AuburnChick's Adventures

Last Wednesday, I reluctantly read the final pages of the last book in the most wonderful series ever . . . Anne of Green Gables.

Oh y’all, please excuse me while I take some time to process all of the emotions.

This series will forever live in my heart as one of my favorites.

A huge thanks goes out to Rebecca, who had the great idea to read these together. If it hadn’t been for our spontaneous book conversation one evening, I would still be clueless that these little nuggets of reading bliss exist – just waiting to be discovered.

“If we have friends we should look only for the best in them and give them the best that is in us, don’t you think? Then friendship would be the most beautiful thing in the world.”

When I first learned that there were eight books in the series, I was a little aghast . . .

Until I realized that eight books were not enough to tell the sweeping, coming-of-age story of the most beloved red headed orphan I’ve ever encountered in literature.

It took me a little more than a month (44 days) to devour these. I had to take one small, four-day break to gobble down a long-awaited book from a different series, but I got right back down to all things Anne-girl when I finished.

The first book let me in stitches with Anne’s various antics, and a deep love for Matthew and Marilla Jones as cultivated in my heart as they opened up their hearts and home for this talkative little chatterbox.

As I progressed through the books and watched Anne grow up, my love for her outlook on life and her spunk only increased.

Three of the books earned rare, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings from me. The rest were awarded four stars.

Even while I wasn’t actively reading, the words floated around in my mind.

It was beautiful Rainbow Valley that I envisioned as I lay on the table during my MRI – Lucy Montgomery’s vivid imagery distracting me from the loud noises emanating from the machine I was laying in the middle of.

It was the endless gossip of Susan, Cornelia, and other characters that had me wistful for my youth, which I spent in tiny little town where that’s what the women did – gab about the local happenings.

I laughed audibly many, many times during my readings, and I cried during the last book – the fate of beloved characters and pets stirring up the tears I had felt behind my eyelids from the opening chapters.

“And you will tell your children of the Idea we fought and died for – teach them it must be lived for as well as died for, else the price paid for it will have been given for nought.”

If you’ve only read the first book, I highly encourage you to proceed to the ones that follow.

It’s a journey you won’t regret taking and one I plan on revisiting through the movies and shows I will queue up in the very near future (maybe while I’m recuperating from my upcoming shoulder surgery).

“It is never quite safe to think we have done with life. When we imagine we have finished our story fate has a trick of turning the page and showing us yet another chapter.”

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It’s always a bit of an adventure when I get busy in the kitchen.

Last weekend (because sometimes I roll in way late), I prepared a few things.

I made What a Dahl! from this cookbook . . .

The prep work wasn’t too bad. It didn’t take long until my kitchen smelled heavenly, and the result was absolute perfection.

I ate on this all week long.

I have eaten a lot of Dahl since I became a vegan. It’s a staple on cruise ships too because it typically makes a lot and keeps well. This recipe tasted very authentic. I’ll be making it often!

We had the Mr.’s parents over for dinner last Sunday evening. It was his mom’s birthday, and it is my belief that nobody should have to cook on their own birthday.

He grilled steaks. I was responsible for the sides.

Oven roasted potatoes are my go-to, but finding a recipe has been a challenge.

One of my favorite and long-followed recipe writers, Megan Gilmore, came through for me!

The flavoring wasn’t too strong. We ate them up!

I also steamed broccoli using the instructions in Megan Gilmore’s instant pot cookbook.

This cookbook has been a staple in my home since 2018. She has recipes that suit nearly every dietary need, and they are EASY to prepare.

I’ll be trying a new recipe from that Scrappy cookbook this weekend. Stay tuned!

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With us having a long weekend, that meant that we had an extra “free” evening when I didn’t have to go to bed early. The Mr. is retired and doesn’t have to worry about such things as getting up early, unlike Yours Truly.

Saturday, we took ourselves to an actual theater to watch the newest installment in the Mission Impossible franchise.

The hubby got his first-ever Senior discount. 🤣

Despite the mid-day showing time, we were concerned that people would be out in full force since it was a holiday weekend and it was the newest movie to be released. Not so. We had our pick of seats.

Of course snacks were in order.

Twizzlers are vegan. Betcha didn’t know that.

The movie was nearly three hours long. We thoroughly enjoyed it!

