40s for a high today. Time to use the oven. Baking a half dozen squash, baking crusted chicken thighs for lunches, roasting whole older chickens for shredded chicken, and baking up a couple of pounds of turkey/beef italian meatballs. Everything is destined for the freezer to eat this month. House will be toasty today!

89 here today. I didn't realize it until the neighbor told me. No wonder I was sweating like crazy while using the weedeater around the house. By Saturday the temp is suppose to go down to 57 during the day. I have a wedding to go to.

Potato and cheddar cheese perogis for supper.

I drove home from my weekend bike and camp out. 3 1/2 hours in rain... first easy like in this picture. :)

Mid-fifties here today, but tomorrow and Tuesday...81F! We've had three overcast/drippy days in a row. DIL and her and family canceled a trip to Michigan over the long weekend, anticipating rain and cold. Instead, DIL had everyone over for dinner last night. (She loves to cook; made sausages and a delicious barley risotto w/vegs. DGS made a pumpkin cake w/cream cheese frosting.)

Today I returned two too-big robes to Macy's and bought six extra turkish cotton washcloths on sale. We got gas and shopped at Costco on the way home. (I used a scooter for the first time since hip surgery a dozen years ago.) Costco has Walker's shortbread cookies out already, along with other *Christmas* specials. We bought a tin of the cookies -- and a cute box of 64 teeny dark chocolate bottles filled with liquors.

Well, rainy season is upon us so our Sunday hike was a 2 hour hike in the rain. This is why gortex was invented, as I stayed dry. Just eating leftover warmed sweet potato casserole for lunch.

Laundry and ironing. Later will spiralize some summer squash for use during the week.

I wish so bad it was cold here. In the mid 80's with the high humidity and millions of mosquitoes. I was so looking forward to fall. I hate summer and it's like August here.

Still mighty warm here. Out for lunch to Capt D's for an appetizer of butterfly shrimp and catfish dippers. Stay home rest of day.

Lily mid 80's here today also. Im anxiously waiting temps in the 50's.

I'm baking a few trays of oatmeal breakfast squares. Some will go in the freezer. Makes a nice quick breakfast if were rushed.

Making pasta for dinner with a small garden salad.

Thinking about filing my nails since they are looking crappy.

Getting boys things ready for school tomorrow.

I'm happy I have tomorrow off and I'm thinking about putting together a lasagna today to bake tomorrow.

I have been lazy-watching junk on tv, playing solitaire and word games but did manage to do two loads of laundry. Im fixing acorn squash and pork tenderloin for dinner.

Yesterday we helped rehab a local house, then came home and watched Florence Foster Jenkins and an episode of The Man in the High Castle. I awoke at 3am from a dream about old houses, bad singing and atomic bombs. Couldn't go back to sleep. Sigh.

Today we went to an outdoor spot in the woods where a family is operating a brewery and tried their beer, had some wood fire pizza and met some lovely people. Children having fun everywhere (no heads down with electronic devices) and dogs are allowed, but only off leash. Folks were just having a good time. We'll be returning and bringing friends. (It was cloudy, about 64 degrees in Southern Maine today.)

Warm and rainy here but I wasn't going out; today I hosted a baby shower for my daughter. Had about 20 people at my house and everything went well.

84 right now at 5:45pm. A little rain earlier. I have a giant pot of okra and tomatoes cooking in the oven to put in the freezer for gumbo making. I have some pork chops out to blacken for dinner with some of the okra and some field peas.

My flood house just went on the market today. I have been looking at the pictures and crying. They did not do it justice. They did some stupid stuff. Got rid of all of the pantries, closed the access to the laundry room from the kitchen so you have to go around the house to get to it, no reason for that. They put a wall in the middle of the sunroom and split it up. Idiots drywalled over the return air vent for the ac unit. That will be interesting. Everything is gray and white. White cabinets, no drawers. No mention any where that it was a multiple flood house. I feel bad for the people who buy it.

I am packing for my move next week. My decision to get ready to move over the course of weeks instead of days was the right one for me and has made a real difference as far as planning a quiet, uneventful move. However, tropical storm Michael might change the uneventful part, hoping that either the storm or the timing will not ruin my move.

