October has arrived in New England and with it brings cooler evenings, shorter days, changing of the leaves,and cranberry harvesting. I took a walk yesterday afternoon - we live a block from the schools complex (elementary, middle, and high schools) - and watching all the after-school activity as I passed by made me smile. Football, soccer practice, the track team sprinting around their newly built track, band rehearsing their march to the sound of a single drum beating. It was a plethora of sight and sound!
For the past two years, October, much like our feathered friends, has been time for us to head south for the winter. This year we ultimately made the decision to spend the colder months snuggled at home. I have mixed feelings, but overall for me - it just came down to the shear amount of work for me to prepare and the mental capacity I needed to plan everything. I just didn't have it in me. However, staying home doesn't necessarily mean - staying home. We still will plan getaways all through the winter. And on the upside, it's nice to spend more time with family and friends!
Since we returned home, the summer just flew by! We did a lot of traveling: a getaway to Maine:
visiting friends in NY:
a couple of nights in CT to spend time at our favorite casinos:
visit to family in Maryland:
and the highlight - a family trip to Miami to board the Disney Magic Cruise Ship to Castaway Cay and Cozumel, Mexico.
It was a great summer and have gotten just a bit addicted to cruising! I have already booked a 24-day cruise next summer out of Boston on the Holland American Volendam - traveling up the coast of New England, into Canada's Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador and over to Greenland and Iceland. This is a dream cruise for me and I'm counting the days!
On the other side of things, we've had a lot of doctor appointments this year, but for the most part, we are doing well. Some issues just come with age and even though it's sometimes frustrating, it's still better than the alternative. 💼
Right now, Charlie and I are working on projects around the house. I just finished painting all the exterior doors to the house - a nice, bright red. This was high on my list and I'm glad to get it done.
Last week we washed, winterized and covered the trailer. That cover has certainly seen better days and this might be it's final year.
We pulled out our rowboat from behind the shed and put it up for sale. We are hoping to buy a kayak; I think we will enjoy it more.
I drove by a place giving away free pallets so I pulled over and called Charlie to get them. We are going to restack our wood pile on one and use the others for various projects.
And then there's the never-ending yard work! I started taking off the exterior pillows and cushions, washing them and storing them away, I need to move all the outdoor furniture and cover, the list goes on... a lot to do before it gets really cold. Thank goodness this week will be pretty nice!
I really miss Bay St. Louis and Bandera and the lovely people we have met. I hope we can get back that way next year at some point.
The final bloom on my hydrangea
