September 1st, Music for the Office on a Rainy Day and Pumpkin Spice (stop it!)

Monday started out a as a cliche in the weather department - that typical rainy Monday where you never quite feel like you wake up until at least mid-morning. I hauled myself into work in the morning with the promise of rainy-day music and a box of gingersnaps for company. I like my gingersnaps fairly peppery and not overly-sweet. This particular box was a random find at Ollie's, and I have to say, they are good. 

I have a rainy-day playlist with some very obvious choices in the classical music department - Nimrod, Vivaldi's Winter, Tchaikovsky's None but the Lonely Heart (oh, my word, a killer melancholy piece, I could just about melt into the floor each time I hear it . . . I think he composed it to cause people to dissolve into their emotions, it's so beautiful). You get the idea, mellow and lovely and centering music, easy to work to and get a lot accomplished while adding a layer of something that you only get on a really dreary and rainy day. I dug in with my music and my snaps and my fairy lights and before I knew it, hours had passed. I had been on leave to take care of the babies post-surgery, and digging out from under emails and requests was a bit of a bear, but it got done, and it was enjoyable with a true sense of accomplishment as a giant silver lining.  

That was Monday. Then, I woke up this morning, and it was September 1st. Bet it's the same where you are. HA! I broke out this guy. It's full of maple bourbon (flavoring only) coffee and pumpkin spice creamer. I have small, seasonal habits, but they're super easy to maintain and add so much to each change of season. I guess it's that "something to look forward to" mentality. One really easy ritual is my changing of the mugs. I have seasonal mugs that I absolutely love. Some are delicate and gorgeous, while others - like this one - are stockier and comforting. I have a mug tree, and I display four different mugs each season. Many are from England or Japan, as well as a few other localities around the world. I love my mugs. I have a lot of them, but not as many as you would think. I've known people who have cabinets full of them. It's mind blowing! I can't get used to that type of clutter, so I only have what I love. 

It's Pumpkin Spice Season. We all know it's a thing, either loved or hated by people, there never seems to be any in-between. I love it, personally, but then I love pumpkin anything. It's a given that Pumpkin Spice Season is huge for me. I don't start it in August, though, I wait until September 1st. Today's weather is high of 84, so that is more like a tomato sandwich with Dukes mayo kind of day, but I'm okay with the two scenarios co-mingling. I think that Pumpkin Spice Season will be rivaled in popularity by this year's Sneeze-Your-Head-Off-It's-Allergies-Not-Covid Season (you KNOW that's a thing). I always think about those cartoons where a head is swelled to gigantic proportions and the voice that comes out of the head is high and mousy and squeaky! Allergy sufferers know what I mean; it's completely relatable.

We still have the promise of cooler weather starting next Wednesday with what appears to be a mid-to-low 70s cooling trend. The weather guy yesterday used the words "Sweater Weather" since the mornings will be in the 50s with the cooldown (thank you, God). I've got just the thing for that, thanks to my mom - it's a candle and isn't that cute? I love a day that starts out cool and then warms up enough in the afternoon that you can shed the sweater and get some sun and still feel warm to the bones without feeling like you are dying from heatstroke and humidity. 

Our first pumpkin of the garden, it had to be picked due to getting over-ripe. It's adorable, but it won't have a long shelf life. That's okay, we'll enjoy it while it's here, and then we'll crack it open and throw it out back in the woods for the wildlife to enjoy. 

That's about it for today. I wasn't going to post, but then I remembered that it is September 1st, and I just had to do the nod to the Season of the Pumpkin. How fitting that September will begin with a full moon. Right now, it's very nearly there, and the sky is lit up nicely, even though there are quite a few clouds. I peeked outside in the dark, and the yard had that ethereal look, where the almost-full moon casts a diminished white shadow across the grass. Tomorrow the moon is completely full. I'm hoping enough clouds dissipate by tomorrow morning so that Lacey and I can enjoy a run outside under that full moon and stars. 

Happy September 1st to you. If you are a local buddy, here's hoping we both get some of those Peggy Ann Bakery pumpkin donuts soon. I need to find out when they're coming out this month . . . . that's today's top priority!

