From Fried Lawns to Thrift Store Finds

 "Lean forward into your life... catch the best bits and the finest wind. Just tip your feathers in flight a wee bit and see how dramatically that small lean can change your life." (Mary Anne Radmacher)

Hello, my lovely friends!

    Finally, our weather is starting to cool down over here. We’ve been so completely baked for what feels like forever, and honestly, I was starting to think the heat was just never going to let up. But the forecast for this next week is actually showing temps in the 80s, plus a few days of rain scattered in there. I’m crossing every finger that it helps save the yard because it’s been suffering so badly with the strict two-day watering limit and the relentless sun. Part of me is ready to just give up and cut the front yard down to the dirt because almost everything out there looks totally crispy anyway. It is so depressing to look out the window and just see brown, crunchy patches where actual green grass used to be, but I guess that’s just the price we pay for surviving another brutal summer season together.

I must not have been too concerned earlier this week because I planted some hardy lettuce and herbs in the other pots in the container garden. Hopefully, the rain we are supposed to get will really help them get going and take root properly. I managed to harvest a couple of cherry tomatoes yesterday, and they were honestly so sweet and delicious. I hope I get a few more before the sun completely loses its power for the year. I’m pretty sure the lettuce and herbs will grow just fine, mostly because I know they usually do so much better in cooler weather anyway. There is something just so cozy about potting up new little greens when the air finally starts to change and lose that horrible, heavy humidity.

I think we all reach a point in late summer where we just want to throw in the towel and surrender the yard to the elements. You spend months hauling hoses around, praying for clouds, and watching your electricity bill skyrocket, only to end up with a garden that looks like a bag of potato chips. But then a single cool breeze rolls through the porch screen, or you find one perfect, bright red tomato hiding under a fried leaf, and suddenly you remember why you bother doing it every year. It’s the little reset button we all need after months of feeling like we are melting every time we step outside the front door.

Now I am just looking forward to throwing open the windows, letting that crisp rain air drift through the house, and putting on a cozy sweater without immediately sweating through it. I hope you guys are finally getting a little relief from the heat wherever you are, too. Tell me what your yards are looking like right now, or if you’ve already given up and started dreaming about autumn like I have.

    It is officially official, you guys. Mike is a card-carrying Coloradan now. He had his driver’s license appointment yesterday and managed to breeze right through it without any of the usual DMV horror stories. Now all that’s left is getting his new license plates, but as far as the state is concerned, he’s one of us. To celebrate, he wanted to go thrifting, though I’m pretty sure I ended up having way more fun than he did. You know how it goes when you step into a thrift store just to look around and suddenly the universe decides to hand you gold.

First off, I stumbled across one of those classic vintage CorningWare dishes—the ones with the little vegetables painted on the side. My mom actually has a set of three of them, but she didn’t have this specific size. Plus, miracle of miracles, it actually had the matching glass lid intact. There was no way I was leaving that on the shelf, so into the cart it went.

Then came the real holy grail of the day. My mom has been dying to watch Call the Midwife, but every time I checked Amazon, the box set was floating around a hundred bucks, which felt a little steep. Well, I found the first twelve seasons on DVD for thirty-three dollars. I grabbed it immediately and am officially hiding it away for Christmas. She is going to completely lose her mind when she opens it.

Thank you for sharing a moment of your day with me. I hope the hours ahead treat you kindly and bring you a sense of comfort. Warm wishes, and see you next time!

Full Circles & New Chapters: Catching Up After All This Time

 "Lean forward into your life... catch the best bits and the finest wind. Just tip your feathers in flight a wee bit and see how dramatically that small lean can change your life." (Mary Anne Radmacher)

Hello, my lovely friends!

    It seems like a million years since I’ve made a Spark blog, and honestly never thought this day would happen. But here we are, sitting down and actually typing out a post after all this time. Life has a funny way of pulling us in a thousand different directions, but no matter how much time passes, this little corner of the internet always feels like home. I’ve missed you guys so much, and I can't even tell you how good it feels to just sit back, breathe, and write to you all again.

I was thinking back on how long we’ve all been doing this together, through all the random life updates, the ups and downs, and everything in between. It’s pretty amazing that after years of posting, commenting, and keeping up with each other from afar, we're still here doing our thing.

