The Circle Game

The Potato Head Family recently enjoyed a 3 day family vacation together at one of our favorite beach places. There were old favorites revisited and new ones discovered. Gorgeous pictures were taken as timeless depictions of our "happy place." Remembering my ride on the Ferris Wheel with Tater Tot, it seems the Joni Mitchell song "The Circle Game" is so poignant and apt in its entirety but the refrain is especially so even if it does describe a carousel instead of a Ferris Wheel.

And the seasons they go round and round 
And the painted ponies go up and down 
We're captive on the carousel of time 
We can't return we can only look 
Behind from where we came 
And go round and round and round 
In the circle game 

Every fall, we revisit the same happy place as a family. It was my husband's favorite childhood summer tradition and now together, we're creating the same for Tater Tot. Life changes, sometimes rapidly in the blink of an eye and sometimes gradually, so slow you barely even notice, but there will always be constants like the rhythmic crashing of the waves in the ocean, the tang of the salty breezes coming from them, the taste of fresh seafood and seeing the joy on childrens' faces (and adults too).

Perhaps I was more nostalgic during this year's vacation due to the loss of some people I knew - good guys who were taken in the prime of their life. One was more gradual and one was sudden. They left behind wives and children who will forever mourn their husbands and fathers. The circle game only stops for those who were taken from us in death yet we remember them as we continue with our own circle game. There's something about a loss that makes me more cognizant and ever more grateful for the blessings I do have. For all the minor grumbling I do, I'm deeply appreciative of the life I have, a life I would not want to trade for with anyone else.

What a crock!

Today, I used our crockpot for the first time this season (beef stew). Now, anyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of the crockpot. It's so easy to use that even virtually inexperienced cooks can make it seem like they've slaved over a stove for hours. It's budget friendly in terms of cost and it often can be stretched out to 2 meals.

We have a couple of crockpot recipe cookbooks we occasionally peruse so Mr. Potato Head and I sometimes alternate picking out recipes we want to try. It's rather ironic, however, that the authors' last names are "Good" and "Ranck" so seeing those names together on the covers makes for a rather amusing thought.

She's the kind of mom I hate!

My husband was describing to a friend the Bento box lunches I make for Tater Tot. Her response was "She's the kind of mom I hate." Really? Why? Because I have a hidden agenda for making Tater Tot's lunches varied and exciting so he's not tempted to eat the cafeteria hot lunch? Because it usually takes no more than 15 minutes to make a lunch that looks like I spent more than that on it? Because I'm trying to be creative and fun with them?

I think it it as no more different than a creative hobby an adult has, whether it be painting, sewing, knitting, cooking, etc. They're all expressive outlets. According to some of the other Bento blogs I've seen, the lunches I make don't even compare to theirs in terms of style, presentation, variety and fun.

It's just a fun hobby with a hidden agenda. No more, no less.

Top 10 list of reasons to fall for Fall

10) Temperatures are dropping.

9) Time to decorate pumpkins.

8) Apple cider.

7) Crockpot recipes.

6) Freshly picked apples.

5) Halloween candy (for me, not Tater Tot).

4) Smell of smoke drifting from chimneys.

3) A riot of gorgeous leaf colors.

2) Snuggly warm sweaters.

1) The holidays are just around the corner!