Hello Dear Friends and Happy Monday to you! ☀️
I hope your day is off to a great start already. And that you had a wonderful weekend. I had a lot of fun! I feel like the birthday parties just keep comin. Lol I feel very loved and blessed. My Mom told me she had initially been planning a surprise party for me for this past Friday (my bday) but after hearing me complain I didn't want any big deal made of this big number...well she changed her mind and I'm so glad! 😊 So it was a nice dinner out at a favorite local pizza place with my Mom, step Dad, an Aunt, my kiddos (including my son's gf) and my brother and SIL. It was perfect. I have been celebrating over the past few weeks with other family and with friends - so I think I have ushered in 50 in the best ways a gal could ever want!! Also, on Saturday just Aaron, Annie & I went to watch a local juniors hockey team we like. Just a night out with my kiddos - doesn't get any better! ❤️
I know mid life and big numbers can really hit some people hard. I think we all face our mortality in some way during this time. And if you add in life events like, losing a loved one...it can cause a true mid-life crisis, as they say. Trying to chase youth in various ways (getting a sports car, changing careers etc). And many have affairs as I know all too well. You know someone is really suffering a crisis when they choose to destroy their family to have an affair with and date someone young enough to be their daughter. And to lose so many family and friends that loved them, let alone, to humiliate and hurt their kids because they are still at war with themselves is just a pain I can't even imagine. I empathize and pray for other families that have suffered the same kind of hurt. It's a continued road of healing here and is getting better. I am grateful that I ultimately embrace my middle age. I feel each day is a gift and I believe in God's plan for my path. All that I have been through has brought me closer to Him and to my family and friends and that has been a treasure. 🙏
I continue to feel a true calling to the hospice work I'm doing and will follow where I am lead. I also believe I'm being shaped into the person I am meant to be and finally in a healthy place to let someone into my life. I continue to date and that's going well. I'm actually having a lot of fun with freedom I never had in the past. I have even had ego boosts being asked out by a few different guys in their 30's....but I'm not about to go through someone else's mid-life crisis! Lol 😝 There is potential with one fellow (only a few years younger than I, don't worry) - but I won't share more love life things unless something becomes certain. Thank you always, friends, for sharing your wisdom, love, prayers, support, and following my journey. So grateful for you all!
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
half bagel, light cream cheese, everything but the bagel seasoning, fruit, coffee with amaretto creamer
ON MY TO DO LIST:
grocery pick up, coffee with gf's, errands, flu shot, painters here doing work, hospice work at facility and at home, Annie's conferences, work on etsy store, projects
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
the sun is shining in and there is still quite a few leaves on the trees in the backyard and they are glowing - I just love this time of year so much
CURRENTLY READING
so many books to catch up on but continue to be distracted with other things
ON THE TV TODAY:
Big Brother, Good Doctor, the Resident, Survivor, DWTS, The Masked Singer, New Amsterdam, HGTV shows, Grantchester, Ghosts, Call the Midwife, The Great British Bake Off, movies taped
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY - lemon za'atar grilling cheese with greek salad and garlic pita croutons (HF meal)
TUESDAY - burgers and corn on the cob on the grill, caesar pasta salad, chips, veggies, fruit
WEDNESDAY - one pan santa fe pork tacos with monterey jack cheese & cilantro lime slaw (HF meal)
THURSDAY - crepes w/ nutella & berries, red potatoes roasted with garlic and rosemary, fruit
FRIDAY - homestyle turkey & biscuit pot pie w/ carrots, celery & fresh thyme (HF meal)
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
coffee with gf's, walk with Ruby, bake something (maybe pumpkin cream cheese bread), book a massage w/ bday gift certificate 😉
TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:
Here's a peaceful moment with a woodwick candle and looking out at the fall leaves from my tv room. And a video out in my backyard under the rustling and falling leaves 🍁
FROM THE CAMERA:
work on a Christmas recipe scrapbook
baked zucchini chocolate chip bread up over the weekend with a Hello Fresh zucchini I didn't use in a meal kit. 😃
One of Annie's pals goes to a different school than she does and that friend had her Fall Ball at school over the weekend. Well her Mom (who's a good friend of mine) told Annie to throw on her dress and join her daughter for the Fall Ball photos they were going to take. I thought that was so sweet. Annie has a semi formal Halloween dance the end of the month and plans to wear that dress but with black shoes and jewelry and vamped up makeup. Growing up so fast! sigh
I felt pampered with gifts - my gf's sent me a huge pampering box filled with things like the blanket in the pic which is so soft and gorgeous, slippers, face mask, neck wrap all filled with lavender so you can microwave and it's warm and smells heavenly, bath salts, aromatherapy discs for the shower, and many other things - some funny relating to my age. 😉
Annie got me this crystal of roses (her Dad used to always get me red roses), and some absolutely beautiful crystal butterflies in all different colors. Perfect for springtime to put in the window and make rainbows. Aaron and his gf got me a big bag of goodies too that included some of my favorite candy 😋
some special birthday flowers ♥️
The first bundling up of the season to go to the hockey game with my kiddos - it was such a fun night! Aaron was such a sweet young man and treated Annie and I to the whole night (tickets, concessions etc) We bet on the game, though, and he won. So he got some of his $ back. Haha!
snuck a pic of my loves
I'm so glad I was born in my favorite month 🤩🍁🍄🌾
Unfiltered 50: gray hair, needing a haircut - but embracing it all 💖
PRAYER LIST:
Praying for peace, unity and healing for our world and our earth. For a complete end to the virus. For those in health care, first responders and so many professions that work to keep us healthy and safe. For family members traveling. For some relatives with health issues. For special intentions.
**I have been praying the rosary, as October is rosary month and at my parish they were requesting folks pray a rosary every day through October. They requested for vocations so I have been praying for that and also for special intentions.