Vida

We could not have asked for better fall weather this weekend.  70 degrees.  Sunny.  We just wanted to be outside the entire time.   We went for runs and decided we needed to spend even more time appreciating the fall foliage, which apparently will peak in two weeks.  So two more weeks to enjoy!  We checked out a new to us restaurant.   Then we took a trip to Grant's Farm, which neither one of us had been to since we were kids.  And neither one of us remembered.  Capping off another day spent outside. Monday I hopped on my bike to get to work and my body felt tired from the fun of the weekend.  I looked out my window at my desk and saw so many beautiful leaves, I took a photo on the walk back to where I park my bike. P.S. Yes, I got a new job!  Hooray!  A more detailed update is coming.

A couple weeks ago after partying at Grovefest the night before with VIP passes, which included free alcohol, we pulled ourselves out of bed in the morning for one of a Connecting St. Louis Ride.  And we did not regret the decision. We all met on our bikes in our neighborhood, made several stops a developments, hearing mostly positive, but also some realistic views on what some large developments cost people.  We ventured west, north and downtown before wrapping up the ride back in our neighborhood at the brewery that's slated to open in the next few weeks (yet we've already been there multiple times for parties they've had over the summer).   We rode in the existing bike structure in St. Louis and learned about future plans.  It was a pretty lovely morning!

This past week my grandma passed away.  We will all miss her smiles and way to bring order to a room and I thought I would share a few memories of her. Grandma was always taking care of us.  She had a tradition to make birthday cakes for everyone in the family, including her kids and grandkids.  She made my birthday cake every year up until a couple years ago.  She would make whatever you requested, but I was in love with Angel Food so that was always my choice.  As you can imagine, as the family grew, so did Grandma's baking schedule.  Even when we went off to college she would pack up the cake in popcorn and mail our cakes to us.  (I enjoyed the popcorn too, even though she said not to eat it because it was stale...she also had high standards.)  And, oh man, when she would send her random, no occasion goody boxes while I was at college I would hide them and try to make the treats last as long as possible, always returning containers (often oatmeal tubes) for refills. Growing

Six years ago my maternal grandmother passed away and I kept a few of her clothes, coffee maker (still in use)*, and some of her glasses to help me think of her. And boy was I excited when I saw one of her sweaters styled in a new way as part of Sezane's fall collection! Mario Jumper I immediately pulled it out and wore it again!  The only issue with this styling is it is missing a couple buttons.  The first time I buttoned it this year I thought it wouldn't be a problem at all.  Then I started googling and realized those buttons aren't made anymore.  (And they're hard to find.)  The only ones I could find in the States were "collectors items".  I ended up finding some for sale in the UK and they were the only ones I could find.  I now know more about these buttons than I ever thought I would. Mike: How old is this sweater? Me: Probably 50 years. As I relayed this story to my sister she added: Karen: At least. So stay tuned on the buttons, b

Hey Friends!  I'm still here! I've been meaning to write an update for quite some time, I just haven't set aside the time.  It's been a bit of a rough summer over here.  I was laid off from my job at the end of June.  Since I was the primary bread winner in our family things have been pretty stressful while I look for a new one.  Hence, I've been job hunting 7 days a week. If I've learned anything it's that there are lows and highs.  Last week I got a call for an interview at a highly desirable organization and an email for a second round somewhere else.  That was a high.  (My mouth fell open when I got the voicemail for an interview at the desirable organization.)  Then I had the interview this week, found out their typical job interview process takes 2 months and I still haven't heard anything further about the second round interview.  So yesterday was a low. Note: most weeks if I had 2 interviews it's a real win!  I think my feeling down thi

It's been warmer than usual around here for the past month.  Don't get me wrong, we like it.  We made it without air conditioning until Mike's family visited for Memorial Day.  Although, my Chicago brain still gets a little weary when I see a week of 90+ temperatures.  But then I sit out on our back porch all day and it's actually pretty comfortable. This morning I was ready for the loop run around Forest Park.  I rolled out of bed earlier than normal, especially considering today I have a comp day for working over the weekend, and laced up my shoes.  My legs, honestly, felt a bit achy, but I told myself to give it a try and I would take breaks if needed.   We had a well rounded dinner last night.  I made this while Mike mowed the grass.  We use one of these because it's really all we need.  In the summer I usually keep meals pretty easy, but last night it felt like we needed something more substantive.  As soon as I walked outside and felt the morning bre