5 Friday Favorites: July 26, 2024

It's time for my Friday link up with  A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hello and Happy Friday. I am so happy to be back in Virginia after being away for most of the month of July. We've had a very basic week - cleaning, laundry, cooking, working out, reading, writing and thinking. So boring. I loved it.

Here are some favorite things from the week.

1. Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty

I listened to this book while cleaning out closets and pantries this week. I love Liane Moriarty books and this one delivers. Really good.

2. Molouf Bed Sheets 

I bought these Malouf Sheet sets years ago from HSM or QVC or something like that and could never find them again, but HERE THEY ARE. I'm hoping they are the exact same ones because these are the softest sheets ever at a really good price. Sleeping has become one of my favorite things since I've become such an interesting, cool person in my 50s and I'm not sure there is anything more important than comfortable sheets.

3. The Phoebe Ring by Park Lane

Park Lane Jewelry had a new line come out this month and people are freaking out over this Phoebe heart ring. It comes in size 6-10 and is $48. You can get it here.

4. Can't Buy Me Love

I heard someone mention this movie the other day and I practically ran to find where I could stream it. I LOVED this movie in high school, so I looked it up and rented it for a whopping $3.79 on Amazon Prime. I remembered every bit of it from Cindy Mancini's suede outfit to Ronald's African dance moves to Cindy pouring the milkshake on her jerk of a date's head to them riding off into the sunset on the lawn mower. The clothes, the hair (oh, THE HAIR!), the music and even the original Nacho Cheese Doritos bag made me giddy. If you are a child of the 80s, YOU ARE WELCOME for the reminder about this classic.

5. On Minding my Own Business

These are some thoughts that have been running around in my muddled up mind this week. They are not fully formed which means that it's quite possibly foolish to work them out here and I might go back to read them in a month or week or even later today and think, "Well, that's the dumbest thing you've ever written." 

However, I do believe that the majority of my readers are about my age or on their way there, so maybe if this is the dumbest thing I've ever written, it still might be a tad bit relatable. Over the 12 years of writing this blog, it is the readers who show up here who often make me feel less alone in my crazy. So here goes. We'll see.

I'm reading quite a bit and talking a lot to friends about peri-menopause and it's unwelcome symptoms.They include, but are not limited to excess belly fat, hair loss, hot flashes, anxiety, sleeplessness, dry skin and brain fog. 

Oh, it's just so delightful, AMIRITE?

Anyway, the brain fog is what I've been thinking about. Which is hard because you know, brain fog. I'm not sure what all the term encompasses, but for me, it seems that lately, I am suffering from an inability to make decisions - of any kind - big or small. I think I tend toward difficulty in this area anyway. (If you're familiar with the Enneagram Personality Type Test, I am a Nine which means decision-making can be a challenge. But that's another discussion altogether.) I wondered this week if this difficulty is not only a biological or personality driven tendency, but also a circumstantial one.

You see it appears at this stage in my life with kids out of the house that the world is wide open for me. And it's the same for many of my friends - whether they were moms working out of or inside the home. When making even the most trivial decisions in the last 20 plus years, I have almost always had to take the needs/schedules/dreams/goals of a bunch other people into consideration first. 

Our summer vacations were determined by the baseball tournament schedule. For many years we didn't travel for holidays because Jesus's birthday was right smack dab in the middle of high school basketball season. Even the most basic decisions about when I would take a shower, where we would eat out or when I would sleep were controlled by other human beings. 

And it was great. I was good at making decisions then. Their lives were my vocation. And I wanted it that way and I am grateful for it. I knew I was right in the center of God's will for my life and I don't regret that they were the priority always. 

Looking back, it seems that while there was stress and chaos, the criteria for making decisions that would get us successfully through that stress and chaos were pretty clear. What was the best decision I could make in that moment with the information I had and my gut intuition for these little people God had entrusted to me? 

Was it as easy as I'm making it seem? Certaintly not, I'm sure. See: Brain Fog

Now, to a great degree, those people's lives are none of my business. Which means, essentially, I gotta mind my own business. And it's weird.

