Freaky Friday Fragments

Happy Halloween! I saw an ad for Best Buy last night while watching The Biggest Loser, and while they didn't say ho-ho-ho or the ever popular 'happy holidays', there were Christmas lights twinkling, snow falling and the sound of bells in the background. On October 30th. They didn't even wait for Halloween.

Our local supermarket is also confused, and it seems they've kind of just waved the white flag on this whole holiday season. In a single aisle you can find Halloween candy on one side, Christmas lights and assorted decor on the facing side, and running down the middle are Thanksgiving napkins and turkey related paper goods.

One question-why???? I just do not understand why this is necessary in October. Christmas especially, but even Thanksgiving is late this year. We have a solid month to shop?? for Thanksgiving once Halloween ends, so why???

Hunting was a theme in this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. It's funny how strongly people feel about hunting. Most hunters I know are the most responsible of gun owners, and most eat what they kill. With all the talk of hormones and gobbledy-gook injected into our food, hunting is truly getting back to basics. You know where your meat comes from if you hunt.

Unless we're all going vegetarian, our meat is killed in some form or fashion, oftentimes much less humanely than by a hunter's bow or bullet. I think the 'gun debate' in our country has lost all perspective. I'm still waiting for a real discussion about the mental health crisis in our country which, if not at the root of our most recent tragedies, is certainly a factor in nearly all of them.

In happier news I had a facial yesterday. I need to have my skin looking ten years younger by January-ha! Is that possible? I'll let ya know.

I fi-na-lly got Daughter1's car booked with a mover. You're relieved I know. Getting a car from the East Coast to the West Coast within a very narrow window of time has been a teensy tiny bit stressful. But!...her belongings and her vehicle will be collected next week and on their way. I'm pretty sure I'll sleep easier once this portion of the 'wedding planning' is behind us.

Lastly, this video surfaced on YouTube and is making its way round social media. This occurred just up the road so to speak, not far from the mall where I shop, a couple of little towns over from where I live. Hubs and I saw something very similar in our backyard the first year we lived here. The bears reminded us of the way brothers sometimes wrestle. Experts consulted believe the two in the video were likely worked up about a girl-bear. Anyway, it's a pretty incredible snapshot of suburban NJ wildlife. Creation never ceases to amaze-

If you've got fragments from your week to share, hop over to Half Past Kissin' Time and add your link to the party. Enjoy your Friday everyone!

And Merry Christmas! Happy Halloween! Don't eat too much turkey!

The Spooktacular Hodgepodge

'Twas the Hodgepodge before Halloween, and all through the web...

So glad you've joined in this week, October's last Hodgepodge hurrah! Next week we're into November and all things gratitude, turkey and wedding.  

That last bit might just be me. 

If you've answered the questions today, add your link at the end of my post.  Then go say hi to the blogger who linked before you because everybody loves company.  Here we go-

1. My hubs spent last weekend pheasant hunting. Are there hunters in your family? If so, what do they hunt? Which of the following have you tasted-pheasant, rabbit, venison, duck, goose? Which of those would you most like to taste or be most willing to taste?

Vegetarians keep calm and Hodgepodge on.

Hubs enjoys the great outdoors, but is not a big hunter. He really loved the pheasant hunt though, so perhaps there is more of that in his future. Not deer hunting because deer are like family in our neck of the woods.  

That being said I have tasted venison and it's okay. I've tasted all of the above with the exception of rabbit and I really have no interest in trying that one. Course if you served it to me I'd try it, but I wouldn't order it in a restaurant if there were other options. 

I like duck, but am not a big fan of goose. Unless we're talking roasted potatoes with Sunday lunch like they serve in the UK...pretty sure they cook those in goose fat which is what makes them so completely delicious.  

2. What high spot have you visited that gave you a wonderful 'bird's eye view' of something below?

I started to answer this question and realized there were far too many to name. I have a lot of favorite high places, and I think I might give them their own blog post one day soon. Or not soon, but eventually. For today let's keep it simple and go with the one closest to home-

Highpoint...the literal highest point in NJ. It's a great place to hike, you can see NJ, Pennsylvania, and New York from up here, and the surrounding parkland is gorgeous. 

3. Do you have any birds in your home? These could be either real live pets or decorative, as in prints, fabrics, knickknacks, or pottery.