Twenty-Seven and Counting and the Hole

No organized set of thoughts today, just Saturday randomness. First up -it is THICK this morning. When you step outside, it's pretty smothering. You can always tell when a heavy rain system is nearby and getting closer. First, you get the smothering effect. Then, the wind picks up and - ironically - clears out the air just a bit. Next up, it's kinda pleasant as temperatures decrease for that bit of time before - wait for it - massive deluge and then rain for hours on end. You absolutely have to pick out a silver lining on a long and soggy day, and for me, it's the cooldown for a couple of days where we stay in the very low 80s. The longer weather forecast of ten days out shows us in the mid-70s for our high, so I'm truly looking forward to that IF it stays that way. 

The autumn heralders are really starting to pop. Christina Gardens (first picture) are getting fuller and more colorful every day. Look how tall these marigolds get! They're great for a visual effect from afar, unlike the marigolds most people are used to that stay close to the ground and are used for bordering beds where they need color farther down the eye line. I have those in the garden, as well, but the two Christina Gardens are strictly the giant marigolds.

Next up, I just threw in a picture of my Lacey for fun, ha ha. Her usual day at the office. It's gotta be tiring, but no worries, a pillow and a long nap will fix that.

Aren't the pumpkins getting gorgeous? So far, we've counted 27, and those are just the ones that we can see. We are careful to not pull back the vines that haven't fallen away just yet. We know there are more under there, lurking, waiting for the vine to begin withering away so that they can get the sun and start rapidly ripening. Biggest concern right now for the pumpkins is all the rain rolling in today. I worry that they'll get waterlogged and begin to rot from the inside. When that happens, once you pick them, the shelf life of them for holding up for decorating for the entire Autumn season gets iffy. The approach to fixing that? Well, there's not one. It's literally a matter of just seeing what happens once they're picked. 

My frothy Autumn heralder (still not 100 percent sure what it's called, but it's sandwiched between the two pumpkin pictures) is nearly completely covered in blooms. Isn't it ethereal? Those blooms are oddly soft to the touch when you gently brush your hands over the mass. It's unlike any plant I've ever had and came with the property. It's very old but seems to be incredibly healthy. I love this plant because it's a sign of cooler weather to come, and not just far-future cooler weather but sooner-than-later cooler weather. It's a ritual of the season, to watch it bloom and bring us that good news.

The babies were spayed and neutered this past Thursday. They did really well and by yesterday evening, were perking up quite a bit. They have one more day of their pain medicine, which makes them just a bit groggy. After that, the girls head back in a couple weeks to have their sutures removed. At that point, here's hoping we are all fixed up for a nice, long while. 

This bunch of rescues has been a bit of a nightmare with all their health issues, but the chronic issue seems to have turned a corner at the moment and appears to be in remission. I know that it'll come back, but as the kittens mature, from what I can gather after talking at length with the vet and doing a TON of reading online, is that the issue will remain chronic, but remissions can last a very long time, especially when they get past kittenhood. We still have a ways to go (they are not yet six months old), but even at this young age, they have had several days in a row now where their eyes look almost 100 percent clear. You can see those gorgeous, clear and healthy eyes in the picture of Baby Trudy below the pumpkin picture. I lost count of the number of hours I spent holding and cleaning those babies' faced and eyes and then holding them closer and praying over them, sometimes while my own eyes were filled with tears of frustration and angst. They have been an emotional rollercoaster for sure. I'm just relieved and thankful that all three have made it to this point. 

That last picture has gotta impress you. It's Bunny with her face in a hole. Yep. No need to re-read that. Her face is in a hole that she and the kittens dig out regularly each night (although the kittens are not going outside these days, not until we are all healed from our surgeries). She sticks her face in the hole then flips her body over top of it, rushes up the tree nearby, drops out of that, then goes back to the hole and repeats. I know. Bizarre. But they love that hole SO MUCH. I'm going to have to put up orange cones and caution tape around it!

I can't believe September 1st is Tuesday. I gotta get my act together and start updating my scary movie list. I've watched a few in honor of summer because that's what summer is about - scary movies, Sonic drinks and complaining about the heat. But September and October go bigger in the scary movie department. I know one thing - I'm gong to be watching the 2018 Halloween. I absolutely love it, particularly how it paid tribute to the original with the throw-back vignettes of Michael's victims. I thought it was really brilliant. They played to us old-timers, for sure, but then, that's probably because at least one of the two guys who co-wrote the script is very nearly my age, so that makes sense.