I can do or be whatever the heck I want. I can sleep when I want. Do my work when I want. Exercise when I want. Cook what I want, when I want and more importantly, if I want. Wake when I want. Leave town without hiring a babysitter. Take a vacation that doesn't center around a baseball tournament schedule. (Almost. We still have one left in the game and mama doesn't miss many innings.) 

This seems exciting and empowering, yes? But for me, I think it's a bit overwhelming and even paralyzing. 

It reminds me of being in my 20s. The possibilities were endless and everywhere you went older people were reminding you, "You can do whatever you want! You are your only responsibility!" with a gleam in their eyes and perhaps a tad bit of resentment. I remember that time being wonderful and exciting and also terrifying and confusing. And I don't think I've felt that way since then until now.

Of course, I have to consider my family and my friends still. No man is an island and all that stuff. And, of course, I live in the greatest country the world has ever known. I've always had the opportunity to do and be whatever I want. 

But it seems that at 55 years old, I'm suddenly more keenly aware that I am in charge of my one wild and precious life.

It's time to mind my own business and get to it. So here's to walking in confidence that God has created us to be strong, courageous and discerning. That He will be with us in all of our decisions - great and small. That there will be good fruit when we stay in the center of His will and that He will catch us and redirect us when we slip outside. To take the first step, it seems at this juncture that we might need to take some time to get acquainted with our own selves. 

Hello, Jenn. I'm Jenn. What are we going to do today?

I think at this point, we're going to go get a Diet Coke and get our hair highlighted. First two decisions of the day are made. That wasn't that hard. We got this.

Have a blessed weekend, friends.

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well

5 Friday Favorites: July 19, 2024

It's time for my Friday link up with  A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hello and happy Friday from Florida where I've looked for words in every square inch of this hotel. While it turns out I've done more thinking, staring out the window and writing really, really bad drafts than actually anything worth a darn, I'm telling myself that this is progress. At the very least, I feel lucky that I got to tag along with Steve to this beautiful place.

Here are some of my favorite things from the week.

1. Parmesean Truffle Fries

I might have had trouble writing coherent sentences, but I definitely could have written a sonnet about these Parmesean Truffle Fries that Steve and I got at a restaurant in downtown Tampa called Yard House. They were amazing. It looks like Yard House is a chain restaurant so if there is a location near you, I give these fries 5 stars and my undying love.

2. Barebells Protein Bars

The most prevalent health advice I've seen lately is all about protein, protein and more protein. Apparently, the number of grams of protein we should be consuming in a day should equal the number of pounds we weigh. So I'm trying. Luckily, I've got two college baseball players living in my house so I'm getting an education in protein powders, shakes, drinks and bars. These Barebells Creamy Crisp bars are Drew's favorite protein bars. They're really good and have only 1 gram of sugar.

3. Prime Dress

On Wednesday, I posted some Amazon Prime Day favorites and many of the prices on those items are still available. You can find those here. One thing that I didn't see until later that night was this dress. It reminds me a lot of a dress by Quince that I've seen all over the place, but this one is still 50% off today. It comes in over twenty different colors. I love the length and the tiered skirt.

4. Tarte Eyelash Curler

I needed a new eyelash curler so one afternoon this week when none of my words were making sense, I took a break and went to Sephora. The sales guy suggested this one. It came with this mascara, so that was cool. I like it a lot. That's all I have to say about that. 

5. Writing Even When You Decide Writing is the Worst Idea You Ever Had

I don't have any words left for number five, so here are some quotes on writing by my favorite writers. I looked them up this week to give me some inspiration when everything seemed stupid. I've included them with photos of the places where I sat to write this week. Also, let's all be thankful that it's time to go home now because you might notice a beverage or two next to my laptop. I promise I'm not trying to become the next Ernest Hemingway.

"For me and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts." - Anne Lamott (Thank you, Ms. Lamott, this is my favorite one by far.)

