A Fresh Cup of Coffee

Friday, September 4, 2026

Currently . . . September 4, 2026

The "Currently" link-up at the beginning of each month is now hosted at Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa. Our hostess Amy posts a set of action verb prompts for the month and writers respond. So, without further ado, here are this month's prompts and what's happening currently . . .

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Adjusting to - the morning traffic patterns during my commute. I've had a couple of days since school started up that went very smoothly and I got to work on time or a little bit early. And I've had a couple of days when the traffic was just snarled up everywhere and I wound up late. So I'm trying to determine if those were just weird days with roadwork or accidents or something slowing everything down, or if that's the traffic pattern I can expect most days and the other days were lucky. Related adjustment is how to drive directly into the sunrise without going blind. Fortunately I only drive east to get out of the neighborhood so it's only a few blocks worth. My husband has to drive for long stretches directly into the morning sun, and I assume there will probably be a season that he'll drive directly into the setting sun for a bit too.

Baking/Cooking - I try to make quick meals on weeknights so they are usually pretty simple. I made country fried steak last night which was a little more work but didn't actually take very long, all things considered. I'm trying to bake bread more often, especially as we get into fall. I'm planning to invite friends to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with us, and even though that's a month away, I'm thinking ahead about the menu so I won't wind up feeling rushed. That's the plan anyway!

Decorating - my house, I hope! I still haven't put anything up on the walls or added much in the way of decor. I have a large wall hanging at the Maryland house that I'm bringing back after the weekend and it will go in the living room here. That should kickstart me a little bit!

Balancing - the budget. Trying to stay on top of that, anyway!

Learning - a few updates to music and choreography and making sure I get it all right because International is less than two months away!

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Here's a short Coffee Break Reading List . . .

I'm currently reading . . .

Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K White

I've been on a break from reading this summer. That's the only fair way to describe it. I'm almost finished the above book, and since we're going away for the weekend, I'll take one or both of these ones along and see if I can get back to more regular reading and start checking books off my list again. A new book I'd pre-ordered just arrived in the mail yesterday, and I'd all but forgotten that I'd ordered it, so now I have that to get to as well!

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Paper Wife by Laila Ibrahim

Things at my book blog, Just A Second, are on pause right now, since obviously there are no new reviews to share.

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Something fun found during coffee breaks:

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What's currently happening in your life? Leave a comment and let me know!

This post will be linked at this month's edition of "Currently" hosted by Amy at Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

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Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Kiss My Grits! It's the Hodgepodge!

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. What's something you wanted to do this summer that you never go around to doing?

We'd wanted to attend a couple of local community fairs near Columbus, like the Tomato Festival and the Zucchini Fest, but couldn't synchronize those schedules with our own. We also talked about going up to Cuyahoga Valley National Park but it didn't work out so we are planning to go hopefully in the next month or so.

2. Were you the student who sat in the front row or hid in the back of the class? If you could go back and take one high school class again just for fun, which would it be?

I was likely to be near the front until about fourth or fifth grade. Part of the reason I moved to the back of the classroom was that I was in a split grade classroom and the older students sat at the back. I soon discovered that I could get away with stuff sitting at the back that I couldn't if I was right under the teacher's nose, and I made use of that loophole! I was overall a very good student in terms of grades, but I cut classes and wasted time and goofed around an awful lot too.

If I could take a high school class again, I think I'd want to take a History or Civics class. I always enjoyed history but I didn't get a very good timeline sense of it from my schooling. Since I went to school in Canada, I didn't learn much about American history and nothing about American civics so I'd like a chance to take those classes from an American perspective.

3. What characteristics do you think are essential in a good teacher (this can be applied to anyone who teaches, not just classroom teachers)?

