Enjoying Life Filled With Blessings

💕 Midweek Blessings, Thoughtful Gifts & Things to Look Forward To

Sometimes you just have one of those weeks where you stop for a minute and realize, I am really blessed. And honestly, that is exactly where I am this week.

There have been little surprises, thoughtful gifts, good friends, family time, work wins, and a few things on the calendar that I am really looking forward to. So I thought it was time for a little midweek check-in!

🎁 Gifts That Were Made With Love

When I went to our company picnic in Ada this past Saturday, my cousin Dakota’s wife, Whitney, had some late birthday gifts waiting for me. And let me tell you, she knows me!

First of all, she got me a pink Starbucks cup. Everybody knows I love my cups and tumblers. I don’t care how many I already have—there is always room for another one! 😂

But she didn’t stop there.

She used her 3D printer to make me some adorable little fidget toys. There was a crab, some turtles, and several other cute little things. She also gave me an envelope filled with assorted papers that I can use in my journals, and she crocheted me a composition notebook cover for one of my journals.

Every single thing was so thoughtful, and knowing that she made some of these things herself made them even more special.

I just felt so loved and thought of.

I still need to get Whitney her late birthday gift, too. I had every intention of taking it to the picnic, and then somehow I managed to completely forget it at home. 🤦‍♀️ So, Whitney, your gift is coming! I promise!

📚 Then Nancy Spoiled Me, Too!

Monday brought another little dose of happiness.

I went over to my friend Nancy’s house, and Nancy and I go way back. We are childhood friends, our parents were friends, and I believe even our grandparents knew each other. So when I say there is a long history between our families, I mean it.

Nancy had recently been to the Frivious store in Duncan, where they were having a book fair, and she picked up some of the cutest things for me.

She got me bookmarks, postcards, lots of stickers, and the cutest little ghost journal!

That little ghost journal is going to become my October journal, and I am already excited about it. 👻📖

Of course, she knows my love of all things crafty and stationery, so every single thing she picked out was right up my alley.

And I know it’s not really about the gifts.

It’s about being thought of.

There is just something special about someone seeing something and thinking, “Karen would love this.”

When someone knows your personality, your interests, your aesthetic, and the little things that make you happy—and then takes the time to pick something out for you—it really does bring me joy.

I feel very blessed to have people in my life who know me that well.

💻 Work Has Been Pretty Decent

Work has been going pretty well, too.

Tuesday wasn’t exactly my best day. I left with seven saves, and when I’m working toward a goal of 11 or 12 a day, seven just didn’t feel like enough.

So Wednesday became my “okay, let’s make up for Tuesday” day!

And when I left work today, I had 13 saves!

That definitely made me feel better. 😊

I’m just trying to do the very best I can, one call at a time, and help as many members as I can understand the value of having LegalShield.

Some days are easier than others, but I’m continuing to show up and do what I can. That’s really all any of us can do.

🥳 Birthday Celebrations Are Coming!

Friday after work, I’m planning to swing by and pick up Mr. C, and then we’re supposed to head to Oklahoma City to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate Savannah’s 32nd birthday!

I’m really looking forward to it.

And, of course, I’m hoping Mr. C feels up to going. I wouldn’t want to go by myself. After all, Savannah is Brody’s wife, and family celebrations are always more fun when we can all be together.

So I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Friday works out exactly as planned!

🌳 A Little Family History Project

Saturday, I have tentative plans to head over to Lawton to see my cousin Sissy.

Sissy is 82 years old, and she has a lot of our family-tree information. I would really like to spend some time with her and take pictures of the information she has, especially since I’ve been working on our family history and genealogy project.

And let me tell you—our family tree is BIG.

When your grandparents had nine children, and then all those aunts and uncles started having children of their own, things can get complicated pretty quickly!

There are names, dates, marriages, children, siblings, and generations upon generations to keep track of. Sometimes I look at it all and think, Am I ever going to finish this? 😂

But the good thing is, I don’t have to.

This isn’t a race.

It’s a project I can work on a little at a time, and honestly, I think that’s part of what makes it enjoyable. Every little piece I discover gives me another connection to the people who came before me.

🎡 And Then There’s Sunday!

Sunday is another day I’m really looking forward to because my friend Cherrie and I are planning to go to the Oklahoma State Fair!

It will be the final day of the fair, and I really want to go see some of the exhibits.

I don’t necessarily need to spend the entire day there. I don’t even need to do everything. Sometimes it’s nice just to walk around, look at a few things, enjoy the atmosphere, and make some memories.

So we’ll see what Sunday brings!

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out.

❤️ Counting My Blessings

When I stop and look at everything happening this week, I realize there is a lot to be thankful for.

