October and Big Foot...

Thank You God for Octobers! I know we've discussed this and I know there are many of you out there who are summer people, sun bathing heat loving flipflop wearing sun lovers. I'm sorry, but scoot over, it's my season! I don't want to hear how sad you are because 'you had to close your pool' or 'I have to get my fall and winter clothes out now'. This girl is basking in the cool nights, wet leaves, the smell of hickory burning, and the house taking on the soft light of lamps as the sun goes down earlier and earlier. Yes friends, HAPPY OCTOBER AND HAPPY AUTUMN!

And what a perfect way to get the season started than with my ultimate favorite activity...BONFIRES! (don't ya just love my witch nails?)

I'm not sure if the dogs were more excited to be out in the yard or if I was. The first bonfire is always a little crazy because they don't quite understand why we are all out there for a long period of time and not throwing ball or something, but after the first bonfire they tend to calm down and relax with us...always on guard for said raccoon, opossum, deer, or intruder!

As much as I love bonfires, I seriously can't tell you how much I love the moon and the stars. And the first weekend we had our bonfires, I found myself taking more photos of the sky than ever before. The sky was so clear, both nights, and even though my vision is horrible, the camera doesn't lie...I was in awe!

I clearly expected to see a witch fly by and shooting stars! Just beautiful... And seriously, how can anyone disagree we are not alone? Perfect time for my video of my son's Jack-o-lantern from last year-his fascination with UFOs and Bob Lazar!

Which brings me to October! October around this house is fun and chaotic! I feel like we are busier in October than we are in preparing for Christmas! First, it was time to decorate! I actually started decorating for the season last month (of course!), but October is about Halloween! I actually rushed decorating for Halloween because we made an impromptu trip to Amishland on the 2nd and I wanted to come home to the house clean and full of Halloween!

And speaking of decorating, I wanted to show you my quick and cheap Halloween lights I put together. So, throughout the year I have electric candles plugged in at each of our four windows on the second floor that are in the front of the house. I just LOVE candles in windows all year long. It makes the house look so warm and inviting! Normally at Halloween, I decorate those four windows with little luminary bags and battery operated tea lights. The window sills are too small to sit pumpkins on, so the luminary bags fit perfect. This year I decided to try something different. When I was at a garage sale earlier this year I bought boxes (literally boxes) of stuff for $15. It had everything from Halloween decor to wreath making fabric to computer paper. Odd stuff, but way worth more than $15! I remember stuffing one of the boxes with 4 jack-o-latern plastic cups and thought 'if I can get Bill to drill me the perfect hole, these will work'...so, when Bill came home from work one night, I pulled out one of the plastic cups and one of my candles. I showed him my goal and BAM just like that, he drilled the perfect size holes! AND I LOVE THESE NEW LIGHTS!! They slide right off the candles so when Halloween is over, it's a quick clean up! What do you think?

Aren't they cute? Cheap and easy!!! My kind of decor! Can't wait to see what kind of Christmas cups I can find now!

The house is full of autumn and halloween and the smell is even more amazing thanks to candles and essential oils! We even had butternut squash soup and homemade bread to bring in the season! IT'S SOUP SEASON!

But that's not all! As most of you know, for the past 20 years our family travels to Amishland in October. This year, however, we decided to make plans to go to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. I honestly thought because we made plans, not going to Amishland will be okay. Except, by the time the end of September was rolling around, I got this huge desire to want to go to Amishland! I guess it's like Christmas. When you're so used to having cold temps (and snow) at Christmas, it's just not the same having Christmas at the beach, you know? And this is what it feels like for me. Octobers just aren't the same without a trip to Amishland.

So, Bill and I decided we would make a one day trip. Our daughter wanted to join us, because like me, she feels the same way about October! So, we woke up bright and early to pick her up at 5:30am The moon in her crescent shape greeted us as we left the house. (told ya I am a moon and stars girl!)

But making the 4 hour drive north and seeing the sunrise over all the farmland is just so exhilarating and breathtaking!

And of course the season brings in the wonderful fog and mist that I absolutely love...except when driving lol.

And through miles of farmland and lots of Abba music (poor Bill) we arrived just as stores were opening. Fortunately we know the place like it's our second home so we know what stores and shops we want to visit as well as restaurants. This year we stayed at a beautiful hotel that gave us incredible views and a balcony to enjoy the evening! It was a day of bliss!

But, leaving Sunday morning brought the biggest surprise. Leaving is never easy, and every year we leave, for some reason it's always raining. We always get up early to enjoy the breakfast offered to us wherever we are staying then off we go...

Seriously, how do you pass up homemade baked goods and delicious biscuits and gravy? Anyway, while we headed out, it was so calm and peaceful. No traffic, as most were still enjoying their slumber or morning coffee. The sound of horse and buggy is really all you hear and it's wonderful. Like every trip, I am always looking at the amish homes because every other Sunday, the Amish have church. In the past, as we drove home, we would see buggies heading to church, but it was hit or miss depending on the week since again, church is every other Sunday. Amish church is broken up into little "districts" and church members are normally local neighboring Amish and some do travel a few miles. And, church is always at a church member's house. It's a big deal to have church. Lots of preparation. I believe services are three hours long, followed by FOOD! Now, remember, these are several families coming to one house. Have you all ever seen the size of some of these families???

While Bill drives, I am always on the lookout trying to find that ONE house having church. I've seen them on postcards and calendars, but never up close and personal. But this year Bill decided he wanted to take a different route home and this route unknowingly took us straight to CHURCH!!!! I couldn't believe it. I knew we were on to something when we were behind three buggies, but I figured they'd be on the road for a while longer and we would be forced to go around them, or they were going to turn down a road and I'd never see the Church house.

Then it happened...they all slowed down at the top of the hill. I never saw a sign about an approaching road either...so what was going on?!?! And to my excited little heart, they were turning into the driveway of a house! WE WERE AT CHURCH!!!!!

And I was all but out the sun roof trying to take pictures!!! Holy crap, we were AT CHURCH! Honestly, this is the most excited about church I think I have ever been, no lie!😂 I wanted to pull in the driveway and yell, "we're here!" so badly! I even told Bill and our daughter, 'they sing most of time during church and we know how to sing (thanks to our Abba lessons the day before) so let's go!!!' Not exactly enough to get Bill to pull in...plus it was REALLY CROWDED!

Horses and buggies were everywhere, all pulling in and parking in an orderly fashion, like they've done this before! As I was breaking my neck to look and get pictures, I hear Bill say, "look at this". I turned and looked ahead and coming up the other side of the hill approaching us was this...

OH

MY

HEART...MORE!!!!

What a sight. I know they aren't dressed exactly the same, but it felt like we were jetted back in time and I was witnessing Thanksgiving (minus the Indians lol). It was just awesome. The clothes were not what we normally see when visiting. The men were in their 'dress whites' as I call them and vest. If you scroll back up to see the picture of the elderly man in the buggy, that is how we always see the men dressed. This was different. And the women were dressed differently as well. I have never seen a woman in her long dress WITH the pristine white apron like this. Most of the time they are in colored dresses like the lady in the back wearing purple, only she, too, is wearing a white bib which we don't see either. But seriously, look at the little guy in his white shirt and suspenders and hat...ADORABLE!❤️

Of course I respectfully put my camera down as we approached and I was elated to see them waving to us as we slowly drove by. I wanted nothing more than to hear them yell, "Turn around and come join us!" 😂 Regardless, my day was absolutely made. Best alternate route EVER!

And now we're home, prepping for our next adventure in Tennessee where we plan to spend our days in the park and shopping while evenings we'll be enjoying our big cabin rental. Hopefully we'll catch a 'glimpse' (yes, just a glimpse) of a black bear! Oh, and speaking of black bear, our neighborhood is reported to have our own 'Big Foot' sighting (aka black bear lol) Someone reported they SWEAR they saw a momma and cub in their back yard. Although it is rare, it's not unheard of this far north in Kentucky. A few years ago someone was driving and hit one about 3 miles from here. It took off and no one found it, but they did a DNA test on the 'remnants' left on the car and it was indeed a black bear. I find it hard to believe they're that elusive and haven't been spotted by anyone else in this area, hence the reason I called it Big Foot. I'm thinking someone was still feeling the effects of the 'night before' when he woke up and saw it....just my thought lol

Just an FYI, besides buying all the baked goods to feed a small country, we bought a few things for me to make as well. My next post coming soon will be what I 'conjured' up in my witchy kitchen!! See ya soon!