"Write about what truly matters to you - not just things to catch the eye of the world but things that touch the quick of the world they way they have touched you to the quick. Write not just with wit and eloquence and style and relevance, but with passion. Then the things that your books make happen will be the things worth happening - things that make the people who read them a little more passionate themselves for their pains, by which I mean a little more alive, a little wiser, a little more beautiful, a little more open and understanding, in short a little more human." - Frederick Buechner

"Your job isn't to find these ideas, but to recognize them when they show up." - Stephen King

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you." - Maya Angelou

 "Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer." - Barbara Kingsolver

"If something inside of you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. So you must risk placing real emotion at the center of your work. Write straight into the emotional center of things. Write toward vulnerability. Risk being unliked. Tell the truth as you understand it. If you're a writer, you have a moral obligation to do this." - Anne Lamott

That's all for today, friends. Have a beautiful weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well

10 (Wednesday) Favorites: It's Prime Day!

 

Hello and Happy Hump Day from Florida! Steve has a business trip this week, so I decided to tag along and call it a "writer's retreat". So this is where I've been sitting and trying to come up with words since yesterday. That's the Tampa Bay right out there and a beautiful sunrise this morning. 

Yesterday, I wrote so many sentences about emotions and grief and parenting and Jesus, so I thought I'd come in today with some unimportant words and some retail therapy to help me take a break from feeling my feelings. Just stuff them all down for a bit. Cool?

If you've been under a rock and haven't heard, it's Amazon Prime Day time. There are 7 million and one people telling you their favorite picks, so why not add number 7 million and two? Let's go.

1.

 This Cool Life luggage set that I got for Christmas last year makes me so happy. It comes in lots of colors and the 4 piece set is only $169.00 today. This is where I would like to point out to you that Steve pleaded with me to only bring a carry-on on this four day trip, so I sacrificed all the shoes that I usually bring on a trip and stuffed everything into one bag. I can't remember the last time I accomplished a feat so daunting. I'll accept your congratulations. Thanks.

2.

My favorite Glamorous Wash Diva detergent that is stupid-expensive for a detergent, but makes your pjs and sheets and towels smell like heaven's laundry room is 30% off today. GO!

3.

Ok, admittedly I've never used Grande Lash Serum. I used one for awhile that was really great but costs five times as much as this one. YIKES. Then I used another cheaper one for awhile and recently there was a recall on it. DOUBLE YIKES. I've heard good things about Grande Lash and it's 30% off today, so I'm going for it.

4.

My Amazon history tells me I've purchased the Lumene CC Cream five times. I'm not stopping now. I love this stuff. It's not too heavy and still provides great coverage. It's not all that expensive to begin with, but it's 23% off today, so I'm stocking up.

5.

Y'all. I'll never stop talking about this BAGSMART toiletry bag. I don't even think there's a special deal on it, but I'm still listing it because I was just hanging it up in my hotel bathroom and it's so great. So many of my friends have mentioned they purchased it and love it. It holds everything you can imagine to take on trips with you and you know your girl has A LOT of products. I have the medium and it comes in a bunch of colors. 

6.

I bought this dress in green in the spring and I love it. It's on sale and comes in every color you can imagine. I think it would be so cute for a college football game in your team's color this fall with sneakers or cowboy boots. 

7.

I must have seen this striped color block sweatshirt a bazillion times over the past six months and I never bought it. I have iron will, as you know. But now it's 27% off and I might grab it. So many cute colors and I've seen it in real life. It's good.

8.

Perhaps the Olympics can save us all from our anxiety about our flawed, but beautiful, amazing country. Let's all buy ourselves a giant USA sweatshirt that we can wear while we eat Ben & Jerry's on the couch and imagine that our cheers and helpful critiques will be heard by world class athletes across the globe, shall we?

9.

Drew stole my fan that I bought recently because he's working at a baseball camp this summer in a facility with no air conditioning. I'm fairly certain I will never see that fan again, so this one is only $13.00ish today. It's pink so maybe I'll be able to keep this one.

