This August may be like no other, but Deborah and I are happy to be welcoming you to the August Ultimate Coffee Date. While we both are still practicing social distancing, we urge you to visit the other blogs in the link up so we can get together virtually. An atypical August calls for atypical amicability wherever we can spread kindness, don’t you think?
Grab the html code for the coffee date badge here:
You may also be joining the Friday Five link up at Fairytales and Fitness.
Atypical August Coffee Date
If we were having coffee, I would ask if you had taken or were planning any type of summer vacation? We will be staying home, but I am jealous of others who have rented a house at the beach or a lake.
How I long for this view!
If we were having coffee, I would ask if you’ve ever tried a peanut butter and berry sandwich. It’s atypical for sure, but whole berries are more nutritious than jelly and still provide a refreshing contrast to the peanut butter. I usually make them with sliced strawberries, but blueberries work too–with enough peanut butter to hold them in place. 😉
If we were having coffee, I would tell you about the two puzzles I did in July.
This Van Goh puzzle makes me appreciate every brushstroke!
Who does this remind you of?
If we were having coffee, I would tell you about the surprising (for me) number of books I’ve read lately.
You may recognize The Good Marriage from Wendy‘s book review. Some of the others I picked from Black Lives Matter reading lists. I haven’t been writing much about #BlackLivesMatter, but I’ve been reading, thinking, donating, supporting–and praying.
A Franciscan Blessing
May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships so that we may live deep within our hearts. Amen.
May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace. Amen.
May God bless us with tears for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their sorrow into joy. Amen.
May God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in the world, to do what others claim cannot be done: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you I couldn’t resist the Starbucks Zoom background.
I always tell people I’m using my fantasy Starbucks background,
because it does look pretty real in thumbnail mode.
What would you tell me over coffee?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
Haha, Scooby as a puzzle! I bet he was proud. 😉
I haven’t done any Zoom backgrounds yet but I have to say I really like the Starbucks one. I think I will need to copy that. Thanks for the idea, Coco!
They have several designed for this purpose:
https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/you-can-still-work-from-starbucks-with-virtual-backgrounds/
Oh, thank you, Coco!!
I’ve never tried berries on a sandwich but thats a great idea! My son is allergic to peanuts so I stopped eating pb because I don’t like to keep it in the house. I also wish we were going on vacation. It felt too stressful to plan anything but now I feel like a few days away would have been really nice.
That’s how I feel about a vacation. I need someone else to figure out the logistics — but my husband doesn’t even want to eat outside at a restaurant so the reality is we are going nowhere.
This has been a strange year. We’ve been taking long weekends in Wisconsin, which has been wonderful. I was supposed to go to Alabama this weekend to see Holly but nope. I’m fighting incredible sadness at times and trying to be grateful for all the little things right now. Heading up to Madison today to see my boy.
Your weekend getaways have looked fantastic! And seeing your son is always a treat!
I have never been a peanut butter gal (other than with a Reese’s bar), but using berries sounds yummy! I’d probably opt for a rice cake, though LOL I LOVE those puzzles? Did you break them apart afterwards, or glue them? They would make great art pieces!
Oh, peanut butter is a staple in my diet. PB crackers are my go-to bike snack. I break up the puzzles because I’m too lazy to figure out the glazing and framing. 😉
What a great way to have a healthy PBJ! I’ve shied away from them due to the high sugar of jelly. I’m totally going to do this. Love the Scooby puzzle!
Travel here is off the table, except we are flying to Atlanta next week for the college move in.
Give the PB and Berries a try. Good luck with the Atlanta trip.
That is a fun Zoom background! We use Google Meet for school and I read earlier that there will be an option to change our background. I hope it is something fun like that one.
No plans to travel but I am jealous of everyone that does. I trip to Wisconsin would be nice but maybe I can do something closer in IL. I know my mother needs to get out too.
Those are cool puzzles! One of my friends sent me one of the world but I have not started it yet.
I’m not sure the schools would let you have Starbucks, but hopefully something fun!
Maybe cats? 🙂
I’d give anything for a weekend getaway right about now, but we’re staying put as well.
I love the Scooby puzzle!
We are on the same page with that!
ha ha on the Starbucks zoom! I have not tried using fresh berries w pnb but that sounds good. We have not gone anywhere vacationy but we are still planning to go to Aruba in December. Fingers crossed that can still happen
Your plans for Aruba sound fantastic!
Definitely different without any race recaps.
Luckily we have a boat and can go to the lake. So many restrictions.
I have been reading a lot. Not much else to do. Did you like Collins new book?
