Indian summer and cozy reading

Technically it is not Indian summer because we haven't had our first freeze but it has been in the 40s at night. Today we are to reach a near record high of 85 but there is frost and even snow in the long term forecast.

I have last night's roasted chicken simmering on the stove and in spite of the brief warm up outside, I will be serving chicken noodle soup after church tomorrow. I had a couple of whole chickens in my freezer, purchased when they were on sale. I can get two or three meals out of each. So many of our meals are now eaten in the family room as Christopher is not home for dinner. I'm thinking tomorrow's meal will be served in the dining room with good china and soup served in the soup tureen.

Last year I purchased bowls with an Autumn/Thanksgiving theme for about fifty cents each when they were on clearance at Tuesday Morning. I'll pull out the thrifted Johnson Brothers plates with these bowls sitting on them. Hopefully the guys won't ask who is coming for dinner. Mothers have to make the nest worth coming home to when their young ones start spending more time at the University and both of my children have an eye for beauty and design (and good food).

I finished the hours being the nursing school "project" with my young friend from church yesterday (at my age, twenty-seven is very young). :) I originally agreed to take part just to help her out for this class. However, a friendship has blossomed and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed our time together. We spent most of the day together on Friday and ended it with her treating me to a Grande' Pumpkin Spice Latte at Barnes & Noble while we went through our wrap up interview (of course, the latte' makes anything much better).

She also gave me a gift of Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin aroma house spray and hand soap (as well as a practical pedometer). Oh, my... I had heard of that Bed and Bath product and now I am so taken with it. Heavenly! I placed the hand soap dispenser at my kitchen sink where I wash my hands all day.

She learned a lot about Type 1 diabetes and she helped me in many ways, including looking at my diet closer. As it turned out, I'm not getting enough carbs so I need to add more whole grains. I also need more fresh fruits and vegetables but that is a budget challenge right now. My doctor increased my long term insulin by a lot when we had my bg numbers checked yesterday. We'll continue to "tweak" the insulin until we get it right.

I'm enjoying darkness coming earlier these days. (Although by February I will be looking forward to the long days of sunshine again.) Once the dinner dishes are drying, I can enjoy the reading times that are only found when one is curled up in a favorite place with the light of a nearby lamp and a cup of tea. It didn't take long to read White Christmas Pie and I enjoyed it very much. I haven't read many of the fictional books about the Amish like my husband has but this one is a "stand alone" book and not part of a series.

As I mentioned before, it takes place in an area I have been many times. Although there is a recipe at the end of the book, you can do a search for White Christmas Pie and end up with a few versions. I printed off two, one which was very easy and another similar to the one in the book which takes more time.

Now I'm reading What the Land Already Knows; Winter's Sacred Days by Phyllis Tickle. Now, I know in her nonfiction books she has a liberal theology but I'd heard this little book was very good and I have to agree. So far I find it lovely as she describes what it was like on their farm in Lucy, Tennessee when her children were growing up.

Her background is much more liturgical than my own so some of the Advent preparations are not what one would find in my own church... but nevertheless they are well written and I haven't found anything offensive to one who is much more conservative. She writes in the style of Gladys Taber.

I think next I'll begin re-reading the two books of letters by Edith Schaeffer (listed on the side bar) as well as a few more library cooking and decorating books. Speaking of which, I am off to the library now to pick up the DVD of Wives and Daughters they are holding. I haven't seen it yet but I absolutely loved the BBC version of North and South.

I'll look forward to watching it soon... perhaps Sunday afternoon. When we arrive home today, we are going to take advantage of this warm weather to do more pruning and to change the filters for our well. One must make hay while the sun shines... so to speak. When the sun goes down and the work is done, the tea will steep and books will be read. :)

Picture: Raking Leaves by Mary Smith; allposters.com