A Fresh Cup of Coffee: May 2026

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Scripture and a Snapshot - In the Spirit and In Truth

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."

~John 4:23-24~

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

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email

©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Share Four Somethings - May 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, it feels like a long time ago now, since a lot has happened, but I did love our first Sunday of the month visit to Franklin Park Conservatory. (Right up until I tripped and banged up my knee anyway)

On the Mother's Day weekend, I was allowed to "choose my adventure" so we went to Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs. Gorgeous day and we had a good workout on the hike! We ended the day with dinner at my restaurant choice, Ye Olde Trail Tavern, and it was delicious.

I loved the Mother's Day wishes from my kids, and got a chuckle from this card my daughter sent.

On the next weekend we explored a nature walk up in Delaware County, and walked around at the O'Shaughnessy Dam park a bit as well. I loved that I could get pretty decent pictures of the egret perched high up in a tree. I'm definitely old enough to remember cameras with film that needed developed before you could see your photos, and amateur photographers like me just didn't get photos like this! So I love the ease of use of our cellphone cameras and how powerful they are, and we often take them for granted.

And finally, I love that we bought a house! We closed the deal yesterday and will be moving in next week, so these photos are from the listing and are not my furnishings. We are so excited! I also love that I have some money that was gifted to me that I've set aside to purchase the new furniture that I want for the house, although I doubt I'll have time to make those decisions until late June or maybe July. So, I guess stay tuned for a series of chaos photos as we move in and eventually photos of us settling in with our things old and new.

Something That Sustained Me:

Just moving along one step, one day at a time. It's been twenty-five years since we last bought a house, so we might as well have been first-time home buyers. We just kept plugging along, doing the next thing, and we are beyond grateful for our wonderful real estate agent who has been guiding us through. Everyone we've worked with has been so good. And friends and family have been so excited for us and that is really encouraging.

Having deadlines to motivate me was sort of a sustaining thing too. We knew we had the deadline of when the lease runs out so we had to plan ahead and make sure we'd be able to make settlement and get moved on that timeline. But another "deadline" is a powerful motivator too - we have the family vacation coming up soon and want to be reasonably settled into the house before we head up to the Niagara Falls area for a week. We'll be visiting hubby's sister for a couple days, and hopefully get to see some friends in that area, then we're picking up my Mum and Dad who are meeting us in Ontario, and heading back to New York state to the vacation house we have rented. All the kids will be meeting us there for a huge family vacation. After that, Mum and Dad and are coming back to Ohio with us to spend a bit more time and obviously I want to have the house ready to show off!

Something I'm Carrying Forward:

There is still a lot of packing to be done. I feel like we've barely started on it, but the good news is that we don't have to do the entire move in one day. We will be moving carloads of things over starting in the middle of the week, and then have Saturday with a moving truck to do the furniture and the rest. And still have almost all of the following week to finish clearing out of the apartment and cleaning it.

I also have a lot left on recent to-do lists that isn't completed so I have to carry forward those checklists into the beginning of June. Somehow I'll find time to get it done - I don't have much choice!

Something I'm Making Space For:

Technically, I'm gaining physical space rather than making it as we move to a house with one more bedroom, lots more closets, a garage, a full basement, a much larger kitchen, and our own little yard with a deck! We'll have to figure out where everything will fit into all that space, and make sure it doesn't get cluttered or overfull immediately. I've observed in the past that the amount of stuff we have seems to magically expand to fill up whatever space is available, and hopefully we will keep that under control. I'd prefer to keep the new house feeling spacious and definitely don't want it feeling cramped or cluttered.

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

Some Things I Read:

Finished and reviewed these since my last SFS:

Life From Scratch: A memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin

Oracle of Philippi by Catherine Ensley (ARC)

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber

You Never Know: A Memoir by Tom Selleck with Ellis Henican (audiobook)

Here are the books I'm currently reading:

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

All of my reading news is at Just A Second if you're interested.

What's Coming Up Soon?

I hardly need to mention it again, because it has largely been the theme of this post, but the actual physical move into the new house is still coming up. And the family vacation in the Niagara Falls area is coming up right after that!

What's been keeping you busy or keeping you going? 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.

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email.

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Monthly Musings - A Quick Summer Preview

Patty at Good Better Best hosts this monthly sharing of tips, tricks, and conversation starters. I don't manage to participate every month, but I try! This month we are looking ahead to our summer plans and preferences.

1. Tell us about your Memorial Day weekend.

This year we didn't travel to Maryland for the long weekend, partly because we'll see the kids in a few weeks anyway, and partly because we thought we could get some packing done for the upcoming move. Turned out my husband wasn't feeling well, so our plans to go have dinner with friends on Saturday was postponed to Sunday and we stayed home home and didn't do a whole lot. Sunday we went to church and then to our friends' place for dinner, so again, not much packing got done! And then on Monday we were invited to another cookout, so that cut into our packing schedule as well. Of course I started feeling a little under the weather by Monday night, so overall it was a relatively low-key weekend, but I'm glad we did get to spend time with some friends.

2. What were your summer jobs when you were younger?

I don't remember having jobs for the summer only, but I did work/volunteer at our church camps in the summer a couple years. And I did start my part-time jobs during the summer, when I had more hours available, then continued but with fewer hours once school started. First part-time job was at Wendy's, and the second one was at the city's cable company.

3. Ice cream or popsicles? Favorite flavors?

I definitely choose ice cream, though I have to be careful how much I have unless I'm prepared to have an upset stomach. I like almost all ice cream flavors, but my favorites are black raspberry or cookies and cream.

4. What do you like on your burgers and hot dogs?

I usually keep it pretty basic with my burgers and dogs. Burgers should have cheese and maybe bacon, and condiments are mayo, ketchup, and mustard. Sometimes I forgo those condiments and just put Thousand Island dressing on my burger. I usually put just ketchup and mustard on my hot dogs.

5. Beach, lake, or mountains?

Mountains, or ideally a mountain lake, I guess. I like the beach okay, but I don't feel like there's much for me to do there, because I don't like to swim in the ocean. I feel like there are more options for things I like to do in the mountains, and the cabin setting is more appealing to me than a beach house setting too.

Last summer's family vacation house was in the
Deep Creek area of Maryland - mountains!

6. Share any travel for summer 2026.

We only have one trip planned at this point, though I'm sure we'll go to Maryland at some point. Or maybe just for Labor Day. Anyway, in the middle of June, we are meeting all our kids and their families at an Airbnb vacation house in the Niagara Falls area. My parents will be joining us for the week there as well. We will do some touristy things there, like the boat tour at the base of the falls, and spend a day over on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. But we also want to make sure we have plenty of time at the vacation house with the whole family together.

7. Do you visit amusement parks in the summer? Tell us your favorites.

We used to visit amusement parks quite a bit but haven't done so in quite a few years. The one we visited most often was probably Darien Lakes Theme Park (formerly Six Flags Darien Lakes) in upstate New York. We've been to Cedar Point a couple times and I'd say that one is our favorite for rides. Others we've visited are Kings Dominion, Six Flags in Maryland, and HersheyPark. And of course the Disney World parks, but that was usually in the fall. Disney World is the absolute favorite for overall experience.

8. Do you enjoy dining outside in the summer?

Well, yes and no. I do like eating outside, especially at restaurants, assuming the weather is right for it, and there aren't bugs annoying me! For the past couple years at our apartment, our patio was not very nice for sitting out, so we haven't been in the habit of outside dining at home. However, the new house has a very nice deck, so as soon as we have some outdoor furniture I'll be glad to make dining outside a regular thing during good weather!

9. Favorite summer beverage?

My go-to is always water, but my summery favorites are sweet tea, margaritas, white wine, or hard lemonade.

