It’s one of the best days of the week – it’s Friday once again! This week has felt so very long y’all… Having said that, onward to this week’s Five on Friday!

One. Monday Malaise – I had rather grand plans to start doing my work out(s) at 6:00 in the morning on the weekdays this week…and Monday I dove into that with gusto. Monday afternoon at work I started to absolutely drag and while coffee helped, it only lasted about thirty minutes before things went progressively downhill. I ended up leaving work at 4:00 (picked up by my Momma) and when I left I couldn’t get my arms and legs to work, I felt like I was going to pass out…it was not a good feeling.

I have absolutely no clue what the deal was but I was left with no energy for the next 24 hours and just felt positively wretched. I should mention that I’ve dealt with migraines before and I had an insane headache all day Monday as well – so maybe that was the culprit? I don’t know – but I know Monday was rough and made the day…and the week as well…seem insanely long.

Two. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – If you have not heard about this movie, based on the best selling book from 2008…I am here to make it known to you! Look past the interesting title and watch this movie! I cannot tell you enough how absolutely wonderful this movie was – it is just perfection!

This movie is on Netflix and clocks in at about two hours but you will not realize that two hours have passed because the story is compelling, the casting is sublime and the whole thing is just beyond enjoyable. Go watch it!

Three. Crazy Rich Asians – I have so been looking forward to seeing this movie and I am going this weekend! So excited! I read the book a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it…when I found it was becoming a movie, I was immediately on board and it finally came out on Wednesday!

I’ll be watching the movie at our local Alamo Drafthouse and they have a special menu just for Crazy Rich Asians – and I plan to take advantage of it! I can’t decide whether I’ll be sampling The Orchard Road or The Wet Market…but I will definitely be getting Mahjohg Cookies!

Four. Outlander Season Four – Finally…at last, at long last…yesterday Outlander announced that the fourth season will premiere on November 4th! When the fourth season premieres it will have been almost a full year – what is with all the shows I love having such long breaks between seasons? (I’m looking at you Game of Thrones)…

That means there are 79 days until Jamie, Claire and the rest of the cast are gracing our television sets once more. The Droughtlander will be over in (barely) less than 80 days – and if that’s not reason enough to rejoice, I don’t know what is.

Five. Weekend Plans – I’ve already mentioned one portion of my weekend, but I’ll elaborate a bit further, how does that sound? I’m not entirely sure what my Friday evening holds but I know there will be dinner out somewhere… that’s almost always a guarantee of any Friday evening at this season of my life. There may be some watching of Outlander, since I’ve introduced my Mom to the show… who knows? I plan to just relax!

I’ll be sleeping in on Saturday and then in the afternoon, my friend Danielle and I are making our way to DC to get some refreshment at Ice Cream Jubilee and then onward to Nationals Park for Game of Thrones Night – where we’ll hopefully snag one of those little figurines and maybe (fingers crossed) the Nationals will win the game? Then it’s church and the movies on Sunday and probably a little more relaxing… I think the weekends are just never quite long enough. *sigh*

My little sun worshiper – just taking in the rays this morning on the deck and living his best life.

A friend this morning just sent me the song “Manic Monday” and it couldn’t be more true. I say that – it hasn’t actually been all that hectic but there is just something about each and every Monday that makes it seem a bit manic. Today dawned early but not so bright because there was a thick layer of fog hovering over everything – the sun eventually broke through but now the rain (a near constant this summer) is starting as I type this.

My weekend got off to a bit of a later start than usual, en email situation at work meant that I wasn’t out the door right at 5:00 but by 5:30 I was on my way out the door to meet up with my family for an outdoor concert, food trucks and perusing the gardens of the Glen Burnie House.

The Glen Burnie House is part of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and currently has an exhibit that features Lego sculptures throughout the gardens. As part of the evening’s activities, you could stroll the gardens into the evening and view all the Lego sculptures. I took plenty of pictures…of course!

