What I've Been Up To

What I've been reading.

Tea With Jane Austin by Kim WIlson

Picture From Here

Unplan.ned by Abby Johnson

Picture From Here

Still reading Style, S.ex and Substance edited by Hallie Lord

Picture From Here

What I've been baking/concocting.

No Bake Coconut Cookies

 Picture From The 36th Avenue

 Throw these in the freezer and enjoy on these hot summer days.

 Summertime Bliss

My own summertime mojitoish drink (adapted from this simple recipe):

• 1/2 orange, cut into 3 wedges
• 1/2 lime or lemon, cut into 3 wedges
• about 1/4 cup blueberries
• about 1/4 cup strawberries
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 or 2 sprigs fresh mint
• 2 1/2 ounces Malib.u (or flavored ru.m of choice)
•  ice

Put the oranges, lime or lemon, blueberries and strawberries, sugar and mint in a shaker and "muddle" (or smash up) the leaves, citrus and berries by pressing them with a pestle or a wooden spoon until juicy and fragrant. Add the Malib.u and ice. Cover with a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously, or stir, until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. (In general, by the time the shaker mists up the drink is ready.) Enjoy.

What I've been making.

This picnic blanket

Picture and Tutorial from Centsational Girl

I'm kind of excited for it to be finished, not excited to be cutting, ironing and pinning. The bottom is a table cloth so it's waterproof and has ties so it can be rolled up and secured :)

What I'm listening to (Music).

Punching Bag by Josh Turner (more specifically this song)

Take a Back Road by Rodney Atkins

There are so many great songs on this CD, here's one of my favs.

Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars (love them!)

What I'm listening to (books).

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

My favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia series so far.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me [And Other Concerns] by Mindy Kaling

Hilarious, loved it!

Picture From Here

What I've been doing to enjoy the Season of Summer.

Biking

Finding new parks to frequent

Concerts on the Square

Farmer's Markets

Long Walks

Ice Cream

Sitting on my little patio block of cement with a glass of ice tea and a good book

Visiting friends and family/Road Trips

Alright, that's the "DL" on me (are people even saying DL anymore?). I hope you are all enjoying a fun kind of busy summer!

Thankful Thursday

So it's been crazy, to say the least, around here. I've had some fun in the sun, still can't believe June is halfway over. Seriously! Celebrated the life of an amazing priest who passed away last week. Been trying to schedule all the must do summer activities (baseball games, canoeing, hiking, biking, concerts on the square, road trips, etc.). I've been enjoying some fresh herbs, fruit and veggies from my little patio garden and the amazing local farmer's markets. So I suppose I'm trying to make the most of the summer, because that's what summers are for :) Alright, since it is Thursday and I do have so many things to be thankful for, here's my list.

At this moment I am thankful for...

 picture from here

(1) An amazing woman's book study group. We have a small group of 6 amazing women who are currently reading "The Authentic Catholic Woman" by Genevieve Kineke. We have had some great discussions on faith and life in general.

(2) Opportunities. Saturday I was able to go paddle boarding (which was fun to try, and I'm glad I went, but I don't think it's my thing). I am so blessed to live in a place and have the means to so many avenues, whether it be outdoor activities, concerts, speakers, art shows, the list goes on and on.

(3) Fr. Pat. This wonderful man was a priest at the parish I work at for 21 years and after he retired he continued to do at least one weekend Mass here each weekend for the past 10 years. He was an extremely intelligent and caring pastor who loved being a servant of Christ. He will be greatly missed but I am so blessed to have know him, even if it was only for a few short years.

(4) My happy little patio garden. I have a monstrous mint plant that has been put to good use lately, lovely cilantro, lettuce, basil, oregano, parsley and spinach. Fresh is always better :)

(5) Answered prayers. God is pretty great, He has a way of sending little reminders of how much we are loved and that He really is listening to us. Makes you feel loved :)

  Picture From Here

(6) Good Books. As always, I have a stack of books I've started and haven't finished. I am currently LOVING "Style, S.ex and Substance" edited by Hallie Lord. It's a pretty awesome book with chapters by various Catholic Bloggers, writers, etc. This review is awesome, read it then read the book.

(7) TV Series on DVD. So I love the fact that I don't have to wait from one week to the next, or the entire summer, for a new episode of a show I like. I don't watch a lot of TV, but I do have a few shows I love, so I am thankful that I can rent an entire season all at once. Shows I am currently loving include "Downton Abbey" (yes, it is as good as all the hype makes it out to be), "Mercy" (only lasted 22 episodes, but I still like it), "The Good Wife".

Alright, that's it for me. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday!