Cotton Candy Queen

Cotton fields… Unharvested. 

White as a bride admired by all, waiting like a Queen for her cotton-picker King. 

Cotton fields… Harvested.

Barren and brown except for the giant cotton bale marshmallows dipped in vibrant yellow and blue candy-colored wraps. 

An Ode to the Comfort of Coffee

☕️ 

Hot Coffee on a chilly Autumn morn… the steam kissing my cheeks, the caffeine nudging my brain to wake up and seize the day. 

Coffee… 

Warm in my hands and Warm in my heart.

♥️

An Ode to October’s Bright Blue Weather

Today a challenge was issued on one of the group chats I belong to. The challenge was to write descriptively about the lovely Fall weather we all have been experiencing across the nation! This was my speedily typed contribution. 

Obtainable October

     

    As I sit here this evening, listening to the drizzly rain continuing to drizzle, I feel content. September was simple and sweet. I used lots of paper plates, said "No" to sewing for myself, (not that I say "Yes" very often to sewing, but still! It felt simple to decide that my Fall/Winter wardrobe is good enough as it is! No pressure to perform!) and carved out pockets of time for reading Ruth Reichl and Run by Ann Patchett. I sipped lots of shaken oatmilk brown sugar cinnamon espressos, worked on bettering my boba recipe, and chose to focus on the good things and the good times. The Totally Booked Book Club added magic to the end of the month by celebrating the Second Annual White Dinner in a cow pasture under the September Supermoon. 

    Now we are one-thirds our way through Obtainable October. At various times during these past eleven days, it has wanted to feel like Overwhelming October. But then I intentionally take a mental step back to stop, realign my priorities, and shift my thought process out of its downward spiral. I have not always had the tools do this. But now on this night while God is watering the world, I do, and I do not take this for granted. I went through so much discontent and overwhelm and hard work and lowering of the bar to get to this place where life can truly feel Obtainable. If you aren't there tonight, rest assured that you can get there too. Life is made up of Seasons. It is not always Summer. There are Times of Tears and Places of Pain. But God is Everywhere; He rested and wants our lives to feel restful too. Obtainable October is for everyone!

Comfort Me With {caramel} Apples

It’s supposed to be Fall after all. But Summer hasn’t collapsed yet. It is hot and humid and happy to stay that way. While I’m waiting, I’m comforting myself with apples. Apples dipped in creamy caramel. Caramel cooked so lazily that you don’t even have to open the can of sweetened condensed milk before you cook it. I used my Instant Pot and followed these simple instructions. You should too. Then be like me and eat an apple a day to keep Summer away, each tart bite of crispy Pink Lady dunked in sweet, molten lava the color of the golden leaves that we are waiting ever so patiently to see. You can also spread this tawny sauce on toast, or dribble it deliberately over salted popcorn. Maybe, just maybe if we comfort ourselves with enough apples and copious amounts of caramel, Fall will come. 

*Meet Me for Lunch* at Xian

"Let's meet for lunch!"

Fellow foodie and friend, Shirley Unruh and I have said these words to each other for months now! Yesterday we finally made it happen at Xian Noodle Place. 

(pic from their fb page)

Shirley arrived before I did, (believe or not lol) and was animatedly conversing with the patrons in the booth next to ours. They were diehard foodies too also dining at Xian for the first time. The restaurant was spacious and clean with quiet background music playing; not many people dining. More arrived while we were there. We chose steamed pork dumplings and pot stickers for starters. Both equally delicious. For our main, I chose Braised Beef with Noodles and Shirley selected Soy Sauce Chicken with Noodles. Both bowls were savory and satisfying, but not nearly as gratifying as pho. Even though this wasn't trying to be pho, it was hard not to compare. But the star of the lunch to me was my Grapefruit Fresh Tea with Popping Peach Boba! It put the capital D in Delightful!! Both of us rated it higher than Shirley's Peach Oolong Milk Tea. 

Although I don't feel like I'll be clouted with a craving to slurp up their noodles again, I totally know I want to go back to Xian for another tea!

Outside my Window on the Thirteenth of September

 

Outside my window....the barren branches of my porch pot tomato plant that was devoured (twice) by squishy fat green tomato worms taunts me with failure.

I am thinking....that I should aspire to step 12,000 steps per day!

I am thankful...that I was able to go to work at "My Real Job" aka Secretary for Faircloth Land Services today. Although spending the last two days mostly working on Comforter Committee Sewing duties was also a blessing!

In the kitchen...sits the copper cookie tin from WeCare that I use for my slop bucket. I love it as much as one can love a slop bucket.

I am wearing...an Old Navy terra cotta colored t-shirt dress.

I am creating...another batch of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Simple Syrup.

I am going...to give myself and others more grace than usual because it's Simple September. Simply love, simply give.

I am reading.... Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl. 

I am hoping...to keep on track with my Cleaning Schedule this week. I now identify as a person who cleans her house weekly!

I am looking forward to...finalizing Tax Season 2022.

I am learning...that if you want others to respect something, you first have to respect it yourself.

Around the house....real life is being lived. A Lego set half-built on the table, miscellaneous stuff from Danl's truck spread out on the couch being sorted, piles of papers on my desk.

One of my favorite things.... is hearing about Danielle's school day on the drive home.