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It is Friday

Hi friends! This was one long week! I didn’t think we’d ever get to Friday. But we made it! Friday is here!! Fridays are casual Fridays here at Adulting – Second Half. On Friday, I list three favorite websites, songs, items, foods, etc. and I strongly encourage my readers to share their favorites in the Comments section. For more favorites, please check out previous Friday listings. Here are my favorites for today:

Chom-Chom – What can I say? Chom-Chom is the bomb-bomb! I love my Chom-Chom. We have two dark fabric couches that my dogs love to rub their backs on. They think that our couches are their own personal back scratchers/dry-you-off-rs (particularly for Ralphie, the ever swimming Labrador) I have never found a better pet hair remover than the simple, yet very effective Chom-Chom. I got mine on Amazon. By the way, isn’t it fun to say Chom-Chom?

Cherries – I bought my first cherries of the season just the other day, and despite buying pounds of them, they are almost already gone. A bowl of cherries in my house is almost as cherished as a bowl of Doritos. I LOVE cherries!!! I know that there is this old wives’ tale that says something about eating too many cherries will hurt your stomach, but that came from the same people who told you that swallowing a cherry pit would result in a tree sprouting in your gut. Ummm-hmmm. Keep eating as many cherries as you want, friends. You can’t get them all year round, unfortunately, so get ’em while they’re hot.

Schwan’s Food Delivery – I guess an upside to this whole corona mess, is that I have tried things that I have never tried before, and this includes Schwan’s food delivery service. I have found their Signature series fish (salmon and mahi-mahi) to be delicious and really nice-sized portions. When I can get my family to eat fish and even ask for more, you know that it is good stuff. The delivery people are very nice and come in that retro 1950s type refrigerated truck and they always wear masks.

Have a great weekend, friends!!! Let’s end with a giggle:

Just gonna put this out there now: nobody wants a 2020 “year in review” post (Betches – Instagram)

Alleluia, Friday!

Hi friends! Happy weekend!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! New readers, Fridays are light and on the surface here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I discuss three favorite items, songs, foods, etc. of mine and I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to the Comments section. Fridays are all about the material pleasures of life. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites.

Here are my favorites for today:

S.E. Rogie’s African Gospel – My husband turned me on to Sooliman E. Rogie and his uplifting, comforting music. He read an article about this very talented musician and my very old-fashioned iPod now has several S. E. Rogie songs downloaded on to it. I can’t stop playing this particular song, African Gospel. See this link:

Essentia Overachieving H2O – One of the hidden blessings of this coronavirus situation has been the long 8-10 mile bike rides my daughter and I have been taking together, about 3-4 times a week. It has really been a bonding experience for both of us. This has required me to seriously consider my hydration levels in my body. Recently, I bought this brand of water, out of curiosity. Is bottled water a form of snake oil? I don’t know, but I definitely feel like there is something special to this 9.5 pH water. It tastes like it has more “substance” than the usual tap or bottled water. Honestly, it’s a little bit “slimier” than other water, but in a really good way. But the best of it, is that I feel more hydrated for longer periods of time, when I drink it. Give it a try. It’s not inexpensive, but for times that you want to feel fully hydrated, I think this one’s the ticket.

Mason Jars – About a week ago, my family and I took a “field trip” to a local sunflower farm. They used mason jars for everything there. Mason Jars were the vases, the drinking glasses, the candy jars, etc. Sometimes, you need to be reminded of the every day items that you have around the house, and how lovely and useful these items can be. So dust off your Ball Wide Mouth mason jars and allow them to help you bring some comforting country charm, into your daily life.

840 Best Inspiring Memes images in 2020 | Inspirational quotes ...

Give Me Some Sugar

My friend texted this to our group chat this morning. I know that I typically go for funnier memes on my favorite day of the week, but I think that I have a little “PTSD” type thing going on, after making an early morning excursion to my grocery store. I never in a million years dreamed that I would have to “psych myself up” to make a trip to my own little neighborhood grocery store. Lately, I tend to get there once, every 7-10 days, whereas before, being a mother of a large brood, I often made a daily trip to our store (sometimes even twice daily). I had to wait outside of my store this morning around 7:55 a.m., probably about 20th in line, before it even opened. I was the last one to score some toilet paper. My hats off, once again, to the wonderful workers at the stores. The managers, the clerks, the bakers, and the baggers were so patient, courteous and kind. I asked if Publix was taking good care of them and they assured me that the company was doing right by them. Thank you, Publix.

