Random Thoughts - Fall 2014 Edition

I keep forgetting what year it is.

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Buttered bread that is toasted on a griddle is so much tastier than in the toaster.

I often make my toast that way - buttered and in a pan. Mmmm.

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There are so many things I am loving about our new house.

I write a mental blog post in my head everyday about the many aspects for which I'm grateful.

Here are some:

 * Newer, pretty faucet handles

* Our fireplace (loving it so much, it is now a must-have for any future houses we may buy)

 

* SUNLIGHT (this one is my favorite, hence the all-caps exclamation)

* Our "wall of windows" for said sunlight

(I have already noticed a HUGE difference in my emotional state since moving here.

Even on the dreariest days, I feel happier and have more energy than I used to.

I absolutely believe this is due to the light in this house.

Looking back, I think you could classify this move as a mental health necessity!).

* Our view is so pretty - I'm loving the changing fall colors.

* Our open kitchen - I am happily doing more dishes than ever before,

because I don't feel tucked away in a very hot (or very cold, depending on the season) kitchen

* The layout of this house - open, open, open.

I can see the upstairs from the downstairs, the downstairs from the upstairs.

In almost any room of this house, you are always one room away from the rest of the house.

* Not having to worry about running out of oil.

* Being able to run the dishwasher or washing machine

 at the same time as someone taking a shower

 without worrying about being frozen or scalded

 by the water temperature change.

* I feel safer. I mean, this entire area is really quite safe,

but in our new home and neighborhood,

I feel safer than I did at our old home/neighborhood.

It's way less creepy at night, too!

* Central air - besides the utter convenience of it,

I like that we can turn it off and open windows

 because there are no A/C window units blocking them.

* Having a garage and not having to walk out to the barn to access the freezer.

Admittedly, we can't park in it yet because that's the staging area for purging as we move in.

Nothing enters the house unless it has a place.

* Our finished basement - already a hang-out place for the kids and their friends.

We've started hosting "Teen Nights" here on a regular basis.

* The writers' room that we've painted a pretty purple/lavender color.

Kate gets way more use out of it than I do, but I hope to get started soon.

Plus, NaNoWriMo is coming up. Year #6 for us!

* Having closets!

 We've spent 7 years all sharing one closet for all of our clothes, linens, and towels.

We used to all hang our clothing on ONE rod and it was beyond squished.

Now, everyone has their own closet and it's lovely.

* Really, my top two favorite things about our house is the light and openness, hands down.

And the fireplace has wormed its way into spot #3.

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It's that busy, fall time for us.

We spend a lot our time in the fall scheduling and calendaring for our school year.

It's incredibly time-consuming, but worth it.

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Max has quite the social calendar these days and that's a good thing.

He's super social and loves to play, play, play.

We have neighbors with whom he loves to play outside (another benefit of this move!)

and several friends who like to get together to play.

I'm very grateful for this.

He is such a fun-loving, creative, considerate, thoughtful, compassionate kid.

He is a very good friend. It's one of his greatest traits.

And he'll talk to anyone about anything. It's awesome.

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Kate was a shining star at her first author event.

She carried herself with confidence and grace, signed books with a smile,

and mingled with everyone like a champ.

At one point, I saw her make the rounds and visit all the other local authors.

I heard her ask them about their books and congratulate them.

I heard her politely excuse herself to back to her table.

I had not instructed her to do ANY of that.

She intuitively knows. She's smart and capable and wise.

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Gilmore Girls is on Netflix.

It's so convenient to flip it on and watch it.

I think that's a good thing.

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What makes you "like" a business page on Facebook?

What kinds of giveaways/incentives compel you

 to click on a page when using social media?

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In my head, I blog daily.

Obviously that doesn't translate to reality.

It's too bad, because I have fun things to share.

We really celebrated our 40th birthdays right!

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Text I sent Mark on 9/1: When we signed on for this dog thing, 

I had no idea the needy, perpetual toddler we'd be taking on.

Max on 10/12: "I'm so glad we have her. 

I think our life would be easier if we didn't have her, but it's better with her."

Both are true statements. I love our snuggly, sassy pup!