Halloween costume preview! I found these shoes at Target today for $10!! They are the perfect completion to my costume...stay tuned for the rest!

My husband is off riding a tractor (combine?) right now, harvesting corn on his family's farm. The tractor doesn't look like this one, and they don't have that barn anymore, but he still loves to be there. So I say - go drive the big fancy machines, work hard with your dad, and I'll see you when you get home - farmer.

I got a flue shot today. It took me a while to get this picture of my arm myself. The husband is off farming this week, so I couldn't ask for help getting the photo, so its a bit blurry and a bit off- but I have a band-aid on. I don't want to get sick. Also today was the first craft club meeting! I decided to get a bunch of girlfriends together and show-off any crafts we've been working on, drink some wine and maybe work on a project (or maybe just catch up with old friends and make new ones). Tonight we did some silhouette cut-outs - spooky for halloween!! Speaking of which - its only 4 days away...is your costume ready?


One more thing for the day - mom - get well soon! I'm writing this on both blogs so you see it twice!

Today is the most exciting day of the year. SNOW! No - it doesn't look like this outside my window, but its coming! Soon the ground will be white and the trees will sag with snow. Its going to be a good one - I can feel it.

Short Hair!!!

Different walk around this city today - new route, means new sites. I'm always amazed at the discoveries you make everyday, even when you think you know a place. I have driven by this old depot many times. First, when I was a freshman in college, a passenger in my friend from highschool's car. We were totally lost. It wasn't until years later that I realized exactly where we were at the time. Life sometimes has to be figure out where you were, instead of a where you are. Lost in the moment and clear the next day. Realizing years later that you've been on this road before and this time understand whats around the corner. There. Some philosophy for a Thursday night.

One other thought for this day: This is the last night my hair will look like this:

Fall means...scarves, plaid, NEW BOOTS, cute jackets, sweaters...

Ah. The neighborhood grocery store - where would we be without you. Making breakfast and need some eggs? Grab tortillas for the crock-pot enchiladas waiting at home on your way home from work? Only a few blocks on foot and there you have them. We lived in this neighborhood once before and then another in between, and neither place had a neighborhood grocery store. It is much better to have one, so you don't have to truck to the main grocery store on a day to day basis (for those forgetfuls like me). There is also something to be said about the neighborhood liquor store, but that's another post.

The shadows are getting longer on my way home from working and walking late afternoons. Soon, it will be dark on the way home and the cold will be here. When you walk to work daily, the cold does drag on, but I still love the winter!

"Stars and Stripes"
My first 'real' quilt is done. I finished the binding tonight and am so excited! I'm really working on a finish of the projects push and this is the first accomplishment.

Window shopping for sparkles. There is a lighting store across the street from my office and it sparkles at night and early morning. Kind of makes me want to buy a big chandelier for the entryway.

Apple picking day! It was raining, but we made the best. We could have just gone to the orchard and bought a bag of apples, but that wouldn't have been very much fun. So we braved the rain and picked away.

Kelly was my side-kick in this adventure - it was an all out sister day! We went shopping too and found her some gorgeous boots...I made her buy them, so I could drool (if they had been in my size, I probably would have bought a pair too!)

Kelly is my sister 6 years younger and has been a truly great side-kick for 22 years of my life. (I hope she calls me her side kick too). We are pretty much the same, except for some very important differences:
She has a bit more of the Irish fierceness in her from our Grandma.
She is taller by 4 inches.
As I said before, our feet are different sizes.
She is a nurse and a really good one, I'm sure of it.

Its 11:54 and I'm still awake. I just wanted to post a bit about my sister Kelly. I take pictures of things and trees and randoms, but people are a huge part of my life, so I want to start featuring those people too. More to come about Kelly on Monday, because we are going to an APPLE ORCHARD together!!! But I must say that having a sister in the city is great. I am so thankful that she is a phone call and 6 blocks away...I will miss her much when she moves on to great things in her future life, but right now, I'm absorbing all my "sister time" with joy!

A view from under the umbrella and a story:

Walking at the University of Minnesota is a daily endeavor, and while there, I got caught in foul weather while walking, but it was sporadic throughout my tenure at the U. During my last summer semester in school I had a class on the other side of the river at 8:00 in the morning everyday and there wasn't a bus that ran between my front door and the classroom building. Also, this particular summer it rained every morning. So I walked through the rain. I had a dinky umbrella and I was usually on the bridge when the thunder and lighting started, at which point, I ran. (The dinky umbrella never helped keep me dry). It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th time I got to class soaking wet that I decided that umbrella was no friend of mine and I left it in the corner for someone else to wrestle with in a storm on a bridge. After that, I went to the store and got the biggest, strongest, most expensive umbrella I could find and it was worth every penny. Six years later, I still have that umbrella, it still keeps me dry and it has never failed for another windy, rainy walk across a bridge.

I went to a middle school to talk to art students about architecture today - both the career and the buildings. After showing them a lot of old buildings and talking about what I do on a daily basis, a girl asked me "what's your inspiration?" and I kind of fumbled. I observe the world daily through my eyes and hopefully absorb the view, but some days, certain weeks it fails to recall. I guess that's partially why I started this blog; as an inspiration to myself. To find the unusual, the inspiring, the absurd and the beautiful. Lately its hard to find. Maybe its not there, but more likely, I'm not looking hard enough - busy, busy, too much to do. So today I pull out this picture that is from our recent vacation. Trees so big that they have always been there and they force you to stop and absorb.

ps - I didn't score the most in the blackout round of Sarah Palin bingo - my boss actually got bingo with "hockey mom".

I got on my running shoes today and decided to go back to the gym. Ugg. The gym. We started going at the begining of the year and I have a love hate relationship with it. I love it because I do feel better when I go regularly and my waist is trimmer than it was last year. But I hate the timing thing...try to go in the morning and I can't get up. After work and I'm starving and after dinner (and dinner settle-time), I'm up all night. Also, I refuse to do sit-ups at that place - I don't like people to see when I do sit-ups. I'm making a goal to go regularly again and letting you all know so I hopefully keep the goal (for a while). Looking forward to tender muscles tomorrow.

Two other notes of the day. 1. Its fall - see picture below. I picked up this very perfect leaf on my way home. They are sprouting up all around. I think taking its picture may have broken my camera...stay tuned for that one. 2. I didn't win at Sarah Palin Bingo tonight, but maybe scored the most in the 'blackout' round tomorrow. Wish me luck.