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: Cold, wet and it wants to snow but can't make up its mind. So annoying. I woke up this morning just hoping that maybe there'd be a little snow on the ground...nope, nothing!! I really feel for the weathermen and women.

What we're thinking about: I'm sharing below about a podcast I listened to about opinions..which got me thinking...I also shared this on my Wednesday Hodgepodge post, so just copied some of that here. The first part is the blurb from the episode (I'll link it below)

Today we are giving you permission. Permission to be free from having an opinion about everything. Our minds are full of so much information leading us to craft and curate opinions about things that truly don't matter. But, what if we started saying, "I don't know" or "I haven't given that much attention or thought?" How would it free up our minds if we just stopped. Join us in this conversation all about being free from forming opinions.

And even things that do matter, it's not necessary for us to blab our opinion or even need to have an opinion (which can seem contradictory to todays society), and especially on social media, where behind keyboards we feel entitled and emboldened to speak whatever comes to mind. It really gave me some food for thought, AND freedom to not take on every little thing, especially if I don't know a lot about it. It made me remember another time where I felt like if I didn't post something or stand up or share things or seem "passionate" about a cause that was a hot topic, then I was "uncaring"...but we aren't all meant to be passionate about the same things. My soap box is not going to be your soap box, and vice versa (I think I spelled that wrong). Do we even all need to have a "soap box"? Well, sounds like I've been on a soap box...haha! I've just been pondering this thought, that's all. 

What we're thankful for: I'm thankful for a chance to focus on some other things right now, as my virtual assisting job has ended. Although it is a cut in some finances, I'm looking forward to this season. I'm not sure how long it will last (if I'll look for another way to make some money online from home) but I don't think I need to be in a hurry. 

Around the house: We're trying to get some things together to submit to the county in regards to some finalizing that needs to be done...I won't go into it. Hoping for a good outcome. 

I need to go out and prune my blueberries and clean up some things in pots, etc..I'll have to do that on the next dry day that I'm off. 

For the love of food: I kept it pretty simple this last week, making a few soups; Split Pea and Vegetable Beef, and then we had taco salad one night. Leftovers a few times. I always make too much soup. We are hosting Superbowl this weekend so I'll share a few recipes next week. Oh, did I mention I am trying a recipe for Fire Cider? It's supposed to help your immune system. Made with ACV, garlic, lemons, ginger, tumeric, onions and a few other things. It has I think one more week to steep and then I'll strain it, add honey and store it in the fridge. 

Oh gosh, I do need to share what happened with my granddaughters birthday cake. My youngest daughter was making Pepper a birthday cake. She wanted vanilla. I found a Dairy free recipe that looked good. My daughter and I were communicating via text because I hadn't gotten home. She made the cakes but they fell and seemed too wet...so she tried it again using a few tips from someone....they were better but still fell. The third time we were going to make them (because the other two times weren't good enough to use, though they tasted good), it was suggested we weigh the ingredients. I weighed the butter. My daughter looked at the butter and then at me, and said "wait, are you kidding? THIS is the amount of butter?" Basically, in a nutshell, we had some serious miscommunication and she had been putting too much butter in...So 12 cakes later (it was a layer cake)...we got it right. 

For the love of reading: I received an ARC copy of Goats Just Wanna Have Fun by Janna Rollins which is the second book in her Escape Goat Series. It's a fun one and I'm enjoying trying to figure out the whodunit. I just received the first book in the Cheese Shop Mysteries series by Korina Moss Cheddar Off Dead.I had won one of the books and read it before realizing it was not the first one, so I'm going back and starting at the beginning of the series. It's a well written cozy series. 

My goal is to knock out quite a few books on my bookshelf and on my Kindle app. I know I'll be able to do it, however I'm always finding cheap or free Kindle books, and books at thrift or little free libraries...I have no self control in this area. 

What we're watching or listening to: One of my favorite podcasts, These Are Good Days had a really good episode about opinions, titled Freedom from Opinions. 

Favorite Quote: I'll share next week for #WQ...I didn't have much time to look for any quotes. I read a quote in one of my cozy mysteries that I liked. It said...

"I know what you're thinking. And I know my problems sound silly when there's so much awfulness going on in the world, but they're still my problems"

I thought this was a good reminder, and it was affirmed in a podcast I listened to. Everyone's problems, everyone's "hard day, hard thing, hard whatever"..is going to look different and may not be "as bad" as someone elses, but it doesn't mean it's not a problem, not bad, not hard. It's important not to compare or minimize. They're not even saying theirs is the "worst", but it is still what it is. 

Favorite Photo(s):

I didn't really take many pictures..but here's one of Pepper with her cake. We had a princess party. 

Random or not so random things: I'm working on getting things cleaned up on my computer. I have so many thing I just need to delete and I'm running out of storage space. It is satisfying to get things cleaned up and organized..though it will be quite the process. 

I think I forgot to go around and comment last week. I'll have to go check. This was my first full week of not doing online work and it's kind of weird finding a new normal. I don't remember what I've done or not done. Ha! 

I will never be convinced of animals in stores, EXCEPT those that are legitimately service dogs. I'm sorry if people feel different, but too many people are using excuses of "service dogs", "emotional support animal". You can tell when an animal is a true service dog by their behavior. It drives me crazy. I went into Walmart the other day and there were two people standing in one of the main aisles and someone on the side aisle. A dog had pooped in a couple places. I think I passed the guy and his rather large dog on my way in. They shouldn't be in carts either. 

Well....I'm down to the wire so I'll cut it short. I'm sure there were a few other things I was going to talk about but I don't remember. 

I do want to say thank you to those who do come and comment. It means a lot. I do work to get around to most everyone, and often go back and comment on weeks I've missed.

 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin