October Happenings

I hope you're enjoying the month of October so far.  We are having beautiful fall weather in Michigan this week - temps in high 60's - low 70's with beautiful blue skies.

Last Sunday my hubby and I traveled to Ann Arbor/Chelsea to attend church with Jeremy and Samantha and the kids, and then we all went out to dinner afterwards for a belated birthday celebration for Izzy and Jeremy.  They chose a Mexican restaurant, Los Tres Amigos.

I ordered Fajitas Amigos - marinated strips of sirloin steak, chicken and shrimp with sauteed onions, bell peppers and tomatoes.  It was yummy!  Afterwards we went to their house for freshly made warm pumpkin donuts dusted with cinnamon sugar, served with apple cider.  It was a fun afternoon.  

On Tuesday I had my life-long girlfriend and her husband for dinner before their move to Florida later this month.  I had hoped to invite a small group of classmates for the get-together, but with COVID-19 they were afraid to venture out.  We actually had a better opportunity to visit with just the four of us.

When I was putting my menu together I was thinking fall and Oktoberfest [my girlfriend is of German descent].  Below is a picture of my tablescape.

The menu was:  Smothered Pork Chops; Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage with Apples; Hot German Potato Salad; Southern Green Beans; Applesauce; and Blueberry Muffins.  Dessert was Apple Bread Pudding with warm Butterscotch Sauce [made in my slow-cooker].  Tea was Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice black tea.  The recipes served a lot more than four people, so we're still eating leftovers! 

After dinner we looked at my Shutterfly albums from grade school, junior high, and high school because they were in all three.  It was a fun walk down memory lane.  How blessed we are that our friendship has continued throughout all these years.

[Elaine & Dan]

Here they are in Jr. High School!

[Elaine & Me]

Here we are in 7th grade.  My, how time changes us - we had slim bodies, dark hair, and no glasses back then! ;-)  But still we're blessed and happy to be alive and well now.   I will miss them when they move to Florida.

I'm feeling a bit melancholy as I type this post today because my only remaining maternal aunt was diagnosed with terminal cancer yesterday.  It began in her breast and spread to her ribcage and liver.  She will begin hospice care today.  I've blogged about her on several occasions, but most recently on August 26th when we got together for a family dinner celebrating her 93rd birthday. She's been blessed with a long life, but you're never ready to give up a loved one.  Her three children [in the photo below with me] are taking the medical diagnosis hard, so if you happen to think of them and believe in the sustaining power of prayer, please remember them in your prayers.

I recently received an e-mail from a friend who used to own a tearoom in Clinton Township [I worked for her for awhile].  After closing her business she had several sales to sell all her china and accessories.  I bought several things [which I've blogged about] and thought she had sold everything.  But her recent e-mail said she's still in the process of emptying totes.  She knew I liked Royal Albert's Lady Carlyle and wondered if I'd be interested in what she had.  I already had the teapot, creamer & sugar and two trios, so I didn't think she'd want to break up her set, but she said she would.  I went yesterday to pick it up.    I now have six trios and two dinner plates which I will use as platters. I like Lady Carlyle because it goes nicely with my pink Depression Glass.

Cheryl remembered that at one of her other sales I purchased four luncheon sets in the Heirloom pattern, also by Royal Albert.  Yesterday she gave me three more luncheon sets in the pattern, a sugar & creamer and five 'orphan' plates.  I would love to get the teapot to go with the set, but it's way more than I'm willing to pay on E-bay.

She also has pieces of Blossom Time china by Royal Albert that I think is beautiful, and would  go well with pink Depression Glass too, but so far I've resisted.  I have to ask myself, "How much is enough?"  When there's no more places to store it, then I think that's enough.

Lastly, a man from church asked me if I was interested in two large vintage transferware pitchers his brother is wanting to sell.  One is blue and the other is red and they're both Mason pottery from England.  I told him I wasn't interested, but I would post them on my blog and if a reader was interested I'd provide contact information.   If anyone is interested, you can work out price details with him directly.

Enjoy these beautiful fall days where the trees are changing colors and providing a beautiful display of God's handiwork.  At the same time, prayers for those who live in areas impacted by hurricane Delta.  It's been a horrific hurricane season this year.