the giraffe life

Just as the title says, this is my bucket list. I wrote about the beginnings of this list a little over a year ago (I'll blame finishing it on all the dying plants around here).  Not in any particular order, except my marriage and a (future) child are at the tippy-top, importance-wise! Nurture my marriage Have a child (I think I want 2, but it's hard to predict without having any; hubby votes for 1 or 2 as well) Complete 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training (and depending on how that goes, possibly become an instructor?) Go on a cruise Hike part of the Appalachian Trail (a guided tour probably) Pay off all debt ( car loan and mortgage) Go whale watching Vacation with extended family Write a book Get a passport and  . .  Travel outside the US Do a handstand  without a wall Save for retirement (and retire!) Go snorkeling in the ocean (I tried it briefly in a giant tank at Disney World ) Of course, I've already accomplished some things that would'...

Much like the giraffe tv , I couldn't resist snapping a shot of this lunchbox . .  Do you use a lunchbox? I take my lunch in a mini cooler because my work fridge is crowded and not the most reliable for keeping things chilly. 

I've been making an effort to take more walks (regardless of weather!) since Sarah's Walking Challenge last December. In January, I shared photos from a winter walk  and I continued with a summer version in June . Here's the autumn set to round out the year. Fall is a great time for walking because the temperatures are usually comfortable and there's no snow or ice (well - til December, but I consider that winter). Despite being mid-afternoon, everything was still damp from a rain shower earlier in the day because the sun never really came out.  Leaves have been changing colors and falling for a few weeks now, making pretty scenery on the trees and the ground.  But there's still a good amount of green left to go. I love these purple-pink leaves. Beautiful!  I have a soft spot for the yellow ones  too. This is also the time of year when we watch lots of birds migrate to warmer locales. Goodbye orioles, robins, hummingbirds! I espe...

Last garden update of 2014 - crazy!  The strawberries have completely covered the bottom edge of the left garden bed. I'm hoping that means an even better harvest next year.  Very little still growing, food wise - just the beans and my volunteer tomato. But the flowers continue to fare exceptionally well, the marigolds and zinnias in particular. (This is my first year growing marigolds from seed. I usually just buy plants, and they always do well, maybe doubling or so in size. But this bush blows my mind.)  The black eyed Susans out front are dead and shriveled, though I can't bring myself to cut them down just yet. I'll probably wait another week or two to start the cold weather prep. How's your garden? 

Another post coming to you from the farmers' market: the peanut pumpkin. They had a huge display of pumpkins and squash out this weekend. As I got closer, I realized it really does look like peanut shells on the pumpkin skin. ( eHow says it might be a cross between a squash and pumpkin plant.) Mr. G isn't a fan of pumpkin, and I don't want to eat 12 pounds of anything by myself so I didn't buy one. But it was too cool not to share :) linking up with wordless Wednesday

Ahh October. Mr. G and I are keeping our calendars free for a lot of relaxation this month because November is full of birthday parties and holidays (and hopefully a day trip to NYC!).  Nothing new to report as far as goals go, so just a reading update.  It was a slow month. I needed one of those :) The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell - A tough one to describe in a short synopsis. Basically, there are 6 mini books (all intertwined) in this one novel. It begins as the story of Holly, a fifteen year old who leaves home after a fight with her mother and has some strange experiences in the countryside. The 4 stories that follow are told by important people in Holly's life, and then the last one returns to Holly. A well done mix of realistic fiction and fantasy. The Magicians by Lev Grossman - Quentin is super smart, depressed, and unsatisfied with his life. He accidentally stumbles upon a school for magicians in upstate New York, and the book chronicles his years there a...

I'm still working on cleaning out the spare bedroom. Though no one consistently uses the room, we have a dresser in there because it matches the bed. Many of the drawers have gradually been filled over the years and now I'm trying to clean them out . . And I came across two bags of old cards and letters. (I have another bag that I'm currently filling, which made me forget about these two.) I reread them and stirred up lots of good memories. Some went in the trash because they were just plain cards that someone had signed their name to, but I kept all the special ones with a message inside. So I thought - I'll put them in an empty plastic box so they can be stacked neatly in the closet.  The only problem is that the containers don't hold nearly as much as I thought they would! I don't think I could possibly toss any more - so tomorrow I'm off to buy another container. Do you save cards?