New readers, I call Fridays, Favorite Things Friday. I don’t try to get too serious on Fridays, so I’ll try to keep with that light-hearted tradition, as we go through this truly surreal experience, together. Please look at previous Friday posts for more favorites. This week, I decided to start a weekly movie night with the family on Thursdays, while we are all quarantined together. I would have made ” Family Movie Night” a more frequent event, but the rest of the family seemed to think that once a week, is what works best. (Baby steps) Last night was the inaugural night and we watched a fascinating documentary. It is called Searching for Sugarman. It tells the story about an American musician named Rodriguez who became incredibly famous (more than even The Beatles or Elvis) in South Africa in the 1970s, without knowing it. It was a fascinating watch and even better, I discovered some new excellent music (and the lyrics are pure poetry) for my playlist. So here is my favorite new music. Give these tunes a listen (“I Wonder” is my ultimate favorite, second on the play list):

I’m also in the middle of reading a fascinating book. Ironically, it was also written by a South African. It is called The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life by Boyd Varty. I won’t get into a synopsis of the book. I think I’ll just take you into the weekend with my favorite quote from the book. The quote requires some rumination. Take care, dear friends. We’re in this together. Have a peaceful, fulfilling weekend. Here’s the quote:

“I don’t know where I’m going, but I know exactly how to get there.” – Boyd Varty

Friday, Squirrels, Turkey Chili

In truth, squirrels will never, ever make my Friday favorites list. Happy Friday, all. This has been my family’s first full week of major social distancing. We’ve only really gone out for groceries and medicine. We walk the dogs every night and it is heartening to see others walking their dogs, too, at a distance, of course. Last night, it was very quiet and serene, as not a lot of traffic passed through the streets. I said to my husband, it’s like being at a secluded campground. We both swore that we saw more stars than usual. It was extremely peaceful.

Readers, I typically list about three favorite products, books, websites, songs, etc. that make life a little bit more full of life on Fridays. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites. In my scramble to fill up our pantry, we have happened upon some new favorites, from a food perspective. Here are my Friday favorites:

Lance ToastChee Spicy Cheddar flavor – These are the best “Lance in your pants” yet. We all love these crackers so much that I’ve noticed packets of them “hidden” in far corners of our cabinets by various members of our family. Of course, I found the secreted ones, because I was trying to “hide” my coveted packages of ToastChee Spicy Cheddar, in the same spots in the cupboard, already taken by my other family members.

Aw Shit Big Cock Ranch spice – We bought this for my husband from a gift shop, as a joke, a few months ago. It even came in it’s own special package, a white bag with the words, “A Bag of Shit.” It was all in good fun. But interestingly, we’ve been adding it to everything that we eat lately and all I can say is, “The shit’s good!” For all of their delicious flavors go to Big Cock Ranch’s website: www.specialshit.com Even if not to buy, go to the website for laughs.

Hormel Turkey Chili with Beans – My husband and sons have eaten this canned stuff, more than once, for lunch. While we are all quarantined together, I’ve agreed to make the dinners, but for the other meals, it’s “every man for themselves,” otherwise known as “Fend For” in my household. This canned delicacy seems to be a favorite. I am not sure if it is about the ease or the taste, but overall, Hormel Turkey Chili is a good one to stock up on.

Stay well, friends!! Happy Friday!! Share in the Comments, any new food favorites you recommend. Recipes are welcome, too!!

The Spell of Friday

Hi friends and readers!! I’m ready for Friday. How about you? New readers, Fridays are dedicated to favorites here at Adulting – Second Half. Sometimes my favorites are songs or things or beauty products or food or whatever. I strongly encourage you to check out previous Friday postings for more favorites and please, please add your own favorites to the Comments section. Speaking of favorites, here’s a kindly reminder: McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes are back. They also have a Shamrock McFlurry this year. I can personally attest to the fact that both are delicious, as ever. No particular “things” are sticking out to me as favorites this week, so I’m just going to list some good words of wisdom, I pulled from my internet browsing and reading, this week:

“Difficult roads lead to beautiful places.” – f of f (Twitter)

“It’s okay if you don’t like me, cause not everyone has good taste.” – f of f (Twitter)

“You don’t have to change your life overnight, but try to add good things to each day.” – f of f (Twitter)

“Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.” – Tiffanie Seiler

“When you put someone on a pedestal, they will always look down on you.” – unknown

Effect – bring about a result. Affect – to make a difference. (good grammar tip)

