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:

It's been a few weeks since I've posted. Life lately has been very full. Full with good things, like grandkids living here and wanting to spend all their time with us. I'm soaking in this season and know that in a handful of months we'll get back to a normal routine. But for now, I let the days come as they do and have decided I'll blog when I can and won't get FOMO when I don't. I've missed some link parties, and sadly haven't participated in #sundaystills for several weeks, though the other day I thought "Kirstin, you can simply share one photo. It doesn't have to be a lot, you can even combine it with your Weekend Coffee Share". So, maybe I'll do that. 

But let's see if I can get this weekends up in time. I'm currently at home alone (until the grandkids run across the yard to see me), and I may be able to squeeze it out! 

The weather: Oh Lordy! We are seeing temps in the low 100's. It started yesterday and will last today but then stay in the 90's for the next 3 days before dropping to the 80's. Yikes. We don't like those temps here in our neck of the PNW. Thank the Lord for AC. It always makes me nervous because it makes the risk of wildfires so much higher, in fact there were two brush fires Thursday nearby. Thankfully they got them contained but one had people on alert to evacuate and we could smell the smoke at work. 

What we're thinking about: I was thinking yesterday and today about how easily we can become jaded to humanity. I saw a post about a prominent figure passing away, and in this particular post, the comments were terrible, for the most part celebrating the death of this person. They were so consumed with hatred for how this person "affected" their lives that they forgot that he was a human being, he was someones husband, father, grandfather, friend and they are grieving a loss. Even the worst of humanity (not that this person was, though the commenters sure thought so), has belonged to someone, and someones heart has grieved over them. It made me think of how I treat people, about how much power I give people over my life, past and present...how much do I choose to hang on to past hurts, etc. Is there a time we stop letting things define us and just keep living our lives the best we can and know how. 

What we're thankful for: The time we have with our oldest daughters family here on our property. I love that the grandkids run over most mornings, usually in their undies, excited to see us. I love that they always want to play games with me, or help with something. If you have kids/grandkids or even just adults who somewhat like sports, you need to get this Dude Perfect board game. My grandkids ask to play it daily. 

We did an experiment making bouncy balls.

Around the house: Well, garage plans are still in the working. We've had to move how it will sit a bit and still tossing around if we can make an apartment above it work. I think it will just be a finished open space and we'll use it for a game room, or whatever for now. Not sure if it can someday be turned into an apartment or not. 

The flowers have still survived the deer...it's a good thing they're cute. I do think they've nibble a few other things but not completely destroyed them. I've gotten lots of tomatoes, which reminds me I need to go water everything and pick some ripe ones. I've also gotten some blackberries from some vines that are growing into my cedar trees. I'm thinking of making scones. 

For the love of food: Since it's been two weeks and life has been busy, I can't remember what I've made...haha. 

For Jo Tracey's BKD Bookclub, I did make some Lavender Shortbread Cookies, that were really good. You can find that post here. If you love to cook, consider joining us once a month. Find more info here. Each month we have a theme and we find a cookbook to review and share. It could be the same one (maybe ideally) but because Jo and a few others live down under, it's not always easy to find the same one. 

I did make tostadas one night and haven't made them in awhile.. they're so good, but so messy! I always pile on way too much. I had cooked some chicken in a crockpot with salsa and black beans, then shredded it to have on top of the tostadas. 

Friday night I did some simple roasted veggies, steak strips and quinoa...I'll do that again..came together rather quickly...I think it needed some type of light sauce but it was really good. 

I also made some blueberry banana muffins that turned out really good. I've had so many blueberries from my bushes, I need to use them more often. 

I bought a Lodge brand 1.5 qt dutch oven from a friend who was selling it and I'm going to try and make some sourdough bread in it to see how it works. I have a regular dutch oven that I typically use but I had broken the lid. I think this one will work just fine, but hey, why not try a loaf to be sure...haha. 

Saturday afternoon, my oldest daughter and I and the grandkids made homemade pasta....so good. 

What we're reading: Our last #WOYBS post is linked here. You can see what I read in July and what I was currently reading at the time I posted. Currently I'm still reading Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg. I paused this to read the ARC of A Zappy Little Christmas  by Paula Charles. For our in person book club, we're reading Sociopath by Patric Gagnee, and I had 3 books on hold at the library that all came available at once...haha. Sometime last spring I visited a little free library and found a book in the Love Inspired Suspense series called Her Duty Bound Defender by Sharee Stover. It was the second in the series. I decided to get the 1st and 3rd to read, and I think the 4th as well. They're short so hopefully I can finish them fairly quickly. The one I'm reading now is called. Baby Protection Mission by Laura Scott. I think the books all have different authors thought they are part of the same series called Mountain Country K-9 Unit. I wonder how they all keep the characters straight and the series flowing. 

What we're watching or listening to: I've watched a few episodes of Master Chef Dynamic Duos. It's been a fun watch. I haven't watched Master Chef in awhile and I really enjoy it. I have listened to several podcasts because it was taking me awhile to pick a new audiobook. I did settle on I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel, but it's only 2 hours long so need to decide on another one. I'm going through my tag list of ones I want to listen to on Libby. 

Favorite quote: From the book Supercommunicators

"Conversation is the communal air we breath.....Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation."

Favorite photo(s): Favorite photo goes to a spontaneous dinner with friends who were back on this side of the mountains for two days (they moved to Spokane two years ago). 

The sunset was pretty.

Random or not so random things: Like I said above, the past several months have been pretty full but good full. 

Last Saturday my hubby, myself and a friend of ours hiked Dog Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge. WOW. It was tough, I wanted to quit, but I'm glad I didn't. Yesterday he and the same friend did a harder hike, but I didn't think I could do it. I'm having some issues with my achilles tendons and my feet were sore too. He agreed, especially after he came back, that it would've been too hard for me. 

As we came down the mountain we actually saw two mountain goats...one a baby and one that was maybe the mama. The baby was quite a ways away from mama, and kept running in the opposite direction. I hope they reconnected. 

I love where we live!

We also rented a swimming pool again this year for family and a few friends. That was fun as well. Of course the day we rent it, the weather was overcast and cooler and it had rained for the two days prior to it. Still, I thin everyone had fun. 

A few towns over got the first In-N-Out Burger in Washington...it's in the complex by the new costco we got. I was worried about traffic issues but they've been handled well. Have I gone to it yet? Nope. Probably won't for awhile, if at all. 

We also had a few brush fires nearby but thankfully they were put out quickly. We tend to get wind through our area and that doesn't help, along with the hot weather. 

I also finished a puzzle but forgot to take a picture. Picked another one but haven't started it yet.

I hope to at some point be consistent again with posting but for now I'm taking it week by week. I'm off now to get my plants watered and head to the Columbia Sports Store with my hubby and maybe the farmers market before coming home and finishing some sourdough bread. 

With Joy Unquenchable

Kirstin