Boring Ramblings

Today, I signed the form for Josiah to start driver's ed at school. How is that possible? He's only 5. lol It starts on Nov 6 and he's only allowed to miss one class. So I guess that cuts our visit up north short. I have my high school class reunion (25 yrs!) on the 3rd (with an elementary school reunion right before). We are going to drive up on Friday (or Thursday night) and now we'll have to drive back on the Monday. Joy is the valedictorian for her college graduating class on Sunday and I really want to go. I haven't seen her since Jeff passed away and I really think she will need moral support that day. Jeff was her rock and it was his dream for her to finish school. He was her cheerleader. I can't take his place but I can be there for support (and I'm pretty good at cheerleading, too. lol As long as I don't have to do a split...well, maybe I could after a few margaritas. :-) )

So, it will be a short visit but hopefully, we will be able to go back home for Christmas. I think it has been 2 years since we've all been home together. When we're there in November, I would love to go to the apple orchard with the kids and pick our own. We don't have that down here and I'd love for the kids to have that experience. I did find a farm with pumpkins near here but it's not "pick your own". I loved that place in Glen Rock that we used to go to when Josiah was younger. There are a lot of places I miss from when we lived in PA and Baltimore. It seems like there is never enough time when we go home. Josiah asked that we eat dinner one night at the Inner Harbor when we go up this time. I would like that. Just have to find a way to make it happen.

This is the time of year that I start getting a wee bit homesick. There's nothing like Fall in the Northeast. At least here, we have some semblance of Fall. Not like in Alaska where it went from Summer to Winter. But still, there aren't the colors and crisp air here. Sometimes, when they are doing a controlled burn on Post, it smells like a campfire or a woodstove but that's about it. lol I decorate the house with fall decor and colors, burn pumpkin spice or apple candles, cook "Fall" foods (chili, pies, etc.) and wear sweaters indoors (because I keep the AC on freezing because I'm sure menopause is just around the corner and it's still hot and humid outside). Thus I attempt to create a "pseudo-Fall" in this balmy, pine-ridden climate.