10.

I keep seeing these walking pads that apparently allow you to move your body while you're working on your laptop. I understand the concept and I get why it's important, but is this really something people are able to do? Since I've been writing so much this summer working on my book or devotional or collection of essays or whatever the heck it is, this seems like a great idea to allow me to work and not be stuck in my chair for hours at a time. I'm just not sure I'm coordinated enough for it. This is a massive deal though - 92% off - and it might be worth a shot. Please advise. Does anyone have one of these?

That's what I got for today! Happy Shopping, friends!!  See you on Friday if my fingers are still working enough to type.

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well

5 Friday Favorite: July 12, 2024

It's time for my Friday link up with  A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hello, from Rockwall, Texas where I'm tired and sweaty. My sister, Jill and I are here doing round 75 of packing up my parents' house. My mom was great at cleaning out her stuff. She was as far from a pack rat or a hoarder as you could get, but when you live somewhere for almost 20 years you accumulate some stuff. Shout out to all of you who have helped clear out your parents' homes and found at least four different china pattens passed down over the years that no consignment store in the whole wide world will take from you. Ditto for crystal and silver serving pieces. Also, please raise your hand if you found this china pattern in the depths of the cabinets. Did everyone's grandmom on the entire planet have the Franciscan Apples?  

I feel like my sister and I need to cook a pot roast and eat dinner on these before we leave. Then maybe we'll play Bridge and smoke a bunch of cigarettes. Here are some of my favorite things from the week that do not include six trips to Wal-Mart for more boxes and packing tape.

1. Aoudery Romper

Because of our packing all week and the fact that Texas is downright hateful in the summer, I need clothes that don't touch my skin. I can't get enough rompers, so I bought this one from Amazon just before I left. It is so comfortable and cute. Also, fun fact: I almost never wear pink, but have found myself drawn to it lately. A friend recently told me that pink is associated with unconditional love, nurturing and emotional healing. All things that remind me of my mom. So I got the pink romper to go with my pink Birkenstocks. If it brings any of "my mom vibes" to me, I'm all the way in.

2. Banana Republic Factory Tote

I came across this Vegan Leather Slouchy Tote from Banana Republic in the bone color and I think it's so pretty. I haven't seen it in real life nor do I need a new tote in real life, but in my fake life, I would buy this in a heartbeat. The bone and the black are 40% off.

3. KMBANGI Graphic Print Dress

It's possible that there is WAAAYYY too much going on here, but I think I might love this fun graphic print dress that I saw on another Park Lane Jewelry stylist on Instagram. It's only $13.98 so not sure the quality is all that great. At that price though, if you wear it once and decide it was a big mistake, it's not as big of a deal. It comes in a lot of other prints, which again might be way too much. The likelihood that I would actually have the confidence to wear this is close to zero, because I can't decide if this is awful or adorable. But I'm leaning adorable, so somebody go snag it.

4. Look up by Joy Oladokun

Jill introduced me to this song this week. She and her husband saw Joy Oladokun open for Jason Isbell at the Ryman in Nashville a couple of years ago. It's beautiful.

5. Thoughts on Grief and Recovery and A Community of Believers who bring  Heaven To Earth

As I mentioned last week, we had a great time with my dad when he visted us in Virginia for the 4th of July. The truth is I was  a little nervous. The past year and a half has been, of course, very, very, very difficult. On top of my grief at the loss of my mom, there has been shouldering the burden of my dad's grief and his advancing age and health. Gratefully, I have not shouldered it alone. My sister and brother and I have equally shared this and I will never be able to thank God enough for the fact that the three of us have consistently been on the same page and walked alongside each other through all of the changes. Our collective worry over my dad has perhaps delayed our comprehension of the full measure of the loss of our mom. Which means I don't look forward to what might be to come if the weight of her absence hits all at once. I suppose what I'm learning is that there is no pattern to grief. It comes and goes, following no rules or logic. 