The prequel was worth reading — definitely a “beach” read, although that’s odd to say with killing in the Hunger Games ….
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Scooby puzzle! SO awesome.
My reading has been all over the place. Maybe I’ll put that collage in Sunday’s post
That zoom background is perfect — my go to is sometimes the NYPL Reading Room. And speaking of go-tos, nope. 🙁 But leaving the city last weekend felt amazing
I’d love to see what you’re reading.
Are you on Goodreads? Otherwise I’ll share via messenger. Christopher Skaife The Ravensmaster was this week
Love the puzzles! My daughter brought me back one from Yellowstone but I probably shouldn’t start it yet with a kitten in the house.
We have plans to go to Lake Tahoe next month for some outdoor fun.
I learned to keep my puzzles covered because Scooby thought the pieces were fun to chew on! I did one Yellowstone puzzle earlier this summer — would love to see yours.
We’ve done 8 1,000 piece puzzles this year! And I’ve read tons of books. I’m lucky to have a great view from home but I’m jealous of all vacationers for sure!
You really do have a great view from your apartment! I miss the view from my office window. 😉 Wish we were close enough to trade puzzles.
Aww, I love your Scooby puzzle! Have you ever had a “grilled” peanut butter and jelly ( or berries) sandwich? I do that once in a while.
I too am sort of jealous of all the people vacationing when I CHOOSE to stay home because I know it is the right thing to do for my family and community, but I guess that is MY choice so I can’t be too mad about it. Our governor has requested we don’t leave the state and I’m a rule follower!
I’ve done toasted PB+Js, but never grilled. We don’t have any travel restrictions around here, but we’re still choosing to stay home.
No travel plans. 🙁 Wish I felt comfortable doing that!
Haha, the sunflowers field we visited yesterday made me feel as if I was in a Van Gough painting. seriously!
I wish we had some place to do puzzles. Not enough room on our kitchen table. We don’t have a coffee table. We used to have a mat to roll them up in, but I’ve no idea where that got to.
There’s a sunflower farm around here I’ve never been to, but it looks lovely.
I treated myself to a nice-looking card table (“wood” finish) and took over a corner of the family room.
You deserve to have nice things, Coco! We’re mostly about letting go of stuff right now.
Although I am looking at a new toaster oven. A good convection/air fryer combo. Our present one is old and quite literally falling apart (Mr. Judy has glued pieces on multiple times). Mr. Judy is just waiting for me to decide which one I want.
Although I have picked up our little road trips. Every once in a while when we get a nice day I try to drag Mr. Judy away from home!
I have never tried a peanut butter and berry sandwich but that looks really good actually! I would probably try it with thinly cut strawberries (I usually only like blueberries in smoothies, lol).
I have another staycation at the end of August. I was thinking of going to the beach that’s about 15 minutes from my house but I’ve heard it’s been super crowded so that makes me hesitant to go.
It is best with strawberries.
If the beach is only 15 min away you could always turn back — maybe it’s not busy on weekdays?
Berries and peanut butter sound amazing.
I am thisclose to renting a beach condo for myself fo the weekend. Thisclose.
Hah! I will watch to see if you do it.
We were supposed to be going to our beach house next Wednesday, but my husband’s work is getting in the way. We’re now going in September and possibly again in October.
BTW, sorry I missed the linkup. I had the best laid plans to finish my post this morning, but the lure of gardening pulled me outside. Who wants to sit in front of a computer screen when you can play in the dirt?! Rather than finish it and post it late, I’m just going to set it aside and finish it next month.
I’m sad we’re not in Roanoke at Empower Camp this weekend… 🙁
It was a bummer when my Outlook reminder popped up and I had to delete it.
Yes it is definitely an atypical August! I’m glad that we can still connect! I read Such a Fun Age but I didn’t enjoy it so much, what did you think?
I’ve never had peanut butter and berries but it looks really good!
I enjoyed it more than I expected, and read it over one weekend which is unusual for me. I think the CodeSwitch podcast has talked about it in two episodes, but I’m glad I read it before all the analyzing.
I make PB & sliced strawberry on toast sandwiches for breakfast all the time during strawberry season (which is around February here in FL) so these days it’s back to jelly and jam. I never thought of blueberries. I may have to try that!
Aren’t they yummy! Wow, our Strawberry season is late-May/early June, but we had a long one with year with good berry weather.
Definitely no plans for any summer vacation, but I’ve been adding a lot of destinations to my travel bucket list, haha.
I’ve done peanut butter + berry sandwiches and really like them too! :]
And yay for Scooby in the puzzle! 😀