Monday, October 24, 2011

Finding Gold in the Weekend

Hey, guess what?
We were at home this weekend.
And by home I mean we weren't sitting around doing nothing but we were also not standing in a queue at the airport or packing and lugging suitcases or stripping down for security.

Wait.

Hubs was at the airport. He'd been in Delhi all last week and his flight touched down in the US of A at the delightful hour of 4:25 am. Of course to him that felt like 2 PM so we did what we always do when he gets back from one of these upside down business trips-we went out to breakfast. Its possible we also went out to lunch later that same day but who's counting. He always has stories to tell when he's been to India, some interesting and some sad, so we spent the day catching up and running errands. And eating out obviously. He wanted some regular American beef for dinner so we grilled steaks and caught up on the DVR. Riveting stuff, isn't it? I've written an entire paragraph on our weekend eating habits.

Hubs finds it amusing that he travels half way round the world but I'm the one who kind of collapses when he gets home. In my defense I do not sleep well when he's in these places, so as soon as he's safely home I let my adrenaline crash.


Saturday it was off to the races. We were guests of someone business related (I don't know-I just go along for the fun day out) and they have a lovely tent at this event which raises money for a local hospital. The weather was very fall like with alternating sun and clouds and I was glad I wore my down vest.

(oh good, she's moved from discussing her dining habits to weather talk)

This horse race goes all the way back to 1870 and is host to the Breeder's Cup, the most prestigious race in American steeplechasing. I don't follow horse racing but I do read a lot of Dick Francis novels which are set in that venue so I think that counts. Do you think they saw this back in 1870?


Let me just say for record that he was not with us. Also, the rules clearly stated no pets but somehow this girl managed to sneak in a chicken.


Whyyyy? As you can see, the event attracts a wide ranging crowd. We were up on the hill above the chickens and the superheroes-


There was plenty of wonderful food and pretty table decorations-


I loved the centerpieces and they would be easy to recreate-


There were no Marvel Comic characters in our tent but we did spend a lot of time talking to some British guests which was fun. Will we ever lose that sense of feeling an immediate connection to every Brit we meet? These boys (they were men, but they were young men) had spent a lot of time in our little village, primarily in the pub there but still, it was fun talking about our mutual love of their homeland.

Hubs needed a bit of a low key day on Sunday and what a gorgeous fall day it turned out to be-


We took the little red car for a spin and enjoyed feeling the sunshine on our faces and the seeing the view from atop New Jersey's highest point.


We came home and relaxed on the patio (finally) and even had a fire in the outdoor firepit where this deliciousness happened-


That's hubs marshmallow...he has no patience for a lot of things but he could sit all day and roast a marshmallow to perfection. I have patience for most things but managed to burn two right off the bat with my impatience. He was nice and shared.

And what would your week be without a picture of my hillside?


The sunlight sparkled thru the leaves yesterday and made for a most peaceful and perfect late autumn afternoon. How can you not love the fall?

"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!" Percy Bysshe Shelley

20 comments:

  1. I know, I never slept well when my Hubby was flying off, and I was home alone. Somehow just having him in the house was calming for me. Still is.

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  2. I've been to exactly ONE horse race, but it was very exciting! Sounds like a nice weekend. Funny you mention that about the Brits. I don't think that any of them have a clue how big this country is until they take a road trip across it! :-)

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  3. I am SO lovin' the centerpieces as I have a real fondness for sunflowers ,the KS state flower. (I love Kansas the way you love England!) And how cheery on the checkered tablecloths. ONce again, your hubs sounds like mine in the impatience except for marshmallow roasting. And when he returns from a trip, yes, I feel the need to put my feet up: )

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  4. It sounds and looks like you had a "picture-perfect" weekend. I love the golden fall colors of the trees. We don't have much of that here--too many pine trees!

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  5. I want to hire your husband to roast my marshmallows for me. He gets them exactly the way that I like them!

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  6. what fun you had...loved all the pics
    thanx for sharing!

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  7. Funny we were going to go to High Point on Saturday!

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  8. Hi Joyce,
    I have a very close friend whose hubby travels weekly to Mumbai, so I understand your concerns. She doesn't rest well when her hubby is away, either. Love all of your pictures! Glad to hear that your weekend was such a success!

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  9. Oh my goodness! I love your blog (as always) and this looks soooo fun! wish i was there fun! and as usual makes me miss England! I think we are planning on coming back again June 12 for Jubilee. until then, my regards to you and your beautiful UK, katie

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  10. What a great weekend! I'm the same way when my hubby travels I sleep horrible so I crash harder than him once he's home.
    Awesome pictures!

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  11. Sounds like it was a busy weekend with fun things to do. Love that arrangement and looks like a nice spread of food at the horse races.
    Why a chicken, really! That is strange. The Fall colors are so pretty.

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  12. I too don't sleep well when Hubby worked 3rd shift. I've slept like a baby since he retired. sounds like a busy weekend.

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  13. Oh, you crack me up with your side comments! So...I guess the horse race you went to is different than the Carolina Cup? I don't see any pictures of girls in their hats!
    Great fall pictures! I know what you mean about not sleeping well...I never do, either, when CH isn't home.

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  14. Haha, I am exactly the same way! The Hub's continues on and I drop when he arrives home.

    Looked like a great Fall weekend!

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  15. Love your weekend "at home" - and all the pictures. I agree, the centerpieces were awesome! And...highest spot in NJ? Up in Sussex County? It's my ole stomping ground. It's nice to see your pics of the autumn leaves there. I just wrote a blog update on the beauty of October here in SC too. A lovely time of year, isn't it?

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  16. Sounds like a lovely, perfect weekend!!!

    I don't think I've ever heard of ANYONE having a pet chicken....and while I LOVE LOVE LOVE all of our animal friends, I'm not real sure how I feel about a pet chicken ;-)

    I'm with you on the marshmallows - I burn them every single time - but I've at least developed a taste for them!

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  17. When you have to travel it is not as much fun as it could be, especially when you may miss a birthday or whatever.
    I wish I could visit India, what foods did he eat there? They are fixin to have a big festival there, Diwali, where all kinds of sweets are devoured.
    Used to live in North Bergen N.J., never saw scenery this beautiful there.
    Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading this. The centrepiece looks fabulous.

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  18. "Riveting stuff, isn't it? I've written an entire paragraph on our weekend eating habits." Hey, Joyce, don't knock it - I really DO find people's eating habits riveting! Of course, as a food blogger, I AM a bit obsessed with food!

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  19. I love the posts about your weekend eating habits! That looked like a pretty interesting race that you attended. Great for people watching, huh? Hope you didn't get too much snow this weekend. We're at about 5-6 inches and counting. So not ready for this! Enjoy your Sunday!

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