I don't have any birds as pets, although I do refer to the hawk who lives in our backyard tree tops as mine. I love incorporating birds into my decor. We have a couple of Audubon prints in our dining room, framed bird prints in my sunroom and powder room both, and wooden duck decoys in the office. 

I also have a real live bird dog, who can most often be found in her favorite chair, but who also loves to be out stalking birds, squirrels, rabbits, fox, groundhogs, and the occasional fly away plastic grocery bag.

Everyone wave to Dixie.  

4. Tell about a time you killed two birds with one stone.

These kinds of things are always a little hard to come up with off the top of my head. Kinda lame, but a couple of weeks ago hubs needed something from the hardware store and he was going to trek north to a place we frequent. However we were going to grab breakfast at the diner first, and that's south. Then I remembered there was a hardware store practically next door to the diner, so we sort of killed two birds with one stone. We avoided going both north and south in the space of an hour so that was nice. 

5. Your favorite song with a bird in it's title?

Freebird by Lynrd Skynyrd. Everyone knows this one, right? If not, you can listen here, but be forewarned it's gonna shave 9 minutes off your life. Back in the 1970's lots of songs went on for more than two and a half minutes. 

6. What most recently gave you goose bumps?

I can't think of a thing. 

Check back with me on Friday...I've heard talk of a snow shower, but lalalalala.

7. Halloween is this Friday...any plans? Did you trick or treat as a child? Carve pumpkins? Share your most memorable costume.

This is the first Halloween we've been in town for a while so our plan is to dole out candy to the brave, athletically inclined children who hike up our steep drive in the dark of night.  I might make a pot of chili or some kind of soup because it's supposed to get cold here Friday evening. When my girls were growing up we always had chili on Halloween, something warm before they headed out for candy collecting with the hubs and other dads/kids in our little cul-de-sac. 

Did I trick or treat as a child? Of course. Just ask my dentist. We'd go in a big group and walk for what felt like miles, but was probably more like blocks. I grew up in a big neighborhood with sidewalks and street lamps and a more innocent world all the way round, so trick or treating was a much anticipated event. My dad usually carved the pumpkin, but we helped scoop out the guts. 

My most memorable costume was the year I wore a Japanese kimono and wooden shoes, and one of those plastic masks over my face that made it hard to see. The kimono made it hard to walk and I was chased and knocked down by a big German Shepherd. Good times! 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

How 'bout a throw back, Halloween style? That's the bride-to-be on the right, with her maid of honor on the left-

October 31, 1991. 
Be still my heart. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 196

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. My hubs spent last weekend pheasant hunting. Are there hunters in your family? If so, what do they hunt? Which of the following have you tasted-pheasant, rabbit, venison, duck, goose? Which of those would you most like to taste, or be most willing to taste?

Vegetarians keep calm and Hodgepodge on.

2. What high spot have you visited that gave you a wonderful 'bird's eye view' of something below?

3.  Do you have any birds in your home? These could be either real live pets or decorative, as in bird prints, knickknacks, fabric or pottery.

4. Tell about a time you 'killed two birds with one stone'?

5. Your favorite song with a bird in it's title?

6. What most recently gave you goose bumps?

7. Halloween is this Friday...any plans? Did you trick or treat as a child? Carve pumpkins? Share your most memorable costume.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

All Over the Map. Per Usual.

Why did I schedule a dental appointment for first thing Monday morning after a weekend away? Ugh. But done so that's something.

So here's what last week looked like. Get up in the dark of night Wednesday to drop hubs at Newark Airport for his trip to South Dakota. I know. Who goes to South Dakota? No offense South Dakotans, but it's just not a place most East Coasters ever get to see.

Unless they pheasant hunt.
We'll get back to that.

I left the airport and drove another hour and a half down to my mom's house in South Jersey, arriving just in time for breakfast. Like I said...early. My mom had a lot on her calendar Wednesday so the pup and I went for a walk, napped, and read while she was out. Thursday I drove another 2 1/2 hours down to DC to my daughters, stopping en route to pick up her car key from the detailer so that once I picked her up from the Metro we could then get back in rush hour traffic and collect her actual car. Keep up people! After we got the car we decided to have a leisurely dinner and allow some of the commuters time to get off the road. Not sure that ever happens around the Beltway, but by 8 PM it was some better.

