The Best October

After looking back at last month, I have to say that October 2021 might be the best October I've had on record!  I definitely started the month with a plan.  (A full year of being home during the pandemic helped inspire it.)  

This October, I wanted to go pumpkin picking, hiking, and bike riding.  Then, we planned special days to visit Olde Sturbridge Village (a rural New England Village modeled after the 1830s); to get lost at the Corn Maze (space-themed this year) at the Farm in Woodbury; to go on a haunted hayride; to attend the Witch of Woodbury program at the Glebe House; and to go trick-or-treating.  Of course, all these special days were in addition to the fall birthday celebrations we had in October that I posted about here.

The beginning of October started out in its usual way--pumpkin picking and hiking.  However, as the weather each weekend seemed to get warmer and warmer (instead of colder), we decided to sneak in a bike ride at Hammonasset Beach State Park, too.  We made it into a family affair where my mom and Bruce (our 1.5 year-old puppy) joined us.  After the ride, we stopped to get seafood at a restaurant, which had an outside, pet-friendly area; it was a fun day for the WHOLE family.

My mom bought Lewie a bike this year and was able to see him ride it in-person!

My mom walking Bruce.

Bruce's first trip to a pet-friendly restaurant.

Can you see the rainbow in the picture above?   We had just finished talking about our beloved Aunty Kiki who passed away last year in October, and then this rainbow appeared.  The colors grew more and more vibrant as we drove away from the beach.  I would have taken another picture, but I was driving.  It was definitely a memorable way to end the day.

On October 21st, Lewie had a full day off from school, so I took the day off from work, and we had a "friend day" at Olde Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA.  Lewie was able to "hang out" with his best friend, Ryan, and I was able to "hang out" with my good friend, Sue (Ryan's mom).  We had planned to make this day trip over the summer, but it actually worked out better to enjoy it in October.  First, the fall colors were BEAUTIFUL, but even more, going on a random day in October when most children are in school made it so that we could visit all the historic buildings without the extra crowds of families and school children.  Thus, we were really able to talk to the "costumed historians," who were so knowledgable about life in the 1830's.  For example, did you know that most potters made their wares from mud, or that school was "optional" for kids, or that stray livestock that damaged another person's crops were placed into a "town pound?"  (It's like the concept of a dog pound but for livestock like pigs, horses, sheep, goats, etc.)

School Days, School Days, Good Olde Fashioned School Days...

Going to Olde Sturbridge Village definitely satisfied my interest in pretending I was Laura Ingles Wilder for the day.  I know it was so tough to live during these days, and people didn't have a long lifespan, and yet, something in me craves a time when life was simpler--a life without cars, cell phones, plastic, waste, and materialism--a time when we truly lived off of the land, told stories around the kitchen table, and read books by candlelight...

On October 24th, we met up with family (cousins to be exact) to get lost in a corn maze.  The one thing I learned about corn mazes is that while it's fun with three people (Daddy, Lewie, and Me), it's insane with nine people (five kids ranging in age from 9 to 16 and four adults).  We didn't just continuously get lost in the corn maze, but we also got lost repeatedly from each other.  One small group went one way, another small group went a different way, and Aunt Missy and I at one point found ourselves winding through cornstalks alone.  Oh, we could hear the kiddos laughing, screaming, whining, and everything in between, and we could even see their feet, but we did relish the glorious opportunity to get caught up on girl talk while the rest of the family burned off lots of unbridled energy.   

After two hours of winding through a spaceship maze, we all met up around a pile of hay--some climbing it (Brooklynn, Lily, and Elijah), some sleeping on it (Daddy Lew), and some taking pictures of it (me).  The wonderful owners of the farm announced they would be taking their last tractor ride for the evening and invited us to come along.  It was the perfect way to end a perfectly beautiful day.

This explains my husband's and my sister-in-law's personalities perfectly!

Our final days of October were reserved for a haunted hayride, a witch tale with haunted house, and trick-or-treating.  The haunted hayride included Lewie with three friends, Hubby, and my friend Sue.  Hubby drove the four boys there and back while Sue and I led the way in my car.  The hayride, complete with a scary fun-house-themed barn, was too dark to take photos, but I did manage to get some pictures of the moon that looked ominous from the sky above.  

The "Witch of Woodbury" was an outdoor skit put on by four women sharing their Connecticut witch stories from the 1690s.  It was interesting to learn that 11 people (nine women and two men) were executed for "being a witch" in Connecticut.  Of course, these people weren't really practicing witch craft or showing signs they were possessed by the devil--they were targeted for having money, being outspoken, or selling arms to the native Americans.  My two lady friends and I used the evening as a girls' night out; we started with dinner, went to the skit (followed by free entrance to their haunted house), and then paid to have a tarot card reading done for each of us.  The tarot card reader was surprisingly good at being able "read" our social, emotional, mental, and physical state/well-being; however, after reading all evening without a break to eat, she felt faint and had to stop in the midst of her last and final reading with the three of us...

