Thursday, November 2, 2023

Looking Back at October 2023

October!  I decided I really like October (this is a brand new thought nobody has had before).  Cross country wrapped up which gave us some more time to fight over homework AND Matt's settling into a groove with his schoolwork where it doesn't feel QUITE so overwhelming anymore (at least to me...who is not doing the schoolwork but is doing a lot more of the parenting and household managing things while Matt is doing school).  Weather has largely been nice until some snow snuck in on the final hours of the month (before and during trick or treating...the coldest hours of that in a few years, at least).  We went from the AC on to the heat on in less than 72 hours which might be a personal record for our household.  And the trees had a week where they were beautiful and many still are!

We went camping at Jellystone, the boys, for some reason, had 2 short weeks of school, Matt's 40th birthday, and Halloween!  It was a full month but mostly in the best ways.

Looking back:
1 year ago: A Being Green Update
2 years ago: The Office: Books and Podcasts and Merch
3 years ago: Basic Buttery Biscuits
4 years ago: Creating a Reading Culture at Home
5 years ago: Flying with a Baby - the Nitty Gritty
6 years ago: {6} Christmas Things to Think About NOW
7 years ago: Dirt + Little Boys
8 years ago:
DIY: Homemade Facepads (I still use these nearly every day)
9 years ago: My Current Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie (still my go-to recipe)
10 years ago:
A New Bench for a Simpler Look (this still mostly looks like this!)
11 years ago:
Embrace the Conflict
12 years ago:
Miami!
13 years ago:
NYC!

1) Kicking off October with my October mug and my fall wreath (which had been out since mid-September)
2) Beautiful bike ride downtown to check out the trees.
3) Early month fall color, it really does last all month!
4) Zinnias!  They kept going until frost at the end of the month killed them,
5) BLUE morning glories finally showed up! Not as many as last year but still some!
6) Back at Jellystone where we had been twice over the summer.  The mid-week vibes in OCTOBER are VERY different.  It felt like a zombie apocalypse with most of the people gone.  From barely being able to find open pool chairs to seeing them all empty and stacked up!
7) View from the rustic cabin we've stayed in 3 times back to the fancier one we stayed in this time (see: mid-week in October...rates were lower)
8) The red leaves were so pretty against the green!
9) First woods hike of the month!
10) Just a pretty tree.  It feel rare to get the sunny days and the right cloud cover to get a good picture.
11) My favorite tree although not quite as brilliant this year. 
12) Matt took this.  A few days later it was nearly bare.
13) Just another pretty tree.  That's my camera roll in October.
14) A ton of leaves.  I stopped running to take this.  I didn't have to rake them.
15) Second woods hike of the month!  A new to us place and it was lovely!
16) The highway was 100 feet away or so for part of it but it was still a nice walk.

Books finished: 17! 
Miles ran:
30.3!  It was a bit of a slog but got them in!
Currently watching:
Matt & I are back to It's Always Sunny after many years off (not having the right streamer for it).   I'm on season 8 of The Office, still my least favorite season.  I don't like Robert California. 
Most read post this month: September Reading Recap, Stripping - Laundry Style is still hanging in there, and then, inexplicably, Blackberry Long Island Iced Tea.
Luke's current favorite song: "Bury me in Georgia" by Kane Brown

Sam's current favorite song: "Bury me in Georgia" by Kane Brown and "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" by Toby Keith

I've now, mentally, kicked off my holiday prep season!  That's the fun stuff.  How is Thanksgiving just THREE weeks away?!?!?!?

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