Goodbye, October

 This is the fifth Friday in October.  We say bye to October today.  And welcome November tomorrow.  And since it's Friday, it's Friday Fave Fives time.  Here are my Five Faves from this last day of October.  You can join me and others in sharing five blessings from this week and post them HERE on Susanne's blog.

1.  Happy Halloween!  Our town did their trick-or-treat last night (Thursday), and The Professor and I sat out in our open garage and handed out candy to all of TWELVE children who came by.  Truth.  We lived on a dead end street, three houses from the end, so not many kids venture down to our place.  And it was cold, windy and sometimes rainy.  After the hour and a half of designated time, we closed up and moved back inside to eat our dinner and cuddle under blankets to warm up.  We had fun!

2.  Last Saturday Nurse Girl and I took the day to spend it at a friend's home doing nothing but knitting and chatting.  We had a fantastic time.  It was the best day possible.  We even had a chance to visit an antique shop that had a whole room full of yarn and another room full of fabric.  Wow!  We'll be back!  There are plans to have a "Knitaway" at least every three months.  I have a few photos of our time at Knitaway, but I didn't get permission to share them (oops).   Even the drive down was fun and beautiful.  Can you guess what kind of car Nurse Girl drives?

3.  Monday evening The Professor and I enjoyed attending a concert.  But it wasn't just any concert.  It was the African Children's Choir!  All the way from Uganda!  We noticed an article in the local newspaper about the choir coming to perform in a town near us, and we decided to go.  It was beautiful!  All the children were eight to eleven years old.  If you want to know more about them, go to AFRICAN CHILDREN'S CHOIR.  We were amazed and were so blessed.

4.  It wouldn't be a real week if we didn't get out for at least one hike.  One of our local county parks has a fairy trail, and PAL wanted her other grandma to walk there.  Sadly, the fairy houses had disappeared for the winter.  But there was a lovely bench to rest on.

After we walked that trail we continued on around the lake which was beautiful.

5.  A problem at PAL's house (a plumbing issue) ended up being a fave this week, too.  The plumbing guy couldn't get to the clean-out because many years ago, a former owner of the house built a porch over it.  So The Professor and T (of T and S) went over and helped Chaps saw a square out of the deck and fix it so the hole can be covered over but also make it possible to have access again.  No photos but The Professor said it was the best sawing job he has ever done.  And I do think that the guys had a good time discussing all the options and kneeling down making that opening.  Of course, at least one new tool had to be purchased.  Most importantly, though, is the fact that the pipe is fixed.

I hope you have had wonderful things happening in your life this last week of October, too.  Maybe some yummy candy!  And autumn leaves!

Friday Fave Fives in Late October

Another busy busy week has passed by so quickly.  It is Friday morning, and I am hitting the pause button to catch my breath so I can remember what good things have happened here at Willow's Cottage this week.  I love doing this Friday Fave Fives with others because it helps me be more thankful and more intentional about being thankful.  Susanne is our faithful host and she posts a place for us to link and share with others.  Head over there to HER BLOG to join us.

And here are my Five Faves from this past week:

1.  Once a month, our knit group meets at a local coffee shop and spend the morning together.  This month were only five of us, but we had the best time, knitting and chatting.

2.  After our weekly Bible Study, our small group of women met at Olive Garden was a fellowship lunch.  Most of us don't know each other well, so this was a great time to get better acquainted.

3.  Daughter-in-law's mom is here from Phoenix, Arizona visiting for a week.  PAL asked if her two grandmas could have their picture taken together.  Of course!

4.  PAL loves running with Auntie's doggies on the trail!  There she is way in front of the rest of us.

5.  And there is nothing better than walking the trails in the autumn, among the beautiful trees as their leaves turn all kinds of beautiful colors.  (The Professor and Nurse Girl with the other doggie)

And just for fun, here is a beautiful red barn!

And a lovely grey barn!

A Wonderful Week in October

What have I been doing the past week?  Keeping busy.  But not taking any photos (this is unusual for me).  My days have been filled with many blessings.  Here are five of them that I have chosen to share as my Friday Fave Fives.  THIS LINK will take you to where you can read more and join if you want with others who are sharing their five faves from this past week.

1. I hope you don't get tired of me saying how happy I am to be able to call or text Chap's family and say, "Wanna meet for lunch/dinner/coffee this week?"  It fills my heart with happiness knowing that we can see them whenever.

2.  PAL's eleventh birthday was last Friday.  We had a fun dinner at their new home, and PAL entertained us with a 'lecture' on Ancient Egypt which she has been studying in her history class.  Then Saturday night, we enjoyed leftovers and more time with them.

