Friday things

Hey there. TGIF! Hope the week has been good to you and you are slowly recovering from the election draining excitement disappointment. I've been reading a lot of other bloggers this week and have seen some really upsetting posts about how everyone feels. Nothing too harsh or disturbing, but a lot of the women bloggers are upset that the United States didn't make history with Hillary Clinton. I get it. I completely understand why these women are bummed, but being Green Party in the SNS household, we are on our own disappointment ship with Jill Stein. Having the first woman in office would have been a great step for women in this country, maybe even the world. But we have to swallow hard, move on, and accept what we have been given. I have always told The Bean, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit." What good would it be to pout and cry over the results and let him see The Mr. and I so down in the mouth over it. We are pretty open-minded folks over here and the only thing we can say is, darn it, but let's just see what he can do for us now. Reading Twitter is seems the hashtag of #NotMyPresident is trending. It's a real shame that more people can't swallow their pride and accept what we've been given and hope for the best. But then again, most people can't seem to swallow their own pride and be more humble about much of anything. Here's to moving forward...

Here are the exciting things that made our week interesting.

1. This food adventure

This past Sunday, The Mr., The Bean, and I went to the Fill Your Pantry yearly event in Corvallis, Oregon. We stocked up on yellow onions, red and yellow potatoes, oats, pastry flour, squash, and some random jellies, and berries. This was the first time we've been to this event and it will definitely be something we do next year. We left there with enough food to last us for about six months and we only spent $75.

2. This fog

We've had quite a foggy start to the mornings here this week. It was foggier this morning than it has been the last few days, but once the sun came up and the wind picked up a bit, it rolled on through.

3. This tiny visitor

While cleaning the windows and dusting the sills this week this little guy was looking for a way out. I picked him up and expected him to tuck in his shell and hide from me, but he did quite the opposite. We had a short meet and greet and I placed him in one of my outdoor plants and wished him well.

4. This squash

As per the post above, this spaghetti squash was part of our haul from the Fill Your Pantry event. I have always wanted to try spaghetti squash in place of regular spaghetti noodles and I finally dove in head first. It was easy to bake and even easier to shred. The Mr. and The Bean enjoyed it, so I would say it was a success! 

Recipe:

Slowly and carefully cut squash lengthwise from stem to bottom with a serrated knife.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper to your own taste.

Lay face down (cut-side down) on a parchment-lined baking sheet

Bake for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Allow to cool for about 30 minutes and shred "noodles" with a fork.

5. This book

This book. It's worth a read and you can find it here.

Have a great weekend!

Side note: I just want to take a quick 

second and say thank you to all of 

those that served, currently serving, 

and those that have lost their lives

giving us what we have today. 

Your sacrifice reminds us that 

freedom comes at a cost. I do hope

that your sacrifice isn't forgotten in

the future with the "changes" 

coming to our country.

Friday things

What a week. As with the last four weeks, we've had a lot going on and it's quite exhausting. The start of the seventh grade school year happened, downsizing our clothing collection-still working toward our minimal lifestyle, furniture purchases, new mattress purchase (will share soon), and enduring bouts of rain. We've also been preparing for family visits this Thanksgiving and I couldn't be more excited to have that happen this year. It's been a real productive four weeks. We always look forward to the weekend here in this house and this weekend this welcomed with open arms; No rain! Although we have a lot going on here, I still try to carve out some time to share our week. Last week we were under the weather a bit and I honestly didn't feel like getting out of bed much. Not sure what we had going around, but it knocked the wind out of our sails, that's for sure. The Bean and I are still fighting the last leg of it. We've been defusing tea tree oil and inhaling eucalyptus the last few days and it seems to be helping kick whatever we had-I'm thinking a stuffy head cold. Now we are up and about and feeling back to ourselves more and can share a little update. So here are the things we've been up to lately.

1. This birthday boy

Friday (September 30) we celebrated The Bean's thirteenth birthday and it was a blast! I honestly can't believe it! Thirteen. It's hard to swallow, but The Bean has grown into such a great person and the fantastic little man that he is. I have been having a difficult time accepting that he is actually 13 now, but just like when he was 12, it will sink in soon enough. I wish that time would stand still for just a bit, but the sad part about it is, it never will. Being present is the only way to fulling be content with what is right in front of us. He has made his dad and me so freaking proud and I couldn't see any other way to spend my life than with this great boy and his wonderful ways. Happy birthday still, my wonderful Bean! (Side note: we did a little celebrating for The Mr. back on September 16, too. I have to mention a little something for him since he is the greatest part of our family and the rock that holds steady when the ground is rocky. I do love you so!)

2. Road trips

We've taken a few road trips here and there lately just getting out and about when it isn't raining. We've done a few geocaching runs and I will share those soon.

3.  Sun moment

The sun finally made an appearance here the last few days and The Bean and I couldn't be more excited to see it. Loads of rain is great, but after awhile it really gets to be a bummer.

4. Pumpkins galore

The Valley floor is covered with fields of pumpkins at the moment. It looks like a fall-lovers paradise with all of the orange dots on the ground. Makes me wonder what it looks like from an airplane.

5. Our minimal adventure

We have been on a steady purge session for the last few months. Things are starting to really come to gather and I can see light at the end of the tunnel. It's pretty liberating, to say the least. 

Have a great weekend.

McDowell Creek hike

Week-End: Things that made my week awesome

What a great day! Well, minus the rain. We've had such a long week we are glad to see this weekend and especially Sunday. The Mr. and I have been planning another road trip for our #snsroadtrips and we have been having a lot of fun figuring out a good place to go. Hopefully it will work out for us and I can have another place to mark off of our "bucket list." For now, here are the things that made this week awesome!

1. This camera

The Bean purchased him a new Polaroid camera and he has been having a blast with it. He likes the exposure the camera creates and has been snapping pictures of everything and everyone. 

If you're curious if Polaroid film is still made, it is. You can get it here.

2. This book

If you're curious about the September book selection for SNS, here it is. "Better than Before"

by Gretchen Rubin. It's a book about what the author learned about making and breaking habits that we create over time. It talks about sleeping more, quitting sugar (which is a hard one for me), and how to stop procrastinating. You can see the entire list of book selections at the link "Library" at the top of this blog.

3. This "prescription"

Meditate, exercise, avoid processed food, eat more organic fruit and veggies, and spend more time outdoors and less time in front of electronics. Seems like the right way to cure the coming on winter blues or just the daily slumps.

4.  Gardening tips

September: 

• Feed your lawn with fertilizer.
• Take down hanging baskets, replace with winter/spring flowering versions.
• Plant evergreen shrubs.

October:

• Prepare your pond, greenhouse, and put your tools/outdoor furniture away.
• Divide perennials that have become too large.
• Rake up fallen leaves and spread them between the perennials in the border of flower beds and gardens. 
• 
  

5. This cleaning mission

We've been taking out camping gear out and going through, downsizing, and cleaning everything. We have cast iron skillets as part of our camping gear and they were in desperate need of a scrubbing. This tip I cam across in a magazine (I forgot which one) really helped out. We have decided to go minimal with our camping equipment too, so we were in need of an overhaul on our camping box and gear. Plus, we found out, we are in need of a new tent! *sigh*

What happened this time last year?