5 Friday Favorites: August 10, 2018

Happy Friday, Friends. 

It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, 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! Here are some of my favorite things from this week.

1. A Weekend at the Lake

We've been unable to get to Lake Anna this summer for various reasons, so I'm so excited to get some time there this weekend. We're taking four extra teenagers with us this time and I'm just beside myself with happiness about it. This bunch of guys who've been in and out of my house since they were about seven years old have the nerve to suddenly be rising seniors in high school this year. This is why I will continue to bribe them to hang around with us by buying out aisles 1-12 at the grocery store for the rest of this year. If 17 year old boys who have washboard abs and can still eat like this aren't living their best life, I don't know who is. I think we might need a U-Haul for all the grub.

2. Summer Reading

I've been writing quite a bit this summer and when I am doing that I tend to have to steer clear of reading non-fiction/memoir writing since I start feeling like the worst writer of all time and start thinking that everyone has already written everything I wanted to say and then end up in the fridge deciding that I should just eat some chocolate chip cookie dough for the rest of the day. In speaking with other writers, I find that I'm not alone in that crazy which is comforting, I suppose, but not as comforting as the cookie dough. This is not a healthy way to live.

Anyway, since I don't write fiction myself, this has been a great time for reading some of the new releases for summer.

I have read all of Emily Giffin's books, so I was really excited to see this book All We Ever Wanted had come out just in time for summer. It is definitely not my favorite of her books, but it is a quick read with timely subject matter - especially for those of us raising teenagers. Help us, Lord Jesus.

I've never read a Elin Hilderbrand novel, but it I heard Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy recommend  The Perfect Couple as good read for this summer. I'm *this* close to finishing it and I've enjoyed it - perfect for summertime.

So many people I know have been freaking out about The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Apparently, I'm one of the few people in all the land who haven't read her book, The Nightingale, so I'm planning to start this one this weekend while we're at the lake.

I'm also hoping to get to the new book by the writer of The Devil Wears Prada. It's called When Life Gives You Lululemons. What else could a girl want in a summer read?

3. Lauren Daigle's New Song

I heard Lauren Daigle interviewed a few weeks ago about her new song and they played it for the first time that day on the radio. I loved it so much and then I was sad because I didn't hear it again for weeks. It seems they just starting playing it across more stations this week and I love it so much. So now I'm not sad. What a beautiful song and an important message.

4. Last Chance U (Season 3)

Ok. I hesitate to add this to the favorites list, but I have to be honest because this show is so compelling to me. Joe and I busted through the new season in about a week. While I can't seem to turn away from it, I really can't with a good conscience recommend it without a major disclaimer about the language. Remember how I told you how much I loved the first and second seasons, but that the language was really, really bad? Well, the coach in the first two seasons looks like Mr. Rogers compared to the new coach in the 3rd season. Y'all. This guy. SO MANY WORDS. SO MANY. Still, this series is about way more than football and it is interesting and heartbreaking and I really like it.  Just be careful if you have little ears around your house or maybe just watch it on your ipad with earbuds. I might send that guy a Costco size box of soap so he can wash his mouth out. Goodness gracious.

5. Little League Baseball

especially our very own Loudoun South Little League
and the 1952 Longview Texas AllStars, of course

What? I'm into baseball? I know this is coming as a shock to you. If you are part of my community you could not have missed the amazing run that our Loudoun South All Star team had. They won the district, won the state, and then rolled all the way to the championship game at the Southeast Regional. They showed up on ESPN and there were watch parties and just a whole lot of freaking out by the fans in the 'hood.

It was just the most thrilling thing. These little boys - some teammates, some neighbors, some long time friends - were living out the dream of so many of our kids, our coaches, our dads and yes, our mamas. After we lost a heartbreaking championship to just barely miss going to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, a friend told me that someone had mentioned to her that she bet that the mamas were relieved and ready to come home, to which my friend, said, "Um. No ma'am."

I know those mamas and we are all the same. We would gladly give up every second of our summer to watch our boys advance and advance and advance again. It's a specific brand of crazy, but it's my brand of crazy.

I mean, I suppose, that some day I won't find Little League all that big of a deal. I'm sure I'll get over it.

Except, no, I won't.

We play travel and high school and lots of our friends will play college ball and I love it all. But Little League for many is about tradition and nostalgia. Your granddad might not have played college ball, but he very likely played Little League and it seems, at least by my estimation, that those memories don't fade.

Because besides all of the kids and the former Loudoun South players and coaches and moms and dads, there was a 78 year old granddad down in Texas watching every pitch of our Virginia team. He was texting me and even keeping me positive when I was getting worried.

"Don't give up." "A win will still be a win." "Not over yet." "We got em." "WOW. What a play."

I know what my daddy was thinking during that time. He was thinking about his grandsons' playing days, sure. He was thinking about when he coached my brother, sure. But I'm certain that he was thinking of all the memories of when he played for the Longview, Texas AllStar team in 1952. I'm sure he was remembering when they went to the Texas Little League state tournament "way down in San Antone", as he would say. And I'm sure his eyes were shining with the memories of playing ball with his buddies. As James Earl Jones said in Field of Dreams,

"Baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, it's part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good and that could be again."

Thank you, Loudoun South All-Stars for reminding us all - including the first baseball player I ever loved - of all that is good and that can be again with your incredible run. We are so proud of you.

PS. The shortstop. Top row, third from the left. His eyes are closed because I think he's dreaming big dreams. That's my daddy. The best 12 year old shortstop the state of Texas had ever seen. I'm sure of it. ;-)

Happy Weekend, Friends!