Happy Father's Day in Heaven

 

Top Ten Favorites - My Dad’s Movies

 "Death ends a life, not a relationship." — Mitch Albom

 

Hello, my lovely friends! 

 

    I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much of our parents stays with us in the random, everyday things they loved. For my dad, it was always his movies. After he passed, I found myself looking through the films he watched over and over again, the ones that could instantly change the mood in the living room the second the opening credits started rolling. They are a funny, beautiful mix of high drama and absolutely ridiculous comedy, and looking at the list feels like looking at a roadmap of his sense of humor and his heart. I wanted to share them here with you all, mostly because you’ve known me long enough to know exactly where I get my weird quirks from, but also because any of these would make for a perfect night in when you just need something familiar and comforting to watch.

 

    He had this ultimate appreciation for the absolute masterpieces of cinema, which is why the first two Godfather movies always topped his list. He could watch the Corleone family saga unfold for the hundredth time and still sit there completely captivated by the tension, the music, and the drama of it all. But just as easily as he could get sucked into a serious crime drama, he adored things that were completely and utterly absurd. The Pink Panther movies were a staple in our house, especially the original from 1963 and the sheer chaos of The Pink Panther Strikes Again. He would laugh so hard at Peter Sellers stumbling around as Inspector Clouseau, and that laugh is honestly the main thing I hear whenever I see those titles pop up on a streaming menu.

 

    The rest of his favorites were just pure, unadulterated fun, heavy on western spoofs and sharp comedies. He loved Blazing Saddles for how unapologetically wild it was, and Cat Ballou was another one of those classic, lighthearted western comedies that he just never got tired of. Then there were the movies he’d put on whenever they happened to catch his eye on television on a lazy afternoon. My Cousin Vinny was a permanent fixture, and he’d quote the courtroom scenes verbatim, completely delighted by the back-and-forth banter. He had a soft spot for As Good as it Gets too, finding something really grounding in that messy, grumpy, but ultimately sweet story.

 

    Rounding out the ones that truly defined his movie nights were The Blues Brothers and Zorro the Gay Blade. The Blues Brothers was all about that incredible energy, the music, and the car crashes, while Zorro was just pure, campy 1980s joy that never failed to put him in a great mood. Looking at this collection of films, I realize how much they represent the best parts of him—the ability to appreciate the great, serious things in life, but an even greater capacity to just sit back, laugh, and not take the world too seriously. Next time you're flipping through channels trying to find something to watch, maybe pick one of these and think of him.

 

Top Ten Favorites - My Dad’s Movies
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Godfather 2 (1974)
3. The Pink Panther (1963)
4. Blazzing Saddles (1974)
5. Cat Ballou (1965)         
6. The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
7. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
8. As Good as it Gets (1997)
9. The Blues Brothers (1980)
10. Zorro the Gay Blade (1981)

 

 Thanks for dropping in! I’d wish you a good morning, but since I don't know your time zone, let's just go with: Have a spectacular next 24 hours. See you at the next one!

Kindness is the Key

 

Here's to New Beginnings

"I was smiling yesterday, I am smiling today, and I will smile tomorrow. Simply because life is too short to cry for anything." (Santosh Kalwar)

 

Hello, my lovely friends! 

 

     It’s been a busy week here and you all know why. Early evening on Thursday, Mike drove up after a two-day road trip. He ran into some serious rainstorms, but got through everything. He didn’t drive at night and stayed the night at a hotel in Des Moines, Iowa. We’re so happy that he got here safe and sound. I know his mom and family were happy about that too.

    Honestly, the relief when he finally pulled into the driveway was huge. You know how it is when someone you love is out on the highway in bad weather, you just hold your breath a little bit until you hear the car door slam. Once he was unpacked and we caught our breath, we basically collapsed onto the couch and haven't done much else since. We've just been taking it easy, catching up, and enjoying the quiet after all that driving.

