October

• I purchased two mums from a fundraiser at school. They serve three purposes 1) they are a true sign of fall 2) they make the deck beautiful- and I can enjoy them from my perch at the card table in the family room and 3) they make me feel like a grown-up. Don't ask me why, but owning potted plants just sounds impressive... in a very small way. :)
• I have 5 meets and two weeks left in both my jr. high and high school cross country seasons combined. I've had wonderful athletes this season which made for a marvelous team.
• Grandpa passed away two Thursdays ago. Kirstin and I got the news on Friday. It made for a difficult weekend, but we were both glad to be able to spend it together. This past week I've been blessed to have many condolences from my co-workers. I love the staff at our school!
• The family came down this weekend for TU's parents weekend. Mom brought down a marvelous supply of MI cider, apples, and cider donuts as well as some fresh bakery bread and homemade pumpkin muffins. We enjoyed dinner in the DC last night, dessert at Ivanhoe's, and then a Cracker Barrel breakfast this morning. Mom, dad, and Tim came over to my apartment for about an hour to help me hang curtains and move around some furniture to make a true home for my bike. As it was too big for my storage closet, we relocated a bookcase and dresser to open up enough space in my office. It's nice to have just a little more room in my family room now. :)
• This evening I had quite possibly the longest phone call of my life. Three solid hours with my college roommate. Marvelous.
• I've been fighting a cold on and off for the past two weeks. This afternoon I think I finally succumbed to the sickness. Hopefully it runs its course quickly.
• TU's homecoming is in two weeks. This year will be particularly special with the numerous events to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the women's cross country program! Many of the girls I ran with my freshman and sophomore years will be coming back into town for the weekend. It'll be a grand Maddawg reunion! :)