Weekend Coffee Share.....Come Sit with Me

It's another week of Weekend Coffee Share. I always love everyone's posts. Are you like me and try to visit everyone? It doesn't always happen but I try. I have loved getting to know different bloggers and I figure if they take the time to write a post, I'll find the time to visit, even if it's a week later. I truly enjoy what you all share and I often learn so much. 

Check out all the other posts on Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. I'm off to go visit some now. #weekendcoffeeshare.

If we were having coffee we'd probably talk about:

The Weather: Wait...isn't it almost fall..what's with our weather. I mean I'm not going to complain...okay, maybe I'll complain about the 90's but I'll hold onto summer a bit longer. The mornings and evenings are very chilly but the days are warm. 

What we're thinking about: I don't why this one is hard for me to fill in. Maybe it's because I'm always trying to come up with something deep, but I suppose if we were sitting and having coffee we'd just be talking about whatever came to our mind. This morning as I was looking at some pictures I was thinking about the importance of trying new things and enjoying all the little things and moments around us. Do the things that scare us, reach out to others, don't major on the minors. We just never know what life holds. The other day a friends son was hit head on while riding his motorcycle with his brother. The truck stopped and said he'd go call 911 as no one had service, but then never returned. the young man has a broken femur and required surgery. The man did call 911 however, he never came back to give his information and stay on the scene. This could have ended so much worse, but it saddens me that the man did not do the right thing and own his part in this. They do have his cell phone number so hopefully are able to track him down. 

What we're thankful for: Honestly, I was joking today on a FB page that if I had a super power, it would be #1 to teleport anywhere I wanted...but also to be able to function with no sleep...rest, yes, but no sleep. I mean as awesome as it would be, because I could do so much...read more, blog more, etc...the truth is I really do like sleeping. I'm sitting here at my counter on Saturday night thinking that I should just go take a bath and go to bed, and finish this post on Sunday...which means it will have taken me 3 days to write it. But I truly am thankful for sleep. I'm thankful when I feel like I've had a good nights sleep, which doesn't always happen. 

Around the house: I shared last week what we accomplished around the house during our staycation. This week has been back to work and normal routines..A friend of my MIL's gave me a planting tower that she hasn't used. I was considering putting it together and adding some fall items to it, but I think I'll wait til next year. I'm excited to see what I can plant in it. I was also thinking of taking out the mint and oregano that is in my half wine barrel (that was my MIL's Dads..side story, my FIL found it in one of the barns before they sold the place and he cut it in half. I have half and she has half...when I first got it, it smelled like the hard cider he used to make in it). Anyways..right now it has mint and oregano and I'm thinking I might like to plant things in there that I'll use more regularly. In the past I've had flowers, grown potatoes in it. I think I'll dig them out this fall and see what I come up with. 

For the love of food: Last Friday we had a private chef come to our house and do a cooking party. My hubby found him on Yelp. He spends about 3 months in Oregon where his wife is from and the remainder in Rome where his family lives. He does cooking events and catering here and in Rome, the same, but also tours with his wife..He's also an actor (I'll share that more below)...We made pasta and two sauces. It was such a fun experience and we all learned so much. From why your ingredients matter...what sauces go best with which pasta shape, and how to make your own pasta. The other day I decided to practice to see if I could do it. It took me 3 tries. I got it right on the 3rd try. I think what happened was the egg I used was not a large enough egg! 

This was the pasta dish we all made. I forgot to take a photo of the pasta I made a few days later to practice by myself.

In other news, I made a chicken soup that we ate for a few days, I made a really good Creamy Tuscan chicken that I served over the "practice" pasta...it turned out really good. On Tuesday I babysat the kids and we made individual homemade pizzas for lunch. I've also done a taco soup this week as well as some simple chicken cooked and served over salad. 

