I hope your week has been treating you well, and that you have a beautiful Friday with exciting weekend plans to look forward to.
... A great tragedy befell us Westervillians this morning, as the local Starbucks (which just so happens to be the one on my way to work) is closed for remodeling-- which means that all the good folks (including me, of course) who look forward to their "Fall Friday Pumpkin Spice Latte fix" either had to (a) get up a little earlier and track down the next closest S-bux, or (b) go without. Seeing as I am a chronically late riser (but only on
Anyhoo... the important thing is that this coffee does contain caffeine-- and I have lots to tell you. It's been a really inspired week for me, which means I'm practically bursting at the seams with ideas, and I'm composing and compiling blog entries in my head more often than not ... but it's also been a really busy week for me (How does that happen?! It seems to me that 4 day weeks are paradoxically short & long .... each day feels like it lasts forever because of all that needs to be packed in...)-- case in point-- I was up at 11 pm last evening mopping my kitchen floor. Seriously.
And now (predictably) I'm having a little bit of deciding where to start... But really, isn't it only fair that I start where I left off? ... And how better to catch you up than with a good list & some pictures?!
Good List:
1. J. He will always be first in my heart and on my "good list".
2. WE OWN A GRILL! (Sorry for the all caps, but this is exciting, friends! I mean... I've only been dreaming about having a grill since... oh, April, when we moved into our house... Heh.) For J & I, our Saturday excitement centered around buying this grill (and for J-- the set up, as well. With furry supervision, naturally....) We may not have gotten around to dinner until after 8pm, but the waiting was sweet: It was a perfect fall evening for us to sit together outside and bask in the scent of our new charcoal grill warming up. Heaven. ... And those burgers? I think they were some of the best I've ever had ;)
3. Beautiful, race courses, friendly volunteers and small races. My parents and I did the inaugural (btw: I definitely had to look up how to spell that word...) Emerald City Quarter Marathon on Sunday, and I think it may have been one of my favorite races. {Side note: at some point, I'd like to really think back each and every one of the races I've done in the past couple years... I'm not sure I really have any that I flat out didn't like... but there are definitely some races that stand out as The Best.) The course wound through Glacier Ridge Metro Park, and, the weather was perfect (and I know I've been saying that a lot lately... but it's true. Clear blue skies, sunshine, and just the slightest bit chilly.) Here we all are after the race:
Photo courtesy of my father4. ...And after the race, I went apple picking. Mmmm. Macintosh. I love eating apples "straight up", but I also have all sorts of other delightful recipes in mind for these beauties. Good thing I bought the half bushel bag!
5. And then after lunch (which was, for me, a tomato sandwich on an asiago cheese bagel... bagel courtesy of the race. ... I think that sandwich may have been the definition of perfection... Yum;), Gracie & I snuggled in bed with a book.
6. ... And after that, we headed over to J's parent's for the Labor Day celebration. I always feel so blessed at these events because (honest to goodness) everyone just really enjoys each others' company. Summertime gatherings are always the most fun, because the kids ("kids" being a relative term ... Aiden is 14 mos old, but the rest of us are in our 20s and 30s.... pending the newest addition, coming in December :) are able to eat outside, and sometimes (Sunday included) we walk to the neighborhood playground between dinner & dessert. This year was especially fun, because Aiden was big enough to sit in the baby swings. He squealed with delight every time he swung past his father, and the rest of us had a wonderful time watching his serious "assessment of swing safety": he couldn't quite decide if he had enough courage to let go of the front of the swing to wave & blow kisses to his mother.
(With that, I'm done with beginning my good things "...And then..."-- I promise! But really? Sunday was pretty much a perfect day :)
7. Cinnamon & Spice. I made Savvy Julie's Peach Butter on Monday, and the house smelled heavenly all day.
8. A perfect run (or, several of them). Wednesday and Thursday evening of this week I went for a run (now go ahead and pick yourselves up off the floor. ... or maybe some of you predicted that my break from running would be short-lived?) Ahh, and it was, dare I say?, nice. I didn't take any music with me,but rather I just focused on breathing in the perfect fall air. The weekdays have (as a whole) been pretty stressful-- and this was exactly what I needed. 15 lovely minutes of solitude, gratitude, and peace.
9. Now to the other end of the spectrum from peace (but in the best way possible) -- I love the joyful anticipation of having company -- even the 11 pm mopping was cheery. J & I are having our 'Friday night Friends' over this evening... and I have been "bouncing off the walls excited" about it all week. The fact that I didn't start cleaning until... um... last night... is completely irrelevant :) Even better?-- tonight I'll have my camera!-- that way the memories can live on.
10. "Courage is fear that has said its prayers." - Dorothy Bernard
(This quote actually popped up on my facebook feed as a friend's status. I thought it was a wonderful thought for the day-- fear is real; God is bigger.)
Okay... That's all for now... must go be productive :)
Your Turn: What are your weekend plans? Do you have any good apple recipes to share with me? Do tell :)
