welcome autumn...

Alarm off, perfect sleeping weather, silent house... and of course I wake up 15 minutes before my alarm would have gone off, wide awake! How does that happen?  All week I struggle to wake up when it goes off, and when I can finally sleep, wide awake!  Ughh...

Maybe I just knew there was soon going to be a beautiful fire in the fireplace, a hot coffee liberally spiked with Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream (that sweet hubs managed to find - it's a tough one).  The fall weather I have been craving has arrived with a vengeance, it's a whopping 34 degrees out there this morning.  Perfect for these warm flannel jammies, a fire and coffee... 

Sweet Hubs was supposed to be going fishing today, he definitely decided a trip to Potosi and sitting in a boat on a rural lake, definitely not warm enough for him.  The crappie are thankful.  So am I.  While I don't begrudge him a morning with his buddy, I am thankful to have most of this weekend back to spend with him.  I definitely feel like we do not get enough time. 

Now, to decide how to mix up the day... there are so many wonderful things going on this weekend.  I had planned on catching up on my cooking class, and I will probably do that here shortly after the coffee kicks in and I wake up fully.  I have been a cooking fool lately.  Not sure why it took so long to learn that vegan food was so freaking delicious.  The health factor is just an added bonus.  The fact that no sweet animals had to die for my dinner... well even bigger bonus round! There are still a few of the yummy donuts left for this mornings breakfast so I feel I will definitely kick back and be a bit lazy. 

On the cooking front it has been an awesome week.  I might have a few new favorites, this non-chili loving mama finally has a chili recipe that I cannot wait to serve.  And Curry... OMG!  I love curry, didn't realize that I would, but I started becoming addicted a few months back at my favorite Asian restaurant. Now that I have learned to make a vegan yellow curry... well that love affair is off the chain!  The warmth and gentle blending of the flavors is so wonderful.  I do have to admit that at 6 am on Wednesday, I was was the grocery to pick up more coconut milk... I'd made it the night before, we had both fallen in love with it, and there wasn't enough for both of us to have it again for lunch.  

Being a problem solver... I simply made another large pot.  Note I am beyond thankful to my sister in law for spotting those incredible cast iron Dutch ovens in Pigeon Forge... best purchase ever! I'm even over it for being mad at the beautiful lavender color that it is... I was so in love with the yellow, but it was out of stock. Now instead of being mismatched in my warm country kitchen it is an ever present "accent piece" on my stove.  Usually simmering something delicious. 

It will be far too chilly for us to go out and enjoy the fall colors on the bike today - we definitely considered it, and Veg Fest is not until tomorrow.  Anyone local going?  I am excited to get to stop by and enjoy it before we head up the river road to enjoy the lovely fall weekend.  So today will probably involve a trip to the Farmer's Market, they are rapidly waning as the weather cools.  I need some bread and a few fall veg.  Tower Grove has become my favorite, and despite the fact that Hubs thinks its the Bloody Mary's... that isn't the only reason, but it definitely doesn't hurt. There is also the physic fair at Mystic Valley and the craft show at the South County Y. So many fun things to do this weekend, but for now it's just time for sitting.  

I also want to make a few soaps, my stash is getting thin - Hubs has been loving on friends lately.  I have a few recipes and new essentials that I am dying to try out.  Right now that simply seems like so much to do. 

I bought some fabulous blue, black and natural stripped linen to make some dishtowels with.  I love using a nice linen dishtowel and the pattern is so simple.  I figure an hour work will yield six beautiful, super absorbent new towels. If they turn out as nice as I hope, I may have to purchase a bit more and clean out the towel drawer.  Some of those have been living there for over a decade or maybe two.   

It's been a brutal week, budgets and presentations take it out of me. My insomnia of Wednesday night has still not been recovered from.  I was so concerned about presenting that I literally could not sleep and flat out gave up at 3 am.  I don't know why it stresses me so badly, but it does. I spent all day Thursday in a state of high stress.  Reality check, they are simply people, and in 5 years it isn't going to matter at all.  But I felt like my entire world depended on it.  Ugghhh...  Add to that a fitness center redo... and this Y gal is worn. 

Tonight is the Pumpkin swim, it will be a fun event.  It is literally the only "work" I intend to do this weekend. The rest of it will simply be for me to reset and refocus.  Between sickness and budget I am feeling very unbalanced.  

A beautiful sunrise is peeking through the trees, it's beckoning me to enjoy and play... I do hope each of you finds the joy and love in this weekend... Find the time to fill your bucket and enjoy your lives... each one is precious!

Crackling embers, hot coffee and a beautiful sunrise...  bring it on!

Shoulda's

I think I brought the drearies home with us...

Brrrrrr... It's so hard to believe that just Friday it was in the high 60's, low 70's. Seems as quickly as spring poked it's head around the corner, it dashed off back to winter. All the rain, sleet and tiny ice balls that pelted us yesterday seem to be trying to stick around again.

Kind a dreary way to start a long work week.  Or maybe it is the perfect way, I won't be daydreaming of being out walking in the sunshine!

This morning is starting to look like it will end up being a morning of shoulda's... I shoulda done this and I shoulda done that, but in reality I am getting very little of it done.  I don't seem to have the motivation.  I know that going into one of the long work weeks I need to plan ahead or I will be so behind when it is over, but I just don't feel it.

I managed to get the laundry all done yesterday, with the exception of my son's, and it is in the dryer right now.  I should go strip the bed and do the bed sheets, but I hate to disturb the old man when it's this damp and dreary.  His old bones ache, I am sure, as my not so old bones ache. I can completely empathize.

I can't force this old guy to move...

I planned to make soap this morning, got a new collection of scents that I want to try, but I just don't feel like climbing up and down the stairs to bring my stuff up. Seems I managed to hurt my hip and stairs today are seriously not my friend.

I should be knitting on my sweater to get it done, as I have an odd quirk about not liking to start a new project when I have projects that I am working on already.  I am not one of those folks with a ton of WIP's, that would drive me crazy!!

I should sweep and mop the house, and tidy the kitchen, but again, I am just not feeling it.

I should start my peat pots and get some seeds started, all too soon it will be time to plant my garden and if I don't get with it I will be starting from seeds - literally!

Wow, reading this list of "shoulda's" I am feeling a bit on the lazy side. What I would really like to do is climb back into that big old bed with the old guy and sleep for a few more hours.  Instead I think I will get my act together and do something.  If nothing else change this shoulda mood all around, 'cause it is surely going to make for a really, really long long week if I don't get it moving in a different direction.

Is it just me?  Is it just Monday? Is anyone else fighting the "I don't wanna's"?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

Disclaimer alert... I am not Irish, and I am fairly certain there isn't any Irish in my family tree, but today... I think the world is Irish!  The other dilemma that often arises, is that I am not Catholic, as my Dad often pointed out when we were younger and told us we should not wear green today.  I shall have to check my closet to see if I even have anything green to wear today, it is not a good color for me, so needless to say my clothing selections are quite void of it.

My hubby is a nice healthy mix of Irish and German, if that mix can be healthy.  I am mostly German, English, with a bit of French and Eastern European thrown in for good measure.  Hubby was raised Catholic, and our twins are Catholic, so I feel quite safe in celebrating the good Saint Patrick today.

All that being said, our celebration will be a bit tame, if it exists at all. I don't like crowds, hate them in fact, so we won't be going down the street to the local Irish hot spot, mostly because the majority of several towns have been there since Friday night. Guinness and that many people would send my blood pressure through the roof.  Never mind that we could easily walk down there.  Nope, our celebration will simply be a nice corned beef, potato and cabbage dinner, and if I am feeling a bit more ambitious I might even make a soda bread, but it isn't looking too promising now.

Ireland is on my bucket list of places to visit, I have tried many times, but something always comes along to keep it from happening.  Who knows maybe someday I will go.  For now I will content myself with having a small piece of Ireland that sits on my desk.  Joe, a dear Irish fellow, that I partner at work with went home to visit a bit ago, and brought me the prettiest stone.  It sits on my desk for when I need to day dream. 

Today should find me planting my potatoes, but given the non-stop rain since last night, I am going to say that won't happen. Heck, half my garden looks like a swamp, I am seriously considering an aquaponic garden at this point.

My seed order arrived yesterday, and I would love to start playing, but looks like it will be Easter weekend before I can. Next weekend I have to work, no gardening will take place.  I might go buy the supplies for my potato towers though.  Potato Towers and Living Fence Posts I found this through a series of links the other day, and it holds great promise! Our ground gets pretty solid by fall and it is a bear to dig into with a shovel or pitch fork.

Other than that the day will be filled with the usual weekend chores.  Laundry, chicken jerky (for those spoiled boys of mine), cleaning up the house, and enjoying having my kids around.  My sweet boy is home for the last Spring break, and I want to get to spend some time with him. He will most likely not be coming home for Spring break again and I don't want to miss it! I will squeeze in some work on my sweater and making some jerky for my human boys, and girls, too.

Guess my celebration will be a day of chores and rest, given I start a 13 day week tomorrow, I am going to say that it sounds heavenly!  How are you celebrating?

May there always be work for your hands to do...

 May there always be work for your hands to do
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.