Potato Weekend

What; you may ask, is a potato weekend? Well a potato weekend is when you spend your weekend acting like a potato... not doing very much. Akin to; I guess, being like a couch potato. But you can do your potato-ing wherever you please...however you please. 

I suppose I did a little of potato-ing on Friday night: I had pizza for dinner and after a bubble bath and some reading, I curled up on the couch and started the show Palm Royale on Apple TV - which is hilarious and delightful! When I was a youngster - I would have probably stayed up to watch multiple episodes, but I am veering dangerously close to 39 and holding - - - so I went to bed around 10 PM. My husband was out of town for a work trip, so for the first time in a hot minute I slept in the very center of the bed but I didn't relish it quite as much as I thought I would. *sigh*

Saturday was a beyond stunning day - weather wise - brilliant blue skies, fluffy white clouds and everywhere you turn, Spring is absolutely bursting into life! Flowers were in bloom and I spent the earlier part of the day being shown around Page County, Virginia by my dear friend Jayne! Page County is where Ryan and I were married in November of 2022 and is absolutely; to me at least, akin to heaven on Earth! It's situated in the valley between two mountain ranges, so everywhere you look - the views are of stunning mountain peaks and I am a sucker for mountain views!  

We did a little boutique shopping and goodness y'all - we went to the cutest place in Elkton, VA called With My Soul Boutique! The boutique is named for the wonderful Christian hymn "It is Well with My Soul" and it is filled with the most gorgeous clothes, at really excellent prices - I couldn't get over all the adorable things they had! Even more than that - I couldn't get over the prayer wall they had! I filled out a prayer request and hung it on the wall; when they host Bible studies in their space, they pray over the prayer wall! Y'all - that is incredible! Yes and amen! 

I just couldn't get over how gorgeous the countryside was - hence all the pictures, ha-ha! I snapped them constantly from Jayne's car! I cannot believe that we live in a world that is just so stunningly gorgeous! I think we are often distracted from the beauty of the world by all the crazy going on - and that's part of the reason why I love living in a small town (that's just close enough to the big city) - it's much more peaceful and you can see the stars at night!

We had a delicious lunch at Gathering Grounds and then Jayne dropped me back at my house around 2:30... and the rest of the afternoon unfolded like some kind of slapstick comedy! I realized very quickly that I had managed to lock myself out of the house... and after multiple YouTube videos and instructions from my husband and my parents - I began attempting to break into my own house. Shockingly - it didn't go so well. *insert laughter here*

My amazing friend Meridith showed up around 3:30 - expecting to sit inside and do Bible study, but instead, she joined the B&E Crew & we were still.... unsuccessful! Finally, a nice neighbor came along and used his considerable building skills to determine that 1) we would have never gotten in with the credit card method and 2) he was going to have to full on bust the lock off the door! We finally got into the house around 4:45, spent a little more time together and then I passed the rest of my evening watching Palm Royale and relaxing... you know, being a potato! 

I couldn't resist sharing the cute finds from my shopping on Saturday - this didn't all come from With My Soul Boutique! I got the jeans and tees from the Coffee Shop Boutique and I got the blue dress from the Virginia Gift Shop in Luray! I want to go back to all three places in the future! 

I barricaded the garage door shut on Saturday night - slept like a log and woke up on Sunday to another gorgeous Spring day! It was absolutely sun roof weather, so after a lazy morning drinking coffee, I got ready for church and took the Lexus - letting the delightful Spring breezes ruffle my hair as I cruised towards the church! Seriously - not a cloud in the sky! However, I can tell that not wearing my retainers has definitely caused my front teeth to shift - oops! 

The church celebrated twenty years of service from our Pastors - it is such a blessing to be a member of Abundant Life Church and I can't wait to see what the future holds for the church. After a quick stop at the store, I headed back home where I spent a LOT of time sitting on the deck: I sat on the deck to eat lunch, I sat on the deck to read, and I sat on the deck to paint my toenails. The weather was so completely stunning and so I had to take advantage of the gorgeous day while I had it! 

 After an early dinner and a lovely bubble bath - I watched the Disney animated movie Wish - and I don't understand why it did so poorly at the movies! It was such a cute little film and I loved all the winks and Easter Eggs for other Disney movies! It was a great potato weekend and I learned that I won't be quitting my day job to take on a life of crime anytime soon, ha-ha! 

Have you ever had a Potato Weekend?

April - Lately

Well - here we are on a rainy Thursday in April - it has been a very rainy April so far, so I am expecting the April showers to cause the world to burst forth with an overabundance of May flowers! I know; that's probably not how that works, but a girl can dream! I do feel like the rain has been a little excessive so far this April... we are eleven days in and we've had rain seven of the eleven days!

