My Favorite Things This Week

It's Summer!

So I'm a bit late to the party.

Today it was hot and humid and sticky and hot.

Did I mention it was hot?

Have you got any plans for the summer?

Cousin Camp is next week! This week we are having company. My dear Sister-in-law and her kiddos are coming.

Yay! We are really excited.

Josiah has a swim meet this this and in between all that I need to catch up on some stuff.

That stuff will get you every time! I'm trying to make sure that I'm not bogged down with the weight of my "to do" list. I want to make sure I am enjoying the ride.

I've been dragging out a few of my favorite things for inspiration. I thought I would share what I'm doing this week.

I'm listening to:

Blue Bayou - Linda Ronstadt (just smooth)
Farther Along - Dolly Parton, Ronstadt, Emmy Lou Harris

You can tell I'm a Linda Ronstadt fan. When I was a senior in High School I sang her version of Desperado for a showcase we put on in Chamber Choir. Later that year, a couple of friends and I also sang a few songs from the Trio Album that Parton, Ronstadt and Harris had released a few years before that. We sang "Telling Me Lies" and "Rosewood Casket." You have to know that this is the same group of girls I went to state with singing some sort of German choral arrangement.

I discovered the Trio Album on my Amazon Prime Music page. I sang Emmy Lou's part in High School.

I'm reading:

I always do some sort of favorite author marathon in the summer. A few years ago, I read through Anne Perry's "Monk" series. Last year, I read all I could by L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables).  It doesn't matter if I have read them all before. I like repeats.

This summer I've been reading "The Cat Who..." series again by Lilian Jackson Braun. I discovered these mystery books several years ago. It involves a pair of Siamese cats and their curious owner. I don't generally like cutesy animal books, but these cats are just quirky enough to be believable. There are a lot of these books. Sadly, the author died last year (at least I think it was last year). I have found several at Thrift stories and flea markets. I found a few other day for a quarter at a Thrift Store. The check out gal was also a fan and we commiserated over the fact that we both wished they would find a final book in a vault or stuffed in a pillow case somewhere.

I'm drinking:

So you know that I love my daily cup of tea. It has been a very satisfying and peaceful ritual during my day. A few years ago, I was at a friends house and she introduced me to a kind of tea that has become my favorite. She is not a tea drinker herself, but her college-aged son is. In his vast collection of tea was the Sweet & Spicy tea by Good Earth.

Oh my goodness! I was instantly in love. The only problem is that it's not easily accessible. I can't just run down to my local grocery store to keep my stash going. I drink it like it's liquid gold (my precious).

Anyhoo. Yesterday, Josiah and I were at a discount grocery getting a few last minute cousin camp munchies and I found a box.  I am enjoying a cup at this very minute.

If you like a little zip in your doo-dah, you will love this tea.

I'm eating:

My vacation has left me a little fluffier. It's just so stinkin' hard to stick with your normal routine when you are away from home. Plus, I have been in a really long plateau again and felt just a little discouraged. It was easy to indulge. Now I'm paying for it.

There are a few staples that have become my "go to" items in my healthier pantry. Almond milk is one of them. But my absolute favorite right now is the Ezekiel Sesame Bread.  I find it in the health food section (freezer) of my local grocery store It is expensive but I am the only one who eats it. It is made from sprouted grains and doesn't spike my blood sugar. My favorite way to eat it is toasted with a scant spread of butter (real) and a little bit of sugar free preserves.

I keep it in my freezer and just toast as needed. They have other kinds of sprouted bread, but I love the crunch and taste of the sesames. Plus, Josiah is not likely to use it for peanut butter sandwiches.


I've got to get off here...Much to do!