Crocktober looms large and exciting (yep, crockpots can be exciting if the recipe turns out well). Before we know it, the foliage will be turning. I cannot wait for the drive through the mountains, only slowed down just a little bit by visiting the donut truck on the way to the foliage destination. We don't have to go too far around here to get to a higher peak where there are areas designed for cars to pull off and park and go up rustic stairs or really nice overlooks with wide-open views of the colors. This is at least one activity that we can do without the whole Covid thing looming over us, as this is an outdoor activity. And yes, I'll still wear a mask because others will be visiting those same outlooks and taking those same stairs, and yes, we'll make sure we stay at least six feet away from each other. But no buildings, no re-circulated heat or air conditioning, no one getting too terribly close to you in these situations. Every pun intended, you can breathe a bit easier on a foliage road trip.  

I don't dare talk about Halloween today, I'll get too excited. That's for another time, although I will say one thing - this year it's on a Saturday with a full, Hunter's moon. It's also going to be a blue moon! We have a telescope and may have to dig it out for the evening. I just hope the weather is cold and clear so that we can actually see it. We've been known to have everything from snow to 90 degrees at Halloween around here. I guess we'll get what we get this year, too!

I'm off for oatmeal topped with black walnuts from our very own trees, dried cranberries and butterscotch chips (yes, that's an oatmeal topping at our house) and more strong coffee. The wind and rain tell me that's what I should be eating and drinking, although it's quite early yet. A biscuit later this morning isn't the worst idea, just to fill in the gap before lunch.  

Happy Saturday to you on this last weekend in August. Next time I post, the calendar will have turned and more life will have happened. When I was little, time dragged. Summer lasted forever, and then the school year that followed felt like eternity. These days, time flies and events unfold at rapid pace. It doesn't mean that we can't enjoy the odd, very sweet moments of the seasons. The brevity of life is truly a thing.

 

Little Boys and Pumpkins!

First up - my little boy! Baby Theodore, or - as I call him quite often - Baby! Isn't he adorable? Notice his shiny, glossy coat. He almost looks like he's wearing a wet suit, he's so slick and shiny. When you pick him up, he's just wonderful. All soft and big and plush and yummy. I could hold him for hours, but being a baby, all he wants to do is play when we are outside. So, off he buzzes to catch up with mama and litter mates. There's lots to do, after all, on a balmy. late-summer evening.

Aren't the pumpkins getting gorgeous? They are the best fun to watch grow and then start turning orange. These are old-fashioned field pumpkins. In the past few years, we had been growing Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins, which IS a thing. However, they just weren't faring as well as they used to, so this year, I opted for the old-fashioned field pumpkin. So far, so good. My only concern is that I don't know how long they'll hold up outside as decorations. We get a ton of rain around here, so it'll be interesting to see if they weather our Autumn season. These pumpkins remind me of old-school pumpkin shapes, the kind you might see illustrated in children's storybooks dating back to the early 1900s right up until my childhood in the 1970s. I love the deep ridges on this type of pumpkin. 

I cannot believe that we are in the final, full week of August, and that the month of September creeps up on us next week. The babies go in for their spays/neuter on Thursday of this week, so I will be home with them, helping them recuperate. They'll sleep a lot the next day, so I will take that time to start de-summering the house and do several areas of deep-cleaning, while checking on them regularly. 

There's a spirituality to my routine of seasonal changes around the house. There's not a lot of overkill, but what I do is focused - my kitchen hutch for starters. It's always decorated seasonally and is a focal point. I do a bit on the kitchen buffet, as well, but honestly, for the most part, other than a few seasonal odds and ends elsewhere, that's about it. What I DO always have, however, are seasonal fairy lights on my hutch. Winter and summer mean strands of white lights, while Autumn means candy corn lights (it's a thing, they're strands of light that have an orange stripe and a yellow stripe on each light and a lovely glow when plugged in!). Christmas is ALWAYS colored lights. ALWAYS. Then, once Christmas passes, I switch to my white lights. Spring is a little different - I keep the winter white lights, but for Valentine's Day, I add some red lights and a few hearts. I generally leave those up until April, when I switch to Easter decorations. My other autumnal decoration is a constant box of tissues, thanks to fall allergies. These days, I feel like I may need to wear a shirt for the upcoming season that says "Fall allergies, NOT covid - stop judging!" Sigh.  

We go to 86 today. That's a tad warm for me (not to the point where I'm terribly crabby, but we are getting close to my crabby-meter levels). All I can say is that Saturday brings the cool-down, so I'm not sad about that. Funny, when I was little, the summer heat just didn't seem like a big deal. Do little kids not feel it? It has such a huge impact on my health as an adult, I cannot imagine that it did not affect me when I was little. But I honestly don't remember it ever bothering me! 

