A Fresh Cup of Coffee

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Monthly Musings - All Things Spring

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I've skipped a couple of rounds of Monthly Musings, but I'm taking a few minutes to answer this month's questions. Hopefully I'll find time to visit everyone and get to know the blogging friends that participate! Holly at Pink Lady and Patty at Good Better Best co-host this monthly sharing of tips, tricks, and conversation starters.

1. Favorite thing about spring?

Birds and flowers and the promise of warmer weather! Spring flowers and tree blossoms make me happy, and so does seeing and hearing so many birds.

2. What are your spring traditions?

Sticking with the same answer I gave last year - our family's Stanley Cup playoff pool. Participants include my husband and myself, our kids and their significant others, our granddaughters, and my husband's sister and her husband. We all enjoy hockey, so even though our teams may not be in the hunt for the Cup, we have some fun seeing who can most accurately predict the playoff outcomes. We all follow baseball to some extent as well.

I don't know if it's a spring tradition, but it's a very busy time of year at my husband's work, so we always need to keep that in mind when making plans, and I do like paying a visit to the greenhouses this time of year especially, when it's so colorful and full of plants and flowers.

3. Favorite spring outfits?

I don't really do fashion, at least not following trends and such, so when I think of spring outfits, I'm happy when I am fine with just a light jacket - or don't need a jacket at all! - and it's warm enough to wear capris and skirts when I feel like it.

4. Favorite springtime meal?

It's time to fire up the grill and the smoker! Burgers, hot dogs, brats, kebabs, and corn on the cob are all great on the grill, and when we have the time, we like to smoke a bacon-wrapped meatloaf, a pork shoulder, or a beef brisket. I guess all of those things sound kind of like summer cookout meals, but I think we'd be happy to grill or smoke every weekend.

5. Spring rain . . . love or loathe?

Oh I love rain! As long as I don't have to drive in heavy rain, anyway! Last week I was driving home from work when we got hit with a bad hailstorm and that was horrid. But from the vantage point of a covered porch or a window with a nice view, I love rain. We used to sit out on our covered front porch and watch storms roll in, or just listen to a gentle rain.

6. Favorite spring flower?

As with most things, I have trouble picking just one favorite. Tulips and lily-of-the-valley have long been my favorites in spring, but I also love daisies, gardenias, and pansies.

7. Do you get seasonal allergies? Best remedies please?

I used to have a terrible time with sniffling and sneezing, and with itchy eyes during the spring and for a bit during the fall, but oddly enough it doesn't bother me nearly as much any more. I relied on claritin to get me through because while benadryl would stop the sneezing and sniffles, it also about knocked me cold so it wasn't safe if I was driving! Many years ago I committed to buying local raw wildflower honey and I take a spoonful almost every day pretty much year round. I rarely need to take allergy meds any more, and I honestly can't say whether I've simply "outgrown" the allergies or whether the homeopathic honey remedy has solved the problem. Or some combination. I just know that I don't have much trouble other than days with itchy eyes.

8. Favorite springtime beverage?

Sweet tea or lemonade.

9. Do you change your home decor for spring?

Not a whole lot. I have spring flowers in the house, either plants or cut flowers. Or both! And the decor I use for Easter is more generally spring-themed so I can use most of it until it's time to start with the red, white, and blue for Memorial Day.

10. Lemon meringue pie or strawberry shortcake?

Oh, both!! If I have to choose, then lemon meringue pie.

What are your favorite things about spring? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm linking up with Monthly Musings hosted by Holly at Pink Lady and Patty at Good Better Best.

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Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Wednesday Hodgepodge - In This Week's Bucket

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A hodgepodge is a jumble or assortment of things that might not appear to belong together. Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly link-up called Wednesday Hodgepodge that is a little collection of questions for bloggers to answer just for fun and to get to know each other. I always look forward to chatting with friends over coffee, so pour a cup of your favorite and let's visit for a few minutes!

Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. When did you last have cancelled plans? Were you happy about that or disappointed?

I had to look at my calendar to figure this out. We've had plenty of changed plans recently, but not actual cancellations. But a couple weeks ago, my chorus rehearsal was cancelled because of the eclipse. Many of our members were going to be traveling or doing something special to view the eclipse so they just gave us a night off. I was a little disappointed, of course, but I had to also admit that it was kind of nice to be at home that night.