Daughter1 went to work on Friday and I got busy packing up her share of the townhouse. In my head I had imagined this job being fairly quick and painless. Ha! Midway through the day I had to go to Home Depot and get a few more supplies. Have mercy!!, the traffic y'all. No wonder our politicians are all cranky. Home Depot is about 3 miles from my girl's house, but everybody's going somewhere, all at the same time, all the time it seems. I file these thoughts onto the 'reasons to be happy Daughter1 is moving out of DC' list I keep in my head. It's a short list, but the fact that she will leave all this traffic behind makes me a little bit happy. I know people talk about Seattle traffic, but a) she's not moving to Seattle, so won't be driving in it every day, and b) in terms of traffic DC trumps the state with a similar name by a mile.

Did you come here to read about traffic?

Even though there was a lot to get done, I had a nice time with my girl. Chatting, planning, working our way through a bag of Cow Tales. In our defense it was a small bag. She still has more packing to do, but we made a big huge dent in the process this past weekend. I'll be trekking back to DC next week to accompany her to her final dress fitting in the store, finish up the last bits of packing, and then bringing her home to NJ. Whoohoo! So excited to have her sleeping in her bed upstairs for a solid week before she flies to SC and then out to Washington State, and then back to SC, and then back to NJ with her sister for Christmas.

We won't think too hard about airplanes and Ebola.

Meanwhile, in South Dakota...hubs and some buds had a manly man's weekend pheasant hunting in the wilds of The Mount Rushmore State. He did not see Mount Rushmore, but he did come home with some beautiful birds.

If you're squeamish about such things don't look-

And don't open my freezer which is full of birds.

With a wing still on, which kind of skeeves me out so I'm avoiding the freezer too. Apparently one wing has to be left on for travel in case you're inspected. They need to know you only took males as it's illegal to take the hens.

And yes we plan to eat them, but I don't think I'll manage the whole 'under glass' thing. Remember in the old cartoons they were always serving pheasant under glass? Did I just date myself? Ours will likely be marinated in something and perhaps wrapped in bacon because we've heard they can be dry, and bacon makes everything deliciously moist. If you have a recipe you love send it my way.

Hubs had a wonderful time, and was overdue for some R & R. Of course he made friends with all the hunting dogs and no he did not wear flip flops in the field. He said I'd have loved taking pictures out there, so maybe one of these days.

With a side trip to Mt. Rushmore though, because if I'm going all the way to South Dakota I'm going to see the faces carved into a granite mountainside.

Friday Lite

I'm not going to bother and explain again!!  how my blog has become a series of lists, Hodgepodges,and fragments lately. I choose instead to embrace the busy, full-heart season of life we are living and record what I can. Friday Fragments work for me right now. When emotions are big and sloppy, and running a little bit helter skelter, I think blogging about the curiosities, wonders, and minutiae of life is easier and somewhat therapeutic.

I'm blogging from my IPad, which I find incredibly frustrating. I'm not having a lot of luck (skill??) getting the button here today, but if you want to join the party you're invited here, Half Past Kissin' Time, to share your own random. 

So this is happening...

Don't be jealous...I'm at my Daughter1's house helping her pack.
I cannot look her roommate in the eye. 

These friends, y'all. 

So so special. 

We're also addressing wedding invitations this weekend, invitations custom designed with much tender loving care, by the bride herself. They are absolutely beautiful. Pretend there's a picture inserted here because no, I'm not posting a picture here. Sometime after the big day, which incidentally is less than 80 days away but who's counting???, I'll post lots of pictures and too many details, but for now we're keeping mum. 

Like I said up there...let's talk stuff and nonsense instead of friendships that run deep and baby girls in white dresses moving cross country. 

I feel like I should know what Apple Pay is all about but true confession, I really don't. I've been getting emails from various businesses like my bank and Paneras saying it's here! We accept it!, but I haven't bothered reading up on what it actually is. Perhaps I should.

Essential oils. Something else I feel like I should know about but don't. They've been mentioned in several different blog posts I've read recently, and I'm more or less clueless. Other than to know they have something to do with our health. And they're oils. And apparently essential. I'm interested in knowing more about this one. 