    I was sitting here thinking about how wild it is that we’ve all managed to stick together after all this time. For years now, Facebook groups and blogs have been our main lifelines for staying connected. I’ve had one foot in both worlds, though I’ve spent most of my time over on Blogger. I’m definitely not giving that space up, but I’m going to start sharing those posts here too, just to make sure we do not miss each other.

    Looking back, it’s amazing to see how much our blogs have shifted over the years. We all started out so focused on weight loss and health goals, but eventually, real life just took over the screen. We’ve shared the big milestones, the tough heartbreaks, and all the totally mundane, everyday moments in between. Some years were great, some were brutal, and some were just plain weird, but the constant through it all was this group.

I’m just really grateful we’re still showing up for each other, no matter what platform we’re on or where life pulls us next. So here’s to another chapter of oversharing, checking in, and keeping this long-distance friendship alive. Grab a coffee and stay a while.

Non-Spark Stuff

    OMG, this heat is officially out of control. I know almost everyone is dealing with it right now, but we’re on our third straight week of triple digits over the weekend, and it’s getting ridiculous. The weirdest part is that the actual heat isn't even the worst bit anymore—I think we’re all somehow getting immune to feeling like we're walking inside an oven.

It’s really the smoke and haze from all the fires everywhere that's driving me nuts. The sky just looks so heavy, and it makes breathing outside horrible. We’ve basically been hiding indoors as much as humanly possible. On the rare days we actually brave the outdoors, we sprint around like crazy people trying to get every single errand done in one go so we can retreat back to the air conditioning.

I’m thinking about all of you and hoping you're staying cool, safe, and glued to your fans or AC units. Please tell me you’re staying inside as much as you can with this wild weather.

    Of course life has been crazy here. I’m trying to navigate living with someone again. The closet needs some work on it, but things are going well with Mike here. There’s been a few bumps in the road, but that’s just the two of us learning new things about each other. One of the things that I love is seeing my mom and him just sitting and talking to each other. He really cares for her and it shows in the way he treats and respects her.

Honestly, sharing my space after having it to myself for so long is a whole unique kind of adjustment. You do not realize how set in your ways you are until you suddenly have to share a closet or compromise on where things go, but we are figuring it out day by day. Every little disagreement or awkward moment just ends up turning into a chance to understand each other better. It is definitely a learning curve for both of us, but we are taking it in stride and finding our groove together.

Seeing him interact with my mom really makes all the little headaches worth it, though. They will just sit together and chat for hours, and it completely melts my heart to see how gentle and thoughtful he is with her. That kind of genuine kindness is not something you can fake, and knowing he cares for her like that makes this whole transition feel so right.

It was so lovely having you here today. Thank you for reading along! May the rest of your day be filled with warm smiles and quiet peace. Talk to you soon!

You Have the Power in You

 

Top Ten Favorites: School Movies

 "You ought to spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself and a little less time trying to impress people." — Principal Vernon (The Breakfast Club, 1985)

Hello, my lovely friends! 
    
    Some of the neighborhood kids headed back to school yesterday, which completely threw me for a loop. I honestly cannot believe how early the school year kicks off around here nowadays, because in my head, August is still supposed to be the heart of summer. Seeing all those fresh backpacks and shiny new sneakers out on the sidewalk got me feeling a little nostalgic, and naturally, my mind drifted right to school movies. There are so many classic films centered around teachers, hallways, and growing up that I could probably write about them forever, so consider this the first half of a two-part list. For this round, I wanted to focus on the heavy hitters—the iconic, quintessential school movies that defined whole generations and still make you want to grab a bowl of popcorn.

    Starting off with the absolute standard for teenage angst, you have to talk about The Breakfast Club. It manages to capture that exact feeling of being stuck in a room with people you think you have nothing in common with, only to realize everybody is carrying around their own quiet mess. Along those same lines, but way ahead of its time, Rebel Without a Cause gives us James Dean embodying that restless, misunderstood youth that practically invented the modern idea of a teenager. Then you pivot to something full of raw ambition like Fame, which captures the chaotic energy, high stress, and sheer talent of kids chasing their big artistic dreams in the city, showing a totally different side of the high school experience.

    Of course, no look at school movies would be complete without the legendary musicals and comedies that defined pop culture. Grease brings all the ultimate high school fantasy vibes, full of leather jackets, summer romance, catchy tunes, and a version of 1950s high school that feels like a party from start to finish. On the flip side, Clueless took the classic story of matchmaking and high school social hierarchies and flipped it into something whip-smart and endlessly quotable, giving us an unforgettable peek into nineties fashion and teenage logic. Then you have Blackboard Jungle, which took a much darker and grittier approach for its era, tackling the tough realities of classroom rebellion and inner-city teaching long before it became a common movie trope.

    When you want to lean into pure, unadulterated fun and campus chaotic energy, a few college and high school legends instantly stand out. Legally Blonde is the ultimate feel-good tale of proving everyone wrong, following an optimistic underdog who takes on Harvard Law and shows that staying true to yourself is the best way to win. Meanwhile, Fast Times at Ridgemont High gives us that raw, hilariously honest snapshot of suburban mall culture, first jobs, and teenage awkwardness. Animal House blew the doors wide open for college comedy with its outrageous fraternity antics and wild rebellion against authority, while American Graffiti captures that tender, lingering feeling of one final, magical night of freedom before adulthood takes over.

    Looking over this list makes me realize how much these stories stay with us, no matter how many years have passed since we last walked down a school hallway or sat at a desk. Movies have this amazing way of capturing exact moments in time, freezing all that teenage drama, laughter, and uncertainty so we can revisit it whenever we want. I would love to hear which of these you end up rewatching when you need a little dose of nostalgia, or which ones bring back memories of your own school days.

Top Ten Favorites: School Movies
1. The Breakfast Club (1985)
2. Rebel Without a Cause (1955) 
3. Fame (1980)
4. Grease (1978)
5. Clueless (1985)
6. Blackboard Jungle (1955)
7. Legally Blonde (2001)
8. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
9. National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
10. American Graffiti (1973)

Thanks for checking in today! I hope your morning, afternoon, or evening is wonderfully cozy and bright. Wishing you the absolute best, and looking forward to next time.

A Busy, But Fun Week

 “If you allow people to make more withdrawals than deposits in your life, you will be out of balance and in the negative! Know when to close the account.” (Christie Williams)

Hello, my lovely friends! 

 

     I was scrolling through Facebook earlier and noticed there is already some drama brewing around Spark with people getting asked to pay for memberships. Did any of you who signed up run into that issue? When I set mine up, I just chose the free option. From what I understand, we are basically using a beta testing version of the site right now to help work out the kinks before it officially goes public.

It has been a bit tricky finding everyone on there unless people explicitly say who they are over on Facebook. Because of that, I decided to sign up using my Twitter handle, mylemonysoul, so you can find me there. If you haven't joined yet and want to check it out, let me know because I still have a few invitations left to send out.

    It’s been such a busy week around here with everyone out and about, but I finally have a second to sit down and catch up with you guys. You know how crazy life gets, but I just had to pop in and tell you about what we got up to a couple of days ago because I’m still thinking about it.

On Tuesday, the three of us headed over to the theater to catch the movie recording of "Hadestown." I kept seeing people post about it all over Facebook, and when I noticed it was actually playing at our local cinema, I knew we had to go. I'll admit I was a little skeptical at first about watching a live show on a giant movie screen instead of in person, but it was the original Broadway cast, and honestly, it blew me away. It was so good that I felt every single emotion just like I was sitting in a Broadway theater, and yes, I definitely cried. You all seriously need to plan a movie day and go see it while you can.

To make things even better, we saw a preview for the musical "Six" coming to theaters next, and I am so here for this trend. Most of us are never going to make it all the way to New York to see these huge Broadway productions live, so having them right down the street is a total game changer. I hope you’re all having a sweet week, and I can't wait to hear what everyone else has been up to lately.

    My mom had a dental cleaning on Wednesday morning, and since we were already out, we decided to do a little shopping afterward. Well, it was really more like aimless browsing, which is honestly the best kind of shopping anyway. I’ve been seeing all over TikTok how a bunch of stores already have their Halloween decorations out on display. Apparently, the internet is calling it Summerween now, and people are completely losing their minds over it. We ended up popping into Home Depot to see if the rumors were true, but our local store was a total bust and didn't have anything out yet.

