The Weekly Ramble – November 13, 2026

It may seem silly, but this here picture represents A WIN.

You may recall that I discovered Coke Zero in the early weeks of fall. I know, late to the party, but I had no idea that it tasted just like Coke!

Very old timers around here may recall that Vanilla Coke was my daily go-to in 2007 and 2008. So, when I heard that there was a Coke Zero flavor, I wanted to try it.

Apparently, Holiday Creamy Vanilla is a seasonal flavor. Abundant in 12 packs of regular Coke and yet fleeting of the Coke Zero variety. When I did find it the cost was $12.99 😱🫪😳 a 12-pack. The only way to reduce the cost was to Buy 3 Get 3 Free.

No thanks.

But, Persistent is my middle name, and I eventually scored a single bottle in my Walmart pick up today. I haven’t tried it, but now I can relax. The search is over.

Here’s what else I’ve been doing, eating, listening/watching, and/or reading this past week:

What I’m Learning

Sometimes I get really great ideas. And sometimes, I don’t always think those ideas through before starting to give them feet.

There is a reason (probably many reasons!) why Jesus said, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”

Jesus is using it in Luke as an illustration for the cost of discipleship, but clearly, it’s got physical, tangible truth, too.

According to my Amazon orders, I first got the idea to make a replica of my son’s new house back in mid September. Apparently, ordering a packet of chipboard is all it takes to send me down the road to cardboard house building.

Bryan didn’t realize when I first mentioned it that I welcomed his building expertise, so in the early weeks it was just me and Gemini figuring out how to craft this from scratch. I took the project along on our visit to see our son and bonus daughter this weekend.

I lost count how many times I walked outside to verify rooflines or trim work!

In the end I took poetic license with some of those rooflines and Bryan had to recut several of my roof pieces, but the project is done. Whether or not the kids enjoy it as a holiday decoration is up to them.

Not only was I learning to count the cost of a project, but also to hold its reception loosely and not worry if they wanted to keep it. Bryan and I both got to the point that it had to be finished, just on principle.

And we learned a heck of a lot about building a cardboard house, so let me know if you have questions! 😜 Here are the supplies you’ll need.

What I’ve Been Doing

Bryan and I spent 4 nights with our Sacramento kids, driving 8 hours each way. Yes, we could have flown, but even though they were long days, we agreed that we liked the freedom driving gives us.

We had a great time and can’t wait to go back for Christmas!

We also got to meet the new kitties which was fun. I’ve never been a pet person, so I am still learning. I had no idea that kittens had a kitten era, just like puppies and toddlers. It makes sense, of course; I just never thought about it.

What I’ve Been Eating

We had a fair amount of road snacks this past week, including a couple bags of Trader Joe’s extra sour Scandinavian Swimmers. We ranked the different colors from Amazing to Tastes-like-the-70s.

I leave it to you to decide for yourself which is which.

Before we left I made a double batch of candied pecans, using this recipe as my base, but with pecans which I’m thinking have better texture.

I still have some left so I’ve been adding them to salads. So good with fruit and blue cheese!

What I’ve Been Listening/Watching

We are still working our way through Dept Q. Who knew it was a book series?!

It is a wee bit disturbing that this is the line highlighted from the book, “Since time immemorial, human beings had always transformed the suffering of fellow humans into entertainment.”

A bit sobering that we’re “into” this show, but not because someone’s suffering, tbh, because I want to see how they overcome that suffering.

Anywho, we’ve got four more episodes to go.

What I’ve Been Reading

I realized when I made the week’s reading log graphic that it would appear that I’m really holy. I’m really not. At least not yet.

I am struggling to find books that interest me, represent the real world, give God glory (or at least respect), and are well written. The maze of reading material out there is tricky!

What I’ve Been Working On

I’ve got the newest Meal Plan Advent Calendar ready to go out to Club members; I’m also prepping a fun mixes recipe book as well for December.

The Mix Fix includes recipes, printable labels, and ideas for wrapping the mixes as gifts. I’ve got a couple weeks to get her done, but am hoping it will be ready in just a week. Here’s hoping!

Also, the first FishChick turns 20 tomorrow, so there’s much prep to be done. Number candles for the win!

Okay, I think that’s it for me! Leave a comment and let’s chat!