Thoughtful gifts from Whitney.

A sweet surprise from Nancy.

Friends I’ve known for decades.

Family birthdays to celebrate.

A genealogy project that connects me to generations before me.

A few good workdays.

Plans with people I love.

And, of course, my sweet Mr. C by my side.

Life isn’t perfect. Some days are harder than others, and some days don’t go according to plan.

But there are so many little moments that remind me how incredibly blessed I am.

Sometimes we just have to slow down long enough to notice them.

And this week, I’m definitely noticing. ❤️

Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet and spending a few minutes with me.

If you have a minute, leave me a comment and tell me where you’re reading from! I always love knowing where my blog friends are checking in from.

Until next time, keep looking for those little blessings. They really are everywhere. 💕

Movie Night to see Practical Magic 2!

✨ A Little Practical Magic on a Tuesday Night

This week is going by fairly fast, and I’m not complaining one bit! Before I know it, it’ll be Friday again, and you all know how I feel about Fridays. 😂

Yesterday was a little different from my normal workweek routine because I had plans with my friend Nancy. We had decided we were going to go see Practical Magic 2, and I was really looking forward to it. I hadn’t watched any trailers and honestly didn’t know exactly what to expect. Sometimes I think that’s the best way to see a movie—you don’t have somebody else’s opinion sitting in your head before the opening credits even roll.

After work, I headed over to my nail place, Uptown Nails with John, only to discover that I had completely forgotten he is closed on Tuesdays. Of course, I pull up, don’t see the OPEN sign, and immediately think, “Oh, yes… that’s right.” 😂

Since I was already out and had something else I needed to do, I called Michelle. I had ordered a fundraiser item from Angel and was going to give her the money, but they were at Walmart clothes shopping. I didn’t really want to go wandering through Walmart just to hand over some money, so I decided I’d catch up with them another time.

And then my stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten.

So I stopped at Arby’s and got a ham slider, a small Coke and a small fry. Nothing fancy—just enough to keep me from sitting in a movie theater starving to death. Because let’s be honest, going to the movies hungry is a rookie mistake. 😂

Instead of sitting in the parking lot with the car running, I found a nice shaded spot over by Ross department store, turned the car off, rolled down the windows and sat there eating my little Arby’s meal. Now, it was 103 degrees outside, but there was actually a nice breeze blowing through the car. For a few minutes, I just sat there and enjoyed it.

Sometimes it’s the simplest little moments that are surprisingly relaxing.

I made my way over to Nancy’s around 5:00. She had been gone most of the day because she had a breast biopsy, and when I got there she was busy fluttering around trying to catch up on everything she hadn’t been able to do while she was gone. We visited for a little bit, then headed out for our movie night.

We got to the Palace Twin Theater in Duncan around 6:15.

Now here’s where our luck—or lack thereof—comes in.

The theater was giving free admission to the first 40 people through the doors.

Guess who was numbers 41 and 42?

Yep.

Of course we were. 😂😂

I mean, seriously. We were two people too late! But honestly, the admission was still less than $5 each, so I wasn’t going to complain. That’s a pretty inexpensive night out these days.

Then we hit the concession stand, because apparently a ham slider at 5:00 wasn’t enough to keep me away from movie theater popcorn.

I got a small popcorn and a large drink, and the whole thing was right around $11. Again, I thought that was pretty reasonable. I remember when you could get movie snacks for practically nothing, but these days I’ll take an $11 popcorn-and-drink combo and call it a win. 😂

And then the movie started.

🎬 So, What Did I Think of

Practical Magic 2

?

I actually really enjoyed it!

The original Practical Magic came out in 1998 and eventually developed a pretty devoted following, even though it wasn’t initially the big hit that it became over the years. The sequel brings Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, along with some familiar faces, while bringing the younger generation of the Owens family into the story. 

The new movie picks up nearly three decades after the original and continues the story of the Owens family and their complicated magical legacy. This time, Sally’s daughters become much more involved, and the family curse once again becomes a big part of the story. 

But honestly, I wasn’t sitting there analyzing the storyline or wondering whether it was going to win an Oscar.

I was there to have fun.

And I did.

Sandra Bullock has always been one of my favorites, so seeing her back as Sally was a big part of the fun for me. And Nicole Kidman? I really enjoy watching what she has been doing these days, too. Seeing the two of them together again brought back that familiar sisterly chemistry that made the original so memorable.

And if you’re a fan of the first movie, there are plenty of little nostalgic touches that make this feel like a return to that world rather than just a completely unrelated movie with the same name. 

I won’t give away the movie because I know some of you may want to see it yourselves.

But I will say this:

I thought it was good.

And sometimes that’s all I need from a movie.