    Even without finding any giant skeletons or spooky decor, it was still a really great afternoon. The best part of the whole day was just seeing my mom doing so well. She’s been having a lot more good days lately and was genuinely enjoying being out and about, soaking in the fresh air and just taking her time looking around. It’s those quiet, normal moments that end up meaning the absolute most, especially when life has felt a little heavy.

    Today the little guy is heading in for a grooming appointment. His hair shot up so fast after his June cut, and he has really been feeling the heat with all that extra fur. I know by tomorrow afternoon he is going to feel like a completely new dog, which is a relief because it is supposed to be boiling hot for the next couple of days.

It is crazy how fast the time flies and how quickly these furry little monsters grow out their coats. I am definitely looking forward to seeing him strutting around the house after his trim, cool and comfortable while the sun blazes outside.

    We finally got a little breather from the relentless heat over the last couple of days, but the break is officially over starting today. To make matters worse, all the smoke and haze from the Oregon and Washington fires has drifted down our way again. The mountains completely vanished into thin air, and you could barely even make out the downtown skyline earlier. It’s just wild and a little unnerving to think about how much of the world is literally on fire right now.

I hope you’re all staying safe, keeping cool, and staying tucked away inside where the air is actually breathable today. Grab a huge glass of iced coffee or tea, stay in the AC if you can, and drop a line to let me know how things are looking on your end of the woods. Sending you all so much love, and I can't wait until we can all sit back and breathe easy again.

Thanks for checking in today! I hope your morning, afternoon, or evening is wonderfully cozy and bright. Wishing you the absolute best, and looking forward to next time.

Do It For You

 

Top Ten Favorites: Summer Heat Movies

 

"Now Mookie, don't work too hard today. The man says it's gonna be hot as the devil. I don't want you falling out from the heat, you hear me, Son?" (Do The Right Thing)

 

Hello, my lovely friends! 

    Summer heat hits a little different when you’re just trying to survive the humidity, and it got me thinking about the movies that capture that exact, sticky, sweltering feeling. You know the ones I mean, where you can practically feel the heat radiating right off the TV screen and you feel like you need a cold glass of lemonade just watching them.

    We have to start with Rear Window, because nobody has ever made being trapped inside during a suffocating heatwave look as iconic as Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. You can practically feel the heavy, oppressive humidity radiating off the brick courtyard of that Greenwich Village apartment complex, where everyone keeps their windows wide open just praying for a breeze. It completely captures that restless, stir-crazy feeling of being stuck indoors on a scorching afternoon, except instead of just spying on your neighbors out of sheer boredom, you accidentally uncover a whole murder plot. Right alongside that mood is The Seven Year Itch, which gives us Marilyn Monroe standing over that subway grate trying to catch a cool draft. The entire plot kicks off simply because it is too damn hot in Manhattan for anyone to think straight, and honestly, who among us hasn’t considered sticking our clothes in the refrigerator when the humidity hits ninety percent?

    Then you get into the real southern sizzle with A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which are practically certified heat strokes put on film. Marlon Brando walking around in that soaked, clinging t-shirt in Streetcar set the standard for sweaty drama forever, making the sticky, muggy air of New Orleans feel like its own full-blown character in the story. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof take that heavy Mississippi heat and turn it into pure, unfiltered family chaos. Everyone is fanning themselves, drinking iced tea on the porch, and completely losing their tempers because the temperature just will not drop. It proves that hot weather really does make people a little bit unhinged, which is a great excuse for any text messages you might regret sending this week.

    If you want something that hits a little closer to modern times, Do the Right Thing and Summer of Sam both capture that specific kind of relentless city summer where the asphalt feels like it’s melting under your shoes. Spike Lee shot Do the Right Thing in bright, blistering colors that make your eyes hurt in the best way possible, showing how a single sweltering day in Brooklyn can push everyone’s buttons until the whole block boils over. Summer of Sam takes that exact same sweaty New York energy and pairs it with seventies disco nights and total paranoia, showing how a summer heatwave can make an entire city feel electric and terrifying all at once. Both of these are perfect for when you want a movie that feels loud, intense, and totally alive.

    For a little bit of adventure mixed in with your sweat, head out into the wild with The African Queen and Key Largo. The African Queen is basically just Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn picking leeches off themselves and wrangling a broken boat down a humid river in the middle of a jungle, which makes whatever AC problems you are currently having feel like a luxury vacation. Then you’ve got Key Largo, where Bogart is trapped in a Florida hotel during a brutal, muggy heatwave right before a massive hurricane rolls in. The tension in that room is as thick as the air outside, showing that bad weather and bad guys always seem to show up at the exact same time.

