Life: It Goes On - October 31

Happy Halloween and happy first heavenly birthday to my mom. I've been missing her so much these past couple of weeks; I think she was on my mind a lot because of her birthday coming up and the holidays here soon. I keep thinking of things I want to talk to her about. I've learned that it's one thing to know that the first year is the toughest and another thing altogether to live it. I certainly hoped that I have gained a new level of empathy. 

And just like that October is over and we enter a season that not all of you might have which I like to call Maybe Fall Maybe Winter. We'll have a hard freeze this week so even covered plants may not survive the nights but we also still have trees that haven't finished changing color. It's been raining so much that I had to pour standing water out of pots instead of having plants dying because I've grown tired of watering them but I'm so glad that it's not snow instead. 

Last Week I: 

 Listened To: I finished Kate Atkinson's A God In Ruins; like Life After Life it's a very unusually told story. Tomorrow I'll start Lauren Groff's latest, Matrix. 

Watched: If you're of a certain age, you might remember that song I'm Henery the 8th, I Am and the part in that song where they sing "Second verse, same as the first." I feel that way about my t.v. watching these days. 

Read: I finished Spencer Fleury's How I'm Spending My Afterlife (which I'll review tomorrow for TLC Book Tours) and I've started Susanna Clarke's Piranesi and Jocelyn Nicole Johnson's My Monticello. 

Made: We were both sick this week, then Thursday was my birthday and yesterday was our anniversary so we didn't cook much. I did make lasagna for today and to take to a couple of friends and a spice cake with a new recipe for frosting. I'm already planning on doing the cake again with a couple of tweaks. 

Enjoyed: We went with friends to a new-to-us restaurant and the food was just wonderful, some of the best I've had a long time. Looking forward to going back. 

This Week I’m:  

Planning: Yesterday I started a furniture project (because who doesn't start a project that needs to be worked on outside just as the temperatures start to plummet?) and I need to get that finished. 

Thinking About: In honor of my mom's 88th birthday we asked 88 people to do a random act of kindness, a nice thing. We are so enjoying reading about what people are doing to celebrate the woman my dad called Nice Lady and it's making me realize how easy it would be to be just a little nicer, a little kinder. I determined to up my game. 

Feeling: Sad. I have been blessed, though, to have a husband that has been a rock for me through this. 

Looking forward to: Getting my hair done Friday, having Miss H home again next weekend, and dinner with friends. 

Question of the week: I'm starting to think of soups as it gets cooler. What are your favorites?