october gratitudes {october 31, 2022}

“When gratitude becomes an essential foundation in our lives, miracles start to appear everywhere.”  ~ Emmanuel Dagher

Looking back at the month of October and I am grateful for...

🎃  Meeting up with sorority sisters for another fun Homecoming at Wittenberg and Stomping on the Seal, a privilege extended to graduates which started in 1990.

🎃  Watching the trees transition from summer to fall. The colors have been particularly vibrant this year.

🎃 After closing on our house in Columbus and driving back to Dayton, T had to be on a work call, so we stopped in Springfield and got subs from Mike and Rosie's. We went over to Wittenberg's campus and while T was on the phone, I walked around campus. Wittenberg has an observatory and while I was taking photos of the building, a professor emeritus walked out, we started talking, and he told me about his upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon where he will be the Astronomer in Residence from November 21 to December 21. Can you imagine spending a month star gazing at the Grand Canyon?

🎃 My little grandson is 4 months old and he is rolling over. I am so lucky to be his Didi.

🎃 Seeing the full Hunter's Moon as a big, orange ball in the sky. How appropriate for the month of October.

🎃 Having fun with cooking, challenging myself to use up food in the pantry and freezer before going to the grocery store. These inflationary food prices have made me focus on use what you have so there is no food waste.

🎃 The first year Cleveland Guardians in their short but fun run to the World Series.

🎃 My first job after college was working as a paralegal in the largest law firm in Dayton. A good friend from those days at the law firm retired from his legal career and his wife had a surprise retirement party for him. So much fun catching up with people I hadn't seen from that part of my life for lots of years.

🎃 A trip to NYC with good friends. Three days packed full of sight-seeing, walking, eating, immersing ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the city. When we were on the subway, the "Poetry in Motion" on some of the subway cars made me smile. 

🎃 Doing Fall things: Taking a walk at Cox Arboretum, walking round the Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow with over 1000 carved pumpkins, walks at Carillon Park, and historic Woodland Cemetery.

🎃 Buying two gigantic heads of cabbage from my friend's farmer's market and then making and freezing two dozen cabbage rolls. 

🎃 Celebrating my brother's birthday with a dinner in Cincinnati and then the next day celebrating my son's birthday in Cleveland with wonderful desserts (cannoli, tiramisu, and creme brulee) from Presti's Bakery in Little Italy.

🎃 And on this last night of October, Trick-or-Treat night, the Monday Night Football game put the Cleveland Browns against the Cincinnati Bengals. After a four game losing streak, the Browns beat Bengals 32-13 in the Battle of Ohio. My family went to the game and I stayed with my sweet grandson. Everyone was happy with their Halloween treat.