Hello sweet friend! I’m so glad you’re joining for a little conversation over coffee. No, you don’t need to check your calendar. It is indeed July. I try to host these coffees by the final day of the month, but sometimes things get in the way. I rarely post on Saturdays, but I decided today was a good day simply to sit down for a chat with my dear readers. I’ll share a few goings on in my life and then I invite you to join the conversation in the comments below.
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If you were to stop by for coffee in real life, I’d probably have James brew us coffee in his new stainless steel French press. His glass one broke in his hands a few weeks ago, and he decided he didn’t want that to happen again. So, upon the advice of our son Daniel and others, James purchased this double wall stainless Belwares French press. He likes it because it makes and keeps the coffee hotter. Personally, I don’t like my coffee quite so hot. I’d have to let mine cool off a bit before drinking any. What about you?
But it does indeed make good coffee. James and I have French press coffee most every afternoon. Yes, even in the summer! I’ve tried to get him to switch to iced coffees, but he’s just not a fan. Do you like iced coffee?
Of course the photograph above and below was actually taken when James and I were having afternoon tea. We were at the West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick, Indiana. We’d just enjoyed a lovely tour of the historic hotel with a knowledgeable guide from the National Historic Landmark Program. And a harpist was playing beautiful music not far from us. It was just perfect.
We took that little trip predominantly to take photos and videos for the blog. I’d received a request from Chico’s to share some of their new summer fashions on Instagram and the clothes I chose just screamed resort to me. So I told James we needed to go to a resort. Ha! I was thinking coastal vibes, but we ended up in neighboring Indiana. And I had no regrets. The French Lick area is just gorgeous, full of tall trees and rolling hills. And we both enjoyed the history of the West Baden Springs Hotel and its neighboring French Lick Hotel, which comprise the French Lick Resort. The town was charming and the golf courses are magnificent. We didn’t play, but I did enjoy a morning by the pool after a workout in their stellar fitness facility.
It was so good to get away for a change of scenery. I actually worked a good bit while I was there. It really was a work trip after all. So I still had video meetings, posts to write and emails to send out. But we did get out for dinner and ice cream occasionally. The little downtown area is quite charming and has plenty of shopping and dining options.
Other than that trip to French Lick, we’ve stuck pretty close to home during June. Have you gone anywhere in June?
The weather has been nice and I’ve been getting out for walks whenever possible. In fact, earlier this week we actually began our day with a quick trip to the Cincinnati Nature Center, where we have a two-year membership. It is such a lovely nature center. I took some video footage while we were on our midweek morning hike, but I neglected to take any photos other than this one selfie of my handsome husband and me.
And even then I had the phone on video mode. Ha! I can’t see a thing without my glasses, so I have no idea what I’m doing half of the day. What about you? I do have these bifocal sunglasses, but I don’t wear them while I’m hiking because I wouldn’t be able to look down at where I’m going and see the ground correctly. Ahh, the travails of aging.
Let’s see. What else have James and I been doing? We did go see Top Gun: Maverick last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s really pretty clean, which is a nice change. I just get tense during all the flying scenes. But other than that I really enjoyed seeing a movie. In fact, today we’re going to see Mr. Malcolm’s List. Has anyone seen it?
I finished reading Lynn Austin’s book Long Way Home earlier this month. I mentioned it in yesterday’s June Favorites post. It really is an excellent book. Now I’m reading Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, in anticipation of that movie’s release on July 15th. It looks absolutely delightful. And right up our alley, girlfriend!
Oh, I best update you on the newlyweds. If you’re new here (welcome!), my daughter Abigail married the love of her life, Andrew, in May. It was a beautiful wedding. Unfortunately we still don’t have the wedding photos. The one below was taken by Abigail’s hairdresser (who did an amazing job with her hair, by the way!).
I think the couple actually got a few photo previews already, but they’ve only sent me the ones that don’t include the both of them. Here’s our family before Andrew joined it. This photo was taken before the wedding.
Anyhow, I digress. I was going to tell you that the newlyweds seem to be doing well. Abigail already lived in Georgia before the wedding. She’s been there ever since she graduated from college in 2016. But she moved into Andrew’s townhouse after the wedding and they are busy setting up house, AKA changing it from a bachelor pad to a married couple’s home. Here’s a photo we received recently in a text. I’m not sure what they were doing, but obviously my girl is happy.
I imagine they were heading out on a date night. It sounds like they’re doing a little entertaining in their home already, getting out occasionally and cooking dinner together frequently. She keeps telling me I should get this cookbook and she does indeed send me some awesome photos of the meals they’ve made from it. They all look delicious!
We’ve not been nearly as good about having people into our home since we moved in a year ago. So I’ve invited some neighbors from down the street over for dinner next week. Any suggestions for what I should prepare? I want something I can mostly do ahead of time, something summery and something without red meat. My neighbor tells me they prefer not to eat a lot of red meat, which is perfectly understandable at our ages. I’d welcome your suggestions.
I think one of the reasons I haven’t had a lot of people over yet is because I’m not done decorating at all. When we moved in I got right to work decorating the spaces.
But that all came to a halt when Abby announced in late November that we had a May wedding to plan. Ha! Well, we paid that off this month. So it’s time to finish the decorating.
I love how our morning room (shown above) turned out with Ethan Allen. But I’ll probably go a different route with the evening room (that’s what we call our family room!). And as you can see below I really need to do something with the front entry.
That’s why I jumped on it when Havenly, an online interior decorating service, reached out to me about being an ambassador for them earlier this month. I’ve connected with a Havenly interior designer and she’s helping me decorate this space. I’m looking to swap out my sofa table for a dresser. And then we’ll add artwork, a rug and some other decorations.
If you’re interested in using Havenly, too, be sure to use my code KAYH and they’ll give you 25% off their mini or full design packages. I’ve really enjoyed working with them so far. And I’ll be sure to share the results when we finish.
Thank you so much for visiting with me today. I feel like I’ve done all the talking, so I’ll let you have the floor in the comments. We’re heading to the movie soon and then I plan to write some blog posts for next week, so I probably won’t reply unless you have a question. Just click on JOIN THE CONVERSATION below this post to open the comments. You can read what other people have shared and add your own. I’d love to hear from you!
Blessed for My Day
True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s just thinking of yourself less. Make sense? True humility begins with a healthy understanding of who we are. Each of us are created in the image of the living God. That’s pretty amazing. We’re created with unique gifts, talents, attributes and callings. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. For that reason, we deserve respect…even from ourselves. That means we should talk ourselves down or belittle our callings or gifts. We need to recognize that we bring something unique and beautiful to the table, so to speak.
But we are also sinners. We have all fallen short of the glory of God and we stand a need of a Savior. Blessedly, God has provided that Savior in His Son, Jesus Christ. That gift also indicates to us how precious we are in His sight. So when God looks upon us, He sees us through the lens of His grace. And that is humbling indeed. Don’t try to create a false humility in yourself by think less of yourself. Instead, seek to see yourself through the eyes of God. Then you’ll have a humility that helps you also see others the way God sees them.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ~ Romans 12:3
I love these monthly posts so thanks for doing them! So many delicious veggies and fruits available now that you could pair with poultry or fish for your dinner; hope you’ll let us know what you served. Maybe Abigail has a recommendation for her cookbook (which looks quite interesting)?
Thanks Kay for starting my Saturday with this lovely chat. I enjoyed your resort visit. Great change of scenery and a little relaxation for you both. Your Blessed For My Day is a gentle reminder to be kind to myself and others. Thank you for that blessing.
Absolutely. We must be kinder to ourselves. Thanks for reading, Becky.
Love your coffee chats! Summer meals for us also include a big salad. Grilled chicken and summer veggies.
Love your morning room sofa. Can you share details?
Yes! That’s perfect. I’m getting so many good suggestions. The morning room was done by Ethan Allen and features a Chadwick sofa and a few of their chairs. I also got the rug and the coffee table and round table there. The stylist was free and she did a great job helping me put together a room I had envisioned. I got the art on the mantle from Great Big Canvas here https://bit.ly/3a83Q8j and the vases are from Hobby Lobby.
Such a nice picture of you and James.
I enjoy your daily posts so much. Thank you for the work you do.
Thank you. That’s kind. We look a little rough, but it’s real life!
I’m so enjoying your blog, photos and “Blessed for My Day”. Today you ask the question if I’ve gone anywhere in June….no, but I’m looking forward to spending the month of September in my home state of Hawaii.
Your daughter is beautiful and looks like she’s so happy. Congratulations to all of you.
Ooh! That will be lovely. Enjoy!
How about chicken salad (lots of options for types) with fresh fruit & crusty bread. Summery & can be made ahead of time. Enjoy your posts, thank you. Happy 4th!
Ooh! Yes, that sounds perfect. Oh my. You ladies are giving me some great options. I really like chicken salad (and may just hop over to Chicken Salad Chick to pick some up! And then we could do fruit and maybe a broccoli salad and the bread. Love that!
Congratulations on your daughter’s wedding, Kay. Our son also got married in May, and it sounds like both of us got the same amount of advanced notice, in November. Where was your daughter’s wedding held?
I love the sofa in your morning room, by the way. That is my favorite color.
My suggestion for your dinner is a vegetable quiche with a nice green salad. I’ve served that several times, and it’s always been a hit. You can prep in advance and just pop it in the oven.
Hi Danny. Our daughter got married at Fox Hall Resort in Douglasville, Georgia. It was beautiful. She got married in the Stables venue there. And your suggestion for a vegetable quiche with a green salad sounds perfect. I love that. I really do want something fairly cool and summery, and that would be great. Maybe have some fresh sliced tomatoes with it and fruit afterward. Thanks!
Kay,
Historic landmarks are a favorite of mine for getaways. A historic hotel recently burned here in Michigan and I felt quite a sense of loss when I read the news. I have visited it a few times really enjoyed it.
