Bucket List Check Up Check In

If you're here looking for the Hodgepodge questions you'll find them one post back. 

Just before my mid-September birthday I made a fall-ish bucket list. I gave myself an end date of November 21st so it's time to check in and see what I did and didn't do. 

1. I was a teensy bit ambitious thinking I'd host an actual party in the new space. I forgot we didn't have furniture, but oh well. I did host some of my family for a BBQ-regular burgers as opposed to smashburgers, but there was some Cornhole played so calling it a win. We set up a folding table and made do, and that's fun too. 

2. Decorate for fall. I didn't go all out but there were pumpkins on the porch, fall colors on the mantles, and autumn spice candles burned throughout so yes. Done.

3. Vote. Yep. 

4. Visit a state new to me. We spent a long weekend in Minnesota for a friend's daughter's wedding, which was my first time in the North Star State. We were in Minneapolis and had a great time. Check. 

5. Attend a football game. Sadly no. We wanted to go to a big game and were invited to two different Clemson games by some neighbors, but neither date worked with our travel schedule. We like to get to at least one VOL game each season, but that didn't happen this year either. We watched and sweated and paced and wrung our hands and cheered a lot via the TV, but no in person games this fall. 

6. Make a new fall recipe from a cookbook I own. Question-what constitutes a fall recipe? I'm going to put a checkmark beside this one because I did pull out several cookbooks and ended up making. a recipe I hadn't tried before. 

It's from Amy Hannon's Love, Welcome, Serve: Recipes That Gather And Give cookbook, and I made her chili and brown sugar pork chops with pan gravy. I don't have a picture because it wasn't exactly picture worthy, but hubs and I both agreed it was delicious. This kind of comfort food says fall to me. 

7. Pay for a soldier or veterans meal. I didn't get to do this, but am still on the lookout for the opportunity. I did thank several veterans we encountered as we waited in line to vote, and I try to always do that when I see the hat or jacket on someone. 

8. Shop for outdoor furniture. Yes times ten. We shopped and we bought and we're excited to see it all in place, probably sometime in February. 

9. Leaf peep and lunch in the nearby mountain town. Hubs and I drove up to the nearby mountain town of Highlands NC in late October on a beautiful Friday afternoon. We enjoyed the autumn colors, browsing the shops, and lunch at Wild Thyme Gourmet.  

10. Make a Christmas list and buy at least four gifts. Check. Actually check check because I managed to purchase more than four. 

11. Hike a trail new to me. Hmmm...we did quite a few 'walks' that were new to us when we were in the UK. I wouldn't call them hikes, but we were out in the countryside so I guess it might count? 

We haven't hiked any new to us trails at home. Helene made hiking a bit of a challenge in our area this fall, with many trails blocked or deemed unsafe due to fallen/falling trees and water hazards. We'll get back to it though. 

12. Attend a fall fair. Does Oktoberfest count? I'm going to say yes, because it was a fair, it was fall, and vendors were present. 

13. Memorize a Bible Verse- "The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen." Isaiah 14:24 

I wanted a verse to remind me during the contentious election cycle that God knows the end from the beginning. 

14. Sort out the guest room windows. I found what I want but haven't pulled the trigger yet. We've been consumed by the outdoor project this fall and this little project won't be super cheap so it's on hold until the new year. My response whenever hubs says he wants to buy something...anything...could be a new toothbrush or could be a new car is 'we got a waterfall'. 

15. Book a summer beach house. Not yet. My daughter asked me about it recently and we agreed to chat about dates when we're together for Thanksgiving. 

16. S'mores in the firepit. Nope. We intended to do this one weekend then got busy doing other things. We might still make this happen sometime before year's end. 

17. Write ten gratitude cards to people I'm grateful for. Check. I bought a package of Thanksgiving cards and sent them with a handwritten note to ten different friends/family members. It felt good to put into words what they mean to me. 

18. Visit a pumpkin patch. I bought pumpkins from the big bin at the grocery store but we never made it to an actual pumpkin patch. There's always next year. 

This was fun. I managed to complete 11/18 tasks and I'm okay with that. I probably should have revisited the list more often than I did to refresh my memory about what I'd written, and will do that next time. I'm going to make some sort of winter list to start after the calendar flips to the new year. Who's with me? 

linking this post today with Talking About It Tuesdays

The Weekend Recap...Prost!