I think a good teacher, one who is effective and inspiring, enjoys the process of learning and discovery and can learn along with his/her students. There's always something new to learn, and modeling that curiosity and interest for students is really important, in my opinion, because it helps students see that they can be lifelong learners and keep developing their skills and their minds. Even teaching young students how to read - the teacher probably doesn't have anything new to learn about the alphabet or basic reading skills, but can still share in the 'lightbulb' moments and victories as little ones get it. That's exciting. To me, it was just as exciting in many ways as my babies' first words and first steps. Good teachers also work in partnership with their students to achieve the learning goals, pushing them towards achievement and personal bests when they need to be prodded, holding them accountable for doing their best, and correcting them without belittling them.

I answered thinking mostly of my experience with anyone teaching me, and my experience as a home educator and as a co-op classroom tutor; but I do think those principles could be applied for someone teaching music or art or a new language, or new workplace skills.

4. September 2nd is National Grits Day. Have you ever eaten grits? Are you a fan? If so how do you like yours? Would people describe you as 'having grit'?

I have eaten a lot of grits in my life and I am a pretty big fan of grits! I don't think I tried them for the first time until I was an adult, or at least an older teen, as they are far less commonly included on the menu in Canada. When I eat breakfast out, I love it when I can have a little dish of grits as a side! I prefer my grits hot and buttery, and maybe with a little bit of sugar or sweetener. I don't want them cheesy or anything like that. And a dish like shrimp & grits is a definite and hard NO, though my husband really likes it.

I can see how people who know me could describe me as 'having grit'. I don't back down from things I feel strongly about, and in general I'm persistent and don't give up easily.

Anyone else remember the character Flo from the show "Alice" and her signature line, "Well, kiss my grits!"?

5. What's something you're never too old or too young to enjoy?

Music and laughter!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Did you get to see the lunar eclipse last week? Our view reminded me of years ago, the first time we were aware of a lunar eclipse and wanted to view it with the kids. Using a telescope no less! And we were studying astronomy in school at that time as well. But just like last week, it was overcast and cloudy and we could hardly see the moon in the hours leading up to the eclipse.

And also just like last week, the clouds cleared just in time for us to watch the eclipse! On that earlier night, there was just a window in the clouds only big enough to see the eclipse and then it clouded over again within an hour. I remember seeing it as a huge answer to prayer though, because we really wanted to see that eclipse, and prayed that way. God cares enough about young kids (and their homeschool mum) to part the clouds and let them see the eclipse!

We were super pleased that this time the clouds cleared out in time for us to have a really nice view of the eclipse and to take some truly low-quality photos.

Thanks for reading along! How do you feel about grits or about the eclipse or anything else mentioned in this Hodgepodge? Leave a comment and let me know!

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

I host the Wednesday Quotes link-up every other Wednesday. Stop by and share a few thoughts and quotes on the current topic here: WQ - Worthwhile Mistakes. I host the Everyday Images photo link-up every other Thursday. And find the Scripture and a Snapshot link-up here every Sunday.

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WQ - Worthwhile Mistakes

It's always helpful to learn from your mistakes because then your mistakes seem worthwhile. ~Garry Marshall

All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes. ~Winston Churchill

It really is easy to gain wisdom. Since we all make mistakes, if we learn something valuable from that experience, we have gained wisdom!

One of the great things about being willing to try new things and make mistakes is that making mistakes keeps you humble. People who are humble learn more than people who are arrogant. ~Robert Kiyosaki

The inventor Thomas Edison famously viewed attempts that didn't work as learning experiences. His persistence and willingness to learn from each less-than-perfect experiment led eventually to success!

I never view mistakes as failures. They are simply opportunities to find out what doesn't work. ~Thomas A. Edison

At the beginning of a new school year, the papers and the tests haven't been written yet, and there are so many possibilities. Of course, every student should want to do their best and earn high grades, but it's inevitable that there will be mistakes on those assignments from time to time. Do your best, and be willing to learn from what went wrong.

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something. ~Neil Gaiman

Sometimes we learn on our own when we got something wrong. Sometimes we need help understanding what the mistake was and how we can do better. And often, the learning begins when we accept correction from someone with more experience who guides us.

If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself;

but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

~Proverbs 15:32~

I never make stupid mistakes. Only very, very clever ones. ~John Peel

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Wednesday Quotes is a bi-weekly opportunity for bloggers to share their writing, poetry, photos, or stories inspired by our theme. We've chosen the themes as a starting point for your creativity, and the only requirement is that your post include at least one related quote. Feel free to combine or "double-dip" with other writing or photo challenges as well. Of course, we'd appreciate a link back to us, if you'd be so kind. Add your link and please visit others and leave a comment! The link is open for two weeks.

Thanks to Marsha at Always Write for introducing us to the Wednesday Quotes challenge, and for passing the hosting duties along so we can continue sharing great quotes! Wednesday Quotes is co-hosted by Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee and Sadje at Keep It Alive.

Quoting reminds me there are other people in the world besides only me.

And other thoughts besides mine, and other ways of thinking.

~Gregory Maguire~

Wednesday Quotes 2026 Themes

January 7 - Resolutions

January 21 - Motivation

February 4 - Eating Out/Restaurants

February 18 - Being Responsible

March 4 - Libraries

March 18 - Perseverance

April 1 - Simplicity

April 15 - Conquering Fear

April 29 - Making a Difference

May 13 - Family Ties

May 27 - Courage

June 10 - Teachers/Mentors

June 24 - Connecting with Nature

July 8 - Milestones

July 22 - Sunrise

August 5 - Patience

August 19 - Taking a Break/Rest

September 2 - Learning from Mistakes

September 16 - Best Friends

September 30 - Elegance

October 14 - Reaching Goals

October 28 - Dreams/Nightmares

November 11 - Integrity

November 25 - Generosity

December 9 - Beauty in Nature

December 23 - True Love

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This post may also be shared at the current link party at Life Captured and at the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party hosted by Grace-Filled Moments

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Tuesday, September 1, 2026

The Flower Hour - Floral Ps and Qs (and Rs)

Poinsettias

Poinsettias are everywhere come December and we associate them with Christmas. My husband is a grower and poinsettias are a huge crop for the greenhouses every year. They should be 'sticking' this year's crop of poinsettias starting pretty soon, so a lot of work goes into getting them ready long before we see the planters in every store by the end of November!

The flower is actually the little cluster of buds in the center, and the colorful 'petals' are bracts. The bracts are normally bright red, but cultivars come in all shades of red as well as orange, pink, cream, and marbled. The leaves change color after several weeks of very bright light during the days and about fourteen hours of darkness. Commercial greenhouses use blackout curtain systems to control these periods of light and darkness in order to time the brightest colors for when the plants are shipped to stores for sale. Most people buy a poinsettia every year and toss it after the holidays when the color fades and the leaves start to drop, but it is absolutely possible to keep them alive as green houseplants all year and force them to "flower" yourself by putting them under a box or in a closet every night for a couple months before Christmas. But help out your friendly local greenhouse by still buying a new one each year!

The idea that poinsettias are toxic or poisonous to pets and humans is persistent but they are not actually harmful. I doubt they taste pleasant, and it might cause discomfort and nausea, but that's about it. Of course you don't want to let your kids or cat or dog chew on it any more than you would any other houseplant, but it's not truly dangerous.

Queen Anne's lace

redbud - I always enjoy the bright magenta blossoms on the redbud trees.

This post is shared at Second Wind Leisure Perspectives for #TheFlowerHour Photo Challenge.

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Monday, August 31, 2026

Share Four Somethings - August 2026

Each month we're each invited to share things in these categories: something we loved, something that sustained us, something we're carrying forward from this month to the next, and something we're making space for. I usually like to include a little bit of a bonus: Some Things I Read and a little of What's Coming Up Soon.

Some Things I Loved:

Well, the month of August kicks off with our wedding anniversary, and I love celebrating that! This year we went up to Huron, Ohio, on Lake Erie with our son and his family. Hubby and I wanted Lake Erie perch for our anniversary dinner, so we made it a fun family day and included some time at the beach for our granddaughter. We had a lot of fun, and the perch was delicious!

Anniversary photo - 39 years!

