What I'm Watching

 

 

I rarely watch network television, except for a few favorites that I have watched for years (Grey's Anatomy) and one new show (This Is Us). And, I still watch the housewives, but I'm down to three (NY, OC and BH). Southern Charm on Bravo is a favorite too. On demand has made it easier to keep up and catch up with these kinds of shows. Lately, I've rediscovered an old favorite and finally caught up with the big Emmy winning hit from last year. Here's what I'm watching.

 

 

Yes, I was way behind on watching Big Little Lies, but we don't have HBO and I don't usually like book adaptations, so I wasn't that bothered. But, we had a week of free HBO and I knew it was the one show I wanted to finally watch. I did enjoy it and thought the acting was pretty amazing. Some of the changes from the book were choices I didn't really understand, but overall it was very well done. I would like to see Season 2, even with Meryl Streep, who I do not care for. If nothing else, that proves how much I liked it.

 

 

Once Upon A Time is one of those shows that used to be great, so I stuck with it the past few years. However, I just couldn't get through it last season and thought I was done. Characters left, new characters were introduced and when I read the last eposode would bring back pretty much everyone, I decided to get caught up, so I could enjoy the series finale. And, much to my surprise, it's a pretty good final season.

 

 

I love discovering a Netfix series that is binge worthy and Retribution is a great find. It's British, dark and twisty; just how I like my crime dramas. You won't believe the ending in this one.

Looking forward to watching: Little Women on Masterpiece Theatre (PBS) starting May 13th and another installment of The Great British Baking Show (PBS) starting June 22nd. I think it's our last season with Mary and Paul and I wonder if the new version will have the same charm.

Happy Wednesday!

 

Some blog housekeeping: I hope to do a blog design update sometime later this year, but it's bugging me that I don't have an Instragram button making it easy for you to follow me. So, in the meantime, here is a link to my Instagram page. I don't do a lot of stories, but I love them and am going to try to do more in the future.

 

Thoughts for Thursday

 

 

 

My experiment in forcing forsythia blooms is working! After six days of looking like nothing much was happening, suddenly the buds began to get plump and when I woke up one morning there were actually green leaves and flowers. So pretty and springlike and I am happy I tried it this year. It's not too late for this method if your forsythia has not yet bloomed.

 

 

This little angel lost her two year fight with cancer yesterday, and if you followed the NCAA Basketball Tournament at all, you probably heard her story. At MSU, she was known as Princess Lacey and had an amazing relationship with basketball player Adreian Payne. She called him superman and did as much for him as he did for her. Her beautiful smile and spirit could light up the whole basketball arena and she will never be forgotten at MSU. Her story and the impact she had in her short life is told nicely in this newspaper article.

 

My 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge is moving right along, slowly, but surely. My big project yesterday was my laundry room - both cabinets and coat closet. I managed to find 4 bags - one to donate and 3 to toss. I found old shoes, outdated appliance manuals and many cleaning supplies past their prime. Having another area clean and organized is always a great feeling and the extra space is welcome. Today, I tackle a file cabinet in the basement that hadn't been touched in years.

 

 

I am surprised that I am still enjoying The Real Housewives of New York City this season. I really thought I was done with the housewives shows, but this version feels more interesting and less forced. Also, since I went to New York City this past summer, the locations give me glimpses of that wonderful city, in all its summertime glory. This week's episode included some silly scenes of the Mermaid Festival at Coney Island and was fun to see.

 

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday

 

 

 

Finally, the first day of spring has arrived! It seems forever since there has been a photo of flowers on this blog, so I thought today was a perfect occasion. I have been picking up these $4 bunches of tulips, at the grocery store, for the last few weeks and they really brighten my kitchen. Our snow is starting to melt and the rain we had yesterday helped the process along nicely. I have hope, that very soon, I will see my tulips starting to break through the ground. It seemed impossible to imagine that spring would ever happen when we were in the midst of yet another snow storm, but the calendar has changed, March will soon turn to April and the long winter will finally be over :-)

 

 

My 40 Bags in 40 Days Lenten challenge is off to a good start. My totals as of this this morning are 5 bags to donate (already dropped off at Goodwill), 2 bags of trash and 1 bag of books for the library. One of the spaces I now have emptied, is my main coat closet. It has an empty shelf, once full of books and school supplies, but now giving me extra storage space, as I need it. The books were all the classics my girls read for all their high school English classes, through the years. I did save a few, that I might like to read again, like the Jane Austen novels and Little Women, but the rest can be put to good use, at the library. And yes, we did purchase all those books, since my daughters attended private school.

 

Speaking of the classics, my book club meets tonight and for a change of pace we decided to read Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. It should be an interesting discussion as I'm sure we are all a little rusty in discussions involving literary themes, metaphors and symbols. If nothing else, we will use an ability long dormant from our college years. Hopefully, the wine will help :-)

 

I started watching the new season of The Real Housewives of New York and so far, so good. There seems to be a real friendship between some of the ladies and that makes it more interesting. Sure there will be drama, but hopefully it will be at a minimum and feel authentic. The accusation that Carole Radziwill used a ghost writer for What Remains did make my blood boil a little, since I loved that book and it is obvious it is written in her voice. Anyone watching?

 

Happy Thursday!

 

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Lately

 

 

 

Lately, my favorite breakfast has been something with fruit. When you are diabetic the natural sweetness of fruit can satisfy that craving for a treat. I replace syrup with fresh fruit on top of pancakes or waffles and it is a delicious and healthy start to my day. This morning I made an old favorite, Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal, that will warm me up on this cold, cold morning. This is a recipe I make when I have time, keep in my fridge and warm up in the mornings - it is so much better than instant oatmeal!

 

I have been reading the twitter feed for spring training at the Detroit Tigers camp in Florida and dreaming of warm weather. The grass is green, the sun is shining and the palm trees circle the field. A couple of years ago, we went to a spring training game, sat on the grass behind the outfield and just soaked up the sun. Perfection.

 

Lately, I have become a fan of herbal tea, especially the Sleepytime Tea K Cups I have started buying for my Keurig. Caffeine doesn't affect me too much late at night, so I've always been a late night tea drinker. This herbal tea actually relaxes me and helps me fall asleep.

 

My reading lately has been a little disappointing. There doesn't seem to be a good selection of books out right now, there is nothing new from my favorite authors and everything I've read lately has just been ok. I need a good book that will grab me and make me not want to put it down. Has anyone read anything amazing recently?

 

Lately, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has been hard to watch, with a mean girl's plot to shut out my favorite housewife, Lisa Vanderpump. She is what these type of shows should be about. I want to see her fabulous life, her fabulous home and her fabulous clothes. This show in particular needs a new cast. I want to see some fancy parties, gorgeous locations, real friendships and much less mean girl drama.

 

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...books, reality tv, etc.

 

 

This weekend will be very exciting for my daughter, Melissa. Her Pompon season at MSU comes to a close with the Collegiate Championships on Saturday. We will be attending a rehearsal on Friday night and then will be able to take her to dinner - always fun! The competition on Saturday will be held at MSU for the first time and the girls have been working hard to represent their school at home and are very excited to take the floor at The Breslin Center. Go Green and Go Melissa!

 

I just finished the new Anna Quindlen novel and while she is definately one of my favorite authors, I am still processing this book and not sure what to think. It is a quiet read, but has an emotional punch. Most likely, I will have more to say about it after I gather my thoughts. Has anyone else read this yet?

 

The Winter Olymipics begin in the next few days and I wish I was more excited. The more I read about the fiasco of the hotel rooms (hilarious tweets being sent from the first journalists to arrive), I wonder how effective the security can be. A terrorist attack or at least an attempt seems inevitable. It would not be a place I would want to be and I usually think a trip to the Winter Olympics would be so much fun.

 

I admit it, I used to watch most of the reality tv shows, especially the housewives of every city. Lately, I find myself starting to watch a season and either getting bored or getting annoyed with the actions being shown. They used to be a fun, guilty pleasure, but now feel too scripted, too petty and not what the shows were intended to be. Atlanta is unwatchable and Beverly Hills has lost its way. New York starts in March and I will give it a chance - maybe :-)

 

Downtown Abbey was good this week, but I do feel worried for Lady Edith. I always have liked her and felt bad for her life, spent in the shadow of her prettier sister. If she is pregnant; what a scandal - and she can't even marry the baby's father. What on earth will she do?

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...cold, cocoa, etc.

 

 

It's hard to think of anything else when the weather is so bitter cold and the snow is so deep. We are having a real old fashioned winter and even my puppy doesn't quite know what to make of it. She likes snow, but when it is deeper that her body, she pretty much sticks to the path I have shoveled for her. It is going to be a long winter :-)

What did we do before owning a Keurig? Ours is being put to use, all day long, when a simple hot drink in a favorite mug can warm you up and make you feel so cozy. We make coffee, tea and lately our favorite is cocoa. It is just perfect for these cold winter days and done in just a few seconds. I love my Keurig!

I really enjoyed the season 4 premiere of Downton Abbey. There has been some Internet talk that it was boring and depressing, but I think it was a perfect start to portray how the whole household was dealing with Matthew's death. It is the little things I love about Downton - the daily life, both upstairs and downstairs. I think all the storylines of the season were set up well and there is a lot of drama to look forward to. Especially Lady Edith's ill fated romance and Lady Mary's inevitable clashes with her father over the running of the abbey.

The Bachelor is back and it looks to be an entertaining season. I could not watch it without the spoilers - it is so much more interesting when you know the outcome. Here's a funny recap that makes me laugh every week. There should be a lot to laugh at this season :-)

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...diabetes, reality tv, etc.

 

 

I picked up my first flowers of the fall season when I was at the grocery store the other day. It is sad to no longer be able to just go out in the yard, woods or garden and find something pretty, but I love having an inexpensive bouquet to brighten my day. There are such pretty seasonal choices to choose from and fresh flowers are my indulgence :-)

My book club meets next week and I am hosting! There is a lot to do, but the timing is great, because I am getting my home ready for Thanksgiving at the same time. I did finish the book choice for the month and thought it was a fascinating read. Secret Daughter: A Novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda tells the story of the adoption of Asha, a Indian baby, to an American couple - an Indian father and a white mother. In alternating chapters, the author traces Asha's life in America - her struggle with being a minority, despite her seemingly charmed life, as the privileged daughter of doctors and the life of her birth parents, living in the slums of Mumbai. Her journey, as a college student, to India for the first time, shows the traditions, sights and sounds of modern day India, through her eyes.

 

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is back and finally a housewives series I am interested in again. I really think this is still the best one and truest to the intention of showing off the ladie's glamorous lives. From what I have read, there is much drama to come and the friendships change throughout the season. Bring on the drama, with a little class :-)

 

My reveal of my kitchen update should be up next week, finally. We are hanging the window treatment this weekend and that is the final piece. I love it and can't wait to show it all.

 

My diabetes is something I live with and don't talk about too much, but boy did I have a bad day yesterday. For no apparent reason, my blood sugar went low and even though I treated it and it went back to normal, I experienced something called a hypo hangover. That pretty much had me down for the count for the rest of the day and my to do list didn't get checked off. I'll be busy catching up today - no time to be sick right now.

 

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...apple orchard, reality tv, etc.

 

 

• The apple orchards in this area, as I'm sure is the case everywhere, are extremely crowded this time of year, especially on the weekends. I try to avoid those kind of crowds, when I can. But, I was craving a cider doughnut - just one. Imagine how happy I was to see my grocery store had fresh from the orchard cider doughnuts for sale the other day, as well as bags of freshly picked apples. No need to fight the crowds :-)

• My kitchen update is moving along, but my window treatment of choice is not happening. I hadn't priced any kind of custom window treatment in a long time, and sticker shock has set in. Now to find a plan B. There may be a bare window for a while, until I figure something out.

• It is time for the blood test for my diabetes control and that always makes me a little nervous. I have been walking every day and eating well, so hopefully the results will show that. It is an ongoing process, so unfortunately, you never know for sure.

 

• We are going to a birthday dinner for my Mother's 80th birthday, this weekend. It will be nice to celebrate this milestone with family and friends. It will be a celebration of the love her children, grandchildren and friends have for her. And, since we are having it at a restaurant, the planning has been as easy as can be. My only job is to bring flowers for the tables :-)

 

• My thoughts about the Bravo Real Housewives have been on the light side lately, because I can't bring myself to watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey, any longer. The family drama is just too much and too much is happening in real life, that is not talked about. When one of the housewives (Teresa) is on her way to prison, the fun has stopped for me. Bring on Beverly Hills and the fabulous life of Lisa Vanderpump - that is what I want to see!

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...DWTS, Fall Flowers, etc.

 

 

• I bought my first mum of the season, after walking by the display for a couple of weeks. I like to buy the ones with the buds barely opened, so they will bloom a good long time. There is a fine line between buying mums too early, where the warm weather drys them out and forces the blooms and waiting until it is cooler and the garden center is picked over. I haven't figured it out yet!

• This skywriting appeared in the bright blue sky at the MSU campus on Saturday. The story is that a U of M alumni paid $3000 to taunt their rival with this display. But, where the story gets better, is that the MSU Alumni Association decided to turn it into something good and challenged its members to match that $3000 by raising money for ovarian cancer research. Here is the story of how that happened and how $20,000 was raised.

• This book, The Silent Wife, by A.S.A. Harrison is one that you can't put down and stays with you when you finish it. But, for me, it wasn't in a good way. The writing and plot are very clever and is reminiscent of Gone Girl. However, I found the psychological introspection and revelations very depressing and it left me in a bit of a funk. I love a good psychological thriller, but this one took things a little too far.

 

• The new season of Dancing with the Stars started this week and from all I have read, it seems that people are liking this group of dancers. I very rarely watch the first few episodes, because I think there are too many dancers to keep it interesting and that the judges scores can be very random. But, maybe I will make an exception before next week's show and catch it on line. The Valerie Harper storyline is kind of amazing.

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...gardening, reality tv, etc.

 

 

 

• All of a sudden, my flowers are at that stage where the annuals are looking overgrown and straggly and the perennials need to be cut back. I guess that at least in the gardening world, fall is arriving. I'm sure if I go to the gardening center the mums will be for sale, ready for purchase and ready to add some fresh fall touches to my yard. My flowers have had a long, glorious run this summer, but I also look forward to those pretty mums. They are so affordable and give such a splash of color.

• Speaking of fall coming, I bought some beautiful granny smith apples the other day and made one of my favorite baked oatmeal recipes - Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal. I enjoyed it for breakfast this morning and it tasted like a little piece of fall, with the apple and cinnamon flavors. It is such a healthy, yet delicious way to have my morning oatmeal.

 

• I haven't mentioned the Real Housewives in a while, but I have been watching the Real Housewives of Orange County Reunion - all three parts. While I did enjoy the season, the reunion, especially the last installment with the Brooks and Vicki drama just all felt like too much information that could have remained private. I know these women sign up for these programs to show their lives, but there should be some boundaries when it comes to the family issues. I watch these shows to laugh and it wasn't funny; just a little sad.

 

• Isn't texting a wonderful thing? When it comes to staying in touch with my daughters, it has become our everyday lifeline to each other. Maybe just to say hi, but it makes it easy and quick, when they are busy with class or work, to still make a connection. It makes me wonder how our parents survived the college years before cell phones and texting. I remember only calling home once a week, usually on Sundays, from the wall phone in our dorm room. Thank goodness for today's technology!

 

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Friday Fragments

It is so nice to put together a bouquet from the flowers around my yard. I take my clippers and snip a blossom here and there, along with whatever may be blooming in the woods. This one included the last daisy of the season. Hopefully it will be awhile before I need to purchase flowers from the grocery store.

The Cheesecake Factory is opening its first restaurant in Michigan very close to me on Tuesday and I look forward to eating there soon. I think I will wait out the first few weeks of madness though. According to a news article I read, there are expected to be long lines for the opening. I do love their cheesecake, but not enough to brave the crowds - or it might be a great idea to get a piece (or two) to go :-)

What can I say about The Bachelorette Finale? I read the spoilers and thought up until the last five minutes that Brooks was somehow coming back. I was shocked there was a proposal and an acceptance in light of the excessive crying over Brooks leaving. The show stretches the imagination anyway, but this ending was even more unbelievable. It made for some entertaining viewing at our watch party though. My friends and I were coming up with ending senarios that kept changing as the show went on. It was fun to have a glass of wine together and share our opinions of the craziness that is this show!

On Kelly's Korner, Show Us Your Life series, she is looking for recommendations of favorite apps today. The app I use the most, is the app that allows me to blog using my iPad. The Blogsy app couldn't be easier to use and allows a seamless transfer of pictures from iPhone to iPad to blog. You just drag and drop the photo where it goes in the post you are writing - no downloading involved. And, since the most recent update, any drafts you keep on file can be easily updated and sent to Blogger for posting. If you are thinking about using an iPad for blogging - this is a great way to accomplish that.
Have a wonderful weekend!

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Thoughts for Thursday...blogging, reality tv, etc.

 

 

• I am enjoying the fact that I can go in my back yard and put together a pretty vase of flowers every few days. I like using a simple mason jar, a bit of burlap and a few sweet flowers. My trick is to cut some pretty leaves from the smaller trees and bushes at the edge of the woods and use them as filler. The greenery gives the bouquet height and depth and lasts for a long time.

• This book, The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew, is one I stumbled across on Amazon and I honestly couldn't put it down when I started reading it. There is a bit of foreshadowing in the first sentence that piques your interest and the point of view of the main character is so touching. Set at the very beginning of the civil rights movement, it tells the story of a girl coming of age in that tumultuous era and the love she had for the family's black housekeeper. If you liked The Help, you will love this book. This could be a selection I pick for my book club to read.

~

• There still seems to be a lot of confusion about the end of Google Reader on July 1st. As of now, Google has not made any announcement that Google Friend Connect will be going away - only Google Reader. Until they make that announcement, I expect to still see the blogs I follow via GFC, on my dashboard, after July 1st. Bloglovin is wonderful, but I still like using the blogger dashboard as another reading alternative.

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• All this rain and humidity we are having has brought the mosquitos out in full force. I guess it is time to break out the bug spray whenever I am going to be outside. Bug spray just seems like it is full of chemicals and I always feel the need to shower after using it. But, I am not going to let the mosquitos chase me out of my garden :-)

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• I enjoyed the 100th episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County. It was fun to look back at how the show has changed and see and hear from the housewives that have left. The 1st season was definitely more about their real lives and less about manufactured drama and made up story lines. They were neighbors, who were friends in real life. It reminded me of why I started watching the housewife shows and why I am losing interest in some of them now.

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...fireworks, gardening, etc.

 

 

• Pretty pink flowers - dianthus {starburst} - are new to my garden. Perfect for a sunny spot in the front of my perennials. This is the best time of the gardening season. Everything is ready to bloom and each day there is a new surprise to discover. I am gathering flower bouquets, every few days. They are mostly pretty leaves, flowering branches and wildflowers at this point, but in a week or so, my favorite daisies will be in bloom.

• I just finished reading the blue cotton gown - a midwife's memoir by Patricia Harman and it was a really interesting read. Patsy Harman is a nurse practitioner - midwife in rural West Virginia. She recounts her stories of treating patients at the women's health practice she and her OB-GYN husband started together. They are former hippies who lived on various communes in the 60's and 70's and then went on to attend medical/nursing school. The state of our medical system is discussed, but in a practical, non-preachy way.

• I am watching the new season of The Bachelorette, but finding it a little boring. I'm not sure that Desiree was a good choice to carry the show. She seems nervous, reserved and a little scripted. I don't see her picking any of the guys, but the spoilers say she will. Still, I do enjoy reading the recaps the next morning, especially the ones with a healthy dose of humor and snark. This is one of my favorites.

~

• We have plans to see some 4th of July fireworks and I am so excited. We will be going to Greenfield Village, a historical setting in Dearborn, Michigan that features a pre- fireworks concert by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. We have attended this event for several years now and it is a lovely place to spend an evening with friends. We have survived a couple years of wicked storms, but hope for good weather this year.

~

• Today seems like it will be a perfect pool day, for pretty much the first time this summer. I think I will pack up my beach bag with some good magazines and head there soon. An afternoon spent on a lounge chair, in the sun, sounds pretty wonderful.

Happy Thursday!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...reality tv, cooking, etc.

 

 

• Does anyone know what kind of bush this might be? It looks like some type of lilac, but it blooms later and the flowers don't have the same scent. This bush has never bloomed as much as it has this year and it is gorgeous. I just would like to know what it is!

• Another book that has been around for a while that I finally read, is The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. I know it is a favorite for many book clubs, but we just never picked it for some reason. I did like it and it was an interesting and in depth view of plantation life. However, the constant sorrow and misery were a little too much throughout, even though there was hope in the end.

~

• My daughters and I had a cooking lesson on Sunday and they learned to cook pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy. It was a delicious dinner and we had a great time during the cooking process. I didn't realize how hard it would be to come up with step by step instructions for the old fashioned, basic recipes I have been cooking my whole life. They were asking me where I learned to make this meal and while I don't remember my mother teaching me, I must have learned by watching her. Now, I have passed this same knowledge to my daughters. I like the symmetry of that.

~

• I haven't mentioned reality tv in a while, but I am still watching. The Real Housewives of New Jersey is back and it looks like more of the same. I'm not sure how I feel about using the autism diagnosis as a storyline on a crazy reality tv show. It just feels a little exploitative to the child. Also, there is not much I care to say about the latest Real Housewives of Orange County and the bachelorette trip to Mexico. Do they know they were on national television acting that way? It boggles the mind.

 

Have a happy Thursday - more rain for us!

 

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Thoughts for Thursday...flowers, reality tv, etc.

 

 

• This pretty hyacinth has bloomed this week and it has a story. In the fall, it was my turn to choose a book for my book club. The book I chose used gardening as a metaphor for life, and I gave my book club friends the gift of a hyacinth bulb to plant. I hope that all their flowers have bloomed too and are just as pretty as mine. You can read about the gift here.

• My daughter Megan and I made tacos for dinner the other night and I used ground turkey for the first time. It was surprisingly good. I realize I am late to the ground turkey bandwagon, but since we don't eat ground beef often, I don't usually worry about using it in my old stand by recipes. But, the ground turkey is a healthier option that I would definitely use again.
• The book I am currently reading is Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverani. It has a lot of historical detail about what Washington was like during the Civil War. I usually like historical fiction, but it seems to be a hard read, at this point. Mrs. Lincoln is definitely not a sympathetic figure, as portrayed in this story. Since it is told from the point of view of a former slave, it is interesting in that regard. I am sure I will finish it, but so far, it is not my favorite.
• The Real Housewives of Orange County has reached a tipping point for me. I am to the point where I can no longer enjoy or find the humor in Tamara's mean girl screeching. I will give it a few weeks, but I may be done with this one. Am I alone in this view?
• Melissa comes home for the summer on Friday. I am picking up most of her clothes and such today and then my husband will move home the bigger items on Friday. Her sophomore year is done and I can't believe how fast it went! She is so much fun to have at home - I am looking forward to it :-)

Happy Thursday!

 

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