I have toured the house and gardens once before – but obviously the Lego sculptures were not in place then. I’d hoped it wouldn’t be quite as warm doing the exploring this time around but with the late exit from work, I didn’t have time to change and so I ended up walking around the gardens in jeans and I was a sweaty mess by the time we finished our walk! Blegh. Is anyone else thoroughly ready for Fall???

There were food trucks parked in a circle, providing all manner of delicious eats but because it was so warm outside, I had to stick with the simple convenience of getting a Chick Fil A sandwich. It just seemed like the easier option – and it came with a chocolate chip cookie, so there is no way that wasn’t the best choice. In my humble opinion.

The meal was good (who doesn’t love Chick Fil A – right?) and the music was excellent – the group was called Soul Expressions and they were fabulous. They encouraged everyone to dance and I was in stitches watching some people “movin and shakin” to the music…especially one woman who’d probably visited the hard cider booth one too many times. It was a fun and unique way to spend a Friday night and I’m so glad I took the time to go meet up with my family and enjoy some gardens, Legos and a little night music.

I passed the rest of Friday night watching a portion of Horrible Bosses (that movie is never not funny…) and finishing up Crazy Rich Asians before turning in for the night. I enjoyed sleeping in on Saturday and enjoying my coffee before getting ready for the day. Saturday was the day of the movies – I saw Christopher Robin around lunch time, interspersed the afternoon with some shopping, watching baseball and lounging around before heading back to the theater to see The Spy Who Dumped Me around dinner time.

I got much too excited about spotting Christmas decorations being put out in Hobby Lobby – I just can’t help but get excited though; September through December have always been my favorite months of the year. There is just something about the arrival of Autumn, the change in the weather and the onslaught of holidays – Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas – each one unique and different and filled with excitement all it’s own. My friend Danielle and I sipped Cotton Candy Martinis before laughing more than I’ve laughed in a good while at a movie – The Spy Who Dumped Me was absolutely hilarious and a great way to end my Saturday.

Sunday was a slow day – which is always nice. After church we had a less than stellar meal at The Green Turtle..it wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible, you know how those meals go. After lunch my Mom cut some roses for the house and Watson was very interested in the bright blooms we’d brought indoors…he took some time to stop and smell the roses, as it were.

I took a very short afternoon nap and then watched The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on Netflix – a movie I would definitely recommend to anyone and everyone! The story was touching and everyone played their part to perfection! I did the usual Sunday afternoon things – prepared for the week ahead, did some reading, a little walking around the neighborhood with the dog – all good things. After my traditional Sunday evening meal of pizza and a bubble bath, I watched some Nationals baseball, watched the new episode of Sharp Objects and brought the weekend to a close.

I think Watson’s face accurately represents how I feel on Sunday afternoon when I think about Monday coming… the Sunday Scaries are real y’all. But hey, at least we’ve almost survived Monday – right?

One. Chicken Tacos – I cooked last night and had another Pinterest winner (although sadly I have no picture) that was easy and delicious. Easy and delicious are two of my favorite things when it comes to cooking on weeknights, ha-ha! You simply place chicken breasts, one jar of salsa and one packet of taco seasoning in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, then shred the chicken and serve with your favorite taco night sides.

The chicken comes out tender and juicy and so very flavorful! It is perfect for tacos or burrito bowls or honestly just eating alone – it is just so yummy!

Two. Night at the Museum – I’m actually not talking about the movie, ha-ha! The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is having an event tonight that will allow for touring the museum, house and gardens and hearing some local musicians perform. There will also be numerous food trucks on the grounds for purchasing supper – so that should be fun!

I have toured the house and grounds before and they are lovely – but this time there is a bit of an addition – large Lego sculptures throughout the grounds! I’m looking forward to touring the gardens again, perusing the options the food trucks offer and seeing the Lego sculptures!

Three. Prayers for Charlotte – A sweet friend I’ve made through blogging is going through what has to be one of the most heartbreaking scenarios a parent can face – on August 3rd her daughter Charlotte was diagnosed with Leukodystrophy, a disease that is rare, incurable and terminal. The family are trying to seek the best medical care they can, while navigating the grief that comes with such a diagnosis.

