November

I made a crockpot soup Monday using the recipe that Mason-Dixon posted the other day.  I used two large sweet potatoes, one apple, and a box of chicken stock, cooked it on low for 8 hours, and used the immersion blender on it when I got home.  It is a tad bland, but as the author suggested, I started from there and will tweak it in the future.  Meanwhile, it is a healthy, autumnal soup that will keep me fed this week. And it was easy.  It's very similar to the butternut squash soup that Panera sells but it didn't give me heartburn.  I plan to make it next time using some Strongbow Apple Cider in place of some of the broth.  I think soups are in my future this season.       Meanwhile, my knitting is all over the map.  Probably representative of my mental state.  I still haven't taken steps to fix the Guernsey Wrap, and instead, pulled out an old project that was barely started, unraveled it, started a shawl, didn't like it, unraveled it, and have started yet a third pattern for the poor yarn.  I'll let you know if this one sticks.  And even crazier, I impulsively bought a kit from Churchmouse Yarns & Tea for a hat.  What sold me was the chance to get 21 tiny skeins of every color of the yarn for a 21 color hat.  It was like buying the big box of crayons.  I've resisted buying the gradient kits my friends have been buying for the past two years, but this got me.  It's not a gradient, per se, but it'll do.    

I was supposed to go out of town with friends this coming weekend, but I've decided to stay home instead.  Even though it wasn't going to cost me anything to stay in the beach house, I just couldn't justify eating out so many meals, with my new, less favorable, financial state.  (Another reason I shouldn't have bought the damn hat kit). I also need to replace a circuit for my clothes dryer and I want to do that in daylight hours, plus I have some other stuff that needs doing around the house.  As nice as a girls weekend would be, the thought of it was making me anxious.  Once I made the decision to stay home, I felt such a relief that I know it's the best choice for me.  I think I just need to do some nesting.  I want to clear out some more stuff to take to the thrift store, maybe take some things to the consignment store, make some more soup, snuggle with Gracie, and do some knitting and reading.  I'm going to try and get ready for the colder weather that is eventually coming our way, and try to incorporate some hygge into my home.  I'll let you know how it goes.