Monday Moments - Easter Weekend

Yea for Monday - Blow some bubbles.  So  - Easter Weekend 2025 at Kevin's.   Levi was the star. He's our great great at eighteen months. Ray gave all the kids bubble guns and Levi loved the bubbles.  So  fun, so cute

Then he explored everything on the patio.   It was a gorgeous afternoon in Texas.  Kevin and Maria grilled salmon. Chris fried up some Mahi-Mahi.   Oh, we feasted

 Still exploring. 

Dakota, age 7, is  just a cutie in  her princess fairy dress.  This was during the egg hunt. 

And all the grands - Dakota, Makyla, Abby with Levi, and  Skylar

Delightful  Easter Weekend.  I hope you and  yours had a good family time, peace, feast, chocolate bunnies, and more. 

Now, have  a good  week!

finally Friday - Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle is an endearing tale of being single, finding love, passion, truth, and a key question - what is true romantic love? 

cover blurb - Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it - the exact amount of time they will be together.  Three days with Martin in Paris, five weeks with Noah in San Francisco, and three months with Hugo. 

Now Hugo is her ex but a long time best friend.  Then along comes Jake and the paper  has no time frame.  So, what is really going  to happen?  Can she really commit?   And can she tell Jake the truth - some difficult information about her, her past, and her future?

I can't say more. This book has some twists and turns and surprises. Daphne is a very filled out rich character, and I rooted for her to make the right decisions. The author definitely pulls you in.  Fun read. 
 

Whatever Wednesday - Mosaic Tile fun

The City of Bedford is creating a community mural in a tree design. Encompassing the  design will be 300 mosaic tiles painted by Bedford residents.  Ray and I went to one of the paint locations and got in  on  the action.  My first tile I picked was for  the "Warm color" section  of the tree.  I used a flower stencil and expanded from there.  

My second design  came from the "blues" section  of the mural - more for  the sky surrounding the tree. I used a sponge for the background blues for some texture, and then whispered around a design. 

Ray stayed in the "blues" area, used a stencil, and colored in  from there.  It had to be 80% blues, 20% other colors. 

And another addition  to the "blues" from Ray.  

We enjoyed our hour of creativity, and it was fun  seeing how other people interpreted the assignment. Some stuck  with stencils, others did free hand designs.   It will be very interesting to see how this all pulls together into  a colorful tree. 

Look  for  community activities.  Free to do.  Fun!  and hey - it's your tax dollars at work for something  worthwhile - ART!  
 

Monday Moments - The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

 I perused the  library shelves and found an older  Jennifer Weiner book of short stories.  The Guy Not  Taken has some familiar  characters and some new  ones.  Weiner's trademark humor shines through this collection as we follow love and relationships over time.  

Marlie is home with her new baby. She finds her ex's online  wedding  registry and ponders the "what ifs" of life. What if  she  had wound up with this  guy?

Bruce from Weiner's  novel Good in Bed is drunk and ready  to steal a rat terrier. The bachelor party night  becomes complicated.   

Jessica Norton lists her wonderful New York apartment hoping to win her broker's heart. (Silly woman!)

In the  eleven stories, you meet folks who feel familiar. Some  could  be friends, some enemies, and most are muddling  along. The author explores the hidden  corners of our common  experiences. (cover  blurb).   Thumbs up on  poignancy and laughter - a good combo.  

Finally Friday - Color Popping

 Happy Friday!   I can only hope  that there is some wisteria just around the corner  from you.  On my walk, I  round the bend and this beauty stuns.  Bees buzz.   I inhale the  fragrance and appreciate the delicate blooms.  

Aaah - spring.   Bask in some  sunshine and enjoy your weekend. 

Whatever Wednesday - We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

 I bought this book for a dollar at our local  Bedford  library  book sale.  I did not realize it was  a YA book. Turned out to be a pleasant treat.  We Are All  Made of  Molecules by Susin Nielsen captures the  ups  and downs  of middle school perfectly.  

Stewart  is thirteen - brilliant but  clueless. He's been upgraded to  ninth grade, but kinda waiting  for  puberty to hit. His mom died and he and his dad have been hanging  in  there. 

Fourteen  year  old Ashley is the HOT Girl, but not the brightest bunny. Her father moved out, for reasons Ashley would rather not  advertise.  

To her mortification, her  mom and Stewart's dad are a couple and now Stewart is calling her his "sister" and lives in  her house.  And he's in the same grade.  And she could just die...

Every other chapter covers ninth grade life as per Stewart's viewpoint,  and then Ashley's.  It's funny and charming and poignant.  Reading it  as an adult, I could relive the absolute torture of ninth grade. Well done!

Happy Birthday Week, David

Happy Birthday (April 8th) to my baby brother, David. He's five years younger than me. 

Here's  David  with his wife Cherie on a Europe trip last year
 

David with a beer - cheers!

He's on the cusp of being a grandfather. His  daughter, Lisa, is  due in  April.   Not sure what name he's choosing. Our younger sister, Lori (on the right) likes to gig him with "Pappy"

Happy Birthday, David!