Not much. Went out this afternoon, around 4:30, and trimmed the bushes out front, cleaned up the front garden some, and put down some cardboard and newspaper to prep an old section of garden for next year. Then put some fencing around it to keep the dogs out. Just made some phylo cup pumpkin puree cups. Not really sure what to call them. Doing laundry now. I forgot to mention it was 87 degrees when I was outside.

We are heading out with son and DIL to celebrate DH's birthday tonight at our favorite restaurant, prime rib! I have spent the day knitting for 2 expected babies and a one year old. One of those babies will be our last grandchild. DD tells us that her elder son has been on a Little League baseball team for a month and has not had a game yet--too much rain in their north Texas area.

Kathsgrdn, what is your prep method using cardboard and newspaper? Thank you.

Spent an enjoyable afternoon with mom and 1 of my brothers. Had sweet potatoes, fried cabbage and leftover meatloaf. Afterwards, mom decided she needed to make fried apple pies for us. They were delicious. It was 84 here in the NC mountains and still very humid.

Mid 80's here too, and a little humid but not too bad. Sure doesn't seem like October. The trees just started turning colors this week!

I washed the exterior of the windows, using the sprayer on the hose to dislodge all the little leaves that get stuck in the top & bottom of the screens. Pulled some weeds; scrubbed a pair of patio chairs, and a perfectly good play kitchen that I rescued from the trash pickup (it will be donated to the thrift store); watered the lawn hoping that the grass seed will come in better than it has so far (reseeded due to the damage done by the concrete guys when they rebuilt the front porch); and swept the patio for the 3rd time this week -- the neighbor's honey locust is dropping those huge pods that don't compost well. Oh, and finally got around to shaping the opening on the garage's back door so that I could re-insert the deadbolt lock -- I replaced rotted wood weeks ago. Sent a scan of the property plat to a fence installer for an estimate to replace the chain link with a taller wooden fence. And did a load of laundry.

Now I am tired and thinking early to bed!

Getting ready for some out of town company. I decided to move beds around, actually DH did the moving, so that there are two beds in my downstairs guest room. It has a private bathroom.

I washed all the linens, comforters and dust ruffles. Then I decided that I might as well launder all of my own bed linens as well.

Spent today doing a large shopping in prep for two dinners I will be hosting this week.

I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond for a baking pan and then also bought a new cup and toothbrush holder for the guest bathroom. Love how it perks things up.

This weekend I finished painting the railing on the front porch, scraped 16 window panes, reglazed 8 window panes (took three hours for the glazing only. I must be doing something wrong), made pumpkin streussel bread, lemon parmesan orzo with baked chicken, spicy pork with bourbon sauce (and roasted mini yellow potatoes and brussels sprouts), and cleaned loads of stuff. I hurt from head to toe. I wish I could go longer since there's so much to do!

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If I don't figure out how to glaze windows faster, It'll be 432 hours of window glazing. Ugh. I actually thought about asking you if you had any pointers since you work on houses. I assume you don't bother with old ones, and install new windows (less labor intensive and cost return is better). Unfortunately, I have the original 1926 windows in my house. They must be reglazed since they're in bad shape. I also still need to install storm windows over them. I keep putting it off thinking I'll find the energy, but evidently, I just need to keep at it. sigh

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In 11 more days I'm headed to see my son at university. His dad surprised him and showed up unannounced last Friday. When I spoke to the boy, he was very happy and when he asked me when I was coming, I said two weeks from today, he said, not soon enough. I too would like to change it to this weekend. Wonder how hard that would be?

Sunday was a beautiful 80 degree day here in western PA. perfect for the annual apple sauce making party at daughters house. As usual 5 of us were there at the large picnic shelter at 9am, peeling and chopping apples. At 5:30 pm we had 44 pints of sauce to share all processed. The party finished off with a pork and kraut dinner, and applesauce of course, for all.

Besides us ladies, the party was abundantly attended by the usual yellow jacket bees. We received only 4 stings this year, one less than last year.

rob.... If a window needs glass, we take it out, board it up, I have a shop that fixes them. All the houses we've purchased, so far, the previous owner has already put new double pane vinyl windows in or it's a newer 1980's house.