And lastly, because those boxes are not going to pack themselves... A friend sent me this link to a VW ad filmed in a Hong Kong theatre. The theatre asked patrons to leave their cell phones ON when they entered the movie. Using that, Volkswagen made a pretty powerful ad...now if only people would think about it when they're behind the wheel. 

As The Hodgepodge Turns

Welcome to the HP! Thanks for playing along today. Be sure to add your link at the end of my post IF you've answered this week's questions.  Don't forget to pop over and leave a comment for the blogger who linked before you, because we're nice like that here. Happy Wednesday everyone!

1. Elizabeth Lawrence is quoted as saying, "Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." So have you done just that? And what did you leave undone in order to do so?

It's impossible not to when you live in my part of the Garden State.  The color right now is glorious and I'm a little amazed I get anything done other than watching the leaves turn.  I could stand in front of my kitchen door or sit on my patio for hours this time of year. Friday night hubs and I sat out back around the firepit and took it all in. We definitely savor this season.  

What's left undone? I'm not sure, but if I had to guess I'd say housework. 

2. Since we're talking turning...what is one thing you feel you're doing 'every time you turn around'?

Emptying the dishwasher. There are only two of us living here at the moment and we eat some meals out. How is it we are always filling up the dishwasher? 

3. How hard is it for you to 'turn the other cheek'?

I try to always turn the other cheek, but it's harder in some instances than others. I am not a person who retaliates when I've been wronged, but I do carry the hurt around for sometimes longer than I should. Sometimes I know a person has lashed out because they themselves are carrying a heavy load, and I'm just a handy target. I can forgive pretty easily when I know there is a back story. It's harder when I feel like the offender had no real excuse for their bad behavior. 

4. When did you last turn a drawer, your car, a room, or your entire house upside down in order to find something? Did you find it?

I recently misplaced my car keys and turned all my purses inside out, emptied the desk drawer where keys are kept, searched all my coat pockets, re-searched all those places again, and nothing. We have an extra set, but my house key was on the original so that was a bit worrisome. The thing is, I knew I used the key to get into the house so it had to be here somewhere.  

A few days later I opened another desk drawer and there they were. Why? I have no idea. Honestly, I don't remember putting them there. We've lived in this house for five years, and my keys have always been kept in one spot. To make things worse, a few days after that I realized I'd done the very same thing again. At least this time I knew where to look-ha! For the record, I blame wedding brain. I'm sure it has nothing to do with age or hormones. 

5. 'One good turn deserves another'...were you most recently on the giving or receiving end of that sentiment?

I can't think of anything specific, but I know when driving in traffic I appreciate this sentiment. It gives me such a warm feeling when someone lets me pull out in front of them into heavy traffic. It also inspires me to do the same when the opportunity comes my way. That's a small example, but I think small kindnesses are what make a day brighter. 

Heaven knows this cranky world could stand more kindness.

6. Red, yellow, and orange are the colors of fall. And also fruit. If you were permitted only one color of fruit in your diet which would you choose? This question isn't as easy as it sounds, at least not for me.

I love fruit in every color so this is a toughie. I think I'm going with red though, because as much as I'd miss a banana or a ripe juicy peach, I cannot imagine a summer without watermelon. Or cherries. And what would cranberry bread be without the cranberry? I also love grapes, apples, and red plums so red it is. 

I need to say though, I'd miss bananas, peaches and clementines a lot. 

Also, I'm not good at these pick one questions. 

7. The Hunt for Red October, October Sky, Halloween...which October film is your favorite?

Halloween came out when I was a freshman in college. Wow. It's old. I did not like scary movies then (no matter how ridiculous or far-fetched) and I don't like them now, so definitely not Halloween. I like The Hunt for Red October, but that's one of those films hubs always stops to watch if he spots it while scrolling through the TV guide. Let's just say I've seen it enough to last me for a while.  I love October Sky. It's based on the life of Homer Hickam, (Jake Gyllenhaal plays the lead), and if you've never seen it I highly recommend. Great story! 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Question #3 made me think of that Matthew West song called Forgiveness. The lyrics are so good and so true...'it always goes to those who don't deserve....' that's what makes the whole turning the other cheek thing so hard, right?

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 195

It's that time again. Here are the questions for this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers. See you there!

