TWTW - the no dayer

Friday I worked until 6:30 and we ate out inside a restaurant for what was my second time since March 2020. I packed a bunch of shit for the weekend and fell out around 12:30.

Saturday Up at 6:15 and out of bed at 7. I changed the sheets, loaded the car, and we were on our way to the shore by 8, gassing up along the way. We talked to our departing guest for a long time and then they were late leaving, but we still did everything we needed to do before and after our cleaning crew left and got back on the road by 12 to make it back to Philly by 1:15. We picked MFD’s car up from getting inspected, I picked up soft pretzels, and after yelling because we have extremely different leaving for a trip styles and keys lost, we were headed north by 3:15. We drove through every storm hitting the area and arrived at the lake by about 6. Notice my stuff and dog stuff all ready by the door in the top middle and MFD's entire life emptied out of his car not prepared at all to leave. These were taken at the same time and his clothes were not yet packed LOL

We drove through every storm hitting the area and arrived at the lake by about 6. Lori and I got groceries and I put in four hours of work work. I showered and read until 11:30.

Sunday I was up at 5 but not out of bed until 6:30. I worked from 7-11a and 5-9p. Nothing says the Fourth of July like Capitalism! In between we got more groceries and whiled the afternoon away outside with dogs and books. I painted my nails. We were outside all the live long day and the weather was absolutely perfect. Jack grilled and we had a delicious Fourth meal on the new bar on the deck. The entire renovation is just fabulous. MFD went out fishing in the kayak and at night him and Jack went out on the boat. We saw fireworks from couches and from bed after I got out of the shower. And Gus walked into the lake three freaking times requiring three separate drying off periods of which he was not a fan.

Monday Lori and I left at 8:15 for the Montrose  Festival on the Green and to stop in a few small shops. I love this little town. It always feels like the promise of America to me - a place for the community to gather, dotted with a square of small businesses. We can live up to this promise for everyone. We just have to choose to.

I worked a full day even though we were closed in observance of the Fourth. Deadlines are a B. At least I had a picturesque setting in which to work. MFD fished and swam and we set out for home at 7:30 and were back in Philly before 10. 

I am usually driving but got to take drive pictures this time. Pennsylvania is beautiful, and I love the Endless Mountains region. I'm glad Lori & Jack live there or I probably would not have been so many places in Bradford & Susquehanna counties. 

I should have brought my second screen, and I was going to. If I had we probably would have stayed through my deadline Wednesday LOL. It is beautiful and quiet and relaxing and we all love it there, especially the dogs. Thanks to Lori for always welcoming all of us, dogs included, into her spaces. It was a wonderful weekend and we're trying to figure out when to return this summer. 

Show Us Your Books is a week from today!

TWTW - the one with the girls at the lake

Friday if I was any more relaxed, I would have been dead. Mom and I got to Lori's lake house around 8:30 on Thursday night and settled into relaxation station. Lolling around just being and enjoying the silence for most of the day, painting nails (Lori gave me the blue color and I'm super jazzed), snacking, playing with the dogs in the yard, reading. Melissa arrived early afternoon and Debbie early evening and we did more sitting around and talking before hitting the hay.

Saturday we headed into Montrose to do some strolling and shopping early with the Bs. There's the cutest store there that looks like it's just a flower shop and while it is it also sings to my tie dye loving heart. I got a dress and headbands there thanks to Lori!

We came back and chowed down, did a little floating and relaxing, talked talked talked, went for ice cream, and rounded the day out with CAH and hair mane games.

Sunday I woke up to let the dogs out at 5:30 and Bruce had an accident then had super hurt feelings about it and was shaking for an hour. Loon. I finished a book over coffee and we sat out on the porch together before Mom and I hit the road around 10:30. I love this weekend. It is super relaxing, we are all so easy together, it's beautiful up there, my dogs can be there, Jack pops in, and Lori is a wonderful hostess. Love my ladies! I stopped at a farmers market off the turnpike on the way home, dropped Mom off, got home and changed our sheets and washed towels, and took a little snooze. MFD got home from the shore and we went for sushi at Sakura. 

Carol's birthday was Sunday. Happy birthday Carol! We love you! Thanks for everything you do for us. 

Weekly food prep: Breakfast is breakfast burritos. Lunch is zucchini pie. Snacks are grape tomatoes, blueberries, peaches. Dinners are tomato sandwiches and corn on the cob and pasta with lemon and broccoli. I didn't need anything for today so the zucchini pie will get made tonight. 