2. On a scale of 1-10 how much of a planner are you?

It really depends on what I'm planning! In general, I'd put myself somewhere in the middle, maybe a 6. There are some things I like to plan, and I always have plans to make better plans (haha), but I don't plan anything in detail. I make lists of things to do, to pack when I'm traveling, restaurants to try, and that sort of thing, but my lists are pretty general.

I have been using the website Remember The Milk to keep all my to-do lists for a few years. I haven't got the RTM app yet, but I think I probably should. Adding that to my to-do list now . . .

3. Do you have a menu plan for the week? If so tell us one or two things that are on it. If not, what's your plan for not having a plan?

I do try to have a weekly menu plan, although I usually plan just the main dish and figure out the sides as I go. Most weeks Monday is leftover night or something similar, since I have very little time between work and chorus. Wednesday nights we eat at church. This week I have roast pork tenderloin (or, as we like to call it, Kangaroo Tail) planned for Thursday night. Crispy Cheesy Chicken makes it onto our menu quite regularly. I use Plan To Eat to help me keep track of recipes, meal plans, and even shopping lists.

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Bucket List Day. Do you have a bucket list? Is it written down or just in your head? What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don't have a list, what is one thing you'd add to a list if you did? Yes, I'm going to make you think about it.

I do have a couple of bucket lists. The "things to do before I kick the bucket" type list is vaguely in my head, with things like "go on an Alaskan cruise" on it that I think of from time to time. The bucket list I actually work on is more immediate. I wish I had a different name for it - I used to call it "40 things while I'm 40" and so on, because it was the list of things I wanted to do before my next birthday, but it got harder to come up with enough specific items to match my age! But that's what it is, a list of things I want to do or work on before my next birthday. The current list includes a couple of vacation ideas, setting up our patio with at least some basic outdoor furniture so we can use it, and visiting all of the Columbus Metro Parks. And someday, I will go on that Alaskan cruise! It's been on my wishlist for years!

5. Rain buckets, a drop in the bucket, couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, sweat buckets, cry buckets . . . which 'bucket' idiom applies to your life in some way currently?

Hmmm. A drop in the bucket. It doesn't feel like much changes or that what I'm doing makes much difference most of the time, but each day and each positive thing adds another drop that eventually adds up to make a full life.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm writing this late Tuesday and I'm too tired to come up with anything. Plus I need to go to bed! So please enjoy these two cartoons that really made me laugh this week!

What are your thoughts on planning and bucket lists? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm sharing in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.

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Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Everyday Images #34

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Wow, it is very late on Tuesday and I'm finally getting my photos published. Long story, with plenty of excuses . . . Blogger didn't work for awhile, changes to plans and things coming up, me being super tired and so on. I'm under no illusions that there are all these readers wondering where my post is, but it is nice to be consistent when you say you're going to host a link-up, y'know? Anyway, it's getting later as I continue to make excuses, so I'll stop and just hit publish.

Welcome to another installment of my challenge and reminder to myself to take photos somewhat regularly. I'm not a photographer, but I enjoy taking everyday photos of things I find interesting or want to remember later, and I find that I notice interesting things when I'm intentionally watching for them. Having some prompts that are open to interpretation has helped me pay a little more attention to what's around me. Every two weeks I have a few words and phrases that I'm focusing on, and I try to find opportunities to take pictures of these things each week. These were the prompts I assigned myself for the past couple weeks:

April Prompts - Everyday Images #34

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at work (quarterly)