    It feels so good to just relax and have him here after talking about this trip for so long. We've mostly just been cooking comfort food, watching a ton of movies, and letting him recover from being behind the wheel for days. It’s the absolute best kind of lazy weekend, and I’m just soaking up every minute of it

    It's been a couple of days adjusting with Mike here and then my nephew Kyle will be here on Friday for the weekend. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him. I’m looking forward to spending some time with him. We’re taking him to Casa Bonita.

It feels like we’re finally getting into a good groove over here. We’ve had about a few days now adjusting to having Mike around and getting used to the new routine, which has been really nice. Just as we’re settling into that rhythm, though, the house is about to get a little busier. My nephew Kyle is coming into town this Friday to stay with us for the weekend, and I honestly can’t even remember the last time I actually got to see him. It has been way too long, and I am so excited to just hang out and catch up properly.

    To celebrate him being here, we're planning a whole thing and taking him to Casa Bonita. You already know it's going to be a wild time. I’m just really looking forward to a solid weekend of good food, lots of laughs, and finally getting some quality time with him. I'll have to fill you all ophthalmic on how the cliff divers and the sopaipillas treat us once the weekend wraps up.

    It is going to be a wild week over here, and I am already bracing myself. We have a handful of appointments scattered through the next few days, but the real project is that Mike is finally moving in. He honestly doesn’t have a ton of stuff, which you’d think would make it easy, but of course that means the jigsaw puzzle of making room is entirely on me. I am currently staring at my space trying to figure out how to shuffle things around so he actually has a place to put his clothes and feel at home without us totally tripping over each other.

    It is definitely going to be a process of sorting, lifting, and probably finding dust bunnies I didn’t know existed, but I am excited to get everything organized and settled. Once the heavy lifting is done and the boxes are empty, I am so looking forward to just sitting back and enjoying the new setup. Wish me luck with the heavy lifting and the endless rearranging, and I will keep you all posted on how the new space turns out.

It was a treat having you stop by! Whatever the sun or moon is doing in your neck of the woods, I hope it’s treating you well. Until our next encounter... Ciao for now!

Top Ten Favorites - Cooking Show

  “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.” (Conan O’Brien)

Hello, my lovely friends!

    Cooking shows have always been our collective happy place, the ultimate background track to our long catches-up and lazy Sundays. I was thinking about how much comfort these specific hosts have brought us over the years, so I wanted to put our definitive top ten favorites all in one place. These are the ones that always make us feel right at home, no matter how chaotic the rest of the week has been.

    First up is Giada De Laurentiis in Everyday Italian, which honestly feels like a time capsule of us back in the day. We all used to watch her make those simple pasta dishes and convinced ourselves that we could effortlessly host an elegant dinner party on a Tuesday. Right next to her on the shelf of absolute icons is Nigella Lawson and Nigella: At My Table. There is just nobody else like Nigella. She makes the simple act of raiding the fridge at midnight look like a high-art form, and her show is pure comfort. Then, of course, we have Ina Garten in Barefoot Contessa. If any of us ever win the lottery, we are buying a house in the Hamptons and pretending to be Ina, casually asking if store-bought is fine while pouring an entire bottle of vanilla into a cake batter. She is the ultimate comforting presence, and her show is like a security blanket.

Then there are the shows that feel less like television and more like visiting family. Lidia’s Kitchen is exactly that. Watching Lidia Bastianich cook is like sitting in your own grandmother's kitchen, and you can practically taste the love and olive oil through the screen. When she does her little sign-off at the end, it feels like she is blessing your entire week. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, we have America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country. These are the ones we watch when we actually want to know the science of why our cookies keep flattening out. They are so wonderfully nerdy, methodical, and reliable. You just know that if they say a specific brand of plastic wrap is the best, it is the absolute truth, and you will find yourself checking the labels next time you go grocery shopping.