It's been ages since I've had a Peggy Ann Bakery treat. Would love an apple fritter today, but no time to get over that way. Instead, with this heat, I think I may have to go for the Pal's big tea with a tomato biscuit. Nothing more summery than that, especially if you add Dukes Mayo, salt and pepper. Can't think of a nicer way to honor a summer day!

 

Starting the Week with Adorable

Look at these girls. They're just barely a few months old, and for a while now, they've known the joy of finding that one fascinating stick. They're nearly twins in their coat patterns, but they definitely have their own little-big habits and thoughts! On the left is baby Higgins, the right is Baby Trudy. Notice in the next picture, Mama Bunny saunters up to check it out, too. See the face on that middle baby in the second shot? That's the face that kills me. I think Trudy will always have a baby face. And no worries, my baby boy is fine, off playing in the near-distance, and these babies and mama are only allowed outside under supervision. After a little over an hour outside, they got put to bed with a snack.

Speaking of tired, my least favorite way to start out a week is tired, but that's where I am today. I'm embracing it, though, because what else can you possibly do? I've given myself permission to be exhausted, no joke. But there is that saying that "no one is coming to save you." I tend to believe for the most part, that even if you believe you've found a soft place to land, it's only a matter of time before reality sets in and you realize that the responsibility of your life is just that - your responsibility. The constant expectation of relying on others to make life better? That's a giant rabbit hole, and I've always tried to avoid going down it, if at all possible. That's not to say that we don't let others help us from time to time. Of course we do! But in the end, if your boots get pulled up and your belt adjusted, it's gonna be by you. Other people have their own boots and belts to deal with. So today, in my fatigue, I'll suck it up and keep going because that's what a lot of us do, and God bless you if you're one of those people. I know it feels like you're walking through waist-high mud on days like this! I'm right there with you.

So begins another week. I'm craving clam chowder today, so I'm looking forward to a bowl of that for lunch, and no I did not make it! Some things it's just easier to buy in the interest of time and frugality. I'm craving Manhattan style for a bit of a change, although I do love the old-fashioned New England style tremendously. Not exactly the perfect weather for chowder- 83 and stray thunderstorms - but when your office is always chilly, it's nice to have something warm for lunch! 

 

Whew! We Made It to Friday!

Hallelujah it's Friday. What. A. Week. Loooong work hours, and I mean LOOOOONG. If we can just get through today, then the weekend lays bare in front of us (well, not really bare, there's always too much to do on weekends, as well, but at least it's the weekend!).

Pictures below are from a couple days ago except for the babies in jail, which was taken today. Aren't the grapes gorgeous? Very sweet this year. The yard does smell like a distillery though, as the apples, pears and grapes get over-ripe and fall to the ground. 

Next pictures are my Christina gardens. They're full of buds. I cannot wait to get a picture in full sun in about two weeks. It'll be a stunner. These will provide joy and the smell of Autumn for many weeks to come. With just one week left in August, Autumn is coming up! I think it's the best fun to step into the month of September knowing that Autumn is almost right there. 

See my Lacey? Isn't she yummy? I get this look every morning when she knows I'm getting ready to head into the office. I do get to spend more time with her these days since I'm doing a hybrid of work-from-home/work-in-office, so it's not like I'm leaving her for hours on end! But still, even being apart for a few minutes is too much for this girl, lol. She loves her mama.

Finally, Bunny and babies are in jail. Got thrown in there for breakin' the law by being way too adorable. It happens, folks. Seriously, though. It's 76 degrees, cloudy and a very nice breeze. They'll nap out there for a couple hours. They are so sweet and cuddly and they still smell new. Nothing like baby breath.

We have been so blessed with our summer weather this year. It's been unusually pleasant temperature-wise. Today is only 76 for our high, and the only really warm day on the horizon is next Wednesday. The rest of the forecast appears to be low 80s for the high. We still have those nasty summer mosquitoes, though. Cannot tell you how much I hate them, but you probably feel the same way. A major deluge came down yesterday, and there's still water everywhere this morning. I like a summer rain, but that was a bit much yesterday evening. The silver lining was that when we were outside with Bunny and her babies, it was only 71 degrees. Again, no complaint here, but I do hope the standing water goes away. It just draws more mosquitoes.

