Sweetness & Surprises

 

Thank you for all your sweet comments and notes addressing my new promotion to Grandmother.  I am planning a post in the near future sharing my new name and what I am looking forward to the most when our new little granddaughter arrives.

Today, I am back in the Hodgepodge seat.  My friend, Joyce, from From This Side of the Pond, writes the creative questions, and bloggers answer them.  Stop over to Joyce's blog to read other blogger's answers.

Pink or Blue?

 

You may have noticed that I was a bit vague when reporting details about my family in My Summer In the Rearview post.  There was a reason for it.

 This beautiful couple is expecting a bundle of joy in March!

Summertime Reading

 

First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to comment on my first post back from my sabbatical.  Your sweet words concerning Chowdah's passing really warmed my heart. I also loved the parts where you said you missed me. 

My Summer in the Rearview

 

I hope that you had a great Summer.  I am happy to report that all is well in our Emptynesterworld.  All my family members are happy and healthy; that is the only thing I ask for.  

The weather guy reported that a lot of the country experienced Texas temps for a lot of the Summer.  For that, you have my condolences.  While some people are bidding adieu to their porch/patio season, we will finally be able to enjoy ours.

We had a fairly quiet Summer.  We adjusted our routine around the weather.  Early walks at dawn and never-too-early indoor happy hours. 

The Friday Files

I hope all is well in your world.  Today is my last day of publishing a blog post until September.  This will be the Summer of piddling and purging.  I've got a few items on my to-do list for the next few months.

Sit back and allow me to bore you to tears.

My New Favorite Thing

I hope that you had a good weekend.  The Mister and I attended a beautiful black-tie wedding at the Fort Worth Zoo, and it was positively magical.

We were greeted by the giraffes.  As we sipped on Prosecco and said hello to the guests and the wedding party, our four-long-legged friends were not shy about poking their heads in to take in a bit of conversation.

The Friday Files

Did you have a good week?   I had a delightful lunch with a dear friend that lives in the 'hood.  We hadn't seen each other for months, so we had a lot of fun catching up.

My Summer Reading List

Did you have a good weekend? I hope that all of the mothers out there were spoiled rotten.

My weekend did not turn out as I had expected.  Saturday, I was supposed to have a mother/daughter day with my #2.  She made reservations at the spa and lunch at one of my favorite restaurants.

The Bingham Estate Tour

 

I hope that you had a good week. I  am so excited about today's post. Months ago, I came a cross across @binghamestate on Instagram.  I had a birds-eye view of a renovation in progress of an antique house.  It was a little while later that I discovered that this beautiful transformation was happening ten minutes away!  I Dm'd Erika, and she invited me to see it in person. I asked if the Mister, our company's consecutive Employee of the Month, could accompany me because nobody loves old houses like him.  

My Favorite Reader, Anne

 

Hello, dear friends.  How was your weekend?  Ours was a busy one.  I met one of my favorite Bookstagrammers, Jude, from heyjudereads, for lunch on Friday.  I always enjoy seeing Jude and chatting it up with her about books.  Btw, I featured Jude in this series here.

On Saturday, we met our favorite parents-in-law, AJ's parents, for lunch at Davio's.  There is seldom a pause when we get together.  The men love to talk about everything from cars to wiring.  Meanwhile, Mrs. A and I kept busy chatting about what has kept us entertained lately.

On Sunday, we met #1, Adorable Jonathon, and #2 for lunch, which is always a guaranteed good time.

The Friday Files

I hope that you had a good week.  The Mister was out of town, so things were a bit more relaxed around here.  Millie and I enjoyed a jammie day, dishes were not immediately tossed into the dishwasher, and the bed went unmade just in case we decided to take a nap.

Mother's Day Gift Guide/Take 2

 

Sorry, I am posting this later than usual, but I just arrived home from the Met Ball.  My formalwear was on the hot and scratchy side, but I think I made a statement.  Although I did hear a few catty comments.  Not to worry, I didn't wear it all night. 

Mothers Day Gift Guide - Take 1

 

I hope you had a good week.  Ours was a rather soggy one.  Lots of rain but it didn't bother us because we just planted flowers.  My pickleball clinic was canceled, so I had some extra time to work on some posts.

I celebrated a birthday this week.  I am not going to tell you which one.  But I will tell you that I share my day with one of my faves, Carol Burnett.  I will also tell you that the Mister hit it out of the ballpark with his gift this year.  But you have to read through this post before I tell you what it is.

No cheaters!

There will be a test at the end.

This is the first installment of my Mother's Day Gift Guide,  otherwise known as stuff I like or wish I had.  Another post is headed your way next week.

Faherty & Me

 

 How is your week going?  All is well here.  Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons in Texas.  Cool nights and warm days make this Mama very happy.

Do you know what else makes me happy?  Faherty!  One of my favorite clothing lines has asked me to partner with them.  I have a few items in my closet with the Faherty label on them.  They are classic pieces that have stood the test of time.

And now, the best part of all...

 

Use code PREPPY20 for 20% off your Faherty purchase!

The Friday Files

 

How was your week?  All is well here.  This was beauty week for me - I got my roots and nails done, so all is well in my part of the world.  

I attended my weekly pickleball clinic.  We have about ten women - 7 barely middle-aged such as myself, and three high schoolers.  Ok, I take that back. The high schoolers are actually women in their late 20's.  It's not their fault that they're young and pretty. 

Designer of the Day

 

I hope this post finds you well.  We have been blessed with some gorgeous Spring weather lately.  I wish it was like this all year round.

Friday, we headed to Dallas to bring Chowdah back to our #2.  We then went to Northpark for some shopping and lunch.

The Friday Files

 

Did you have a good week?  I had a busy one, so it seemed to fly by.  On Tuesday, I had a catch-up lunch with some old friends, which is always fun.  The weather was gorgeous all week, so we sat on the restaurant's patio.

That's Entertainment!

 

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend.  We lucked out with the weather and spent a good deal of time on the patio.

On Saturday, the Mister and I went to see a movie.  He wanted to see some unknown film called Air with a cast of unknown names. 

Happy Easter!

 

I have heard from several of you this week asking me about my traditional Bunny Tale post.  Your wish is my command.  You can find it here. Whether you are celebrating Passover or Easter, I hope that you have a delightful day!   

The Friday Files

 

How was your week?  Mine was pretty good.  The one exception was showing up a day early for my hair appointment.  I have two calendars - one on paper and one on my phone, and I still screwed it up.  I played it cool, though, and told her my personal assistant was still in training.

As attentive as Miss Millie is, she really needs to be more detail-oriented.