...sorting, packing, tossing.

SO.

My 'favoritest' of months has come and gone.

THANK GOODNESS for 'OCTOBER'!! 

For some reason, it is a month that has ALWAYS resonated with me.  ...and gave me power to be strong!

We had a LOT of FUN in October, nothing extraordinary, just a LOT of laughs (like trying to figure out 'who' was enjoying our pumpkins SOOO Much!)


(We did finally catch a glimpse of Him in action...)

The excitement of capturing the season through 'new-eyes'...

(Miss Fi loved the bag that we gave her for her '10-30' SECOND BIRTHDAY!)


Along with all of the FUN, October was a also a Very Sentimental Journey.

~ The store at which I have worked for the past 15 yrs. closed it's doors for the last time.  138yrs. worth of STUFF to sort, pack, toss...

~A good friend sold her house and moved out of state.  STUFF to sort, pack, toss...

~J's childhood home has sat empty since his parents went into a skilled care facility a yr ago.  The ownership of the house is in the process of being transferred... sort, pack, toss.

~A Very Dear friend died in June (87yrs).  She never married or had children.  Just a very packed home.  It recently sold and had to be emptied by Oct. 31... sort, pack, toss.

Oh, all of the Memories...

THANK GOODNESS October gave me strength, because

OUR COFFEE MAKER DIED!!!

THANKFULLY we were home at the time, or I shudder to think of what 'might' have happened!

About a week ago, while J was home for lunch, we noticed a smell of ?burning plastic/rubber?, upon checking we found smoke coming from our 'OFF' coffee maker!!  We quickly unplugged, and removed it to the driveway!

After MUCH time spent on the phone with the manufacturer, and reassurance from them that they had never had anything like this reported to them in the past... we made arrangements for them to replace it...

Which they did promptly.
~BUT~
The new unit arrived SHATTERED.
So, now, we are anxiously awaiting the next replacement!


THANKS for listening to me whine...
I'll leave you with this TOO CUTE picture of the 'PLARN' bag in action on Halloween!

**There is an ADORABLE Mini-Mouse costume under the Winter Coat!!

..."TERRIBLE"?!

Some like to refer to 2yr olds as 'TERRIBLE', I personally adore this age!!  (maybe it's because I'm not The Mom??)

Well, we have the SWEETEST little one living next door to us, who will be TWO on 10/30

(OH, SOOOOO close to my Favorite Holiday!!)

J & I wanted to give her something little for her birthday - BUT, What do you give the little girl who has EVERYTHING???

How about her 'very own' special mini Plarn 'Trick-or-Treat' bag?!!
...after, it can tote her books to/fro the Library (yes, Thank goodness her Mom takes her there!!) or she can tote her own soggy swimsuit in the Summer!!

When I finished that up, I was in the 'Plarn-swing-of-things', so I finished up the 'body' of a bag I had started for myself ages ago!  BUT, I decided I wanted to try something different for a 'handle'..

Hmmm...

So, I went to my personal 'Library', and did a refresher course on a skill that I hadn't tried since 3rd grade Art Class in elementary school.  Well, let me tell you - I give that Teacher a LOT of credit, she MUST have had the patience of a Saint to teach a bunch of 8yr olds this 1970's Craft!!!

Maybe it's using 'plarn' instead of cording, but this whole process is a LOT more time consuming than I remember.... I'm not real sure the 'look' is exactly what I was after, but I guess it's not 'Terrible', so I think I'll continue - and, just a couple of more evenings and MY bag should be completed! ((FINALLY))

NOW, I'm off to do some prep for a weekend of celebrating '#13' with J !

   8-)!!