Slow-down Saturday

 

Today is starting out as a nice, lazy kind of day.  And it’s looking to end on a wonderful note as well.

 

I’ve been up and been doing some planning for our next trip, as well as some dreaming about future trips.  I enjoy this kind of planning/dreaming almost as much as actually taking the trip.  There are so many beautiful places that we’d like to visit … but the allure of the SE Atlantic coast is just so strong … when it comes time to actually take a trip, we always head that direction. 

 

I’m going to get in a little quilting today … I haven’t picked up a needle and thread in quite a while, and it will be nice to get in a little stitching today.

 

And right now, the plan is to head over to DD’s later this evening to watch the Ts so Mama and Daddy can have a night out, just the two of them.  Now that is what I call a win-win situation!  ;-)

 

Hope your Saturday is full of your favorite things!

A Little of This and a Little of That

Yes, friends, it’s a little more randomness here at Empty Nest but Full Heart.  But that pretty much sums up my life … a series of random happenings.  Nothing earth-shattering, but it’s still my life … and a good one at that.  

I added “Feedjit” to my blog, and I have to say that I find it interesting to see where everyone’s from.  What’s more surprising is that there have been readers stopping by from areas not all that far from me … a town about 35 minutes south of here and another town about 90 minutes east of here. 

I took the dogs outside and “furminated” them last night.  Anyone else use the “Furminator”?  It’s a blessing … especially for the heavily-coated golden retriever (although I don’t usually have enough time to really do her justice).  We usually give her a summer cut late spring, but it’s already starting to grow out.  As hot as it’s been (you didn’t think I would pass up putting something weather-related in this post, did you?), I’m contemplating getting her another one.  They trim up and thin out … so by the time it starts to get cold, her coat will be fully grown out again.

T#3 turns 4 on Wednesday; because DSIL’s sister is in town from the Chattanooga area this week, DD is going to have his birthday party this evening … at least the family party.  I can’t wait!

The watermelon I cut up the other day is almost gone … ok, I do love watermelon, but this was a smaller one.  DH is running errands and has agreed to stop and pick up another.  It just isn’t summertime without watermelon!  Just hoping that I don’t have any bloodshed with this one either.  ;-)

I’m in the process of recording all my log-ins and passwords in a spreadsheet.  It’s slow going.  It seems like you’ve got to log in to most everything any more … or maybe I just do more online … and they all have different requirements.    

Tomorrow looks to be a quiet day … a good day for quilting.     

Thursday randomness

 

Confession time:  I’m a weather geek.  Is that someone that happens to the best of us as we age … or is it just the latent meteorologist in me coming out?  I mentioned earlier yesterday morning that we’ve had a HOT July so far … I heard on the news last night that we’ve had 7 days of 100-degree weather and 12 consecutive days under an excessive heat warning.  Which got me to wondering – just what is an excessive heat warning? 

An Excessive Heat Warning is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States within 12 hours of the the heat index reaching one of two criteria levels. A warning will be issued if there is a heat index of at least 105°F for more than 3 hours per day for 2 consecutive days, or if the heat index is greater than 115°F for any period of time.

  And if that’s not enough, the forecast for the next week is for more of the same (even with a slight possibility of rain over the weekend).

 

I cut up a watermelon last night … and didn’t cut a finger!  Woo hoo!

 

Good news!  I’m a winner!  Cheri over at Maintaining My Piece hosted a giveaway of some embellishment goodies … and I won!  Now, I’ll be honest, I’ve never embellished anything … so all of this is going to be a new frontier.  But the fabrics she sent are all lovely and so full of possibility.  See for yourself:

You should be able to click on it (I hope) to see a larger picture.  Thanks, Cheri!  And when you’re done here, why not head on over to Cheri’s blog.  Her latest post features a GORGEOUS plaid string quilt that has certainly prompted me to add a similar quilt to my ever-growing list of quilts I need to make! 

 

I’ve got to remember to stop and get some wrapping paper tomorrow.  T#3’s birthday party (he’s turning 4!!) will be Friday evening. 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

It’s Wednesday again, and that means that it’s time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge.  Yay!  If you want to join in or see what others’ answers are, just click on the link above.

