Many of our spring and summer flowers are still in bloom. That’s not only nice in itself, but it has helped since fall foliage color was late coming in. But it finally did. It’s so nice to have that beautiful color before the landscape goes barren in the winter.

This has been a month for dying appliances. First our dishwasher, which wasn’t unexpected. Then our microwave, which we just got last November. Because it was still under warranty, the company we bought it from sent out a repairman. We’re waiting on the needed part to arrive. In the meantime, Jim had brought over the little microwave in his office, which we had originally bought years ago when his mom was in assisted living. Then it went kaput as well.

Jim refurbished my dresser, making it look wonderful. And he’s been putting walls and a ceiling in our shed. Lights and a ceiling fan are next.

We enjoyed dinners both planned and impromptu with the family, as well as a couple of Sunday lunches with them and friends.

Our Connect Four group got together to work on paint-by-number projects. I hadn’t done that since maybe sixth grade. It was relaxing and fun to visit while painting.

The guys had a camping trip with other men and boys from church one weekend.

We had our annual pumpkin carving event last week. Here are the results:

The one on the bottom left was Jim’s–Luigi, I think, from the Mario games. The “classic” jack-o-lantern was Tim’s. He did all the carving himself! The light in his rotated through different colors. Mine, on the right, has a Pac Man theme. Mittu drilled the holes for me when my carving knife wasn’t working for them. Hers is the cross and heart on the table. And Jason’s is the one on the right side of the table. He made a template from this photo of Timothy and Jim fishing to carve:

I’m amazed at the detail, even the waves. I had a hard enough time cutting out my two small images!

We had no birthdays or anniversaries this month, so I didn’t make any cards.

Watching

When Jim was away camping, I watched the 1985 film The Trip to Bountiful, starring Geraldine Page. It was recommended by Hope. Based on a play, it’s the story of elderly Carrie Watts, who lives in a busy Houston apartment building with her son, Ludie, and controlling daughter-in-law, Jessie Mae. Carrie dreams of visiting the small town she came from, Bountiful. But Ludie, somewhat henpecked and weak-willed, doesn’t have time to take her. Carrie schemes to cash her pension check and take the train to Bountiful. We learn then that she has attempted this several times and has always been caught. But not this time. The story is comical at the beginning, but poignant and wistful at the end. There was one use of God’s name taken in vain (which, oddly, I saw in the subtitles but didn’t hear). But otherwise, it was clean.

Reading

Since last time I finished (titles link to my reviews):

• Titus for You by Tim Chester, not reviewed
• Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive by Russ Ramsey. Spiritual lessons from art and artists. Very good.
• 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost. Very good.
• The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens, audiobook. This was his last novel, left unfinished.
• North! or Be Eaten, the second in the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. Good.
• The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White, audiobook. Very good. Set during WWII, a professor who sends covert messages via codes in books has a run-in with the Nazi officer who is responsible to take over the libraries in Paris.
• The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee, audiobook. Good. A novel of a young woman who takes a job in Oak Ridge, the “Secret City” built during WWII to enrich uranium.

I’m currently reading:

• Exodus for You by Tim Chester with the ladies’ Bible study at church
• James for You by Sam Allberry
• Raising the Perfectly Imperfect Child: Facing Challenges with Strength, Courage, and Hope by Boris Vujicic, father of Nick Vujicic
• The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield
• Bloom In Your Winter Season by Deborah Malone
• The Language of Sycamores by Lisa Wingate, audiobook

Blogging

Besides the weekly Friday Fave Fives, Saturday Laudable Linkage, and book reviews, I’ve posted these since last time:

• Look to Jesus. “How can we look to Jesus when He is not physically on Earth any more? He wasn’t when Hebrews was written, either, so the author did not have a physical view in mind. Where do we see Him these days? In His Word. What would that look like in everyday life?”
• What Complaining Does. “Before we’re too hard on the children of Israel, we need to look at ourselves. How often do I complain at the first minor inconvenience? I don’t stop to ask God if He has something for me to learn from the problem. I might get convicted about that later, but all too often my first response is to grouse.”
• How Can a Wife Help Her Husband? “It’s easy to depend on a husband’s help in myriad ways. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Ephesians 5:25 instructs husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and Jesus certainly helps us. But sometimes I’m reminded of Genesis 2:18, where God said He made woman a helper fit for or suitable for the man. And I wonder, am I being a help to my husband? And how do I do that?”
• Back Burner Dreams. “Certain intellectual and creative pursuits have to be put on the back burner because there are only so many hours in the day.” But sometimes they’re better for their time simmering.
• Stray Thoughts. Sometimes I write a hodgepodge post of disconnected things I’ve been pondering.

November looks like a pretty low-key month until Thanksgiving. It’s nice to have a lull before holiday season.

How was your October? Is there anything you’re looking forward to in November?