The comedic pauses and nods to the former movies in this series were great! We usually prefer to watch movies at home thanks to being able to pause them when need be, but this movie begs to be seen in the big screen.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Saturday night, from the comfort of our living room, we queued up a movie we’d been seeing previews for: Fountain of Youth.

It’s on Apple TV and has some big stars headlining it.

Honestly, while John Krasinsky was subtly funny, the movie was a kettle blah for me. Natalie Portman was a little all over the place. The story didn’t feel all that creative. It felt like a combination of National Treasure and Indiana Jones – but not as good.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sunday night, we watched Rogue One, the movie that according to the Star Wars timeline we’ve been following, should be viewed after the Andor series (which we just finished).

Knowing Cassian Andor’s back story improved the plot so much more! The ending made me want to shed all of the tears.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Monday, we got ourselves ready (despite my expressed wish to remain in my pajamas all day) and went back to the theater to watch The Last Rodeo.

Angel Studios used to be the company that put out The Chosen series. They have gone their separate ways, but we’ve continued to follow Angel Studio’s updates. This company puts out clean, morally uplifting movies.

We get free tickets to their movies in exchange for supporting them, but we had never actually used the tickets.

Hence our foray back to the theater Monday.

I had bought a big package of Twizzlers from Kroger the day before in anticipation.

We were pleased to see the theater fill up about halfway. For a 1pm time slot, that wasn’t bad at all!

The movie was good; the bull riding action was great! Some of the dialogue was hokey, but the casting was well-done, and the characters played off of each other well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Monday evening, we watched the next installment in the Star Wars series, A New Hope (Episode IV).

I remember watching this in the theater when it came out. I was all of seven years old and had no idea it would spark a lifetime of love for this storyline and the characters involved.

No star rating because it’s kind of hard to rate a classic.

So, have you watched any movies recently? What’s your go-to genre?

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Good Wednesday morning (or afternoon or evening, depending on when you’re reading this)! I hope you’re having a good week.

With Memorial Day being on Monday, my days are a little out of whack. Thank goodness for Joyce and her fun questions. Let’s get to them!

1. What’s your favorite room in your house and why? 

My favorite room is, hands-down, my kitchen.

It’s the most spacious kitchen I’ve ever had. The island is huge!

The stove is my favorite. It runs on gas, and there’s a pot filler on the wall above it.

There is so much light in my kitchen thanks to the windows in the dining room just off of the kitchen.

My kitchen is the gathering spot when my kiddos come home for visits. It’s the place where I pour out my love for others through the desserts I’m especially fond of preparing. I love, love, love this space in my house.

2. What’s something that will instantly annoy you? 

I’m such a creature of habit. If someone is parked in the spot I like the best in the lot at work, I get so annoyed. It’s not like I own the spot, but I purposely have picked one in particular because it’s easy to back into and get out on the street from. First world problems, eh?

3. May 28th is National Hamburger Day…will you celebrate? How do you like yours? If you’re not cooking at home is there a favorite place you like to go for a burger? Did you ever work in a fast food  restaurant? 

I’m not planning on celebrating National Hamburger Day. I’m a vegan. Even the vegan “hamburgers” make my stomach hurt because so many of them have pea protein, which I’ve learned is bad for the gut. I sometimes get the Impossible Whopper from Burger King – but only when we are driving up to visit our boy and his family. I like mustard, ketchup, tomato slices, and pickles on a “burger.” I’ve never worked in a fast food restaurant.

4. What are three scents you like? 

Scents carry so much power with them. They bring back memories of favorite moments and seasons in life.

I love the way a puppy smells when it hasn’t gotten old enough to get that gross dog breath that develops as it ages. A sweet, clean puppy makes my heart swell.

I love the smell of my grand babies when I get to snuggle with them after their evening baths. Their sleepy innocence during that pre-bedtime routine makes me wistful for when my own kiddos were wee littles themselves.

I love the smell of the rain before it arrives – especially when I’m porch sitting with the Mr. and my sweet Gambit. It feels like time slows down in those quiet moments before the rain falls in earnest.

5. What do you miss most about being a kid? 

With it being summer, I am taken back to lazy Sunday afternoons when the smell of the grill being fired up punctuated the end of the weekend.

