Monday, October 30, 2023

Good-bye, October

You know how some months are slow paced and easy going? This was not one of those months. October felt like a mad whirlwind of activity!

The Man of the House has a birthday in October, and the first weekend of the month was dedicated to celebrating him.  On the Saturday before his birthday, we went for lunch at a local barbeque place and the a matinee of the new Exorcism movie. The original is probably his favorite scary movie, so he was quite curious about this new chapter. Was it great? No. But it also wasn't as terrible as I expected it to be. And movie theater popcorn is always yummy. 

On that Sunday, (his actual birthday) we had some family over for football, pizza, and birthday fun. Our daughter made a Fruity Pebbles cheesecake. Yes - as in the cereal.  It was a whole lot of sweet, but tasty.

He also had to spend a week in California during October for work.  Since he was there over the weekend, he did find time for a little sightseeing. He walked the Golden Gate Bridge and visited Alcatraz while in San Francisco.  I didn't tag along on this trip because a day after he got home I was off on a little trip of my own.

My youngest sister and I spent a lovely week in the low country of South Carolina on a sisters getaway. We stayed at an RV park near Beaufort, which was convenient for day trips into Charleston, Savannah, and Hilton Head. Since it was just about a week or two before Halloween and we were visiting what are considered two of the most haunted cities in America - we decided to roll with that and declared it our "Spooktacular Sister Getaway". We visited historic cemetaries, ate at reportedly haunted restaurants, and took a ghost tour in both Charleston and Savannah. We laughed, ate too much junk food, and had an all around great time.

I did take a nasty fall after tripping on one of the many uneven sidewalks in Savannah. At the time, I thought maybe I had escaped with just some scrapes and bruises. However after waking up early the next day with a considerable amount of pain in my left hand and wrist - we spent an afternoon in an Urgent Care, followed by xrays at the outpatient radiology center to determine if I had broken something. Fortunately, the images were negative for any fracture. Just a severely sprained hand and wrist. It could have been much worse and I am very grateful that it wasn't. 

Unfortunately, October wasn't all celebrations and travels. My 16 year old cat crossed the rainbow bridge this month after a short illness. It was very sad and I'm still coming to terms with him being gone. 😞

And that was October. A lot of highs and lows and activities all stuffed into one month.

How was your October?



Thursday, October 26, 2023

Thankful Thursday: October 26, 2023

 


I Am Thankful For:

Safe travels

New places

Laughter

Exploring old cemeteries

Long talks 

Spooky places

Lazy days 

Slow cooker dinners

Cool tea rooms 

Bookstores

Fun tours

No fracture

Pain medicine

Halloween candy 

Staying up late watching spooky shows 

The beach





Thursday, October 19, 2023

Thankful Thursday: October 19, 2023

 


I Am Thankful For:

A family of baby racoons

Morning

Baby grandson clapping his hands

When the rain stops

Yarn for a new project

Feeling tired

Dog got a clean bill of health

Phone calls from my husband

Historical dramas

A cup of hot tea on a cold Autumn day

Exciting end to A football game

Compassion and empathy

Counting down the days

Patience

Sleep

Finishing a book

Staying up late

Chocolate chip cookies


Thursday, October 12, 2023

Thankful Thursday: October 12, 2023

 


I Am Thankful For:

Autumn fog on the mountains

Feeling good about myself

Pimento cheese

Birthday weekends

Joy

Lunch out with my husband

Catching an afternoon movie

Our grandson starting to pull up to standing

My husband

Chilly Autumn mornings

Birthday dinners

Another new day

Blue Autumn skies

A cup of hot tea with honey

Autumn sunshine

When all the laundry is washed, folded and put away

The love in my life

Thursday, October 5, 2023

Thankful Thursday: October 5, 2023

 


I Am Thankful For:

When my grown son says "Love you" before leaving

Soup cooking in the slow cooker

Things that challenge my brain

Watching my grandsons grow

Falling leaves

Noodle bowls

A trip to Target with my daughter

A cute pumpkin t-shirt

Weekends

Barbecue and a beer

Flu shots

A much needed nap

October

Football watching snacks

Ordering birthday gifts for my husband

Laundry folded

A confidence boost

My dogs


Monday, October 2, 2023

Hello, October

 Welcome to October!  We have officially moved into my favorite months of the year. And also the busiest months of the year. 

This month we'll be celebrating my husband's birthday. It's next weekend, as a matter of fact. Which means I should get my rear in gear to finalize birthday celebration plans

As of yesterday, I put my Etsy shop on vacation for at least the rest of the year. This was not an easy decision, but I feel it is the right one at this time. Recently, the running of the Etsy shop has become more of a stress instead of something I enjoy. I need time to rediscover my love for crochet and work on some personal projects, as well as to explore some new hobbies. I don't know if this break will be permanent or if I will return after the first of the year, perhaps with new products and a little rebranding. We'll just have to see where the next three months lead me.

Last month, I had just the most wonderful trip to Canada to meet some relatives. There were some stressful hiccups as I headed back to the states, but all's well that ends well, as they say. And it wasn't enough to deter me from looking forward to some future travels planned for this fall.  

October is considered "spooky season". And that means my October reading list has some spine-tingling books to match the mood of the month.  The list includes: "The Woman in Black" by Susan Hill, " The Southern Book Club's Guide to Vampire Hunting" by Grady Hendrix, and "The Girl in Cabin 13" by A. J. Rivers. 

Goals for Oxtober:

  • Decorate for Autumn during first week of month
  • Make Halloween costumes for dogs by October 19
  • Have family birthday dinner for my husband
  • Take boxes in craft room to Goodwill by October 15
What are your plans for October?