OK, I give. Summer is over and fall is official. We happened to be away over the weekend for a family wedding in the Finger Lakes region of New York. They are a week or so ahead of us in the beautiful fall foliage and I fell in love with fall all over again.
So I came home and decided to do a few traditional fall things to get myself inspired to live in the moment. First thing Monday morning, I put the two grandchildren I babysit in their carseats and we set off for a relaxing drive in the country, where we saw these beautiful scenes...
Next, we stopped at a nearby farm where we bought pumpkins, cornstalks, apples and decorative gourds, and Elylah played around while Ethan slept.
After lunch and naps back at my house, Ethan went home but Elylah stayed a couple more hours so we could make caramel apples!
She decided she would rather have sprinkles on hers than nuts...it worked, but what a mess!
The rest we made with ground up cashews. Sour apple, sweet caramel, and salty nuts--a great combination. Not exactly health food...but fun food to be sure.
So that was my life-between-the-buns day yesterday. A long day, but lots of fun!
After refrigerating the apples overnight, I finished wrapping them up this morning. Now who is going to eat them? (besides me!!) Here's wishing you time to do some fun fall things...and enjoy each moment as a gift from God!
11 comments:
I used to have one of those heart-wrenching moments every fall when I'd see the caramel apples on the store shelves.
Every year when my son was little, we'd make these together. And even when he grew (ahem) too old to enjoy making them, we'd see them in the stores and he'd just beg me to buy him one (or two). And I'd always laugh and buy us each one.
Caramel apples used to equal the start of fall for us.
But when he rebelled and left home, I could scarcely bare to go through the produce section of the grocery store without that blow-to-the-heart reminder of that special time with my son.
I'm happy to say that today, I can enjoy the caramel apples with my son's children! And like you, I don't know who all will eat them.
I loved this blog Jacquelyn - so filled with the precious 'harvest' moments of our Lord.
ahh Deb...I know what you mean about those heart-wrenching moments where precious memories come flooding back and we feel the pain of loss. The first year I had no kids at home, (and no grandkids yet!) I went through the motions and made our traditional Beggar's Night family supper: hot dogs, chips, powdered sugar donuts and apple cider. My hubby was late getting home from work that night. Imagine how it felt when NO ONE was here but me to enjoy my beautifully decorated table and the fun food. I passed out the candy all by my lonesome and cried a whole lot. My grandchildren came along "just in time" and I truly love the void they help to fill...as I know you do as well!
It's always hard when our kids leave home, no matter what the reason...but having a prodigal is extra hard on a mother's heart. Trusting things are going better now, and its so wonderful you live so close to your son and grandchildren.
Glad you enjoyed this post...I was feeling a little "flat", but probably mostly tired :) Thanks for the encouragement, it came in handy :)
What a glorious day, and you lived it to the best possible measure!
When my grands were small - they are now 20 and 21- we used to go apple picking with my Dad. They are no longer those little guys and Dad has passed away, but those memories are so sweet to me. Thanks for the reminder.
I would eat those apples with you, they look so good!
Pat those memories will stay sweet with your grands as well! I had the most awesome grandmas on both sides and I want to be just like them!
What fun! And what terrific pictures. So fun to be fellow Sandwich Generation grandmas who share a love for grandkids and Harvest time :) :) :)
We haven't made candy apples yet, but we will...it's not autumn without them!
Yes, I'm finding there are many sandwich generation grandmas out there who are having lots of fun with their "grands"...thanks Kaye and Wanda...happy Fall!
Yes, you said it well. I am finding myself falling in love with fall again. Wish I had thought of saying it that way. :-) I just had to go out sit in it on Sunday and soak it in.
And then, you gave me a good idea--to take my grandkids to a pumpkin farm. I am babysitting this week and looking for fun activities. And one more shout out "yes!" to you. I love all of the fall foods--pumpkins, carmel apples, cider, candy corn, oh yum. Fall is the wrong time of the year to diet. There is just too much to enjoy. Smiles,
Brenda, it's 4:30 am and I'm laughing out loud at your comment "fall is the wrong time of the year to diet"! There's just something about the new crispness in the air, and the thoughts of harvest time and enjoying the fruits of our labor (or someone else's!) that turn our hearts towards home and nesting and comfort foods! Oh I'm glad I gave you the idea of going to a pumpkin farm. Depending on how old your grands are, there are places around that have low hanging apple trees and you can pick your own. That's a fun outdoor thing to do as well. Enjoy each moment! and thanks for visiting!
I miss all those wonderful traditional things I always did with my boys when they were little. They are grown and live in a different city and I long for grandbabies...if only they would marry soon!!
Janet, I pray your turn will come soon! The only way it seems to fill the void of being an empty nester is having those grandbabies come along. I'm so happy I've found so many kindred spirits on blogger -- all those memories are so precious and now all I can do is tell my younger mom friends to enjoy each moment as a gift from God, because we have our children such as SHORT time!
Post a Comment