I miss laying in the middle of the grass after it was freshly mowed. The smell of fresh-mown grass still takes me back to those days.

I miss the lack of stress about what was happening globally because, back then, there was no internet, social media, or even cell phones. There’s something to be said for the weight of knowledge and responsibility that accompanies adulthood.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I saw an Instagram video demonstrating the making of a strawberry lemon juice.

I loved the pitcher and immediately ordered it from Amazon.

It came with a sponge too!

The ingredients were right up my alley (the mint isn’t in the picture).

It looked pretty when I finished putting it together.

Honestly, it was just blah. I think that my tastebuds must be used to sweeter offerings. I couldn’t detect any mint in it either.

Not one to give up easily, I found a recipe for mint simple syrup and whipped up a jar.

After it cooled, I added a bit to a glass, and what a huge difference!

We had the Mr.’s parents over for dinner Sunday night to celebrate his mom’s birthday, and she was in complete agreement about the juice (and how much better it tastes with the simple syrup).

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Every time I mention another clean product choice I’ve made, my coworkers and friends chuckle or roll their eyes a little.

I can’t help it. I only want the healthiest products passing my lips – or going on them.

For many years, I’ve been keenly aware of how bad artificial sweeteners are. They are sneakily added to products you wouldn’t expect – products such as toothpaste even.

In addition to the fake sugar, I have been saying, for YEARS, how bad added fluoride is. I wouldn’t let my kids get the fluoride treatments at the dentist’s office when they were growing up, and I refused to buy toothpaste with it.

I’d been using Jason Sea Fresh toothpaste, which had neither bad ingredient, but recently, I realized that the company had changed its formula, and I refused to buy more.

My search for a new toothpaste proved fruitless, so I decided to make my own.

I landed on this recipe, which I’ve taken screenshots of.

I only use unrefined coconut oil and baking soda.

I add the coconut oil to a glass canning jar and set the jar in a bowl of hot water to melt.

Then, I add the baking soda and stir well.

I put a lid on it and tip the jar sideways while it cools so it hardens at an angle, which makes dipping my toothbrush in and scraping some onto it much easier.

I spit into the garbage can because coconut oil hardens when it cools off, and I don’t want to clog up my drains.

This “toothpaste” took a little getting used to, but I’m not stressed any more about harmful ingredients.

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May this be a day of honoring those who paid the ultimate price to safeguard our freedom.

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If you’re a die hard Auburn fan, the mere mention of The Supper Club evokes a plethora of memories.

This bar was one of the Mr.’s favorite haunts back in the day, and many a story he and his fraternity brothers retell include this legendary hangout.

Once upon a time, it looked like this . . .

The Mr. took me to it shortly after we were married. He was finishing up college, and he wanted to show me where he’d spent many an hour.

I wasn’t old enough to drink when we got married, but when we showed up, the doorman (a loose term) recognized my hubby and said, “You’re the goat?”

Now, back then the word had a vastly different meaning than it does today (greatest of all time).

The Mr. had been given that nickname from his fraternity brothers because of the scruff he called a beard that existed below his chin.

He was a little wild back in the day and was known to be in the center of almost anything fun that was happening.

Thank goodness I didn’t know him during his hey days because being the good girl that I was, I would have steered clear.

One night, he was having an extraordinarily grand old time, which led to a sign being made that said, “Night of the Goat.”

That sign was hung from the ceiling where it remained for many, many years.

I saw that sign with my very own eyes after we got married and understood, finally, just exactly who I had chosen to spend the rest of my life with (and why the doorman was in such awe).

Fast forward to modern times.

The Supper Club closed in 2015, and the building was torn down.

Last Fall, a new hotel opened up in downtown Auburn. It sports a rooftop bar/restaurant named . . .

We hadn’t been yet because we had so much going on with football season, grandbabies, and my injured shoulders.

We finally got to see it Friday night when we met the friends we do life with – fraternity brothers and their wives – who all live here now.

Y’all, it is beautiful.

There’s a bar and seating inside, and there’s another bar and seating outside. Pro tip: make reservations. We got lucky and “borrowed” a table that some had reserved for 8pm. We knew we’d be leaving well before that group arrived.

It is incredibly spacious and absolutely stunning!

Psst . . . that’s my soon to be scarred up “good” shoulder. 🤣

The view from The Supper Club is every Auburn fan’s dream . . .