In the last three weeks, I've had zero time to breathe. It's always busy this time of year job-wise, but I forget just how busy until we're in the throes of it! It's rewarding, don't get me wrong, but, boy, howdy, the busyness starts and then when you finally get a chance to look up, weeks have passed! Emerging back into my normal routine and life in general will be so nice! Hopefully, that will be sooner than later, although we still have a busy couple of weeks in front of us.

I have decided that my first Crocktober recipe will be a vegetable goulash! I haven't made goulash in ages, and the vegetarian version is good. You can use tempeh if you want for the meat substitute, but in the past, I've used fresh baby portabello mushrooms, and they cook down very nicely. Since they are a mushroom, you don't want them to get rubbery/soggy, so I add them closer to the end of the normal cooking time of my dish rather than at the beginning. In this case, if the goulash is in the crockpot for four hours (or whatever the recipe says), then I won't add the mushrooms til around the last hour or slightly before. Goulash is good over rice or noodles, but I prefer elbow noodles. I'm tempted to try a recipe that calls for the goulash to be cooked with the noodles in the crockpot. After all, I've made mac-n-cheese in a slow cooker, and it turned out great.

Today's weather has had me in the mood for butterscotch-marshmallow cereal bars, so I made some of those with strong coffee as my choice of drink. Sometimes, I just want the heavy-duty sugar and caffeine. Today was one of those days. The initial rain, followed by clouds and breeze has been very melancholy. I feel melancholy. I think that some days, we just do. It just so happens that there are days where the weather mirrors how we feel, and that's okay. I've learned to go with it, lean into the melancholy, so to speak. It passes, eventually. Brightness follows, and frankly, melancholy days are great for winding down the overkill of energy that maybe we've had to put into the previous few days. I know that part of it is that my body senses the coming seasonal changes, and for me, the winding down of summer has it's own type of ongoing melancholy that leads into those colder, crisp Autumn days. I think that transition is important because it helps me appreciate both seasons.

Tomorrow is the weekend, and I couldn't be more grateful. I'm looking forward to another peek at the pumpkin patch and crossing my fingers for lots of good growth from these last few heavy rain systems. We'll see!

 

Plush and then some, apple crisp, autumn squash!

It's been a while, but here we are, in full-on lush to the point where everything has developed a mind of its own, and keeping up is not really a thing. That's okay. It's nice to see gardens veer down their own fork in the road and kind of do their own thing. First up, the apple grove, ha ha. Okay, four trees is not a grove, but they sure are producing this year. The limbs are full to the point where they are sagging under the weight of the apples. The first picture shows the prolific produce, the second shot is to help me remember that this year, we have some of our biggest apples yet. I mean, some of them are huge. We do not use pesticides or anything else, this is just straight-up nature. It's really impressive. Isn't the red on those apples just gorgeous?

Next up, pears! Now, these pears look "mottled" and odd, but trust me, they're not. Pictures do not do them justice. By the time they are ready to eat, they'll be a lovely, even green all over. They're getting huge, as well. Soon, the ground underneath will be covered in pears that fall off from being over-ripe. The apples are already doing that, and the fermentation process is STRONG. The yard smells like a cross between a confectionery and a distillery at times.

The pumpkins are doing beautifully so far. We are so excited. We've got some nice, big ones this year and I'm praying that they continue to get bigger and turn in a timely fashion. We do have one or two who are going to be early turners, as you can see by the picture below. That's okay. If they're orange enough, we'll pick them them in early September and use them in our fall decorating. Speaking of that . . .  . next picture?

Corn. It's done. What we did not eat, the squirrels did! I think we got about 1/3rd, they got the rest. No worries, it is what it is. We share the earth with them, and I'm not a cruel person. If they nab some corn, so be it. But look at those stalks. Nice and creepy, eh? My dad and husband will put together some corn shocks that we will place around trees with autumn ribbon and pumpkins. We do the two trees up our driveway ever year, and it's so nice to come home to every day, particularly when the leaves start turning! The corn will stay right where it is as it dries out for fall decorations.

Kitty break! See those two? It's Bunny and one of her baby girls. When we take them outside for play, it's nearly impossible to keep them out of the trees. Sometimes we have to intervene and rescue, but they're getting better and better at getting themselves out of trees. Mama shows them how to navigate different size trees. It's fascinating but also nerve-wracking to watch, though. 

