Fall Things On A Friday

Sharing a few favorites and some miscellaneous bits and bobs on this second Friday in October. 77 days til Christmas for anyone who might be counting. 

For the record I'm not counting. I feel like we're just now finally getting in to fall and fall is my favorite. 

Linking with Erika and Andrea today for their Friday Favorites link party. Here we go-

The air this time of year is so nice. We have so much heavy humidity all summer long, but late afternoons in autumn are cool and clear and perfect. Hubs and I like to sit on the lower patio with a glass of wine and music playing and this bottle in particular is so pretty. It's Spanish and the bottle itself is a soft shade of blue.

Matches the lake and sky both.

I don't do a lot of seasonal decorating other than Christmas, but I love the colors of fall and they fit with the style of my home and my personal taste really well so I do add a few things come Autumn.  

Outdoor cushions for the upper deck furniture-

A basket of assorted acorns, pumpkins, and pinecones made with different fabrics and lots of texture sits on the kitchen island-

Fall chargers and napkin rings in the dining room-

I like my velvet pumpkin sitting on a velvet runner  in the middle of the table. My dining room window treatments are still my favorite and have a fall feel to them. I normally have them open but the sun was too bright for a picture so I pulled them closed. 

On the keeping room side of the fireplace I set my glass pumpkins and then I prop the spidey hands my oldest grandsons made when they were very small.  

Too sweet to part with so I don't. 

I put a glass pumpkin on the bar downstairs filled with hubs favorites in the mini size-Reeses and Kit Kats. I had it upstairs but decided it was healthier for me to have it downstairs. 

I also bought some new pillows for my family room couch and love the muted colors. I especially love the green plaid and will change out the pumpkin pillows for something more Christmasy when December rolls around.

In 54 days, except remember we're not counting. 

I bought a new candle for my coffee table. It's so pretty and the scent is similar to the Volcano candles most people are familiar with-

My front porch...

I resisted buying mums for as long as I could, because our front porch gets so much sun and mums don't seem to last, but I love them. They're the epitome of fall to me and I had to have some. I added a few pumpkins too and have the big bow my daughter made me last year on my front door wreath. 

The autumn moon is something pretty spectacular...

As is an October sunrise outside my bedroom window...

Happy fall y'all...have a nice weekend! 

Let's Not Forget The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. Better late than never, right? Thanks for your patience and for playing along today. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger there before you. Here we go-

1. Let's embrace it shall we? What's something you recently forgot to do? Is your memory these days more like a sieve or an elephant? 

The obvious answer is this week's Hodgepodge questions. And when I say I forgot I mean I totally completely 100% forgot. I didn't think about it for one single second until Myra sent the first message sometime Monday morning asking if she'd missed me cancelling this week.

I wouldn't say my memory is a sieve, but it's no longer an elephant either. 

2. Share a trick/strategy you have to help you remember things you need to remember. 

I play a lot of word games, work crossword puzzles, play mah jong, and read hard books, all of which are supposed to be good for keeping your brain active, engaged, and working. 

I also write everything down. If it's not written down it might. not happen. I use Notes on my phone and sometimes send myself a message or screenshot. 

A long time ago I read a book about memory and the author shared one trick I still use.  If you're a person who leaves the house and can't remember if you unplugged the iron/curling iron/coffeepot, etc here's what you do-as you unplug the item you picture your face in the outlet. Then when you later find yourself trying to remember whether or not you unplugged said appliance the picture of your face in the outlet comes to mind. It sounds a little crazy but I've found it to be effective. 

3. What's your favorite fall vegetable to cook with? Do you prefer your fall veggies roasted, blended into a warm soup, or fresh in a crisp autumn salad? 

I love all fall vegetables so it would be hard to choose a favorite. If pressed I'll say sweet potatoes. I like my fall vegetables in all the forms listed. I most often have them roasted.  

4. October 5th is/was National Do Something Nice Day. Did you? If so tell us about it. Or maybe someone did something nice for you, and if that's the case please share. 

I was at Costco on Monday trying to free a cart from a mess of carts and a man walked over and managed to separate them for me. I was grateful.  It was a small act of kindness but little things mean a lot. 

5.  Nathaniel Hawthorne is credited with the quote "I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."  

Do you tend to spend more time outside this time of year? 

We pretty much live on our porches year round, but autumn is my absolute favorite time to be outdoors. 

Do you actively pause to soak in fleeting moments of beauty in your daily routine? Elaborate. 

Do I actively pause. Yes I think so, and I think blogging helps with this. You begin to notice ordinary moments, conversations, and what's happening around you, and consider how you would frame those things if you were writing abut them. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Here's something new and kind of fun for me. I participate almost every April in the A-Z Blog Challenge.  This year I was notified I'd been awarded a guest spot on their blog. Have you ever done a guest post? I think there were five participants given a slot and my post published on their site yesterday (Tuesday). 

You'll find my entry here-The ABCs of Why I Still Blog. I'd love for you to hop over and read, then comment there with an answer to the question I asked at the end of my post. 

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

The Weekend Rundown

Note:  oops. Forgot to post this week’s Hodgepodge questions. They will be up later today. 

Someday I'll get back to blogging and reading my favorites but today week month is not that day. Whew we have a busy month on tap. On the bright side though, we had a lovely low key weekend with nothing we absolutely had to take care of. We were overdue for one of those and it was much appreciated. 

Friday night we went with neighbors to a small local farm that had a BBQ truck and a favorite local musician playing on the property. 

We brought lawn chairs and ate pulled pork and watched the goats play and the guitarist too. 

The sunset was pretty in pink which is always a favorite. 

We dropped the neighbors off at their house when the show ended, and as we came around the corner from their street to ours two black bears ran in front of our car. Always a bit thrilling to see them up close. 

Saturday we drank coffee on the back deck, then made a second pot and drank more. We spent an inordinate amount of time sorting out our Halloween costumes for a neighborhood party and needed caffeine. We love a good costume and like to try and come up with something original. We think we have but I guess we'll see. 

Saturday afternoon we watched our Vols beat Auburn and that was exciting. I get super nervous so had my laptop out the entire time and worked on trying to figure out the where and the when and the route and accommodations we'll need for a trip we're taking in 2027. Accommodations are the tricky part because even though the trip isn't happening for a whole year lots of places are already fully booked. 

I also loaded a bunch of photos into a site my siblings and I have as we're putting together a slide show for a luncheon we're hosting in honor of my mom later this month. We've received our date from Arlington so will be trekking that way in a few weeks. Looking through decades of pictures is a rabbit hole like no other but it's been fun to see some I haven't seen in a long long time. 

I'd planned to cook Saturday night but changed my mind, so we had a frozen pizza. I did manage to make a salad to go with, then we watched Clemson get their clock cleaned by Miami. Painful. 

Sunday was church and I sent a spur of the moment message to our next door neighbors asking if they wanted to come for chili and cards that evening. They said it sounded like fun so that's what we did. Sometimes spontaneous invites work best. 

I made chili, cornbread in the iron skillet which is the only way in my opinion, and a pan of brownies. I wiped down bathrooms and hubs vacuumed so the house was put in order. It wasn't exactly cool outside, but it was a gray rainy day and chili felt right.  We had a nice time catching up and playing cards. 

I'm linking with Holly (Pink Lady) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) today for this not that interesting but really nice weekend. Hope you had a good one too. 

Climbing The Hodgepodge Mountain

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then go say hey to your neighbor there. Leave a comment too because comments make the blog world go round. Here we go...

1. When you think of autumn what sounds come to mind? 

a crackling fire, leaves crunching underfoot, geese honking overhead

2.  Is a trip to the mountains something you enjoy? What's your favorite mountain? 

A trip to the mountains is one of my favorite things and I can't possibly choose a favorite. I  live on a lake surrounded by the Blue Ridge. Boating under the bridge and seeing the main channel open up with the mountains as backdrop takes my breath away every single time. 

My grandparents had a Colorado farm with a view of the Rockies which was truly breathtaking. 

I'm  also really partial to the Great Smoky Mountains which is where hubs grew up, where we've spent a lot of time, and where we have family still. Lots of Smoky Mountain memories in my mind and heart. 

And then I've always been a little bit obsessed with Mt. Rainier. My daughter1 lived in Tacoma for several years when she was first married and you could see the mountain from her neighborhood. Swoon. 

We got up close to it on one of our trips there and she's a beauty. 

Wait. The Alps. I forgot the Alps. How did I forget the Alps? 

The village of Chamonix with Mt. Blanc looming large is pretty spectacular. 

Are all mountains spectacular? I'm going to say yes. Did you come here today to see my scrapbook of beautiful mountains? 

3. What's something that once felt like a mountain, but is now just a molehill? 

Retirement. There's so much to figure out and understand in the early days, and while there are still things to figure out, we've got this. It's no longer a mountain. 

4. Let's play this or that-fall foods edition. Yes you have to choose. 

• pumpkin spice latte or chai latte 
• apple cider or hot chocolate  
• stew or chili
• sweet potato casserole or green bean casserole 
• butternut squash soup or creamy mushroom soup 
• cranberry sauce or gravy 

Here are my choices-

chai latte 

apple cider but only if it's warm, if it's cold then I'll take the hot cocoa

chili, especially the first pot of the season-this meal says fall and football season have arrived 

sweet potato casserole-green beans are my favorite green veg, but not in casserole form

creamy mushroom soup

cranberry sauce 

5. Sum up your September in a sentence or two. 

Festive family birthdays, fun with friends, fierce football games, and fantastic mountain views.

Thirty days has September. Each one lasted approximately 2.4 seconds. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I was with friends this past weekend and we spent an afternoon wandering around our old university. The campus is still so beautiful. 

Question-why are college kids so stressed out? They can literally take a slide from their dorm and grab Chick-fil-A in the student center. 

We were typing papers on actual typewriters for professors who literally measured the margins with a ruler. Then we'd go to Kinkos at 1 AM to make copies because copiers were rare and kind of expensive. Kinkos was open 24/7 for just such a purpose. 

Progress, right? 

But hey, I think the times helped make us strong and resourceful. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 673

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here on Wednesday (Sept 30) to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. When you think of autumn what sounds come to mind? 

2.  Is a trip to the mountains something you enjoy? What's your favorite mountain? 

3. What's something that once felt like a mountain, but is now just a molehill? 

4. Let's play this or that-fall foods edition. Yes you have to choose. 

• pumpkin spice latte or chai latte 
• apple cider or hot chocolate  
• stew or chili
• sweet potato casserole or green bean casserole 
• butternut squash soup or creamy mushroom soup 
• cranberry sauce or gravy 

5. Sum up your September in a sentence or two. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Falling In To The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. Fall arrives this week in the northern hemisphere. Does it look/feel like fall where you live?What's something you love to do this time of year that makes you feel its officially fall? 

*If you're answering today from the southern hemisphere feel free to sub spring for the word fall. 

It doesn't look or feel much like fall here yet. We've had temperatures in the 90's and the humidity has been thick, but! we're 'cooling off' and will be in the upper 70's later this week and I.am.ready. We're back into the 80's next week so there will be a little more summer before fall finally lands. 

Everything is still green here, but I'm going to the mountains with some girlfriends this weekend and I'm hoping we might see a few pops of color. 

I always miss my NJ yard this time of year. 

Something I love to do that makes it feel like it's officially fall? 

Apple picking. 

I hope we can find a day to do that soon. 

