Companions

 The beautiful Auditorium Theatre, designed by Adler & Sullivan

Photo from the Auditorium website

Last night a friend organized a small group to see A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago (she always has such good ideas).  It was so much fun, and there was a surprise guest in the cast - our very own governor Pat Quinn, who turned out to have perfect comic timing.

I'd seen another live taping of A Prairie Home Companion in New York in 2000, when Gerrit and I spent a long weekend there.  This was just as good as twelve years ago.

We're having a warm weekend of high sixties (soon to change to rain and snow tonight), and today was very blustery while still warm.  Oscar and I walked the neighborhood to enjoy the mild air and the bits of color still left.

 Golden in the intermittent sunshine.

 Burning bush (I think?)

 I don't know what kind of tree this is, but I love the variation in color.

 Crab apple - I love them at this time of year,
when the leaves are gone
and just the deep red fruit remains

Oscar doesn't care if his hair gets mussed.  

Though sometimes he has to squint his eyes to keep the dust out.

And I can't resist including this picture of a single leaf, 

suspended in air,

from last year on an equally blustery day in late October.

It took me scores of shots before I captured this one.

America Recycles Day

Who knew?  Thursday, November 15 is America Recycles Day.

And because recycle is preceded by "reduce, reuse..." here is a link to opt out of catalog mailings.

At the Zero Waste Home (Béa Johnson is busy writing a book now, 

but her past posts are interesting and instructional, and an interview with the family is here),
they've added "refuse" (as in "turn down") and "rot" to bracket the "reduce, reuse, recycle" slogan.
Since reading her info, I've been purchasing more foods from bulk bins, as that cuts down on packaging, whether recyclable or not.

Gerrit and I have been recycling-conscious for years, and prior to him needing disposable supplies to deal with incontinence, it took us a month to fill a garbage can.  

Now that it's just me (and Oscar), our trash is even less.  Because our village has an option to pay for trash with a purchased sticker (as an incentive to recycle for free at the curbside) rather than a flat monthly fee, it's been almost three months since I've put out the trash.  When the can is full, I'll put it at the curb with a sticker - but I think I'm still a few weeks away from that.

What are you doing to recycle?  Anything to share?

Autumn flowers

 Chrysanthemum koreanum ‘Sheffield Pink’, aka Dendranthema morifolium

 I love these chrysanthemums - very late to bloom, 

they add color to the garden at a time when most of the trees 

have lost their leaves.

 Lysimachia ciliata ‘Firecracker’

This is the first year I have had beautiful fall foliage color 

on this plant.  In summer, the leaves are deep purple, 

with tiny yellow flowers.

Aster Peter iii

Even when tumbling over, they make a colorful show.

 

Added to a bowl of apples and pears, 

along with some Northern Sea Oats.

 Flanked with pie pumpkins for a Halloween dinner.

The occasion was a visiting cousin who couldn't get home to

New Hampshire because of Hurricane Sandy 

so spent several days with my parents

and dinner here on Wednesday night 

with my parents and another cousin.  

It was a nice reunion.

Adorable

 My wonderful parents

I do adore these people, 

as well as that fluffy one in the middle

who is looking out of the corner of his eye at the camera.

He's thinking,

"Hurry up! Take the picture! You know I'm afraid of stairs."

Yes, we have no bananas

When I went to the local market to buy prebagged, 

overripe, discounted bananas
(which I cut into chunks and freeze
for later addition to my morning oatmeal), 

I also saw another display with unbagged bananas.

And this sign:

You'd think these would be the ones discounted, wouldn't you?

Disclaimer: Since I don't speak or write another language, 

I have enormous admiration for all who make their best attempt at my language.  

I'm very grateful to those who make the effort that I have not.

So no disrespect intended.

Walking to End Alzheimer's

 2011 Walk to End Alzheimer's

 Last year on a cold and blustery day

Gerrit joined me in the Walk to End Alzheimer's.

Thanks to the generosity of our family and friends, 

we were the top fundraisers for our local walk.

 This year, I walked in memory of Gerrit

with my cousin and two friends.

It was a glorious day.

And our family and friends came through.  Again.

I have much to be thankful for.

2012 Walk to End Alzheimer's

Friendship therapy

Since Gerrit's daughters departed for the Netherlands, I've been:
   at a neighbor's for a picnic lunch,
   to the movies,
   out for ice cream,
   at a friend's for an envelope-stuffing party in preparation for our choir director's 25 anniversary celebration,
   to the cottage with my friend C to spend the weekend with my parents.

And now, this week, I have house guests:  my friend (and neighbor) and her husband and cat moved in Monday morning to spend the week while the floors in their 1920s home are being sanded and refinished. They had planned to move to a hotel for the duration, but I convinced them that I had plenty of room and they were welcome to stay.  They agreed only if I promised to let them know if I suddenly felt the need for "space" and as long as I let them take me out for dinner each night, since that was one of the perks my friend was looking forward to while staying in a hotel.

It's working out well, and it turns out to be good therapy for me, having them here.  It's distraction, in a good way, and is helping me adjust to life without Gerrit.