I tend to cook simple dishes for folks I don’t know well. I just buy the best quality and freshest ingredients. Since vegetables are abundant now I would include a few choices of vegetables.. a potato/rice pilaf along with a salad and grilled chicken. Light desserts like white cake/angel food with berries and whipped cream, Nothing flavor dominant.
I don’t want to trip while walking with my bifocals so I have an RX pair with just distance. Only need to switch glasses when reading.
Thanks for the post.
Thanks for sharing, Cathlyn. Yes, I think something with some fresh vegetables is definitely a must.
I’m not sure if this Pinterest link will cut and paste, but ever since my daughter-in-law brought it to me, it’s become my go-to! We love it! Plus it’s so beautiful!! We did add chicken to it (be it roasted, boiled, or even a rotisserie bird!) But it can be made ahead of time and then just heated up in the oven or microwave!
https://pin.it/3QDjEwp
I always love your blog, and especially the coffee visits!!
Hmm. Looks good, Kathy. Even if I don’t make it for next Friday, I’ll make that sometime. I make a similar dish already with tomatoes and pasta, but this one looks really good. Thanks!
Hello Kay!
I just joined and am looking forward to your posts filling my in-box. So much better to have coffee and chat Chico’s and Jesus with you than cleary out the junk I usually see lurking there!
My husband and I are nearby in Lexington, and we seem to have similar lifepaths. I look forward to seeing more of you and enjoying your insights. I tend to pour myself into people more than
I get refreshed (my hubby and I are Christian counselors/coaches in the Lexington area and online) and I live vicariously ~
Thank you for posting bits and pieces. I am sure to enjoy it all. By the way, my local Chico’s knows my phone number by heart. I am not sure that is a good thing….
Blessings,
Beth
Thanks for following, Beth. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m so glad to hear you like Chico’s. I have another fun fashion set from them coming next week. So you are forewarned!
Kay, Yours is one of my favorite sites to visit each week. Thank you for the lovely suggestions for clothing and the coffee chats. Abigail looks happy and I enjoyed what you shared about the wedding. Dinner suggestions? That does not even occur to folks in my neighborhood so when I plan a food event, it is often with friends I’ve met elsewhere. Next week I plan to have some acquaintances over for a brunch after their church services and here is my menu: grilled chicken kabobs of chicken, fresh pineapple, onion, then a couple of salads (Greek style pasta and a broccoli with the cheese, bacon, raisins…) fresh apple bread, spinach quiche and fresh melon and since it is noon, I’ll offer cava, bloody mary’s, juices or some specialty beers we got as a Christmas gift. Going to check out Abigail’s cookbook recommendations, but as long-time collector of cookbooks, I already have over 100. Oh, and I love your decorating. Ethan Allen has decorated my home for many, many years and I find the designs timeless and longlastingly beautiful.
I’m planning to have pineapple, peppers, onions and chicken or pork kebabs with a sweet and sour sauce, rice pilaf, a berry salad with cilantro and mint, along with key lime pie for a dinner party. It’s always fun to have neighbors in to get together! Have a wonderful time! 😀
Always enjoy my Coffee with Kay but I did miss your little 10 things going on with me format today.
Will your daughter be doing the scripture and prayers on Instagram anymore? I so enjoyed the prayers and I screenshot and use many of them. Thanks for all you do, you are a bright spot on the internet!
I’ve been wondering the same thing! I miss “Mornings with My Dear Abby”. Abby is a gifted writer like her mama!
Thanks Donna. No, Abigail’s other job is changing and I am having to use her hours for me in other ways right now. She needed a break while she begins her marriage. But we’ll consider revisiting that one of these days.
Even though I am a day late reading this post, I really enjoyed it. Both of us like our coffee hot, but our favorite is frozen coffee at DD with caramel flavor. We do not go to see movies and haven’t in years. Since we went to the beach in May, we spent the month of June at home. Larry cannot tolerate the heat and humidity at all due to his chemo and other meds he’s on. For our neighborhood fireworks extravaganza tonight, he will have to have his oxygen with him. That was a great picture of Abigail. I have a wonderful and super easy baked chicken recipe that I will send to you, via a message on Instagram. Happy 4th of July!
I have been to the French Lick resort. I love the West Baden hotel – so lovely. We stayed at the French Lick hotel but enjoyed an event amd a luncheon at West Baden. Would love to have some of that French press coffee with you. 😊
What did you think of Mr Malcolm’s List? I want to see this as well as the other you mentioned. About 45 mins from us is this very cute small theater that features independent or smaller market films. My husband and I enjoy going here.
I have the cookbook your daughter recommended. I suggest checking out the website Downshiftology. Lisa has great recipes that are fairly simple but very enjoyable. She has a cookbook coming out in December. Thanks for this blogpost. I love following you! ~ Lori
I enjoyed Mr. Malcolm’s List. It took me a while to get into it, but then it picked up. I really thought it was very similar to a Jane Austen story.