2. What's a small daily task or chore that always seems to fall through the cracks when your schedule gets busy?

Dusting my bedroom. In fact, answering this question inspired me to go dust. 

3. What's something you're falling for lately? 

I bought some wide legged jeans and have to say I love them. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the fit, but I wore them for the first time recently and several people commented on how cute they are. 

4.  Pumpkin is a popular flavor this time of year.  Are you a fan?

Pumpkin is not my favorite. I like pumpkin bread but am a hard no on pumpkin flavored coffees, creams, and candle scents.  I like to decorate with pumpkins, but can take or leave the flavor in food and drink. 

I do have a good recipe for a pumpkin french toast that my daughter found a couple of years ago and I'm going to make it this weekend. It's just the right amount of pumpkin and makes a nice fall company breakfast dish. 

5.What's something you wish would never change? Explain. 

Our love for this country and the core values of our founding. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

What's everybody watching? We need a new show. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 672

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (Sept 23rd) to share your answers. See you there!

1. Fall arrives this week in the northern hemisphere. Does it look/feel like fall where you live?What's something you love to do this time of year that makes you feel its officially fall? 

*If you're answering today from the southern hemisphere feel free to sub spring for the word fall. 

2. What's a small daily task or chore that always seems to fall through the cracks when your schedule gets busy?

3. What's something you're falling for lately? 

4.  Pumpkin is a popular flavor this time of year.  Are you a fan? What's your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage?  

5.What's something you wish would never change? Explain. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Monthly Musings-November

'Twas the week before Thanksgiving... 

Time for November's monthly musings hosted by Holly (Pink Lady) and Patty (Good Better Best Life). They're asking this month's questions a week earlier than normal because next week we'll be giving thanks around the table for all our many blessings. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It feels like it can be enjoyed for what it is as opposed to what we'd like it to be, which sometimes happens with Christmas. Family, food, and gratitude rule the day, and I for one am thankful for the pause this day brings before December bells start ringing. I'm going to throw in a few Thanksgiving throwbacks here too just because I can. 

How many times can I post this picture on my blog? 

Many it seems, but I love it. 

1. Favorite Thanksgiving dishes? 

In my opinion Thanksgiving is one of those meals that should not be messed with or changed too much from year to year in any big way. It's comforting familiarity is one of the things that makes it special and I want the same tastes and aromas that have filled this day for as long as I can remember. 

My favorite dishes are all of them, but dressing is tops, there must be cranberry sauce, homemade or canned either one, or better yet both, and my momma's fruit salad with homemade whipped cream on the dessert table. 

2. Stuffing or dressing? 

I sometimes call it stuffing, but I don't actually stuff the turkey. My mom used to stuff the turkey and have a separate dish of dressing on the side so we used the terms interchangeably. We have cornbread stuffing made with cornbread baked the night before so it dries out a little, a bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix added to it along with turkey stock and lots of onion, celery, and seasonings. 

3. Are you hosting any of the holidays this year? Please share any tips. 

I'm not hosting this year, although we will have an early Christmas here with our girls and their families the weekend prior to Christmas. My tips for hosting are pretty simple-

• make ahead what you can make ahead
• people want your presence more than a perfect meal, home, or place setting. 
• take time to look around the table, whether there are two or twenty seated there, and count your blessings 

4. Turkey trot or football game? 

I'm going with football game and by that I mean watching, not playing. I enjoy spending the whole morning in the kitchen as we tend to eat late afternoon, so a turkey trot messes with my meal prep.

Also, I don't like to run and I don't like to be cold so there's that. 

5. If you decorate for Christmas do you decorate before or after Thanksgiving? 

Team after all the way. 

6. Are your holidays sit down meals or more casual affairs? 

Ours are sit down. I like to use my china on Thanksgiving and my Christmas dishes in December and fancy napkins and pretty glasses and the gravy boat and big platter that only come out for holidays.