 

1. July is National Ice Cream month...your favorite flavor? Soft served, hand dipped, or frozen yogurt...which do you prefer? And technically yogurt is not ice cream but its hot outside so I'll let that slide for today.

Frozen custard … served soft.  Preferably from the local frozen custard stand here in town.  My favorite treat there is called the “crunch” … it’s a concrete made with vanilla frozen custard, chocolate flavored krispies, hard shell chocolate bits.  I am not a fan of the ultra-rich, ultra-decadent ice cream treats … the “crunch” is just enough to suit me.

 

2. When you travel do you tend to pack too much or too little?

We’ve been traveling long/often enough that you’d think that I have how much to pack down to a science.  And we do pack significantly less than we used to.  But I still pack with the thought of “what if” in the back of my mind … so I still pack more than what we need/use.  I don’t sweat it as much as I used to because we drive everywhere, so what’s one more suitcase in the back of the car?  ;-) 

 

3. What's your favorite cleaning product?

Household cleaning?  Facial/body cleaning?  Other than the Magic Eraser, I don’t know that I have a favorite or preference on any kind of cleaning product.  Or at least not one that comes to mind right now.

 

4. Which is the greater tragedy-an innocent person imprisoned or a guilty person set free? Explain.

Wow, you’re really making us think this morning, Joyce!  I guess if I had to choose one, I’d choose the innocent person imprisoned … if only because with a guilty person set free, there’s a very real possibility that he/she will commit more crimes, likely harming many other innocent people.  All I can say is that I’m glad that this is a decision that I do not have to make. 

 

5. What's the longest trip you've taken by car?

This past March, we drove to Deerfield Beach, FL then to Key West and then back home.  2813 miles, 46 hours total driving time.  We spent a few days in the Deerfield Beach area to take in a Spring Training game and see some sights, so trip down was broken up enough that it didn’t feel any longer than our usual trips.  But that trip back … it was a long one (1433 miles 23:30 hours).  We want to go back to Key West some day, and when we do, we’ll definitely plan a stop along the way to break up the return home.  

 

6. tennis-golf-canoeing-biking...pick one.

Biking … by a landslide.  And as soon as this hot weather leaves, I’ll get back out on that bike.  Our county has over 100 miles of bike trails, and there’s one about a half mile from our house.  Unfortunately, we have to travel a fairly busy road with a very narrow shoulder, so we pack our bikes onto our bike carrier and drive to a parking lot at the bike trail access.  It’s a bit of an inconvenience, and I miss being able to bike straight from the house to the trail (like we could at our old house) … but we enjoy biking enough to deal with it.

 

7. What sound drives you crazy?

I love dogs, but those little yippy dogs who bark incessantly … those drive me crazy.  We used to have a neighbor who had two of them … they’d let them out at 5:30 every morning (and leave them out), and those dogs would bark, bark, bark … and the neighbors just ignored them (even after we asked them – more than once – to please not let their dogs sit outside and bark at that time of day).       

 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Yep, it’s hot here.  For 19 of the 26 days so far in July, we’ve had 90+ temperatures (most of them 95 or higher, with heat indices of over 105) … with 95+ degree days forecast for the remainder of the month.  And we haven’t had a drop of rain in over a month now.   

Monday, Monday …

 

This Monday morning isn’t finding me “cryin’ all of the time”.  ;-)  (For you younguns, Monday, Monday was a song by the Mamas and the Papas from back in the day.)

 

Why, you ask?  Because I got a good night’s sleep last night.  Eventually the lack of sleep catches up with my brain and I get a good night’s sleep.  Which doesn’t bode well for tonight.  ;-)  Thanks to everyone for the advice on the melatonin … I’ll definitely stop and pick some up this afternoon.  It’s amazing how much difference a good night’s sleep makes in my attitude, in my spirit, in my patience. 

 

We didn’t get any of the rain forecast for yesterday.  :-(  We sure could use it … things are getting kinda crispy out in the yard.  :-( 

 

T#2 has a softball game this evening.  Time with DD and the Ts … the perfect antidote to a sad morning (the funeral for my friend from work).

