Sep 29, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Let’s just start by agreeing any celebration that includes coffee is awesome, am I right? I mean, I celebrate every day with coffee. But to actually have an official reason? Have mercy!
I’m an experiential person. That means I don’t just go through life, I live it. Fully, wonderfully, scarefully (is that even a word?). I feel it, my body absorbs it, my mind is constantly processing and connecting dots. And, yes. Sometimes making up the dots to connect.
But coffee. It’s just perfect. In celebration of National Coffee Day, here are some great non-coffee related dots that you’ll soon connect.
- Movies. Say, what-what? you ask. What do movies have to do with coffee? Well, there are a few great movies that feature coffee. Let’s take Breakfast at Tiffany’s to start. That iconic pose of Holly Golightly with her croissant and coffee cup in front of the 5th Avenue store. You know what I’m talking about. Can you get through a TV sitcom or cop drama without the characters having at least one cup o’ joe? I think not. But more importantly: why would you watch such a show?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Partytime: Bunco at Tiffany’s
- Jack Johnson. The surfer-turned-singer. Not everyone’s heard of him. But he’s got some pretty catchy tunes. His album, As I Was Saying, has more than a few songs on it that have inspired some of my writing. Plus, it’s pretty good driving-with-the-windows-down tunes.
- Food. What’s that? Did I just hear you groan, “Duh.”? Well. For your information, I don’t mean coffee goes with food. I mean, coffee in the food. That’s right. Who can forget my awesomely flavorful smokey paprika rub? Let me tell you, chicken never tasted so great.
Frankly, My Dear . . . MoJo Spice Blend: Turmeric, Smoked Paprika, Ground Coffee
- Laughter. It’s aerobic, yes? What’s better than circling the table with friends and family, pouring a hot one, and sharing life’s moments. We were meant for community coffee moments.
- Me-Time. And by Me-Time, I mean You-Time. Or, really, Anyone-and-Everyone-Time. Coffee is your five-minute-break time. Your I-need-to-get-things-done time. Your life-is-good-let’s-take-a-breath time. It’s pretty much the I-don’t-need-a-reason-for-it beverage. And that just makes it all the more better. Yes?
Seattle Souvenirs: Coffee, honey, and books.
How will you celebrate National Coffee Day?
TWEET THIS: Happy National Coffee Day! @RealMojo68 #franklymydear #fivethingsfriday
With a hot coffee and another hot coffee,
Plus one for you.
Happy Coffee Day!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Save
Sep 15, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
Forty-eight hours ago our weather shifted. The California desert went from 93 and sunny to overcast and windy. Thursday brought winds and cooler temps and, now don’t quote me, but I’m almost certain I heard that midnight carnival train in the distance.
Yup. Autumn is almost upon us.
But wait!, you say. It’s technically still summer! And so it is. At least for one more week.
Here are few ways to celebrate the end of the season:
- Host a BBQ potluck. Have your friends, family, and neighbors over. They bring the meat, you bring the grill. After all, food is the answer to
almost everything.
- Stay out late. Okay, in my neck of the we-don’t-have-trees woods, being out after dark isn’t always a barrel of fun. But getting a carload of peeps to go cruising to the local park, sit on a picnic bench and watch the evening stars shoot overhead? That’s some magic right there.
- Clean the house. What?! you say. How can that be fun?! Oh, come on. You know that awesome I-can-breathe-better feeling when the clutter is gone. Am I right? So grab a few boxes and bags and organize those closets. Do it now before the holidays fill your schedule and you’re pulling out flip flops where the scarves should be.
- Go somewhere fun. Take a short drive to the beach. Walk the sidewalk. Make a day out of running errands. Find a reason to enjoy the sunshine, before there’s less of it to enjoy.
- Buy a Pumpkin Spice Latte. ‘Nuff said.
And now I want to hear from you. What are some of the things you do to wind down summer?
TWEET THIS: Five ways to #celebrate #summer before it’s over. @RealMojo68 #FiveThingsFriday
With a shooting star and Venti coffee,
Happy Seasoning.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Jul 5, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Patriotic Fruit Kabobs
It’s night of Independence Day. Most of the city’s fireworks have stopped, and now and then a neighbor child lights a popper. The neighborhood is back to being its quiet self.
I can’t help but wonder if tomorrow we’ll still remember what we’re supposed to remember today.
Why do we celebrate the Fourth of July?
Let’s not confuse this, the birthday of our nation, with Memorial Day, or Veteran’s Day.
Every day, let’s take a bit of today with us and remember, we’re always moving forward to something better.
There’s so much I’d love to write on the subject, but it’s late and I’m tired.
I hope we always remember how good we really have it, how it started, and how many wonderful people fought to get us here.
