My World this Week

The country road by my house... not a lot of color near the road.

Thank you for your prayers for my surgery tomorrow (Friday).  I'm having it sooner than anticipated because... due to Obamacare, I lose my subsidized insurance at the end of December.  They lowered the income level so low that I no longer qualify and wrote me that I had to apply for Obamacare (by its' official name, of course) to be covered.

Yeah, someone on Social Security makes $12,000 too much a year to qualify for my old insurance.  Christopher has a friend whose job is to help people apply for Obamacare.  She is helping me in a couple of weeks.  But even she is not certain I will be covered for my eye specialist.

Anyway, I probably won't be back for a few days.  It's rather difficult to blog when one can't see clearly.  ;)

Now to much more pleasant thoughts...

Reading

I bought this book on the Kindle with Amazon Credit (THANK YOU!).  It had been featured and recommended on John Piper's website.  I enjoyed this very much, from this week on I want to breath more Narnia air.  :)

This is an interesting study on the Chronicles of Narnia in relation to the Culture of England when it was written and surprisingly how it relates to our Culture now.  It is fascinating reading for anyone who loves this series.

Info on Amazon... here.  It's a rather small book and a quick read although a tad on the theological side.  But not so theological that it made my brain hurt.  It gives you a lot to think about.

Watching

Heartland Table is a new cooking show on The Food Network.  She was a New York chef who decided to return to her roots in Minnesota with her husband and small son.  I love this show, very down to earth but also this ummm... mature?... cook has learned a lot.

Frankly, I don't watch The Food Network much these days.  But I love The Pioneer Woman and Trisha Yearwood and this program comes on the Saturday morning schedule with them.  I would so enjoy spending time in the kitchen in Minnesota!

Hubby's paternal grandparents settled in northern Minnesota from Norway.  I hear it gets really cold.

Baking

Pumpkin bars, a sign of Autumn here.  As I type, Christopher is in the Family Room chatting with his dad.  He drove over on his lunch hour to pick up half the pumpkin bars I made yesterday.

These are the same pumpkin bars which I gave a link to on last Saturday's Pantry Post.

Free

Some of the farmers at the local Farmer's Market take their unsold produce to a local church for distribution after the Market closes.  Hubby stopped by for the first time this season on Saturday.  Before then we had veggies up the wazoo (thank you, Lord!) but it was nice to have these available recently.

The rosemary is from my garden.  I had just washed it so I tucked it among the other washed produce.  Have you ever smelled the aroma of warm water on rosemary? Heavenly...

Souvenir

I took $20.00 to the Feast as spending money.  After purchasing my very favorite Noodables and Christopher bought me hot apple cider... I decided to spend my remaining food money on this adorable little basket made of Sweet Annie.

It's not very big but it, too, smelled Heavenly.  It is now sitting on the stack of vintage picnic baskets.  The Sweet Annie will turn browner but it will still be attractive, and a pretty reminder of one of my favorite events each year.

Her Fluffiness

She has been sitting in the open window quite often these days, watching the outside world prepare for cold weather.  She would love to "help" the squirrels.

Scenes of Autumn

A musician from the Feast...

I forgot I had the potpourri with tiny pumpkins...

Last of the summer nasturtiums before they were blended with butter...

Simple beauty...

The Friendly Village dishes are a certain sign that summer is behind us...

Thank you for stopping by, see you soon.