And so it goes

I have been so absent online lately. There are a number of blogs, some who I consider good friends, that I always visited on a daily basis. I need to visit them more . . .

I used to write in this space on an almost-daily basis, too. But things change. And my blogging habits have become quite lax, just like my visiting habits.

I am still here, though. Mostly I seem to be doing pretty well, but I will admit that there are still days that grief washes over me in waves and all I want to do is curl up under my covers and not come out. It always surprises me when this happens. And it never seems to happen when there’s an opportune time to hide under covers.

But let’s not dwell on that. I’ve been keeping busy since I last wrote.

I went to my first ball game ever. It amazes me that I am 57 years old and had never been to a ball game. So when I was offered tickets to see the Phillies play their last game of the season and those tickets were to a posh suite, I emphatically agreed to use them.

 

I took my Phillie Phanatic sister, Char, with me. And I wore the cap that she bought for my husband several years ago. The suite was fantastic, the food (all free) equally so, and a fun time was had all day. Char’s daughter and family live just a short subway ride away from the stadium, so I parked at their place and we rode in with tons of other fans.

 

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This sky-full-of-clouds made me smile one day.

I have been very lax in the picture-taking department but am including a few here that I’ve taken over the past couple of weeks. We’ve had some beautiful weather lately in Maryland and the leaves have begun to turn.

 

 

George is waiting for me to come back to where I was sitting with my book. I miss my friend, Nancy, who gifted me this pair of chairs before she moved to North Carolina this June. I am planning a quick trip down there in a month, though. Should be fun!

 

This dog.

He is a light in my life, in my heart. He is always waiting at the upstairs window when I pull up in the driveway from work. He cries out with such joy when I get out of the car and then bounds down the stairs to greet me when I get inside. I’ve been taking him for walks which is one of the things he loves the most. It takes so little to make him happy.

I’ve also been cooking and am sharing a couple of dishes here that I tried and liked.

Photo credit: Yunhee Kim

This one I tweaked just a little bit, and really liked it. I added some thyme and some garlic salt. I was also lazy and bought mushrooms that were already cut.

Cottage Pie with Vegetable Mash

 

I loved loved loved this soup. But don’t do what I did if you make it. I rarely ever cook with barley and had forgotten how a little bit of it goes a long way. So I added a little extra. Still excellent, however.

Creamy Mushroom Vegetable Soup

On another note, my eldest son is leaving the country for two months on a work-related trip. I am thrilled for him but at the same time am going to miss him so much – especially over Thanksgiving. He leaves Saturday ~

Hope all is well in your world. Thank you for continuing to visit me in mine.