1. Elizabeth Lawrence is quoted as saying, 'Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." So have you done just that? And what did you leave undone in order to do so?

2. Since we're talking turning...what's one thing you feel you're doing 'every time you turn around'?

3. How hard is it for you to 'turn the other cheek?'

4. When did you last turn a drawer, your car, a room, or your entire house upside down looking for something? Did you find it?

5. 'One good turn deserves another'...were you most recently on the giving or receiving end of that sentiment?

6. Red, yellow, and orange are the colors of fall. Also the colors of fruit. If you were permitted only one color of fruit in your diet, which would you choose? This question isn't as easy as it sounds, at least not for me.

7. The Hunt for Red October, October Sky, Halloween...which 'October' film is your favorite?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

October Goodness

The thermometer on my car read 37 degrees when I left for boot camp this morning. And it seems like almost overnight (no pun intended) the mornings are pitch black. It takes a little more umph to get up and out from under my toasty covers, but then I remember my m.o.b. dress and that pretty much does it.

Plus when you're up and out early you get to see this...

That's sunrise for those of you who sleep til 9.
Does anyone actually sleep til 9?

It was another beautiful fall weekend in our neck of the woods.

I love October.

When I let the pup out on Saturday morning it was gusty, and FYI-here's why they call it 'fall'.

I don't know if that's true or not, but it seems like it should be. Hubs will twitch from now until every last leaf is down. We have millions, and he doesn't like to see so much as a single one lying on the grass. A typical conversation when we pull in to the driveway after being out for a few hours goes something like this-

Hubs- 'Look at the mess on the yard!'
I spy three leaves and say, 'What mess???'
to which he replies, 'All those leaves, just look at all those leaves.'

Nature you mean?  If he had his way our lawn guys would do a fall clean up three times a week. Shh...don't tell hubs, but I love a windy day when the leaves swirl. Our back woods are positively dancing right now, and I try to soak it all in because in another month these trees will be bare. That's pretty in its own way, but cannot compare to a forest of October trees.

Hubs was traveling last week so we had a quiet evening at home Friday night.  It was just the right kind of weather for a fire out back...

...and maybe a marshmallow or two.  So glad I married a boy scout. 

For the record, I was a camp counselor and can build a pretty mean fire too, but no need when hubs is home. I think a love of fire is present at birth, part of a little boy's DNA they never quite outgrow.

We spent all day Saturday at the 94th running of the Far Hills Horse Race. It's a steeplechase and a really fun day. Judging from my hair you might think I was actually riding, but no...just a very breezy day.

We were in a corporate tent with a great viewing spot, beautiful decor, a delicious breakfast and lunch, and the added perk of our own restroom. Port-a-pottys are for the young, drunk, or desperate and we were none of those on Saturday.

The temperature dropped on Sunday and we watched a lot of football from the comfort of our cozy couch. Shout out to our favorite Tennessee VOL Peyton Manning, for throwing TD # 509, and breaking the NFL record held by Brett Favre. Whoohoo! We won't even mention here the current Volunteer team's performance on Saturday. ahem.

So, what happened in your little corner this weekend, and most importantly, are the trees showing off? Are you happy to live in a world with Octobers?

Shower the People You Love With Love

I shouldn't wait until five days after an event to write about it, but this week has been full and I just didn't have it in me.  Let's begin with a blurry photo.

It's the only shot I have of the bride-to-be and her shower hostesses. Go me!

How 'bout we back up? Hubs and I drove down to Maryland last Friday and have mercy!, it was a long, aggravating ride. We sat on the NJ Turnpike for about an hour, literally inching our way forward. Hubs was in the passenger seat on a work phone call so I was driving, and for the record he is not the world's best passenger. Every few minutes he'd cover the phone and whisper shout-'You let four cars in!' Don't let four cars in!!'

Yeah, so the trip down was delightful. We met our friends at a restaurant near their house and we kind of wanted to kiss the ground when we got out of the car. The friends we met were our hosts for the weekend and the shower was held in their lovely home on the river. Their daughter got married almost two years ago, and we've all been friends since the girls were in the second grade. Sigh.

Daughter2, my friend E, and her daughter K, planned the party and everything was so sweet and special. Lots of little touches that made the day feel really personal starting with this-

The bride-to-be is sometimes called the candy queen, so her sister knew she wanted to have a candy bar on the day.

