Monday Musings... Waiting for Fall...

Fall/autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the cool, crisp days, the gray rainy ones, apples and pears, the sound of leaves when you walk through them... I also enjoy the dark evenings, and the anticipation of fall and winter holidays. Unfortunately, it still feels more like summer here. Last week, it was sunny and hot, in the upper 80s to the low/mid 90s. This week though is finally slated to be cooler!

Outside My Window...
There was some lovely, thick fog this morning on my way to work. Gray, and misty, and damp. It smelled like fall outside! Now it has cleared off, the sun is shining, but the temperature is still hovering in the 60s.

Things I'm Thinking About...
Getting ready for fall, and then winter. We need to fix a leak in the roof over the family room, and we'll need our backflow device replaced this year. On a more cheerful note, the kids are beginning to think about Halloween costumes, and we're planning a camping trip for the Thanksgiving weekend (yes, instead of a typical dinner!). And we're planning for the Equinox next weekend. Maybe a hike in the redwoods, or a trip out to the coast.

In My Garden...
I need to deadhead much of the yard soon, and start thinking about mid-late fall and winter veggie gardening. We harvested a few ears of corn that were delicious, and we're drying several for homemade popcorn.

Around the House...
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. I swear dirty dishes multiply on their own. I need to finish getting the kids' bedrooms cleaned and reorganized, with their help, of course. I want to make a new fall wreath for the front door, then design a winter one to put up at the Winter Solstice.

In Our Kitchen...
Mmmm. I've been daydreaming about fall foods, so I went ahead and made this delicious soup for my lunches this week (note: I blend the whole thing until it is nearly smooth, not just half of it, which makes it slightly brown in color, but so good!). I was thinking about a Three Sisters stew for the Equinox, but I believe we're going with a spicy, rich Pozole Rojo instead (insert drooling here). My mom has been making a lot of jam lately, for her church's food pantry, and we have benefited from that! My favorite is the Asian Pear & Ginger, with the Apricot Green Tea at a close second. I also need to harvest and deal with all my basil.

In Our Homeschool...
I'm going to start reading The Story of Dr. Doolittle with The Girl, and The Boy is going to read a few sections of The New Way Things Work over the week. I'd like to make sure we hit the basics daily, and I'd like to get through another 3-4 chapters from the Story of the World. I swear I'll get in our rotational reading this week too (geography, philosophy, living math, and poetry)!

Other Plans for the Week Ahead...
Blackberry picking for sure, before they are gone. I want to get enough to freeze a few small containers for winter enjoyment. The Girl had derby practice yesterday, and The Boy will have his two fencing sessions later in the week. I need to start planning my class presentation for early October, so that I am ready ahead of time. I need to finish going through our cold weather clothes, to see what still fits the kids, what The Boy can hand down to The Girl, and what we need to donate, then replace. And planning for our Thanksgiving camping trip! I also need, now that my back is better, to start exercising again. I plan on just walking on the treadmill this week, so I can finish healing, before I start the Couch Potato to 5K program again. I also want to start strengthening my back, upper and lower, to maybe avoid future issues!