On the Road Again

Since my husband started flying with his current company, he doesn't have many (if any) overnights for work any more. I love having my pilot home every night! When he does get a trip that requires an overnight, and I have the opportunity to go, I do my best to tag alone. Travel is my middle name after all. {not really} I do like staying in hotels though.

My husband's recent overnight trip took him to Punta Gorda, Florida. He flew for a couple days. I watched a lot of television and read too.

Honestly, I find spending time in hotels enjoyable. It makes me feel like a guest in very large house when I stay in hotels. It's fun having everything you need in such a small space. Staying in a small hotel room is always a nice reminder that we don't need much to get by.

One nice thing about going away for a couple days is not cooking... at least for a couple of days. We ate our fair share of fast food, which my guts punished me for later. Eating fast food is fun for about two minutes, and then my insides immediately want to inflict harm on me. Then I remember how thankful I am that I don't have to eat fast food every single day.

breakfast on the road

Somehow we managed to get a room with a view. A Holiday Inn Express room with a view, we'll take it! Our room overlooked a small pond, and I even managed to spot an alligator swimming by during our stay. Obviously this wasn't a Gulf of Mexico view, but it was nicer than a parking lot view typical of most hotels.

What trip would be complete without a little birdwatching? We took a little drive down to Ponce de Leon Park one morning, and I spotted some royal terns. They're one of my favorite birds.

Our trip to Punta Gorda was short but fun. It's always nice to get away from routine every now and then. Plus we drove through some parts of Florida that we'd never seen before our trip.

Do you have any favorite short, but sweet, road trips near where you live?
What are you thoughts on staying in hotels?

The Beauty of a Bonfire

When I saw the theme for this week's Friday Fancies, I couldn't get help but get excited. Some of my most fond memories include sitting next to a roaring fire in our yard on Burt Lake in northern Michigan. Cooking s'mores on the fire was a summertime ritual, and the heat of a fire was the perfect complement to a cool Michigan summer night. I can almost hear the crackling of the fire now.

photo taken during my August visit to Michigan this past summer

I feel so blessed to have grown up in such a beautiful location. Growing up I most definitely took it for granted, but now I know what a rarity it is to experience such peaceful and thought provoking places. They surely don't come along every day. That is unless you're one of the few who is lucky enough to live in such a place. I hope you'll enjoy a bonfire for me.

Sitting next to a burning fire in the cool northern Michigan air will make you very thankful for warmth. It will remind you to slow down a little. It might also send you into deep thoughts where you may solve a world problem or two. Who knew that a little fire could make one feel so thankful.

Growing up in a small rural town with a lake as my backyard, I had no idea that people lived in suburbs and cities without fire pits to enjoy their very own fire on summer evenings. Living in a small apartment in the most densely populated county in Florida, I now understand how very special a roaring fire in the backyard truly is. I had no idea.

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... if I were sitting next to a fire in Michigan right now, I'd be wearing something like this ...

 vest  |  chambray top  |  jeans  |  shoes  |  hat 

Not only would I wear a comfortable layered outfit, I'd be eating plenty of s'mores too. No summertime fire is complete without eating at least one melted chocolate s'more for good measure. It might be a little cool outside, so a vest and warm hat or hood are a necessity. Stay warm out there!

happy friday

.... a song to end your week ....

go link up with

Thankful Thursday | Cookies for Breakfast

This time of year we're looking forward to the holidays, and there's plenty to be thankful for in our lives. Even though Thanksgiving only happens once a year, it's important to keep that spirit of thankfulness alive year round. Today I'm sharing some of the little everyday things I'm thankful for.

I enjoyed a homemade chocolate chip cookie and cup of coffee with pumpkin spice creamer for breakfast. Don't act like you haven't done it too. (:

The temperature high for today is somewhere in the 60s, and I'm ecstatic that our thermostat reads 74 degrees with the air conditioner set to the off position. I even busted out my favorite cozy mukluk slippers this morning! Cool weather is such a luxury.

The herb seeds I planted a few weeks ago are turning into tiny parsley, basil, and chive plants! I cannot wait until they grow big enough to use in my cooking. Plus, the little plants are reaching for the light, they go wherever it goes... I love that.

Just a few days ago I bought some yarn in gorgeous new colors, and I've been busy making bracelets. Maybe I'll get adventurous and find a new pattern to try too.

What are some things you're thankful for this Thursday?

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go visit Tara's blog A Brew of Blessings to read more about the spirit of thanks

My Husband aka The Grillmaster

Sometimes the most delicious and fulfilling meals are the simplest ones. The ones that don't require many ingredients but take more time just heating the coals than it does to cook the food. There's something so comforting about cooking food over hot flames. It almost makes you forget about the worries of life, if only for a little while.

nothing like a grilled bratwurst for dinner

My husband is king of the grill around here. I might be able to swing using a propane or electric grill, but the use of hot coals for cooking food is not atop my list of skills. I leave that one up to my husband. He's more comfortable using our charcoal chimney starter. It gets the coals hot quickly. The sooner we can devour our grilled food, the better.

my husband keeping an eye on the hot coals

We use a simple charcoal grill provided by our apartment complex, because we're not allowed to keep a grill on our screened-in balcony. If we had a propane grill on our balcony, we just might eat a lot more cheeseburgers. Maybe the rule against grills on balconies is a good thing after all, it keeps our bellies flatter. ;)

Do you like grilled food?

what's your favorite....

If you like spicy foods, give these caribbean kebabs a try!

Blueberry Wine... No Grapes Allowed

Thinking of wine most likely makes visions of vineyards and grapevines dance through your head. Common knowledge tells us that wine is made from grapes, but one of my favorite Florida wines is actually made from blueberries. No grapes allowed! This blueberry wine comes from Keel & Curley Winery in Plant City, Florida.

Keel and Curley does offer some fusion wines, which are a blend of grape-based wine and fruit juices, but my favorite is their semi-dry blueberry wine. It's a perfect refreshing drink for hot Florida days.

They offer winery tours and tastings at their Plant City winery.

I'm hoping to visit soon!

Have you ever heard of wine made from fruits other than grapes?

Now who wants to visit Florida

and tour this winery with me?!

Getting Crafty With It

Today I bought some yarn in various colors, some of which are fall inspired. I'm planning to make some friendship bracelets. It's been far too long! I think it was actually about a year ago that I made a number of bracelets at one time. Sometimes I go through craft spurts. Do you ever do that?

beautiful colors... I can't wait to make some bracelets!

Wandering the yarn aisles of my local Joann Fabrics had me itching to learn how to knit and crochet. I am scarf obsessed, and knowing how to make my own would be much more cost effective than buying. Not to mention, there's just about every color under the sun available in the yarn aisle. I'd love to get creative and whip up some of my own pieces from colors I choose.

Does anyone out there knit/crochet.... and how did you learn? They offer knitting and crochet classes at Joann Fabrics, so maybe I'll try and pop into one of those some day.

Has anyone ever taken any of the classes at Joann's or even Michaels?

Are they helpful for learning to knit/crochet?

Until then... I'll be making bracelets!