bird

plants

square

table

back and/or front

~~~~~

At work (Quarterly)

bird - These are not Mallards; they are Northern Shovellers. I find the name kind of funny, but they do have big spoon-shaped bills so it suits.

plants - spotted at Groovy Plants Ranch

square - this game my daughter-in-law gave me, and the cards inside. I love the Strange Planet beings!

table

back and/or front - a rare selfie

And a few bonus photos:

Operation Momma Duck continues and all is well.

Couple more fun photos from our visit to the Groovy Plants Ranch:

More common waterbirds at Taylor Farm park:

Nearing the end of the Tulip Festival at Timbuk Farms:

Heavy rains and hail a few days earlier had done some damage to the remaining tulips, and many of the nicest blooms were being claimed by guests (you could cut tulips for $1 apiece). but it was still quite a treat!

I was surprised that the daffodils were still going strong, since they bloom earlier.

I am sharing my photos every other Tuesday, along with my prompts for the next two weeks. You can use all or some of the prompts for your own photo posts, or none of the prompts and just link up a post featuring your photos. Simple rules: Your posts must be family-friendly; the photos must be your own; and the post must be mostly photos. If you do share I'd appreciate a mention and link to A Fresh Cup of Coffee on your post.

Everyday Images continues in 2024, every other Tuesday. And on the alternate Tuesdays, I'm hosting the Twenty-Six Lists link-up. I'd love to have you join me for that too!

April/May Prompts - Everyday Images #35

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at home (monthly)

yard (quarterly)

branch

purple

river

town

~~~~~

This post will be linked at Pictorial Tuesday, hosted by Peabea Scribbles.

Pictorial Tuesday

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Sunday, April 21, 2024

Scripture and a Snapshot - Lose/Gain

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"

~Mark 8:34-37~

Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

I also link up at the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party hosted by Grace-Filled Moments

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Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Going Bananas!

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation.

Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What's a skill you think everyone should have?

Everyone should certainly know the basics of 'adulting' - how to do simple cooking, and look after a home and a vehicle. I think everyone who drives should know how to check their oil, use jumper cables, and change a tire. (I'm very sketchy myself on how to use the jumper cables, and I know how to change a tire, but I haven't done it myself in many years. I probably need a refresher course!) I also think everyone should know how to balance a checkbook and some basic finances. I do know that, and tried to make sure my kids knew as well. That said, I'm still rather a procrastinator about keeping my own household books up to date. UGH. And I think everyone should have some basic writing and communication skills - write a letter or thank-you note, apply and interview for a job, and that sort of thing.

2. Do you have a special place or organizational system for gift wrapping? Do you still buy 'real' cards to send for birthdays, anniversaries, get-well, etc.?

I don't have a good system at all. I try to keep my Christmas gift wrap tidy, but I don't bother keeping gift wrap or bags on hand for non-Christmas. If I need to wrap something, I just buy whatever gift bag I need for that item and I'm done with it. I do buy 'real' cards to send for family birthdays and anniversaries, though I don't always get 'real' cards if I'm going to be together with the birthday person and give them a gift. Most often the cards are for my siblings, nieces and nephews, and extended family because I seldom see them. And I actually have a couple of cards here that I really need to get in the mail or they will be late (which isn't at all unusual for the cards I send. *sigh*)!

3. It's National Banana Day . . . are you a fan? What's your favorite thing to make with bananas, or, if you're not a cook, your favorite thing to eat that contains banana?

Bananas are my favorite fruit and I've been including them in my lunches two or three days a week lately. I love banana bread, but a black bottom banana cake is my favorite things to bake - and to eat! - that's made with bananas. Unless I'm offered Bananas Foster. I've never made it myself, but oh, I do love to eat it!

Tropical Fruit French Toast - yumm!

4. Do you believe in second chances? Elaborate.

I do believe in second chances. And third chances, and fourth chances . . . That's what grace and forgiveness is all about. I'm so thankful that God doesn't give up on me when I mess up, and so I try to extend that grace to others as well. Of course, there are consequences to our choices, and we usually have to live with those, and we seldom get a true do-over. But mistakes and poor choices don't have to define us if we learn from them and want to do better, and hopefully we can give that opportunity to those around us. That said, I don't think forgiving someone who has hurt us necessarily means giving them the chance to do so again and again.

5. What is your idea of fun?

I don't have time for a long treatise on all the things I think are included in "fun" so how can I summarize? Hmm. Being with people whose company I enjoy, and laughing with them. Very broad and simple definition.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Jemima Puddle-Duck update: She seems mostly unfazed by our presence, as long as we don't linger at the door too long. She is spending more time sitting on the nest now, and has ten eggs! The possibility of ducklings within the next couple weeks is growing!

I wish I'd seen this quilt idea in 2020 and suggested it to my Mom! Haha!

What's your idea of fun? Can you sum it up in a sentence or two? Leave a comment and let me know!

I'm sharing in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.

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