COFFEE CHAT: THE INTERNET IS BACK!

Welcome to another Coffee Chat, and now I am savoring a smoothly working Internet!  After the rain, I thought it was over for good…and then went to the AT&T app, where I chatted with a helper and got it back!  So much better when there is a way fix it, other than just hoping for its return.

• I had forgotten about the app, but desperation brought it to me.  Imagine having something at my fingertips that could restore my favorite computer tool.
• Monday I had coffee with a friend.  We returned to one of our favorite haunts, Barnes & Noble, and it was great to be surrounded by books while sipping coffee.
• I am reading Where the Crawdads Sing, and I’m loving it so far.  I had seen and enjoyed the Netflix movie.
• Last night, I watched some of my streaming shows on my TV, and I must admit that I love curling up on the couch to enjoy them.  I watched Still Alice again…and then I saw Tully for the first time.  I was quite caught up in both of these films:  one I had seen before, and the other one was new to me.

 

• When I finally went to bed, I felt relaxed enough to fall asleep.  Many nights I toss and turn!

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What has your week brought to you?

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COFFEE CHAT: STUFFED…

As I sipped my coffee this morning, I happily remembered the goodies of the past two days. Two Thanksgiving dinners! One on Wednesday night and the other on Thursday. I spent Wednesday night with my daughter’s in-laws and Thursday with old friends from years ago. I brought home leftovers, of course.

• Before the Wednesday dinner, I went to my daughter’s salon for a hair styling:

• This week, I have read and reviewed one book so far: The Rewind, by Allison Winn Scotch.
• Today I have done some cleaning, ordered groceries, and picked up Amazon purchases from my front steps.  Now I am watching a movie, my first “Christmas” one called The Noel Diary, starring Justin Hartley.  I loved him in This Is Us...and a soap opera a while back, too. A heart warming story that is pulling me in.  My first Christmas movie!

My favorite movies for the season are those that feature actors and actresses I have enjoyed…and the story has to be one that tugs at my heartstrings.

Now…I am sipping a glass of wine as I finish the movie.

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What has your week brought you?

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COFFEE CHAT: A GREAT WEEK…

Welcome to another Coffee Chat, during which we share tidbits about the week and hopes for the future.  Some election results are good right now, although we have a ways to go.  I like how an issue prompted by a negative Supreme Court ruling has turned some things around.

Now….let’s take a look at what lies ahead in our bookish lives.  After switching between a couple of books, I have landed on She’s Gone, by David Bell, which I’m enjoying so far. 

Earlier in the week, I read and reviewed The Prisoner, by B. A. Paris, a captivating book.

We have had rain every day so far, which is okay, as we need it…but I waited all day to take out the trash, and then rushed out when the rain seemed to be slowing down.  Not fun!

When my eldest son was here, we set up some of my streaming services on my TV…but one was missing.  I searched around the settings and discovered that I could activate it via an app…and now I have Hulu on my TV, too!  Happily I watched some shows there yesterday.  My TV screen is bigger than my laptop, so I felt blissful.

It is fun to curl up on my couch, too, instead of my computer chair.  Although the chair is pretty comfortable, too.

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What has your week brought you?  Enjoy!

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COFFEE CHAT: A RAINY DAY…

Good morning, and join me for some coffee on this rainy day.  In fact, yesterday was also filled with raindrops.  Just what I love in November.

As you can see, the umbrella is down, no longer useful against the sun’s rays, and not really needed in the rain, either.

• I woke up early, made some coffee, looked out at the raindrops…and settled down on my laptop to follow posts and create images that tell me what my world looks like these days.
• Then I watched a favorite soap that now shows on Peacock:  Days of Our Lives.  I do love finding it early in the morning.  I hope that it doesn’t “go away” like other soaps that left the networks for the Internet, like One Life To Live and All My Children did…way back in 2011, after they were cancelled on ABC.  Hopefully that will not be the case here, as I really like accessing shows online.
• Today I plan to continue my reading of The Girlfriend, by K. L. Slater.  So far, I am captivated by the story and characters.
• In the evenings I have been viewing Hallmark shows online, like Back When We Were Grownups and Breathing Lessons.  I also love the Hallmark mysteries:  Garage Sale Mysteries, Darrow & Darrow, and Aurora Teagarden. 

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Today has been another lazy day, hanging out in my PJs…and I might even take a nap later.  What does your Thursday look like?

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COFFEE CHAT: BIRTHDAY COUNTDOWN…

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Now that my birthday is in my rear view mirror, I am picking up the pieces of celebration and savoring the memories.  It all started in September with my eldest son’s visit from Prague, and continued through this week, culminating with a fabulous dinner out at Flemings, a great restaurant in town.  One I have never actually visited before. I loved the delicious items on the menu. and brought home leftovers.

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I have been so spoiled throughout this celebratory period, and feel just a tad guilty about making the birthday linger for more than a month.  But now I can move on…and enjoy the everyday events in my life.  Like books.  

I am currently reading Big Shot, by Julie Mulhern, whose Country Club Murder series has been a favorite.  Earlier in the week, I read and reviewed The Nursery, by Sue Watson.

Today I am actually luxuriating in laziness, still in my PJs and trying not to plan much of anything.

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What does your week look like?

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COFFEE CHAT: BACK TO MY ROUTINES…

After the departure of my visitors, I have tried to find peace in my routines again.  So far, so good.  My packages continue to arrive from Amazon and I send off for my grocery deliveries as usual.  I am slowly resuming my reading and viewing. Yesterday, I went out to breakfast at Mimi’s with a friend.  Originally, we planned a trip to Barnes & Noble, but sadly, it wasn’t open yet.  I enjoyed a slice of this quiche.

One of my deliveries this week was a cute mug from Amazon:  a Queen Elizabeth one that now rests on my Baker’s Rack.

I am currently reading a new book from Jodi Picoult:  Mad Honey.

On Amazon Prime, I found a sequel to the movie The Firm, that reveals what happens after the original one.  It has some compelling moments.

Also, this week and last, I am savoring one of my favorite soaps on the streaming service Peacock, which means I can enjoy it any time of the day…and without any interruptions!

So…the routines are turning out to be a great filler for any empty hours without family!

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What was your week like?

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COFFEE CHAT: GOODBYE TO MY VISITORS…

What a great month this has been!  On September 7, my eldest son joined us here, and even though he visited others throughout the state, he spent most of his time in my little town.  We enjoyed dinners, outings, and time watching favorite movies on TV.  My son helped me set up my TV service to include my subscription shows by signing into them.  Who knew?  LOL

He flew home on Wednesday, but he had a few detours along the way as airlines did their thing by rerouting and cancelling.  Now he is back with his wife…and soaking his feet after standing in long lines along the way.

After he left my city, he flew to Las Vegas to spend time with my No. 2 son, and then fly to LAX the next day.  Here the two of them are, enjoying a drink at The Tilted Kilt, just off the Vegas strip.

And in Vegas, Craig poses before a sign:

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And here is the family photo at the monument at CSUF:

Now I have cleared my space and added a few changes. My son moved one of my chairs to the living room for comfort, and that works for me, too:

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What did your week look like? Enjoy October!

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COFFEE CHAT: A GREAT WEEKEND, ETC.

Welcome to an early Coffee Chat this week.  My  last week with family has added to the pleasures I had been anticipating.  We loved returning to the monument at CSUF for photos, and spending time eating, drinking, etc.  Then my eldest son came over and spent two nights on the Murphy bed, and during the days and evenings we watched Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime on my TV, since my son showed me how to sign into the actual TV to watch.  Much nicer than doing everything on the laptop.  We also used Uber Eats for a couple of nights so we could stay curled up in front of the TV.

