Day Datin'

Retirement is funny. We should have all this time to figure out fun places to go and new things to see, but between home maintenance-cleaning-improvement tasks that need doing, grandchildren that need grand-ing, appointments that need attending, and our various hobbies and volunteer commitments, the days fly right on by. 

Most weeks Wednesdays are a day we're both pretty free so I've declared it date day (hi hubs!). I'm trying to put a few things on the calendar for us to do together, even if it's just lunch someplace new. 

I was determined to find some fall last week so we drove about an hour from the lake to an apple orchard everyone talks about that we've never visited. When we lived in New Jersey we had a lot of orchards around us and apple picking happened every fall. I miss that so last week we made it happen. 

For starters, the day could not have been more beautiful. The sky was a bright blue, with some puffy clouds and a nice temperature for being out of doors. The orchard was just across the state line in the 'other Carolina', and sits atop a mountain, hence the name-Sky Top. 

We thought we might pick the apples ourselves, but when we stepped into their little shop and saw it loaded with bags and bags of freshly picked apples we decided to buy instead. 

We walked out into the orchard though, and wandered the property to see what all was there. 

For starters there was an apple cannon. 

We saw it in action and it was powerful. They gave you earphones to wear because it was also loud. 

There was a duck pond, some play spaces for kids to run and climb, picnic tables, and donuts right out of the cooker. There are few things better on a fall day than a warm cider donut. 

Just ask this guy. 

We bought apples, apple butter, apple cider, and some peanut brittle to take home, then headed in to the nearby town of Flat Rock for lunch. 

We'd never been to Flat Rock so relied on the internet for a lunch recommendation. We ended up at the Highland Lake Inn and Resort's restaurant- Seasons. 

The property has a long history dating back to the late 1700's, and over the years it evolved from a grist mill and private estate into a summer retreat for wealthy families. Throughout the 20th century it served as a school, camp, and Catholic retreat center and in 1985 was transformed into an inn and conference center. Today the focus is hospitality, dining, and preserving its historic charm. 

Hubs and I both had a cup of their homemade butternut squash soup and a salad, and both were delish.

Did I take a picture of my date? Nope. Just lunch lol. 

After lunch we drove about a mile down the road to check out Carl Sandburg's home. Through the years, on our treks north and south, we'd see the historic marker signs on the interstate, but we never took the time to get off the highway and see what it was all about.

The house sits above the town, and it's a little bit of a hike to get to it. There may be closer parking if you approach another way, but we were in town so parked at the bottom. 

Sandburg spent much of his life in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan but moved to Flat Rock in 1945 for the more temperate climate and a better environment for his wife's prize winning goats. You can tour the house (called Connemara) which sits on more than 250 acres along with the goat farm, sheds, two small lakes, several ponds, gardens, an apple orchard and 5 miles of hiking trails. 

We started the hike up and ran into a short detour due to a bridge being out. A year later and remnants of Helene are still evident in this area. 

We got about halfway up the trail when a man walking his dog let us know the house was closed due to the government shutdown. Sigh. Next time. 

Sidebar-that's the most I've walked since May. May!! I did go back to the ortho and have a new plan for the next couple of weeks in hopes of getting on top of this. 

Anyhoo, we had a really nice day and since I didn't take a single picture of us together, or even separately, you'll have to take my word for it. 

Also I never say anyhoo in person but for some reason it comes out of my mouth here. Stay tuned for more retirement shenanigans happening every Wednesday for the next 51(ish) weeks. Dream big, right? 

Linking today with Joanne for Talking About It Tuesdays

An Apple A Day...

...keeps the Hodgepodge in play. Welcome to a brand new month and another edition of the weekly Wednesday random. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then spread a little cheer by leaving a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. As we begin this brand new month tell us, on a scale of 1-10, where does your life fall in terms of being in 'apple pie order'? Please elaborate. (1=nowhere near it, 10=practically perfect in every way)

If you read my Monday post then you know we're not a 10. Is anyone's life ever really a 10? I have managed to book a number of appointments for September, some of them had been hanging over my head for a while, so that feels like putting at least one or two things into apple pie order. My house currently is not in apple pie order, but once the dog recovers we will tackle that.  Let's say 7. 

2. An apple a day keeps the doctor away...are you doing your part? Red or green? Sweet or tart? Ever played the game Apples to Apples? Do you like apple pie? If so, ala mode or just gimme the pie? 

Am I doing my part? Most days I have an apple for a snack so if that's what counts then yes. I prefer a tart red for eating and a Granny Smith green for baking, but I like all kinds of apples. Yes I've played Apples to Apples, but not in a long time. And who doesn't like apple pie? I prefer mine with a scoop of vanilla but plain is okay too. 

