Hello Monday - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2026

 

I'm going with the whole "do we appreciate our history enough?" thought to start this Monday morning.  I don't know if that is really how it is, since I'm no longer in the classroom, but as an adult who doesn't watch mainstream television (unless it's something live like sports), I don't see many tributes to the people and/or events that made us who we are as a nation/people/culture.  I hate how divided everyone seems to be on everything - to a point that even mentioning a person or event seems to have "someone" in the crowd saying "I can't talk about that".  So, with attention to my word-of-the-year, I decided to ChatGPT something about this great man in history - I want to NOTICE the reason I am living the life (and the day off today) that I am.

"Today is a federal holiday that’s about far more than a day off work or school. It’s one of the few holidays in our country set aside not to celebrate a victory or an event, but to honor a life and a legacy rooted in service, justice, and courage. Dr. King’s impact reached far beyond his lifetime, reminding us that meaningful change often begins with ordinary people choosing to do the right thing, even when it’s hard.

Today, the holiday is recognized not just as a remembrance, but as a Day of Service — a reminder that Dr. King believed real change came through action, compassion, and collective responsibility. It’s a day meant to ask: How can I serve others?"

I wonder who he would be in today's world?  How would he have approached his activism?  It's astonishing to me, a child of the '70's and teen of the '80's in the midwest, that the things he was fighting for just a decade before my birth were issues (and yes, I know, they still are in some places).  I wonder how I would have reacted, what I would have thought, in what ways I would have contributed had I lived during that time?  But that last question, "how can I serve others?" - that is the most important one to me.  I will continue to notice and seek out opportunities to do so in 2026.  

OK, on to our weekends!!  I'm looking forward to seeing how my blog friends spent their time!  I'm linking up with Sarah who serves the children in her school well by inspiring a love of books/reading in them and Holly, who is inspiration to me in her Blackout work in her community.  Go visit them and others that link up if you have time this week :)

Still not really on my "picture game" but here we go. . .

FRIDAY - after a surprisingly busy day for a Friday (generally these are slower, "catch-up" days in the training world), I headed back to Crossville with a couple of Knoxville friends to practice with my Cookeville friend whom I will be traveling to a tournament with next month.  One of the main interstates in Tennessee is I-40. . .I drive west on this highway 45 minutes to get to Crossville and can continue another 45 minutes to get to Cookeville (and then another 90 minutes if I want to get to Nashville).  There's the geography for you ;). Anyway, the three of us left Knoxville at 2:45 EST and arrived in Crossville at 2:45 CST, played tennis for 2 hours, then left at 5 p.m. CST and arrived back at my house at 7 p.m. EST - one friend went home and then the other friend and I went to watch her team play at a local club that evening.  Great way to kick off the weekend.  Not a single picture or screenshot from the entire day :(

SATURDAY - We are up to 20 pickleball players on Saturday mornings at 7 a.m.!!  So.much.fun!! Laura was home so afterwards we tried a new coffee and tea bar in West Knoxville.  See, that would have been a great time to get a picture - Laura, Tom, and I out together.  Off my game I say.  Anyway, Laura previously met the owner in her first location (this is a new one) and wanted us to meet her and try her coffee and teas.  Delicious!

This is a brand new shopping area on an already-crowded street but the location should be good for them - across the street from three local schools and at least one church plus numerous apartment complexes and it looks like another community being built right behind them.  The vibe she is trying to create is one of community - they even offer a monthly subscription for your nitro coffee!

We got the dogs out - it was cold but the sun was bright, and didn't do much else.  I read some blogs and Amy shared a game she plays with her dog, EO, where she uses a 12-count muffin pan but I only scrounged up 6 balls so decided to try with this one instead.  

The object is to hide a small treat in just a couple of the sections but put a ball in each one so the dog has to "hunt" for the treats by taking the balls out.  Since these were more inside the spaces instead of on top, Radar sniffed around and could get the treat without removing the balls. . .but he seemed to have fun and it was cheap entertainment for us :)

Laura was a sport and watched a movie with me - The People We Meet on Vacation.  

It was cute and almost just like the book, which I read (on vacation!) a couple of years ago.  

And, although this isn't the premise of the book, these are literally the people we met on that vacation in 2023 and we continue to vacation with them!!!

We have something planned with five of the people in these pictures next month and Germany with most of them in July this year :)

Later on Saturday the girls made dinner for Nana and Grandpa and Tom took me to my USTA tennis match which started at 6 p.m.  It was a good match - we didn't win but many of the points were good.  I always enjoy any time I am on the tennis court!

SUNDAY - I spent quite a bit of time planning our Bourbon Trail weekend before church - the group we hired for the tour sent an itinerary and suggestions so that was fun to work on!  After church Tom wanted to go to the store for things for a stir fry night.  Here's the catch - we need to do a stir fry with NO soy, NO corn, and NO seed oils.  We went to Kroger for steak and veggies - I knew we had shrimp and rice at home - and then asked ChatGPT for help.  Friends, AI came through!!!  

We sent a carryout with Tommy since Barbara is still recovering from foot surgery - goodness, this was everyone's response at the table too!!  

Tom did everything on the Blackstone and I made the fried rice and sauces inside.  I'm not sure why my smoked almonds are in that picture - they were my afternoon snack, not a topping - ha!  This morning I asked ChatGPT if it would write out the recipe for me so I could save it - here you go :)

I have a binder I keep all of our recipes in - it was fun to add something new to it :)

Last night when we were watching football (did you watch that crazy Bears/Rams game???) I compiled our family favorites with Tom's help so we have one list to go through when we can't think of "anything".

Lastly, yesterday was my niece's 25th birthday!!!  Oh my, how can my sister and I have been parents for over a quarter of a decade now???  I sent her these images Laura had found over the weekend in an album I have:  

Beautiful then and GORGEOUS now - her mother posted some from her day on SM - 

What a lucky, lucky family we are :)

I'll leave it here my friends - I have a couple appointments today and happy hour with some ladies I met through my last job that I've stayed in touch with.  Looks like another sun-shiney but COLD January day here in East TN :). 

Love,

Jenni