Hello, Monday.

Seems like we’ve been meeting on Monday more often than Sundays these days, but I guess that is par for the course every fall, between quick trips and football and friends and well, life.

Next week I’ll be heading to Hawaii for a long rescheduled family trip. We were supposed to go last Thanksgiving and, well, you know. The first of hopefully many rescheduled trips. Anyway, I’ve never been, so I can’t wait!  Get ready for lots of pics of island life and island eats. 

For now, I’m sitting here watching Harry Potter, and am going to try to squeeze in one recipe this week before I go.  Until then, let’s dish!

In case you want some insight on that awful shooting on set in New Mexico, read this.

Hippos are legal persons, apparently.

To quote Jurassic Park, nature finds a way.

Gunther, RIP.

Eleanor Rigby, as told by Paul.

Buy less junk, a motto I’m taking into my new place.

For those days when you can’t figure out what to make: five ways to cook an egg.

The art of not taking things personally. I excel at this.

Goodbye palm trees? Maybe…

Pumpkin cookies, at your service.

Hello, Sunday.

Crawley and I are feeling a little more settled at Mom’s than we were a week ago, but we’re still figuring out schedules and the like, and I’m trying to figure out how to get Crawley to NOT eat all the other animals’ food. He’s always hungry, the little squidge.

Otherwise, I can’t believe it’s October already and 2022 is just around the bend.  I’ve made my first pot of chili, my first pumpkin item (coming at you later this week) and cautiously packed away my shorts for the summer.  I’m going to the store later today to get my Reese’s pumpkins and candy corn. Come come at me, I know it’s plastic, but I love them.

Here’s what we’re kicking off the month with, as seen from my screen:

Peloton addiction, explained.

Pandemic loneliness has surely been a thing. The Netherlands has found a creative solution to help, even if just for a few minutes.

What workers really want is not a ping-pong table.

But apparently some of them want secret jobs?

A “mating crisis” is on the horizon – and it’s surprising no one in my friend group.

Hollywood is saying that it’s okay to be over 40. Really? How novel! (Coming back from Andorra a month ago watching reruns of SATC, it struck me as funny that they ladies were HORRIFIED that someone would mistake them for 40 – funny now that I’m of a certain age..)

In a life rut? You can’t change your life until you change your life. So simple, so true.

Let’s all just rest, k?

Happy Birthday WDW!

That’s all I’ve got – Happy October!

Hello, Sunday.

I got back from my impromptu vacation and hit the ground running on my move with a new sense of urgency. Two weeks to go, less next weekend when I’ll be in Vail celebrating Andouille’s wedding. So really, I’ve got 9 days to get it together.

I’m at that point where I look around, see what’s left to pack and have the urge to chuck it all, while at the same time wondering how on earth I could have accumulated so much stuff. I’ve resolved to never buy anything again ever.

Unrealistic, yes, but I’ve at least resolved to use to all the foodstuffs that I’m taking to Mom’s by the time I leave her house in three month’s time. Lots of cooking for me, that means, which is fine and not usually a problem when fall foods and holiday eats start to grace my plates.  Anyway, food shall not be transported more than once.

Back to the world at large, yesterday was a heavy day, and I admittedly tried to stay off the news as much as possible. As if we don’t have enough depressing things to keep us sad and depressed regularly – I didn’t think I could handle the barrage of sob stories and the memories that horrible day brings back. 

How about some happy things to distract us, at least through this morning’s coffee?

The greatest commercial.

Ever wonder why McDonald’s ice cream machines are always broken? So do the Feds, apparently.

A new take on fusion cuisine.

As we approach the holidays, know that there is a best way to mash potatoes.

Build you own happiness fence! I have to say, I have one and it’s doing a pretty darn good job!

The future of women’s tennis is bright! Way to go, Emma!

Is the definition of ambition changing?

Are we doing fall yet? If so, start here.

Or here, if pumpkin > apples is your thing.

That’s all I’ve got today. Have a nice week!