Give me a fun story, actors I enjoy, a little nostalgia, some magic, a few laughs and a friend sitting beside me, and I’m happy.

☕ A Little Midweek Fun

Nancy and I don’t get to do things together nearly as often as I’d like. Life gets busy. Work gets in the way. Family gets in the way. Appointments, errands, chores, and all those other things that seem to fill up our calendars happen.

That’s one thing I’m realizing more and more as I get older.

I want to make more time for my friends.

Not just say, “We need to get together sometime.”

Actually get together.

Go to a movie.

Grab dinner.

Take a little road trip.

Sit somewhere and drink coffee.

Laugh about absolutely nothing.

Those are the moments I want more of.

I dropped Nancy back off after the movie and made it home around 9:30. Now, you’d think I would have walked through the door and immediately gone to bed since I knew my alarm was going off at 4:30 a.m.

But nope.

Apparently, my brain didn’t get that memo.

I stayed up until about 10:15 before finally going to bed.

And let me just tell you…

My rear is dragging a little bit this morning. 😂

But you know what?

I don’t go out very often during the workweek. Most evenings I’m home, and that’s perfectly okay with me. But every once in a while, a Tuesday night movie with a good friend is worth being a little tired the next morning.

Especially when you almost got FREE admission.

Almost. 😂

So here’s to a little midweek adventure, inexpensive movie snacks, missing free admission by exactly two people, and making time for the people who make life more fun.

Sometimes you just need a little Practical Magic in your Tuesday night. ✨🎬

And maybe a large movie-theater drink.

Because hydration is important, right? 😉

#MidweekAdventures #FriendshipAndFun #PracticalMagic2 #MovieNight #LifeAfter50

Living Life

Wednesday, May 27th, 2026

Happy Midweek!

I cannot believe we are already wrapping up another Wednesday. Sometimes it feels like this year is moving at lightning speed, and other times I feel like I am just trying to keep up with my own thoughts and projects. Lately, I have really been procrastinating on getting my blog updated. I honestly do not know why I do this every single time. Maybe I get overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start, or maybe my creativity simply shifts into other things like journaling, letter writing, or planning little adventures. I tend to get stuck in my own head sometimes, and before I know it, the blog gets pushed to the back burner again.

Even so, today I am focusing on doing my best at work and helping my members however I can. We have new girls coming out of training, and apparently I must be doing something right because management keeps having coworkers sit in and listen to my calls. I still do not know if that is a blessing or a curse! It definitely adds a little stress to the day because I do not exactly see myself as a teacher, but I will absolutely do my best to help encourage and support them.

After work, I need to make a quick Walmart run for the essentials: milk, snacks, and of course a few Monster drinks to survive the rest of this week and probably part of next week too. I already know how this trip will go. I will walk in needing five things and somehow walk out with twenty. Walmart has a way of convincing you that you suddenly need items you never even considered before entering the store!

I also need to pick up a few snacks for Mr. C since this weekend I will be heading to Tulsa with Cherrie for our birthday weekend getaway. I am honestly so excited about this trip. We are trying to keep things budget-friendly, which works out perfectly because Tulsa is celebrating the Route 66 Centennial this weekend. There are going to be so many free and low-cost events happening all over the city.

One thing I am especially excited about is visiting the fire department museum. They are offering free admission along with hot dogs, hamburgers, and root beer floats. If you have followed my blog for any amount of time, then you already know firefighters absolutely have my heart and always will. There is just something about first responders — firefighters, police officers, military personnel — that I deeply admire and respect. But firefighters in particular? I cannot even fully explain it. They have always held a special place in my heart.

On the way home tonight, I am planning to grab supper from Braum’s. I am getting their grilled chicken strawberry salad, and I am being smart about it by dividing it into two meals. Half for supper tonight and the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I even remembered to ask for an extra dressing this time, which honestly feels like a personal victory. I will probably throw in a few crackers along with some pepper jack and cheddar cheese, and lunch tomorrow will be easy, filling, and pretty healthy too.

Health-wise, my sciatica nerve does seem to be calming down a little bit, thankfully. Nights are still the hardest part, and I am really hoping I can sleep in our bedroom all night without having to move around trying to get comfortable. Fingers crossed for a decent night of sleep because that makes such a huge difference in everything else.

For now, though, I am simply taking this week one day at a time, trying to focus on the good moments, looking forward to Tulsa, and reminding myself that not everything has to be perfect to still be meaningful.

#MidweekRamblings #TulsaBound #Route66Centennial #BirthdayWeekend #FirefighterHeart #WalmartRuns #BraumsDinner #SciaticaStruggles #EverydayLife #OklahomaLiving #JournalingLife #SimpleMoments