Pumpkins are in the Air.

At the first hint of fall, how many of us rush out to buy or collect armfuls of pumpkins, gourds, colored leaves, cinnamon pinecones or brooms (a southern favorite), scarecrows and anything else that conjures up the emotion of autumn? How many of us start to perfume our kitchens with the scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and pumpkin spice? Then there are the hay rides and pumpkin patches and evenings spent up to our elbows in pumpkin "guts" and carved faces.

Yes, for many of us, fall has arrived in full spirit, yet I find that I have done almost none of these things so far this year. It's a shame, because I truly look forward to fall all year, so I don't know why I'm slow to the gate this year and am not sharing in the pumpkin-spiced rituals with my daughter... yet. Well, I have a list of reasons in my head, but I won't bore you.

But finally, finally, a bit of fall graced our home this weekend.

First, we actually bought a pumpkin (and two tiny ones too) at the grocery store. I know, the grocery store? But the next thing will remedy that. I also made a reservation at a local farm for an animal tour, hay ride and pumpkin patch visit for this Tuesday! Georgia will (hopefully) love it.

And then comes this morning... and the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon. Have you ever made pumpkin pancakes? They are heavenly... and Georgia helped me make some for breakfast.

(puppy had to help)

(yes, this is my daughter eating butter... pure butter!)


Ahhh... a bit delayed, but welcome fall into my home. I'm sorry I didn't open the door sooner. Fall is just lovely.

And those pumpkin pancakes were pretty darn lovely too! :)

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October Should Start with an "F"

That way I could have a blog title with a great alliteration - F____ Festivals or F____ Fairs! I mean, every single weekend of October is filled with festivals and fairs. Since Oct. 1, we've had the Seafood Festival, the MUMfest, the Coastal Carolina Ag Fair, the Chili Festival, the Mullet Festival (the fish, not the haircut... although that would be cool), the NC State Fair and too many county fairs to count... and that's just in our area! Talk about too many choices on the weekend.

So no "Foctober Festivals" for my title, yeah, that doesn't even sound good, does it? I guess I could make do with "Fall Festivals" if I want some alliteration that much. Or maybe the "Festival Family" since we've been to a festival every weekend for the last three weekends! And although funnel cakes and some kind of fried candy bar on a stick have become must-eats at festivals as of late, should I mention I haven't eaten either? Georgia and I did share one of those honking-big turkey legs though... yum. And she got her first taste of cotton candy.

This past weekend was the Coastal Carolina Ag Fair. I figured Georgia would like the animals. Well, there were a few... like chickens.

But while there weren't as many animals there as I had hoped, there were ponies!


Georgia did not want this pony ride to end - she LOVED it! She cried when I pulled her out of that saddle. So we had to find a substitute.

Enter the horse on a stick:




Have I ever mentioned how much she loves merry-go-rounds? But who doesn't?

The festival the weekend before was a two day event for us. On Saturday, I had to make a public appearance at the MUMfest for work. So while I stood under a tent and greeted people I've never met and signed autographs (something which is still weird to me)...


... Georgia and my husband went off to explore the festival on their own. I missed out on the family fun.

So, when the hubby wanted to go do some work of his own on Sunday, Georgia and I took off so I could enjoy the festival with my little lovely. And enjoy we did. Remember that big, tasty turkey leg I mentioned earlier? Don't for a second think Georgia's too girly not to dig into that thing with both hands:

And there's cups of lemonade that compete in size with Georgia...


And where there's people eating food by the water, there's seagulls. So we chased them for a bit.

Funny, we never caught one.

Georgia found amusement and laughter and happiness in everything around her:


And I found my happiness in just one:


Ah... FALL FESTIVALS... I wonder which one next weekend will hold?

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Who Sees a Trend Here??

Weekend = Beach.
Weekend = Beach.
Weekend = Beach.
Weekend = Beach.
Weekend = Beach.

But can you blame us? One of the reasons I wanted so badly to move back to the East Coast was to be close to the beach, and we are now even closer than I had imagined! So of course the beach is always on my to-do list. This past weekend was no different. We headed to the North Carolina Seafood Festival on Saturday.

The festival was only minutes from the beach, so after we walked a lot and ate our fill of seafood, I don't think my husband was too surprised when I said a walk on the beach was a necessary stop.

This is why...

Give me the most stressful week and this can just wash it all away, wave by perfect wave.

Or maybe this is why the beach is a must...

Our little one LOVES every moment spent with her toes digging into the sand or flying above it.

Or maybe it's searching for shells nestled in the sand...

I think with each one I pick up, I pick up a little bit of lost sanity from the busy and hectic work weeks.

Or perhaps it's what a stick or a rock or just a finger can create when it meets wet sand...



Georgia delights in her wide open sand canvas.

Or maybe it's the cries of gulls...


Or the lullaby of waves...


Or the constant laughter of a truly happy little girl...


No matter what it is that makes this place so wonderful, I will take more of this...

... any time I can get it. It's my sandy soul survival.

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October 4, 2010 - There a Piece (or Two) Missing

After our trip yesterday to the apple orchard, I keep finding incomplete apples around the house. Someone like to nibble and run!

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October 3, 2010 - Fall Means... Apples!!

Oh fall, sweet fall. How I have missed you. And why have you hidden away longer than normal this year, letting summer linger like that "looked better on the rack" skirt in my closet or that container of "long past its date" sour cream in my fridge.

Oh but you have kissed the leaves this weekend, embracing them with that coolness and crispness I so love you for and wait anxiously for every year. My heart is lifted and my spirits are as high as those red and orange leaves still clinging to the highest branches. Please stay and play for a while, dear fall.

With the arrival of a few cool days, I finally decided it was time for my family to indulge in one of my fall favorites - the apple orchard.

It was Georgia's first trip to the land of hay rack rides, luscious cider, thousands of red globes dangling from trees, freshly baked apple donuts and memorable walks down orchard lanes. Ah, fall.

So we climbed aboard a converted trailer lined with hay bales, and a tractor led the way to rows upon rows of red globes.

And this was Georgia's reaction when we started moving...

Everyone on board was giggling right along with her. She enchants.

And it was a wonderful, sweet day.

And this little girl who has never really liked apples, bit into them in their purest form and fell under their spell.

And as always, I fell under hers.

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