Push points & caulk......I don't have any fast techniques for getting through it. I find a lot of what we do isn't very fast or fun.

Added to say: I like Victorians or older homes....DH doesn't. He would replace "ALL" the plumbing and electrical...insulate the walls....replace the roof....we'd never get one finished. :0)

Push points and caulk takes a long time. Nine windows with 16 panes each... is a really long time!!!! I know, can you wave a magic wand!? HA!

Replace an entire house, what's the point in that? (i'm totally kidding!)

lovemrmewey - I think Kathsgrdn is using cardboard and newspapers in an area she plans to put a new garden. The cardboard and newspapers is used to smother weeds and grass instead of having to dig the area out. Soil and compost etc. is added on top for planting. Hopefully she will see your question......

It's lasagna-style gardening. The newspaper keeps the weeds from growing until she can plant.

Rob...people always think construction work is so gratifying. You can see the progress and have something tangible to show for your time. Working for yourself. It "is" true...but in the end it's all about money. Money saved or money earned.

I like remodeling the house I live in. Get it up to its full potential. It's really gratifying to have people say how much better it looks. I like it. There aint no money 'cept going out... The work isn't fun, but it's cheaper and done right. I can only take satisfaction in rehabbing something that could've been put out to pasture rather than enjoyed as it was meant to be. That does gratify me.

summer, thank you for enlightening me! And nicole!

Canadian thanksgiving weekend here. So eating leftover turkey and trimmings. 6 inches of snow last night. Looks more like Christmas

It’s going to be a long winter!

Snow? ((shudder)) Two beautiful days forecasted here - partly sunny, in the 70's. Yardwork is on the schedule, admiring the two new trellises I put up last weekend and finishing my book for one of my book clubs this week.

Rob333, I've seen so many post fussing about PO's having replaced windows, glad you still have yours. Just remember that you won't have to do them again, most restorations last > 50 years and those babies are better built and will outlast generations of the new windows. Wish I had a tip for you, I'm slower at glazing than you are.

Are you making or buying your storm windows? Please keep us old window lovers posted! :)

Spent the day splitting wood. Literally everything but my earlobes ache. So glad it's done!

I started out the day (yesterday too) really suffering from aches and pains, and fatigue. My neck injury acting up, which gives me a headache, and the arthritis flaring (shouldn't have eaten those tomatoes!) A stint in traction didn't give me the relief it usually does. So I didn't sleep well and was really feeling the heat -- which usually doesn't bother me much. Worked on the interior of the windows yesterday and today (only cleaned 2 today) now, only have 8 left to clean now. Sorry that I didn't feel up to doing more outdoor work -- it is supposed to change from summer (it was 89F yesterday!) to late fall abruptly tomorrow -- forecasting a 30 degree drop from morning to night.

Picked the last 3 apples of my very meager harvest, but hit the jackpot at my DD's apartment complex -- spotted a bush loaded with quince!! The processing is a chore, but I love the final product -- quince paste (or cheese, or membrillo) to eat with manchego all winter long! I've got to remember how I cooked it in the oven a few years ago.

Had 2 folks come out to give me an estimate on replacing the chain link fence with something taller and wooden. Fingers crossed it won't be as much as I fear. I suppose I could just pay them to set the posts, and remove the old fence, then gradually install the rails myself.

Raee, if the chain link posts are in good shape it's possible to disguise them with wood and then attach the rails. Saves digging out the old post and setting new ones.

Thanks for the suggestion Raye! I will talk to the installers about that possibility.

Well, well. I found out yesterday that many of the houses in my historic
neighborhood are deeded incorrectly (I'm trying to find out the why).
My house wasn't built in 1926, it was built in 1918. Now, I'm really
keeping the windows. Makes glazing them a lot easier. I just realized my
house is officially 100. Aw. Happy centennial house! ETA: The tax records office is who has it wrong. There were no taxes until the 20s. So evidently, that's when they started putting taxes on my house, 1926. I have no idea how year built=taxes began, but you know how government run things can be.

Happy centennial house! :0)