    Lately, Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines has slipped into the rotation too, mostly because her kitchen is so stunningly beautiful it makes you want to remodel your entire life. It is just clean, cozy, and filled with biscuits. Then there is Milk Street, which always pushes us out of our comfort zones a bit. It’s got that cool, global vibe that makes you want to run to the specialty grocery store to buy spices you can't quite pronounce. It is the perfect antidote to the same old chicken dinners we all make on repeat.

    Finally, we have the competition shows that are actually nice, which is the only kind of drama we have energy for these days. The Great American Recipe on PBS is a total hidden gem. It is full of real people making their family recipes, and everyone is so sweet to each other that you usually end up crying a little bit by the end of the episode. And to wrap it all up, the undisputed queen of cozy TV, The Great British Bake Off. There is truly nothing better than watching a bunch of lovely British people stress out about the structural integrity of a gingerbread house inside a rainy tent. It is the ultimate show to put on when you want to tune out the world, pour a big mug of tea, and feel like everything is going to be just fine.

    It’s crazy how a simple television show can carry so many memories of us sitting around, laughing, and dreaming up menus for dinner parties we’ll probably never actually host. But honestly, that’s the best part about these shows. They aren't really about the recipes at all; they’re just an excuse for us to slow down, get cozy, and share a little comfort. Next time you’re flipping through the channels and don't know what to put on, just pick one of these and pretend we’re all sitting on the couch together. 

Top Ten Favorites - Cooking Shows
1, Everyday Italian (Giada De Laurentiis)
2. Nigella: At My Table (Nigella Lawson)
3. Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten)
4. Lidia’s Kitchen (Lidia Bastianich!)
5. American’s Test Kitchen
6. Cook Country
7. Magnolia Table (Joanna Gaines)
8. Milk Street
9. The Great American Recipe (PBS)
10. The Great British Bake Off

Thanks for popping in. Whether you’re currently caffeinating or winding down, make it a good one. Let’s do this again soon —Ciao! 

There's Some Big News

  "As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better." (Steve Maraboli)

 

Hello, my lovely friends!  

    It seems like every week I have some crazy bad news for you all involving my mom, but not this week. She’s still dealing with the same pain, but we’re honestly just not going to talk about that today. We need a break from the heavy stuff, so let's focus on our weekend adventures instead.

 

First off, let’s talk about the play we saw, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”. I have some thoughts, and definitely a few issues with it. I went into it knowing absolutely nothing other than the fact that it was Harry Potter, so obviously I expected some magic. And I will say, the special effects and the magic in the show were completely amazing. There were things they did right in front of our eyes where I still have no earthly idea how they pulled it off. The dementors alone were incredible. Just for the visual effects, the show is worth seeing once. Notice I said only once.

 

The biggest issue was that the story just moved way too fast. If you blinked or missed a line, you were completely lost. My mom was totally lost. They shoved so much information into the first ten minutes that it was impossible to keep up with the pacing. I feel like it would be really tough for kids or older adults to follow along. The second half of the play was definitely better and the storyline started making a lot more sense, but it takes a while to get there. Just a heads up for anyone thinking about going, this is a full-on play with absolutely no singing or musical numbers. The magic was great, but the rest of it was just sort of meh for me. I’m glad I went, but I definitely won’t see it again if it comes back to town.

 

     Now onto the big news of the blog, which some of you might have already pieced together if you were paying close attention to Facebook the other day. Yes, he actually posted about it, so the secret is officially out. 

    Mike has been out here to visit twice now, we have been together for over two years, and he has fully secured the absolute highest stamp of approval from both my mom and my sister. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, he is officially loading up and starting the long road trip to move out here to live with us permanently. Looking a little further down the road, there are definite marriage plans for later on this year. We have been casually talking about it for the last year or so, but since October, we really sat down and got completely serious about making it happen.