We had a nice weekend, somewhat low key, but honestly things never feel completely low key here. I don't think those are words that would be used to describe us. 

Thursday is my day to volunteer and I'm out of the house most of the day. I'd made soup on Wednesday evening to take to a friend whose husband has been in the hospital, so I packaged that up and hubs and I made the delivery. We decided to grab dinner out and had a nice meal at a local favorite spot. The moon was amazing every night last week. 

Friday I had an appointment for a facial and hubs had conveniently booked himself a hair cut in that same time frame. Approximately. Both appointments are in the nearby city so we were able to take one car. It required a little logistical planning, but I dropped him at the hair place and the plan was he would Uber to Costco after, and I'd meet him there once my facial wrapped up. 

A facial is the most relaxing hour of my life. 

Carry on. 

I wasn't thinking when we left the house and forgot to bring the cooler which meant Costco shopping was a bit limited. We live an hour from Costco. We did get the paper products restocked and hubs grabbed a jar of his peanut butter stuffed pretzels along with a few things like batteries, Mr. Clean erasers, and Rao's spaghetti sauce which I like to keep on hand, but nothing cold. Bother. 

We had lunch at a nearby bakery we enjoy and realized we were very near the outdoor furniture shop where we bought some of our porch furniture. We decided to make one more stop. Question-why is outdoor furniture so ding dang pricey???

We need a lot of outdoor furniture. We have a lot of outdoor furniture, but now we've added all these new spaces and people gotta sit. This store has so many beautiful things but since we didn't know we were making a stop here we didn't have any measurements with us. 

Batting 1000 on preparedness Friday. 

As it turns out the shop has a free design service and someone will come to the house to draw up a plan, make recommendations, and tell us what would fit best in all these new spaces. We said yes to that, and the designer will be here tomorrow. I'm anxious to see what he suggests. 

We didn't get home until almost dinner time at which point who felt like cooking? BLTs for the win. After dinner we watched a few episodes of that new show called High Potential with Kaitlin Olson. It's cute and doesn't strain your brain which is what we needed after a long day.

Saturday we sipped coffee and watched College Game Day, then watched Clemson win their game while somebody got a haircut. The groomer comes to our house with a van designed for just such a purpose and the little brown dog does not enjoy the experience at all. 

But he sure looks cute. 

Our VOLS played Bama which is a rivalry for the ages and we watched the first half at home. Volunteer football is so hard on the nerves. Always. We had plans to meet up with friends at a local Octoberfest celebration so had to head that way at halftime. 

Not quite like being in Germany but lots of fun nonetheless. 

Hubs hat is the real deal. 

The beer tent had big TVs behind the bar so hubs and I stood there to watch the last few minutes of the game. When the VOLS won the whole crowd around us cheered. For those not in the know, everyone in the SEC roots for whatever team is playing Bama, unless you happened to go to school there.  

The weather all weekend long was beautiful, but Sunday was perfection. Sunday afternoon hubs and I took a long walk in the neighborhood and hubs threw the ball for the little brown dog.

There aren't a lot of Halloween decorations in our neighborhood, but this chicken skeleton is a good one. 

We're still really green here, although a few trees are finally starting to turn. We've heard some of the roads into the mountains are now navigable so we'll take a drive up there soon for some true leaf peeping. 

Hubs had a project going on at the dock and I spent the rest of the afternoon right here working on my Bible Study (Jen Wilkin's Revelation), catching up on my blog, sipping tea, and reading one of the books I've currently got going-Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See. It's good so far, and I always enjoy her books. 

Fall is my favorite. 

And every once in a while I guess we can do low key. 

I'm joining Holly and Sarah for their regular Monday morning link up today. 

What kind of fun did you have this weekend? 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 322

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then fall back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. What's something you'd rate a 10/10? Tell us why.

2. What job would you be terrible at? What makes you think so?

3. When did you last take a fall? What's something you're falling for (in a good way) these days?

4. According to the Travel Channel here are some of America's best fall festivals-

National Apple Harvest Festival (near Arendtsville PA, close to Gettysburg), Harvest on the Harbor (Portland Maine), German Village Festival (Columbus Ohio), Wellfleet Oyster Fest (Cape Cod), and Wine and Chile Fiesta (Santa Fe NM)

Have you ever been to any of the festivals listed? Which one appeals to you most? Does your hometown have any sort of fall celebration, and if so will you make it a point to attend?

