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: The weather has mostly remained beautiful and warm, with a few unpleasant hot days thrown in! I'm currently (as of Friday night) in Seabrook, Washington which is on the Washington coast and the weather here has been chilly, cloudy, foggy and misty. The temps have been in the low 60's. At home, it's been really hot! Such a difference, although next week is showing the 70's at home.

You can sense fall is on the way. It's cooler in the mornings and evenings and there's just a different "feel" about the mornings and nights. I am sad that the days are just getting shorter and shorter. It might be time to start lighting candles and creating ambience. 

What we're thinking about: We are not meant to carry all the weight of the world and what is going on in and around it on our shoulders. I often think, "no wonder so many are anxious, depressed, and angry". I don't believe we were meant to take up every cause, immerse ourselves so deeply in all of the world events, all of the events and tragedies. I also do not believe we should believe everything we see, hear and read. We cannot hold it all. We weren't meant to. I don't think that means seeing things through rose colored glasses, but that we focus on our immediate sphere of influence first, and then maybe we choose one or two other things that are important to us and see what we can do in that area. If we don't have the capacity for that, that is fine too. We can educate ourselves, pray, encourage, etc. Perhaps I'm wrong, but my health, and the health of those around me is too important. I also believe that my ranting about something changes nothing. From my friends who are super conservative to those who are super liberal, so many of their posts accomplish nothing in me except leave a bitter taste.

A dear friend recently shared that the doctors found a tumor on her colon. I can find ways to encourage her, help her, build her up...this is an area I can make an impact and a difference. This is how I want to spend my time.

What we're thankful for: I'm so thankful for the opportunity to come and spend time with our grandkids while my daughter and son in law do a retreat each September for a leadership school they run. I'm definitely tired, and I got a ton of steps, but I love it, and wouldn't trade these opportunities. 

Around the house: Absolutely nothing new. I will probably pull my fall decor down soon and decorate early. We are going on a vacation at the end of the month so I'll either decorate before I leave or bring the stuff down for my girls to decorate while I'm gone. 

My husband sent me a video of a family of deer in the yard the other night. I feel like they just keep multiplying. As long as they stay away from my flowers, it's fine. Here's the video. 

For the love of food:  I've been gone for most of the week so I haven't really made anything. Once I get home I'll need to make a grocery list and menu for next week. On the 10th, our next BKD bookclub posts for September. I still don't know what I'm making or what cookbook I'm using. I reserved a few books at the library that I felt could fit the theme I was looking for but only one has come in so far. I will probably go through some of the cookbooks I have at home as well. 

I did make some homemade pasta a few weeks ago. I might have already shared this. If I did, sorry! 

For my hubby's birthday I made a peach, blueberry cobbler. It turned out really good!

I do have some blackberries in the freezer that I've been meaning to make blackberry scones with. I'll do that this weekend. 

What we're reading: I have several books I really need to get busy reading. Two are for my bookclubs. My in person book club is reading Sociopath by Patric Gagne. I have a feeling I'll be gone when we meet but I really need to read it. For my pass along book club, I'm reading The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza. I have to get busy on that one since I'll have to mail it off to the next person before I leave for vacation. It's a longer one. I should prioritize those. While in Seabrook I visited the bookstore. I love trying to support local businesses especially when those businesses rely heavily on tourist dollars to stay afloat. I purchased a book and a book journal that I think will be fun. 

What we're watching or listening to: I'm listening to the audiobook Love Does by Bob Goff. It's pretty good. I have a few podcast episodes I need to catch up on. I haven't watched anything on TV.

Favorite quote: From Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander. I think this is so true. 

"..but that's the way gift of memories, isn't it? We filter out what we don't need to carry with us, letting time and distance cleanse the rest." She adjusted teh space between biscuits. "They aren't necessarily a true reflection of the past".

Favorite photo(s):

 Thursday morning above, Friday morning below. You never know what a day will hold on the coast. Both were about the same time. 

The last few years the kids have decorated things to leave on the gnome trail in Seabrook. Above and below are this years contributions.

I am partial to the terrain of the Oregon coast, but this area has it's beauty as well.

Cool wall on one of the homes the group stayed in. 

The homes in the community are so charming. This was the carriage house in one of the places we stayed, it has someone who lives there year round, but I had to take a photo of the front yard. It is so cute. Reminds me of an english cottage garden.

Random or not so random things: 

I didn't get around to posting last weekend. Things were just too busy. The previous Monday we had a wedding at a really cool vintage venue. After the wedding I drove my daughter and three of her friends 2 1/2 hours to Seattle because they were flying out on Tuesday for Europe. I slept on the hotel couch (which was a mistake because I ended up with a kink in my neck). I drove home Tuesday morning early so I could watch the grandkids. The kink in my neck only got worse which wasn't fun working with but Friday I finally made it to the chiropractor and felt much better. 

I'm getting around to posting this week because once the grandkids are in bed, I come back to the carriage house I'm staying in and have a few hours to myself before bed and when I wake up in the mornings. No other responsibilities, so I had some time to get a post started. 

The wedding venue was on a farm called The Funny Farm. The grounds were beautiful with vintage decor. I didn't get a photo of where the ceremony was. I should have taken one off my hubby's phone. You took a path through the woods. It was so charming. 

Last Saturday, my hubby and oldest daughter and I went on a hike up Hamilton Mountain on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. It was beautiful and thankfully not as hard as the one we did the week before. 

The views are stunning! 

Sunday was my hubby's birthday and we had company over...there just wasn't time to post. 

I spent Labor Day and Tuesday getting ready for the trip, prepping hubby's lunches and a few meal options for him. He went on a solo hike. 

I mentioned I was in Seabrook this week. It's a great time away with the grandkids and I love this community. We explored, and they rode their bikes all over. Pepper can ride great without training wheels (she's 4) and that made things so easy. Time was spent riding bikes, going on trails, browsing shops and just enjoying some one on one time with grandkids. I always print some scavenger hunt papers and bring a few other fun things for them to do. Usually my hubby and I both go, but he couldn't get work off so I just went. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin