Rainy October Saturday

While it was cheery inside at 9:00 this morning,

 it was dark and dreary outside.  We had been able to get outside to begin the fall cleanup on Thursday, but since then we've had rain.  The work still awaits.

 Yesterday the grand kids spent the afternoon with us.  We never know what will trigger what kind of play or activity.  Yesterday it was a kitchen stool and the pull out cutting board that inspired Irene to set up the "Snack City" eatery.  Isaac thinks he will be bored, but he always gets pulled into Irene's staging, and before we know it, he is also fully engaged.  Snacks for sale included items I found in the pantry - peanuts, pretzels, Gold Fish, and candy.  It was a successful business until Irene ran out of customers, and declared it "done".  That was good, because I had already had two servings of snacks.

But back to our rainy Saturday.   Tom and I were off to a garden club meeting from 10:00 to 12:00.  This is a new group, and our second meeting, so we are still getting organized.  There are now six of us, which considering how much we like to talk, is probably enough.

Back home we found Jake lounging on the couch, watching soccer. He had come to take Tad to the airport and then wait around until his flight later in the day.  They are headed to LA for the last Sounders match of the regular season tomorrow at 6:00.  We'll be watching on TV, although being in LA sounds pretty good right now.  

This afternoon I made pumpkin cupcakes for our pumpkin carving gathering tomorrow.  Jill and Corey and the kids will be coming over during half time of the 10:00 Seahawks football game.  We'll have lunch together and then carve our jack-o-lanterns.

While the cupcakes were cooling I butchered my pumpkin. " Oh, I didn't know you were going to kill it!"  I do love that line from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. 

 It's a big pumpkin so I wanted to get the prep done ahead of time, and besides I wanted to toast the seeds for tomorrow.  Jack will get a face then.

I sat and read for a few minutes, and then got the cream cheese frosting made and frosted the cupcakes.  Yum!  good lickin'.

 I watched a little football and a little soccer and read my novel a bit more.  The outside looked the same at 5:00 as it did this morning, but via Facebook we saw that Jill and Corey and the kids did get to the pumpkin patch while the rain lightened up this afternoon.

I hadn't decided what to do for dinner, but sort of wanted to try a recipe I found in Sunset Magazine.  Somehow breakfast for dinner sounded very good on a rainy night, so I made Pumpkin Apple pancakes.  Oh my gosh, were they good!  Especially with the real maple syrup we brought back from Vermont.  Here's the link, in case you want to try them.  

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-apple-pancakes-50400000124498/

The recipe says it's four servings, but there are none left.  Tom did eat more than I did, I promise, and he doesn't even like pancakes.   I am going to have to be very good next week.  Any left over cupcakes will have to go into the freezer - out of sight, out of mind.

I can't believe October is almost gone.  I feel like the lyrics to the Barry Manilow song When October Goes, "Oh, how I hate to see October go."

But what's left of it should be fun!