Mid-October Faves

Look at the title!  It's mid-October already!  How does this happen?

I'm looking ahead at the calender that is rapidly filling up as we approach mid-autumn and the holiday season, yet I'm savoring these last warm days of early autumn and lingering with the many memories I've made in the last 4 months.........am sharing 5 of them here because I'm participating with others who link up at Susanne's and list blessings God has brought into our lives.  I love looking back at the week and finding Five Faves.

photo courtesy of the saratoga dance website

• DAUGHTER DATE!  On Saturday, Claire (the 15 yr old) and I had a mom-daughter date.  She had a 11:30 a.m. pointe shoe fitting at this place and it only took about an hour for her to find the next pair of pointe shoes.  She's on her 8th pair.  She dances 3 times a week so they wear out quickly.  I think I know why ballerinas are poor!  But...we were fortunate because the pair that fit the best this time were under $100 so we bought them and then did some Christmas shopping for the ballet teachers.  I got that done!  We then walked around downtown and had lunch outdoors at this fave place. I had the apple and cheddar grilled sandwich and she had chicken.  We shared the sweet potato fries and blueberry sauce. It was fun to people watch because Saratoga was quite lively with all sorts of tourists for Columbus Day weekend, a food fest, and leaf-peeping.  We then did a bit more Xmas shopping at a bookstore we like. It was a blessing to have the afternoon together.

• WORK-OUT DATE:  I normally wouldn't call this a date but...Dave really wanted me to go with him to the new gym we joined.  And the blessing is that membership is free!  It's located in the same building as several of our doctors/eye doctor/pediatrician so, because we have doctors in that medical arts building, we can join the gym for free!!  It's small but it has everything.....and very neat, clean shower/locker areas.  There were only 3 other people there working out late Saturday afternoon so I got on the treadmill and did a little over a mile going uphill to prep for Monday's hike.  Dave got his work out in, and we talked so it was great.  After working out, we came home to cook dinner.....it was a great Saturday together! I'm not normally a gym person...I much prefer doing my biking and walking outside, but it was important to Dave so I did it.  I'll most likely save the gym though for those cold winter days! The blessing, besides the work-out and time together, is that he could cancel his gym membership at the chain place and now we will save $10 a month!

• DAY WITH DAD:  Sunday was a day to drive out to the central part of NY and visit my dad.  He is getting frail.......he will be 83 in January and really misses my mom.  I don't think he has really grieved all that "well"....if you know what I mean.  He is facing a move from the home he has lived in for the last 30+ years and I know it is a bit difficult for him.  Dave and I took him out for an early dinner and we really enjoyed our day with him.  It's a blessing to be able to visit him every couple of months.  It's hard to see him getting frail.

First mile of trail up Vanderwhacker Mt

the Vanderwhacker Mountain Fire Tower
13 October

View from the fire tower looking north to the High Peaks
Vanderwhacker Mt/ North-Central ADKS

• HIKING DAY!  Monday was a holiday for all public schools and most agencies in NYS.....due to Columbus Day...so my friend Carla and I hiked one of the mountains I have left on the Fire Tower Challenge.  This one is very remote, very similar to the ones I did in August but less steep.  It was a round trip of about 7 miles.  What a great day I had!  I had NO pain in my foot (I wrapped the arch with rock tape) and NO back pain. AMAZING!  Although it was overcast, and the leaves are a little past peak color up there, it was still a glorious hike and it didn't rain! I now only have FIVE firetower peaks left in the Adirondacks to do, and only 2 more in the Catskills!!  Hopefully by the end of next summer, I will have completed the challenge!

painting by Deborah Fast

• AN ADIRONDACK PAINTING!  A good friend of mine, Deborah, painted this for me!  She and I have been friends since childhood. Her parents raised her in the same church and schools that I went to and our families did many things together over the years.  I am also good friends with her older sister Diane. They both graduated from our hometown high school a few years ahead of me. We reconnected several years ago and last summer we were able to hike together when Deb visited NY (she now lives in TN with her husband).  This bridge shows the beginning of a trail that I have always wanted to do but it is a 10 mile round trip hike so I  haven't done it yet.  BUT..to the right of the bridge, there is another trail that leads to 3 beautiful waterfalls...we only got to hike to the first one and tried to bushwhack to the other ones but we didn't have any luck. At any rate, Deb took photos and then painted this picture for me from her photo.  She knows it is one of my fave areas of the Adirondacks (the Wilcox Lake Wilderness Region) so I was thrilled and totally surprised when her sister gave this to me the other day.  I had been at my dad's with my husband and Diane met us there to surprise me. I do plan on getting it framed and for now it is on a shelf leaning against the wall in my family room. I'm so thankful for good friends who appreciate hiking and the woods!

That wraps up my faves........there were other little blessings too, like very warm, mild weather all week and steaming mugs of morning coffee, ice cold lemonade for dinner, cold apple cider, cool, fresh sheets on the bed at night, and kindergarten students who worked well this week!

What were some of your blessings this week?  Please feel free to share!

Have a happy, restful weekend!