5. What is your goodbye message to summer?

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Makin' A List, Checkin' It Twice

I woke up this morning with a list running through my head, which is pretty typical for me on a Monday. I know some people dread Monday mornings, but I love them. A brand new week lies in front of me, I feel energized to accomplish great things, and I wake up happy to face my coffee and my  calendar.

Course by end of day Wednesday I'm usually forced to look reality in the eye and admit to myself all those to-dos are not gonna get done. But hey! Thursday's practically the weekend, which means another Monday morning is right around the corner.  

Is anyone else a little bit fascinated by the concept of time, or is that just me?

Speaking of lists, and yes I was because Mondays in my house are full of lists-things to do today, a weekly menu plan, groceries, and my favorite-a list filled with all the things I'm going to do before Friday gets here. There is something supremely satisfying about drawing a line through an item on a to do list.  Not nearly as satisfying when done electronically btw, which is why I still have scraps of actual paper scattered across my kitchen counter.

One thing on my list today is 'blog'. I'm reduced to writing write on a list beside return the Redbox rental and pick up a hook for a picture that needs hanging, because if it's on my to-do list it feels legitimate and not frivolous. Is blogging frivolous?

Where in the world is this post going?  How 'bout I recap the weekend which contained a happy surprise in the form of this-

Daughter1 booked a train ticket home to surprise me for my birthday. That's our attempt at a 'selfie' in front of Rita's Italian Ice. I'd dragged her along on a million errands on Friday including the dry cleaners, the pharmacy, the vet, and the supermarket, so Rita's was the least I could do to say thanks. Errands are so much more fun with a daughter in tow.

Friday night hubs made a fire in our outdoor firepit, and we grilled salmon, and then had leftover birthday cake. Hubs knows it's not officially my birthday without this cake-dark chocolate filled with a delicate raspberry mousse, and then the piece de resistance-a rich chocolate ganache topping.

It is every bit as delicious as it sounds. We had a piece on my birthday, and as I was cutting it he said, 'Let's not eat it all, we should save some for Daughter1'. Seriously? Did he really think the two of us could eat an entire cake in a single day?

We couldn't, could we?

Saturday morning we woke up to fall temperatures so hubs re-lit the fire and we had our coffee outdoors, which makes my list of top ten favorite things to do on a weekend.  I rousted Daughter1 out of bed early so she could get in on the fun too.

She didn't mind.
She's used to us.

Later in the day we went over to the ski resort in a nearby town to check out their Oktoberfest celebration.

Vegetarians look away.

We had some fantabulous barbecue, grilled sausage, potato pancakes, and of course that traditional German dessert-cotton candy. What can I say...my girl loves her cotton candy.

Is she too cute for words, or what?

We listened to a little oompah music and then took the requisite ride up the mountain to check out the view. Y'all know this is not my favorite thing, and you can tell by the crazy hair that it was windy. Why is it always windy when I have to ride a cart up a mountain?

There are loads of mountain bike trails cut into the mountain, and we saw lots of bikers out enjoying the pretty weather. The views are gorgeous from up top, plus we had to get a closer look at the zipline course.  Hubs and daughter1 were making plans to come back and do that, and of course hubs started giving me his usual pep talk that runs along the lines of 'You could do that' and 'You'd love it!'.

I gave it a solid maybe.

Daughter1 and I watched Pitch Perfect on Saturday night.  I'd never seen it and thought it was cute, plus I liked the music. Hubs watched too, and by 'watched' I mean he napped on the couch.

We didn't have to trek to the train until Sunday night which was nice. Daughter1 helped me with our Christmas card (whoohoo-it's still September!), and she set up an Ipod speaker we got for Christmas last year that I could not for the life of me figure out how to work.  When I say set up I mean she turned it on.  Really, it was pretty much that simple, except somehow blue tooth is involved and when I hear the words blue tooth I stop listening.

We grilled turkey burgers for dinner, and I'm just gonna go ahead and admit I'm not really a fan.  I want to like them because I know they're better for you than beef, but there is something about ground turkey that gives me the heebie jeebies.  I love roast turkey and turkey sandwiches and turkey soup, but ground turkey?  Shiver.

