happy halloween!

here's the jack-o-lantern i carved today, and the pumpkin seeds i'm going to roast once they're dry.


oh, MAN, have i mentioned how much i just LOVE fall????!!!!

easily my favorite season, by far.

the temps are finally a bit cooler here (upper 60's/low 70's), and the leaves are all a-crunch underfoot.


i've had a serious hiking agenda lately. literally, every weekend is featuring long walks through city parks, state parks, and other woodsy, quiet places. it really helps with the school burnout. must be all that much more oxygen getting to my brain.

today, i decided, upon a friend's suggestion, to go here. i spent four hours walking, pausing to pick up an acorn for my "nature table" bowl on my coffee table, reflecting, journaling some quick thoughts in a tiny shrine to St. Ann, birdwatching and hearing, taking pictures, and having my homemade picnic lunch on a dock overlooking the lake. what a gorgeous day.












after that, i traveled about 8 more miles up some country roads to go here. had a nice wander around, would love to go back and sit in their wine cafe with a good bottle!

huber:











i'm expecting the trick-or-treaters soon. by the way, did you know about this? i didn't, until AFTER i bought my halloween candy (which i have moral issues with anyway, thanks to the ingredients they put in there). so sad. next year i'll buy all fair trade/organic candy. i wish this was easier/cheaper to buy by the bagful. i do love halloweeen. i just don't believe that people anywhere should suffer for it.

i have tomorrow off from school, a small blessing. i plan to spend it knitting up holiday gifts, cooking, and checking out my yoga studio's new studio just over the river in New Albany (IN).

three-day weekends are the best. i get one NEXT weekend, too! so lucky. here's what i'll be doing next weekend, in addition to a sunday morning community yoga event during this.

(yay!! just had the first trick-or-treaters, though i think it's still WAYYY too early ... it's 5:30 p.m. and the sun is shining!)



and here are some shots from hillcrest ave., a street here in louisville which does it up big for the holiday every year. i loved strolling the street with locally-produced apple cider from here and seeing all the hard work. then i went to a small shindig at a former coworker/friend's house and played fencing and magic power rings with a very eager 6-year-old!





i love how busy-in-a-good-way this time of year feels. the last push/rush of energy before winter's quiet, cozied-up nights indoors.

i finally got the cooking bug back again, too. here's a sneak peek:

red bean curry with brown basmati rice (it's on my stovetop now)

fake sausage bake, with sweet potatoes and apples (thanks, frugal trenches!) and served with maple-mustard glazed potatoes and string beans on the side

chocolate zucchini bread

roasted butternut squash soup

spaghetti squash mexicana

cream of tomato soup

spicy peanut and eggplant soup

pumpkin oatmeal cookies

spicy lentil daal


here's what i'm tossing around for thanksgiving dinner:

vegan puff pastry loaf (from "field roast" company)

peanut soup with fresh rosemary foccacia

pumpkin-sage lasagna

jellied cranberry roll

green bean casserole

some type of squash dish

and for dessert: sweet potato pie!!

for friday breakfast: pumpkin-cranberry scones

what do you think? i think i'm hungry. mmmmm. anyway, i was getting a bit tired of tofu and steamed bok choy (though there's still plenty of that being made in my kitchen on tired weeknights, along with fake meat sammiches on ezekiel grain bread)and boca spicy chickn' patties. time for some real, soul-warming food over the next few months!!

look what my farmer friend nick sold me for $1 at saturday's farmer's market! he's lovely, and aren't they beauties? chopped one up in my basmati rice. soooooo spicy and good!!


i am trying to collect a resource for pretty, eco-human friendly, comfy but classy, clothing. any ideas for me, dear readers? i do want some new clothing sometime in the near future ... i get tired of goodwill and vintage but can't morally shop for stuff at the mall...we all know where 99 percent of that stuff comes from. :-(

i heart my "nature table":


i am blessed. have a great week, everyone! i look forward, as always, to seeing what you're up to this fall, too!

simple woman's daybook.

Outside my window... It's dark, and the temperature is unseasonably warm. I can't complain though I do miss chillier New England falls.
I am thinking... That I am ready to push my life forward into that place I'm ready for it to go.
I am thankful for... a steady yoga practice dedicated mainly to balance, serenity, and love.
From the learning rooms... I am learning to let go of the details and realize that I am bringing these children somewhere absolutely beautiful.
From the kitchen... just finished a peanut butter/rice milk/banana/cocoa powder/flaxseed smoothie. Dinner was tofu in tamari and maple syrup with bok choy over quinoa and a tahini drizzle. Sounds fancy but really I haven't made any recipes lately...just now gearing up for months in the kitchen.
I am wearing... flowy-ish yoga clothes.
I am creating... baby gifts, and soon christmas gifts.
I am going... to finish grey's anatomy so i can join real life again.
I am reading... Tantrika by Asra Nomani.
I am hoping... to have a warm visit over Thanksgiving with a very old and dear friend who just might be my ... soulmate! yes. ...
I am hearing... an airplane flying overhead, and the hum of my refrigerator
One of my favorite things... is driving down the parkway leading to my house and noting the absolute beauty of the color spectrum and the piles upon piles of crunchy leaves on the ground.
A few plans for the rest of the week: tomorrow: yoga. wednesday: babysitting. thursday: stock up at whole foods, and maybe stitch and bitch. friday: drinks with coworkers. saturday: farmer's market, hiking, dinner out for pizza. sunday: hiking, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters!

fall goodness, fall slowness, fall promise.

tomato picking, at school.


Hey, all. Just wanted to update with some pictures from this weekend, which was lovely and restful.

Am feeling a bit burned out already from school, despite loving my new position as head teacher. Could use a real, week-long school break. Sigh ... I am way too type B.



Tonight, I baked, and ate, an ENTIRE spaghetti squash! Topped with fried tempeh (in tamari), homemade tomato sauce with a little Frank's Red Hot thrown in, nutritional yeast, peppers, and ground walnuts. YUMMM-O! :-)

now i'm drinking mint (of course!) hot chocolate.

and ... i FINISHED crime and punishment! a wonderful book. Now I'll start this one, which I've been dying to read for a while now.

I could be knitting more baby items, but instead I'm a little too addicted to Grey's Anatomy to care. So, to soon for that. But seriously. Must. Get. Started. Especially since a good, oh, 75 percent or so of my Christmas gifts this year are going to come from my needles! And we won't even talk about the sewing machine gathering dust.

I am trying, in vain, to go to bed earlier and have two hours to myself in the morning (5-7 a.m.!) before work. I am fighting the very stubborn night owl self. It's an easy win for that self. :-(

Anyway, before I continue rambling nonsensically, I'm okay. Really. Just need more sleep, a bit more vacay (two three-day weekends coming up at the end/beginning of the month!), and a yin yoga class tomorrow night.

Here are the pictures. See you soon!

walk for farm animals: myself and that lovely cow, do we not share a hair color? hee hee.


knitting i finished for my friend's new baby!




pre-hike sunday breakfast out at a local eatery. strawberry-banana pancakes with peanut butter syrup! skip the butter, thanks. (too bad i realized later the pancakes were buttermilk...d'oh! oh well. can't win 'em all...i'll get wheat ones next time)

sunday hike at taylorsville lake, on the dusty dusty horse trails (hasn't really rained here in a long while!)







post-hike picnic, complete with local apples and summer blackberries. and the rest of my amazing vegan chocolate zucchini bread! mmmm mmm good!! nothing like a satisfying picnic lunch after a two-hour hike!