10. Favorite side dish for summer parties? Please feel free to share recipes.

I just started making this caprese salad platter this spring, but it's become my new favorite for dinner parties or potlucks. It's basically salad served sort of like charcuterie. I like it because with it spread out on a platter instead of heaped in a bowl, the add-ins don't all sink to the bottom, and it's easier for everyone to kind of grab the elements they like and avoid any they don't.

I hadn't added the balsamic glaze yet

Not really a recipe, but here's what's in it: I start by spreading 50/50 mixed greens on a large platter. Top with rolled or sliced prosciutto, cherry or other small tomatoes, berries or sliced peaches, and marinated mozzarella balls, and maybe olives. I love burrata cheese and add that if it's a smaller group - so there's one burrata or a half burrata per person. Sprinkle on marcona almonds and slivered fresh basil, then drizzle with a little olive oil and some balsamic glaze.

What are some your summer plans or summer favorites? Leave a comment and let me know!

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

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email.

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Name Game

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!

Name Meaning Gifts from CrossTimber - a Homeschool Coffee Break review for the Homeschool Review Crew on kympossibleblog.blogspot.com #CrossTimber #namemeaning #hsreviews

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

1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names?

I do like my name! I didn't always like it as much as I do now, but I don't think I ever disliked it. I'm not named after a person, and I'm not sure exactly how my parents chose the name, but as far as I know, the town of Kimberley, BC played a part, and it's how they chose to spell my name.

We have four children. Our oldest son is kind of named after my husband and his father. They both have the name Henry, but I said I was NOT going to have Henry III or VIII. My husband really liked the name Harrison and his dad had always gone by Harry, so Harrison it was. His middle name is the name of my husband's best friend. Our second son got the name Spencer just because we liked it, but his middle name is after my husband's uncle. Our third son is Landon - again, just because we liked it, and his middle name Joseph is a name I liked - both the sound and the meaning. (It wasn't until he was about a week old that I noticed the city park next to the hospital that I drove by all the time was named after Landon someone-or-other who I supposed had been a mayor or founder or something. So maybe driving by so often had put that name into my subconscious?) Our daughter has perhaps the strangest name origin story. She is named Kennady Anne, after my husband's favorite hockey team, the Montreal Canadiens. Really!

Why am I slouching? We visited Kimberley, BC
in 2013 so the kids could see the town their mum
was named for. Purportedly.

2. A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one . . . which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose?

Red velvet cake. I love ice cream, but my tummy doesn't any more so plain vanilla isn't worth it for me. And blueberries aren't my favorite berries. I like them a lot better when they are mixed with other berries. An alternative red, white, or blue dessert that I'd choose . . . cherry pie, or raspberry sorbet.

3. What's a job you'd like to try for just one day?

Assuming I'd somehow magically have the necessary knowledge or qualifications to actually do the job on my one day, I might like to try being a museum docent, or do something in the editing or publishing field.

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer?

Not much, since I'm trying to get things packed up. I had a little garden flag out front, and there are a couple flags displayed indoors. There's some red, white, and blue patriotic decor on my dining room table that hasn't been packed up just yet. We plan on purchasing a new USA flag to fly in front of our new house as soon as we move in.

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!

Moving preparations

All kinds of checklists!

Yawning and running out of energy

6. Insert your own random thought here.

A number of years ago, when I was still doing reviews of homeschool products we got a really fun review of name meaning gifts from the family business CrossTimber. Of course I remembered it when I answered the first of this week's Hodgepodge questions, and I've bought more gifts from the company since, so I thought you might like to see the original items we got and a link to the review, just for fun: Name Meaning Gifts from CrossTimber

Do you have a fun story about how your name or a family member's name was chosen? 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 - Courage. I host the Everyday Images photo link-up every other Thursday. And find the Scripture and a Snapshot link-up here every Sunday.

Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email.