friday favorites #35: week of september 7, 2017

Fun (?) fact: This post has been in the works for about three months. I just never quite seem to get it finished on Friday, so then the next time I come to it, I swap out old favorites and add new ones. But today I've done it—I've actually finished a Friday Favorites! (As my sister would demand: "CLAP FOR ME!")

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friday favorites #34: week of june 9, 2017

Why yes, I do still have this blog! I haven't written in forever, but today deserves celebration—I submitted my yearbook today!!! I hope to blog a little more regularly now that my school year has officially officially wrapped up.

Here are some of the things that have made me happy recently:

1. Finishing the Yearbook

See that little purple circle on the screen? It represents the yearbook. It's a pie chart where the colors show the progress on the book. Purple represents "submitted." And now it's all purple! This was like the yearbook that would never end; the only time it ever took me longer than this to finish was 2012, when I had my gallbladder removed the week after school got out, and I didn't touch the yearbook for more than a week. Contrast that with this year, when most of my working hours since school got out have been devoted to yearbook, and I've worked well over 40 hours each week. But now it's been sent off to the printer, and I don't plan to read one bit of it after it's printed!

2. Free Music!

Tonight, in the middle of my marathon yearbook submission, I got an email from Ticketmaster saying my recent purchase of Lady Antebellum tickets included a download of their new album, Heart Break. I had no idea when I bought the tickets—I got in on a sweet $20 sale and didn't really pay attention to anything else—but I'll never turn down free music!

3. Wonder Woman

If you haven't seen Wonder Woman yet, what are you waiting for? My mom and I saw it last weekend, and it was amazing! Also, I got in free, and my mom got free popcorn and pop, thanks to a promotion one of our local theaters was running. (The fact that I just said "one of our local theaters" still astounds me. I live in a town of 3000, yet we have two movie theaters. Just over a year ago, we had none. Currently, both theaters are showing Wonder Woman. Small town politics.)

Anyway, Wonder Woman. Hands down the best DC movie I've seen, and it beats a lot of the Marvel ones, too. Forget the tortured "hero" who does decidedly anti-heroic things. Diana fights for those who can't fight for themselves. She is firmly on the side of good, and she values others above herself. Diana is the type of woman we should want our daughters to emulate.

4. The Cubs

It's true that the Cubs are having a rough go of it. As of today, their record is 30-30, they're second in the NL Central, and they recently went 0-3 vs. the Padres (RIP, Pitch!). But I am so enjoying following their games and watching the few that I can get on TV. Apparently (and I never knew this before because I didn't care), I live in Royals country. Pretty much every Royals game is on TV and on the radio. Where's the love for the Cubbies???

Anyway, I'm learning a ton about baseball, and I'm really enjoying it! I'm also enjoying this, which is admittedly a couple months old, but I still get a kick out of it every time I see it: 

5. Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge

I've been eagerly anticipating this book for a while, and my review copy came today! It's a take on Sense & Sensibility, and you know I'm a sucker for all the Austen adaptations! I have a few other books I have to read first—after all, I've read virtually nothing but yearbook pages for a month—but I can't wait to pick it up.

So that's what's been making me happy recently. I'd love to know what's making you happy, too! 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book mentioned in this post free for review. The opinions expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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friday favorites #32: top 5 tv shows of 2016

Today's Friday Favorites is a little different—I'm talking about my five favorite shows of 2016. With all the TV watching I do, I can't believe I've never done a "best of TV" post before! These shows were all airing new episodes in 2016 (which is why One Tree Hill isn't on the list 😁).

1. Pitch

Pitch is one of two new dramas created by Dan Fogelman this season. It's the less famous, less critically acclaimed of the two, but it's my favorite. The only reason it never made it into my Friday Favorites until this special edition is because I've become such a slacker about posting, but trust me, it's a favorite.

Pitch stars Kylie Bunbury as pitcher Ginny Baker, the first female to play in the Major Leagues. It also stars a nearly-unrecognizable (until you know it's him) Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Mike Lawson, Ginny's catcher. It took me about one episode to be all in on this show.

It's only 10 episodes long, and all 10 have already aired and are available on Hulu. Remember how I said that Pitch isn't nearly as famous or acclaimed as Fogelman's other show? Well, it's apparently a bubble show, meaning it could go either way as far as cancellation or renewal. Here's hoping FOX doesn't pull the trigger and gives us a second season of "Bawson"! (Terrible name, I know. But what other option was there? Gike? Minny? Laker? All awful.)