The family covet your prayers at this time and if you’d like to help, there are some ways that you can provide support for April and her family at this time.

• Donate to the GoFundMe page that has been set up for the family to help with uncovered medical expenses, meals and more.
• Gift the family a postmates e-gift card (to: robsonfamilyhelp@gmail.com) for a hot meal delivered to their doorstep
• Pray over this sweet family y’all – prayer is so powerful and this sweet family covets your prayers over their lives as they navigate this new normal.

You can also follow April on Instagram @charlottesjoy if you’d like to keep up with Charlotte’s story; April wants to focus on bringing Charlotte’s life joy as they are on this journey. Please refrain from contacting April directly. If you’d like to reach out with help, questions or messages they can be sent to robsonfamilyhelp@gmail.com

Four. Media Round Up – A few of the things I’ve been enjoying in my free time recently include the riveting HBO miniseries Sharp Objects, starring Amy Adams, Chris Messina and Patricia Clarkson and based on the equally interesting book of the same name by Gillian Flynn. I’ve been reading Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (for a second time) in anticipation of the movie’s release on the 15th and I’m planning to follow it up with China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems, the two other books in the series.

I’ve been listening to Stuff You Missed in History Class on the ride to and from work each day, with some tunes from Mamma Mia, The Greatest Showman, Westworld and more mixed in for good measure. And I’ve got tickets to see Christopher Robin tomorrow afternoon and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it… I’d love to squeeze in seeing The Spy Who Dumped Me too…but we’ll see how the weekend plays out.

Five. Friday Funny – Lin Manuel Miranda posted a hilarious picture of his wife on Twitter yesterday and I just cannot help but be absolutely tickled by it because…well…same. Ha-ha! If only those henges worked like they did for Claire, I’d have found my very own Jamie already…right?

Who am I kidding? I’d never make it in 1700’s Scotland – not even with a man like Jamie Fraser – but’s it fun to dream!

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

That’s all I’ve got for this week ya’ll – hope you have a lovely weekend and it doesn’t fly by in a blink!

Just some cuddly puppy doggy shots – one where he might be winking at me, I haven’t quite decided yet.

It’s Tuesday and I’m finally putting up some pictures from the weekend – that alone should be a testament to the fact that everything about the past weekend didn’t go as planned, but honestly – it’s just because I never really had time yesterday.

Aspects of the past weekend didn’t go as planned though – that much is true. I left work early on Friday and the family headed into DC under an indeterminate sky for a baseball game! Our journey to Nationals Park went smoothly enough, we arrived right before the gates opened and secured Anthony Rendon bobble heads – win!

And then – in what can only be an ironic twist of fate (since I posted a picture almost identical to the above on Friday…), once we got up to the third deck and found a picnic table, the skies opened up and the rain began to pour. Thankfully we’d all gotten our supper of choice and our picnic table was under the cover of the concourse, so we ate our dinner and held on to our coveted seats out of the rain.

It rained for about 45 minutes and then the clouds parted, the sun came out and everything seemed like it was all going to work out just fine. We grabbed napkins to wipe off our seats and made our way toward our section of the stadium, stopping along the way to grab a long coveted but never purchased Nationals helmet filled with ice cream. And I made my way down the stairs to our seat, I heard an audible weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth…

That’s right – at 6:50, just a short 15 minutes before the game was set to begin – it was postponed due to rain that was still to come. *sigh* So, we finished our ice cream on the concourse and then joined the throngs of irritable fans back out of the gates and onto the Metro. Essentially, we rode the Metro into DC on Friday night to have dinner at Nationals Park. Y’all know I love Nationals Park – but I can get a burger and fries pretty much anywhere and honestly (sorry…) it’s probably going to be better.

Surprisingly, we were back home by 9:30 and I suppose that calling the game for rain was a good move – we met the rain moving into DC as the metro made it back to Vienna Fairfax and it continued to pour for the rest of the night.