My Christina gardens are taking off! As soon as half the blooms pop open, the sign will be moved to the gardens (there are two of them), and these will give us gorgeous color right up to the first hard freeze of the year. The fronds are incredibly soft to the touch. You don't expect that when you reach out and run your hands gently through them. They smell like autumn, as do all marigolds. I love the smell of them almost as much as I love the smell of a tomato plant. Tomato plants smell like summer and marigold plants smell like autumn. When you grow them at the same time, you get a really nice sensory experience. Very peaceful.

When I took these pictures last night, it was hazy. The picture of the Mexican sunflowers does not do them justice. This patch of flowers is huge. Some are near the 8.5-foot tall mark now. They are full of monarchs and various types of bees. I never tire of the show when I visit this patch. Sometimes, with all the flower patches, it looks like parts of the yard are moving, thanks to the little creatures who are making them most of their opportunities. It's why each year I insist on making sure we do a bit more. It's for them, we just get the bonus of seeing them continue to populate and help us in our daily effort of living. I am grateful to these creatures and will try to always do something for them.

And last, but not least - my heralder of Autumn! I think it might be Japanese Clematis, also known as Autumn Clematis, but I'm not sure. Either way, each year, it begins blooming at this time and carries us into Autumn. Those blooms will cover the vine, and it will look soft and gentle and remind you of late, summer breezes. I do not know how old it is, but I do know that it is a very old vine. The people who lived here before us said that it was already here when they bought the house. They lived here seven years, we have lived here over 20. I'd say that it's well over 30 years old easily. It's lovely and asks for little to no care, but yet it turns out these lovely tiny white flowers all over the vine and gives us a real show at the end of the season. It will stay in full bloom for a bit into Autumn, along with our crepe myrtles and marigolds.

That's it for the hazy-day pictures. Today's weather is 82 with a mix of clouds and sun. I hope it's more clouds than sun today. I love 80s with clouds and a breeze. There's a richness to that type of day, at least for me. Yesterday, my dad made us an apple crisp using apples from our own trees. We had some last night, and it was fantastic. This morning, cheesy eggs and a side of that crisp will be a wonderful breakfast start to the day. I'll sprinkle in some dried cranberries and butterscotch chips before heating the crisp for breakfast. That just puts it over the top once I add a strong cup of coffee to the mix!

I'm in that food transition season already where I crave apples and autumn squashes; I'm ready for it. Some of the baby butternut squash was ripe, so my dad is preparing that for supper tonight. Cannot wait to see how it tastes. We are back in full swing at our University today, with - obviously - Coronavirus rules in place. I'm trying to cover half the world in prayer at the moment, including our students and employees! My mantra at the moment is the resounding "wear your mask, wash your hands, don't touch your face." The students that I've gently reminded to put on their mask have, so far, been very sweet in their response. I'm at that age, I think, where they see me as an older, wiser person, so they sprinkle in a bit of kindness in their response and they tend to mind me, lol. I have been told by more than one student that I am "precious." Isn't that a riot?!! As long as it helps them remember to wear their mask, I'll take "precious" as a compliment! 

I must go now. I have a giant, juicy kitten yelling off his head (baby Oliver) for attention, and I simply cannot type and hold this huge baby at the same time. The day is getting ready to pop wide open for me, so I'll enjoy his large plushness for just a few minutes before I get rolling. Love to you on this Monday in August, as we head into the second half of the month and then some. I'll begin my Autumn/Halloween candy hunt this coming weekend. You'll know when I get my first bag of mellowcremes!

 

Thriving!

I meant to post over the weekend, but things just kind of kept going and time got away from me. That's kind of the name of the game these days. I guess if I had to give it a silver lining, it would be that these lightening-fast days let us know that we're alive, for lack of any better perspective to put on it. They're exhausting! But the babies are thriving to the point where I've stopped worrying about them all the time, and that's a huge mental boost. It seemed like it was a giant, never-ending juggling act those first few months, but it has paid off. As you can see in the second picture below, they're just adorable. I never get tired of holding them. I'm the same way with my boys, Baby Oscar and Baby Oliver. They're huge, grand boys now, but I never, ever get tired of holding them. 

The fruit and veg are thriving, too. Isn't that pear in the first picture just gorgeous? Almost looks fake, lol. It's not though. The pear tree is loaded, as are the four apple trees, third picture below. The apple trees have too many apples, and the branches are weighted down and bending. They'll have to be trimmed back significantly this autumn, which means the blooms next spring (am I really talking about next spring?) will be minimal. That always makes me sad, but the alternative of the trees snapping in half or a bunch of branches snapping off in summer, which could lead to the death of the tree, isn't an option if we can help it. So they'll get trimmed back with some significance, and we'll watch them re-grow over the next few years again. It's fascinating to watch and it re-emphasizes how time goes at warp speed. They'll be nice and trim one year, then it'll suddenly be five years later, and they'll be back in this crazy-full state again!