I always doctor them up to add flavor, and yesterday we marinated the burgers in a soy-ginger-citrus concoction and then topped them with grilled pineapple.  I loved the grilled pineapple, and the burgers didn't taste bad, there's just something about the texture I don't love.  Where's the beef?

Okay, those to-dos are not going to cross themselves off, so I need to get busy.  It's Monday, and Mondays are made for productivity.

Or a good book and a nap on the patio in the afternoon sun.  Maybe I need to put that on my list!

Another Pleasant Valley 'Monday'

I was sitting here drinking my coffee wondering how to make sense of all my weekend words when hubs yelled from the kitchen that a bear was having breakfast in our rubbish bin.

Let me tell you, nothing focuses a person quite like a bear in the driveway.  

Actually, hubs would say in my case the opposite is true and I lose all focus when a bear is nearby.   Whatever. Normally he leaves for work at o'dark thirty and I'm the one wheeling the bin all the way down our very long driveway and I'm the one making the long walk all the way back up the driveway.

Thankfully hubs had an out of the office event today so he was still at home when the excitement happened. You might laugh,  but we drove the car to the end of the driveway to repack the bin.  After Smokey mozied on up into the next door neighbor's yard (yes, they often mozy) we lost sight of him.  Having the means to make a quick getaway seemed wise...what if he comes back for that  steak bone he dropped?

So anyway, the weekend...it was nice.  Autumn officially made her grand entrance on Saturday but it wasn't until Sunday the weather got with the program.  It was gray and humid on Saturday so we lounged in our pjs and then went out to lunch.  Hubs had a gift card to spend at Dick's Sporting Goods so we popped in there too.  Does anyone else feel motivated to work out harder and more often when they see all the cute work out clothes available now?

After we ate and shopped we went to the movies and saw The Words with Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid and Jeremy Irons.  Here' my .02-

the ending-huh?
Bradley Cooper's People magazine title is well deserved.

That's all.

Sunday afternoon we headed to a nearby Oktoberfest celebration.  What a gorgeous day...blue skies and the perfect temperature!

I'm not a beer drinker but I do love the music and the atmosphere and pretending we're in Munich instead of North Jersey.

And latkes with applesauce, let's not forget that.

Hubs wore his authentic German hat and brought his authentic German stein and we planted ourselves at a table in the sun and enjoyed the day.  Various people came and went from this table and we made friends with all of them.

The first couple who sat down beside us were world travelers and have already emailed me their write up of a trip across France from north to south and another from south to north. I never turn down a good travel tip. Another couple joined us and I was dying to ask the man if people told him he looked like Steven Tyler, but wasn't sure if he'd take that as a compliment or not. Would you take that as a compliment?  I intended it that way-he had the boyish good looks but I don't think he had the crazy or probably the vocal chords either.

These folks were at the table behind us and I needed a picture of this gentleman's hat. He told us the fur piece on top cost $6000.

Hmmm...is that true or is that the Spaten talking?  Either way, it was fabulous!   I think this one is badger, but I'm pretty sure if I could catch one of the groundhogs in our yard hubs could have something similar for free.   

Later in the afternoon another couple joined our table along with their adorable little girl.  My hubs and the other hubs hit it off like long lost friends and guess what?  We're going to their daughter's 1st birthday party next weekend.  

It sounds a little crazy, but as it turns out they live not too far from us.   Maybe it was the magical fall feeling in the air, but when you're friendly people are usually friendly back.  

Our Oktoberfest was held on the grounds of a local ski resort so at the end of the day we all took advantage of the free gondola ride and rode to the top of the mountain together. I was going to take pictures but I forgot this gondola was for skiers and had no seats.

Why is it always so windy on these things?

It's been well established on my blog here, here, and here how I feel about this sort of thing, and no way was I taking my hand off the rail. Hubs kept trying to use logic on me, saying things like in France I was thousands of feet higher, but you know what? When you're up in the air, you're up in the air and it doesn't matter if you're 1500 feet or 15,000 feet, you're still not on the ground. Right?

He finally wrestled the camera from around my clenched fist and snapped some photos.

It's not the Alps, but still beautiful in its own way.