Most of the things I mentioned last post were tried, and most of them either didn't happen or failed to have the results I wanted them to. Luckily, no one cared.
Our trip to Mike's tree was put on hold since it had rained so many days that the field would have been soggy and not fun to picnic on. Emily and I were busy pulling out stuff and donating and throwing away, so we were glad to have another day stuck inside. I'm not sure what happened on Steller, but I heard a few of the comings and goings. Graysen's team won at soccer. Not sure about Katherine's. No one reported. She hates losing, and she didn't call, so I have to guess that they lost. They just play in the rain.
The two-ingredient pumpkin bread "worked," but it was certainly nothing special. I poured cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree into a bowl and stirred it around. I wanted to make half for the girls without nuts and the other half with pecans, so I waited until the batter was in the pans or muffin tins to poke the nuts or chocolate chips in. The result was an unappetizing-looking collection of muffins and a small bread. I should have taken pictures, but I didn't. It was quite yellow, and those chips and nuts poking out didn't do much for the appearance. While it was warm, it tasted okay but nothing like the kind you make from scratch. I haven't even shared any since we didn't have our picnic, and I have a few bites with coffee in the mornings. I probably could have done a better job, now that I've tried it, but it takes just a few more minutes to make the real thing so why bother. It's just as quick to run down to Safeway and get something already made. In fact, Carly, my former upstairs neighbor, brought me a box of pumpkin biscotti from Trader Joe's Sunday morning. Her dad is a sucker for seasonal goodies and is always sharing what he finds with us. That's a much better choice than what I made.
Elise and I watched Emma Saturday night. It was the second time for me, and I loved it just as much and noticed a few things I had missed before. It was such a nice couple of hours. Elise made us a cup of espresso with whipped cream - espresso con panne? - and it was soooo good. We didn't care how strong it was, and she's really good as grinding the beans just right and gauging the right amount of sugar - just as I've gotten used to drinking my coffee black. We love all Jane Austen's books and most of the movies made from them and enjoyed comparing the different ones we've seen.
I got her to take down my box of fall decorations with the idea that I would make a wreath and see what I wanted to use. Before I know it, she had found a home for every little acorn and pinecone, and I had to go behind her and calm it down a little bit. I'm at a point in life where I don't like a lot of clutter and don't feel like I have to use every little decoration I've collected.
This wreath is going to take a lot of work, but I do like the fall eucalyptus stems. They're velvety and will look good when I do a little poking in the ends and maybe putting a bow on. Or maybe not. This was about halfway through, and I was still trying to tame those stray branches.
The same with Grandma's churn. I just brought out the premade stems and poked them in the hole on top. I was still in my pajamas, and it was cold, so I didn't want to spend any more time out there than I had to. It will go by the front door with my ceramic pumpkin and the yellow one Elise and I thought we needed in Safeway Saturday along with some cinnamon-scented pinecones. That was a good purchase and makes the house smell so good even without making the potpourri.
I got a bag of these baby velvet pumpkins from Amazon, and they are so cute. I like the colors, and they're perfect for just poking in places where I need something else.
I saw Mama's trifle bowl that she liked so much sitting out and started just piling things in. It makes me happy, so I'll probably leave it alone and put some candles with it.
That eucalyptus again and the cinnamon pinecones. So easy to just lay them down and get instant fall vibes. Debby gave me these plates when I lived in Montgomery simply because I admired them, and they are one of my favorite things. We use them all the time, and they look cheery year round.
It will be fun for Graysen and Kate to come over and go from room to room and table to table finding their old favorites. And I'll have to go see what amazing things they're done this year - besides a whole new kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom.
The cats are unimpressed with the new look and want only the fireplace on and their little islands of comfort. Sort of like me - plus a cup of coffee.
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