3.  My daughter-in-law belonged to a book club in their old home in Arizona, and she has already found one here.  It's called Well Read Mom.  This week, I accompanied her to the meeting and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I'm seriously considering joining too.  And the extra perk is spending that time with her.

4.  Lots of garden work has been getting done because the weather has been autumn perfect.

5.  Because of a necessary trip into the big city (Columbus), Nurse Girl and I had a chance to go shopping at a mall in the area. Both of us were looking for particular things and were successful. We both now own new warm gloves for winter, and I found a pair of linen slacks to add to my very small wardrobe of items I can wear (that I'm not allergic to). We also enjoyed a quick dinner.  And the best part was just spending time together.

So you won't be too bored... here are some autumn photos from a couple of years ago.  The fall leaves were brilliant that year!

October Faves

Friday Fave Fives.  I love joining other people who write five things that they are thankful for every week.  It makes me think all week about how blessed I am and how I need to be thankful for all the good things in my life.  Here are my Fave Fives for this week.

1.  All moved in!  Chaplain Dan and his family are settling in to their new home.  All the boxes and furniture were moved from the storage cubes on Saturday, except for the piano.  On Sunday after church, four very kind and strong men came and helped get the piano into the house. What a blessing!

2.  Rain.  We had a very rainy day this week. The soil sucked up all the water and all the plants are happy because we have been in drought.  I am thankful for that rainy day.

3.  The Professor mentioned to me this week that he is thankful to be living near enough to our two high school grandsons (cousins) to be able to help by taking them to school two mornings this week when their mothers were not available to take them.  Even if it meant being up at 6:20 to let them in the house and then drive them over to the school at 7am.  I agree with him.  Living in the same town is a joy to us.  And then hearing them say, "Love you!" as they get out of the car and slam the doors shut...

4.  I am loving having Chaps and J and PAL living so close to us.  At noon today, we met at a wonderful coffee shop that serves tasty lunch items and enjoyed just hanging out and talking with them.  And then later in the day, we popped over to help them unpack a few more boxes.  J and I just looked at each other and smiled-- we get to see each other every week now instead of every year.

5.  Another reason I am so late posting my FFFs-- in the afternoon, The Professor and I met Nurse Girl, her boyfriend and Warrior Boy and of course, the granddogs at a park nearby and we hiked two miles in rather hilly terrain.  It was a perfect day for a hike and the surrounding trees were a perfect place.

You may notice that the leaves on the trees haven't really turned to autumn colors yet.

The Professor sitting on a bench that a Trail Life member made and placed there for his final project. (like an Eagle Scout badge)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stop to appreciate all the blessings in your lives, including the flowers.

Autumn Beauty

 I can't get enough of the autumn leaves and trees and flowers.  Going back through earlier years of living in a four season area (five falls now!), I am soaking in all the beauty.

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Hopefully, coming soon.

Mundane and Amazing

Some weeks when I plan and write my Friday Fave Fives, I have big amazing faves.  Other weeks, I simply share basic things in life that I am blessed with.  This week, it is a mix of amazing and basic.  Truthfully, our lives are just that, aren't they?-- a mix of mundane and magnificent.  But they are all blessings.  I am sharing my Five Faves to remind myself and to encourage all of you who read my blog.

1.  Our son and his family have a home!  They closed on their home this week!  They have been slowly moving in, and tomorrow is the big day to unload all the big furniture.

Their new home is just five minutes away from our house and our daughters' house (The Hive)

2.  Fall decor.  I don't do much decorating. But even the simplest autumn decorations make me smile.

3.  Another mundane thing that delights me.  My bunny Eleanor Elizabeth has a new dress!  I finished knitting it this morning and dressed her in it immediately.  She was so excited!

4.  Our Nurse Girl has moved from night shift to day shift.  She loved working with the co-workers on night shift, but the hours were hard, especially because she has children in the home.  Hopefully, schedules will be easier now.

5.  Last night, The Professor and I attended a 'reunion' at our local hospital where he was so well cared for in the ER and in the Inpatient Intensive Rehabilitation Unit after his stroke last May.  Every year, the Rehab Unit hosts all former patients to this reunion to enjoy a meal and opportunities to visit with their therapists, nurses and doctors and share how well they are doing now.  Actually, I also think that the reunion is great encouragement for the staff.  We are so very thankful that there is such great medical care right in our community.  (PS:  this is the hospital where our Nurse Daughter/Girl works)

Has your week's blessings been Amazing or Mundane?