Because this never happens...

You'll have to excuse a certain giddiness in today's post - because this never happens to me.  It may be a familiar experience for others - but not me! 

So go ahead, smile indulgently, shake your head, you'll not deter my enthusiasm.

 We are finally experiencing some cooler weather so I decided to wear some clothes today for running errands.  I recently told Valerie that camel/tan and gray is one of my favorite combinations. I also recently scored a never-been-worn-still-had-the-tags-on-it charcoal blazer from Eddie Bauer at the goodwill.  I pulled it out of my closet, paired it with a black tee, tan pants and a scarf. 

Now, I'll admit that I sometimes receive compliments on things I wear - but today the bank teller said she loved the way I had my scarf tied - how did you do that!?  So I took it apart and showed her.  It took 2 demos but she got it and she was happy.  I  was, too.  It's all recorded on the CCTV at the bank....

It's that time again

Today I began my annual round of musical blankets.  The nights have turned cool, so I made the first exchange in what will be a process involving several different combinations of blankets, and eventually flannel sheets, to transition to winter conditions.  We've had beautiful, classic fall weather this past week.  High, clear blue skies, warm sunny afternoons, and cool evenings will continue for the next week also.  The house experiences a wide range of temperature fluctuations during the course of a day in this in-between (no AC, no heat) weather, so you'll find us starting the morning dressed in layers that can be peeled away and replaced as the day progresses.  I love it.

still vacationing

we had the pleasure of kate's company on monday as jacob was at work. we joined him for lunch in the charming village of deep river. the feast delivered just that! homemade breads and pastas, local veggies, eggs and poultry were served up with what food channel enthusiasts would recognize as respect for the ingredients. yummy doesn't do it justice.
we also had a chance to see where kate works as we wound through the back roads around westbrook and clinton. it is such a picturesque driving experience. i love to wind through these areas. the houses and stone fences capture what most of us perceive to be the essence of quaint new england. then you come across names like misquamicut, pequot, nehantic, uncas and pawcatuck scattered in amongst upper mills, saybrook and ingham hill reminding you that connecticut wasn't always the yuppy bastion it is today.
we then spent some time wandering around the grounds of the castle built by william gillette an eccentric actor credited with creating the iconic image of sherlock holmes with his pipe, cape and deerstalker hat. the extensive grounds included a train, several bridges and outbuildings and trails that have been added for the convenience of tourists.
the castle perched atop bluffs over looking the connecticut river. we agreed that it would be a delight to wake to that vista each morning.


tim found a spot by the pond for a quick nap. although overcast that day,the weather was perfect for walking. we finished the day with a quick run through the grocery store and a pot of mussels, a salad and warm bread with shrimp and pasta for supper. mmmmm

last hurrah

the nights have been cooler. we're no longer using the fan and a light blanket feels good.

what i'm really enjoying, though, is the sudden brilliance of certain plants. so many are sad and simply need to be cleared away. but the honey suckle has put on new, intensely colorful blooms. butterflies hover in the vines all day.

brrrrr

that may be a slight exaggeration but believe me fall is in the air!!

and my fall clothes are trapped here!! long pants, 3/4 sleeves, light sweaters all buried behind the pile of furniture that was moved to allow tim to replace the window in this bedroom. i never thought the weather would change this quickly or this soon. i also thought that tim would finish this room before tackling the kitchen. wrong on both accounts!! no doubt we'll have another round of warm days before fall starts in earnest but this morning it would have been so satisfying to rummage through the drawers pulling out favorites - comfortable, familiar, warm - for these next few days. this is my favorite time of year for dressing. i hate the survival mode of dressing that a hot nebraska summer forces on me. even a simple necklace seems like too much when its 90+ degrees. i want to wear clothes. i want to accessorize. i want to feel dressed.

classic

cool nights, brisk mornings and mild afternoons have been the pattern most of this past week. those days when the sky is high and blue and you notice that leaves are starting to change.
of course, i had planned to enjoy the fine weather with some ambitious weeding and outdoor work this weekend and its raining.
i'll have no trouble filling my day with indoor tasks. tim has finished this portion of the basement so we can put rooms back together, shelve books, arrange furniture, hang pictures. taking pictures to record/blog all these things still doesn't come automatically to me. this project would have made for good photo ops but by the time it registers that i should have taken pictures i've missed the visual impact point. or my hands are filthy. or my shoes are wet. so you won't see any 'before' or 'during' pictures of the basement. nor will you see the delicious pie i baked yesterday with those peaches, taking advantage of a lovely, mild september afternoon. or the cupboard full of peaches in the kitchen that will be processed for the freezer when i get done here.