 

I have to confess that I’ve gotten lazy with meal preparation now that I’m back to work (temporarily).  I’m getting into a rut and need to find some new recipes to add to my repertoire … I’m getting tired of preparing (and eating) the same meals.  If anyone has any “go-to” recipes that they’d like to share, I’d love to give them a try.

Sunday Afternoon Randomness

It’s been windy and alternating between cloudy and sunny.  The temperature has dropped … it’s still hot, but it’s a far cry from the mid 90’s we saw on our way home from church this morning.  We’re supposed to have rain today, but so far it’s been going all around us.  We haven’t had rain in 6 weeks, so we could definitely use some. 

Something has been digging in our landscaping mulch again … this time, whatever it is has gotten serious … digging deeper, bigger “holes” … exposing parts of the roots of some of my plants.  <grrrr>

T#1’s team lost the first round of the playoffs/tournament last night.  They just were not hitting … I don’t know if it was the stress from having strikes called (during the regular season, they only call strikes on swings and misses), from falling behind early in the game, the heat or what.  They had several injuries, including 3 players (of whom T#1 was one) who had to leave the field for a time.  Sure, it would have been wonderful to see them advance … but they had a pretty good “regular season” and hopefully had a good time playing.

I was chopping a watermelon yesterday afternoon and sliced into my pinkie finger (fleshy part of the tip and middle parts).  It wasn’t a deep cut … but it did bleed quite a bit.  The worst part of it was that the watermelon wasn’t very good at all. 

Am I the only one who’s had times where I felt left out, like chopped liver … even though I know that’s not the case? 

T#3 is the one with the double ear infections this time … and from DD’s report, T#4 isn’t far behind from a similar diagnosis.  Those poor little ones.  T#4 is getting a referral to a pediatric ENT … hopefully they’ll be able to get this resolved.

Tomorrow is the funeral for my friend from work. 

This lying in bed for 2-3 hours before I can fall asleep is getting old.  It’s like my mind just won’t stop working … it’s not like I’m laying awake worrying … I just can’t stop thinking about whatever comes to my mind.  I don’t want to take any medical sleep aids if I can help it (if for no other reason than I get up early enough in the morning that by the time I realize that I need to take something, I’m not going to have the 7-8 hours they recommend).  DD’s previous pediatrician recommended melatonin for the Ts … wonder if that will work for Nana, too?

Thankful Thursday

It’s Thursday, and as you may know, I make it my practice to take the time to be intentionally thankful on Thursday.  That doesn’t mean that I am not thankful on the other 6 days of the week, but Thursday is the day that I make a concerted effort to express my thankfulness.

I’m thankful for:

• a good report from the ophthalmologist for my dad; he was diagnosed with glaucoma and has lost some vision in one eye.  Thankfully, his medicines are helping to keep the glaucoma under control.

• getting to spend some time in the pool this afternoon with DD, the Ts and DSIL’s mom.  We swam in the indoor pool thankfully (it would have been just way too hot to be outdoors – even in the pool).

• fresh homegrown produce … watermelon, sweet corn, cantelopes, green beans, peaches.  Yummy!  I could make a meal out of that!

• air conditioning.  With temperatures around 100 and heat indices of 115 plus, our air conditioner is getting quite a workout. 

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

I have a favor to ask from you all.  A co-worker was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer not more than a month ago.  Yesterday, her lungs collapsed and were filling with fluid, she’s been moved to ICU, she’s heavily sedated and on a ventilator … if it weren’t for the machines, she’d be gone.  Her son was in Africa on a college assignment and has gotten a flight back home … he should be arriving today.  I’m praying that she will hang on long enough for him to be able to have some time with his mom, and if you could join me, I would appreciate it.   Thanks.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Once again it’s Wednesday and time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge.  And thankfully so because the blog fodder well, she’s gone dry.  ;-)  After you’re done reading, if you want to join in the fun or just see what others had to say, just click on the button above.

 

1. July 20th marks the anniversary of the first time man stood on the moon. Flash forward 42 years to July 8, 2011 which marked the start of the final Space Shuttle mission. Should we continue to explore space? Should nations devote more or fewer of their resources to exploring space? Would you want to go into space if the opportunity arose?

