Happy Halloween! ♥

Hello Friends! ♥

I hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

 It's hard to believe it's come and gone already and here we are in NOVEMBER. Wow.  I snapped this picture on my back porch Halloween morning. I was having coffee and I just couldn't believe how pretty the trees looked.  

Honestly, my phone doesn't do the colors justice ♥

Funny how this same thing happens every year and every year I run out here with my camera taking the same photos like it's something new.  

Clearly, it's not. It's just so pretty and I'm in awe of nature time and time again.  

We were blessed with an absolutely beautiful day on Halloween.  I can remember trick or treating in the freezing cold and John being mad at me for making him wear a coat over his costume.  Not this year.  The kids lucked out. It was in the high 60's, which we'll take any time for Halloween.  And it was Saturday night.  

Perfect! ♥

In the morning I carved our pumpkins (while my family watched me:), roasted the seeds, and got my candy station ready.  I was prepared for droves and droves of kids. We always get tons around here.  I had two big bags of candy and told everyone if we run out early, I'm shutting the light off.  

Well, turns out that wasn't an issue because I hardly made a dent into one bag.  We had probably 10 kids, that's it.  I couldn't believe it.  Where was everyone?? 

Have truck or treats killed old fashioned door to door trick or treating?? 

My neighbors and I had a good laugh in the middle of the street (in the darkness) about how dead it was.  We all have so much candy left over!  Really unheard of for my neighborhood. 

John had gone out for the evening with friends and texted me this picture that made me smile! :)

He was Buzz Lightyear for many years (I'm thinking at least 3 in a row!) when he was little so Buzz holds a special place in my heart (and he knows it! :) 

So anyway, I tried snacking on the pumpkin seeds in an effort to keep my hands out of the candy bowl. It worked for a little while, but once hour 3 went by and no one came - I dove into the milk duds.  It was all downhill from there.  It's over. 

Now there's no stopping me from now to New Years and I'm perfectly OK with that ♥

On November 1st I spent the day planning.  My mind was racing.  OH MY GOSH it's actually November.  Thanksgiving is this month!  I made my menus, printed recipes, and started a Christmas shopping list. I don't always feel that motivated, so I have to act on it when it happens! LOL 

It's been unseasonably warm this week too.  Today was 72 degrees!  Tomorrow we might reach 76!  I actually have my sliding door open at the moment because it's colder in the house than it is outside and I'm trying to get some warm air in here.  I think by the weekend this party will be over and things will go back to normal, but for now it's a week without turning the heat on (in November, CRAZY!)  and that's a reason to celebrate.  

We also turned the clocks back on Halloween night.  Sunset is between 4:30 and 5. Personally I don't mind it.  Candles and lamps go on a bit earlier and so do my pj's.  

It's cozy season after all, right?? 

Today is Tuesday and its election day.  We got up and out this morning and voted! 

It's John's first year voting.  He was excited about it! ♥

 

Fun fact - the place my precinct votes is actually my old elementary school.  I love voting day so I can come back here. I spent grades kindergarten to 6th grade here.  This is the cafeteria/gym. 

 Crazy that little me ate sloppy joes and played dodge ball in here in 1983 and now here I am with my 19-year-old son voting in 2026.  It's so strange but really cool at the same time.  

 Anywhoo...

I hope this first week of November is off to a great start for you. I hope you are enjoying lots of Halloween candy like I am (seriously, let's get rid of it because holiday baking is starting!) and if you find yourself here 🠋....

...then welcome! Please join me.  

It's a whirlwind time, but I'm ready for it ♥

Xx 

I just want to say...♥

 

I think you can probably see where my head was at when I woke up this morning :)  

Clouds in my coffee and dreaming of a life with one foot in the past.  Always.  I don't think it's too much to ask the universe to stop complicating things and slow down a bit.  What do you think? 

Just a suggestion, universe. Please & thank you ♥ 

Have a lovely, cozy day friends! We had FROST this morning, but the sun is out now and its warming up a bit. 

It's going to be another beautiful October day. Only a few left!  

Happy Wednesday! ♥

It's Halloween week! ♥

Hello Friends! Happy Halloween week! 👻

It's hard to believe we are at the end of October, but here we are.  It came and went so fast and I intend to enjoy all things spooky this week.  I'm feeling that holiday vibe sneaking up on me and come Sunday there is no holding me back!  HOWEVER, we aren't there yet, so let's soak up the last week of October and celebrate how absolutely beautiful she is ♥

Our trees are in their full glory now! ♥

This weekend we had full sunshine and milder temperatures which was glorious. It's going to be like that all week and Halloween night is predicted to be in the high 60's - no rain!  If this were 10 years ago (even 5 years ago, really) John would be jumping for joy because that would mean he wouldn't have to wear a jacket over his costume.  Halloween was serious business around here. We would trick or treat for literally hours, and then go back to his friends house whose mom would do an amazing spread on her front porch of hot chocolate, coffee for the grown ups, cupcakes, and snacks.  