We were told that you can see the Jumbotron and hear the crowd in the stadium during football games.

Be still my heart!

I quit drinking alcohol last August after overindulging at a wedding (don’t be judging) and decided to give up the stuff. Our server offered to have the bartender whip me up a mocktail.

I’m not quite sure what was in this. I remember hearing blueberry something and matcha.

I don’t like blueberries at all, but whatever else was in this drink took away the blueberry flavor. It was so good that I had two of them.

The menu has definitely changed from the old days! I heard tell that way back when, they served up beer and pizza. Now, they are dishing out froo froo drinks and food that would rival any cooking show.

There were eight of us total, and we had the grandest time. I hadn’t seen one couple since football season.

It was a wonderful evening of catching up, sympathizing with one another (“Nathalie is broken,” one of my friends told the other), and giving gentle hugs before we parted.

This has always been the embodiment of The Supper Club – the people – the friendships – the memories being made for posterity.

I’m so thankful for where we live and that almost every corner brings a smile because of something remembered from long ago.

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Y’all, this was a WEEK! Yikes!

My office was inundated with various tasks due to the cyclical nature of our work, and I had a lot of stress with personal stuff because life, y’all!!

The Mr. took my car in for maintenance Monday, and we didn’t know that the dealership had changed owners along with computer systems, so they had no clue what work was supposed to be done, and we had no clue because when we found out that a lot of stuff had to be done, we were in the midst of prepping for my December shoulder surgery.

Did you follow all of that? Ha!

So the Mr. called me to find out what my car needed. There’s a reason why he was the one handling it because I don’t know anything about cars.

It was a situation.

By that afternoon, my stress level was super high because I was still waiting for the insurance lady at my doctor’s office to call with my MRI authorization, and despite leaving a voicemail Friday morning, I still hadn’t heard back from her.

It was a situation.

I finally got her on the phone after going back and forth with my brain. Do I call or not call? Do you ever do that?

I’m glad I called because she had to call my insurance company and get the authorization over the phone because they wouldn’t fax it anymore.

That’s a lot of italics, but it would have been a worse situation if I hadn’t called. I was able to get my MRI scheduled for the next day.

Tuesday, I got to work a little late because of the MRI, and we had TONS of mail to process. It was a very busy day, and my arm, with the dye in it, was super sore.

Thursday, our phones rang nonstop. I didn’t mind because I was, no surprise, super stressed about my MRI results, which I was set to hear about Friday morning during a follow up with my surgeon.

If you haven’t been here long, here’s a history lesson (my apologies to my followers who are reading this for the third time).

Last Fall, I started experiencing issues with both of my shoulders. My orthopedic doctor and I decided to attend to the left one first because I had the most pain with it. The MRI took forever to get authorization for because the system had an update that messed everything up. That might explain why I was so stressed this week with the newest request.

But I digress.

In December, I had surgery to repair a badly torn rotator cuff and labrum on that side, and the doctor removed a bone spur. My left shoulder was in bad shape, let me tell you. I’m still in physical therapy to get that shoulder back to some semblance of normal.

All along, I kept reminding my surgeon about the right shoulder, and the game plan, originally, was to hold off until this Fall to address it.

Well, the pain in my right shoulder during the past few weeks had progressively gotten worse, so we started down the path of trying to deduce what exactly was wrong.

I had my suspicions since I’d become a pro in all things regarding pain and the shoulder area.

Hence the MRI on Tuesday.

One aside: during the MRI, where the noises started getting to me, I envisioned the beautiful scenes I’d been reading from the Anne of Green Gables series. I pictured myself walking through Rainbow Valley. Ahhhh . . . the power of reading.

I went back to the doctor yesterday for the results.

It turns out that my labrum is torn, and it’s possible that I have a tear in my rotator cuff. The doctor wasn’t completely sure despite the MRI. I also have a bone spur.

We had a lengthy discussion about treatment options. The labrum tear will not heal on its own, which I was already very aware of thanks to all of the research I’ve done since I began dealing with the other shoulder.

My surgeon said that he could give me a steroid shot to alleviate pain, but it might only last three months. We would still need to address the tear through surgical means at some point.

This is probably one of the best times during the year, as far as my job is concerned, to go back under the knife, so I opted for surgery. Before leaving the doctor’s office, I had been scheduled for surgery in June.