I loved this surprise - Naked Lady Lilies popped up along the fence in our backyard. I think these unusual flowers are really neat, and we had no idea what is planted or will volunteer in our yard until it shows up. I'll be interested to see if any surprises like tulips or daffodils will pop up in the spring.

I love crows so this was a pleasant little surprise one morning - at least half a dozen crows having some kind of loud discussion in the neighborhood. It seemed like a pretty friendly debate, but I don't know what about. They were up on the rooftops of my house and a couple of neighboring houses. This wouldn't make everyone happy, I guess, but I happen to like crows so it was a fun start to my morning. Sort of related, we saw an owl fly into our backyard and settle into one of the treetops on Friday night. Not sure if that's home for him, but how great would that be! We didn't get a good enough look to be sure what kind of owl so hopefully we'll spot him again. By the way, I'm also very happy that we have bats up in those trees doing their best to eat all the bugs. (Though they missed a bunch of mosquitoes that left their mark on my ankles on Friday. I do NOT love the itching that is currently driving me nuts!) I love that even though we still live in the city and have a small yard, there are still birds and bats and katydids and fireflies, and that it was even dark enough to see the lunar eclipse.

I loved meeting our son's new dog, Delilah, a couple weeks ago. She's not quite a year old and seems really sweet and well-behaved. They're working on getting her used to how things work at their house, but she is already very much loved. And yes, this is her preferred resting position!

Something That Sustained Me:

It was helpful to me to have some deadlines coming up to work towards. We decided it was time to start entertaining at the house, whether we're completely finished with the finer details of settling in or not. So we had friends over for pizza and a fireside chat on Friday night, which forced me to finish up with my project of organizing the kitchen island.

Next up, we are heading to Maryland for the upcoming long weekend, so that's a sustaining thing to look forward to. Also some decisions will be made about what we will move from the Maryland house to Ohio, and some things that can be given away or trashed.

We will have family coming in October for a few nights, so that is my deadline for getting the guest room set up. I like having a concrete deadline that motivates me to get a project done rather than wait "until I have time". Sometimes I need to MAKE the time.

Something I'm Carrying Forward:

I had a list of small decluttering and organizing tasks I thought I could knock out during August, but I didn't finish. I did quite a few of them, but not all. So I'm looking at which of those need to carry forward to my September to-do list.

I still have some things on my home improvement shopping list that I'm carrying forward and can hopefully find and acquire in September. A screen door and a large umbrella for the deck are on the list. At this point I would be okay with it if the umbrella doesn't happen until spring, but I think the screen door is important.

Something I'm Making Space For:

I love how spacious the kitchen looks when it's clean and now that I have the island and the little table at the window organized. I made space in one shelf of the island for my wine rack and I'm really happy with it.

Don't know how far we'll get on the project this week, but I have to make space in the office to move the fold-out sofa into. The fold-out sofa is currently in the guest bedroom as it was functioning as the spare bed. Once it's moved, we'll have space to set up the new bedframe, which is still in boxes. We did make space in the living room by moving these boxes into the guest bedroom. The mattress we need for it is not in stock at our local store for a couple more weeks, but the goal is to have the bed completely set up so all we have to do is plunk the mattress on it and add some bed linens and we'll be ready for company. I'm super excited - I've never had a dedicated guest bedroom before!

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Some Things I Read:

Right now I'm reading Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K White. I'm reading pretty quickly, because there's not much that's new information to me, but it's helpful to see it in a new way while I'm still in the start-up process of organizing closets and such. Why would I waste time organizing spaces for things that I really don't need to keep in the first place?

Normally my reading news is at Just A Second if you're interested. But there's nothing new there now because I've been on a reading break this summer, for the most part, and have been neglecting the blog as a result.

What's Coming Up Soon?

As mentioned, the next thing coming up is the Labor Day weekend trip to Maryland. That trip and the necessary home projects are top of mind in the coming up category at present.

Share something in the comments, or share four somethings with the rest of us in the link party!

This post will be linked at My Joyful Life in the Share Four Somethings link party.

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