i don't know about you

but i can't wait to do some of this (skating at nathan phillips)!!!

and this (skating at the cottage)!

aaand of course some of this (skating at christie pitts)!

WINTER.

i know the difference between temptin and choosin my fate

the last fall getaway of the season.


evidence of something big.



evidence of the time.



oh water. you are so reflective.











i am very good at pretending to help.



it turned very grey, and very dreary. but i still love it.




this is a flock of wild turkeys that hang out in the forest. they can be quite ominous if you stumble across them unexpectedly. they are huge, and there are about 25 of them. they walk silently, nudging the ground looking for grubs and bugs.



the cottage is closed up for the year, but i can't help thinking we could swing one more trip, just camp inside the building. it would be cold, and there would be no running water (and thus no toilet) which presents several problems of a practical nature. but it is also dead quiet and the very best place to feel at ease in yourself.

"we never thought it would happen to us"

sometimes, when the house is quiet, and we're sipping wine and enjoying the time slipping by, i think "these are the times we will remember fondly when..."

basically i'm feeling really thankful lately. however, i'm not thankful for the heartburn i have ALL THE TIME. i'm going to the doctor but two more weeks of this is not looking exciting.

i exist

hello, i am in the bathroom.

sometimes (at least 2X/day), i brush my teeth in here. sometimes, i take my picture in here. sometimes, i do both at the same time.



sometimes, i wear a pink shirt.



sometimes (as often as possible), i hold a curious cat.



sometimes, i wear glasses.



usually, stella powers up on the radiator.

overly sentimental

i have kept literally every single piece of correspondence mailed to me for (almost) my entire life. i keep grocery lists, notes left for me, receipts, ticket stubs, pretty much everything. it's a hassle, a space-waster, and admittedly a compulsive habit, but i know that when i'm 85, and they want to make a museum about my life, it will come in handy.

or, it will turn out like this:

i want to hold on to everything. especially things with other people's handwriting on it. one of my most precious possessions is a piece of masking tape with "TAPE AND RADIO WORK, CD PLAYER DOESN'T" in my dad's handwriting. it reminds me of how thoughtful he was and how careful he was with his possessions.

FOOOD POST

this post is brought to you by fruit-based fall desserts. these are simultaneously the easiest and healthiest desserts of all. lets start with an apple/pear crumble. in my house this was called an apple brown betty. no recipe required. first, peel and slice your fruit of choice. apple and pears go really well together, trust me. cut enough to almost fill whatever (glass preferably) dish you're using. sprinkle on some cinnamon and toss. filling done. the topping is butter, brown sugar, and rolled oats. you can also add some vanilla bean and nutmeg. keep adding some of each main ingredient and mix (use your hands) until you have enough and it's sorta squishy but crumbly. press it on top. bake, covered in foil for about 30 minutes, then take off the foil and brown until it looks like this on top:

then you eat it. with ice cream.

next up: poached pears. cut pears. stick in some cloves. put in a pot, just cover with water. simmer. throw in any of the following: rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla bean paste, orange liquer, brown sugar etc. whatever, be creative. i usually stick to rum, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar. take out pears when they're done/soft. boil down the syrup and pour on top. eat it. i used homemade whipped cream. don't eat the cloves. or do.

apple bombs. mix brown sugar, melted butter, raisins, pecans, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste, whatever you want. you could use cranberries, other nuts, whatever. it should be somewhat goopy.

core apples, stuff mixture in, wrap in foil and bake 45-55 minutes. take off foil, eat with ice cream.

chocolate mousse in an edible chocolate cup: i have no idea, you need to go to a fancy wedding for this shit.

magic mushrooms

i will never stop marvelling at the perfection in nature, right under our noses, under our feet.




when the chaos and horror of the world become unbearable, there are still magic little things that grow out of the earth, out of the sides of dead trees, and pretty much anywhere they can get what they need.








if you concentrate on these things, everything always seems alright.



they don't need you to know they're there, they'll be there anyway. they are there right now.



i have seen and heard a few disturbing things in my life, but something happened the other night that left me shaking like a leaf. i don't even want to talk about it because it will do no good for other people to have those images in their heads.





it was one of those things though, that makes you realize that anything can happen, at any time, and you could be GONE just like that. or worse. i hate to say that life is short, but LIFE IS SHORT so you better make damn sure that you act like the person you want to be remembered as and tell the sweethearts in your life just what you think of them.







life lessons, you know? you can never learn em too many times.







phew.