Above is the family portrait at the sculptured monument, missing my youngest son who had a family scheduling conflict and couldn’t join us!  The others tried to replicate the original photo from 1979.  

After a day with the others, Craig and I joined Fiona at Mimi’s for a lovely dinner.

• Here is a view of my living room after I opened the Murphy bed for Craig’s use.

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Now my eldest son is at my daughter’s for a couple of nights…and we’ll all get together throughout the week for dinner, etc.

What has your week been like?

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COFFEE CHAT: A WEEKEND OF FAMILY…

Welcome to another Coffee Chat.  Today begins a weekend with family, some from out of town.  My eldest son arrived in LA from Prague on Wednesday, and he and my No. 2 son are headed this way…soon, I hope.  Below, the two sons after Craig’s arrival on the plane.

• This morning I have been doing a little cleaning and laundry, in preparation for guests.  I’m not sure who will actually stay here on my Murphy bed (below).  There has been some talk that the two older ones (above) might stay in a hotel.  Boo!

• Meanwhile, I have read and reviewed one book this week:  Daisy Darker, by Alice Feeney.
• Since it is Friday already, I probably won’t finish the one I’m currently reading:  The Shop on Royal Street, by Karen White.
• In other news, the death of Queen Elizabeth, who reigned for 70 years, took me back to how I saw her coronation on TV when I was a child!  Only two kids in my class had television sets back in 1953, so it was a great event.  Of course I am a big fan of The Crown, too, and can’t wait until a new season arrives.
• Yesterday I enjoyed seeing the first episode of The Good Fight’s Season Six, which will be the final one.  Sad.
• Last night I watched the movie Elvis on HBO Max.  Loved it!  Tom Hanks portrayed Colonel Tom Parker, and was impressive in the role.
• On Netflix, I viewed and enjoyed Devil in Ohio, which held me captive.  The ending made me hope there will be a second season!
• Since I have been glued to my Internet shows and movies, my reading has been slow again.  But I did love the book I finished.

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What has your week looked like?  What are you planning for the weekend?

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COFFEE CHAT: A BIRTHDAY OUTING…

Welcome to an earlier Coffee Chat for this week.  Yesterday my daughter and I went out for her birthday lunch, finally, and it was delicious and lots of fun:  we savored the food and cocktails while chatting about our lives, including planning for my eldest son’s visit to the states in September.  Apparently all of my kids will be gathering for this event, and combining the celebratory moments to include my birthday in October!  That was a surprise, and none of them had mentioned it to me yet, as they weren’t planning to let me in on it until later.  But my daughter couldn’t restrain herself, LOL.

• We had lunch at a place called The Point, which is a new one to me, but I will certainly return for more events!  Here is a photo of food and drink…and my daughter, too.  My lunch was a salmon sandwich, minus the bread, so basically a salad.  And Margaritas!  She had a lemon drop martini and something with steak.

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Here I am, looking relaxed, LOL:

• I’ve been reading The Housekeeper, by Joy Fielding, which I should finish today.
• Tomorrow I will finally go shopping for my sofa bed, thanks to my granddaughter having a day off.  My daughter is opposed to this purchase, as she thinks I don’t need it and that my place will be too crowded.  I reminded her that I am moving some things out of the space, but she was still adamant about it.  She is pretty bossy, lol, but I am ignoring her.  You would think she would be the one making the purchase!  She and I have never agreed on interior decorating.
• Luckily, I will be shopping with Fiona, who is a good one for this kind of activity.  She and I have similar tastes.

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That’s my week so far.  Today I am relaxing with my books, my computer, and, unfortunately, listening to the gardeners mowing and blowing leaves! 

When I came home yesterday, my Internet was out, which was frustrating, as the TV, iPhone, and laptop all operate with the Internet.  It took a while, but there were things I could do to get it back (involving pushing buttons and reentering passwords!)…and I finally did.  Whew!

Enjoy your week!

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