    If you want a classic story where the heat feels like a heavy weight sitting on the whole town, To Kill A Mockingbird captures that slow, sleepy southern summer where time just seems to stretch out forever. You can practically hear the cicadas buzzing in the trees while the kids wander around looking for something to do in the dust. And finally, if you want to take the idea of heat to the absolute extreme, throw on The Road Warrior. It is pure, dusty, leather-clad desert madness where everybody is fighting over gasoline in a sun-baked wasteland, which is pretty much how I feel every time I have to get into my car after it’s been sitting in the grocery store parking lot for an hour.

Top Ten Favorites: Summer Heat Movies
1. Rear Window (1954)
2. The Seven Year Itch (1955)
3. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
4. Do the Right Thing (1989)
5. Summer of Sam (1999)
6. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
7. African Queen (1951)
8. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) 
9. Key Largo (1948)
10. The Road Warrior (1981) 

Thanks for spending a little piece of your day with me. Sending you lots of warmth and wishing you a wonderful day ahead. Can’t wait for our next chat!

Finally Coming Up for Air: A Quick Life Update

  "Remember, there are no real failures in life, only results. There are no true tragedies, only lessons. And there really are no problems, only opportunities waiting to be recognized as solutions by the person of wisdom." (Robin Sharma)

Hello, my lovely friends!

     

     It’s been a while since I sat down to just chat with you all. Things have been absurdly busy and a little chaotic around here lately, but I feel like I’m finally starting to crawl out of that weird funk and get back into a normal groove. It is so good to just take a breath and catch up with my favorite people.

This morning we’re heading over to CU so my mom can get some more tests done. Her latest doctor actually sent her out of network to CU this time around, and I’m really hoping they can just take the reins and finish what they started before Kaiser shut her down. She deserves some real answers after dealing with this since March, because the constant runaround has been so frustrating for her. On the bright side, she’s finally getting a whole month’s break from medical appointments, with things hopefully kicking off for real in September. The bummer is that she’ll have to miss the Bruno Mars concert with my sister, but I told her maybe they can go see a play together instead once she’s feeling up to it. Her health is the only thing that actually matters right now.

    The weather here has been absolutely unhinged lately, too. We broke records last weekend with a hundred and one on Saturday and then a hundred and three on Sunday, and between the brutal heat and our local water restrictions, everyone’s yards are looking pretty sad. I basically threw in the towel on my garden this year. Right now I just have a couple of tomato plants, some rosemary, parsley, thyme, and a few small containers of lettuce, but everything else just completely scorched. Thankfully, monsoon season is finally kicking in and we’ve had two really good days of rain storms. There’s always next year, right?

We did manage to sneak outside yesterday during a cool evening to tackle some front yard work. The heat somehow made the weeds explode, to the point where we had a literal forest in one section that we had to chop down. My mom is still talking about ripping out a bunch of the grass in the front to replace it with drought-tolerant plants, but honestly, that feels like a massive project for next year. If we get another mild winter, maybe we can knock it out then so it’s ready for spring. How are your gardens doing this year, or has the summer heat completely wrecked yours too?

    On another random note, I mentioned SparkPeople last week and I actually ended up getting an invitation and signing up for it. It looks pretty similar to the old setup, just with a slightly fresh face. I heard they’re still tweaking things behind the scenes, but it seems really promising so far. I was just as confused as everyone else about it at first, because I had zero clue SparkGuy was even working on bringing it back. I haven’t had a ton of time to dig into it yet, but I did notice a blog section on the user pages. I’m not sure if I’ll actually start blogging over there again or if I’ll just drop links to this blog, but I guess I’ll figure that out once I have time to wander around the site a bit more.

    Anyway, I’m wrapping this up so we can get out the door for CU in an hour, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you’re all having a gentle week. I’d love to hear what’s been going on in your worlds lately, so drop a comment and let me know how you’ve been holding up. Sending you all so much love, and here’s hoping for some cooler weather and a fresh start next month.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I’m so glad we got to connect, and I hope your day ahead is filled with simple, happy moments. Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you back here soon!

 

Love Your Life