RAMBLING AGAIN

Hey!  We finally have some color on our trees!  I was really beginning to wonder!  Everyone was posting beautiful pictures of fall and I'd look outside and just see green (except my lawn which has turned brown).  Driving out to the western suburbs I'd see brilliant reds, golds and orange.  Here in the city it still looked like summer.  Then we got some warmer weather, then rain and now it has exploded into color.  Unfortunately, more rain came bringing a lot of wind and the trees are almost bare.  I got this shot out my kitchen window earlier in the week. Sometimes I just always seem to be behind the game!

It did occur to me today that Halloween is Wednesday, so I high tailed it up to CVS and bought the candy.  I know I'm not alone...if I buy it too early it magically disappears.  I've actually hidden it before but eventually everyone finds it, so I just bought extra.  Did you know you can freeze your leftover candy?

I don't decorate for Halloween, I haven't since the kids were little, but then I noticed something a few days ago...

...right here on my front porch.  Can you see it?

Here's a closer view.  Ewwwwww...It really is BIG.  I don't really have the heart to kill it but it's very close to the front door and I'm afraid someone will walk into it.  The wind keeps knocking him down but he comes right back.  What to do...

I have other critter problems, too.  A mouse in the house (or as an exterminator once told me, if you see one, you probably have 20).  You see, we have an attached garage off the kitchen.  Usually I put a box of poison out there when the weather turns cold and we never have a problem.  Last week when I went to do that, there was a squirrel trapped in the garage, running around like crazy.  I found a hole at the bottom of the old wooden door that leads out to the backyard, that's how the squirrel got in.  I can't put the poison out until the hole is fixed or I will have dead squirrels!  Likewise, I can't have poison in my house as I have small dogs that may get it.  What to do...

Milo is having a field day with all the critters hanging out to eat the walnuts that are falling off the trees.  He has two goals in life:  kill a squirrel or the mailman.

Things have otherwise been quiet around here.  I am excited to tell you that I have (finally) joined a gym!  The Husband joined the gym at the university 3 blocks away.  After a week he convinced me to join as well.  It's such a relief to know that I'm working on getting healthier and more active, especially now that winter is closing in.  I went for my annual physical this morning and my bad cholesterol is up.  The doctor gave me some literature to read, but I was really sort of shocked.  I make a lot of chicken and we have many meatless nights.  As much as I joke about my love of sweets, I really don't keep a lot like that in the house, The Husband is happy with his fiber bars.  I'm really going to have to think about this.  Anyone have this problem?  Any suggestions?

I left you last week mentioning that we might get away for a long weekend, maybe to a rental home on Lake Michigan.  Well, I did a little investigating and it looks like we can get one if we want to pay $800 per night!  Clearly these homes are meant for families to share.  I thought maybe we ought to just treat ourselves to a weekend in a nice hotel downtown, but The Husband works there everyday.  I think I am going to continue to check out small towns along the lake and look for a B&B.  I need a break!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful week,  The weekend is right around the corner!  Have fun! :)

FALL RANDOMNESS

I meant to post earlier in the week and then the days just got away from me.  We had a very quiet weekend at home...it rained both days.  I sort of like those days in early fall, when you don't feel guilty that you're not outdoors doing something fun or productive.  We slept a little later and I cooked every meal...no ordering out and while The Husband watched football, I blogged and caught up on my reading.  Emily and her fiance went to the Notre Dame game and then spent the night at the lakehouse which is just a half hour away.  She put away the front porch cushions and pillows for me and watered plants.  Sigh...there's nothing left undone there.  I know we will go up a few times over the winter but right now it is nice just to be rooted at home!

As you can see, the Hibiscus Sisters are blooming like crazy after bringing them in.  I guess I'm not going to kill them after all!  I like that we put the red one in the living room since it will look so perfect at Christmas!

The mums are doing fine, they really liked the rain they got over the weekend and I liked that I didn't have to water them! ;-D  Emily was right about the color combination looking good.  It's always nice to have a professional opinion!