Guilty pleasure... Watching fan-made shipper videos on YouTube. Veronica & Logan, Pacey & Joey, Lucas & Peyton, and now Ginny & Mike from @pitchonfox. Once I start, I can't stop. And yes, I am 35 years old 😂😂😂 #photochallenge #sacredholidays

A photo posted by Becky Ritta (@beckyritta) on Dec 7, 2016 at 4:30pm PST

2. This Is Us

I have actually written about This Is Us before. This Is Us is the other new show from Dan Fogelman. 

If you haven't watched and plan to, stop reading now and skip to #3. If you don't, you might feel the same anger for me that I felt for EW's social media handler when I came across a post on Facebook that said, "Now that Rory is _______, what's next?" (I left that blank in case you don't know what happens on the Gilmore Girls reboot.)

 

This Is Us follows the Pearson siblings, beginning on their 36th birthday. Kevin is a moderately successful yet deeply unhappy actor, Kate is morbidly obese and lets her weight completely define her, and Randall is a successful businessman with a beautiful family who just reconnected with his dying birth father. The present story is interspersed with stories from the past, from when the siblings' parents Jack and Rebecca were raising them. It is simply fascinating—especially the stories surrounding Randall (the 36-year-old Randall is played by the magnificent Sterling K. Brown). 

Side note: In my opinion, the biggest snub from this year's Golden Globes nominations was the exclusion of Brown for his portrayal of Randall (he was nominated for his portrayal of Chris Darden in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, a role he won an Emmy for earlier this year). The Screen Actor's Guild got it right, though, nominating Brown for both This Is Us and People v. O.J.

3. The Flash

Apparently I talk about The Flash a lot. While I enjoy all of the DC shows on the CW (well, I have a love/hate relationship with Arrow), The Flash is by far my favorite. It's so much fun! This season, I've enjoyed that a) "Flashpoint" (when Barry went back and changed the timeline to save his mother) didn't last forever and b) there are major repercussions for his actions. I also love that Tom Cavanagh is portraying a third version of Harrison Wells. This season's version, H.R., just might be my favorite yet.  

4. Fuller House

Critics hate Fuller House. In fact, I just saw it on a list of worst shows of 2016. But I really enjoy it! Season one pushed all the right nostalgia buttons, and, while I've only seen the first two episodes of season two so far, I assume I'll like it just as much. And I'm still 100% Team Steve.

5. The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story

When I heard that Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) was making a series about the O.J. Simpson trial, I was skeptical. But I was curious enough to tune in for the first episode, and I was immediately hooked. This series is done so well! I watched every episode, and I can't stop telling people how good it is. Seriously. If you haven't watched it, do it as soon as it hits Netflix!

I do have two complaints: I think John Travolta as Robert Shapiro and Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. Simpson were a bit miscast. But everything else was absolutely spot on!

There's my list ... but why no Gilmore Girls? Because I haven't watched it yet. (And I also hear that people hated the 2nd and 3rd installments.) I think I'm one of two Gilmore fans in the world who hasn't watched yet...the other being my sister. But we're going to remedy that this weekend!

What are your favorite shows of 2016?

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friday favorites #31: week of dec. 2, 2016 + giveaway

I haven't done a Friday Favorites in forever (OK, it was really September 23, but that's like forever in blog time), so this Friday Favorites will encompass my world over the last two months. So don't be mad that my #1 happened a month ago, OK?

1. The Cubbies!!!

Though the Chicago Cubs have always had a special place in my heart, I never really paid attention to baseball until this postseason. In fact, I thought baseball was one of the most boring sports on the planet. But in the midst of the Cubs' postseason run and World Series victory, I became a raving fan. We'll see if that carries through to next season, but for now, I'm still loving all things Cubs. In fact, the World Series movie (is that what you call it?) is on FS1 tonight, and I can't wait to watch and relive the greatness! (I've talked about the Cubbies a lot on Christian Chick's Thoughts recently, so here it is if you're interested.)

Also, I'll just leave this here ...

2. The CW's DC Crossover Extravaganza

I haven't actually watched the whole crossover yet—I had choir practice last night so missed Legends of Tomorrow. But I greatly enjoyed The Flash and Arrow this week. (Supergirl was good, too, but it wasn't much of a crossover—Barry and Cisco just showed up at the very end.) I loved seeing the characters interact, and it got me to watch Arrow, a show I checked out of a long time ago. (So dark, that Arrow. I prefer the lightness of the other three shows.) I hope the CW keeps doing these crossover events, 'cause they're so fun!

Speaking of fun, if you're a fan of The Flash, check out this Honest Trailer.

3. Austentatious

The other day, I stumbled across Austentatious on Amazon Prime. As a sucker for all things Austen, I couldn't help but start watching.

Emma Woodhouse, Lizzie Bennett, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, and Grant Knightly are all friends living in the same city. Will Darcy works at the same law firm as Emma, and he gets realtor Lizzie to help him find a house (which, of course, ends up being for his sister Georgiana). Nurse Brandon falls for Marianne, who is oblivious, and accountant Elinor has a flirtation with IRS agent Edward Ferrars. The real Austen-like plots kick into gear around episode seven, and nothing is resolved by the end of the final episode. So far, there's only one season of ten episodes, but I hope that more will come!

The production value is ... not very good, and the acting is just serviceable. (The notable exceptions here are Elise Groves as Lizzie and Kristen Marie Jensen as Elinor.) But I still really enjoyed it!

Also of note is that this show is one of the cleanest made-for-adults series I've ever seen. No swearing, no innuendo, nothing. Totally G-rated, which is nice for a change. While your kids would probably be bored out of their minds, you could watch this without fear of what content may pop up.

If you have Prime, you can watch for free here. It's also available on DVD.

4. Christmas Music

I love, love, love Christmas music! With the advent of Spotify and Amazon Prime music, I'm able to listen to almost any Christmas music I want ... and I can pick and choose songs, rather than listening to whole albums. One of my favorite songs to play is *NSYNC's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"—it never fails to brighten my mood! (If you've never seen the video before, do yourself a favor and watch it now. It pretty much screams 90's!)

In between my Michael W. Smith-athons (seriously, the man makes amazing Christmas albums!) and repeated playings of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (both the original and Bieber versions. Yes, Bieber.), I've also been enjoying Amy Grant's new album, Tennessee Christmas. It's more mellow and melancholy than I anticipated, but it's also very good. I reviewed it here, and I have a copy to give away! Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Rules: Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest is open in the US only. Winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter.com and will have 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen.)

5. The Thirteenth Chance

I debated whether I should really make this a favorite today, but then I found out about a crazy-good sale on Amazon, and I knew I needed to do it! The Thirteenth Chance is going to make my best of list for 2016, no question. It's engaging, romantic, and funny ... and, for a limited time, really cheap! The Kindle version is currently 99¢, and the paperback is just $4.99! (See my full review.)

So that's what's been making me happy over the last couple months. As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying lately?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received some of the products mentioned in this post free for review. The opinions expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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friday favorites #30: week of sept. 23, 2016 + giveaway

Happy Friday, everyone! It's officially fall, but it certainly doesn't feel like it here in Nebraska. That hasn't stopped me from enjoying a pumpkin spice latte or two :-)

So I was totally planning to make One Tree Hill one of my Friday favorites this week ... until I realized that it was one of my favorites last time! Suffice it to say, I'm still completely obsessed. So, in lieu of more gushing about OTH, here are some favorites that I haven't talked about recently:

1. This Is Us

Is one episode enough to know if I'm going to love a show? I don't know, but I absolutely adored the pilot episode. I'm not going to say anything else except you must watch it for yourself. It's available on Hulu.

2. The People v. O.J. Simpson's Emmy awards

I cannot believe that The People v. O.J. Simpson never made it into a Friday Favorites post. I loved it so, so much! I was in junior high during the trial, so I very vaguely remembered it. (I remember exactly where I was during the Bronco chase—on my way home from summer camp—and when the verdict came down—at school—but I didn't know too much about the trial). I was thrilled to see the show receive so many Emmy nominations in the "Limited Series or Movie" category. It won nine awards, including best limited series ... and Sarah Paulson (Marcia Clark), Courtney B. Vance (Johnnie Cochran), and Sterling K. Brown (Christopher Darden) won acting awards. The series will hit Netflix sometime in 2017, so if you missed it on FX, be sure to catch it then!

3. Trader Joe's dairy-free options

A couple weeks ago, my mom, sister, and I went to see my sister-in-law perform at an Irish festival in Omaha. She was amazing! (And this is from someone who normally isn't a big fan of Irish music!)

I tried to upload a video I took, but I couldn't get it to work, so here's a pic instead.

Afterwards, we went to Trader Joe's. And there, I hit the mother lode. I've been cow dairy free for over a year now. I don't know if it's making a difference with my Hashimoto's symptoms, but I am absolutely positive being dairy free has reduced my PCOS symptoms, so I'm ready to settle in for the long haul. I've discovered, though, that sheep's milk and goat's milk don't affect me negatively. Unfortunately, cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk can be expensive and hard to find. (Well, it's pretty easy to find a basic soft goat cheese, but I'd like variety!)

Anyway, Trader Joe's had goat's milk feta, cheddar, and gouda! They definitely have that goat's milk tang, but they're so tasty! And now that I have the cheddar, I'm dreaming of pizza.

I also found coconut milk ice cream that's about half the price of So Delicious, and it tastes better, too! I've already placed my cheese and ice cream order with Blendy, who is coming home next weekend.

4. Live on Forever by The Afters

About 10 years ago, I first heard of The Afters when a friend played "MySpace Girl" for me. If you'd like a hilarious flashback to the MySpace era (wow, that was long ago!), check out this video:

I really didn't know much else about the group, but I recently had the opportunity to review their new album. I loved it! I also have a copy to give away. If you'd like a chance to win, enter through the Rafflecopter below.

(Rules: Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest is open in the US and CANADA only. Winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter.com and will have 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

5. Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Susan May Warren's writing. Her latest novel, Wild Montana Skies, releases next month, and I got to read an early copy. It's so good! (See my review.)

So that's what's been making me happy. As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received some of the products mentioned in this post free for review. The opinions expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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friday favorites #29: week of sept. 9, 2016 + giveaway

Happy Friday! Doesn't it feel like Labor Day was four weeks ago instead of four days ago? Maybe it's just me ... anyway, I'm thrilled that it's the weekend. I'm even more thrilled that I decided to mow my lawn last night after work, so I don't have to take time out of my weekend to do it!

Here are a few things I've been enjoying recently!

1. One Tree Hill
To say I've been enjoying One Tree Hill is a bit of an understatement. For years (literally), Blendy has been telling me to watch One Tree Hill, and, for whatever reason, I've resisted. But one night last month, I inexplicably decided to watch the pilot episode. I wasn't crazy about it, but Blendy said to give it a couple episodes, so I did ... and I basically haven't stopped watching since.

Now, probably 50 percent of our text conversations are about OTH. Usually, it's me ranting about something and Blendy laughing at me.

The show is so implausible: in the first two seasons alone, two juniors in high school get married, another junior runs off with his infant daughter because her mother is trying to take her away, the villain survives what should have been certain death not once but twice, a teen who had never before sung in public ends up on tour with Michelle Branch, and a laundry list of mid-2000s bands play at a club owned by the main character's mom. It would never happen. AND I LOVE IT.

I'm totally #TeamPeyton, which I did not anticipate, considering I haven't loved Hilarie Burton in the other things I've seen her in (except for Hallmark Channel's Summer Villa, which was adorable).

Anyway, I'm pretty much obsessed with One Tree Hill, and I wish Dan Scott would get hit by a bus. But he'd probably just survive ...

2. Blooming Gladiolus
At the beginning of the summer, I planted a couple gladiolus bulbs. Earlier this week, one of them began blooming. So pretty!

Once it was in full bloom, I decided to bring it into the house. One of my cats was very interested.

I like to call this look "goa'uld eyes."

So then I googled "gladiolus toxic to cats" and discovered that ingesting the plant could cause unpleasant symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. So now when I'm gone or sleeping, I close the flowers in the bathroom. Just to be safe.

3. Football Season
Here in Nebraska, football season is huge. Husker football kicked off last Saturday, and it was definitely bittersweet, as it was the first game following punter Sam Foltz's death in a car accident. When it came time to punt for the first time, this happened:

Makes me tear up every time.

The Huskers went on to win the game in decisive fashion, and I hope it's just the beginning of great things for this team!

4. Having a Plan
I started blogging on MySpace in 2006. In 2008, I started Christian Chick's Thoughts, and I began reviewing books a few months later. Then in 2014, I decided to make Christian Chick's Thoughts all about books and move the life stuff over here to Coffee & Conversation. In my 10 years of blogging, the only "plan" I've had is to keep track of dates that reviews are due. That's it. So while I love doing things like Friday Favorites and Top Ten Tuesday, those posts often don't get written because they're not on my radar until other bloggers' posts start popping into my feed.

But that's all changing.

I spent a large portion of my Labor Day weekend working on blog stuff, and one of the things I did was download a blog planner. I almost bought one on etsy, but then I turned to my friend Google and found a great free one at Designer Blogs. It didn't have everything I wanted, but almost. I've only used a couple pages so far, but I'm in love ... and feeling so much more organized!

5. The Biggest Story

This week's book recommendation is Kevin DeYoung's The Biggest Story. I got an audiobook/short film combo to review. It's geared toward children, but it's totally suitable for adults. The best part is that I have a set to give away! Enter here:a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway rules: Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest is open in the US and CANADA only. Winner will be selected at random using Rafflecopter.com and will have 48 hours to respond to email notification, or another winner will be chosen.

So that's what's been making me happy. As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

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friday favorites #28: week of august 26, 2016

Two weeks down, how many to go? These first days of school have been brutal. I cannot remember a time when the beginning of school was so stressful and complicated. I think we've made it, though--today actually felt like a normal work day, not a crazy we've-just-gotten-back-to-school-and-everyone-needs-something-from-me day. Hooray!

Here are a few things I've been enjoying recently:

1. BrainDead
"Previously on BrainDead!" are four (three?) of my favorite words this summer. I remember seeing commercials for the show before it premiered, and I thought it looked stupid. How wrong I was!

BrainDead asks this question: What if the fighting and utter inability to accomplish anything in Washington was actually caused by space bugs that were taking over people's brains?

Though this trailer doesn't give you the full scope of how fun BrainDead actually is, it's closer than any of the other trailers I found.


Hands down, BrainDead is my favorite show of the summer. While I enjoyed the pilot, you have to give it at least two episodes to decide if you're in or not...because it's in episode two that the hilarious recap songs begin. (You can read the story behind the songs--and watch the song from episode two--here, and you can watch all the songs--please, only if you've watched the show!--here.)

BrainDead is a 13-episode series currently airing on CBS, and the previous week's episode is available through Amazon Prime each Thursday. If you're looking for something different and quirky, check it out!

2. Yellow & Purple Wax Beans

While I have been loving my green beans this summer, I haven't gotten too many. (I'll need a bigger garden next year!) Today, a coworker brought in these yellow and purple wax beans. I ended up bringing home a plastic sack full of them because I was the last person in the office tonight, so I brought everything that was left. They are so tasty!!!

Unfortunately, they lose that gorgeous purple color when they're cooked, but they still taste great.

3. Hastings' Going Out of Business Sale
A couple weeks ago, I went out to dinner with a friend. She mentioned that we should stop at Hastings, a local bookstore chain, before we returned to Central City. Hastings is closing soon, and everything is on sale. We spent about an hour going through the used movies, and we both came out with way more than we needed!

Why yes, I did just get rid of more than 50 movies. So why not buy more???

A couple days later, I went back with several family members ... and I found more stuff! My absolute favorite finds are these two books:

Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, and this is a very cool illustrated version. And I couldn't pass up Melissa Rycroft's book--it cost me all of $3, and I can't wait to read her take on her experience with The Bachelor!

4. Momentum

This is a web app that I just found out about this week, and I'm absolutely loving it! It's an extension that you can add to Chrome that pops up each time you open a new tab. The image varies, but it never fails to relax me. It's also a great way to keep track of my "to do" list for the day.

5. If Ever I Would Leave You by Susan May Warren

Believe it or not, I actually haven't been doing much reading lately. The Olympics, coupled with the beginning of school, kept me from doing much reading this month. (Don't even ask about the state of my book for the MMD Reading Challenge. It's not even funny.) If Ever I Would Leave You is a quick read, though--I ended up reading it in a couple hours one evening--and it's everything I've come to expect from something written by Susan May Warren, featuring strong characters, romantic chemistry, and realistic conflict. (See my review.)

If you haven't read a Susan May Warren book yet, this novella is a great place to start--especially because it's free!

As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

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friday favorites #27: week of july 8, 2016

Happy Friday! Why is it that holiday weeks feel longer than usual? It can't be just me, can it? I only worked Wednesday through Friday, but boy did those days feel long! So I'm thrilled that the weekend has arrived! Here are some of my recent favorite things:

1. 4th of July in Indiana
Spending the 4th in Indiana is becoming a bit of a tradition. Last year, my mom and I went out to see my sister and brother-in-law, and this year, my dad went along, too! We were gone Friday through Tuesday, and, despite some horrible delays due to road construction and bad traffic, we had a wonderful time!

It's never a sure thing that Dad's going anywhere until he's in the car, so I snapped this pic as we left to prove to Val that he was with us.

When we got there, Miss Chloe decided she really liked my bed. She's such a fluff ball, and she's so full of personality. Not very cuddly, that one, but certainly entertaining. She also scared me to death the first night—I saw her leave my room while I was getting ready for bed, so I closed the door. At 3 a.m., she jumped on top of me! Apparently, she snuck back in before I closed the door.

We went blueberry picking! Most of the blueberries weren't ripe yet, so we had to do some searching, but we ended up with 10 pounds for Val.

Dad was very tired after picking blueberries ...

We played lots of Rummy and Golf. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of my perfect Rummy hand. I went out on my first turn, and I was the first player!

We went to a "patriotic" concert in the park at Winona Lake ... only the concert didn't include much patriotic music. The highlight was the Four Seasons medley the band played. (In retrospect, I'm not sure that the concert was even advertised as patriotic—I just made that assumption because the concert took place over the holiday weekend.)

We girls saw Ragtime at the Wagon Wheel. It was phenomenal. Last year, we saw Bye Bye Birdie there, and it was really good, but Ragtime was something special.

It was almost chilly the whole time we were there, and we took advantage of the coolness by taking several walks—at Grace, around Winona Lake, and in Val & Greg's new neighborhood. As we walked, I was totally obsessed with the hostas. Now that I have my own baby hostas, I'm eager to see everyone else's! They seem to be a very popular plant in Val & Greg's neighborhood.

We had to head home on Tuesday, and we made sure to stop at a Chick-fil-A. Oh, how we need one in central Nebraska!

2. Galaxy Quest
I have loved Galaxy Quest ever since I saw it in the theater way back in '99. I've seen it multiple times over the years, but I'd forgotten just how clever the writing is! And, in addition to the at-the-time stars, it has so many now-famous people in it: Corbin Bleu, Enrico Colantoni, Rainn Wilson, Sam Rockwell.

We (and by "we," I mean "everyone but Dad who was sleeping") watched it at Val's, and it was a pure delight from start to finish. If you're in need of a good laugh, check it out on Netflix!

3. 30 for 30 documentaries
I recently discovered that many of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentaries are on Netflix, and now I can't get enough of them! My favorites so far are This Magic Moment, about the rise and fall of the Orlando Magic in the 1990s, Jordan Rides the Bus, about Michael Jordan's foray into minor league baseball, and (obviously, if you know me at all) The Price of Gold, about the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal. Up next: Believeland. We'll see if it can make me stop loathing the Cavs.

(Tangentially related note: I love that Kevin Durant has joined the Warriors. And, while I can understand Thunder fans' disappointment, I don't get why people who aren't Thunder fans are upset, and I don't see how "chasing rings" is a bad thing. If the goal of NBA basketball is to win a championship, why wouldn't you do whatever you can to get there?)

4. The Great British Baking Show
It's back! My mom and I enjoy watching baking competitions together, and The Great British Baking Show is by far our favorite. Season 3 just started (which apparently was season 6 in the UK). It airs on PBS (and on the PBS app), and it's so fun! You can watch episodes here. Just do it!

5. INSPY award winners!

Instead of just one book recommendation today, I'm going to give you a bunch. At the end of last month, the INSPY award winners for 2016 were announced. I was privileged to be one of the Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense judges this year, and it was such a great experience. I've read several of the winners (see them all here), and they're great—but the winner I'm most excited about is Sarah Sundin's Through Waters Deep. While I generally prefer contemporary to historical fiction, I can't get enough of Sundin's books, and I'm so excited to see her win this award!

But seriously, check out all the winners. You're sure to find something great to add to your TBR pile.

(Fun fact: When I first posted about Through Waters Deep last year, my friend Jennifer commented that the guy on the cover looks like Ryan Reynolds. So now all I can think of is Ryan Reynolds when I look at it!)

If you've made it to the end of this post, bless you! As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?

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