This past week, for the first time since moving here, I felt truly harried by our schedule. Working at home provides me with much needed flexibility, and I am glad for it, particularly as we settle into this new home. I was able to throw on a hoodie yesterday morning and swing by the old house to help J lift some of the heavier things we left for last, and then stop to mail some packages before coming home to start my work day while he and the girls went to story hour. The peril of having that flexibility however is the tendency to pack more into our week than I can really handle, necessary though it all may be. I am relieved that there is nothing official on the calendar for tomorrow.

1. Last weekend, we met some wonderful friends at the corn maze for fall family time. It was cold, and we were bundled in hats and mittens. We had six little ones with us aged four and under, and an eleven year old. There was a piggy and a calf to look at, and a team of oxen pulling a cart to ride in. We took Swee into the corn maze, and she was pumped to run ahead and choose our path. And then we lost her. I was in a panic. Thankfully our friends found her, but then we all got lost. It felt like it took forever to get the heck out of the cornfield, and I won’t willingly do that again any time soon.

We went back to the same place this morning to pick pumpkins. The tractor took us out to the field where Swee declared she would only choose a clean pumpkin. Talk about a tall order. We finally found one that met her approval, but it was an interesting experience.

2. Sweebee’s nursery school hosted a spaghetti dinner on Friday night, which was a nice chance to interact with her teachers. They had been asking families to donate pasta and sauce over the past few weeks, and we took a jug of juice to share. The children had made placemats for the tables, and the pre-K group designed centerpieces.

3. Today, I finally dealt with the bag of apples we picked in the other yard, how many weeks ago? Some were no good. Others were perfect down to the middle where the core was rotten. I sliced and peeled and salvaged enough to make one pie filling, which is now in the freezer, and a batch of crockpot applesauce, which is currently simmering on the counter. I followed the basic Better Homes & Gardens recipe for the pie filling, minus the nutmeg. It works really well to freeze it, and then thaw just before baking in a single crust pie. We usually do a crumb top – it’s easier, and J actually prefers it. I’ve never tried making applesauce this way, so I’m curious to see how it turns out.

4. I asked our new neighbors if their chickens would enjoy all the apple peels and cores, and they invited us to come over and feed them. Beans and I walked down to their driveway with an enamelware pan full of bits and pieces. She got to push chunks of apple through the fence, and did a lot of pointing. I learned a little more about the birds, and got some insider info on the pigs they raise. We left with a promise of eggs and a “bye-bye bock bock!”

5. I’ve got a blanket I’d like to finish hemming tomorrow, and two trick-or-treat bags to make. I couldn’t get the homemade costumes together this year. It was just too much. The projects were really weighing on me, thinking about ideas and patterns and what we have that I could re-purpose, and then Thursday I just decided it wasn’t going to happen. I shouldn’t have been surprised to feel the weight lift, but I was, and it did. And now we have two purchased costumes hanging in the laundry room – one is secondhand, and the other is half new, half thrifted. Honestly, at $25, I probably spent less than I would have trying to make them myself.

I’m going to unplug for the rest of the night with a cup of Tazo cocoa mint mate and a book. And I couldn’t be happier.

Is there anything more fall than admiring the leaves and having squash for dinner? I’m not sure, but that’s exactly what we did today. We attended a Fall Fest at a neighboring community center, which unfortunately turned out to be more of a vendor show for direct sales consultants (nothing against that – I am one – I was just hoping for crafts and hot cider). Swee had fun painting a pumpkin, and then we had the chance to explore a new-to-us playground just outside. The weather quickly turned, going from brisk and breezy to quite cold in just a few minutes, and sent us scurrying for the car.

It was a quick outing after a run to the dump and picking up another load of our stuff from the other house. In another life, I’d say we took the long way home to see these leaves, but those last two photos were taken at the other end of our own road.

We came home to a backed up toilet in one bathroom and an inch of water on the floor in the other, with more coming. Our landlord came with a plunger, and instead found that our septic pipe had burst in the backyard. We watched them dig a hole with the Bobcat, and heard all of the drains in the house empty out as a huge flood sprayed out of the opening. I am thankful that he was able to patch it and be on his way.

We enjoyed grilled cheese for dinner (mine with avocado, J’s with ham) with butternut squash soup. Well, I enjoyed the soup. J at least ate it, Sweebee and Beans did not. I suppose you can’t please everyone.

We won’t be visiting the pigs, as they’re headed to market tomorrow. We heard thumping last night around bedtime, and with the list of household issues growing by the day, I sent J outside to see what on earth was going on. He came in and said, “I think it’s the pigs!” Not five minutes later, there was a knock on our door. Our new neighbor explained that the pigs were stomping in their travel crates, and apologized for the noise. He and his whole family stopped by this evening to say hello and welcome, which was so nice. They have two little ones, and our girls were thrilled to meet them – and so was I!

That was exhausting.

Last Sunday was Moving Day. However, in this case, every day this week has been moving day. We chose not to rent a truck since we were only going three and a half miles up the road, but that meant many more trips. We borrowed a trailer and a dolly, and took some friends up on their offer to watch both of our monkeys for the better part of the day. We’re still not quite done, but what’s left will go right into storage when we finally get it here.

We’ve been here for five days now, and had our third refrigerator delivered this morning. This one works, thank goodness. Our heating oil was also delivered today, and none too soon: there is snow in the forecast on Sunday. Just a flurry, but it will be chilly.

I have a HUGE kitchen. Truly, I’ve never had so much space before. I’m looking forward to using it to the fullest. For tonight though, we had breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, bacon and apple cider.

This new house is out in the woods. It’s dark at night, very dark. There’s almost no noise unless someone’s diesel pickup goes barreling past. The other night, J was out with the dogs, and heard…something. The next day we realized that the neighbors have pigs in their backyard! I’m hoping we can go over and introduce ourselves this weekend so that we can peek over the fence at their critters without causing alarm.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I have some fun things to share as I get back into some semblance of a schedule.

It may only be the first week, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this may just be the most beautiful October I’ve ever experienced.

We joined our neighbors for breakfast at the community center this morning. Each Saturday the doors are opened for a potluck style breakfast, welcoming anyone to partake in exchange for a donation. Sometimes there are other children in attendance, but often our family is the youngest group there. Today, Swee went charging up the steps and blew into the room like a hurricane, stopping to grin at a row of grandpa types. Predictably, this had the desired effect, and her smile infected most everyone there. J isn’t much for the social stuff, but we both think it’s important for the girls to interact with their community in a safe space like this – to practice their manners and their conversation skills. I meant to snap a picture and forgot, but I love the way they have their refuse containers set up – compost, recycling, trash. We take our own travel mugs for coffee to help cut down on their trash and expenses.

Our library books were due today, so we walked from the community center up the hill to the library. It’s a tiny place. They’re only open three days a week, for a couple hours at a time, but they have a nicely stocked children’s collection and plenty of toys to keep the girls occupied for a little while. I signed up for a library card back in June when we were brand new to town and had to give the name of another Mount Vernon resident as a reference to do so. As you browse the books, you’ll often see a post-it note stuck to a cover with someone’s handwritten review, and there’s a gardener’s seed exchange next to the circulation desk.

Earlier this summer I was amazed to find that they don’t charge late fees or fines for overdue books. Instead, they’re running a collection for the food bank this month, billed as a “Can Due” fine forgiveness campaign, so we took a bag of groceries with us: Swee’s favorite Annie’s organic mac and cheese, good salad dressing, cake mix.

We’re hoping to move into our new place later this weekend. I’m told that the propane tank and the stove were installed yesterday, so it shouldn’t be long now. I’m glad, because it’s getting chilly, but I will miss the activity of living in town, and the view of the lake. The sunsets are magnificent.