Change of Seasons

Yes, it has been a few weeks since my last blog. Two reasons, I have been super busy and my computer needed a little space cleared out. It is not easy storing all my literary genius on a pixie sized laptop computer.

Halloween weekend was a bit of a let down. No trick or treaters for the first time in years. I felt homesick for Arizona and wishing I was sitting on my driveway with a glass of wine passing out candy to the small fry in the neighborhood.  I also felt sad to miss the autism walk with my grandson Sam, on the 31st.

We found a farmers market nearby that weekend and wouldn't you know, the last one of the season. I don't think Tom has gotten over the 20 dollar organic spiced honey I talked him into-but it sure is tasty! We also got some delicious jumbo Virginia apples, so good. 







Beautiful Colors at Sullivan Place

  


We had planned a driving trip through the Shenandoah Valley to see the Autumn leaves, but changed the plan to accommodate church and an eye Dr. appointment. Instead, we went for a Fall walk along the Potomac river near Mt. Vernon.  The leaves were beginning to change and it was a beautiful day for a walk. I thought I was so fancy in my hemp tennis shoes. I had forgotten that the last time I had worn them they had rubbed blisters on my heels.  This time I skipped the blisters and went right to the raw spots, needless to say the walk was cut short.



Canadian Geese on the Potomac


We have actually had a reprieve from really cold temperatures so far this fall. I have stocked up on mittens, scarves and warm shoes in case we have a replay of the unfortunate winter of 2009-10. The leaves are falling on the landscape at Sullivan
Place and it really nice to have a change of season. 

Okay, now I am getting really irritated. I have more trouble trying to flip my pictures and I think I will just let this last one go- you will have to tilt your heads my peeps-sorry.




Right after Halloween weekend, I got started with my French cooking classes and volunteer work.  I am concurrently working on my French cooking blog and will have my last class next week, November 30th.

 I spend all day Wednesday at the USO at Fort Belvoir ,entertaining the troops- just kidding- I work on special holiday projects such as numbering turkey gift cards and assembling mailings.  This will be a short term volunteer project that will end Dec 15th.  The folks there are really nice and do wonderful things for all branches of the active duty military and their families. They are a little cramped in their present  antiquated office  and the first day there I saw the disrepair first hand.  I actually got locked in a bathroom stall there and noticed I was not the first victim, as the door hardware was pulling away from the drywall. What to do?  Sacrifice my dignity by pounding on the wall, or crawl under?   After a few more fruitless attempts to strong arm my way out- I gave up and crawled under the stall. Thanks goodness for my yoga classes- not too bad . I felt pretty clever and spry.  No one had missed me for 20 minutes and I might still be there today if not for my quick thinking!   The link below  is for the DC Metro USO. The need for a little extra holiday help is great ,so help if you can:
http://www.usometrodc.org/
                                                                                                                                                                                  

I have also started volunteering at United Community Ministries which serves parts of Fairfax county with basic needs, food, shelter, medicines, etc.  I will be helping out at the front desk  from time to time and what ever else needs doing. My first day I worked on a large scale mailing with three 20 something young women whose lives have taken a very different turn from my own.

Here is a link to this great organization: http://www.ucmagency.org/

Tom and I also started a new yoga class through a local hospital group. Our yoga teacher is very skilled at relaxing the group, so much so that there is a woman who immediately falls asleep during the shivasana every week!  She actually snores and I feel she should be poked. However, our teacher always says "Be a silent witness to any and all sounds you hear". I don't know what the proper etiquette is, but I would give her a quick nudge if I could. Our teacher appears unlikely at first glance to be teaching yoga. She wears regular street clothes and doesn't participate in class except to demonstrate a new posture.  She is surprising agile and strong- you shouldn't judge a book........  It has been good enough, but we are ready for more challenging classes and will probably shell out the necessary money to attend classes at Little River Yoga in January. We really miss our Calming Body Effects yoga studio back in Mesa.

Tom is out of town for Thanksgiving week for work. I am looking forward to having my daughter Kelsey here for the holiday weekend! Although life is quite different for me here and I can't honestly say I love apartment living- I do try to start each day with a thankful heart for all the new experiences here in Metro DC.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.