Happy Fall!

Oops.  It's Saturday.  I'm late for Friday Fave Fives with Susanne. Well, better late than not at all.  I am thankful that we woke up this morning (and every morning this week) strong and healthy and able to do what was put in front of us.  This week is the 700th! week that Susanne has hosted Friday Fave Fives!  Follow the link to celebrate the week and the years with us.

1.  Older daughter's home is nearly empty.  We will empty the last few items from the garage on the weekend.  Half done!  On to Younger Daughter's last few things at her place.

2.  One evening when we were loading boxes into our cars, it started to rain.  Not just a few drops, but it was a downpour and thunderstorm.  The short drive to the new place was slow because we could hardly see.  And of course, we just unloaded the boxes in the rain.  A fave?? Why would THAT be a fave??  It's because we all just looked at each other and started to laugh.  That's our family...

3.  Since then, the weather has been absolutely perfect!   We've been calling it Southern California winter.  Which has been helpful for the amazing hard workers recreating our patio.

4.  We greeted the arrival of Autumn (it's Fall, y'all!) with a yummy hearty minestrone style veggie soup.

5.  I think my fifth fave just has to be that we are thankful that we are almost done with the moves.

Oh~  I just thought of a bonus.  My ophthalmologist checked my eyes this week and gave me an 'all clear' diagnosis. (get the pun?)  I am thankful for that!

What things are you thankful for?  Autumn equinox?  Morning coffee?  

Wednesday Hodgepodge, Halloween Style

 Hello, it's Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by From This Side of the Pond.

1. Boo, boo-hoo, make a boo-boo, boo(ze)...pick one and tell us how it relates to life lately.

                Honestly, all I can think of is that ‘Bu or Ibu is the Indonesian word for mother or Mrs.  I was often called Ibu or ‘Bu when we lived in Indonesia, so that is the connotation that always pops into my mind when I hear ‘BOO’!  

2. Do you like the color orange? Would we find this color in your home? Your wardrobe? Peach-pumpkin-tangerine...your favorite shade of the three listed?

                I am not a fan of the color orange.  The reason is certainly that I look terrible in orange, being a very fair-skinned blonde.  You will never find orange in my wardrobe unless it shows up as a tiny bit of accent in a floral print.   If I had to choose one of those three colors, I would want tangerine, simply because I enjoy eating tangerines.

3. October 28th is National Chocolate Day. What's the last chocolate something you tasted? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being out of this world delicious, how would you rate it? 

                Every evening, The Professor and I each eat a small portion of a dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s.  It’s fair trade and very dark.  We purchase only fair trade chocolate because we have learned that chocolate harvesting and production has the WORST history and record for human trafficking.  I have seldom tasted anything better, so I would give it an eight or nine out of ten.

4. Life is like a box of chocolates or so says Forrest Gump's mama. Would you agree? Aside from the pandemic fallout tell us one way this saying has played out in your life. 

                Life is like a box of See’s Candies mixed chocolates.  You never know when you bite in to a piece, what you’re going to get.  It’s always an adventure.  And so is life.   An example:  when I married The Professor, lo those many years ago, I thought I was marrying a man who was going to be a college professor (like his father).  Our life course changed and I was a missionary wife, an engineer’s wife, back to missionary wife again, and then finally, in our last decade or two of working before retirement, I became a professor’s wife.  So, I guess I did marry a professor; it just took a long time for that to happen.

5. As October winds down tell us three things you loved about the month we're bidding adieu. 

                I loved the turning leaves.

                I loved the crisp blue sky days.

                I loved unpacking boxes in my new home and ‘rediscovering’ items I had packed months ago. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

               You do not need to work out at the gym if you are unpacking your new home.  Lots of steps.  Plenty of heavy lifting, bending, moving.  

My First September Week in Five Favorites

 Good morning!  It's Friday!  Willow's Week has been full of our two full time (temporary) jobs:  nursing our daughter during her recovery from ankle surgery and searching for a new home.  Here are Five Faves from this week which I am sharing along with others via FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.

1.  My daughter's ankle is healing well after her surgery two weeks ago.  I am so thankful the doctor was able to remove the external stitches today and she is cleared for 'starting' to put weight on it.

2.  We have the best realtor.  He is helpful and patient and persistent.  While we haven't yet found 'our home', we are being very interactive with the realtor and looking at properties nearly daily.

3.  Weather.  Lots of rain.  We don't have to be concerned about drought here.  And according to my girls, the weather 'broke' today and it wasn't muggy.  (See?  I get to learn lots of new things!)

4.  Listening to Daughter #1 (the rocket scientist) and her dad talking about old movies.  They both love movies, especially old ones, and they can discuss the pros and cons of them all for hours.

5.  Family dinners.  It's one of the reasons we moved here.

What blessings have you found in your week?