To be honest I just am not sure if continuing space exploration given the budgetary constraints our country’s facing right now makes good fiscal sense.  And no, I don’t think I would want to go into space … I don’t like flying here on earth, so I can’t imagine that I’d enjoy/appreciate flying into outer space.

 

2. What are three things in your freezer?

Chicken breasts, Sister Schubert rolls, and fudgesicles (for the Ts).

 

3. If you could see any band/artist perform live tonite who would it be? It has to be someone living...no Beatles, Elvis, etc.

Chris Tomlin.  It’s like a huge worship session.

 

4. Ice-cubed or crushed? Or are you one of those people who don't like ice?

I prefer cubes … #1 they won’t melt quite as quickly so my drink doesn’t get as diluted as it might with crushed ice.  #2 I hate having to try to filter the crushed ice out when taking a drink with crushed ice.

 

5. The owner of a small restaurant outside of Pittsburgh recently announced he was banning children under six, saying they regularly disrupted other customer's meals. You can read the story in more detail here but isn't this a perfect topic to discuss in our Wednesday Hodgepodge? Have at it friends...what are your thoughts?

It is disrupting when you’re dining out and the parents at the table next to you won’t/can’t keep their children well-behaved. 

 

6. What was your first car? How did it come to be yours?

When I turned 16, my dad bought a 1963 Chevy Nova for me (and my sister who turned 16 the next year).  The first car I owned/bought myself was a brand new 1972 Oldsmobile (I forget the model).  I thought it was official: I was an adult because I bought a new car.

 

7. If I had a nickel for every time I _________________ I'd be rich.

had to wipe the kitchen counter.  DH is a sweetie and has been doing a good bit of the cooking on the days I’ve worked, but he has a blind eye towards mess in the kitchen.  And I have to admit that I am a bit OCD about a clean kitchen counter.  ;-)

 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It’s been hot here, folks.  Above 90 most every day since July 1.  And there doesn’t appear to be any relief in the near future.

An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for most of the area until Saturday evening...

Today and Thursday: Mostly sunny...excessive heat with highs from 97-103 each afternoon.  Heat indices from 106-118 during the afternoon and evening.

Tonight and Thursday Night: Mostly clear and quite warm.  Lows in the low to mid 80s.

Friday: Partly cloudy...excessive heat with highs near 100. each afternoon.  Heat indices from 105-115 during the afternoon and evening.

And it’s not just here in south-central Illinois … it’s hot everywhere!  I hope y’all are staying cool.  Pray for those who have to work outside in this heat. 

Contradiction

con·tra·dic·tion

   [kon-truh-dik-shuhn] noun
1. the act of contradicting; gainsaying or opposition.
2. assertion of the contrary or opposite; denial.
3. a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous.
4. Nana
 
Yes, I’m a living definition of a contradiction. 
 
I feel like the days are flying by … I just want to shout “slow down!!"  And yet I find myself wishing the time would pass more quickly so we could get to mid-September so we could leave on our next trip.
 
I enjoy interacting with my co-workers and the extra income that this temporary position provides.  And yet I miss the luxury of full-time retirement and being able to do whatever I want whenever I want.
 
I enjoy the peace and quiet of my empty nest.  And yet I miss the hugs, the laughter, the endless questions, and even the squabbles of the Ts … it’s just too quiet here.
 
I’m painfully shy and quite uncomfortable in large groups.  And yet when I’m with family or very close friends, I’m confident and outgoing.
 
I love my family, my life here on this earth.  And yet I long for a better place.
 
I seek God’s will and His guidance.  And yet I all too often try to take control of my circumstances.
 
Yes, I’m a walking contradiction.   

Thankful Thursday

 

 

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action." W. J. Cameron

 

I do love to take the time to stop and think about how richly I’ve been blessed and to express my thankfulness.  I don’t have the time nor space to express everything for which I am thankful, but just a few that come immediately to mind are:

 

Time with the Ts.  I know I’ve listed this before … and will likely list it again.  T#2 and I baked cookies while the 2 littlest Ts were napping yesterday afternoon, and it was a precious time together. 