“You can’t bring up my past to break me, that’s what made me.” – f of f (Twitter)

“Keep in mind that you don’t have to feel brave to do brave things. Brave is more of an action than a feeling anyway.” – Holiday Mathis

“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” – f of f (Twitter)

“True friends stab you in the front.” – Oscar Wilde

“Give a man a mask and he will show you his true face.” – Oscar Wilde (think internet trolls)

“I love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life.” – Darryl Worley

“Romantic love is a kind of spell. As anyone who has ever read a fairytale knows, spells have a way of being broken. That’s why it helps when you have many different kinds of love for the same person. The loyal love you feel for country and family; the compassion you feel for the young, old, or weak; the playful, competitive love that siblings and friends share_ if all these kinds of love are woven together in the same relationship, it can withstand the precarious ups and downs of romantic love and even out some of that drama.” – Holiday Mathis

Ana Rosa — In every sense of the word . . . . .

The Friday of My Life

Image result for friday memes with hearts

Happy Valentine’s Day!! Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! I hope that you will enjoy the day, no matter what your relationship status is, currently. Love abounds all around us, in all shapes and sizes, in all forms and mostly in the form of just being completely and fully alive. Love is what we are made of, so please make this Valentines Day all about celebrating Love. That’s all. Please just celebrate wonderful, beautiful, awe-inspiring, life-giving Love. Earlier this week, Think Smarter on Twitter posted a post that said, “Don’t tell anyone ‘I hate you’ directly – Say ‘You are the Monday of my life.’ ” I thought to myself, that could be made into a more positive statement. “Don’t tell anyone ‘I love you’ today, just say ‘You are the Friday of my life!’ ” Now that, my friends, is true love! Another good quote that I saw on Twitter today from FofF, “There are people you haven’t met yet who will love you.” Hold that truth close to your heart today. I love all of you. I cannot thank you enough for your support and validation. Please feel my love.

New readers, Fridays are reserved for favorites. Typically I list about three favorite things, songs, books, quotes, whatevers, etc. and I strongly encourage you to share your favorites in the Comments. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites I have shared. Today, I am going to be in “cheesy Valentine mode” and list some all-time favorite romantic quotes from great chick flicks. Hope you enjoy! Have a lovely day and a fabulous weekend!!

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.” ~ Moulin Rouge

“You had me at Hello.” ~ Jerry Maguire

“I wanted it to be you, I wanted it to be you so badly.” ~ You’ve Got Mail

“It doesn’t matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.” ~ Good Will Hunting

“You make me want to be a better man.” ~ As Good As It Gets

“I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floating around accidental—like on a breeze—but I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happening at the same time. I miss you, Jenny. If there’s anything you need, I won’t be far away.” ~ Forrest Gump

“It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together … and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home. .. only to no home I’d ever known … I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like … magic.” ~ Sleepless in Seattle

“You’re the first boy I ever kissed, Jake, and I want you to be the last.” ~ Sweet Home Alabama

“Listen to me, mister. You’re my knight in shining armor. Don’t you forget it.” ~ On Golden Pond

“So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day.” ~ The Notebook

“I wish I had done everything on earth with you” ~ The Great Gatsby

“I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” ~ When Harry Met Sally

And on a personal note, “Dear wonderful, amazing, incredible, awesome, kind, handsome, gorgeous, generous, smart, funny, athletic, dedicated, successful, husband, best friend, lover, life partner, father of our four beautiful children, love of my life ~ I am so incredibly grateful that you are the one I call My Valentine. Forever, I love you, with all of my heart!”

P.S. – Fortune for the day –“There is in the worst of fortune the best chances for a happy change.” – Euripedes

Love, Friday

Fortune of the day – “In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is acquired. In pursuit of wisdom, every day something is dropped.” – Lao Tzu

In case you are wondering how to say Lao Tzu, it sounds sort of like this, “Lout Za”. I always forget and I have to look it up all of the time. One of my absolute favorite features of the internet is the pronunciation videos.

Happy Friday, my dear friends! Happy Favorite Things Friday! New readers, Fridays are simple and on the surface. On Fridays, I list three favorites of mine and I encourage you to do the same in the Comments section. One can never have enough favorites. Please also check out previous Friday listings for more favorites that I have shared in the past. I’m sticking with my favorites!

Today’s favorites:

Viridian Bay – If you like interesting, eye candy objects in your garden, you will love this website. They have so many cool garden accent pieces, like statues, and wind chimes and lanterns. I think that their prices are pretty reasonable, too. Even if you are “just window shopping” the internet, Viridian Bay is a really nice, relaxing website to peruse.