Celebrate independence every day. And remember those who can’t.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
May 26, 2015 |
Back in March, I celebrated my birthday with week’s worth of events. My favorite was the actual weekend of my birthday.
On Friday, some friends took me out to a local hot spot called The Wine Seller. We listened to live music, drank a little, conversed a lot. One of my closest friends, Mary, is a fellow writer. She’s older than I am, a fellow empty-nester. I sometimes call her “Mom” and she sometimes introduces me as her adopted daughter.
She gave me this beautiful Frog Prince pin.
The Frog Prince Pin
We have much more in common than just writing, which makes her an even more invaluable friend. Her son stopped by the Wine Seller to say hey, at which point I reveled in telling him all the food “Mom” has been cooking for me in his absence. “No offense, guy, but you’ve been replaced.” I say that with all love, of course. [Note to quasi-brother: I promise not to eat your dessert. Unless you let me. And I can still kick your bum on Trivia Crack. . . maybe.]
On Saturday, she opened her home to a group of my friends for a “movie party”. I brought The Princess Bride, Scrabble Cheez-Its, and ten people. We of course had a blast reciting along with the movie. You know how it goes. “As you wish. . . ” “My name is Inigo Montoya . . .” “Princess Buttercup. . . ” Yes. We’re a fun bunch.
I also bought a bottle of wine, but it went untouched. No problem, I thought. I’d just learned two days earlier that I was actually going to Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and decided I would keep the wine until my return.
Lucky Bamboo and a Bottle of Wine
See that great mini Mardi Gras mask? Mary gave me that, too. It’s a reminder to stay focused on writing NOLA. The bamboo, I bought. How could I not, it’s lined with frogs! That’s a reminder to bring life to my story. Let it grow, flow, expand.
These are all reminders to enjoy life, to be open to new avenues, to take the great adventures and the roads less traveled.
The bottle has sat on my counter for two months. Now that I’ve returned from Blue Ridge, I’m setting a new goal.
I’ve two agents interested in reading NOLA. One wants it when it’s finished, the other wants the first 25,000 words. Since I’ve written, and rewritten, and tightened, and edited, and rewritten, and oh by the way, rewritten, the first few chapters of NOLA, getting those first 25,000 words shouldn’t be a problem.
That’s what I’m saving this wine for. I should be able to pop it open by June 1.
Unless, of course, another deadline comes along. Like, waiting until the whole book is finished. Or entering another contest. Or landing an agent. Or getting published.
Time goes by fast, I’m told. I’m gonna celebrate the little victories, and save up for the big ones.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
My Two-Inch Peacock
2105: HOPE
Mar 17, 2013 |
My birthday is coming up soon. Tuesday to be exact. You’re wishing me a Happy Birthday right now, aren’t you? Sure you are, I can tell. Thank you!
It’s off to a great start. And I’m going to share some of my secrets to a successful birthday with you. How do you like them apples?
How Do You Like Them Apples?!
Let’s face it: Birthday is a bit of a misnomer. What we all really like is a Birthmonth. Am I right? Y’all don’t wake up on midnight of your special day and say, “Wow. Today’s my birthday.” And then 24 hours later think, “I did not see that coming.” Not at all. If you’re an inkling at all like me or my daughter, you start thinking about it a wee bit in advance.
There’s some planning involved. Some surprises. Mostly, just some great go-with-the-flow adventuring.
It starts with a small time investment and some printer ink. Visit your favorite restaurant sites online and see if they have any eClub offers. Many will give you either a completely free or free-with-purchase coupon just for signing up. You might also get a second coupon to be used during the month of your birthday. Just a few of my favorites are Del Taco, Carino’s and Panera Bread.
On Friday, Dot visited me at work during lunch time. We went to the local Del Taco and got two free chicken soft tacos. I have a second coupon to use next week, good for one free premium shake. No purchase necessary on either coupon. I did, however, indulge in a small fries. $1.72 is a nice price for lunch, don’tcha think?
Saturday morning we woke up early. I had a $5 reward certificate from Best Buy that expires in three days. Lucky for me, they have a good selection of cheap CDs. Unlucky for me, they were one penny short of what I needed to spend in order to use the certificate. So I had to add to my purchase. What on earth does This Girl find at Best Buy? A pack of pens, of course! Oh, darn. (You can hear the sarcasm, right? Okay. Just checking.)
Then we crossed the street to enjoy a behind-the-scenes Grand Opening of our new Macy’s store. Trust me, we need this store here in the desert. Just the right touch of snobbery to get people out of their jeans and flip-flops. Yeah. This is a good thing. A better thing? Coupons! Macy’s doesn’t open to the public until Wednesday, but many charity organizations in the area sold $5 tickets. All proceeds were kept by the charities. A ticket was three-part: The first got you in the door, the second got you an entry for a $500 gift card drawing (No. We didn’t win. But thank you for asking.), and the last got you discounts at checkout.
