to not be able to read.
Until a local brewery started a book club. Beer & books? Yes, please! I walked into the brewery with confidence, not knowing exactly what to expect. MS said that the owners had no idea how this was going to go...would it be a hit or a dud?
I've wanted to join a book club for a while, but I wasn't sure how to go about joining. It seems that most book clubs are already established and not looking for new members. It turns out I'm not alone. Several of the members said the same thing.
Back to the first night: I joined some ladies already sitting at one of the tables. We ended up with 15 ladies the first night, so I'd say it was a hit. The lady who started the book club is a reading teacher at one of the local schools, and most of the members are teachers. Since most of them are teachers for a different school system than the one from which I retired, I didn't know anyone. And it was okay. I'm getting used to putting myself out there and going places on my own. In fact, I'm actually learning to like it.
Our "leader" chose the first book: Cloud Cuckoo Landby Anthony Doerr. His first book was All the Light We Cannot See, which was excellent, so I was expecting great things. I wasn't disappointed. We took 4 weeks to read the book, roughly 200 pages every 2 weeks. It seemed doable, and I liked that the book was broken up like that, so I didn't feel overwhelmed. Cloud Cuckoo Land is one of those books with multiple main characters; each chapter is about a different person. To make things more "interesting", there were 3 different time periods that each lived in. And then there were back stories for each character. The first time we met after reading the first 200 pages, a lot of questions were straightened out. I don't know if I would have enjoyed the book as much if I weren't reading along with a group. I enjoyed it so much that I finished the book even though I missed the last meeting, and then I had to email the leader to let her know how much I liked it.
This book club has brought back my love of reading. I've read a few other books over the last few weeks and have been able to actually sit down and get lost in them. I feel like a part of me has been revived. And it feels great!
Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.
1. Are you a risk taker? To what degree?
I would say no, not at all. I like predictability.
2. What's your favorite candy? Would you say you have a sweet tooth?
I definitely have a sweet tooth, no doubt about it! I really like the Milky Way Midnight. They aren't very easy to find anymore, so when I see them, I usually grab several. But when it comes to candy, I'm not very picky.
3. Somewhere you've been recently that had you feeling 'like a kid in a candy store'?
Let me preface this by saying I'm really not a big drinker. We have a liquor store that has just about everything you can imagine. I call it the adult Disney World.
4. What do you think is the most effective way to make a positive change in the world?
Be the person others want to be. Be the one who, when people look at you, they say they want the joy you have.
5. Do you like surprises?
Not really. I guess it depends on what it is. Bad surprises: absolutely not. Good surprises I can handle. (See the answer to #1)
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I looked at this blog and realized it's been 6 months since I've posted. I have posted some on my Catholic Blog and my Travel Blog, but I'm way behind on those, too. Even being retired and widowed, there's just not enough time in the day! The funny thing is that when someone asks me what I do all day, I look like a deer in headlights.
Well, here we are in the 4th month of 2025 & I've decided to once again revive Friday Fotos. Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life.
This picture was from last week but it's too pretty not to share. The blossoms are spent this week...they just don't last long enough!
I love seeing the redbuds against the dogwoods; the tree in the front makes it that much prettier.
Wildflowers are covering the fields in the park.
Flowers are also in the woods.
This was taken just after a storm. It reminds me of Psalm144:5 Lower your heavens and come down, touch the mountains; wreathe them in smoke.
I don't remember seeing these plants before so I checked on Lens: They are trillium.
YS & his fiance took me to brunch for my birthday. Honey Lavender Latte, plus all kinds of amazing goodness from Potchke Deli.
**This is a re-post from Flyin' the Coop; however, a few personal notes have been added.
In apost from a previous visit to Ireland, I urged readers not to take a tour. My tune has changed. Vagabond Tours of Ireland is definitely the way to go. That is if you're looking for a stress-free time where all of the details are taken care of. You get a taste of Irish culture and history from the "Vagaguides" and plenty of time to meander around on your own and discover some off-the-beaten-path places. The small group is an added plus, and the value for the money is bar-none.
I wouldn't call myself a "seasoned traveler" at this point, but I'm learning things as I go. I'm a light packer; I wear pants a couple of times before washing and I make sure what I wear dries quickly. On this trip, I wore leggings and tunics that were made out of quick-drying material. I washed once when we were at the same hotel for 2 nights. The laundry sheets are fantastic for quick washing in the hotel sink/bathtub. Rolling the clothes in a towel to remove the excess water helps, too. And, those lovely heated towel racks helped speed the drying process along!
The Best Packing Arrangement
This was all the luggage I took with me on this trip for 2 weeks: A carry-on and a smallish (14") backpack. How did I do it?
These compression packing cubes helped organize and fit everything in my carry-on. First I purchased the set, and then I bought a couple additional cubes. They are so much easier than the initial bags I had (that were like giant ziplock bags): you put clothes in the cube, zip to compress it, and then zip the 2nd zipper to close. The set comes with a "laundry bag" so you can separate out your dirty clothes...compressing them as you close the bag.
I used these see-through bags for my medications and liquids; they fit perfectly into my backpack.