Quaker Instant Grits – I love grits! One of my favorite dishes is shrimp and grits. (I also love Quaker instant oats.) I don’t think that the rest of my family are as nearly into grits, as I am. That’s why these individual packets are so great. I can get my grit fix and give the rest of the fam, the usual rice and/or potatoes. The jalapeno flavor absolutely pops! Get yourself a box, if you are hankering some southern comfort food, in an instant.

Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream – I read an article recently that stated a good eye cream must have peptides, in order to help soften the wrinkles and to tighten the crepey skin that comes with aging eyes. I purchased this cream on Amazon. It is reasonably priced and while I am not seeing miracles, I do like how it makes my skin feel. Until I find something better, this has become my daily go-to under eye cream.

Friday: Well, hello! I’m right here for you. Right here. Right now. We are going to really enjoy the day together. We’re going to laugh, we’re going to have fun and we are not going to take anything too seriously. Let me wrap you into my big, warm, comfortable arms and you just sit back and enjoy the ride!

Love, Friday

First Friday

“After ecstasy, the laundry.” – Zen saying

Welcome to the first Favorite Things Friday of the new year and of the new decade!!!! This is the first time, in probably a whole decade, that I am saying to myself, “Wow, I can’t believe that it is Friday already.” The buzz that I have been hearing around with my friends and neighbors, has been a lot of “craving structure” and “getting back to a sense of normalcy.” That is one of my favorite gifts that we get every single year from the holiday season – a true appreciation of our normal, every day lives. New readers, Fridays are fun and frivolous. I typically list three items, songs, websites, etc. that make my world pop. I encourage you to check out previous Friday posts for more favorites and as always, please share your own favorites in the Comments section. It is kind to share.

Here we go:

One Hundred Fortunes – The above quote is from this adorable tiny, beautifully wrapped package of One Hundred Fortunes. I picked today’s beautiful paper fortune, out of the pile randomly and I think that I am going to try to pick one fortune out and put it on to the blog post every day, until I run out. On Christmas Eve, my family and I, each drew our own fortune out of the pile. We took turns reading our fortunes and saying what we felt that the fortune meant to us or was saying about the world. It is one of my most favorite 2019 holiday memories. It felt so intimate and warm to really hear each other’s thoughts and feelings and perspectives. You can find this and other wonderful delights on the creator’s (Ingrid Goff-Maidoff) website: www.TendingJoy.com

The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse (by Charlie Mackesy) – This is Barnes and Noble’s “book of the year” and all you have to do is to flip through it, to understand why. The illustrations are so whimsical and enchanting. I read it to my family on Christmas Eve, as if they were all little children again, and we all lapped up the experience. (either that, or they are all great fakers ;)) The story has a timeless message and I know that our copy will stay in our family forever.

Deep Sleep Pillow Spray by thisworks – I wouldn’t put this stuff in the Tylenol PM category, but the beautiful, refreshing lavendar scent is a wonderfully dreamy way to fall into a nice, peaceful, blissful slumber. The scent whispers comfort and peace. I got mine on Anthropologie’s website.

I guess that I am feeling a little bit more serious and sentimental than I typically feel on Fridays. I suppose this may be because I am in a reflective mood, with it being the end of the year, the end of a decade, the end of our winter break and yet also, the sweet and exciting start to a new year, a new decade, and a new chapter, in all of our lives. The photo below is the last page of The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse. I think that it says what I am trying to convey, the best. Have a great weekend!!!

Brilliant! Friday!

Happy Friday, my brilliant readers and friends!! New readers, today is Favorite Things Friday. On Fridays, I list at least three of my favorite anythings and I strongly encourage you to share your favorites in the Comments section. Also, check out previous Friday posts for other good recommendations to make your life just a little more warm and snuggly . . . which segues me into describing one of my all-time favorites. I love my Poof! black, slinky, cozy, comfortable, comforting, cowl-neck sweater so much, that I bought three of them, so that I can wear one of them practically each and every morning, to take my daughter to school. (not sure how she feels about that, but hey, it’s not my pjs) This sweater just spoons against my body in just the perfect way. I could probably stretch the neck part of the sweater to fit my entire body, just by itself, if I wanted to, but that would make it look a body bag, which would take away from this sweater’s charm. I love it so much, that if I weren’t already married, I’d marry it (them). I’d marry my Poof! sweaters. Sorry, honey.