October ended with a real night of trick-or-treating.  We didn't know how much we missed it last year until it was time to get into our costumes and head to our favorite downtown trick-or-treat area.  House after house was adorned with scary graveyards, pumpkin heads, skeletons, spiders, caldrons, lights, and blow-up yard ornaments;  it felt like the whole town, maybe even the whole state, was out celebrating.  (The beautiful 55 degree mild weather helped, too.)  This year, our family decided to dress up in "space" costumes, all of which used the special blow-up, fan technology.  My husband's costume made him look like he was abducted by an alien, Little Lewie's costume made him look like he was being hauled off by a spaceship, and my costume looked like I had been swallowed by Planet Earth.  While my Earth costume was round, bulbous, and made me feel like an Oompa Loompa (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), I'll have to admit, it was one of my favorite costumes.  In some ways, it reminded me of being pregnant.  I couldn't see over my stomach, so getting around and watching out for curbs and steps made it somewhat treacherous.  Still, I made people laugh with some people even calling me a giant sized globe.

Come give Mother Earth a big hug!!

This October will definitely be a month for the records.  I'm not sure how I was able to work and squeeze all these fun days into one month (yes, I did have to take days off from work), but somehow, we did it and had a wonderful time.   Now begins the countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas...  The end of the year is approaching fast!!

Three Birthdays

Fun Fact:  In our house, the four of us have birthdays right in a row.  My son starts the birthday season with his on August 11; my husband is next on September 16; my birthday follows on October 3rd, and my mom ends the season of partying on October 8th. 

In some ways, the four back-to-back celebrations can be difficult (i.e. the party planning, budgeting, and time management).  In other ways, the time of year is perfect.  My son gets the summer birthday, my husband gets the sweet spot between summer and fall, and my mom and I get the first few glorious weekends of fall.  Additionaly, our birthdays don't have to compete with any major holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Instead, we have the start of school and Labor Day; by the time Colombus Day rolls around, our celebrations have ended.

In August, I already posted how my son became a teenager this year, celebrating with a pool party and a sleepover.  For us, the celebrations were much different but FUN!!  

The first of the adult birthdays started with Hubby (Big Lew). He wanted to go to NYC for his birthday, so he could attend the filming of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (Jon Batiste and Stay Human are some of his favorite musicians.)  The request was not an easy one, but I was determined to make it happen.  

I chose several weekdays in September and put our names on a waitlist.  (Getting those days and my work schedule to line up felt like a maze, but in the end, Tuesday, September 21st became the lucky day.)  We took the Metro-North train into Grand Central Station at noon, and from there, we walked to the Ed Sullivan Theater in Midtown Manhattan.  (The day was warm and pleasant, perfect for the walk to the theater and the several hour wait outside),  After the filming, we walked to The Tavern on the Green inside Central Park to have a delicious birthday outside underneath a canopy of starry white lights.  Honestly, the ambiance made me feel like I was in a fairytale.  

On the train to Grand Central...

We could take pictures outside, but we couldn't take any pictures inside the theater.

Underneath the starry canopy of the Tavern at the Green

By the time we took the train back to CT and drove home from the train station, it was well after 11 p.m.  Our feet were tired and our throats were sore from all the hooting and hollering, but our hearts were full of gratitude for the beautiful day that was given to us without any hitches.  It was a birthday (a 51st birthday celebration) to remember!

My birthday was a little more low-key.  I requested a yummy lunch on the patio of the G.W. Tavern followed by a hike.  Hubby accompanied me, and much like his birthday, mine was equally perfect.  Somehow, we were lucky enough to get the best seat in the house--a small, simple table on the outermost part of the patio overlooking a lush green hillside.  Then we went for a stroll on one of the many trails at the White Memoiral Conservation Center, where we were able to get a glimpse of a few vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds from the slowly changing trees.

Sitting on the patio wall of my favorite restaurant.

On the following weekend, we celebrated my mom's birthday--first going to Clover Nook Farm (local to us) to pick pumpkins and then visiting Pumpkintown U.S.A. in East Hampton, CT.  Before my mom's fall (last May), I had visions of taking her on a weekend getaway to Stowe, VT, but she still didn't feel ready for an overnight trip.

Pumpkintown U.S.A. is this unique little village made of people with pumpkin heads.  It begins with a drive through the forest and then ends with a walk through the "town" next to a few shops, notably The Harvest Store and Paul and Sandy's Too Hardware and Garden Center.  We had never gone before, but it turns out that it was the perfect event for my mom that is still recovering from her fall and for Lewie who lately has this aversion to huge crowds.  We had a chance to view many cute scenes of pumpkin people going to school, golfing, skiing, running a farm stand, getting married, and so much more.  During the forest drive-through, we ordered yummy popcorn and cider donuts for the ride.  In the town, we visited the stores and bought ourselves plants at the garden center.  It was another gorgeous day without any hitches, and while the event certainly attracts people (mostly young families), it was easy to walk around, take pictures, and shop without any waiting.

Pumpkins at Clover Nook Farm

Welcome to Pumpkintown U.S.A.

Why "I do" take this pumpkin to be my lawfully wedded wife.

Too cute for words!

Our cake celebrations for all three birthdays were held at home--whether it was pecan pie (Hubby), cupcakes (me), or an apple pie (my mom), we all blew out candles and made a wish--probably the same one... After a year of having to do all our celebrating at home in 2020, it was nice to be able to travel locally to celebrate our special days.  Still, in the end, the sweetest part was being able to spend these days with the people we love, knowing we get to cherish another year!!