Nothing says Sunday

Like a pot roast.  Mouthwatering smells filling the house all afternoon...


Three hours of slow oven transforms a tough hunk of meat into perfect comfort food. With plenty of leftovers. It's impossible to make a small pot roast dinner, but like beef stew and chili, it's even better the next day.

Good thing, because I'm sure busy this week. I have an extra shift at the Senior Center store this morning, then The Ukes practice in the afternoon. Tomorrow, a volunteer appreciation party at the bowling alley (gutter balls, anyone?) then on Wednesday, I'm working at the store again. On Thursday, we hope to finally trail ride on Vashon if the weather holds.  On Friday, headed over to Twisp to celebrate Maya's 7th birthday. Whew.

But we got lots done this weekend. The first and last mows of the year are the best.  The first, anticipation of summer-- the last-- relief the yard work is winding down. 

Well, for John at least.  I still have beds to clean out and mulch. 

It was a perfect fall weekend, sunny and dry.

Now, the yearly dilemma, what to do with these giant, heavy jade plants?  I hacked the tops off last spring, but as usual, they grew right back.

Oh, what a light

Yes, I said see you Monday, but this lovely October light sure washes that Seahawk acid green out of your eyes. The first and last roses always the sweetest. Tomorrow, the last mow of the year.

World Smile Day

According to the World Smile Day website, the U.S. Congress once made an official proclamation of this day. If that doesn't put a smiley on your face, nothing will.

The goal today is to help one person smile with an act of kindness.  How often we forget to smile, even at people we love the most. And how much it means when smiles are returned.  Nothing makes your day more than a spontaneous smile and kind greeting.

Well, the Seahawks won a real nail biter on Thursday Night Football. They're calling that impossible touchdown pass from Wilson to Lockett one of the best ever seen in the NFL.

They were wearing their "Kermit the Frog" uniforms, the craziest color in the NFL, for one of the craziest teams.  A hideous, eye straining color on high-def TV, but apparently their lucky color last night.

No Seahawk games for 10 days now. We have a quiet weekend coming up and if the yard dries out John says he might do the last mow. I'm slowly getting the beds cleaned out for the winter and need to think about mulch.

See you Monday!

Clean and quiet

What more can you ask?  And our new KitchenAid, 46-decibel dishwasher fits like a glove.

My biggest worry? The open door. As you see, it clears the wall with only about an inch to spare. "No problemo" said the installer, as he carefully jiggled it in at a slight angle. He's had bigger challenges in old Seattle kitchens.

The machine is so quiet we could hardly tell it was on, especially after that splashing, clanking, banging and whining we're used to.  Best of all, sparkling clean dishes. I could see my haggard reflection in that old pot this morning.  

Happy kitchen slave...

Pumpkin spice overload

I've put this cartoon on the blog every October since 2014.  It's just too funny.

What is pumpkin spice, anyway? According to Wiki, a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice for people too lazy to mix it up themselves. 



At Trader Joe's, I usually help myself to a free coffee sample, unless they're pushing a nauseating flavor.  Everything in the store seems to have pumpkin spice this month. But people love it, and Starbucks makes an insane amount of money on PS seasonal lattes. They've sold over 400 million since introduced in 2003, with prices starting at about $5.  In Seattle, add our hefty "sugar tax" to that.

Well, I'm getting that long to-do list whittled down this week. Nothing particularly awful, but nothing fun either. I missed two perfect riding days and that's a bummer, because now it's going to rain for the foreseeable future. Unseasonably cold too in the Northwest, while the eastern half of the country bakes.

Today our new dishwasher gets delivered. Hopefully, they are skillful enough to install it, pushed in at a slight angle, or else I won't be able to open the door. Century old houses weren't designed with major appliances in mind. I thought the old one was really on its last gasp, but go figure, the thing is behaving just fine at the moment. 

October

It was one of those fine October days,
Free from summer's heat and haze
But not yet gripped by autumn's chill.
It was one of those fine October days
When the sky's so clear you can see the moon at midday.
It was one of those fine October days,
When the trees sport yellow and red Instead of everyday green. 
It was one of those fine October days
When one draws a deep breath
And is grateful to be resident on earth.

Richard Greene