Weekending

Eating

I just looked through my photos of the weekend and all I saw was all that we ate... and oh my did we have some fall treats this weekend! It's a good thing that tomorrow is Monday! I didn't even take pictures of all of it. Wait til you see all of the fall goodness! 

Noticing

I've been noticing the beauty all around me all day long. Sometimes it's too much to take. I can barely stand how amazing my dring is to school and how adorable my 'little school in the woods' looks in October. Somehow I feel sad that it already more than half way over and then I have to remind myself that it will come again next year... and the next year after that. 

Adventuring

Scott and I headed out of state in the morning on Saturday. I found a dresser that would be perfection in our living room in a town in Vermont that is only two hours away. Easy drive. Beautiful drive. It's the town of Chester, VT and we've been there many times. The first time was on our one year wedding anniversary back in 1997! Here we are thirty years later buying an antique for our home. It makes me so happy that I found it in Chester! 

By the way... we woke up on Saturday morning the the chilliest temps so far this season! And I loved it! 

 Here are some pictures of the color -- impossible to capture the colors in the fall in New England!

Sunday~ing

After Mass on Sunday we went out to a tiny coffee shop that makes homemade crepes... amazing! 

The Pumpkin Patch 2026

Since they were wee little, this farm. 

Since they were holding dolls on their laps, this farm. 

Since I picked out their outfits, this farm. 

This place is small, We found it by accident one year. The farmer is delightful and he has a tractor ride that goes down into a pumpkn patch. 

There is nothing like this place that I've ever seen. 

And I hope it's there forever and I can bring my grandchildren some day. 

The farmer's wife has a general store just down the street in town where she sells jams and jellies, pies, and muffins, and all of the vegetables from her garden. 

I love this non-influencer, non-commericial, non-instagram place with my whole heart. 

We all do.

This year at the market I bought the best smelling candle I've ever had. It's called Apple Cider Donut. It's been burning every night since we got home. Delicious! 

After we get home for our pumpkin patch afternoon, we put the final touches on our pumpkin board (that post is back here) and wait for it to be dark. Then we feast while we watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Best day of the year! 

Past Post on Pumpkn Patch Visits: 

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018 (I can't find that post) 

2017

2016

2015

Mid October Weekending

Homecoming

Abigail came home for her fall break on Friday evening. Oh there is nothing in the world like that feeling when your little girl comes home from college for the first time. It's a filling of my heart like no other. And us all around the table once again since early September is the greatest! 

A mama can 'size her child up' in one look, if you're a mama you know. And she looked peaceful, calm, happy, and content. All was well in her heart and soul, I could tell in that one moment. 

Anna made a welcome home sign for her just like she used to make for Anna when Anna was coming home from college. 

Oh we had a lot of fall goodness coming in the next few days... our favorite time of year! 

Rising 

I love to get up really early on the weekends. It's quiet and I can finally finish a thought. I love the peacefulness of it all. 

I turn on the twinkle lights, open my Bible, and rest my heart and thoughts. 

About an hour later I start to watch the sun come up and paint the most beautiful picture in the sky. The whole house turns a light pink that I could never capture with my camera. 

I went for a long moring walk and had my tea with whole milk after. Lovely, lovely, lovely way to start the day. 

Picking

More on this later... because going to the pumpkin patch needs a post of its own for sure! But yes, this was Saturday afternoon and we look forward to it all year long! 

Feasting and Watching 

Every single year we watch The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown when our girls come home from college. And we feast on a 'board dinner'. It's basically cheeses (one we make in the shape of a pumpkin), crackers, homemade bread, chilli that cooked in the crockpot while we were at at the pumpkin patch, and so much more! 

Church~ing

The best Mass: the music, the songs chosen, the homily, all four of us together 

Celebrating 

Just celebrating us on a regular Sunday after church except that Abigail is home! We tried out this adorable restaurant for the first time. I had the most savory pumpkin spice pancake with a cream cheese whipped topping. Oh boy! 

And then we promply went home, changed and Scott and I went on a 2 mile FAST walk - felt so good! Until it didn't because on Saturday I got both the flu and covid vaccine and it hit me the second the 2 miles were up. So I spent the rest of Sunday cozy at home (ahhhh) in sweats, help Abigail sort though clothes to bring back to college, blogging all of the amazing pictures from this weekend, and feeling crappy. 

Autumn~ing

One last night with Abigail - we had to have an apple pie around the fire pit.