We did that for years. It was so fun! ♥

John still sees the friends on Halloween, but parents are no longer needed.  

Rightly so, but I still miss those days :) 

Anyway, we had a very relaxing weekend.  Rob and I went out for breakfast, went on a few walks, and I made us hot apple cider for the first time this season.  

It was yummy! ♥

I made John a cup too and remined him not to eat the cinnamon stick. It's just for flavor, not to eat.  The first time I made cider for Rob (probably 25 years ago) he ate the cinnamon stick!  I was shocked when I collected his cup and it was gone.  He said he ate it because he thought he was supposed to and didn't want to hurt my feelings! 

That must have been awful...but very funny to think of him actually chomping on a cinnamon stick. 

I've never let him live it down :) 

I spent some time in our back room reading on Sunday.  It was quite cozy (there is no TV in this room) and as you can see, I've turned on my Christmas village lights.  

Saturday night we will turn the clocks back.  Sunset is at 4:30 and this village will be glowing.  I'm thinking about adding a string of lights across the border. What do you think? 

This is what I think about while sipping tea and sitting in this spot.  

Remember....no TV in here ♥

Did you see the moon Saturday night?  

I snapped this pick during my after-dinner walk.  

The moon was lighting my way ♥

The sky was so beautiful that night.  Are you a moon person like I am? 

I have a busy week ahead, full of work deadlines, doctor's appointments, and lots of laundry, and chores that I conveniently forgot to do over the weekend.  It always catches up with me!

I did manage to meal plan, which is a huge weight off my shoulders going into the week.  I have all my groceries, so I won't have to be running out this week because I'm short an ingredient. I love that! 

Menu is as follows:

Monday - American chop suey, garlic bread

Tuesday- meatloaf with mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans 

Wednesday- chicken and mushrooms over rice, mixed veggies 

Thursday - pork cutlets with roasted potatoes, spinach, apple sauce

Friday - baked chicken, stuffing, corn 

It's not set in stone but having a loose plan of what I'm cooking and having the ingredients ready is so helpful.  However, if Rob comes home and says "let do takeout" then this plan goes right out the window! That's real!

I also finally got my Halloween candy.  I spent $60 at Walmart on two bags of candy that I hope will be enough.  We always have lots of trick or treaters, but when my bowl is empty, my light goes off.  When did candy get so expensive??!! I will not be opening those bags until Saturday. I put them out of my sight just to be sure!  

Have a lovely Monday, friends! ♥

I will you a week full of spooky movies, hot cider, and sweet treats.  I'm craving caramel corn and I think that will be our late-night snack tonight.  Want to join me? (recipe here) 

Byeeeee! 

Xx 

 

October Friday ♥

Hello Friends! Happy Friday!  ♥

I hope you all had a wonderful week.  As I type this post it's late afternoon and I just finished up working for the day.  The best feeling on a Friday! I've eaten waaay too many candy corn over the course of the day and I can't imagine myself stopping any time soon. 

I've had a quiet week at home, keeping warm on cold mornings, and enjoying the warm sunshine in the afternoon.  This week I started cooking all my favorite comfort foods, including this chicken pot pie we had the other night.  It was so delicious.  I'll be making these on the regular until further notice! I had the leftover biscuits that I heated in the oven so they were warm and toasty.  

So so good : ) 

*chicken pot pie recipe*

 

This morning I noticed my mom's Christmas catus plant is budding!!! She always had so much more luck with hers than I did mine.  Mine, sadly, is no longer with us - her's on the other hand, is thriving!   I have her right by the front window and she's loving the sunshine.  See all those buds?  They will be beautiful bright flowers soon.  

I'm so happy ♥

We haven't had our first frost yet, but that may be happening this weekend.  We're getting awfully close.  I've dug out all my fall and winter sweaters and heavy socks to keep me warm.  

I have my pumpkins that we'll carve next week.  I didn't want to do it too soon.  Since Halloween is on a Saturday, I'll probably do it that day and cook the seeds that night. I'll snack on those while I give out candy to trick or treaters.  That will keep my hands out of the candy bowl! (hopefully!:) 

I LOVE roasted pumpkin seeds.  It was always a tradition of ours to roast them, coated in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 

They are slightly addictive ♥

*roasted pumpkin seeds*

The nature of October is so beautiful, isn't it? ♥ 

We have tons of yard work to do. There are so many leaves in our yard.  I honestly don't mind it though. I told Rob to let all the leaves fall and then we can rake just one time.  

Raking is highly overrated! ♥

The leaves are so pretty!  I say leave them alone....see what I did there? LOL 

So what are your weekend plans?  I want to make a squash soup and more cookies! Otherwise, I plan on reading and relaxing.  It's going to sunny but chilly so maybe a few walks here and there as well.  