Fourth picture down - PUMPKIN!! We have several this size now! We are so excited. We had been growing Jack O'Lantern pumpkins but our luck in the past couple years has been less than stellar. We switched to field pumpkins this year. I figured we had nothing to lose, and so far, they've proven to be the stronger bet. Without disturbing the vines, I managed to count over ten and generally, when pumpkins are ready to be harvested, you find a significant amount more in hiding. I feel very confident that will be the case with this pumpkin patch!

The last shot is just a teeny one so that I have record of the continued plushness of the year on August 10th. As I chronicle, I try to get certain similar pictures several times a month. It helps me see later what is doing well and provides a history of what grew well in what spot when we change up things a bit and then want to revert later. My memory sure can't do that, so I rely on the repeat pictures for that.

Pictures are done, time for confession: I haven't gathered a single new crockpot recipe yet. I know, I know. Crocktober is seven weeks away. But it's only seven weeks away! I want to be fancy (trust me, I am the least fancy person I know) and break in the month of October with a crockpot dinner. I'm thinking about doing a vegetable pot pie in the crockpot. That's some creamy goodness right there, and I do know that biscuit toppings will brown up in the crockpot. I also like a good vegetable soup cooked slowly in the crockpot. Other good crockpot homemade soups are cream of broccoli or broccoli-cheese soups. I have a friend who gave me a recipe for crockpot mac-n-cheese, too. It turns out really well and is super nice because you don't have to boil the macaroni in advance, so there aren't a ton of dishes to do. Then there's always a nice, thick chili that does well in the crockpot. You can never go wrong with that. I may splurge this year and buy myself a box of crockpot liners to make washing up faster. Now I'm just spoiling myself!

Today has started out beautifully cool again at 63 with a ton of stars in view. It won't stay clear, though, as afternoon rain is in the forecast. NO complaining allowed, we need the rain before things get dry. In addition to helping my pumpkins grow nice and big, if we get too dry, the Autumn foliage suffers. Last years, Autumn was nearly a no-go around here. I admit, I cried over that! Last week, it looked like today was going to be a scorcher, but mercy has been invoked and now 81 and afternoon rain looks to be on tap. I'll take it! Much better. Makes me crave coffee and mellowcremes terribly. I may have to breakdown and buy a bag of the multi-flavored mellowcremes when they first come out on the shelves. Just cannot be beat for a quick afternoon pick-me-up, that sugar rush with strong coffee. 

This cold morning air, though, lends itself to cheesy scrambled eggs on toast, which I'm going to make soon. Nothing is better than the smell of coffee and toast in the morning except maybe sleepy kittens (I love to smell the babies, they still smell brand new!). Happy Monday to all. Here's hoping this week is full of all good things! 

 

Babies and CROCKTOBER?!

Today's pictures are of some of my babies, no garden shots today! Technically, Bunny and Oscar aren't babies, but . . . . they're my babies, so they're included (well, technically, I share Bunny with my mom and Bunny prefers my mom, but she loves me, too). You'll notice Bunny in a peculiar spot in her picture - up a tree. She's setting a terrible example for her kittens, but what can you do? Cats are brilliant and beautiful, but cats have minds of their own.

Look at my baby boy laying in the dirt. Isn't he grand? I'll tell you a little secret about him: the pads on the bottom of his feet are chocolate brown. I could seriously eat him up, he is so stinking cute. I can honestly say that I'm in deep love with this little guy.

In case you're wondering, they're all allowed outside under supervision, never alone, and only for about 30 minutes on weekdays. On the weekends, they get to go out more, and we stay out longer with them, but their weekday treat is 30 minutes outside playing hard. I need to get video!

Higgins sleeping is heaven because when she's awake, it's a nightmare. She never stops, and she's always thinking, thinking, thinking. She's a trasher, too. When I leave their living room, it's nice and tidy. It doesn't take long for Higgins to do some serious trashing. But isn't she precious?!

Then, there's my baby Oscar. Perfect (and huge) in every way. Every now and then, he'll cuddle with me. He's giant and plush and cuddles with Oscar are the best. 

Okay, so Crocktober. That's a thing, and I only just found out about it. But then, I researched it online and the threads for Crocktober were endless. It's been a thing for a long time! I can't tell if finding this out makes me feel under obligation to begin collecting recipes to try for Crocktober, or if I'm just overly excited about it (comparison: a trained border collie taking a walk, only to come up on a field of sheep who need herded - it's that level of excitement). Anyway, I feel like there could be some very good vegetarian crockpot recipes out there, so that gives me something to get excited bout for Autumn (as if I need an excuse).

I am hesitant to keep putting it out in the universe, but we really have been blessed with our weather this summer. It hasn't been miserable. I did notice that this weekend looks pretty warm, but it IS summer, after all. I'll take advantage of the weekend heat in some way; maybe an ice cream or shaved ice treat. 

Today, though, I have a killer headache. In fact, it woke me up at 2:17 a.m. to the point where I thought "Lord, Jesus, this is it, take me now if you must but make it quick." I don't even think I was kidding on some levels. I mean, it hurt. It's a bit better now. I got up and made a very strong pot of coffee and drank a cup of it, along with two OTC pills. It's easing a bit but won't ease completely until our weather system rolls over top of us. So, we start today with our weather-predictive headache, which told me to prepare for heavy rain before I ever looked up today's forecast- 80 percent rain and thunderstorms.

I do love a summer storm as long as it doesn't go nuts and create havoc and devastation. We are in the mid to low 60s at night, and honestly - it's really nice when you wake up and that cool air hits you the first time you take the border collie out for a quick run (my dog is pure heaven).

Today is a day for listening to true crime podcasts at the office (I'm isolated at this time, which is good since this whole Covid thing came along). I'm not gonna lie - today's food is going to be a cup of English Toffee coffee with whatever chocolate is rolling around in my snack drawer at work. It's just that kind of day. I'll take the rainy day over a high-heat day any day of the week, though. 

Here's to gentle summer storms and Crocktober recipe hunting season! My goal is to do one crockpot recipe a week during Crocktober. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year AND on a full moon! I'll have to come up with something special for that!

Happy Friday Eve to you. We've almost made it to the weekend!

Picture Day and Some Tiny Thoughts

Today is mostly chronicling with pictures. I'm keeping it super simple so that when the pictures come along, there's a silence that goes with them. Gardens are meant to be enjoyed in the quiet, to help us experience zen, to find solace if needed. You'll find zinnias in all colors, a spectacular butterfly against one of the giant flower beds with sky, a baby pumpkin, a nearly-perfect apple, the inaugural golden yellow bloom of my Christina gardens (named after my aunt), Mexican sunflowers, and mama and babies. 

The world is ailing, and so much of it is brought about through self-destruction. It's so very sad. Life is hard. It is. And messy and challenging and heartbreaking and anything else you can think of that would make you wonder how anyone keeps their sanity and stays above water, treading, treading, treading. I'm so grateful for God, my anchor. I do not know what I would do without Him.

I grieved this past weekend, and I suspect I may still be grieving. It was for a tradition lost this year, a silly annual visit to the fair with those I love to look at the exhibits and to eat a hot, fresh funnel cake topped with apple pie filling. As much as I love food, ha ha, it's not the loss of the funnel cake that I grieve. Its's those moments of that day that feel so good each year. I do not have a home base, so to speak. I grew up everywhere, and so I am from nowhere. Instead, experiences anchor me; when those experiences turn into traditions, no matter how big or small, a loss of one of those feels a bit like part of my "home' burned down. I know, that's odd. Sadly, it's the best way I know to describe it.

But life goes on, and the next day rolls around, and with each moment of the new day comes both the usual stuff and the new stuff. As you scroll through the pictures, just know that I love each and everyone of those flowers, vegetables, fruits and mama and babies dearly.  The growth, the change - it's a marvel. If you ever need to do something for your soul, grow something. Give back to the earth, go outside, find a way to connect. 

It is 64 degrees this morning. What a gift! We only go to 82 degrees today, and so I simply cannot complain.Yesterday, my dad made apple bars/cake with some apples from our trees. I plan to enjoy at least one or two of those with ice tea today. In the pictures below, you'll see a pot of sunpatiens on our porch. Notice the slant of the light . .. . the seasons are subtle, aren't they? But the sun tells a story, and this one tells me that change is coming. I think apples are a wonderful transition food, and today is perfect for them.

Enjoy the pictures!