A Beautiful Autumn Weekend

Friday was a spectacularly gorgeous day around here.  I just couldn't stop snapping pictures.   The first two pics here are taken on Maple Drive, the street into our community.

This is the view from my bathroom window.

The next two are the view from my side porch.

This is our sixth Fall here, and it never gets old!

On Friday I met Dick at his shop at 5:30 and we headed to Sam and Jenn's.  As usual, Sammy was waiting eagerly for us.  One of his first questions was, "Did you bring Rice Christmas Treats?"  That's what he calls Rice Krispie Treats!  I had not brought any, but Jenn had the ingredients for them and a children's cookbook with instructions on making "Halloween Cats."  So we got to work on those. 

We decided that whoever drew the picture of the Halloween cat in that cookbook had never really tried the recipe!  And we needed a disclaimer, "Results may vary."  But we had fun.

Anthony also came to their place that evening and slept there for the night.  On Saturday morning he and Dick went to take care of the business end of Anthony's purchase of a snowplow truck.  After they finished, Anthony had a time deadline, so they decided that he should go home in his Jeep and leave the snow plow truck for Dick to drive home, just in case there would be an unknown mechanical issue with it.   So it was parked in Sam and Jenn's back parking lot for the weekend. 

We had not seen Bianca Friday evening, because she was already asleep when we arrived.  But she was raring to go Saturday morning!  What a busy and funny little girl she is!   She LOVES to eat!

"Hey!  Look at me!"

After giving us a few moments of panic as we watched, she managed to get herself down just fine.

Sam, Jenn, and the kids left for a day at her parents - a nephew's birthday party and a Halloween parade.  

When Dick got back with Anthony's truck, he got busy on his next project - working on Jenn's car, so she doesn't have to drive without heat this winter!

I drove to Reading to spend the afternoon with Destiny.  We had a delicious meal at KFC, drove around, talked a lot, and went to CVS to make prints of some pictures on her phone.  

She was sleeping over at her friend's house.  I had fun meeting the girls and some cute little brothers.

In the evening Dick and I had a delicious meal and several hours of conversation with his parents.  Dick was showing Grandma Arlene how he could check the weather on his phone, and she said, "We should get one of those."  Grandpa said, "I'd be too dumb to know how to use it."  I said, "I'd be happy to teach you, Dad!"  

I had taken off from my Sunday morning jobs and we stayed the night again at Sam and Jenn's.   It felt amazing to be able to stay up late watching a movie with Sam and Jenn on a Saturday night without worrying about needing to wake up at 5:30 AM.  In fact, it was 7:30 when I woke up.  That is LATE for me.

Sammy was soon awake too for some snuggles.

Later he was helping me to unload the dishwasher, and Bianca had to get in on the action too!

Wonderful Play-Doh.  No end to the fun.  I think Legos and Play-Doh are the absolutely best toys.

Dick and Sam were watching a football game taking place in England.  Can't remember which teams.  There could never be too much football for these two.

I made our favorite cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese on rye for lunch.  

Before we left in the afternoon Sam and the kids tried out the back seat of Anthony's truck and Dick took them for a little drive around the parking lot.  Thankfully no snow to plow yet!  Actually, it was a wonderfully warm day.

Then we headed for home in separate vehicles - me in our car and Dick in Anthony's truck.  I did not envy him driving with that big plow in front, but he didn't have any problem.  He took some less traveled roads between their place and Harrisburg.  

The drive was just gorgeous.  This is one of many beautiful scenes along the way.

When we got to Anthony and Lori's they had a great fire going.  In fact, they'd had it going all afternoon as they did a turkey breast on the rotisserie.  It had turned much, much cooler by then, but we piled on the layers and stayed warm by the fire.  

Austin was so eager for us to get there so he and grandpa could do some target practice with the BB gun.  He was very explicit explaining the safety rules. 

The smoked turkey breast was delicious as well as the mulled cider.  But the BEST part was Lori's apple crisp done in a cast iron skillet over the fire.   It was a wonderful cookout, and we realized, probably our last one on a Sunday evening one for this year.  Next Sunday the time changes and it will be dark so much earlier.  But at least there's a fireplace inside, so we have that to look forward to.

My pics from this week so far

I have an unexpected evening at home, so I'll post some of the pics I've taken this week so far.

Austin was here Sunday afternoon.  He and Dick played with some Star Wars Legos, then we all napped for a while.

I knew that we were going to get freezing temperatures overnight, so I took a walk around the house to take some pictures of color before it was too late.

Later we met Anthony and Lori at the bowling alley - Austin's choice.  He really likes bowling.

I got the lowest score, but that was okay.  It was just fun to be together, and we had good pizza too.

We brought this geranium in overnight.  Everything else froze, even the potted plants on the porch.

After that freeze the weather has turned nice and warm again.  When I got out of the car at Anthony and Lori's today I breathed in the fragrance of autumn in the woods.  It reminded me of Camp Andrews where the Witmer family used to go each October.