Last Friday - the first day in April (the 5th) that didn't start with rain; I joined my co-workers in placing pinwheels across the front lawn of the DSS office, acknowledging that April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. The pinwheel is meant to symbolize the carefree childhood that sweet kiddos are meant to experience - the thought that so many kids don't experience that really tugs at my heart. The prolific rainfall made the ground nice and soft, the the pinwheels were easy to plant... and then shortly after noon - they were "watered" when the rain showed up for the fifth day in a row. *face palm*

Saturday I spent a large chunk of the day at Brookside Church for their annual women's conference - which is always a wonderful time! My sweet friend Meridith (who I didn't get a picture with) attends Brookside, as do some of my Mom's sweet friends (who I did get pictures with). They had a gorgeous breakfast spread and of course, all the coffee a woman could drink! 

The speaker was great and she spoke on prayer, which I really enjoyed. My luck at the women's conference continued and I won one of the five gift baskets - my basket was watermelon themed and filled with so many wonderful goodies, including lip balm, hand towels, a watermelon knife and so much more! We had a pretty chill Saturday evening; Ryan cooked dinner and we watched another Pixar movie: Friday night we watched Inside Out and Saturday night we watched Onward. I don't know that Ryan really enjoyed either... ha-ha!

Sunday was - an interesting day - we shall leave it at that. It's a story for another time, perhaps that's a good way to put it! Monday was the much anticipated solar eclipse and thankfully, some co-workers had procured eclipse glasses, so we were both able to see the eclipse! It reached 90.2% totality here in our area, so it was quite interesting to see witness! I was driving for a portion of it - but still managed to get a couple pictures! 

I can't believe that we have already made it to Thursday - this week (and so far this month) seems to speeding along! The rain has indeed caused many things to become very green and in bloom; the trees outside my office are coming alive and I couldn't resist snapping a picture of them earlier today as I walked into the office. Soon all the trees will be green and glorious! 

I leave you now with - a little Jesus. Ryan was given this little guy at his recent trip to the barber and he said his barber (who is an excellent speaker in his own right too) told him to take one, because we all need "a little Jesus". So true! So true! However, I think I may end up having too much fun with my little Jesus and moving him all over my office. Y'all have a wonderful rest of the week!

March Book Review

I am getting better at this all the time - the March book review and I am posting it when it's only barely April! Wonders never cease! I also cannot believe I am still reading so many books each month! I'm on a streak - look at that! 

All but My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein: Gerda's serene & idyllic childhood is shattered when Nazis march into Poland on September 3, 1939. Although the Weissmanns were permitted to live for a while in the basement of their home, they were eventually separated & sent to German labor camps. Over the next few years Gerda experienced the slow, inexorable stripping away of "all but her life." By the end of the war she had lost her parents, brother, home, possessions, and community; even the dear friends she made in the labor camps, with whom she had shared so many hardships, were dead. 

Despite her horrifying experiences, Klein conveys great strength of spirit & faith in humanity. In the darkness of the camps, Gerda & her young friends manage to create a community of friendship & love. Although stripped of the essence of life, they were able to survive the barbarity of their captors. Gerda's beautifully written story gives an invaluable message to everyone. It introduces them to last century's terrible history of devastation & prejudice, yet offers them hope that the effects of hatred can be overcome. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five. I thought this was a really unique look at World War II; Gerda spent much of her time in forced labor camps and was then marched through Germany on what was essentially a death march - so this was a much different view of the war. Most books I have read are from those who survived concentration camps, so this was a stark and horrifying look at life in work camps and especially the horrible march that took so many lives.

The Sister Wife by Diane Noble: Set in the heart of the earliest days of a new nineteenth-century sect known as the Saints, The Sister Wife is a riveting account of two women forced into a practice they don't understand, bound by their devotion to Prophet Joseph Smith. When Mary Rose marries Gabriel, neither of them could foresee how quickly the community would turn to the practice of plural marriage. 

Devastated when Gabe is faced with an order from the Prophet to marry her best friend, Bronwyn, Mary Rose tries to have faith to carry through with the marriage. But can she really be married to the same man as her very best friend? Can Mary Rose & Bronwyn face betraying both their husband & their God to do what they feel is right?

Rating: ⭐⭐of five. This was the March book for my book club and honestly; I really didn't enjoy it. The relationship between the two main characters seemed rushed and so therefore everything following it seemed forced. It just wasn't for me - and that's okay. 

