I am trying to soak in the sunshine and warmth and green while it is still here. There are signs, some subtle, others not so, of the changing season. Hints of red in the burning bush and yellows and oranges peaking among the trees give a glimpse of what is to come.
But just now, I want to stand still and take in what is. Because what is coming will be here soon enough.
The last time I did this I said I was going to participate every other week. Well, we know how that worked out, or not. So, I'll tell you what. I'm going to commit to being grateful all the time, and writing about it sometimes. Works for me.
- one -
September weather has been spectacular. Warm, clear days and cool nights - my definition of perfect weather.
- two -
Beautiful sunrises.
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Venus shining brightly.
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Glorious sunsets.
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Continued harvest from our garden.
- six -
Hummingbirds hanging around just a little longer than usual. The males head south first, usually at the end of August, beginning of September. The females, like the beauty below, usually make their trek a week or so later. This year they stayed a little longer.
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Saturday morning walks in the park
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The last of the of the local outdoor concerts were held Labor Day weekend. Normally the concerts are just on Friday nights, but the finale spans three days. We went to the Friday night show, a Kiss tribute band and they were spectacular. I was never a Kiss fan, but these guys were excellent!
- nine -
Nothing good on TV. That might sound weird, but without the distraction of the boob tube I've been reading a lot more. A number of my favorite authors have had new releases and I managed to snag them from the library.
- ten -
Most, if not all, of the canning for the year is done. The last couple of years I have counted the number of tomatoes that I processed and the number of jars produced. Not this year. There was no counting, just doing. I like that. If we pick more apples, I might just have to can some of those. But, as Martha says, it's a good thing!
We had a visit from the teenage daughter of Donna’s cousin a few winters ago. She lived in Florida all her life and wanted to experience a Northern winter. We both enjoy all that the various seasons have to offer, so we were happy to share our winter wonderland with her. There is a sledding hill in a local park which is tall, steep, and long. So, Donna, Second Cousin, and I headed out to the park with our sleds and a jug of hot chocolate.
Now, Donna and I had never gone down this hill on sleds. We did stumble down it in a controlled fall a few times during the warmer months, though. We both had been sledding and tobogganing before, so we believed this would be no problem.
This morning didn't start out the best. Not bad, but not great. Jack, the wonder dog, was a bit needy and demanded a walk before I left for work. I was running a bit late so I decided to take the highway instead of the back roads that I normally drive. Big mistake. I hit a traffic jam precipitated by some doofusses (or is that 'doofi'?) that had gotten into a wreck. Yippee.
When I got to work (late) I was met by more neediness in the world of IT. Again, Yippee. Everybody wanted something and nothing was working right.
While I was in a meeting I received a text from a friend. She was in the area. Would I like to meet her for lunch? You didn't have to ask me that twice.
We met at the "brown restaurant in front of Target" - I had no idea of its name and still don't recall it. Over burgers we chatted about everything, anything, and nothing at all. It was wonderful.
It's amazing what a call from a friend can do. That one text changed the complexion of my day. To be thought of. To be listened to. To share ideas and laughs. Thanks, T!
As Travis Tritt sings. . . .
And it's a great day to be alive I know the sun's still shinin' when I close my eyes There's some hard times in the neighborhood But why can't every day be just this good?
We had a number of "volunteer" plants pop up in the vegetable garden this year. Most were easily identifiable - pumpkins, acorn squash, tomatoes.
But then, there was the mystery plant. It grew in the spot where the zucchini lived and died last year. I must be the only person who cannot grow zucchini.
The first fruit off of it looked like a fat yellow squash. And then these started appearing. They look like long, really fat zucchini, but have the orange coloring of pumpkins.
Apparently, it's not all that unusual for zucchini, pumpkins and squash to cross pollinate and become something new. So, in the spirit of scientific discovery, this "thing" needs a name. We've come up with two: a Zückinor a Pumchini.
But a squash by any other name still tastes as sweet! I made this bread (minus the nutmeg) and the recipe is definitely a keeper.
Zückin or a Pumchini? I know which one I like. What would you call it?
It seems that we blinked and August was over. As I thought it would be, it was a crunchy month. With very little rain, the grass, gardens, and stream all dried out.
But, with the dryness came visitors. Several frogs that would normally make their homes in the stream found the patio waterfall a suitable second choice and their presence has been a delight. The Hummingbirds have been "flocking" to the feeder as only they can do. Arial wars have been abundant since they don't share all that well.
With help from the sprinkler, the vegetable garden is thriving. There have been a few surprises and no real failures (unless you count poorly planted garlic last Fall). We have been enjoying the fruits of our labor, literally, and have been able to share some with family and coworkers.
I look forward to see, slowly, leisurely, deliberately, what this month will bring. I don't want to blink and miss it.
A priest, a teacher, and an accountant walk into a house. There isn’t a punch-line, it was our house and they all came for dinner. The evening progressed and during our conversations it occurred to me that our guests represented the vocational trinity. The ordained, married, and single gathered together to share of themselves with one another. Donna and I always observe that our poor brains are always overheated after an evening of discussion with this thoughtful group. We notice, though, that our hearts are fuller and our spirits are refreshed, as well.
It seems I am better at this if I do it every other week. Not that I'm not grateful during the off week, just disorganized, lazy, busy, or forgetful. So every other week it is!
- one -
The Chesterton Conference is this weekend. Although we didn't get to go, the distance was prohibitive, I have been thinking about them this weekend. We have been to three conferences and have always had a wonderful time. In honor of the conference, here's some of Chesterton's thoughts on gratitude.
- two -
Last Friday evening I had dinner with a friend, L, whom I have known since sixth grade. We can chat all night if given the opportunity. It is so good to share a long time history with someone.
- three -
We made it to another free concert on the circle in out township. This time it was a sixties girl group. The music was fun and the rain held off until shortly after the concert ended.
- four -
I love that I can find all sort of tried-and-true recipes online. It doesn't matter what you want to make, someone has already done it and has shared their take on it. This week it's pickles for us. We have an abundance of cucumbers coming in from the garden and are trying to find the perfect concoction. Who needs a cookbook?
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Speaking of recipes, I got to make a cake with my niece this week when we watched her for a couple of days. We had a great time and it came out yummy!
Decorated for Mommy and Uncle Himself
-six -
We have great library systems both where I live and where I work. I've been reading the latest releases by a couple of my favorite authors which I was able to reserve even before they were released. Got to love a little light reading in the summer!
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Our county put in a dog park a couple of years ago. Jack seems to love going there and it's a good way to let him run off some energy.
-eight -
Last Monday I came into to work to find the following on my desk. I had been talking about that beer with a coworker earlier in the week. She happened upon it over the weekend and picked up a bottle for me. Himself commented "No wonder why you like working there!"
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I am traveling for work this week and online airline check-in rocks. Actually, everything you can do online now for traveling makes it all much easier than has been in the past. Air, rental car, and hotel were booked in about ten minutes with our corporate travel service.
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Christine mentioned that everyone seems to have a "thankful" that they repeat often. Hers is her son now being able to drive. I think mine is our veggie garden. Things have been coming in and we have been eating well.
We seemed to settle into summer in July. It was good. Things happened. Yard stuff got done. We enjoyed some local entertainment. And, we got to visit with family and friends. Life is good.
There hasn't been much rain recently and things are drying out. The grass is starting to do its annual browning. No matter. It doesn't need to be mowed then. Things seem crunchy. I don't know why, but I like that. Maybe that's what August will be. Crunchy.