 

Relief from the heat.  We had several days of 100+ temperatures, with heat indices of 110-115.  The temperatures will be rising again (it is July in the Midwest, after all!), but I’m thankful for some respite from the summer heat.

 

Getting back to my normal routine.  I enjoyed the weekend with my sister, but it’s nice to get back into our normal routine.  Yes, I’m definitely a creature of habit.  ha!

 

A flexible work place.  DD called me at work late Tuesday morning and invited me to join her in a shopping trip.  I had scheduled myself to work the full day, but I couldn’t pass up an afternoon with DD & the Ts!  So I told my supervisor that I was going to take the afternoon off (and work this morning to make up the time).  If I was going to go back to work (even if just on a temporary assignment), I knew it had to be one where I’d have the flexibility to make my own schedule … and change it when I needed to (for a family emergency … or just a fun afternoon with DD).

The Weekend Wrap-up

What a weekend!  I don’t know about you, but I for one will be thrilled to go to work tomorrow … just to get some R&R.  ha!

Friday, I went to the zoo with my sister, her S.O., her grandson J, DD and the 4 Ts.  We saw bears, penguins & puffins (T#4’s FAVORITE!), gorillas & chimps, big cats (the lions were my great nephew’s favorite), zebras, donkeys (who got just a little too frisky for a G rating … I quickly steered the Ts away), and prairie dogs. We rode the carousel and zoo train.  We finished up the day at the water play area.

T#3 wondering where the water went. 

After we got home and had some dinner (burgers, brats and hot dogs cooked out on the grill), we got a phone call from a neighbor who’d seen the kids and wanted to know if we wanted to come over and swim in their pool.  It didn’t take more than a nano second to accept their sweet offer.  My sister and I joined the kid for some pool time … a wonderful ending to a good day.

Saturday we visited the Farmer’s Market (which unfortunately featured more crafts than produce).  My dad came down to go to T#1’s baseball game (he went 4 for 4, with 3 solid hits) and dinner after the game at DD’s.  They got their inflatable water slide out, and the kids had more water fun.

Today we went to St. Louis for the ballgame; we met DD & DSIL and T#1 & T#2.  The Cardinals won 4-2, and after the game, the kids got to run the bases.  T#1 and T#2 slid into home (which we found out – after the fact – was against the “rules”).  Whoa! was it HOT at the game, but we had a great time, so it was worth it. 

T#1, T#2 and J getting ready to run the bases.

My sister and crew will be leaving tomorrow morning; as much fun as I had, I have to say that it will be nice to get back to our regular routine, to a slower pace.  

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

The week isn’t complete without Wednesday … and Wednesday isn’t complete without the Hodgepodge!  Thanks, Joyce, for continuing to host this fun meme.  If you’d like to join in the fun, just click on the link below.

 

1. What is the most useful book in your house?

The Bible.  Followed by my recipe binder (does that count as a book?).

2. What's worse-being too hot or too cold?

I’m probably the only one who’s answering with too cold.  I’m “cold-natured” to begin with … I’m still waiting to be able to wear my nice summer clothes … it’s too cold in my office and too cold at church.  So I’m still wearing long pants, sweaters, etc. when I go anywhere indoors.  On top of that, I have Raynaud’s Phenomenon, so even cool weather can trigger a painful “attack”.  So while being too hot is definitely uncomfortable, I’d still rather be too hot than too cold.

 
3. Share something that made you smile this past weekend.

I’m unable to recall a specific time (I can scarcely remember what happened 5 minutes ago, let this past weekend), but since I saw the Ts on Sunday, I know that there was some serious smiling going on.

4. How do you like your hamburgers? Or don't you?

I do like hamburgers, but since I prefer mine on the medium rare side and restaurants insist on cooking them well past that point, I rarely have hamburgers any more.  If we cook burgers at home, I like them well-seasoned and unadorned so I can taste the meat.

5. What's your summer beach read? If it's not summer in your part of the world then tell us what book you're reading in front of the fire while sipping hot cocoa.

Since I won’t be hitting the beach until September, I’m not sure what I’ll be reading at the point.  I just finished a couple of Low Country novels by Dorothea Benton Frank and am getting ready to start Water for Elephants.

