Alarm set for 6:30 a.m., goes off, turn off, get up to pee. Alarm set for 7 a.m., goes off, turn off, roll over back to sleep. Phone vibes, open eyes, look at phone, time is 9:30 ish, roll over, close eyes, bladder screaming up the body. Can’t take it anymore, get up to pee. 10:36 a.m..

Turn on laptop, turn on Bluetooth headphones, grab coloring book, grab paper and pencils. Turn on Spotify, start flipping through the book for inspiration, start to draw from the book. Go downstairs, make coffee, eat a small bowl of cereal. Back upstairs, shower, clean up bathroom a bit. Back to laptop and coloring while waiting for friend to message when close by the house (she’s taking the bus).

Phone buzzes, time to make coffee. Salt in the filter. Hot chocolate powder, peppermint extract and cream stirred in each mug. Add coffee as friend enters the house (door left unlocked).

Give big hugs! Hands me a gift, more big hugs!!

Make microwave popcorn and put on some Burn Notice for a Bruce Campbell fix. Then put on Mrs. Brown’s Boys for a big laugh, and the bonus features (not seen on Netflix).

After a bit of Mrs. Brown, time to make dinner,
Butter Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Jasmine Rice
• pieces of chicken
• 1 yellow onion
• leek
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• spices
• olive oil & some butter
• Butter chicken sauce

Cooking:

Make rice according to directions, should make 4 cups cooked. Get a big pan or wok, heat olive oil and then put in the chicken. Add spices, used was red pepper flakes, dried oregano,  dried basil, apple-wood smoked salt. Chop the onion and leek. Once the chicken is almost cooked, add some butter in the center of the pan, then add onion and garlic. Stir well. Add the leek and stir, then add the rice and sauce and stir until well mixed.

*As an added flavor add some shredded mozzarella to your bowl

Ate dinner while watching more Mrs. Brown. Laughed, ate, stomach sounds and gas… Recited lines before they happened. Seen the show enough times, that almost fully memorized. Wait a bit. Decide on more mocha to go with ice cream. But hold the peppermint.

More Mrs. Brown, more stupid laughs, more stomach gurgles, more reciting lines. look at the bus schedule, keep eye on the time. 8:36 p.m. episode just finishes as she gets her things and heads for the door. HUGE hug, thank you s, and goodbye.

Clear up the living room, tidy dishes a bit, add some milk to what’s left of the mocha and microwave for 1:30. Phone buzzes, made the bus. Gather DVDs, books and mug in hand, head up stairs.

Top of stairs, DVDs, topple to the floor, make the rest into the bedroom, pick up what was dropped. Turn on Bluetooth headphones, turn on laptop, get pencil crayons, light candle.

Turn on Spotify, 9:21 p.m. phone buzzes, she made it home, finish coloring.

Sometimes all we need is just a girls night in (or just friends etc). It’s more therapeutic to make a home cooked meal with a good friend, make coffee and curl up on the couch with a fave TV show and laugh like a hyena in comfort, rather than be surrounded by strangers in a crowded mall or coffee shop and spend $ you don’t really have to spend.

I’m thankful to have good friends, whom I love and appreciate for nights like this. We both needed it. I especially needed the hugs. It really is true that women need them, you feel so much better after human contact.

I’m amazed my home in my head let me come out for a night of much-needed girls night. I didn’t hear any conversations going on, no other thoughts. I was present in the moment as it was happening. These are the much needed and much appreciated moments.