Okay today’s favorites:

Acupuncture – I made my first ever acupuncture appointment about a month ago, as a last ditch effort to get rid of a months long chronic eye twitch, before succumbing to a neurologist appointment, as suggested by my primary care doctor. A visit to two doctors plus an eye doctor, a bottle of tonic water, two different prescriptions for muscle relaxers, eye drops, eye spray, warm compresses, etc. The list goes on and on, and none of it worked. After just one session of acupuncture, I didn’t have an eye twitch for five hours straight and by three sessions, it was completely gone. I am so impressed and I have decided to make acupuncture part of my regular health regime. My health insurance even covers it, which is wise on their part, because I have cancelled the neurology appointment, which undoubtedly, would have involved expensive and stressful testing.

Prayer Box – I have a tiny little commercially made prayer box, which is very nice, but I just bought a bigger one, recently, at a local arts and crafts fair and I put my other little prayer box inside of that one. (As I have mentioned before, I worry and pray about just about everything.) I like prayer boxes because it forces me to write out what my concerns are, and then it makes me do the physical experience of leaving my troubles with God/Universe and getting on with my day. Plus, every once in a while I clean out my prayer box, and it never fails to amaze me, when I read about all of those things that were bothering me, that they have resolved themselves, sometimes not how I requested them to resolve, but usually in even better and more miraculous ways that my small mind could have imagined. So then, the next time a disturbance comes to my mind, I remind myself that it will resolve itself, like all of the other “problems and perplexities” piled in the prayer box.

Nars VIP Room Essentials Kit – Nars is expensive make-up, no doubt and I always like to try drug store brands first and then work my way up, if necessary. Still, Nars has a few items that I now consider essentials. Nars’ Laguna Bronzer and its Orgasm The Multiple Cheek Stick. (yes, Orgasm especially, is crucial . . . but you already knew that) I bought two of these kits on a crazy good Black Friday online special, but if you want to try the bronzer and the cheek stick, there are minis of these included in the kit, which also has lip crayons and Nars’ wonderful mascara. I think that this kit is even worth its regular price.

The First Five Days

But Friday is the easiest of those five days!!! Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!! New readers, it’s always casual Friday here at Adulting – Second Half. We stay in the shallow end on Fridays. I refuse to enter the inner depths of my indoor mind pool, on Friday. On Friday, I typically list three favorite things, websites, products, foods, songs, etc. and I encourage you to list your favorites in my Comments section.

I typically think of a favorite thing during the week, when I am using something, perusing somewhere, or snoozing, in my bed. Then, I write those inspirations on my calendar to remind me to share them with you, my beloved readers. Unfortunately, this is one of those weeks where I got “away from myself” and my normal routine. So, I have nothing to jog my memory to what to share with you. I decided I will write a list of some of my favorite things to do, to inspire you to write your own list of why life can be so satisfying. It really is the small things, sometimes, that add up to a good life.

A Sampling List of Some of My Favorite Things to Do:

Long, rambling, funny meals and conversations with my family and my friends.

Long, rambling walks with my husband and my dogs.

Cuddling with my husband in bed . . . . and other things.

Listening to my kids when they are in “excited, chatter mode” (even my adult kids still get this way, sometimes).

Writing.

Reading.

Getting really lost in a really good book or movie or TV series.

Discussing “what” I got lost in, from a really good book, movie, or TV series.

Watching SNL videos of skits, while doing stretches and planks. (I honestly just really like the SNL skit part)

Kissing my dogs on top of their heads. (I leave lipstick marks on our yellow lab)

Cuddling with my collie. She is such a cuddle bug! (Giant Pomeranian lap dog)

Crossing things off of my to-do list.

Making people laugh and feeling clever about it.

Trying out a new place, restaurant, shop, trail, skill, modality, amusement etc.

Taking the time for putting together a really cool outfit.

Driving aimlessly with the convertible top down, and the music blaring.

Doing and witnessing random acts of kindness.

Really connecting with someone and feeling like you have helped them reach a new insight that they were struggling to reach.

Flipping aimless through magazines and ripping out the pages that move me.

Laughing hard, loud and obnoxiously, from complete hilarity.

These are just a few things that popped right into my head, when I focused on the thought of “some of my favorite things to do.” It took me all of seven minutes to write down. Write your own list. Right now. It’s an uplifting thing to do. You’ll be happy that you did it. (I think that “bossing people around” might be one of my favorite things to do, but I’m not going to own that one. 😉 ) Have a great weekend!!!

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