Fall Flora and Fauna

Today would have been my beautiful mom’s 98th birthday. I miss her today as much as ever. I never dreamed I would lose her at only 78 years old. She had the softest hands…and the softest heart. I try not to dwell on the loved ones I’ve lost because their absence is so LOUD it hurts my heart. Instead, I choose to remember how beautiful she was and how fiercely she loved her kids. And, I know I’ll see her again so that is a comfort to me.

Things have been particularly busy around here since we got back from Colorado. What on earth did I do when I was working sixty hours a week??? Nothing but work, what’s what! I have such a healthy appreciation for young moms who are running a household, raising their babies, cooking, cleaning, washing, chauffeuring, AND working full time. That’s why God gives babies to young people.

Mr. FixIt had a procedure today that he was dreading but it turned out to be a breeze compared to the last one, so we went out to one of our favorite diners and had a late lunch to celebrate. He has to take it easy for a couple of days so I am thrilled to stay home and get things done around here.

I had a hankering for baked apples last night so I used the recipe I made up a few weeks ago. Basically like any other baked apple, but I used Truvia brown sugar and very little butter to cut the calories WAY down. It’s getting fall-ish out there. I was watching the news with Mr. FixIt and noticed the sky was glowing so I ran out with my phone to catch some pics during the golden hour.

The light didn’t disappoint. My buddy, the buck and his girlfriend were out in the pollinator gardens snacking on the fall salad bar. The sunset over the far field was spectacular. I went out to see what was growing in the pollinator patch and saw some delicate spikes with tiny white flowers trailing in a spiral down the stalk. They’re called Spiral Ladies’ Tresses and I’d never seen them before. They are a genus of wild orchid! They’ve been trying to grow out there for who know how long. I am constantly amazed at the beauty I’ve been mindlessly mowing over these last seven years and I’m so grateful for the generous gifts from God that he sends me every day.

I’ve been sleeping out in the camper a lot. I tried to sleep in the house one night this week and the air felt dead. I couldn’t hear the night sounds. I couldn’t feel the breeze wash over me. And the compressor for the air conditioner outside the bedroom window sounded like a jet engine. Soon the cold weather will take over and force me inside. And now that we’re working on controlling Mr. FixIt’s back pain, we can get back in this camper and GO!

We have two trips scheduled for next month…at two of our favorite campgrounds in Ohio. We’re going to haul the camper to the OBX in October. We’re taking three days down and three days back with eight days beach camping in the dunes. This will end our 2023 camping year with a bang and what a memorable year it was!

It is Friday…another week gone. I feel like I accomplished things this week. I hope you feel the same way. Mr. FixIt and I have committed to one another to work on that building this fall. We also need to get the roof put on for the main house. I’m much stronger and physically able to help more than I could have had I not gone on this weight loss journey. Things are definitely looking up!