WOW, it was beautiful this morning! It's amazing to me how sunlight can transform the mundane into the extraordinary, how light itself is what is beautiful. The sun broke through the clouds while I was on my walk this morning and painted the world gold.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Thankful for that crew, above. Good friends, good times!
Why is November so SHORT this year? October lasted forever. November, not so much. I am looking forward to all the Thanksgiving festivities and the holidays to follow, but I am left a bit breathless by the relentless pace. I need two weeks outside of time, that's all! Here is some of November so far.
Those cookies are all gone, by the way.
Stuck in about 5 million leis.
hahahaha, boys and their toys
And this is Heidi cooking breakfast in the kitchen of MEREDITH'S new house on CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND!!! THAT is the big news! Meredith has been wanting a house here for a long time, and Heidi did a lot of hard work to get one for her, since Meredith is still overseas. We went down last weekend so Heidi could sign the papers and we could "move in." We were only there for a day and a half, but I'm already planning my next trip down. Here is Heidi with a wreath we made with all the leavings from my whirlwind landscaping stint.
It's raining tonight, I've been listening to Christmas music and keeping myself sane by making list after list after list. There is MUCH to do!
Did you know that there is a huge storm off the eastern coast right now? With massive flooding, high winds, and power outages? And did you know that Heidi and I are in the middle of it, stuck on Chincoteague, the causeway to the mainland closed, and surrounded by wetness? Well, now you do. We are here on Business, and that shall be disclosed later; it is not my Business. Here are some photos from our balcony at the Hampton Inn.
See the ducks? Any port in a storm. . .
Hoping for better weather soon!
It was really, really big.
And really, really fun!
And while the wide-angle does not love my face, the boy does, and I love him. "Allyson, can you take a picture of me and you?"
Of course, my dear, of course.
Because doing your homework in the leaf pile is the best.thing.ever.
A bed of leaves for small autumn sprites!
And yesterday, a beautiful day and an abyssmal game. We weren't too bothered, though, since I wouldn't call either of us Browns fans. We do root for them though. It was enough to be out on that glorious day without the child. When a raucous Browns game complete with drunken louts shouting obscenities and banging on the seats seems like a peaceful break, you can understand what life with our two-year-old is like. 🙂
Don't the other fans look happy!
Sexy apron, no?
Heidi, Chad, Little A., and I went to Boo at the Zoo in Cleveland this past Sunday. Little A went dressed as a bear, and he was super cute! Heidi was a Polynesian woman, and while cute is not a word I would use to describe her, I will say that it was SOMETHING else!
Going from the cold outside to the warm greenhouse made my lens fog up. I loved the effect.
Then we hit the dance tent. Little A is a dancing fool. Seriously, we stayed and danced for a LONG time, and he never got sick of it! We had to make him leave.
It is the best month of the year! So why do I always feel sick in October?? My sinuses rebel, my head hurts, my neck is sore, and I feel like a train wreck when I wake up every morning. Nonetheless, it is my favorite month.
I am now very old, although 34 looks a lot like 33. It's still early going, so I'll keep you posted. It was kind of a weird birthday. We did some really fun things, but my heart wasn't in it this year. SIGH. The cupcakes were really good, thank you Sarabeth!
Such a pretty autumn sprite!
We had a lovely, messy pumpkin carving party over at the Clotworthy's this past weekend. It was rowdy and loud and totally AWESOME.
We tie-dyed these shirts earlier this month. We are completely addicted to tie-dying.
Good times!
How are you enjoying October?
First, we picked apples.
Then, after nap, we went on a hike.
Finally, after this active day, a day during which I hadn't had a shower, or done my hair, or vacuumed the hairy carpets, or even put laundry away, Chad threw a surprise party for me, at our house. After being extremely frustrated for ten minutes about my unwashed, unkempt, and hairy-carpeted state, I relaxed and had a lovely time.
And that was today.
Wow, it's Wednesday already! I'm still in weekend mode for some reason, which works against me when I need to do weekish stuff instead. This past weekend, we were in Pittsburgh for Chad's oldest (and I mean OLD) brother's 40th birthday celebration. We are thrilled that Kirk and Missy are as close as PGH these days. SInce it was such a significant birthday, Chad's parents and other brother, Kameron, also came for the party.
On Saturday, as part of his birthday present, Kirk got a chance to fly a plane! Dad went with him, and we stayed on the observation deck and watched. Little A was in heaven, as he LOVES nothing so much as airplanes. Cade and Kylie were not as impressed, though they had fun hanging out.
Later, we went down to the Strip district to look around at all the fun shops. By this time, though, I was really feeling yucky. I'd been fighting off something all week, and it decided to try to kill me on Saturday. So Little A and I drove home early, while Chad stayed with his fam. He and his dad and brothers went to the Steelers' game on Sunday night, just to cheer for the Chargers. Meanwhile, back in Ohio, Little A and I went to Daniel's third birthday party. If you look back at posts from three years ago, you will see a sweet little newborn, fresh and adorable. He is still adorable.
Speaking of birthdays, Any Similar Revival turned four in September, while I wasn't posting! And I turn THIRTY-four next week. Pray it's not cold and rainy on the 13th. That would be too depressing for words.
Until next time.
Yay, it's cold today! I am very excited about this, because I get to wear my sweater and slippers. I think I am also getting my annual autumn sinus infection. I am not so excited about that.
We went on a blustery nature walk yesterday, the boy, the dog, and I. The boy likes to stop every 5 paces and squat down to study the ground and occasionally scrabble about in the dirt with his hands. He fills his pockets with acorns, rocks, and walnuts, waves sticks about wildly, and studies leaves. Myles doesn't understand why we are walking so SLOWLY on this outing, because usually we are fast, fast, fast! The boy thinks fast is boring, and sometimes, he likes to just sit down on the side of the trail and contemplate. Poor Myles. Poor Mama, too. She had a hat, but no jacket, so she got cold waiting around.
The leaves are really starting to change color now, and the wind is blowing them around in a delightfully violent manner. I'm ready to get cozy and stay cozy.
Here are some shots of end-of-summer fun, playing "war." Don't ask. I don't understand it either.
