Blizzard (in October)

It is snowing.  And snowing really hard.  We were puttering around the house when a neighbor came over and said something about the tree in the back - branches were coming down.  So we looked, and yes, branches were down - so out came the snow shovels and the chain saw.  We got rid of the branches, and decided to move our cars from under the trees to the front of the house.  We no sooner did that (lots of shoveling involved), when a HUGE branch came down!  It would have smashed my car, and damaged his.  Lucky stars! 

(and M. just mentioned that the branch could have hit us - a thought that hadn't occurred to me yet....)

 The branch smushed my clothesline

 took down the ancient basketball hoop

 and the deer are back, they looked at us like we were interrupting them when we dragged the earlier branches in the back.

Wish us luck!
M is going out to knock the snow off the tree leaning on our cable wire,
godforbid we lose our cable!!!

Massachusetts weekend

The fall isn't as pretty this year.  The colors really aren't popping, I don't know, maybe not cold enough yet?  Even in MA, which is one of the fall color places, it wasn't overwhelming, I've seen prettier.  But the light!  My goodness, toward evening the light was just amazing.  Like in a painting.  I'd show you, but I only caught it while going over bridges, glimpses while driving, and never long enough to get the camera in action, not even out of the purse!  I saw a photo that someone else took with that light, and maybe if I say pretty please, she'll let me show it.

We did have time to stop by a nursery, filled with fall flowers, hay rides, a corn maze and pumpkins and gourds, which got my attention.  We stayed long enough to get an ice cream (soft serve, my favorite), and then I went on a buying spree - butternut squash for 49 cents a pound!  I got enough to hopefully still have one for Thanksgiving.  And then I got a green hubbard squash, a small one, these get really huge, a Japanese really orange variety, some little green and white squashes, and a huge cabbage.  I wanted the huge cabbage for the leaves, I'm tired of making galumpkis (stuffed cabbage) with tiny leaves.
Sadly, I didn't find last year's favorite of mine, the buttercup squash.  Declared so far the best by all of us.

Can you tell I went into winter food mode?  I seem hungry all the time.  I am working on perfecting my cinnamon roll favorite recipe, doing well with it, messed up a raisin bread by not having the time/patience to wait until it's done, but it still is really good, even with a gooey center in the middle, and I'll make a pizza with leftovers (meatballs, etc) tonight.
(and it was good!)

Pumpkins

It's fall.  And not as lovely as in previous years - maybe the glory is still to come?  Anyway, it's not as colorful, bright, smack-you-in-the-face glorious as I remember falls.
And it isn't just me.  We drove to the Delaware Water Gap on Saturday, intending to hike/walk a bit.  I wanted to show off Millbrook, a lovely village we'd discovered years ago, when my children where still small, and there was one lonely park ranger (with lovely blue eyes), who doubled as the blacksmith.
Since then, Millbrook has been discovered by lots of volunteers, who added to the place, and have made quite a difference.

Anyway, Millbrook was closed.  Sowere ALL the restrooms in the park, and several other attractions.  Disappointed, and needing a restroom, we went to the (HUGE!) PA welcome building on the PA side.  Where we heard this exchange:
'Where can I find the most colorful leaves?'  Ranger:  'they are all over the park, sir'
'but I want the MOST colorful leaves, where would they be?'
'I don't know, sir, it changes daily, leaves that were there yesterday may have been blown away today, you'll just have to look'
'but can't you recommend a special spot?  I came all the way to photograph colorful leaves'

At that point I had to walk away, it was getting too funny, and I admired the ranger's patience.

But, I promised pumpkins!  This year I actually broke down/found a white pumpkin!
And I got the orange mottled one as a present!  Thank you so much!

Lovely, aren't they? 

Oh, and it looks like I am the hostess for Thanksgiving.  Wanna come over?

On the menu so far:

Turkey

gravy

Cranberry sauce 

mashed potatoes

stuffing

pumpkin pie

pecan pie

suggestions are welcome.  Of course we'll have vegetables.

I don't know which ones yet....

Movie and so on

Got a chance to go in the yard and take some pictures:

 This is the yard, with the equipment truck in the corner straight ahead.

The movie is being filmed in the brick building, which used to be a coppersmith's forge

 The dust containment system (not part of the movie, part of the mill)

covered in fabric from us, doesn't it look funny?

It needs to be covered, or all the tubes get wet and freeze

 Logs ready to be cut for wood to make kilns

 back to the movie set...

and M a stand-in for the actor

 Old stuff in the corner

My hero!

and this is what he normally does.

Funeral

My son and his family are here for a funeral.  While a sad occaisson, I get to see Kate and Noah (and their parents, of course).  Kate is fascinated with her brother, and loves it when he makes faces at her.  Also visiting is Nibby, the 7-year old German Shepard.

Noah entertaining his sister.

On a different note:  there is a movie being made on our lot at work.  It's dingy and dirty there, they are using a building which had been abandoned, and as far as I know, it's a short film about someone freaking out over religion.  M. made a podium with a cross in it with lights (I'll take pictures), and a couple of signs, besides fixing up a door.  The yard is dirt/mud when it rains, and filled with old barn wood, and logs to make kilns.

Tonight: overnight guests again, Matthew and Jessica!  Jessica will be getting tacos with guacamole, and Matthew a home-made pizza.  No, we're not spoiling the grandkids!

Jessica practicing

Self portrait with kids

9/11 Memorial

My daughter sent me this photo yesterday from her cell phone:

She was there, her office is hosting visitors from another country, so she got a ticket to get in to see the memorial.  We had talked about it, I was saying how to me I remember vividly the buildings still covered with dust right after 9/11, the photos, the funerals, the videos, all of it, and how I felt no need to go see the memorial. 

She called and told me to make a reservation to go see it.  So she changed my mind, and I went online and did make reservations for the 10th of December.

New York Visit

We went into the city via Hoboken and the PATH (subway).  One ends up in the pit, or now basement, of the former WTC (World Trade Center).  It's no longer a pit, like it was the last time I was there, it's all covered and I guess above is the basement of the new tower, and part of the memorial.  One needs a ticket to get into the memorial, and it was too late at that point so all we could do is try to see it from the Winter Garden.

The Winter Garden is right next to the WTC, and was damaged during 9/11.  Nothing is visible of the damage, and it's restored to the former glory - and beautiful it is.

On across the town, through City Hall Park, where this guy was waiting for us:

right in the bushes, not shy at all.

 My lame attempt at jumping (although my feet are off the ground)

my strong man!

Weather was glorious - warm, sun shine, perfect.

 Doesn't this  bride look like right out of a fairy tale?

 and the gorgeous view from Brooklyn toward Manhatten - post card....

yes, we 'stole' this photo from the photographer, and no, we don't know the couple.

And it looks like someone hung out their laundry.  And I hope they are done soon with the refurbishing of the Bridge.

So hard NOT to grab a camera - this isn't taken with mine, which was in my pocket, but dummy me forgot the memory card, that was in the computer at home!

Then a subway and a PATH ride back to the car, and off we were to Liberty State Park on the NJ side:

This has to be the most photos from me, 

thank you for looking at the entire post!

It was a perfect ending to a beautiful day.

(Lasagne and salad at home, a little TV, and exhausted to bed)