Every time I stand at the sink I look out at a path through the woods, which I have never yet walked.  But today I had to go out the back door and at least take some pictures.

 This is the side of the house most people never see.  The double window on the left is the sink window.

When it was decided that we would not be having praise team practice at Houserville this evening, I came home and sat on my side porch for a while - it was that warm at 5 pm!  Gotta take every chance possible to enjoy the warmth and daylight before it becomes cold and dark all the time.

I'm really missing our fall trip to Florida this year.  Dick has a limited amount of paid vacation days, and since we were down there for the cruise in May and then took some days this summer to go to Norfolk for the Jr. Olympics, we knew that we couldn't do our usual trip to Florida this fall.  I'm really, really excited that George and Lisa and Sophie are coming up here for Thanksgiving week.

But there's just something about sitting by that pool that is so tremendously peaceful.   Maybe we'll head down there for a few days in the dead of winter after Dick has some vacation days again.   That's a nice thought at least.

My October week and the pictures to prove it!

Time to recap the week.  Warning:  I took a lot of pictures this week that I can't help but share!

After I wrote my last post Sunday afternoon we went over to Anthony and Lori's for a cookout by the fire.  It was such a lovely fall evening.  Lisa wondered if we could please keep it like that for Thanksgiving when they are coming up.  If only!  Don't tell her - we had snow last year for Thanksgiving!

Austin had fun with some leftover sparklers from July 4th.

One day this week when I was about to leave their place I just had to get out of the car and take pictures.  This is the first we have seen the colors of autumn there, and it's just glorious!

On Wednesday we had a dinner and overnight guest.  Stephanie Graybill is in her grad program at Edinboro University and was here at Penn State for a two-day symposium.   She was from Grace Community Fellowship, our home church in Lancaster County, and we've known her parents ever since they were dating!  Steph used to be this adorable little thing at our home group meetings.

Now she's all grown up and a very dear friend.  You may remember that she spent two days here in June when her car broke down en route from home to Edinburg, and Dick fixed it for her.

This time, thankfully, her car was working just fine.  She was here for dinner Wednesday, then went along with us to our praise team practice at Houserville.  Then we came back home and talked until way too late (for me anyway!)  I don't exist on four hours of sleep a night like she does (and I used to!)

On Thursday I took a couple of hours off work at the church office to join her for the closing session of the symposium held at the beautiful Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on campus.  It was a very thought-provoking address by Sister Joan Chittister from the Benedictine Sisters near Erie, PA.  Then I headed back to work and she back to school.

As is usual in the fall, our weather is all over the place, from blissfully mild and sunny to blustery and very cool.  In fact, today we saw some sleet between the bursts of sunshine.  I dread the possibility of frost killing all my flowers.  To me that is such a sad event.

Yesterday morning as I glanced outside I thought I almost could have fooled myself into pretending it was a Spring morning, and we still had summer ahead.  We have mostly all evergreen trees on this street.

Then when I looked the other direction I couldn't pretend it was a Spring morning.  Those grasses are tall with tassels and the rosebush is full and blooming.

Like I said, I dread the thought that one of these nights Jack Frost will give these beautiful things the kiss of death.

Yesterday as I drove away from Anthony and Lori's place, I just had to keep my phone camera open to capture the beautiful things everywhere I looked.

I think I took this one earlier this week on my way to their place.

And the next two I took from the Weis Markets parking lot earlier in the day.

Last evening Dick and I went to a fund raising event for his co-worker's baby.  The baby has to be taken to CHOP in Philly three times a month, and it's a tremendous financial strain for them.  The fundraiser was a Tupperware party!  Now that took me back, haha!!  I haven't bought anything Tupperware in forever!  But back in the day I hosted lots of parties and got some really good stuff for hostess gifts, probably stuff I still use.  The prices of everything seemed so ridiculous, but I ordered some things anyway, because I really wanted to do what I could for Dick's co-worker.

Today I stayed home all day!!!  Haven't done that in a long while.  This morning I got some very much-needed organization to my choir music accomplished.  This afternoon I baked a whole lot of cookies while I listened to some of my worship CD's that I haven't listened to in a long time.   It was a wonderful afternoon.  

Oatmeal chocolate chip - Ray's favorite.

Peanut Blossoms - Destiny's favorite.  Except I forgot to buy Hershey Kisses!  So I substituted chocolate chips, and trust me, they taste just as good.  I had to try, just to be sure.

And Molasses Ginger Snaps - Jeremy and Lisa's favorite.

Most of these will be going into the freezer over at Anthony and Lori's until Thanksgiving weekend.  I am SO excited that almost the whole gang is coming up here for Thanksgiving this year, and I'm trying to work ahead so I have time for some fun.  

And what was Dick doing this afternoon while I was slaving away in the kitchen?  Sitting in his tree stand at Anthony and Lori's for the first time.  It is archery season, and he was up there with his bow and arrow.  

I would much rather have been baking cookies!

And now, I have a sink that needs to be cleaned up and some songs that need to be practiced on the piano. 

Have a good Sunday!