The real turning point happened after he came out to stay with me while my mom was in the hospital. We had a really long, serious talk because he knew deep down that I was never going to leave her side, and leaving this area just wasn't an option for me. His mom is actually in a very similar situation right now, so we were able to talk through all of that together and really understand each other's perspectives. In all honesty, I have never felt a magnetic pull to another person the way I do with him. Even during the moments when we don't see eye to eye or disagree on things, at the end of the day, I still just can't imagine my life without him in it.

 

    It feels so incredibly surreal to type this out, but last night we finally watched our very last movie apart. We’ve been talking about this day for what feels like forever, and now we are literally twenty-four hours away from him packing up the car and starting his road trip here. He already has the whole route planned out and everything, which means if all goes well, he should be pulling into the driveway sometime late Friday afternoon.

 

So yeah, that is my massive, life-altering news for the week. It is a total mix of extreme excitement and complete terror all at the same time, but deep down I know it’s a really wonderful thing. I’m mostly just trying to process the fact that the long-distance countdown is officially over. Next time we have a movie night, we'll actually be sharing the same couch and the same bowl of popcorn, and I honestly can't wait.

 

 So glad you could make it. Whether you’re starting your day or winding it down, I hope it’s a great one. Until we cross paths again—take care!

 

 

 

Find Your Motivation

 

Top Ten Favorites - Pre-Code Movies

  "lt's all in that old thumb, see? ... Some people do it like this. Or like this. All wrong. Never get anywhere. The poor things. But that old thumb never fails."

 (It Happened One Night -1934)

 

Hello, my lovely friends!

     There is something incredibly comforting about settling in with a movie that was made nearly a century ago, especially when it comes from that sweet spot in the early 1930s before the Hollywood censors completely took over the sandbox. Pre-Code films just hit different. They have this fast-talking, unapologetic energy that feels entirely modern, even when everyone is dressed in silk gowns and sharp suits. They didn't feel the need to wrap every story up in a neat little moral bow, which makes them perfect for watching when you just want something witty, a little bit wicked, and genuinely fun.

    Looking at a lineup of the absolute best from this era, it is impossible not to start with It Happened One Night. It is the blueprint for every romantic comedy that followed, and the banter between Peter and Ellie on the road still crackles with more energy than almost anything on screens today. Right alongside it sits One Way Passage, which takes a completely different turn into bittersweet romance. There is a beautiful, melancholic warmth to that shipboard love story that stays with you long after the final frame, proving these early movies had just as much heart as they did sharp edges.

    The era was also defined by women who refused to apologize for living life on their own terms, which is why The Divorcee and Bed of Roses are such absolute classics. Norma Shearer and Constance Bennett played characters who faced messy, complicated situations with an incredible amount of style and backbone. They weren’t cardboard cutouts waiting to be saved, they were sharp, resilient, and human. And if you want to see a story about the fierce, complicated bonds between women navigating the world together, Three on a Match packs an unbelievable amount of drama and loyalty into a runtime that flies by in just over an hour.

    Then there is the sheer, unadulterated fun of the comedies and capers. The Thin Man introduces us to Nick and Nora Charles, who basically invented the concept of marriage goals while solving crimes with a cocktail in hand and Asta running circles around them. If you want something even more delightfully chaotic, Design for Living handles a complicated love triangle with the kind of breezy sophistication that only Ernst Lubitsch could pull off, while Jewel Robbery plays out like a delicious, sparkling glass of champagne where the thieves are entirely too charming to root against.

    Even when these movies looked at the harsh realities of the Great Depression, they did it with an unforgettable spark. Employees' Entrance gives a brutal, fascinating look at the high-stakes world of a bustling department store, showing the grit it took to survive the era. On the flip side, Gold Diggers of 1933 takes those same economic anxieties and turns them into a grand, spectacular celebration of resilience, creativity, and showmanship. These films have a timeless rhythm to them, and revisiting them feels less like a history lesson and more like catching up with an old, exceptionally witty friend who always knows exactly what to say to make you laugh.