I have some cards to write and phone calls to make.  It's going to be a weekend of catching up on things like that.  Nice and easy ♥

Nothing stressful.  

Just trying to enjoy the little things. 

I saw this on Pinterest the other day and just had to share it.  

It's so true ♥ 

And we know for sure that tree will be back in the spring - big and strong - sprouting new beautiful vibrant leaves.  I'll take that with me through the winter. 

Such a nice thought if you are feeling stuck ♥  

 

And with that lovely thought I'm going to have one of these pumpkin sugar cookies I got at the grocery store yesterday.  You know, because I haven't consumed enough sugar today with the candy corn! AHHH!  Hey, it's Halloween week.  Let the holidays begin! 

Have a great weekend, my friends!  ♥

I hope you get lots of rest this weekend and enjoy yourselves.  

Talk soon! Xx 

October weekending at home...♥

Hello Lovely Friends! Happy Monday morning!  

I have missed you! ♥

Well, it happened.  I turned the heat on for the first time this season.  We have arrived.  I tried to hold out as long as I could, but it was borderline frosty when I got out of bed this morning so here we are.  That sound of the furnace kicking on and that first blast of warm air through the vents brought me to life. Like a big hug! Next was coffee, I lit a candle, and my Monday began....so, hello....how are you today?! ♥

October is really October-ing now, isn't it? Leaves are falling and every neighbor on my street has a pumpkin, or mums, or something spooky in the yard. I can remember walking to school on chilly mornings like this when I was in jr. high school. I didn't drink coffee then.  I actually remember drinking diet Pepsi first thing in the morning before school! Can you imagine? That was my drink. It was the 80's :) 

I think about my childhood a lot and have so many de'ja vus, probably because I live in my childhood home and know this neighborhood like the back of my hand.  If my jr. high self only knew I would be waving goodbye to my son from the front door as he leaves for the day (with hot coffee, not Pepsi), she never would never believe it.  

Life is crazy sometimes ♥

But anyway...this past weekend I was embracing all the cozy fall things, because we are in it now, and I don't want it to slip by. 

I finally got around to clipping some of these hydrangeas to bring them inside.  

The muted colors are so pretty ♥ 

Hard to believe these are bright blue in the summertime. 

I think I prefer them this way ♥

I spent Saturday cleaning and "nesting" as my mother used to say ♥

I found this string of pumpkin lights and didn't know what to do with them, so I put them on this plant in the corner.  

...me and my tea were contemplating if they should stay or go...

...they stayed! ♥

I couldn't let the weekend go past without some seasonal baking.  Look at these spices.  

Only good things can come from this line up! ♥

...and it did ♥

The best fall cookie!  

And my kitchen smelled amazing! ♥

Soft Ginger Cookies! They are chewy and delicious.  I blogged the recipe some years ago and totally forgot about them.  How could I? I am going to make these again for Thanksgiving this year.  

They are so good! ♥

(click here for recipe - super easy too!) 

Ginger Cookies

I have realized I don't make cookies enough!  I'm going to start trying new cookie recipes every week. 

Stay tuned! ♥

Saturday supper was beef stew and homemade biscuits! ♥

I used Susan Branch's recipe for Best Biscuits out of her Heart of the Home cookbook.  

They were perfect! We are having the rest of them with chicken pot pie tonight ♥

**By the way did you read Susan's latest blog post about her Martha's Vineyard house being sold?  It's bittersweet indeed, but I'm so happy for her.  I'm more happy that she's going back to the island in December to experience another New England winter.  Those of us that live here know there's really nothing like it** 

I preordered her knew Christmas book and the latest news is that they are being shipped on November 1st. Yay! I cannot wait! A gift to myself and something to look forward.  My cozy reading spot is all ready for me to sit for hours and devour every page. 

 I'm 52 years old and still want to be Susan Branch when I grow up :)

My evening walks were very chilly this weekend.  Last night I actually pulled out my winter coat!  This is me coming home.  It's only about 7:30pm and look how dark it is! 

I finished this audiobook on my travels and let me tell you...it's completely unhinged!  

Loved it👌 

In a shocking contrast, the Hallmark channel has started its countdown to Christmas movies, so I've been watching too many of those already.  I had them on all weekend in the background while "nesting" about the house.  My mom and I used to watch all of them together.  Even when she was in the hospital we would put Hallmark on and make fun of how corny the movies were and we'd laugh about it. I miss her so much and every day I find new things that remind me of her. She'd be happy I'm still watching Hallmark and thinking of her.  Don't worry mom, I am ♥  

And with that I will love and leave you here for today.  I have lots to do so I better get to it.  Have a happy Monday, friends! I hope you all have a cozy day.  Have a hot beverage and a sweet treat and please take time for yourselves! 

Be back soon! Xx 

♥