My hubby's birthday is Saturday and we are planning to make some lasagna, salad and homemade sourdough bread. Which reminds me, I should get the sourdough out tonight to be ready to start tomorrow before work. (I'm typing on Thursday evening)

What we're reading or wanting to read: I seem to just keep adding more and more books to my TBR list..haha. Currently I'm still trying to finish up A Collection of Lies  by Connie Berry, My Fathers List by Laura Carney, Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay, Take My Hands: Mary Vashere by Dorothy Clarke Wilson (this is on my 12/12 list), The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama. Oh my! You guys, I have way too many going...I think I need to just pause on a few that I'm struggling with and focus on the ones I'm actually enjoying. I hate giving up on books but this just can't go on. Haha! 

What we're watching or listening to: I have listened to some great podcasts...One I have mentioned before is These are Good Days with Lee Ann Miller and Matt Beres. Their latest episode had me belly laughing. It was titled "That's so Cringe", and they were talking about embarrassing moments...readers wrote in and shared their moments and gave permission for them to share. So funny, but they also discussed thoughts behind why we become embarassed in the first place. I love their podcast, it is a mix of funny, serious, and you feel like they are your best friends. I'm also listening to The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I'm not that far in but WOW! I know there's a movie but I haven't watched it. Let's see, I've watched the first two episodes of the show Ripley on Netflix. The chef who came up to our house last week is an actor as well, and he plays the bad guy. So far I've liked the show. My hubby has watched more episodes and says it's really "dark". It's considered a thriller and our friend said the series is based off a movie of the similar title The talented Mr. Ripley. 

Favorite quote:  This quote was from the book The Collected Regrets of Clover . There were so many great thoughts throughout the book that I highlighted..

"Instead of constantly asking ourselves the question of why we're here, 

maybe we should be savoring the simpler truth: We are here! 

Favorite photo(s): 

I think what made this night so fun was that we made it a competition. After each dish, my hubby judged who's was better...we had fun with the whole process. 

I share often how I help my daughter with her coffee cart. Last Sunday we drove 2 1/2 hours to a little beach community called Seabrook, to serve coffee at an after wedding brunch. The couple were married on Saturday and the guests along with bride and groom enjoyed a brunch the following morning. 

I love how she creates something special for each couple. 

This was our chef in a scene from the show I mentioned he was in. 

And in his chef mode with my friend and I.

Random or not so random things: I already mentioned about our cooking party and that I also helped with my daughters coffee cart. We are actually heading to Seabrook this next week to help with the grandkids while my daughter and son in law host a retreat for their church there. It's a wonderful vacation community. I probably won't be posting next week, we'll see. 

On another kind of gross note, on Wednesday at work I kept smelling something in our holding area outside at work...it's basically a longish room with a sliding locking door where we put packages as they come in throughout the day. Then our delivery drivers (UPS, FED EX, USPS) come pick them up...well, I kept getting a whiff of something and thinking "there is something dead", but couldn't find anything. As the day grew warmer, the smell got worse...Thursday was the same thing. My coworker and I tore the area apart trying to find the source but no luck. I got a text later that evening that one of our UPS drivers found it. Apparently in the blue tub that we put UPS packages in (like bags, etc), there was a dead mouse. It was under a plastic bag that was inside the tub...so we basically had been tossing things on top of it for who knows how many days! I can't believe none of the other drivers noticed it. YUCK!!

There is freeway traffic on the bridge just after the freeway on-ramp in our town...people are thinking they can bypass it by getting off a few exits, cutting across back roads, etc..however, they all end up in the same place (the middle of town) and don't actually bypass anything, instead causing more problems for the town, businesses and themselves. Yikes. It's been the constant conversation at work as we see it all. I was almost hit a few weeks ago when someone decided to go in the opposite lane to get around cars and cut through a parking lot. Not cool. This photo is when I tried to leave work Friday to go home...the blue arrow is where I work basically. 

Well, I'll end here for this week. A new Costco opened up less than 10 minutes from my house (well, when there's no traffic) and we are going to go check it out. I may or may not see everyone next week. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin