5 thing Friday - treats, firewood, Scout's birthday, ravioli, Black Violin

Lately I have been encouraged to do something nice for myself and practice more self-care.  Does that sometimes translate to baked goods in my mind? Why yes.

(but also naps, a good cry, a long shower, reading, eating a good meal...)

Next week is Radiologic Technology Week and typically we get fed treats so I expect there will be more treats like this at my desk.  This one was some kind of cinnamon roll twist from Trader Joe's and was delightful with my coffee.

I figured I was probably going to get more wood than I had space to store on the back patio, but I let the guy just go ahead and stack it neatly there one afternoon this week.  The whole process of buying wood was painless - from ordering it on-line to getting it delivered and stacked.  I asked for 1/8 cord of pecan (low smoke) double split into 12 inch logs.

The next day, I stored some of the excess in the garage and I thoroughly cleaned out my little tooty firepit.  And not a moment too soon as Fall made its grand appearance in Austin this week.  The lows are in the 40s and 50s and feel amazing!

I love this guest bed so much - it was less than $200, was easy to build, and is a super comfy afternoon nap spot.  Knowing that Scout was sleeping on a handmedown bed with 1982 box springs and a mattress from his freshman year in high school, I offered to buy him one for his birthday and go set it up.

I'm not a young chick but I managed to get it into Brigid and off we went.  It took us about 30 minutes to put the bed together, including putting linens on the new mattress.  He will have more storage space underneath and hopefully, better sleep.

While I was there I gave his rescue kitty Oscar lots of pets and love.

Happy Birthday, Scout!

Since the temps have fallen, I am enjoying the oven for no fuss meals.  This is TJ's pumpkin ravioli with their harvest pasta sauce baked in my little glass casserole dishes.  One for Friday, one for the freezer.  If I didn't cook once, eat twice, I likely wouldn't cook at all....but this and a crisp salad makes it easy to pack a nice lunch for work.

Last night I took myself out again - I have been enjoying concerts and such at The Long Center in downtown Austin.

I saw Black Violin with Anthony Abraham and all three gentlemen are very talented.  The BV guys in particular - think high energy hip hop meets classical violin.  Very cool!  I got to bed very late and will probably do a nice long nap today after lunch with The Girl.  Both are nice ways to begin my work week.  Happy weekend everyone!

Gina

Empty Nest menu #153 and squash casserole

 One day last week I was craving comfort in the form of squash casserole.  It reminds me of Mom.  Now, did she ever make it? No.  But I ordered it every time we ate lunch at a certain restaurant in Brenham and I discovered that I LOVE IT.

This recipe was just so-so, which means I will have to find another one to try and that can be challenging since I am losing interest in cooking again*. If you have a recipe you love for this, please send to me!

Monday - Kale salad with (freezer) rotisserie chicken (when I get home from work)

Tuesday - Romaine salad with pickles, cucumber, tuna, red onion, vinaigrette {date night to the movies with myself and I know I will eat popcorn!}

Wednesday - Stuffed Bell Pepper, baked sweet potato, green beans {taking gifts and lunch to Scout}

Thursday - Pumpkin Ravioli with harvest marinara (probably will add chicken or beef), more kale salad {therapy appt. in afternoon, Black Violin concert in p.m.}

Friday - Crab cakes, spinach, sweet potato {Happy Birthday Scout!}

Saturday and Sunday - leftovers for work

Gina

*And next week I will cook far less!

Cleaning up the back patio for cooler weather!

Working on the back patio area is something I've been meaning to do for a couple of weeks now.  It kept getting put off due to shoulder pain and major lack of get-up-and-go.  The list of things to do out there seemed long: trim up Lariope and re-mulch it, clean the table and chairs, move the plants around to accommodate the firewood holder, blow the leaves out of the red rocks, power wash all. 

But yesterday I decided I had reached a point where everything was prepped and there was no time like the present to haul out the power washer.  You can see the line marking the dirty slab from the newly power washed - what a difference!  I also hit the deck a lick or two and took care of lots of spider webs.

The day before I had leveled out the pavers with paving sand, so all that was left to do was blow the leaves out and wash the pavers.  Here they are drying.

And as for this small area, those Lariope needed a good haircut, new mulch, and a watering. The ones under my bedroom and bathroom windows got the same pampering.

done! Now to water the grass, which I also raked.

The point of all of this was to create a clean space to enjoy the firepit when cooler nights roll around.

Its not perfect (in some places the slab is stained), but its very clean! No more bird poop or mold. And my shoulder did not hurt at all!

I moved the Ficus tree to make space to set up a firewood holder.  In the process I disturbed a large nest of yellowjackets that had made their home in the branches.  I murdered every one of them, not sorry.  I will likely leave the Ficus here until spring rolls around.  It is way too heavy for me to keep moving it and I can just protect it with a tarp for winter.

I got this firewood holder from Amazon (easy to put together) and ordered a load of pecan wood cut small enough for my little firepit.  It should be delivered in plenty of time for Thanksgiving.  I am so looking forward to sitting out here on cool nights with a glass of wine.  Simple pleasures after a bunch of hard work! 

Gina

Empty Nest menu #152, back at it

 The last time I put together an "empty nest menu" was December of 2022.  Mostly because my nest became not so empty the following February.  I renamed the menus, then stopped posting them altogether three years later.  But I've been writing my menus down because that keeps me on track and helps plan out the week.  And my nest has been truly empty since the end of August.  