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez: Dr. Briana Ortiz's life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother's running out of time to find a new kidney donor, & that promotion she wants? Oh, that's probably going to the new man-doctor who's already registering eighty-friggin'-seven on Briana's "pain in my ass" scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game...by sending Briana a letter.

And it's a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn't actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny & subversively likeable guy who's terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he & Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her "sob closet" & discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable - a kidney for her brother - she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor... especially when he calls in a favor she can't refuse.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ of five. This book was chosen as Book of the Month's annual "Book of the Year" and so as a BOTM Best Friend, I received a copy for free! And I can see why this book won because it is a lovely, heart-warming and funny romantic comedy that unfolds in the pages of a book as opposed to on the screen. The characters are loveable and also very relatable and the story unfolds with hilarity. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a light and lovely read! 

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle Jensen: Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband's back. Freya's dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region's jarl, landing her in a fight to the death with his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddesses' blood , which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden's fate. 

Believing he's destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath & orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight & learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming & fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five. This book was unique and I enjoyed reading it; it very much was like reading an episode of the TV show Vikings - if that makes sense? The book had romance, mystery, some terror and magic, and quite a lot of fighting because... well, they're Vikings! This is the first in a series and I could definitely see myself picking up the next one to see how Freya's story continues to unfold, especially since it ended on a cliffhanger!

Crescent City: House of Earth & Blood by Sarah J. Maas: Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life - working hard all day and partying all night - until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. 

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose - to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wrecking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. 

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold ear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion - one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five: Goodness but this book was LONG! At just over eight hundred pages, it took me the back half of the month to get it read! It started a little slow for me, but really ramped up and I devoured the back half of it... and I am already started on the second in the series! 

*****************************************************

So far this year I have read seventeen books - and around 7,000+ pages! I'm seven books ahead of schedule for my 2024 reading goal and not slowing down yet! I'll see you back here after April to share the books I read during all the April showers!

Easter Weekend

Well friends - we are in April! I cannot believe the second quarter of this year is already on it's way! Usually I find that January through March seem like a long, slow slog... but I feel like I have blinked and here we are in April! 

We spent our final weekend in March doing spending plenty of time outside; the weather was gorgeous and almost spring-like (finally). Friday night after a dinner at the Front Royal Moose Lodge; where we kept one another cracking up, we did a grocery run at Wal-Mart and my sweet husband persuaded me to get a book... and also snuck some flowers into the cart. *swoon*

Saturday was a day spent running all over the place, all day long - seriously! It was a wonderful day but it was a hectic day, goodness! We went to look at a house around 10 AM (it was lovely - but not for us) and then home again... then I met my sweet friend Meridith for a late lunch and some time catching up... and then Ryan and I headed to our church to volunteer for the Saturday afternoon Easter service.

We were put in charge of the iced coffee bar, making Vanilla Chickachinos and Cottontail Caramel Delights - someone else came up with those clever names! We helped get things ready for the Sunday services and then headed home to have a pizza and watch the move Tombstone - it was my first watch.

Sunday morning was Easter Sunday - what a blessing to serve a risen Savior who thought that I was worth saving; hallelujah! We had our perfect Easter outfits picked out and I think we clean up quite well, if I do say so myself! We had to include Ryan's new Lexus in the pictures; we were blessed to be able to pick him up a new vehicle last week and he has been in heaven cruising around in that car! 

Our church service was beautiful and powerful - we are blessed with our church and church family and thoroughly enjoyed our worship time. Since the weather was so lovely on Sunday, after a quick peek at a house in WV - we headed home, changed clothes, packed picnic lunches and headed to the Virginia State Arboretum. Everything has really started to burst into bloom in the last week and it was absolutely stunning everywhere we looked! 

As you can see - Ryan brought his favorite Easter treat with him to the Arboretum for his snack!

The flowers were in bloom everywhere - so please enjoy all the pictures I (we) took as we wandered all over the Arboretum. It was such a gorgeous afternoon!

We finished our time at the Arboretum by spreading out a blanket and some chairs, pulling out some books and doing a little reading. The bees were humming in the tree above us and it was almost enough to lull you to sleep, ha-ha! Around 4:00 it started to look like some rain was going to roll into the area, so we packed it in and headed home - I finished a book, Ryan ran a quick errand and then we whipped up our Easter feast for dinner! 

We had brown sugar baked ham, scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole for our feast - and it was all delicious! After dinner, we ate some Easter candy, just relaxed and headed to bed pretty early, as we always do! It was a lovely weekend!