Before long, on the interstate heading home.
Hello! I am coming to you from chilly Pennsylvania! We are having a nice time and getting some things done! My doctor's appointment went well —just a regular visit —and the dentist is over, so there is that. Flynn is still cavity-free, which means our streak of no cavities for all four of my children continues! Yay!
We went to the pumpkin patch with Peyton and Chris, then to their house for dinner. Peyton made one of our favorite family recipes: pumpkin-stuffed shells. They were delicious! She somehow makes them even better! She made the most delicious dessert, too. It was Chocolate Cobbler, and it was as good as it sounds.
Me: So happy to be on my way to Peyton's!
What do you get when you combine two adults, one teenager, three dogs, two suitcases, and one duffle bag, with random road trip items like blankets, snacks, water bottles, phone chargers, earbuds, loose change, various receipts, and the old Walmart bag used for trash? Well, you get us, yesterday! Steve, Flynn, Marty, Cosmo, Mocha, and I made the trip from Maryland back to PA yesterday, and it went smoothly...for the most part. We left around 3:00 PM and arrived back at the lake about 10:00 PM. That was with only two quick stops, one at a Sheetz convenience store and gas station that we always stop at because we know it has clean restrooms. And one more at a McDonald's because I neglected to have my coffee that morning! How? How is that possible? Well, I tend to switch into "Trip Mode" on days we travel, which involves rapidly cleaning our bathroom, changing our bedsheets, and vacuuming, so it is fresh and clean when we get home. Thus, no coffee. This became apparent to me somewhere along the way when I began to get the telltale headache. At that point, Steve got me some Tylenol at the Sheetz with the clean bathrooms, but he bought the small plastic packets that are impossible to open. I went into the store with the package of pills, and because I felt weird about walking around with pills, I went to the cashier before I went to the restroom, and told her my husband had just purchased these pills and we were unable to open them. She was very kind and told me she didn't have any scissors, but asked if she could use a pocket knife to do it. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so pocket knife it was. Then I had to think about going into a Sheetz restroom with open pills. Thankfully, my teenage daughter took them and zipped them up in her jacket. Once we were all done, we returned to the car, where Steve was trying to keep three dogs settled, and my headache was in rare form. It was then that I began to second-guess the whole pocket knife situation, but at that point, I didn't care where they came from. I swallowed those Tylenol, and we were on our way. That is, after Steve said I should go into the Sheetz right in front of me to get a coffee. Nope. No Sheetz coffee for me. Why, you ask? As did Steve. Well, I don't have a go-to at Sheetz. It would have taken too much time and effort to figure out what I wanted, so off we went. Soon enough, Steve found a McDonald's, and I was sipping my Pumpkin Spiced Iced Coffee as if my life depended on it. After a few true crime podcasts, we were pulling into the driveway and doing all the things you do when you arrive after a long drive. For me, it was unpacking, washing my face, brushing my teeth, and getting my jammies on before snuggling on the couch with the pups.
Today I have a doctor's appointment—just a checkup — tomorrow we have a dentist appointment, and this weekend a wedding. We also plan on spending lots of time with Peyton and Chris, visiting Heather and my friend Delane, and hopefully seeing my sister Margie. Flynn and I are planning on school while we are here too. Then we will pack up and make the return trip home, just in time for Halloween! Ok, I need to head to the doctors. I always get the first appointment of the day if I can. Fewer germs that way. Plus, I get it done and can go home, shower, and be all set for the day. Ok, my friends. Have a great day! Thanks for visiting!
Leaving you with a few days of walking photos from the past few days.
Technically, it is Monday Morning Water today. I have pushed my morning coffee back a bit since I have been walking in the mornings. Now I have water after my walk, get cleaned up and ready for the day, and then have my coffee. In case you were wondering.
Well, here we are on the twentieth day of October. And this leads me to wonder if I am truly enjoying this, my favorite time of year. Am I recognizing the subtle changes in the leaves around me? Have I listened to my autumn playlist? Watched my favorite Halloween movies, and cooked our special autumn dinners? What about baking? Fall is the best time to bake all the pumpkin cake, cookies, and pie. What am I doing?? Why have I not done all the things?? Well, it is because I realized that time goes on and life changes. I now feel comfortable letting go of some of the traditions and expectations of the past. And once I did, I found there is time for other things that are just as fun.
So, for these last remaining days of October, I embrace where I am, reflect on what I have done, and do what I want to enjoy the beauty and coziness of this glorious month. I am going to focus on fall and pumpkin spice and books and coffee, and my family. I am going to shut out the noise of everything else and realize that it is OK to choose this...
Have a wonderful Monday, my friends! Thanks for visiting. I am always glad you do!
Billie Jo
Hello! And Happy Friday! I hope your week was happy, healthy, productive, and cozy, of course. We had a wonderful week around here, because my best friend Heather and her husband Dave were here! I hadn't seen Heather since May, and we had lists of things to talk about! First, though, morning walking in October is the best.