As The Husband was getting ready for work Tuesday morning, he asked about my plans for the day.  I was hoping for a little free time so I answered excitedly, "Making cupcakes!"  He sort of gave me this look that said Is that all you have to do?  It nagged at me all day.  I went about what I had to do, straightened up the house, started laundry, went to the bank and the store, made lunch for son Jeff who popped in, folded and put away laundry, made the cupcakes and started dinner.  All the while I heard his voice in my head, Is that all you have to do?!!  Needless to say, he didn't get a cupcake.  By the way, these are pumpkin spice with cream cheese frosting.  If you want the recipe, just send me an email.

There are a lot of negatives that go along with blogging and they have been the topic of several blogger posts that I've read.  You can get a fat tush sitting in front of your computer all day.  Check.  Every event becomes a photo op with people (family members usually) saying, "You better not put this on your blog!"  Check.  And then there is the dreaded:   Don't Let Your Husband Know How Much Time You Spend Blogging!  Check. Check!  

For myself, I blog almost every morning while I have my coffee.  An entire pot.  I really love my morning coffee and I can easily spread it out over 2 hours or so.  Then I might come back to it later in the day while dinner is cooking or I have some free time.  Evenings are strictly saved for family and reading time.  But The Husband does see me at my computer a lot on weekends if we have nothing to do, like this rainy one we just had.  I don't "work" on weekends, I clean up the house a bit, wear sweat pants and just chill.  I suppose this is how he envisions me day after day.  Some men just don't notice the clean clothes in their drawers, a fresh stocked refrigerator and a hot meal on the table...well, they notice the meal but they think it happens magically!

Do I sound crabby?  Last week I went off about the clutter on my counters, which I am happy to say have stayed neat and the offensive fruit flies are gone.  I think the modern woman works just as heard as their spouse, just in a different capacity  Now that the kids need me less, I have more free time.  I'm not apologizing!

Anywhoo..I added a few things to the island and this completes my tweaking of fall decorating!

The Husband, who I am no longer aggravated with by the way, has been wanting to get away for a fall weekend.  I am thinking along the lines of renting a little beach house along Lake Michigan in a small, quaint town.  We really have fun doing those kind of things.  It would be really nice and relaxing to do before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  I'll keep you posted! :)  Have a wonderful weekend!

FALL CLUTTER & CLEANING

I feel like I have been gone a long time!  I just keep trying to find time to myself to do a post when it's quiet around here...that never happens!  And if I don't do it first thing in the morning, it gets pushed back and then I run out of daylight.  But I'm here, so...

I finally went out and got mums! Yay!  Home Depot had the best deal around, I think they were 3 for $8.97.  But they were the smaller pots.  I contemplated going to my garden nursery where the selection is bigger but the prices are sky high.  I settled for Home Depot.  Emily selected the colors, the burgundy red and the rusty orange and although I had doubts about the combo, they look great.  They have just started to bloom so I thought I'd wait on pictures.  No pumpkins this year either...sniff, sniff, the squirrels just make a mess of them and it's heartbreaking!  Even the little pumpkins that I put on the window ledges, they get up there and peer at me through the window all the while chomping away.  Nope, no more.

Last weekend, The Husband and son Jeff went to the lake to put away all of our summer stuff.  I took a pass on going as I had plenty to do here.  Lo and behold, they came home with most of the plants we keep on the patio.  Normally we just bring them into the lakehouse, water them the few times we are there and pray a lot.  So, say hello to Mrs. Hibiscus, who will be spending the winter with us in our tiny...er, cozy home. 

And here is Mrs. Hibiscus II, living in the family room.  The annuals just might make it, they have survived winters in the past.  And the hibiscus have bloomed.  I could use that during the cold, snowy winter.  So, I have welcomed them to Chicago!  Sort of.

Oh, he brought home a few ferns, too.  I love them to pieces...when they are outside.  Inside, a little messy.  I guess I am being a little fussy, it's only six (long) months!  The rose tree is there on the left, that's The Husband's pride and joy.  I hope I don't kill it!

I stared at and fiddled and stared some more at my mantel until I couldn't take it anymore.  Finally I just added a pitcher of hydrangeas and called it a day.  I think it looks balanced now.