Besides my sister and brother there are other people who have shouldered that burden of worry for my dad with me. People who have never met him. People from the ages of 35-94 who are members of my church family. Women and men. Grandmothers, mothers and daughters. Grandfathers, fathers and sons. Many who have grieved the loss of parents, children, siblings and friends. Many who have not. These people listened to me cry and struggle and complain over the past 16 months. They have held my hands and patted my back. They have hugged me and given me a reassuring nod from across the table. They have hit their knees and they have folded their hands and they have written my name and my dad's name in their prayer journals. They have petitioned the Lord for me when I could not find the words to say to Him. They have held me in their hearts. And I knew this on some level, but it really wasn't until last Sunday that it really sunk in.

Steve and I took my Dad to church before we left for Lake Anna. Some of my Bible Study friends knew to expect him. As we entered the church doors my friend, Sam, greeted my dad with the biggest smile and a hearty, "Welcome to Virginia!" The greeters, who include my friend, Lori, sit at a table at the entrance of the Narthex and create name tags every single week. As people walk in the door, they ask their names and give them a tag to wear during the service. We didn't even have time to tell them my dad's name. They saw us approaching and when I looked at the table, there was his name tag right next to mine and Steve's; "CHARLIE" written in bold letters, as if to say, "We knew you were coming. We planned for your arrival. We're ready for you."

We got there early. Dad walks slower these days so I wanted there to be plenty of time. The choir of which many of my friends are members were rehearsing. As their practice stopped, they could have remained at the front of the sanctuary in the choir loft and waited for the service to begin. But they didn't. My friends streamed down the aisle to our seats  to meet my dad before the service. One after the other after the other, they hugged him and shook his hands. Tiana and Carole and Bob and Brenda and Katie and Ginger and Jaime and Ann and Tracy. The list goes on and on. Their eyes sparkled with excitement and they welcomed him as if there was a celebrity in their midst. 

My dad has had a miraculous recovery of sorts since the 1st anniversary of my mom's death came and went a few months ago. We are stunned at this turn around. His outlook is brighter. His appetite is back. His humor is restored. His essence is lighter. We cry at times and we struggle. Her absence is immense. But it seems somehow, that there is finally light where it was so painfully, utterly dark for so many months. This change has been remarkably abrupt considering how chaotic and painful this exhausting year of anxiety, and despair has been. It has been so drastic, in fact, that I've mentioned to numerous friends that "it's like magic".

But this is the thing. I don't believe in magic. I believe in Jesus. I believe in prayer. I believe in the beautiful, faithful, persistence of my church community who lined up ten people deep to meet a brother in Christ who they knew had been in crisis even though they had never laid eyes on him. I believe in God's Kingdom people who loved me so much that they spoke my name, my dad's name, my sister's and brother's name over and over in their prayers for over a year to the Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief. They remembered that our Savior is not a high priest unable to sympathize with our suffering, but One who wept and grieved and asked His Father to take away His own suffering, just as I have over and over and over again in the past 16 months. 

I've wondered what heaven might be like a lot over my lifetime and especially since my mom died. Perhaps most Christians have. Will it be puffy clouds and angels strumming harps? Babbling brooks and blue skies and birds chirping? A long table set with a feast and all of the people I've loved and missed laughing together? Recently, I wrote that I hope our welcome to heaven might be exactly like when a baseball player who just hit it walk-off homerun is greeted at home plate by his team and a crowd of cheering fans. The possibilties are endless.

As I watched my friends greet my dad with smiles and handshakes and absolute joy, I thought, "Well, maybe it will be exactly like this." A great cloud of witnesses who have borne your pain and sorrow will line up to await your arrival. They will shift on their feet in impatience like a child waiting to board a roller coaster at DisneyWorld. Their eyes will sparkle and their smiles will shine. They will barely be able to contain their excitement. 

"Welcome!" they will shout. "You've been in our hearts for so long. We've been waiting for you. Preparing for you. We are delighted to finally see you. Everything is going to be better now."

