autumnal scenery

I think I overfilled the instant pot... the big one. I can't seem to make a minestrone soup without putting everything but the kitchen sink into the pot and it ends up way past the 'do not fill past here' mark. I like lots of beans and vegetables in the soup and they all add up. So my fingers are crossed for the next hour that the pot doesn't explode... I think it will be okay cause the cabbage and mushrooms will hopefully shrink at the same rate that the dried beans expand.

I'm going to flit around the calendar for a bit as I've been remiss my daily posts. I'll start with the most notable: a visit from my Aunty Kristine last Wednesday & Thursday. We picked her up from the train station and whisked her back to the chaos in the house (still some stuff from camping not put away, and only a brief whirlwind clean).

We had a wonderful time visiting over supper - the evening flew by and before we knew it the clock was striking past bedtime. It was delightful to see how much we think the same and have the same values. I was surprised that she is even more of a CNN fan than Carm! The stories about my grandmother that I didn't know warmed my heart.

Thursday we gorged on a naughty breakfast and took our time getting ready. We had to get her to my parents before 3pm, but gosh, I didn't want our visit to be over.

Saturday night Jo Ellen and Don joined us for supper. We just had a simple pumpkin with roasted red pepper soup and a tiny bit of toasted pumpernickle bread (not nearly enough of that!). As usual the conversation covered a myriad of topics, including discussion of an 'on the bucket list' river cruise. Not next year but maybe the year after?

Sunday I visited brother Graham while Carm spent some time with his mom.  On our way home we stopped at FreshCo for some groceries and had the pleasure of transiting through my niece Juliette's cash. She was like a speed demon on the register. We did have to deek into the shwarma place first for a sandwich and the best garlic potatoes ever.

The weather has been cold and blustery with a low, grey cloud obsuring the sun. When the sun does peek through we rejoice with lifted spirits, if only for a moment. The time for camping has long passed, instead we huddle with central heating in a well insulated house.

Skiens of geese fly over the house, a melody of honks singing their passage. What are they saying? Are they announcing to the world 'look at us!', or telling the guy next to him to not fly so close? It seems like a lot of energy to burn.

Yes, winter is on its way. So far I'm good and as I go about my day I keep my thoughts on what I have to look forward to. Seventy two days until we leave for our Panama cruise. My suitcase isn't packed, but I've been planning on what I'm going to wear using an app that I downloaded this summer. It's like a puzzle with all my clothes - fun and a good distraction.

I have to lose a few pounds if I'm going to fit into the dresses I bought this summer :-(

Hence, the pot of lentils that I made for lunch yesterday, and the giant pot of soup for the next unforeseeable future. Oh, and I had Carm buy some celery 😜

"Every blade in the field, every leaf in the forest, lays down its life in its season, as beautifully as it was taken up. It is the pastime of a full quarter of the year. Dead trees, sere leaves, dried grass and herbs—are not these a good part of our life? And what is that pride of our autumnal scenery but the hectic flush, the sallow and cadaverous countenance of vegetation? its painted throes, with the November air for canvas?"
~Henry David Thoreau, letter to Ralph Waldo Emerson