Thursday, July 30, 2020

They Are Beautiful And Majestic, But They Are Also Dangerous

 


The house that we bought in February has 2 backyards. One small. One large. Both are fenced in. Separated by a gate. Shortly before moving in, Lisa and I both decided that the big backyard was off limits to our kids. We had our reasons. 

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

We Are Raising Our Glasses To 8 Years Today

 


On this day 8 years ago, I stood face to face with my best friend. Surrounded by family and friends. And I said, "I do." I wouldn't change a thing. 

Sunday, July 26, 2020

We Are Counting Down The Days Until Our Staycation


Lisa is taking a staycation the week of her birthday. For the first time in many years, this staycation is not a result of anything. We are not pet sitting, house sitting, assisting with household projects, painting our entire home, unpacking, etc. We are both quite excited about this. 

Saturday, July 25, 2020

I Am Not Sure If Our Elders Would Agree, But...


One of my favorite memories when growing up was spending time with my Grandpa in his 2 huge gardens. He loved gardening and he tended to his gardens every single day. When we visited, he and I would spend most of the afternoon in the gardens watering, weeding, harvesting, and...

Friday, July 24, 2020

I'm About Ready To Do A Rain Dance...


I published a blog column the other day about the view from my Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Workshop table. The table is right up against the window. On the other side of the window is a huge, gorgeous butterfly bush. It's a busy bush with butterflies, hummingbirds, bumblebees, and hummingbird moths. However, as of late, the butterfly bush is a sad reminder that we are in desperate need of rain. 

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Our Farmer's Market Date Ended On A Delicious Note


For the first time in 7 years, we've had to purchase all of our seasonal produce at Farmer's Markets. In the past, our neighborhood friends provided us with freshly picked fruits and vegetables throughout the Summer and early Fall. We had our own little Neighborhood Farmer's Market. Our refrigerator was always stocked with fresh produce. In exchange, I baked and cooked using the seasonal produce and shared it.

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

When You Eat Homemade Meals Every Single Day, Dining Out Isn't As Appealing...



Many, many moons ago when I was working for large media companies and had clients on the side, I was putting in close to 100 hours a week. During that time, Lisa and I ordered takeout 3-4 times a week. I remember eating dinner in the home office. I sat at my desk. Lisa sat at hers. Lisa's work lunches consisted of leftovers or deli meat sandwiches and prepackaged snacks. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that, but we don't adhere to that lifestyle any longer.

Monday, July 20, 2020

The View From My Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Workshop Table Does Not Suck


During the few days between closing on our new house and moving in back in February, we decided where the Bodacious DIY Dog Mom Workshop would be. The far end of the house. On the left. Early on, I realized the lighting in that room isn't the greatest, but that was a quick fix. A few months later, I realized something else.

Sunday, July 19, 2020

We Got Excited Over 3 Broken Ceiling Fans


We struck gold today and it was quite the surprise. Ceiling fans that don't work. We couldn't be more excited. And, you're probably wondering why we're so excited about this, right?

Saturday, July 18, 2020

This Is What Happens Now...


As of late, our schedule has been out of whack. Lisa got a promotion at work last month. Her hours changed a bit and on occasion, they fluctuate. We're all getting used to it, but we're making it work. Taking it day by day. Week by week. So far, so good.

Friday, July 17, 2020

A Few Bits O' Wisdom For The Online Shopper Newbies


Yesterday I promised that I would share some of my online shopping wisdom and why. I've been shopping online for over 10 years. For most of those years, I worked for online shopping companies. Now, more than ever, people are gravitating toward online shopping because of COVID-19 and new mandatory 'No Mask, No Service' policies that major retailers are adhering to.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

It's Probably Time To Flirt With Online Shopping If You Haven't Already


I've seen quite a few posts on my social media streams from people who are completely frustrated with in-store shopping. Their frustrations range from having to distance themselves 6 feet and wearing masks to not being able to smell candles and try body spray samples. And, it's only going to get worse with recent announcements from large retail locations.

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Lobo Was Not Impressed


When we purchased new equipment for our home office, I was tempted to opt for a desktop instead of a laptop. However, at the last minute, I chose the laptop because I didn't want to be confined to the home office. Even though I do a lot of online work in the home office, I have the versatility of working at the dining room table or on the sofa.

Monday, July 13, 2020

And The Most Commonly Asked Question Is...


To this day, I still get emails and messages with questions about the homemade dog treat recipes we have created and shared. The most commonly asked question is, "Do the homemade dog treats freeze well?"

Sunday, July 12, 2020

I Posted This Photo Last Year For The Last Time. But I Didn't Know It Back Then.


When this photo popped up in my Facebook memories, it tugged at my heartstrings. I post this photo on my Facebook wall every year to commemorate the day we moved into our previous home on July 12th, 2012. I would have posted it today, but in February we bought a house. 

Saturday, July 11, 2020

We Had To Improvise This Year For Sweet Mama's Birthday


Let me introduce Sweet Mama. Her 86th birthday was yesterday. She is the Mom of a dear friend of ours...a lady from our old neighborhood. For the past couple of years, Lisa and I have kidnapped Sweet Mama for the day around her birthday. We take her to the Christmas Tree Shop and then out to lunch at her favorite restaurant. Olive Garden.

Friday, July 10, 2020

I No Longer Make Dozens Of Cupcakes Or Gallons Of Spaghetti Sauce


Lisa was chatting with an old neighbor friend of ours the other day. He mentioned that he misses my cooking and baking. I'm not putting myself on a pedestal when I say this, but if you were to ask any of our old neighbor friends what they miss about us living there, one of the things they'd mention are the goodies we always shared especially during the Summer months.

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

I'm Glad We Decided To Wait...


After touring houses for sale in early January, we found the perfect house for our family. We made an offer. The sellers accepted. The following week, I started packing. We had a tentative closing date. Our original plan was to remain in our old home until the end of March. We wanted to take the time between closing and moving to clean and paint. However, we changed our minds for a few reasons. For all of those reasons, we're both glad we did.

Monday, July 6, 2020

We Miss Our Little Neighborhood Farmer's Market


I posted this photo back in 2018. One of our neighbor friends had just delivered this bounty from his garden. During the Summer months, he gave us freshly picked fruits and vegetables at least once a week. He had been doing that since July of 2012. As time went on, another neighbor friend of ours gave us fresh produce along with jarred pickles and relishes.

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Our First 4th Of July In Our New House Was Rather Fabulous


Our 3 day 4th of July weekend is wrapped up. We hunkered down. Grocery shopping and errands were done before Friday. We tackled small projects inside and outside. It was fantastic. We fired up the grill Friday, Saturday, and this evening for dinner. A friend of ours, who lives down the street, joined us for dinner and drinks Friday and Saturday.

Friday, July 3, 2020

From Our Home To Yours, Happy 4th Of July Weekend


It's the official start of our 3 day 4th of July weekend. We are hunkered down for the duration. You can read about that here. Lisa went grocery shopping the other day and ran our last errand yesterday. We are going to fire up the grill all weekend for dinner, sip a few adult beverages, and enjoy our time at home with our kids.

Thursday, July 2, 2020

I Made The Right Decision. No Looking Back.


It has been almost 2 1/2 years since I retired from being an Academic and Independent Living Tutor Instructor. My reasons for retiring were under lock and key. When I made the decision to retire, my reasons were vague. They will continue to be vague because I do not call anyone out personally and I respect confidentiality. I also vowed to not talk about it again. However. I'm going to loosen up on a couple of those restrictions.

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

A Little Midweek Refreshment


Our next door neighbors have a granddaughter who is celebrating her 5th birthday today. She has taken a liking to us and our furry kids. When she sees either one of us outside, she asks when we're going to bring our "doggies" out so she can see them.