My friends brought heaven to earth for a bit this week and I was reminded that sometimes we don't have to wait to experience what it might be like. Sometimes as Psalm 27:13 tells us "we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

Have a beautiful weekend, friends.

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well

5 Friday Favorites: July 5, 2024

It's time for my Friday link up with  A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. I am at Lake Anna - the lone girl with ten guys and two male dogs. We're having a big time, as my grandmom would say. Here are some other favorites from the week.

1. Quest BBQ Protein Chips

Since I've got two college athletes living with me this summer there is a big focus in this house on weight lifting, hitting, pitching and catching drills, and eating all the protein in the whole wide world. What is interesting is I have found that perimenopausal women and 19 year old baseball players have some of the same health goals. Who woulda thunk it? While you will not see me trying to throw a 95 mile per hour fast ball or hit one, I am trying to prioritize weight lifting and protein. So the boys and I have been really into these Quest Protein Chips and we agree that the BBQ flavor is the best. There are 19 grams of protein in one little bag and they are amazing. Granted these shouldn't be our main focus for protein, but man cannot live on grilled chicken alone.

2. Towel Bands

I've had nary a care in the world at Lake Anna this week. EXCEPT there was the absolute tragedy that my towel would not stay put on my chair while I was trying to relax on the dock.

I know. #firstworldproblem, but I found these towel bands that hold your towel still. Whew. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit when their towels get all bunched up on their vacations.

3. Striped Wide Leg Pants

It's possible that I will never wear pants with a button and a zipper again in my live-long life. I'm not sure if I should be sad about this new development or not, but it is what it is. I haven't made this purchase (yet) so I can't vouche for the quality, but goodness, are these striped wide leg pants cute. They come in this blue/white, green/white, red/white and blue/yellow stripes.

4. Pink Skies by Zach Bryan

This new song from Zach Bryan is so beautiful. My goodness, can that guy write a song or what?

5. Pink Skies at Lake Anna

I don't often feel my mom's presence. I suppose it's because I keep myself so distracted. To feel her presence without really seeing her face is still too painful to process. I'd rather imagine she's on vacation some where for awhile. At Lake Anna it's easier to feel her whether I want to or not. She loved it here and Zach Bryan's Pink Skies lyrics came to me so many times this week. She would have loved being with Dad and Steve and all the boys and their friends this week. 

Yes, Mom, they do got a lot of young blood left in 'em and plenty of nights under pink skies you taught them to enjoy. 

We miss you.

Have a blessed weekend, friends. I wish you many pink skies.

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.

5 Friday Favorites: June 28, 2024

It's time for my Friday link up with  A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hello, everyone! Whew, Lawd, has it been a week in the baseball world. In the last several days I think baseball has taken up even more of my brain space than it usually does. And that, my friends, is sayin' something. This week was a DOOZY in Skinner World. 

Of course, we loved watching the College World Series final and celebrated big when Tennessee won in a three game series that was FIRE, as the kids say. Then quicker than anyone could believe it, the whole college baseball world basically flipped the heck out when news came that Texas A&M's coach was coming to Austin to take over the Longhorns mere hours after the Aggies had returned from their historic run for the Championship in Omaha. This was my reaction which you might recall was the same reaction that I had when we beat Alabama in football. Absolute utter shock and awe with a side of cautious delight.

My family text chain blew up. The Twitter-verse went absolutely bananas. I locked into every sports radio show on the planet for about 24 hours and listened to every word of Coach Schloss's press conference in Austin. The truth is that I had some real conflicting feelings about the whole thing. I was thrilled to have such a skilled coach take over for my beloved Longhorns, but felt pretty icky about how it went down. As much as I joke about the rivalry with Texas A&M, I feel sick for the A&M players. What a gut punch to lose the coach who took you to the championship the day you get back. And to top it off to lose him to your rival school. It's heartbreaking and while I know that college baseball is a business, blah, blah, blah, it seems like the timing was as bad as it could be. At the same time, I'm pretty dang fired up about the future of my team. And also, I kinda have a bad taste in my mouth. And also, "TAKE US TO OMAHA, COACH!!"