If I'm invited to your house for a meal you do you. I actually like a casual get together if we're talking parties, but for the dinners themselves, both Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, at my house I want sit down. 

7. Pumpkin or apple pie? Or another dessert? 

My daughter is making an apple pie this year and I like it better than pumpkin so am good with that. Growing up we always had a simple fruit salad as a dessert option too, topped with whipped cream. Lots of years I'd skip the pie and just have fruit. 

The meal is filling and sometimes a bowl of fruit is just the right thing. The salad is made with chopped apples, chopped oranges, and halved and pitted purple grapes, all topped with a can of crushed pineapple. It doesn't sound like much, but it's refreshing and delicious. 

8. Are you traveling for Thanksgiving or staying closer to home?

Staying closer to home this year. 

9. Do you Black Friday shop? 

In person? No never. Online? Maybe. I mean Black Friday has turned into a whole month now hasn't it, and most places offer deals for more than just a day. I'm not mad about it. 

10. Thing you are most looking forward to this holiday season? 

Time spent with family, both my family of origin and the one I birthed. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

A Day In The Life-Autumn, 2025

Hello Friends. Today we're taking a peek into an ordinary day here. Ha! What's ordinary? 

The thing about retirement is everyday is different, or at least that's how it is here. The routines of the past where work and school and children in the house ruled the day are out the window and we're in a season now of figuring out each day as it comes. We keep a calendar and it's shockingly full of appointments, dinners, get togethers with friends, travel, hobbies, and time with family. 

So let's look at a day in the life. I always enjoy reading these because I think they have a way of connecting us and making us feel like we're all in it together. If you've shared one of your own days add your link at the end of my post. Link back here somewhere so your readers can join the party. Day In The Life Links only today, please and thank you. 

Here's mine...

I chose a Thursday, October 30th. Normally on Thursdays I'm volunteering at a local soup kitchen for a fair chunk of the day, but on this particular Thursday I had another commitment so right off the bat I'll say it was ordinary, but not my usual Thursday. 

Like I said, what's ordinary? 

Okay here we go for real-

Also right off the bat...I use a lot of words and this post will be no different. Ordinary you might say teehee. I'm going to break my day into chunks time wise. 

6:30 6:29 AM -10:00 AM

I used to be a super early riser, even after I stopped working and had a quiet house. I love the early morning and am most productive (normally, although maybe not on this day) before lunch. I don't set an alarm and wake up when I wake up. It used to be much earlier than 6:30, but on this particular day this was it.

I have my phone on do not disturb from about 9 PM-8 AM, only allowing calls from my girls and my sister who has my mom living with her. 

First things first...start the coffee. I set it up the night before because I seriously cannot add the extra two minutes it takes to scoop it into the filter to my early morning agenda. 

While coffee brews I brush my teeth and if hubs hasn't already done so I let the dog out and then give him his breakfast. He's impatient for his breakfast the same way I'm impatient for that first sip of coffee. 

His bowl is in the laundry room so I went ahead and started a load of laundry. 

It's always looking at us, isn't it? 

And it looks like there was something in the dryer from the night before, but I'm pretty sure it was car towels so no biggie. Raise your hand if your husband washes the cars every other day and needs clean dry towels on the regular. 

So laundry is going, and then if hubs is up we sometimes go ahead and make the bed. Sometimes that happens later, but it always happens. Sometimes I walk in the room to make the bed and hubs has already done it and honestly those days are my favorite. 

It was a gorgeous morning so I took the little brown dog down to the dock to chase chipmunks and see what we could see. He's so funny because he always always takes the cart path and never ever runs down the middle of the yard. Such a gentleman. 

Yes I stroll down there in my pjs and robe. Nobody is around and if they are whatever. My neighbor has seen me in my robe and is used to me. 

I came back inside and made breakfast-yogurt, berries, and a spoonful of granola. 

Then it was time to shower, run the straightener through my hair, put on actual makeup and real clothes because I was on a panel this day and sweats wouldn't do. 