Saturday was filled with doing a lot – and not a lot – if that makes any sense. I became the proud owner of my parent’s gorgeous bedroom furniture and moving that stuff was no joke! I’m still feeling the pain days later from lugging the furniture – but my bedroom looks extra splendid now! My parents also pulled out old pictures from my younger years to frame and hang.. behold, pictures from my youth.

I did a lot of the furniture reorganizing and general cleaning out and removing of things that I decided I did not need anymore…as one does… There was a break for some perfectly delightful oreo and mint chocolate chip swirl ice cream – hallelujah!

My bedroom is done is gray and yellow but when I get this ice cream, I feel like I need to re-do my bedroom in gray and aqua/mint green because this ice cream not only tastes delicious but it inspires me, ha-ha!

I didn’t do much this weekend – and so there you have it. My weekend recap, a day late and about well…not much beyond moving furniture, getting bitten by some type of bug (my ankle did swell a bit…) and not getting to watch a Nationals game. C’est la vie – there’s always next weekend, right?

One. Broccoli & Bacon Baked Chicken – I’ve got a quick and easy recipe for you; I made this earlier this week and it turned out delicious! It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal!

The Finished Product

Before the Oven

• chicken breast/chicken tenderloins
• one bag frozen broccoli
• real bacon bits
• shredded mozzarella & Parmesan cheese
• olive oil
• Season All

Preheat the oven to 400 and place your chicken into a cooking dish. Top with a little olive oil and Season All, then layer frozen broccoli over the top of the chicken and go ahead and sprinkle Season All on top! Cover with bacon bits, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken).

The chicken and broccoli were so flavorful and delicious and it was really easy to put together and cook – definitely adding this to a rotation, ha-ha!

Two. Oh the Baseball – We have tickets to a Nationals game tonight and I’m excited (as always) to spend my Friday evening at Nationals Park and cheer on my favorite team. They’re having something of a mediocre season but there are bright spots here and ther and tonight they’re giving away an Anthony Rendon bobble head – y’all know I have to add to my collection! Granted, the weather is forecasting rain, so who knows how the evening will play out? Either way – go Nationals!

It’s rained a LOT this baseball season y’all. A LOT.

Three. Rose Petals are Confusing… – but my dog is cute! Wednesday evening brought some really crazy rain; it didn’t last long but the wind whipped and the rain was absolutely driving, it was wild. Our neighbor’s seem to have lost petals off their rose bush because Watson and I discovered bright reddish pink petals scattered all through the yard on our walk last night… and well, Watson wasn’t really sure what you do with rose petals…

He couldn’t decide if he should eat it, sniff it or wear it as a hat, ha-ha! Okay – the hat was all my idea and he wasn’t really interested in being quite so fashion forward. He’s such a mess. And just so you know – he didn’t eat the rose petal, just gave it an experimental lick.

Four. So Many Movies – There are a lot of movies coming out this month that I’m really excited to see! Christopher Robin and The Spy Who Dumped Me both come out today…although I don’t think I’ll be getting to the theater to see either one this weekend. When I first saw the trailer for The Meg, I was only barely intrigued but then between watching Shark Week and a friend’s offer to see it in IMAX, I was hooked. No pun intended. And I’m probably most excited about Crazy Rich Asians – I read the book about two years ago and the previews for the movie look amazing!

Are there any movies you’re looking forward to seeing as summer winds to a close?

Five. It’s Funny Because It’s True – Oh man, the struggle to get myself back on the wagon has been real you guy! For almost a full year I was committed to exercising and eating everything in moderation and then after my grandmother passed away unexpectedly in early February, I just fell off the wagon and I have not found the motivation to get back on!

I know that I feel better when I’m exercising consistently and eating healthier foods, but the lure of lying on the couch and eating ice cream has just been so strong! I’m going to try to switch back to healthy mode on Monday – I’m sure my body will appreciate that I’m making a conscious decision to better myself – and I’d rather not gain back what I’ve lost so far! Wish me luck!

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

I hope everyone has a good weekend! Fingers crossed I don’t spend my Friday night hanging out on the concourse at Nationals Park and hoping the rain passes… *sigh*