What I'm saying is the amount of mental and emotional energy that I spent thinking about coaches, athletic directors, alumni boosters, and baseball players WHO I DO NOT KNOW IN REAL LIFE was perhaps unreasonable. Do I have a life?

So now, I will get back to my own business and concern myself with my own real life people. This week we get to fill up some of the rooms in the house that have been empty since Joe and Kyle moved away. Yesterday we added an extra baseball bro to the house for awhile. One of Drew's besties and former teammates, Ryan, arrived straight off the heels of his own trip to the College World Series as a pitcher for NC State. He'll be living with us for awhile while he trains here. When he got here, I asked about eleventy million questions about the CWS and immediately put the shirt he brought me from Omaha on right over what I was wearing. Bless his heart, I'm gonna wear the kid out in the first 24 hours.

Also, I am so excited because my dad is coming tomorrow to visit for a week and Joe and Kyle get to come home for the 4th. 

Y'all, there will be three generations of testosterone running through this house. Not a girl to be seen for miles. This is the life I know. It's the one the Lord has given me and I love it so much it makes me weep and also makes me a little bit insane. So if you want to send me a scented candle, a chick flick recommendation and a glass of wine, it probably wouldn't hurt.

Here are some of my favorite things from this week.

1. It Wasn't Roaring, It was Weeping by Lisa Jo Baker

I have followed Lisa Jo Baker for years and have always enjoyed her writing. I just finished this memoir about her upbringing in South Africa during Apartheid, the loss of her mother to cancer and the complicated relationship she had with her father. I read parts of it and also listened on Audible. When I heard the last chapter last night, I had tears streaming down my face. This is a stunningly beautiful and heartbreaking story of reconciliation, forgiveness, family and redemption. I cannot recommend this book more highly.

2. Norwex Illuminating Oil

Y'all know I'm a sucker for a skincare product. So much so, that I'm not great about checking ingredients to be sure that what I'm putting on my face is free of chemicals and bad stuff. Recently my friend, Ginger, introduced me to Norwex Skincare. Norwex creates clean and safe products that are better for our health and the planet. Right now the Illuminating Oil from Norwex is my favorite product I own. Since our good friend, Peri-menopause, has shown up, my skin has become incredibly dry and most of my friends are saying the same thing. The stuff is magic. It's made from "plant-derived vitamins and antioxidants and key Nordic Superfood ingredients". Do I know what that means? No, but I do know this: it smells great and makes my super dry skin feel amazing even the morning after I put it on.

3. Ice Globe Rolling Facial Massagers

Ginger also introduced me to these rotating ice globe facial massagers, but Norwex doesn't carry them anymore so I hopped over to the trusty ol' Amazon. I found these things . I haven't ordered them yet, but as I'm sitting here watching the presidential debate, I'm wishing that I had one. You put them in the freezer and then roll the cooling globes over your face and neck. Apparently, they are great for reducing dark circles, depuffing and calming tension headaches that may or may not be caused when two jokers who are vying to run your country start arguing about who's a better golfer. Please excuse me while I ADD TO CART. I mean, I won the 50 yard dash at Field Day in the 3rd grade. I think I'll run for president. Help us, Jesus.  

4. THE BEAR IS BACK!!!

Steve was out of town when they released Season 3 of The Bear so I was forbidden to start it yet. I saw this Yes, Chef hat the other day and it made me even more excited for the season to start. I cannot wait. I love that show so much and I'm terribly concerned about Carmie being stuck in the fridge. I'm so claustrophobic that I can barely think about it without needing a Xanax. Ritchie, GET HIM OUT!

5. The Boys of Summer

Theeey'rrrreeee back . . .welcome home, College boys. 

Have a great weekend, friends and a very happy 4th of July. I gotta get to Costco and buy out the place.

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