The bridesmaids are wearing a particular shade of green that doesn't exist in large quantities in the candy world, so we just went with all shades of green, and it was so pretty.

I'd ordered a banner that read Love is Sweet, along with treat bags that said the same, from two different Etsy shops and they were super cute.

I neglected to snap a photo of the candy bar set up with the bags at the end of the shower, but it was darling, and everyone took home a goody bag filled with green candy as their favor.

Daughter1 absolutely loves the brown Kraft paper look so our hostesses tried to incorporate some of that into the day. My friend wrapped up some boxes with Kraft paper and green ribbon to put in her foyer, and her son asked if he should move them into the family room to be opened. She told him they were empty, just there for decoration, and he did.not.get.it. Boys! Daughter1 loved the way it looked!

Then there was this adorable chalkboard sign-

This was on the bride-to-be's Pinterest board, so my friend copied it for the shower. She'd planned to hang it on the front door, but since it was a rainy Saturday it was hung in the foyer instead.

Several of the bridesmaids flew to DC for the weekend (three couldn't make the date), and honestly just having these friends in town for the weekend would have been enough for Daugther1. The shower was icing on the cake.

Sisters...sisters...never were there more devoted sisters...these girls y'all.

Both grandmas were able to be there too, and that is really, really special. It's not often both grandmothers are able to be in the same state at the same time. It's us, remember?

My girls are so well loved by these two wonderful women.
So am I.

And these aunts...

They went to a lot of trouble to be there on the day, and I don't say that lightly. Honestly my big sis made an 8 hour drive up and an 8 hour drive home in a two day time frame, which means she was literally on the road longer than she was in Maryland. She wanted so much to be part of our girl's day, and she was. That's what love looks like people.

Fun fact-brides still need Pyrex.

We played a couple of games because hello, do you know us?

Daughter2 organized a fun round of Wedding Scattegories and we also played Bingo while the bride opened her gifts. She got so many lovely things, which were the perfect combination of useful and beautiful.

We wrapped it up late afternoon, and the bride and her posse headed back to D.C. for some Bachelorette fun. We helped our host and hostess get the house back in order, then the four of us may or may not have dozed through a baseball game from the comfort of their couch. We're not old.

Sunday morning we woke to a heron on the boat house and the soft gentle beauty of fall on the river.

We managed to squeeze in a boat ride before getting back on the road headed north. I dropped hubs at the Newark Airport because he had a flight to California Sunday evening, and all I can say about that is better him than me. I was pooped.

So thankful for friends who love my girls. Who've watched them grow up and who watch them still. Who open their home and their heart and make a memory. For family who hold my girls close and who go the extra literal mile in loving them.

For sisters who share a heart connection. For daughters and laughter and all the love showered on a bride-to-be in this once in a lifetime season.

Hodgepodge, eh?

Welcome to a middle of the week, middle of the month, Wednesday Hodgepodge! Raise your hand if you 'get' my post title today. If you've answered the questions, add your link to the party, then go say hi to the neighbors. Here we go-

1. What's your favorite time of day? Why?

Early morning. I love the quiet, the color of the sky at sunrise, and most especially that first cup of coffee. I love the way the whole day lies ahead of me, filled with possibility. 

2. Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender...which small appliance most needs replacing at your house?

Can you tell I recently attended a bridal shower? I'm going with a blender because we are currently without one. 

3. It's National Grouch Day (October 15th)...what's something that makes you feel grouchy?

I'm kind of like a toddler, in that if I haven't had enough sleep I can get a little grouchy. Also, like a toddler my move is much improved with a nap. 

Do we actually need a day devoted to all things grouchy? Hoping there's a National Be Cheerful Day on the calendar somewhere too! 

4. Ever been to Canada? Is that a country you'd like to visit? According to Trip Advisor, the top ten best destinations in Canada are-Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Whistler, and Halifax.Which city would you most like to see?

I've been to Prince Edward Island which I absolutely loved (and wrote about here), and then en route home we drove down through New Brunswick into St. Andrew by the Sea, St. John, the Bay of Fundy, and the Reversing Falls, before heading into Maine. It was a wonderful trip. Our friends who live on PEI have a daughter getting married next summer, so we are making plans for a trip back that way in 2015.