3. Tell us about a time recently where you 'upset the apple cart' or the last time someone 'upset your apple cart'? 

I'm someone who tries hard not to ever upset the apple cart. I like order, routine, and plans and I don't want to be the person who wrecks any of that for someone else.  I guess we could all say Covid  upset the apple cart, with so many plans-events-things on the calendar that had to be cancelled, rescheduled, or just plain gotten over. It reminds me of the book by Dr. Seuss, 10 Apples Up On Top...

4. What are three words that come to mind when you think of September? 

bravery, birthdays, back-to-school

5. What are you most looking forward to this month? 

I bet you thought I was going to say my birthday didn't you? 

I'm going to say my birthday. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Today this guy marks another trip around the sun-

Still and always pulling everyone into the fun...happy birthday hubs! 

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Falling for the Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Everyone is welcome to play along, just answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link to the party. Here are my answers to this week's questions-

1. It's fall. Y'all. My favorite season of the year! What's something you love to do this time of year that makes you feel it's officially fall? And unrelated to that, do you ever say 'y'all'?

I love a trip to the apple orchard this time of year. A sunny day, bright blue skies, wide open spaces, and trees loaded with apples. 

We can pretty much get any kind of fruit we want year round in the year 2014, but I rarely eat an apple in the summer.  There are so many wonderful local summer fruits available I tend to save my apple eating for the fall and winter months.  

Do I say y'all? Y'all already know the answer to that. 

2. When did you last have a falling out with someone? Has it been resolved?

A falling out is defined as a fight leading to separation. I'm not a fighter, so a falling out would be a very rare thing. I suppose I have something in mind that might fall under the loose heading of a 'falling out', but it's all water under the bridge now. 

3. A song you love with the word 'fall' in its title?

Free Fallin' by Tom Petty. I won't go into the whys, but suffice it to say when I hear this song I am catapulted back to the days where my then teen age daughters would sit on the floor in our UK house, in a cozy little space tucked behind the stairs, and Daughter1 would play this song on her guitar, and Daughter2 would sing along.  The memory of music is a powerful thing. 

4. What's something you've recently let 'fall by the wayside'?

Is it awful to say housework? Because when I look around my house I'm thinking right now that answer works. A summer filled with lots of coming and going does not mesh well with daily dusting and vacuuming. 

Plus planning a wedding is way more fun than wiping baseboards, which is another reason I'm playing a little catch up around here now. 

5. When did you last attend an event, read a book, watch a movie, try a new recipe, or visit a shop-restaurant-tourist attraction that fell short of your expectations? In what way?

We haven't seen a lot of movies this summer, or come to think of it, any movies. I think the last movie that fell short of my expectation was American Hustle. So much hype, and I thought it was just eh. 

As far as books go, I did not love Gone Girl like so many apparently did. Again it was uber-hyped, and people who read it before me gave it rave reviews, so I was expecting to love it. I will say though, as I was reading I commented to a friend that I thought it might make a better movie than a book, and voila-the movie opens this weekend. I'll probably wait until it's available for rent to see it though. 

I recently made a chicken dish that I won't make again. It was given several stars on a recipe site I follow, so I expected great flavor, but hubs and I both thought it was blah. 

6. Describe a time you said or thought, 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

I think and say it often about Daughter2 and myself. She and I look alike, we're both endearingly clumsy (I think it's endearing anyway), and we share a similar stubborn streak, which I will add is maybe not always as endearing as our lack of coordination-ha! 

7.  Was today better than yesterday? Why or why not?

In spite of our kitchen sink woes, yesterday was a pretty nice day. 

As is today. 

It's fall, y'all! And the weather is making me supremely happy. 

The plumber is here as I type, and apparently the clog in the pipe is not near the kitchen sink, which means this will not be a quick fix. Whoever built our house apparently held the philosophy of why run a little pipe when you can run a lot?  

Still, the weather y'all! It's hard to be irritated on a day like today, and I trust the plumber to figure out the sink mess because that's why they make the big bucks.  

Do they make big bucks? 

Sometimes it seems so, but when you've got a sink you can't unclog yourself it's all relative, right?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of apple picking...hubs and I declared it fall and trekked out to a nearby orchard on Saturday. This is earlier than we normally go, but we were home for a change and the weather was cooperating, so off we went. I prefer apple picking in October because it's cooler and the leaves are turning, but it was still an enjoyable day.  

The scenery is gorgeous around this particular orchard, and now I have an enormous bag of apples waiting to be made into sauce, a Thanksgiving pie, and who knows what else.  Did I mention I love fall? Y'all?

Apples to Apples

I've had a lovely day.  Nothing on the calendar, just a cozy day spent baking while the rain falls softly on the golden woods outside my kitchen window.

On Saturday hubs and I went apple picking with some friends who've recently relocated to our area from the UK.  The sky was a glorious shade of blue and there wasn't a cloud in site.

It was chilly, not even 50 degrees, but we dressed for the weather and enjoyed autumn in the country.

I took a lot of pictures and the men did most of the picking.  The best are always up high which requires a tool we call 'the grabber'.  Not sure if that's the proper name, but it's fitting.  Any apples the grabber couldn't grab were snagged the old fashioned way.  

When was the last time you climbed a tree?  

Besides all the picking there was also a little juggling-

and some baseball too-

or Cricket depending on your country of origin.

The surrounding mountains and scenery were beautiful. Days like this one make me thankful I live in an area that experiences all four seasons.

We picked a lot of apples.  Sometimes I get so caught up in the beauty of the outdoors that I forget I'll need to actually do something with the bushel we bring home.

On Sunday I used about a dozen making applesauce in my crockpot and will probably do another batch later this week.  Today I decided to bake,  and since I signed up to bring snack to my weekly Bible Study group tomorrow and had all these apples,  I settled on what is known as Jewish Apple Cake. I'm not sure of the origin of the name, but it is delicious. A layer of batter, a layer of apples, a layer of cinnamon-sugar, repeat and bake.  

Course, I got the oven preheated and was measuring the ingredients out and was totally in the zone when I realized I didn't have enough sugar in the house.  Does this happen to anyone besides me?  Remove apron, put on shoes, turn off the oven and zip down to the store for sugar and another bag of flour, just in case.  Too bad I didn't also pick up more vegetable oil, just in case. Oi.

I ended up substituting some of my homemade applesauce for the oil so catastrophe averted.  Or at least another trip to the store averted.  Whatever.  I re-don my apron, set the oven to preheat and finally got the cake in the oven.

While that was baking I decided to try my hand at an apple pie with a homemade crust.  I haven't made a crust from scratch in eons and it was so satisfying.  Homemaking is underrated.  As I was putting the crust together, the phone rang so I took
thirty  ten to catch up with my mom.  While we were gabbing Daughter1 phoned so I said goodbye to my mom and hello to my girl and prayed that pie crust wasn't doing anything funny mid-prep.

Hubs has some out of town travel this week and I figured it wouldn't be wise to have an entire apple pie sitting around, just asking to be eaten all by my lonesome. I put it together, triple wrapped it in saran topped with foil,  and slid it into a crock pot bag before freezing.  Other online suggestions were to use a turkey bag-you need something big.

I read the pie would be more flavorful if its frozen pre-baking but either way works.  Ask me after Thanksgiving how it tasted.  Assuming I remember to pull it out and bake it of course.

Are you a neat cook?  I am what might affectionately be called a 'hot mess' in the kitchen.  Hubs, if you're reading this look away.

How does that saying go...'a messy kitchen is the sign of a creative mind'?  I'm sure that's true, and apparently I'm a genius-ha! I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed making this mess.  I need more days like this one.  Relaxed cooking clears the cobwebs. There is room for deep thinking or no thinking if you prefer.  I even enjoyed washing the dishes and hosing down the counters.

See...it's spic and span.
Or spic and spain as we say in our house.
Hi girls!

The only other thing this day needs is a cuppa sipped in my sun room before I have to think about dinner.

Reminds me of that other saying, 'A woman's work is never done.'
Also true.

Thanks Johnny Appleseed

As I've said before we live 'out in the country' and there are many farms and orchards nearby. Since daughter2 was home we decided to spend our Saturday apple picking at one that sits very near the NJ/NY state border.

It was cool and breezy when we left the house and the sky was full of the kind of clouds that let you know fall is in the air...

The sun broke thru midway into our day and it turned out to be a gorgeous Saturday.

Question for you...how many of you would have brought your purse along on a trip to the orchard?

Because I brought my purse along and my hubs thought this was crazy.

I take my purse pretty much everywhere.

It would be like leaving an arm behind.

He doesn't get that.

I reluctantly locked it in the car which is something I never do because hey, I'm a city girl and I know that's just asking for trouble, but we were out in the middle of podunkville so I wasn't too worried.

A little worried because that's how I roll,

but not too worried.

We checked in and collected our bags and our grabber, and we're experts at watching for woodchuck holes so no worries there.

Remember, this guy?

Who lives in my rock wall?

With his family and friends?

Anyway, I'm not sure if there is an official name for the tool they gave us but if not it should definitely be called the grabber.

Hubs would not let me hold it on the ride out in the hay wagon for fear I would injure someone.

My skill in handling sharp instruments is well known I'm afraid.

This orchard has over fifty acres of apple trees of every type and variety.

The trees were loaded and we could pick to our hearts content.

We wondered about all that are on the ground and are guessing the wildlife around here have a field day once the farmers close up shop for the day.

The whole afternoon just made my heart happy.

The setting could not have been any prettier...

nor the company any sweeter...

Once we'd gathered our loot we headed for home and

Betty Crocker got right to work creating a delicious apple streusel pie for dinner.

She and I had such a nice time cooking side by side ...

sipping warm cider in some of our favorite mugs...

laughing and talking and just being together.

It's the memory of a breezy fall day spent in an apple orchard,

warm home baked pie,

and the chatter of a daughter,

that tell me the kitchen is truly the heart of the home.