6. How was your birthday celebrated when you were a kid?

Very simply.  We’d have a birthday cake and presents, but that was about it. 

7. What's something that is totally uncool that you love anyway?

Hmmmm … I’m the epitome of “uncool”, but at this moment, I’m unable to think of anything.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’ve got busy days ahead … my sister is bringing her grandson down for a visit.  We’ll be going to the zoo on Friday, with DD & the Ts.  Saturday is liable to be the “quietest” day … my dad will come spend the day with all of us.  Sunday we’re going to the baseball game … the kids will get to run the bases down on the field after the game.  Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it!  ha!

The Weekend Wrap-up

 

 

Ok, so technically, the weekend ended last night … but with today being a holiday, we all know that means that the weekend is really ending tonight … thus, the weekend wrap-up tonight.

 

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a weekend as laid back as this weekend.  The most work we did this weekend was to mow the lawn Saturday morning before it got hot.  I didn’t even have to cook this weekend, other than homegrown corn on the cob to go with the steaks that DH grilled for dinner tonight and some sauteed zucchini to go with the baby back ribs DH grilled for dinner Saturday (we had leftovers for Sunday evening, too).

 

We “almost” had free fireworks Saturday and Sunday evening … we could see a little bit of some, just barely over the tops of the houses to the south of us.  We watched for a while Saturday evening, but our golden retriever was just too stressed so we went back inside. 

 

I also took advantage of the slow weekend to get a good bit of quilting done.   

 

Most everyone plans busy holiday weekends, but it was nice to have a quiet, restful weekend with a busy week/weekend coming up. 

 

I received this in an email from a friend; I think that there’s a life lesson in here for all of us:

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood,

The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

"That laundry is not very clean", she said.  "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."

And so it is with life … what we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

 

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3-4

 

Wishing you a blessed Independence Day

 

 

I saw this on Mary’s blog and loved it so much that I had to share it (and when you’re done here, why not go over and check out Mary’s blog … I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I do).

 

"The American flag does not fly because the wind moves past it. The American flag flies from the last breath of each military member who has died protecting it. American soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them...they fight because they love what's behind them."

 

Whether your Independence Day is full of fun, family, and food or whether it’s going to be a quiet, restful day, don’t forget to take the time to remember the real reason why we celebrate Independence Day.

Comments

What blogger doesn’t love getting comments?  One of the blessings of blogging is the interaction … and sometimes the interaction can continue beyond the one comment. 

Since Blogger doesn’t have the in-thread commenting (like Wordpress), I reply to comments and questions via email … except when the comments come in from noreply-comment@blogger.com.  I can’t tell you the number of times when I’ve had a nice email response all composed and ready to send … and realize that it’s going to go to noreply-comment@blogger.com. 

It’s so easy to remedy if you wish:  just go to your dashboard, click on edit profile, check the box to show email address and then save profile. 

Friday’s Fave Five

Susanne hosts the opportunity for us to share 5 of our favorite things from the past week. 

It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, great internet finds, etc., etc.

I like the idea of slowing down long enough to look back and reflect on the last several days and remembering some special blessings.  If you do too, head on over to http://susannesspace.blogspot.com/ and join in.

1. Finding a new recipe.  I’ve been trying to make healthier eating choices lately, and part of that has been a desire to add more fish to our menu.  I found a good recipe for Lemon Garlic Tilapia … DH declared it to be a winner.  I mentioned it yesterday, and some of you asked for the recipe so here it is:

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
  
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  
• pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
   
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
   
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
   
4. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 30 minutes.

2. Homegrown corn on the cob.  Nothing says summer to me like fresh, homegrown corn on the cob.  And the local sweet corn is in.  Yummy!

3. Being able to open the windows.  Ok, it was only a couple of days, but oh it felt so wonderful to feel the fresh air.  We’re back to summer for the weekend … temperatures into the upper 90’s and heat indices of 105 or more.

4. A day spent with DD and the Ts.  We didn’t do anything special, but those days are just as much a blessing to me. 

5. Being able to get a little more quilting done.  Hand quilting is a slow process, and factor in plenty of busyness with everyday life, it’s even slower.  So it’s always a blessing when I can find a few hours to sit and quilt.