Inside the liquids bag, I had several silicone jars for things like my facial cleanser, moisturizer, etc. They were the perfect size for 2 weeks of travel.
For shampoo, lotion, and hair gel, these tubes were fantastic. Although I didn't need the shampoo (or really the lotion either), those won't be brought along for the next trip.
The Best
Best Hotel: While we stayed in some hotels that were much larger than I expected, I would have to say the nicest one we stayed in was in Derry. But the room with the best view was in Kinsale.
Best Pub: This one is tough because we went to some fantastic pubs, but I'd have to say there were 2 in Waterford that take the cake.
Off the main road, Katty Barrys was a find for Trad Music and supposedly the best Guinness in town (according to the barman).
J&K Walsh is the oldest pub in operation in Waterford (or it was when I was there). It was quite the find!
Best Town: This is another hard one because there were so many places we went that were absolutely wonderful, but if I had to pick just one, I would pick Donegal as my overall favorite. This is definitely someplace I'd like to return and spend more time. Kilkenny would have to be a close second.
Donegal
Kilkenny
Best Cliffs: Without a doubt, Slieve League is it! We're just thankful we didn't end up at the bottom because of the heavy winds!
Photo courtesy of Tomás
Best Irish Coffee: I drank a lot of Irish Coffee this trip since the weather was cold, damp, and windy. There's nothing like a good Irish Coffee to warm you up! Undoubtedly, the best one I had was at Jameson Distillery in Midleton.
Best Monument: I was able to see several monuments, but my favorite was Kindred Spirits in Midleton, County Cork. This monument was to commemorate the money the Choctaw Indians in the USA sent to Ireland during the famine. While $170 may not seem like much, in today's money (as opposed to 1847) it would be equivalent to thousands of dollars. It is a beautiful monument and definitely worth a stop.
Best Natural Phenomena: Again, this is a tough one. The bog protecting Corlea Trackway was definitely amazing, along with Giant's Causeway, Benvoy Beach, and Mahon Falls (with the Magic Road as a plus), but I'm going to have to go with the backward waterfall we experienced while at Slieve League. I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to experience that again.
Best Music: This is going to come as a surprise because it actually did to me. When I started thinking about this category, I was thinking about live trad music in the pubs. But actually, the best music was when Tomás turned on his playlist as we were driving around Northern Ireland. He shared some music from Irish bands (mostly although we also heard "The Boss" and maybe some Johnny Cash!) and was able to provide the background from the song that turned out to perfectly summarize my trip and how different it was from the last one. To top it off, the musician is a friend of his so that made it extra personal.
Marcus Magee was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer; he knew something was wrong but didn't bother going to the doctor. When a friend who had recently passed away from cancer appeared in his dream and told him to be mindful of his health problems, he not only went to the doctor but wrote this song following treatment. The chorus reminds me of what a great time we had in 2022; we were able to forget the cancer and the treatment for a couple of weeks and enjoy the Irish countryside and backroads. We met some wonderful people in pubs and campgrounds. We were definitely able to run away from the illness, even if it was for a short while. The chorus:
And we run
Yes we run
From this dream
Finding me
Best Cemetery: This may seem a little morbid, but you have to visit cemeteries to see High Crosses. Even so, while Monasterboice had the most amazing High Crosses, my favorite cemetery was at St. Columbas in Drumcliffe. Yeats' grave was so peaceful, with the beautiful Benbulben in the background.
Best revisited place: I had a difficult time deciding between the Hook Peninsula or Glendalough. I have emotional ties to both places from my last visit. Tintern Abbey on the Hook Peninsula was Robert's favorite place, and the memories of walking around Glendalough unhurried are huge. But...I'm going to have to say it's actually a car park! Denise just happened to stop at the same car park where Robert & I spent our last night with the campervan in the Wicklow Mountains. The views are beautiful and I was able to take a few minutes to think about him and our trip together.
Best Historical City: The visited city with the most fascinating history to me was Waterford. This is another place that I would love to go back to and spend more time. Plus, there is a museum that wasn't open the day we were there that I want to see. Strongbow & Aoife's marriage was so instrumental in the history of Ireland. Denise did a wonderful job telling us their story and how they shaped Ireland.
Best Castle: I hesitated to use this category because I chose not to go into some of the castles. But, this one was incredible: Dunluce. Right on the edge of a cliff, the ruins show off just how massive it was. It just takes a little bit of imagination to see how glorious it was in its heyday.
So there you have it. My "best of" for the Great Southern Tour and the Northern Island Tour by Vagabond. I have nothing bad to say about this tour group. I didn't feel like there was any wasted time. I know with many tour groups you "hurry up and wait", but not with Vagabond. As long as everyone is respectful of the other passengers' time, it's not a problem. We were all on the bus at the given time, ready to go. We weren't rushed when we went to points of interest; we had just the right amount of time at each place. I've already booked another tour with them so stay tuned for a recap.
The tours I chose were a perfect blend of old and new: old memories in the Great Southern Tour and new ones in the Northern Island Tour. A way to pay homage to the trip CH & I took 2 years before and to look forward to the traveling he wants me to do. That was why Mac Dee is so meaningful to me.
