Credits: Page Template: Miss Mint ScrapSnap6 (Peppermint Creative) All other papers and elements: Autumn Medley (Shabby Princess Designs) Fonts: Arial (journaling); CK Holiday Spirit ("Little Miss"); 2Peas Gift ("Pumpkin"); Brush455 BT ("Painter") As always, click on image to enlarge for closer viewing.

Here's the latest digi I've done. I whipped it out Monday afternoon using a lovely invention called a template. Basically, the main design elements are already laid out (in this case, all of the photo spots) and you just add your photos and digital papers and embellishments. It makes it possible to get a page with lots of photos done so much more quickly. Gotta love that!

Martha made dinner for one the last times while they live here tonight and we had Dustin, Emily and Eva up as well. After dinner there were more autumn activity going on - i.e. the carving of the jack-o-lanterns.

Here's Matthew hard at work on his pumpkin masterpiece.

I'll bet you can't guess what it's going to look like...

SUCH hard work, man! But it was worth it. Just look at what was produced:

Matthew's is the big one on the bottom. Any guesses? The creators of the above jack's were, from top left: Chris, Dustin (LOVE that one - so cool - and scary!), Martha, Eva and on the bottom from the left: Dustin and Matthew.

In other ongoing news, M&M are planning on trying to get enough stuff moved in to their new rental house that they can spend the night there on Friday... Ohhhh, I'm gonna miss them. I know I keep saying that I'm just gonna miss Martha's cooking (which I WILL), but it's going to be awfully quiet around here. But tidier. Well, I'm truly thrilled for them and only because I know they'll only be a short ride away. Really not much farther than going to Wegman's to get groceries. If you don't count the driveway and the back roads or the traffic lights, really only a few miles. :) Anyway, they'll be HERE and not in AZ. I'm so excited for them to finally get to settle down and settle into their OWN place and finally feel like they've moved here and can start their new lives here.

We are blessed...

My Senseo machine broke yesterday. This, of course prompted an immediate trip to Target for replacement.

Yes, I know we recently purchased this little lovely:

And it's a fine machine, it really is. But a coffee machine can only produce coffee that's as good as the coffee you put IN it - if you know what I mean. Yeah. So Chris has a tendency to buy the cheapest crap (oh! did I say "crap"? I meant "coffee", I really did...) and he makes it a leeeetle too strong for me. Sooooo.

Years ago, I purchased my Senseo. I only drink exactly two cups (mug-sized cups, admitedly) of coffee in the morning, anyway, and this way I could also treat myself to the occasional (okay, one a day) flavored coffee which I do highly enjoy. And, dang, those pods of coffee just taste REAL good. I use a variety of pods, but favor Melitta with the occasional Wolfgang Puck pod thrown in. Can we say "yum"?

So, when the machine finally gave up the ghost yesterday, Martha (who also appreciates the podded cuppa) and I looked at each and simultaneously shouted, "Starbucks!". Oh, sweeeeet. Yes, it is a sweet, sweet thing that our brand new Targhay also houses the beloved Starbucks - and all only 12.3 minutes away...

We felt it only our duty to try and be thrifty by checking out the pod machines at our also new and conveniently-located-just-3-stores-down-the-row-from-the-"T" Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's only right. Alas, they did NOT carry the Senseo, but I did manage to find a few things to throw in my cart while there. Believe me, I practiced GREAT restraint!

At Target, I found that the Senseo was not even on the shelf anymore (*gasp*)! But, thank all that is holy, there was ONE last machine left boxed up. I happily grabbed it and tossed it in my cart while simultaneously enjoying my Caramel Macchiato (venti, mind you). What a lovely experience.

Martha - who was supposed to be buying tube socks for Matthew - found this absolutely adorable little goodie:

Is that not to die for? And look at that little tail...oh my goodness! *swoon*

So, yes, I was supposed to be doing my banking yesterday- usually at least a very full morning and part of the afternoon is involved in order to do both our own and the church's bill paying, balancing and record keeping. By the time we got home from our happy chore, the morning was almost over - and so was my mojo. I pushed myself to at least get our banking done. And I just finished the church banking a few minutes ago.

I think I need another cup of coffee...

(For Credits, see this layout on my SIStv gallery here. And, as always, click image for larger view.)

Just sitting here killing some time at the lovely Cedar Run Inn. We're all checked out, we've made our deposit for next year and we're just waiting until it's ice cream o'clock when we'll meander across the street to the Cedar Run General Store for lunch (i.e. waffle cone). It's pretty chilly today. We have a short hike planned for this afternoon and a short bike ride. If it's too chilly for the bike ride, I may persuade Chris into a little shopping in Wellsboro. I AM on vacation, ya know! We can't be having TOO much exercise!

One of the things I love about here is that even though there's no TV or phones in the rooms, there IS wireless, so we can bring the laptop and get on the internet. Yesterday, I spent some time cleaning - files, that is. And then I scrapped that page up there. Another plus for digi scrapping - you only need 4 supplies: computer, photos, digi elements and a photo editing program. Sweet.

Tomorrow, we're heading up to State College to try and get tickets for the PSU vs. Michigan game. Ohhhh, I LOVE going to the games. They are SO much fun - even if you don't like football. I don't care about ANY sports at all - EXCEPT PSU football. Chris (and his whole family) gradutated from PSU and, after we were married and he finished his last year there, I worked on campus. I was the secretary for the fraternities and sororities. I worked in a one-person (moi) office and the presidents of each of the frats and sororities would bring in projects and I kept all their records. Pretty FUN, let me tell ya. And I was only a few years older than all of them! Chris and I got invited to a lot of frat parties. (But not so much the sorority parties, for some odd reason...) Well, that was back in the day.... ANYway - consequently, we are both HUGE football fans. And this is a GREAT year for the team. We're currently undefeated for the season.

So, while Chris and I have been away for, lo, these 3 days, M&M have FINALLY been enjoying some alone time at the house. I feel bad for them. It's really hard to live with someone else and not have your own place. (Been there, done that - even with people I LOVED...) They are SO ready to move out and get their new life in PA started. They both have jobs now, so the housing pursuit is in full motion. But not having your own place still feels like limbo. So, anyway, I'm glad that they've at least had a little privacy for a few days. I wouldn't be surprised if they've found a place to live by the time we get back. DANG, I'm gonna miss Martha's cooking, though. Okay, them too, but the cooking. Oh, the cooking. (Drat! That means I'm gonna have to start back up my own self, soon. I'm SO over cooking...)

I'm off to get a little reading/crossword time in before we head out. Hard life, I know.
Happy weekend!
And GO LIONS!
:)

It's one of those years. A year when we, who live in north central PA experience God's very best autumn artwork. The mums have been beautiful, the weather has been outstanding and the colors this year are just gorgeous. Our house is all "autumned up" with mums and pumpkins and corn stalks. And the ferns are still going strong - look how long they are! My porch is pure eye candy...

Those pumpkins look nice and all, but they ARE just beggin for some faces, aren't they? I think we'll tackle that next weekend...

On Sunday, the four of us piled in to the car and, after enjoying some true philly cheese steaks from the not-so-urban Forksville General Store, we headed to Canyon Vista Overlook in the Wyoming (in PA) State Forest. (Don't ask.) It was a GLORious day and, well, the view speaks for itsself.

There's M&M posing amongst the beautiful fall foliage at the overlook.

Martha collected some leaves to press for future paper/crafting projects - or just for fun. They sure were pretty...

So, we had a great day. And tomorrow, Chris and I are headed up to our beloved Pine Creek Valley for our annual 3-day, 2-night stay at the Cedar Run Inn. This will be our fifth (or more?) visit there. We get the package deal which includes both their fabulous dinner AND their fabulous breakfast. YUM! The food is truly wonderful. The atmosphere is sooooo relaxing and beautiful. The bike path runs along one side of the property and Pine Creek on the other. What could be better? Well, I guess that would be the Cedar Run General Store being directly across the street. And it's a small street at that. It's the location of some deeeelicious ice cream which, generally - because our breakfast and dinner are already supplied - we have for "lunch" when it's open. Oh, yeah. My very most fave flavor is Bittersweet SINphony. Coffee ice cream with bittersweet fudge swirls and fudge chunks. Oh my.

And, ya know, I've just been craving a belgian waffle lately, don't ask me why. So, we are going to begin our trip north tomorrow with a stop at Perkins for breakfast. Jealous, aren't you? You should be! :)

I love it when Barb comes up while I'm here. It's just so much better when there's three of us "Hall girls". We had a great long weekend together. Went out to eat and chatted away Saturday night. Late to bed both Friday and Saturday nights. She went home Sunday afternoon and I spent 8.5 hours all told in Mom's skilled nursing room that day. Loooonnngggg day - especially with Barb gone. I think we were ALL tired by the end of the day.

I majorly slept in this a.m. Then, after lunch, Gail, one of Mom's "companions" (and a friend, to me AND Mom) picked me up and we went and had some coins appraised (no big deal) and then she took me to - hold your seats - Anthropologie. Okay. This is, hands down, the BEST store EVAH! Soooooo many deeelicious things in there and I was trying not to drool on everything and spend toooo much time. But I did manage to come away with some goodies AND have now officially begun my Christmas shopping! YAY!

We then went to the mexican restaurant next door and I had a couple of margueritas. Which, not surprisingly, made the remainder of my time with Mom FLY by. She didn't seem to notice that I was trying hard not to slur my words... And even if she did notice that I thought everything I had to say was brilliant and hilarious, she didn't say anything to the contrary... God bless her.

I was going to go to a few more stores tonight and get a bite to eat, but I just decided to save some money and stay home and make do with the apples and cheese that I already have here and that really need to be eaten before I leave tomorrow. And I think I need to go a pack and make sure that my lovely purchases will fit in my bag...

It's home tomorrow afternoon and the week went fairly quickly after all...

There she is! And I'm so glad I decided to bring my (Kodak) camera at the last minute. I had Gail take this pic of Mom and I. Mom is definitely making progress in her physical therapy. She can sit on the edge of her bed (with help getting up there) and, though it was VERY painful and hard for her because of her bad knee on her "good" leg, she DID stand on it yesterday in PT by leaning on the p-bars. And they showed her in PT how she can actually assist the aides and turn her 3-person transfer into a 2-person transfer. The problem is that it's VERY hard work and, classically, if she can get away with someone else doing it for her, well, she will.

But, overall, I was really encouraged and now am somewhat hopeful that she CAN work to the point of being able to come home someday. The physical therapist explained how far she had come in just a week. Sooooo, there's HOPE! And that will change the tone and direction of our family meeting today, at least a little.

Barb is coming in a 2 p.m. today and our family meeting with SES and Dave on the speaker phone will begin as soon as she sets foot in the door. Then we'll all (or as many of us as can) will go down and meet with Mom and tell her whatever we've decided to tell her. She is still under the impression (on "planet Mary" as I like to call it) that the dr. will tell her she can start walking on her next visit - which isn't for 3 months. She doesn't want to be wheelchair bound, so she, in her mind, is still hoping for a walker. She, as is so like her, hasn't really heard that the dr. does NOT want her walking on that leg, so the walker is OUT. Therefore, she WILL, at best, be wheelchair bound. And I say at best, because I feel that it's a much better option than where she's been for the past almost 6 months now - bed bound and tied to the bed pan. UGH!

So, we'll see how our meeting goes. I'm of a mind that she should know and accept this because then she can begin working and pointing her life towards it, instead of living in the land of unfulfilled hopes and dreams. I know it's more bearable to believe what will not be, but I also believe that allowing her to continue thinking that way keeps her from doing the work she needs to do and it keeps her in a constant state of disappointment when what she hopes continues to not happen.

Okay, so I'm off for my 2nd cup of coffee and then a little walk outside (it's GORgeous!) before I head over to the skilled nursing unit for the rest of the morning.