I have been paying more attention to the kitchens I see on blogs and in magazines.  As you may remember, we redid our kitchen last fall.  It looked so nice I didn't want to put anything on the pretty new counter tops!  But it didn't take long before I cluttered it up.  Yep, I'm a clutter person and I don't know if I can ever change.  It's not messy clutter, just things that need a place of their own or hidden out of sight.  The new blender, which I had every intention of using to make healthy smoothies (and rarely did).  The tiered fruit stand.  Who likes warm fruit?  The trifle dish, the bread basket, another plant from outside...So yesterday I did a clean sweep.  And I feel good.  But, it's not me!  It looks like we are getting ready to sell and I've staged my house!  The Husband is thrilled he can see the granite again, and my interior designer daughter, Emily, thinks it looks perfect.  What do your counter tops look like?  Seriously.  Do you like things handy?  Do you like your favorites out?  Do you make little vignettes in the corners?  Do you have to clear space just to roll out dough?

I think I have managed to complain throughout this post!  Cabin fever already.  Some people feel like cleaning and organizing in the spring, but fall is when I take a look around and want some order in my life.  After spending the summer mostly outdoors, we're forced move back in and suddenly we notice the windows aren't so shiny and there are fruit flies around the basket of onions.  Yes, that happened to me the other day.  So, I made a mental list (I lose real lists) of all the organizing and fall cleaning I needed to do, when I heard Emily clomping up the stairs with the big box of fall decorations.  "So, where are we going to put this stuff, Mom?"  Grrrrrr...

See you soon! :)

MANTEL WOES

I know everyone thinks I have dropped dead, the cold I had was pretty bad and lasted a long time, but I am alive and well (sort of).  Still coughing but I am back in my own bed and I have kicked my Nyquil habit.  Thank you so much for all of your well wishes!  All of you are so great!

I wish I could say I was relieved of my household duties but in between naps and reading (I know, that's all it seems I do), I dusted, polished, disinfected the bathroom and kept up on the laundry.  On one of my seemingly endless trip to the grocery store, I picked up these pretty spider mums to brighten my day.  I still have to get some pots for my front porch, maybe tomorrow, and I want some greenery and faux berries from Michael's, which I never made it to last week.  I just ran out of energy.  One thing I did do was visit many blogs.  I am in awe of every one's fall decorations!  I think there should be a Blogger magazine just for decorating.  While I was lounging around the past 2 weeks, I had a look at my pile of Better Homes & Gardens magazines that had piled up going back to July.  I know, too many books and not enough magazine perusing.  I can only say that I get more inspiration for my home from reading blogs,  Definitely.

Okay, my mantel is a work in progress.  I didn't want anything too crowded or "orange".  I do however, think I need some leaves and berries and maybe a larger white pumpkin on the left side.

I have had this metal try for so long but it is really too big for my dining table so I just store dishes, napkins and silverware in it.  It came in handy for my monster mantel.

I also stole this Manzanita branch from Wedding Central in Emily's room.  These are going to be part of the table decorations at her wedding reception.

A close-up.  I should have arranged those candles differently for this picture but I was in a hurry as I was losing light.  Rain is coming...Yay!

So, it's looking a little lonely right now but I am forging ahead.  I really think some red berries will liven it up a lot.  

So, that's about all I have for this post.  Tonight I hope to make a REAL dinner after subsisting on a lot of frozen entrees from Costco.  Wow, they have a big selection; frozen lasagna, pot pies, Swedish meatballs...you name it.  I could get used to this!  I actually baked some brownies on Sunday, but I nibbled away at them so much that I have gone back on a sugar ban.  I just have zero willpower.  Are any of you baking yet?  I know it is still warm in a lot of areas, we have been lucky that we have been in the low 60's for awhile and then the 70's this week.  I love it!

I'm joining Courtney at Feather Your Nest Friday.  Visit everyone at French Country Cottage or join in the fun!  I will see you next week with a mantel update.  If you have any ideas or suggestions, let me know! :)