For the regular price of one piece of clothing, I picked up a nice blouse for myself, and two tops for Dot.
Dot’s Tops
It’s like my top paid for itself. Happy Birthday to Me. Guess what I’m wearing on Tuesday!
The crowds were excessive, of course, and standing in line was nearly like doing so on Black Friday. But we managed. We also built up an appetite so I took Mutti and Dot to Carino’s where I had a St. Patrick’s Weekend coupon: wear green and get a free pizza.
Pizza for St. Patrick
They start each table with free bread and dipping oil. We ordered a plate of fried Mozzarella and beverages. They even threw in a free chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert!
Warm Chocolate Cake. Cold Vanilla Ice Cream. ‘Nuff said.
Are they awesome or what? It was so much food, we took some home. Not bad for $25, including tip.
Then we decided a movie was the ticket! Dot treated us to LINCOLN at the dollar theater. We were so stuffed from lunch that it didn’t even cross our mind to get popcorn or a soda. But if it had, we belong to the theater’s Rewards club so every time we go, we get free snacks with purchase.
After the movies, I decided since we were so close, I needed to use my Staples certificates. Do you have a Staples office supply store near you? Did you know they pay you for turning in your empty ink cartridges and buying product at their store? It’s awesome. I tend to save up my cartridges and turn them in only once or twice a year so I get all my rewards at once instead of little by little. For Saturday’s indulgence, I used my certificate to buy a colorful insulated lunch tote. I treated myself to an insulated tumbler. Less than $8.00. I’m okay with the cost. It’ll last. And who doesn’t love drinking out of a fun cup?
By this time, it had been about four hours since we last ate. Panera Bread was calling our name. Let me check… yup. There’s a coupon for that. Just for signing up, I got a free pastry. Pastry? More like a meal! I’m not selfish. I bought Dot a blueberry bagel. Mom wanted to get her own, so I let her. We both spent just over $2.00.
Cinnamon Roll from Panera Bread
But what’s a pastry without a drink? Oh, look! Just down the street is a Juice It Up! and I happen to have a BOGO. That’s “Buy-One-Get-One” in Couponeze. These are a little pricey, but so worth it. $5.49 gave Dot her large Seabreeze Squeeze and I picked up a free Pineapple Punch.
Juice It Up! BOGO
Then we went home to enjoy our day’s spoils and watch Celtic Thunder on DVD. Hey, it’s a weekend full o’ the Irish, y’know? And seriously. Who doesn’t love some mighty fine singing (I’m also partial to the good looking men in suits…. Oh, Man Store, please deliver!).
That ends the day, but not the celebration! In my bag, I still have coupons for free, no-strings-attached:
- Rooty Tooty Fresh n’ Fruity Breakfasts from IHOP (two coupons: one for joining, one for the month of my birthday).
- One free burger (up to $10 value) from Red Robin. [Shout out to Penny for telling me about this!]
- Two free desserts from Carrow’s. One for joining, one for my birthday.
I’ve had a Starbuck’s Gold Rewards for a few years (this doesn’t surprise you, does it?). On my birthday, I’ll get a free drink. Any drink or food item. Now that’s golden!
I’ve also heard that I just need to show my ID at Jack in the Box for a free Chocolate Cake or New York Style Cheesecake. The tough part will be deciding which one to choose.
Aside from all this great food, I’m especially excited to be a member of OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware). I actually love to spend my lunches there (that’s another post altogether). They gifted me a $5 certificate for my birthday, and $10 off any $30 purchase for taking a short survey. That’s going to be $35 worth of gardening beauty for only $20. I’m thinking a windchime and a birdhouse. Or a tree to transplant. Or a few potted herbs. Or flowers. Or cacti. Or a yard flag. Or… whatever else I can find for that amount.
I love these coupons not just for saving money. Let’s face it, y’all know I’m not the richest woman on the block. So saving money goes without saying. But I also love these coupons for two more reasons. The first is, they give me the opportunity to spend quality time with my family. We couldn’t have afforded a $40 pizza lunch. But $20 plus tip? Not a problem. And I’m not going to eat a Rooty Tooty alone. Nope. I can share the bill with Dot and Mutti on that. A simple breakfast for each of us. A cup of coffee. Nothing fancy. But definitely fulfilling. And OSH? That’s the second reason I love coupons. They offer possibility. Promise. Planning. All of the above.
If couponing makes me look like someone who’s counting her pennies… Well, guess what. I’m all in.
Pre-Birthday Spoils
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Clipping Coupons
Clipping Coupons, Part II