    At the end of the day, that is really why these Pre-Code gems stay with us. They don't demand perfection from their characters, and they don't look down on us for being human, messy, or just plain tired. Curling up with these films is like sitting around the kitchen table with the women who know you best, where the laughs come easy, the honesty is a given, and you can just breathe. So, grab a warm drink, sink into the couch, and let these fast-talking ladies and charming rogues carry you away for a little while. They’ve been waiting ninety years to make you smile, and honestly, they still do it better than anyone else.

Top Ten Favorites - Pre-Code Movies
1. It Happened One Night (1934)
2. One Way Passage (1932)
3. The Divorcee (1930)
4. The Thin Man (1934) 
5. Design for Living (1932)
6.  Jewel Robbery (1932)
7. Bed of Roses (1933)
8. Three on a Match (1932)
9. Employees' Entrance (1932)
10. Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

Thanks for dropping in! I’d wish you a good morning, but since I don't know your time zone, let's just go with: Have a spectacular next 24 hours. See you at the next one!

So Much of So Much

  "Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap." (Barbara Jordan)

Hello, my lovely friends! 

    Oof, what a absolute whirlwind of a week it has been around here. Our hearts and our home have been completely full, especially with my sister, Renee, and brother-in-law, George, flying in to stay with us. The occasion itself wasn’t the easiest, as we all gathered together to say a final, bittersweet goodbye to my uncle. But honestly, having the family under one roof was the ultimate comfort. There is something so incredibly healing about sitting around a table with the people who know you best, sharing old stories, laughing through the tears, and just leaning on each other when things get tough. It was a heavy week, absolutely, but it was also wrapped up in so much love and connection that I wouldn't trade for the world.

    By the time Monday afternoon rolled around and we had to drop Renee and George back off at the airport, the house suddenly felt incredibly quiet—you know that distinct echo a house gets after a lively visit? We desperately needed a collective moment to just catch our breath and process everything, so we dedicated the entire next day to the art of doing absolutely nothing. No chores, no to-do lists, no rushing anywhere—just pure, unadulterated rest to recharge our emotional batteries after such an intense stretch. If you’ve ever survived one of those emotionally draining weeks, you know that a designated, guilt-free "couch potato day" isn't a luxury; it’s a necessary survival tactic!

 

 

   Of course, Mother Nature has been keeping us on our toes because our weather lately has been downright crazy. Right after we walked through the door from dropping Renee and George off at the airport, the sky turned a wild color and we were hit with a massive rainstorm accompanied by hail. I think we both collectively held our breath and froze, because we literally just finished having the house repaired last year from the catastrophic hail storm we took a beating from two years ago! Luckily, the universe showed us some mercy this time; it was just small, pea-sized hail, but boy, did it come down fast and furious. Thankfully, everything is safe, the sky has cleared, and now I’m just looking forward to brighter days ahead.

    Once the mental fog finally started to lift, we braced ourselves and tackled the massive job that had been patiently waiting for us right outside our front door: the yard. We spent hours cleaning up the last of the winter clutter, stray branches, and random debris. Let me tell you, stepping back and seeing that space looking tidy and fresh again felt like a massive weight lifting off our shoulders. Best of all, clearing out the old has officially cleared the way for the good stuff. After such a heavy week, getting my hands dirty, digging into the earth, and prepping the soil for new growth was exactly the kind of grounding therapy my soul needed.

    Speaking of new growth, my green thumb is officially tingling, and I’m so excited to tell you that I'm planning a whole blog post dedicated to my garden next week! I recently took a little retail therapy trip to our local garden center and came home with a trunk completely loaded with beautiful things to plant. I’ve been sketching out some really fun, ambitious plans for both the summer and fall garden harvests here, and I can't wait to take you along for the ride as everything starts to sprout.

Thank you so much for stopping by.
I wish you a good morning, afternoon or evening wherever you are.
Until next time… Ciao!

 

 

Kindness is Always Better