What I Love about October 2012

Yes, I know.  The title should read what I have loved about October 2012.  This month has been a whirlwind of fun things and I have loved every minute of it.  What is not to love about October?  The weather is amazing.  The beauty surrounding us, again amazing.  Between football, fall festivals and the food that goes with all of that, oh, I love it.  To me the change of seasons is something much bigger than all of that, though.  It reminds me of the verse in Ecclesiastes that says: "There is a time for everything,  and a season for every activity under heaven"  While I'm not sure that God was speaking about the seasons of nature in this particular verse, He certainly creates all seasons: whether it be fall, winter, spring or summer; or whether it be seasons of life. Don't we know it.  There are seasons of life that are so wonderful you can hardly stand it and then there are season that well, just stink.  Like big time.  Seasons that you want to say, okay, let's move on; let's have a change of scenery.  But God is faithful and with His love, grace, comfort and peace, we can get through it, onto a new season.  The season may be new but that God who created it is not.  God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.   No matter the season.

Alrightly then.  What I've loved...
1. On October 2nd, D and I took a little trip to The Big Easy.  Can I just tell you that the food was the best part of this trip?  D was in meetings for a good bit of the time we were there but we did find time to take a city tour, go to the City Market (which included beignets, have mercy) and visit the World War II Museum there, which is fabulous by the way. I would highly recommend all of these if you're down that way.
2.  Then the next week on the 9th, E and I took Mimi on a little trip up to Franklin, NC.  Boy oh boy, did she enjoy that.  We had tickets to see "Smoke on the Mountain" at the Smokey Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.  This is the first time I'd been there and let me just say, I'll be going back.  It is a beautiful venue.  On the way up we stopped at "Goats on the Roof" and had ice cream and then on the way back we did a little shopping at the Outlet Mall. The perfect little road trip by any standards. 
3.  On October 10th, G had a birthday - his 23rd!  I didn't get to see him on his birthday which I could hardly stand.  He made a quick trip to Gainesville that day but I didn't know he was coming so I was in the mountains with E and Mimi.  D had lunch with him which totally made his day.  But my wait was not long.  We were headed on that Friday to spend some time with him in Savannah.  We took our birthday party on the road complete with both grandmothers and birthday cake!  We ate seafood, shopped, took a riverboat cruise and just thoroughly enjoyed being together.  Happy Birthday, G!  You are one amazing young man.  I am beyond blessed and honored to be your mom.
4.  Every Monday of this month has found some of my best girlfriends in my living room digging deep into the book of Deuteronomy.  Side note:  studying this book has forced me to learn how to spell it.  (Maybe I should study Habakkuk next because I sure don't know how to spell that one) We are doing Beth Moore's study entitled "Law of Love."  I continue to be fascinated by the Old Testament. I'm not sure what I expected from Deuteronomy but the words of old Moses sure have blown me away.
5.   Last weekend we went to the farm and what a wonderful place of retreat it was.    D, Kirkley and I loaded up in the truck and away we went.  Honestly, I could have just stayed there.  The air was crisp and cool; the sky was big and bright; and the peace and quiet was like heaven to us.  What a wonderful place.
6.  As I'm sitting here, we have just returned from Jacksonville where we took a little vacation.  Oh yea, the Dawgs played while we were there.  And so did Zac Brown.  And the very best part of the whole weekend?  My little family of five was together to enjoy these events! We absolutely had the time of our lives - it was awesome!  D and I just kept saying to each other how thankful we were to have this time with the kids. What a blessing it was to be together!  

A few random loves about October...
7.  Fall clothes - you get to wear them in October!  Because finally in Georgia the weather decides not to be 110 degrees in the shade with 150% humidity.  (I've never been one for exaggeration).  But honestly, yay for scarves, sweaters and boots!  I sure have been missing you guys.
8.  Fall food - apples, that means you.  I've made apple cake, apple butter and apple sauce.  The absolute easiest and most delicious thing you can make is apple sauce. It beats the kind in the jar hands down. Want the recipe?  Okay stay with me here: peel, core and slice the apples; toss them in a little sugar then put them in your slow cooker for 7-8 hours.  And there you have it - applesauce perfection.

Okay, we'll that's it for today.  For some unknown reason my computer has frozen up twice while I've been typing this so I'm typing like a mad woman because it happens again.  Enjoy the three days left in October!  Can you believe it?  57 days until Christmas!

The Nights the Lights Went Out in Georgia

Most of you that know me well, know that my favorite movie of all time is "Steel Magnolias."  Now, I could rattle off quotes from this movie but I'll share my all-time favorite one from Clairee;    "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."   Amen, sister! 

So what brings this up?  D and I were having one of those late night conversations when neither of us could sleep so you end up talking about just the most random things.  Well, the topic of movies came up which led into southern movies and television shows.   I was telling him how one of my favorite television moments came from one of my favorite television shows, "Designing Women."  This particular scene was Julia defending Suzanne to the current Miss Georgia World, Marjorie.  Oh, I can't tell you how much I love this. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz_ZpoYBzaw


So now you know.