Five Simple Things (June 16)

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This day.

Taking Skylar to and from his classes has been a real treat for me. We were going to get him his own car, but we decided that since he was going to a four year college out of state soon, that we would take the time to spend every moment together that we could. I drive him to class and then head to work, then pick him out when I am done. It has worked out well and the time we are spending together reminds me of the days that he and I would drive everywhere and take road trips together. I sure do miss those days, and I will miss this days, too. But for now, I am embracing every second.

2. This view.

Eleven is loving the new setup I have for our ginger and avocado plants in the front window. The sun comes through in the mornings and she soaks in all the rays.

3. These cupcakes.

I made strawberry cupcakes from scratch this week and I think I did a good job of it. I used fresh strawberries in the cake batter and in the icing and topped each one off with a small wedge of fresh strawberry. The cake recipe I used was from Minimalist Baker and is vegan. The icing is just a guess of mine that I kept mixing until it tasted right to me. I used butter, confectioners', a small amount of milk, and just a little vanilla paste. Once I mixed that well in a stand mixer I added the pureed strawberries (blended in a blender) slowly so that I didn't flood the mix. Once I liked the taste I went with it. I didn't measure anything, so use your best judgement and always taste as you go. These cupcakes were so good, I will be repeating it again. Next time I will make sure and take note of each measure and share it.

4. This pizza.

On another baking note, this week I also made homemade pizza for Skylar's class "party." It was more of a last day of class get together for his classmates and Skylar wanted to take homemade pizzas. I spent hours making homemade pizza dough and the rest of the process was easy. I hate cooking, or baking, but I will do anything for Skylar, so I pressed on and made four pizzas for his class and froze the other dough for us to use at home. We called around to different pizza places in the city and the only place that would let us have pizza boxes to use was Pizza Schmizza. They charged us 50 cents per box, because we insisted on paying something for their trouble. We are extremely grateful and definitely want to give them a shoutout for their generosity. And, the pizzas were a big hit and his classmates and teacher couldn't believe that I made all of them. They said the pizzas were so good and such a good idea. Some classmates even took some home. I couldn't believe people actually enjoyed something that I made. It made me feel so good and Skylar couldn't stop saying thank you to me. It was a good day!

5. These plants.

We have spent this week getting different plants that will stay on this property long after we are gone. We are trying to create a natural landscape that will beautify the property and will create some privacy. Our ducks are enjoying the coverage that some of the plant's leaves are creating, and they have been playing in the foliage. We are still trying to find a good place for these boxwoods we purchased, but we aren't quite sure where yet. It will come to us soon, we just need to "feel" the space out before deciding. Our backyard will hopefully be an escape for us in time. It's almost there, but we still need a few more different aspects before it's complete.

One more thing:

I have had my eyes on a few older camera lately and this one caught my eye right away. It's being sold by an individual that lives in Japan and I have sent him a message that I am very interested. He is selling it on eBay and I hope he takes my offer. (photo credit: bummei sasaki)

Positive affirmations this week:

Simple tips, like the one below are helpful reminders to keep going and keep on track. Definitely smile more and drink more water. You should shoot for working out at least three times a week, too. Working out and drinking more water will have great benefits to your mental health. Keep going and keep a routine.

You can do this!🌈