I've never been to any other cities in Canada, but would happily see them all. Tops on my list at the moment are Vancouver and Whistler. 

5. What was your favorite food (or one of your favorites) when you were a child? Is that still a favorite?

Bologna, egg salad, and marshmallow fluff (not all together!).  

I could not begin to tell you when I last had bologna, but I'm pretty sure it's been decades. I don't eat marshmallow fluff these days either, unless it's in the form of Christmas fudge, and even that I haven't had in years. Egg salad is still one of my favorite foods. 

6. Do you cry easily?

Yes.  I sometimes wish I didn't, but tears form pretty easily for me, both the happy and the sad. 

7. Have you started your (gasp!) Christmas shopping? If so when, and how much? If not, when will you even begin thinking about it?

I've started, mostly just a few smaller stocking stuffer gifts, but they're our favorite anyway, so important. And it wasn't so much a deliberate decision to get started early, as it was happening upon items that made me think of a friend or family member and instead of doing what I normally do...say I'll come back later...I bought. We have a wedding happening right after Christmas this year, so I feel like it would be in everyone's best interests if I'm a little bit ahead of the game in holiday preparation. See question #3-ha! 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I'm going to recap the bridal shower in tomorrow's post. It was too much to squeeze into a random thought, even for me. ahem. So how about I post a fall foliage shot here instead, because we can never have too many of those, can we? 

It was a gray drizzly day here on Tuesday, but the colors are glorious all the same. Here's what I see outside my kitchen window-

...outside my family room window-

...when I pull up the driveway into the garage-

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 194

I'm regrouping here at the moment, which I know I say practically every single Tuesday here lately, but I've been away all weekend and stuff piles up fast y'all. I enjoyed every minute of the shower celebrating my sweet daughter-bride, and I promise to bore you with too many words and pictures just as soon as I have a free ten minutes. For now you'll have to settle for the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Be sure to hop back over here tomorrow so we can share answers!

1. What's your favorite time of day? Why?

2. Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender...which small appliance would you say most needs replacing in your house?

3. It's National Grouch Day (October 15)...what's something that makes you feel grouchy?

4. Ever been to Canada? Is that a country you'd like to visit? According to Trip Advisor, the top ten best destinations in Canada are-Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Whistler, and Halifax. Which city would you most like to see?

5. What was your favorite food (or one of your favorites) when you were a child? Is that still a favorite?

6. Do you cry easily?

7. Have you started your (gasp!) Christmas shopping? If so when, and how much? If not, when will you even begin thinking about it?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Fabulous Fall Fragments

The fragments are not really all that fabulous, but fall is. I know there are people who say they don't like fall because it signals winter right around the corner, but how can you not love the staggering beauty of this season?

October skies are the absolute best. Sunrise, sunset...morning, evening, late afternoon. Whenever. The autumn light does not disappoint.

I saw Gone Girl on Wednesday evening with some friends, and we all thought it was pretty intense.

INTENSE. 

Much more so than the book, in my opinion. In fact, this is one of those rare times I can say I actually liked the film better than the book. About midway through the book I started thinking the plot had taken a turn towards the ridiculous, but the film felt much more believable. Plus Rosamund Pike is utterly perfect in her role as the 'gone' girl.

Just for fun I'll post this pic of the gone girl before she was gone.

We took this at the Cartier Polo Match in Windsor back in 2008.  At the time we only knew her as one of the 'Bond' girls (Die Another Day), but I've become a fan of some of her work since.

There were a number of celebs at the match that day, including this guy who ended up standing almost beside me, and whom I almost missed because I was busy trying to spot Prince Charles.

Yes. I know that's him.
Hubs thought it was hilarious.

I'm excited to celebrate my Daughter1 this weekend at her very first bridal shower. Excited to see my Daughter2 as well, because I do not see nearly enough of Daughter2 in this season. The weekend will be far too short, but sweet nonetheless. We take what we can get.

My two sisters will be there too, along with my own mama, my mother-in-law, and one sister in law so lots of family fun on the weekend calendar.

Your turn...what's on your calendar or your mind this fine fall Friday? Why not share over at Half Past Kissin' Time?  Enjoy your weekend everyone!