I am hopeful that this recovery won’t be as intense as the first one.

I am hopeful that my surgeon won’t find more damage when he goes in. It’s a possibility, and that’s what happened with my left shoulder, so I’ll just have to wait and see. He told me that he always inspects every part of the shoulder when he goes in like this to ensure that everything that needs fixing gets fixed.

In the meantime, I’ve got a little more prepping to do. I want to find button-down shirts and dresses because pulling clothing over my head hasn’t been something I can do after shoulder surgery.

I’ll make an extra pitcher of ginger-turmeric juice and a big pot of soup as well. I’ve also got to make sure that we have vegan ice cream for my post-recovery treat since my throat was very sore after my previous surgery.

Through all of this craziness – I mean, who has two shoulder surgeries in seven months – I continue to trust God.

I know that whatever is wrong will be tended to by His loving hands, and that this part of my story is being written for a purpose.

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It’s Friday, and I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things of late.

First off . . . Insomnia Cookies . . .

About once a month, I like to take a lunchtime walk to this little piece of cookie heaven. I figure I’ll walk off a few calories before and after I indulge in some yumminess. It’s nearly a half mile each way.

I love this place because there are three vegan options!

Last week, I went back to the office with birthday cake and chocolate chunk cookies.

And yes, I ate them both in one sitting.

Another one of my favorite things lately is a Brown Sugar Hojicha with Maple Cinnamon Cold Foam.

I froth up a little bit of maple syrup, cinnamon, and homemade almond milk.

I buy this directly from the company’s founder (as opposed from a second or third party).

I found the recipe on Ashley’s Instagram feed.

I add the frothed milk to a mixture of two scoops of hojicha, a spoonful of brown sugar, and two ounces of hot water that I’ve already gently whisked together with a resin whisk.

A little bit of ice and four more ounces of non-frothed almond milk top things off.

It’s delicious!

Another favorite thing of mine is the Lights Lacquer nail polish.

I saw an ad on the Insta and got sucked in. The company is owned by a woman and is based in Miami. The polishes are gorgeous and have fun names.

I’ve bought quite a few bottles over the last few months.

This stuff stays on for about a week without chipping!

This company has a peel off base that is great for polish that has glitter (and is notorious for being difficult to remove).

A must-have that I have a subscription for on Amazon is this everyday sunscreen . . .

My dermatologist recommended it to me years ago, and I never leave the house without putting it on.

Another item I am loving and honestly cannot do without is this makeup brush cleaner, which I purchase from Amazon. It works really well!

Another favorite item of mine is this toner, which is “clean” as can be. I get mine from Kroger.

I use these reusable cotton rounds, which I throw into a mesh laundry bag to wash up.

I try to be good to the environment.

One last item I’ll share this week is this hair oil, which I got from Amazon after hearing one of the influencers I follow on Instagram rave about it.

The directions say to leave it on your hair overnight. The smell is wonderful (if you like rosemary). Just make sure you give your hair a double wash afterward.

Alrighty. Time to wrap up!

I remember when Rebecca used to do Friday Favorites posts, and she always ended them with some of her favorite memes.

So, taking a page out of her book, here’s one of mine from the week . . .

I posted this in Teams, and one of my much-younger coworkers suggested that I get more protein. 🤣

I’ve got nothing. 🤷‍♀️

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What do you get when you take one chair in need of repair . . .

And add it to one tool kit, secured from the car of Yours Truly . . .

Our office chairs were very expensive once upon a time. The chair you see pictured is used daily by our students; it’s the third or fourth chair that has needed its arm chair pads replaced.

The college has always sent someone to do the install once the new pads have arrived , but today, the job fell to me. I could have put in a work order, but I figured it would be easy – especially considering that I’ve taken a lawn mower’s engine and cleaned the carburetor before.

In hindsight, I probably should have gotten someone to turn the chair over. It was h-e-a-v-y, but I forged ahead with my mind on the task at hand.

The only issue I had was that my little car-kit screwdriver wasn’t very long. I made it work, though, and before too long, I had a lovely little chair sitting before me.

Excuse the dirty seat. I have no idea how those spots got there.

I guess you can call me Mrs. Fix-It given my penchant for doing things myself.

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