Show Us Your Books tomorrow! See you here for that. 

TWTW - the one at the lake

A three day weekend to relax in the company of some of my favorite women.

Dock time, snacks, cupcakes and shopping, magazine reading while dogs snored in my ear, floats, flags, coffee, strong women and social conviction talk, mimosas,

lake time, reflections, sunshine, tomato sandwiches and grilled corn a la Jack, country road rides, gas experiments, selfies,

new bracelets from Debbie Rae Designs, bonding time with women I love, quiet serenity, and wet your pants funny Cards Against Humanity.

And dogs. Always, always dogs, including Lori & Jack's newest lady Layla the puppy. Thanks to Lori for hosting and welcoming all of us, human and furry.

Weekly food prep: breakfast is breakfast burritos from the freezer. Lunches are baked chicken thighs over pasta salad. Dinners are corn on the cob, grilled barbecue chicken drums and thighs, potato salad, and pasta salad. Snacks are plums and peaches and sliced tomatoes.

Nails are Essie S'il Vous Play, mood is fucking pissed. If you attempt to deflect conversations away from Nazis on the street in Charlottesville, VA, in 2017 to discuss how Black Lives Matter is wrong, you might be a racist. I might address this more tomorrow if I can do it in a way where I can avoid a self-induced aneurysm. Otherwise, my Saturday thoughts on it here. I am not suitable for public consumption right now.

How was yours?

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

TWTW - the one with the girls at the lake

I certainly like to share experiences and go out and do things with my friends...but nothing quite beats just bumming around and being with them, and that's what I did this weekend. We all play so many roles in life, and it's a lovely respite to bum around with your girlfriends and just be solely who you are. Girls weekend at the lake had no outings, no makeup...

Some sun, some showers, some awesome skies, dinner a la Jack and a new Debbie Rae Designs bracelet that I commissioned. And a few early mornings as Gus got up at 4:30. That's a.m.

Plenty of peace, reading, and just being. I really needed that after last week's news. 

Of course there was lots of laughing, eating, napping,and poop talk. I mean, we are people who talk about poop and kill ourselves laughing over it. 

Floating, too, naturally...we were at the lake. And last but not least, there was a large, unwieldy swan named Tabitha.

Weekly food prep

Breakfast is breakfast burritos from the freezer. Snacks are bell peppers, celery with hummus, and peaches. Lunches are Wawa salads. Dinners are tomato sandwiches with cucumbers on the side, and pork loin with potato salad and green beans. I also made a vat of iced coffee. Tomatoes, blueberries, celery, red potatoes, and green onions are all from a Farmers' Market on Sunday. Holler. 

As always thanks to Lori for being an awesome hostess. 

And to my girls for just being fucking awesome. 

Tomorrow: favorite day! Show Us Your Books with Jana and me. 

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending

TWTW - the one with the peace and quiet

There's something about being by the water, something that slows the churning in your brain and replaces it with serenity and lollygagging.

There's also something about arriving at your aunt's lake house after midnight on a Friday with two adults and three dogs making a ruckus and being greeted with open arms.

There's something about spending time in a beautiful place with people you love, whether you're doing things together or just doing things separately in the same space.

There's something about a meal outside, where the steaks are reminiscent of the Old 96er and the grilled corn makes you want to eat it off the cob even though you never do that.

There's definitely something about taking eleventy billion photos of your dogs without anyone judging you. They take them for you instead.

Not to mention the reading of books and magazines, the snack spreads, the gelato, the swimming, the lounging, and the sitting by the water, the breeze skimming over limbs heavy and full of a drowsy summer afternoon...there is indeed something glorious about all of those things.

Then there is Sunday night, when you arrive home after battling traffic on the Northeast extension, and your husband goes to work and your dogs pass out snoring and you're left alone with the Sunday night blues and the brownies you brought home, which you eat for dinner instead of the buffalo chicken pasta salad you whipped together at 7 p.m.

There's also being grateful in hindsight that you left after 9 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. on Friday, because you got to do your weights, change your sheets, wash your towels, write a few blog posts, process your iced coffee in bulk, and paint your nails in Essie Madison Ave-hue, which Lori also did that night, three hours north. Kismet, no?

It was weird to write this blog post without using the first person. Try it. It's weird.

I can't sign off without wishing my great friend Jill a fabulous 30th birthday today. Cheers girlfriend! xoxo

What about you? Did you get any peace and quiet?

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending