One Little Word - September New Year!

I read on another Lisa's instagram that for her September feels like the New Year. It is a great time for her to feel renewed and work on her goals and intentions for the year. I definitely get that. I think it has something to do with the feelings I have about "Back To School", a moment that was a big deal in my life for many years. I still get this feeling of excitement, anxiety, and nervous anticipation when I see the school supplies set up in stores, and we start talking to Dude about his first day.

And now all of a sudden it's the last week of September, and I'm like "what the fuck happened to September?!"

So Dude & I went for a walk...

The trees in the neighbourhood and the Ravine are a glow with the colours of autumn. The temperature is just right for an evening walk. And Lucas is in the mood to explore!

I LOVE it when we come across a steep hill or an obstacle, and I ask "do you think we can do it?" and he says "yes of course!"

There is a Poke-stop at Hazeldean playground (it is also a gym because all gyms are Pokestops now Mom! .......) so we head there at the end of our walk so he can replenish his Pokeballs.

Everything is Poke-something in my house right now.

At the end of the night, when we were laying in bed doing our reading, he told me that he had a great night. Thank you September for still being awesome even when I think I've missed all the good parts.

Photos taken in Argyll, Mill Creek Ravine, & Hazeldean
Monday, September 25, 2017

Pumpkins and Corn Mazes

Here are some photo highlights from our trip to Prairie Gardens & Adventure Farm earlier this month. I left my memory card at home, so all these photos were taken by my Mother. (Hi Mom!) It was nice not to be always behind the camera for a change.

I might be a little biased, but I think my nephews are the cutest! And my little sister's pretty fine herself.

Dude was a champ at the pumpkin cannon. He listened to all the pirate's questions of the kids ahead of him and he was ready with his funny answers when it was his turn!

It was a beautiful fall day. The sun was bright, the air was cool, and there were pumpkins everywhere!

later loves

Fall is...

.....pumpkin things (granola! cookies!)

.....discovering new blogs (like Light a Candle & Smitten.....fellow Edmontonians! Whee!!)

.....scarves & boots

.....cozy socks

.....scrapbooking & crafting

.....almost over!

Edmonton gets a strange fall season. Summer lasts late into September around here, and we sometimes still experience high 20s in the first week of October! And then the leaves start to change colour and then pretty much completely change overnight. And then the photographers come out, while they can. And then it snows, and gets damn cold. Not "effin cold". Not yet. Just "damn cold." Sometimes this takes a month or so. And sometimes we get all of this happening within a week!

The day you find your first red leaf on the ground. The day you feel the first cold nip in the air, even though the sun is shining bright and golden. The day Starbucks starts serving the Pumpkin Spice Latte, and all your favourite food blogs are in full-blown pumpkin mode. The day you have to actually turn on the furnace and just cannot tough it out in scarves and sweaters and layers any more? That's the day you know fall is here!

And then it's gone before you know it! So you best take advantage of it while you can!

I like fall because of the potential. A change of seasons means, ultimately, a change in how the world looks, a change in activities, a change in perspective. I like looking at the new season like I do the new year. I make goals, or at least revised to-do lists. I feel the urge to start something, or try something new. I always want to craft more, and drink more coffee, and meet up with my friends before the craziness that is the "Holiday Season" gets going.

Does Autumn mean something special to you?

Do you have any fun fall traditions?

Do you even get an Autumn where you live?!

And speaking of crafts...wait, what?! Anyhoo, I tried to make this fabulous painted leaves garland thingy to hang on my mantle and satisfy goal #2 from this post here. I got the idea from this post here and trusted in the awesomeness that is Alisa Burke that I could not go wrong with this. Yeah...the leaves looked so beautiful right after I painted them. And then one day later they had pretty much all dried out and curled up on themselves. And now they look like...well...like the dead leaves that they are!

But I just can't bring myself to take it down!

later loves

Currently...sort of

the past couple of days...and today...3:27pm

Old movies...yet again. Creepy, western, and sci-fi. That's how I roll.

I also caught up on some recorded shows this week. What the?! It was nice to have a whole row of New Girl to watch the other night when I was feeling really crappy (snacking in front of the tv with my dislocated toe kind of crappy!)

Farmer's Market. Fresh. #nomnomnom

This morning I did some much needed yard work. I had a "helper", but he got cold/bored/tired and went inside. I am wearing "comfy" today, by Local Thrift Store.

This week has been very trying for me. And it was a short one too! Thank goodness.... Work was strange, to say the least, and much more stressful than usual. As a result, I needed a lot of down time at home. Just sitting, playing on the iPad, reading and hanging out with the boys. I feel now that my week is coming to a close that I cannot fault myself those unproductive nights. Or extra snacks.

It is my opinion that you can always turn a shitty week into a positive, and this week my turn around was my symphony date with the BFF last night! Wheee! It doesn't even matter what they're performed (Chopin, piano). I am so chuffed that I got to dress up, and hang out with BFF for a couple of hours.

Thank goodness for small favours.

later loves

Pumpkin Outtakes...

I still cannot get over what an awesome time was had by all at Prairie Gardens two weeks ago. I need to share more of the photos, cause we took so many. Put two dorky bloggers together at a campy pumpkin patch and, well, what else did you expect?!

There were so many pumpkins there, SO MANY! And you could buy them, people. Take that one in for a minute there.....BUY. THEM. But which one? Green? Or white? Or some sort of combination of green, orange & white. Or perhaps, boils are your sort of thing? They were almost mine!

Nicole even got a good picture of a pumpkin that looked like a butt. Oh yes...and everytime I had decided which pumpkin I wanted to accept into my 'forever family' I found a new one that I loved more! Maybe that's Reason #712 why I don't have a puppy...hmmm.

The free "Make & Take" included in admission was a "build your own scarecrow" station. And yes, it was as weird as it sounds. All these really excited Moms & Dads digging through donated (read: super random) pieces of clothing, and stuffing their little people full of straw. Every once and awhile you would hear a "I've got the perfect shirt for Jimmy!" There were all these half filled scarecrows, and formless humanoid shapes littering the small barn.....

And it reminded me - somewhat tastelessly - of what earth would look like after the rapture. When all the goodies get transported up to heaven where they stand, leaving their clothes and earthly goods behind. And the rest of us are left to fend for ourselves against the zombies. So But I got to hug a hay bale (more on that later), so it wasn't all bad!

Ha ha! My partner in crime, Nicole, was up to no good! She started making trouble in the neighbourhood. No fights were had, but she was ready to roll in that handmade knight helmet thingy.

She chose a lovely green & orange speckled creation to take home. And Dude & I went with with three little perfect ones, that are currently sitting on my mantle, deciding what to do.

It the the best of days AND I still have more photos that I haven't shared! What the?! But I think I will save the rest for a scrapbook page....

For those of you in "the Edmonton area" who are interested in all things pumpkin &/or corn maze, Prairie Gardens is open at least until the 28th, when their Haunted Pumpkin Festival is done. I much prefer the Edmonton Corn Maze for superior corn maze action, but this place is fun too. Mostly for the kidlets.

And the dorks.

later loves

Hello September

Hello September. Time for the leaves to start changing colour with the cool nip in the air. Last days of sandals and short skirts and leaving the windows open. 

Time for birthdays, and school, and sweaters. Time for star-gazing and coffee dates.

Hi September. I missed you.