Veteran's Day at Spartan Stadium

 

 

 

 

 

It was a beautiful sunny day on Saturday, but it sure was a cold one too. The flag was front and center all day to celebrate Veteran's Day and it made my heart happy to see it. We could all use a little healing and the flag has that power.

Before the game, we had another fun tailgate with great food including made to order grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and chicken tortilla soup. We definately needed the hot soup on such a cold day and the two heaters we used also warmed our tents perfectly. By game time, the sun warmed things up even more and with my blanket on my lap, I was just fine. And, we won the game, so that was fun. It's been a tough year, but it definately is more fun to win than to lose.

When we move to Florida, one of the things I will miss the most are these Saturday tailgates in the fall. We will be back for at least one game, but I will miss being a season ticket holder. There is no place I love more than my favorite college campus on a pretty fall day.

Happy Monday!

 

November Book Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to miss my book club last month, so I was so looking forward to going last night. To tell the truth, I was very behind in finishing the book and was frantically reading whenever I had a few minutes yesterday, so I could finish. It is so much more interesting to be involved in the discussion if you have read the book, rather than trying to follow along and this was a book where I knew, the ending would be spoiled.

It was a lovely evening, with a much appreciated glass of wine to start the night and an absolutely beautiful dinner. We were so comfortable at the table, we stayed in place for dessert and our book discussion. As you can see from the photos, our hostess outdid herself, from wonderful cheeses to start to two kinds of soup (creamy chicken with mushrooms and Italian wedding style with orzo pasta) to a delicious layered salad full of veggies and creamy avocado. And the desserts; white and dark chocolate pumpkin truffles and vanilla bean panacotta with raspberries. All I can say is wow!

 

 

The book we read and discussed is an old one, but really made for an interesting discussion for anyone with children. A district attorney's son is accused of murder and it is a what would you do as a parent story from start to finish, as both the mother and the father make startling and thought provoking choices in the interest of their son, who we find out is more damaged than they ever imagined.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Empty Nest Changes - A Decision

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been a little quiet on the blog this past week, but it's because a lot has been happening. We are back from a whirlwind trip to Florida and my life is about to get a whole lot more tropical. After a week of looking at houses, we made the decision to buy a new construction house that will be ready in about 7 months. It's equal parts scary and exciting and there is a lot to do (emptying one house and making design decisions on another) between now and then, but we are happy with both the location and the house plan.

We saw many existing homes, that just weren't quite right and actually saw the place we did buy on a whim by our realtor, at the end of a long day. It just felt right, for many reasons and we were able to get the lot we wanted, with a pretty lake view. We are just 6 miles from the closest beach and we love the downtown area of the city we chose. There is also a 9 mile walking trail along the inter coastal waterway that will be amazing for long dog walks. The weather was perfect while we were there and we look forward to sunny and mild winters for the rest of our days.

Leaving our daughters, family and friends will be hard, but we anticipate many fun visits with days spent at the pool, the golf course or the beach. It will be a totally different lifestyle, but one we will embrace. I am really a homebody at heart and once I am settled in my pretty new house, with all my things both old and new all around me, the location is just a bonus. And, we are only a 2 hour plane ride away if a visit to Michigan is needed.

Things are about to get interesting around here.

Happy Monday!

 

{Linking with these friends}

Savvy Southern Style

Between Naps on the Porch

21 Rosemary Lane

Stonegable