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: We arrived back from sunny Florida to the rainy PNW. We did have a few nicer days but it's been cloudy and rainy since then. It looks like for the next 4 or 5 days it will be the same way and then we'll see some sun. 

What we're thinking about: Our daughter, son in law and grandkids will be moving up onto our property at the end of next week and will be staying in an RV until their house is placed and ready on their property, so a few months...at least 4. We are looking forward to it and think it will be fun. I was thinking today about how it will all work in regards to daily life. Our grandson asked me today if "I came up with the rules"...haha. Probably like, no waking nonni and poppi up, or coming in the house too early, pick up your toys outside, etc. It will probably be harder for the grandkids to not expect us to be available to play whenever they want. I was thinking maybe I'll cut back on some blogging. I don't necessarily want to, but we'll see how much time I have. It's a season of having them nearer to us, and I want to take advantage of that. I love the link parties I'm a part of so I will definitely come back to them if I decide to take a break. OR I will learn to combine more into one post..maybe I'll do my #sundaystill posts in with these #weekendcoffee share ones. Maybe I'll combine the #tuesdayfour and the #wednesday hodgepodge. 

What we're thankful for: I'm thankful we have the opportunity to offer the kids to stay up here while their house is getting ready. Then they're not having to try to pay 2 loans (which they wouldn't be able to do). I'm thankful for the season of life we are in and having our girls so close. 

Around the house: We're still getting quotes and ideas for garage build but yikes, expensive. We did have some of our fir trees limbed up and it looks so much better. We're having the guy come back out in a few weeks to limb up so more. It really opens up the space around it and I feel like it lets more light in. At some point we may take out a row of them but not yet (again, expensive). 

I couldn't find a before picture, but just imagine the limbs hanging down and low enough to make it hard to walk under. 

My plants are doing well in their containers and I'm getting a strawberry.

For the love of food: I've made a few new recipes the last week or so. One was for my BKD cookbook club. You can find the post here. I made The Pioneer Womans Easy Shrimp and Grits. I also made a Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad...which I failed to take a pic of. The rest of the week was pretty basic. For Mother's Day I actually made something simple. My girls had taken me out on Saturday for crepes and coffee. So good. I made a simple tomato sauce and had it with some ravioli I had in the freezer and salad. That was it. 

Amazing shrimp and grits. 

These crepes were so BIG and so good. We had a classic with nutella, bananas, strawberries and whipped cream, peach, almond, caramel sauce, pepperoni pizza, and below a BLT with chicken.

While we watched the movie Nonnas, my daughter made me an affogato. Yum, but probably shouldn't have that at 7:30 at night. Normally coffee doesn't keep me awake, but that night, I couldn't fall asleep til midnight. 

I also made Kombucha for a bridal shower. Check out those pretty ice cubes. 


For the love of reading: We just shared our #WOYBS posts. You can find mine here. I'm currently reading We Solve Murders By Richard Osman for my passalong book club. I finished The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek for my in person book club. I'm reading Clover Covered Corpse by Jackie Layton on my Kindle. 

What we're watching or listening to: I just started the audiobook Educated by Tara Westover. So interesting. I watched a few episodes of The Pioneer Woman and an episode of Magnolia Table. I also listened to a few podcasts. We watched the movie Nonnas on Netflix. It is based on the true story of a restaurant on Staten Island, Enoteca Maria. It was a sweet story of one man paying homage to his mom and grandma and his love for food by opening a restaurant featuring local nonnas (grandmas) as the chefs. It is still open today and features Nonnas from countries other than Italy. There is a calendar on their website of who will be cooking. I'd love to visit. 

Favorite quote: I read this quote by C.S. Lewis and really liked it.

"The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. 

When you are behaving as if you love someone, you will presently come to love him. Whenever we do good to another self, just because it is a self, made (like us) by God, and desiring its own happiness as we desire ours, we shall have learned to love it a little more...."

Favorite photo(s):

Mother's Day Flowers....yellow roses were my moms favorites. 

Dressing up for theme nights at the conference. 

Random or not so random things: We enjoyed our time in Florida, but living there would not be for me. I'm not opposed to the idea of moving, but I really love the PNW so there would have to be a huge draw to pull me away. 

For Mother's Day my girls took me for a pedicure and then we ate crepes, drank coffee and walked around looking in shops. It was a nice few hours with them. Even though they live close, they have pretty active and busy lives and I don't get to spend time with the two of them together that often. 

This weekend the grandkids are visiting. They slept over Friday night and will be here til Saturday afternoon. Their mom and dad are attending a conference at their church and since they were going to be at our house both days I said they should just stay the night. 

Next month I head to Ohio to visit my aunts and uncles. I'm looking forward to it. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin