Rachel’s parents have a really cool limestone clock carved by Rachel’s great-grandfather. The timepiece is from a car of the era. Family lore says he used a hammer and screwdriver because it’s the only tools he had.

All week long I’ve been looking forward to organizing and cleaning the garage today. So what are your “boring old man” weekend plans?

The general consensus used to be (here in America) that the Christmas season began the day after Thanksgiving. As with so many other consensi, that is dead. Apparently it now begins the day after Halloween. By the time I retire it’ll probably begin mid-summer.

Thyme and cabbage soup on the fire

Final trick or treater count!

Rachel says happy Halloween

Half a day of work, a haircut, and then Halloween fun begins. Should be a nice day for trick or treating tonight, plus it’s a Friday. I’ll use my clicker counter again this year and report back.

Rachel’s bread making just gets better and better. Look at this perfect thing! It’s intended as a bread bowl but I’m just going to eat it with butter. Don’t tell her.

The Jack o’lantern I carved today and the pumpkin painted by Darcy last week. Bring on Halloween!

Two years ago today, I made a trip to some family graveyards with the intention of facing some old trauma. That was an important trip for me, in hindsight. If a sign of forgiveness is that the memory of wrong remains but without the emotional charge, then that has been accomplished in me.