10:00 AM -1: 00 PM 

Have you heard of an organization called OLLI? If you live in a university town you may have one nearby. OLLI is open to anyone, but it's membership is primarily people over 50. It's a lifelong learning program that offers courses on all manner of subjects, everything from how to make a charcuterie board to travel groups, to the rise and fall of Rome. In other words something for everyone. 

Our group is connected to the big university here, and the courses are taught by volunteers. One of my neighbors was co-teaching a course on 'retirement', and this day was focused on unleashing your creativity in the retirement years. She had three guests come and share a little bit about their hobbies, and I was part of that lineup. My niche was blogging, a gentleman on the panel talked about his woodworking hobby and how it's grown in retirement, and another guest talked about music (she joined a big band) and sewing (she volunteers to make gowns for babies who pass away or are stillborn and she does this using donated wedding dresses). 

It was a really enjoyable morning and so interesting to hear everyone's thoughts on what it means to be creative. I talked a little bit about how I got into blogging, why I blog and what I've gained from it, and how to start a blog if that's an interest you have. 

On the way home I stopped by the post office to mail a birthday gift to my brother. 

1:00 PM-4:00 PM 

Lunch. I forgot to snap the picture before I'd eaten half, but I made hubs and I a salad and it was obviously delish. 

It was actually quite cool and hubs had the fireplace going. So cozy. 

After lunch I got busy making dinner. Some days are like this.

I put beef tips in the crock pot and they required a little browning first. I have a rule about crock pot cooking and the rule is I don't brown stuff beforehand because the point of a crock pot is not a lot of pans. Maybe not the point, but A point anyway. I've made these before and think browning the meat gives them the right amount of extra they need. 

I moved on to prepping the mashed potatoes wearing my trusty potato gloves of course. My girls gave me these years ago and I think bought them at Bed Bath and Beyond. My hands used to break out anytime I peeled potatoes, but if I wear these gloves all is well. They're scratchy in texture but not uncomfortable. 

I washed the dishes then started yet another kitchen task-making the dough for my savory cheddar and pepper jelly thumbprints. These were to give to the kayakers on Halloween the following day. We have a dock or treat in our neighborhood and our dock was one of the stops. Hosts provide a sip of something and a nibble. 

Definitely grating the cheese myself. In a recipe like this it's necessary as the pre-packaged ends up not holding together as well. Hubs taking a picture as proof this is my real life and not Ai. 

Dough went into the frig to chill for a while and I started on yet another sinkful of dishes. 

Hey, remember that laundry? 

4:00-6:00 PM 

A load out of the dryer, a load into the dryer, a new load into the washer.  Tea time! 

I carried my tea down to the firepit and since it was such a pretty day hubs and I sat here and listened to our daily Bible reading and our Bible Recap podcast. 

We surveyed the lemon crop on the way back up to the house. 

She's a doozy. 

Hey, remember that laundry? 

6:00-8:30 PM 

Dinner is ready...beef tips, mashed potatoes, steamed brocoli. It was yummy. 

Hubs did dishes while I worked on making the thumbprints. 

While they were baking he put together the soccer goals we'd purchased for Max's birthday. His birthday was on Thursday, but the party was Saturday and after more than 30 years of parenting we know to assemble toys ahead of time. 

He had a helper. Actually I helped by holding the post while hubs attached the net. It was a two man job. 

8:30-10:00 PM 

I finished up the thumbprints and then we collapsed on the couch and watched one of our shows before calling it a day. Night. 

This was fun. There was no reading, no walking although I did have almost 14,000 steps this day, and a lot of time in the kitchen which I love as long as I'm not rushed. Most days there's reading and blogging both, and less time spent cooking. There was laundry because isn't there always? 

My plan going forward is to do these seasonally, so maybe four a year.  Watch for the next date sometime in the early part of 2026. 

Did you know 2026 rolls around in 49 days? Happy new year!