So, with all that said, here is the EN menu for this week!

I bought paver sand a while back, hoping to balance out these pavers when the weather cooled.  I'm also going to power wash them!

Monday - Will likely eat a leftover something I can just heat up {work today, thaw the pork roast}

Tuesday - Skillet Tilapia, 1/2 recipe of squash casserole (freeze leftovers in portions), small sweet potato (bake 2) {11 a.m. CEU webinar, on call in p.m.}

Wednesday - Pork Roast in the crockpot with carrots and mini potatoes (freeze the rest of the pork in individual ziplocs) {grief webinar at 7 p.m., on call in p.m.}

Thursday - Mini meatloaf, (freezer) mashed potatoes, green beans {paver project, therapy appt.}

Friday - Crab Cakes (1/2 recipe), creamy spinach, sweet potato 

Saturday and Sunday - leftovers for work

Gina

5 thing Friday - walking laps, Thanksgiving sammie, bathroom organization, new couch, spiffing

 I have been off the last couple of Mondays, giving me 5 days free in a row, so I am trying to use them well.  One of the things I am doing is walking at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes a day.  I have mostly been going up to the park about a mile from my house and walking the gravel track.  Each lap is .78 mile and I do 3 laps.  I usually listen to Brene Brown or something similar.

Its still hot here, we need rain and everything is dry and crunchy, so I go early in the day.  By the first of November I want to be up to 4 laps here, so that the Turkey Trot doesn't seem like torture by the time Thanksgiving day rolls around.  The trot itself is a total of 5 miles and I'm not going to time myself, but I would like to walk there, do my laps, and be home within 2 hours.

Last year I made a Thanskgiving sammie that was essentially Stovetop stuffing layered with turkey and sliced cranberry jelly on a bun.  You know I had to do it again this year.  I got four big sammies made until I ran out of turkey.  This year I am roasting a turkey and making my own stuffing and I am rather looking forward to it.

One day last week I was rooting around under my bathroom counter for toothpaste and didn't find any, so I bought more.  Well, guess what I found when I was putting it up? So much toothpaste!  I'm all set for a couple of years...

I hauled those stacking bins up to the counter and went through all of them, replenishing what I needed elsewhere and making a mental note for the rest.  I even cleaned out the vanity drawer.

My mother used to do the same thing with toilet paper - she would forget that she had enough to last through the End of Times.

I also cleaned up the medicine cabinet because I was on a roll.

The new couch is here!  I bought a small side table from Target to set my book/glasses/cup of tea.  Moved the silk rug into the den, along with the faux fiddle leaf fig.  A quilt and a few pillows and I am all set for comfy reading!  I love it.

I also purchased this pretty brass and wood clock for the bookcase.  Everything got dusted and swiffered and I lit my wax tart burner and dang if its not COZY.

I moved the Turkish rug into the front room, knowing full well I will have to move it again when I paint, but since my shoulder is still acting the fool that won't be anytime soon.  Sigh.  Maybe after Christmas!  I think that's enough putseying and chores now, its time to go read.  Have a good weekend!

Gina

Going it alone, the recap

We are in the last quarter of the year - can you believe it?  In about 2 1/2 months we will be ushering in a brand new year.  This time last year I was making plans to "get out there" and enjoy life with fun stuff.  Concerts, movies, shows, trips to the park with lunch...all of it.  By myself.  Although the year is far from over, here is a recap of some of the fun things I have been up to!*

January - Saw "The Last Showgirl" movie,  started going out for weekly coffee to journal.

February - Went to "Mesmerize".

March - visited Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 

had lunch al fresco at Mayfield Park, volunteered at Texas International Wine Competition,

that's me in the background with a wrist brace...

and saw "My Dead Friend Zoe" at Alamo Drafthouse.

April - Saw Chicago in concert at ACL Live, 

they were very good!

and started meeting a friend for beer or coffee every month.

Turnstile

May - Saw "Human Nature" science movie at the Rollins Theater, attended "Summertime" by the Austin Symphony, 

These were actually great seats!

and went to 2 of the the Drop In concerts.

June - Saw Stick Figure, Stephen Marley, and the Hip Abduction at the Germania Amphitheater at Circuit of the Americas.

this was an amazing show, I was dancing the entire time!

July - Saw "Waitress" at Zach Theater,

and went to a Hendricks gin sampling at Total Wine.

August - Hatch Chile Sampling at Central Market, and met with new book club at Hop Squad Brewing.

September - Saw Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra at Bass Concert Hall, 

met with book club at Holdout Brewing, saw "A Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey" movie.

October - Symphony at the Long Center (Star Wars),

navigating downtown Austin is its own adventure!

Black Violin at the Long Center, meeting with book club at Austin Beerworks, Saw "Good Fortune" movie.

November - meeting with book club #1 at Meanwhile Brewing and book club #2 at The Draught House, Georgian Wine Tasting at Total Wine,  "How Deep is Your Love" movie at the Rollins Theater, and walking the virtual Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.

December - Meeting with book club at Central Machine Works Brewing, taking a spirits class at Total Wine, seeing the Austin Symphony (Home Alone music), going to Christmas Eve service at St. John's.

All on my own.  And you never know - I just might add to this list!

What fun will 2026 bring? 

Gina

*For posterity's sake, I think I will come back to this post and update the photos as I finish up 2025