November Is Here

Hello! Happy November, my friends. I love November. It is the time to settle in, plan, get cozy, and rest in the promise of the upcoming excitement and joy of the holidays, followed by the stillness and rest of winter. 

Before we turned the page into November, we ended October with celebrations. First, on Saturday, Halloween! And then, Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) last night. Flynn dressed as the main character from her favorite movie to date... Project Hail Mary, big sister Madison dressed as a fashionable witch to go with her. 

I stayed home with the pups to prepare our Halloween dinner.

We enjoyed Cheese Broccoli Soup, Ham and Swiss, and Turkey and American Cheese Croissant Sandwiches, and an Apple Pecan Salad.

And a chocolate ganache tart for dessert. We played some games, visited, and remembered Halloween Past as well. 

Halloween 2003

( Flynn was waiting patiently up in Heaven. )

Last night, Madison and Nicolas hosted a lovely celebration for the Day of the Dead, where we remembered our loved ones who have passed.

It was a wonderful evening spent together, remembering our loved ones.

And now, we embrace all that November brings as we slow down and settle in. 

Thanks for visiting, my friends.

Billie Jo

Friday Before Halloween

Hello and Happy Friday, my friends! Here we are on the eve of Halloween. October was a beautiful month, and ending with some spooky fun seems like a good idea to me. First, though, some pictures of the week leading up to Halloween.

We ate.

Walked.

And did all the spooky, fun things.

Oh. I set up my planner for November, too.

Tomorrow is Halloween! However you celebrate it, if you do, enjoy. We are having our traditional Family Halloween Party tomorrow night, and I can't wait to get started!

Well, my friends. Enjoy the weekend however you choose. We get an extra hour of it, remember! I will see you back here on Monday. Happy Halloween!

Billie Jo

So Far

 

Good Wednesday morning, my friends. This was the first thing I saw when I went outside this morning. I am always in awe of the complexity and beauty of nature and how it all fits together at the same time every year. I see that firsthand as I walk the same circle every morning. I am a creature of habit, as they say. I like to do the same thing at the same time every day. And I am sure you are waiting with bated breath to know what that is, right??!!

I wake up around the same time each day. It is always between 6:15 and 6:45. The first thing I do is brush my teeth. Always. After that, I pull on my sweatpants and T-shirt before quietly grabbing my phone, my watch, and Mocha, not necessarily in that order. We head down to the mudroom, where Mocha begins to bark as if we have never done any of these things before, while I put on my sneakers and grab her leash. 

Once outside, we begin our walk. I usually listen to my prayer app while we are walking. We stop and walk out on the dock to say good morning to my momma. I finish my walk and head back inside, where Mocha gets a drink of fresh water, and so do I. Once Mocha is settled, I usually load any dishes in the sink into the dishwasher, which Flynn empties every night. Then I get my coffee ready to brew, throw in a load of laundry, check Flynn's lesson plans for the day, and go quietly into our room to get Cosmo, who has been patiently waiting this whole time.

Finally, I pour my cup of coffee, add a splash of creamer, and sit down in my spot on the couch. The pups snuggle in on either side under the throw blanket, and we sit together in the quiet of the morning, the only sound being the washing machine in the background. I am the only one awake for a bit, and I enjoy these quiet, peaceful moments each day. Soon, the Christmas tree lights will make it even better!

Happy Wednesday!

BillieJo

Monday Morning Coffee On Halloween Week!

Good morning, my friends! Well, here we are. It's Halloween Week! I mean, there are only so many scary movies, so much fun food, and so much spooky music one can cram into a day, so we like to spread it out. Hence, Halloween Week. Meanwhile, October has been lovely this year: unrushed days, mild temperatures, and colorful scenes all around.

Morning walks

On-the-way-to-Mass selfies

And AMAZING Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies made by Flynn and our friend Ross. 

And as I am typing this, Madison and Nicolas are departing their beloved Copenhagen after a wonderful trip visiting with his family and their friends. I am so happy for them all. Today I am putting some chicken in the crockpot for Chicken and Noodles later, along with some carrots with olive oil,  rosemary, and thyme. Then I am going to pour another cup of coffee before going over Flynn's schoolwork for the day. She has an Anatomy Lab that involves a microscope and skin slides, so there's that. I remember the days of pumpkin-seed and candy-corn science experiments. Time marches on!

Have a lovely Monday, my friends. Enjoy the last week of October. Soon enough we will be eating leftover turkey, turning on Christmas tree lights, and jingling all the way! Can't wait! In the meantime, this will be me for the next week...

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

And...It's Friday Again

Hello! How was your week? I hope it was nice, cozy, and productive. Our weather in Maryland is pleasant and very much fall-like, especially in the morning. When the sun comes out, it gets a bit warmer, making for a perfect late autumn afternoon. I have walked every morning this week, except yesterday, when a friend and I went Christmas decoration shopping! I am still enthralled with all things Halloween; however, I am one to be prepared for when the clocks strike twelve on Halloween night, Christmas arrives!

I don't have much to share in terms of food this week. That is not to imply that we didn't eat, of course. For instance, lunch one day ...                                                                                                                                                                                                                

We enjoyed a full week of homeschool, with our bonus student doing very well so far this year. And we kept in touch with Peyton, who is happy as can be, baking and sending us pictures of all her yummy meals and treats!

In other news, my Madison and Nicolas are safe and sound in his beloved Denmark, and are having a wonderful, wonderful time enjoying family, friends, and Copenhagen! I am getting beautiful photos too, like a traditional Danish breakfast with grapes grown by Peter, Nicolas' father.

So happy for and proud of these two. Miss them also. And lastly, Steve and our friend Ross walk along the boardwalk and take pictures for all of us. The ocean is unbelievably breathtaking in October. Highly underrated.

Flynn added one of her own from her bedroom window. 

Today we have homeschool, and I also heard a rumor about some chocolate chip cookies. Made with brown butter. Sounds perfect for my afternoon coffee. Tomorrow we are going to Mass and then out to dinner with some friends of ours from Pennsylvania. They were just married, so we are so excited to see them and celebrate with them. The remainder of the weekend is up in the air, so I am thinking possibly some Halloween movies, laundry, lesson plans, and a nap, too. 

Let's see what Pinterest is thinking about today.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends.

Next week is Halloween Week!!

Billie Jo