Runners Fly

walkers walk… but runners fly

It’s Fall! Florida Style.

Throw open the windows!  Today we woke up to this:

After months of heat and humidity, it feels like heaven.  My favorite day of the whole year is the first time we get that fresh blast of cool, dry air. It reminds me of the first spring-like weather after a winter up north.  Anything is possible!  The world is my oyster!  I am invincible!

And running… it feels like we’ve been running with ankle weights that have suddenly been removed.  I have a long run planned for tomorrow and I CANNOT WAIT.  After all my grumbling about the weather, now I remember why we live in Florida.

Just in time for our fall-ish weather, I’ve been listening to a podcast Stephany recommended, The Girl Next Door annual “Fall Extravaganza” episode.  It’s not the style of podcast I normally listen to, but by the end I was feeling such strong fall vibes that I’m listening to last year’s Fall Extravaganza episode as well.

The two hosts live in Arizona, and they talk about the differences between fall in the desert and fall in the midwest.  I wonder if people who are transplanted out of traditional fall climates to places like Arizona and Florida have a special attachment to the idea of fall?   I know the thought of colorful leaves, chilly weather and fires in the fireplace makes me nostalgic for my childhood.

Whatever the reason, I go all out for fall, which you’ve probably noticed if you’ve been reading for a while.  In addition to the pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin waffles, and pumpkin pasta I’ve been enjoying, here are some of my other fall favorites.

Apples

I know you can get apples year-round.  But the variety now is incredible, and Sprouts has been having a sale on organic honeycrisp.  YUM.  My daughter always has fruit with her breakfast, and she’s been especially happy to have a honeycrisp apple (and I munch on a few pieces while I’m getting her breakfast together.)

I also made this apple cake from Nora Cooks.  You guys.  I didn’t eat this myself, but it smelled amazing and my husband and daughter LOVED it.  Highly recommend!!!

Fall Candles

This pumpkin clove candle from Anthropologie is my favorite candle ever.  Mine is from last year, but I assume the new ones are the same (if they changed it, someone should be shot.)  Even when I don’t have it lit, I catch a whiff of it every time I walk past and it makes me so happy.

Fall deodorant

Remember last year when I bought the Native Spiked Eggnog deodorant and bitterly regretted it?  Well, I’m much more careful nowadays- no sweet scents in my deodorant!  I figured I’d be safe with this one, and I was right:

The funny thing is, they also mentioned this on The Girl Next Door Fall Extravaganza!  I’m not the only one who likes it.

You can tell I’m really into fall scents!  Gretchen Rubin has an online quiz to discover your “most neglected” sense, and mine definitely is NOT smell.  But taste isn’t far behind.  Here’s another fall-ish meal I’ve made recently- Bean and Beer Chili.  The recipe calls for one cup of beer, so I happily sipped the rest of the can while I cooked.

Oh, those chips?  Not exactly fall-related, but now that I’m (mostly) eliminating harmful oils from my diet, I’ve discovered these:

They’re good!  The bad news is they’re expensive, but I guess that’s also the good news.  I don’t need to be eating chips all the time anyway, so I limit myself to a bag a week.

And, in case you think all I care about are smells and tastes, let’s not forget about cozy socks!  I have about… six pairs of Halloween and fall-themed cozy socks.  These are my latest favorites:

How about you- are you embracing all things fall?  Do you like scented candles?  How about cozy socks?  And, very important question- apples or pumpkin?  

 

More Posts

October Ultimate Coffee Date!

Hooray!  It’s the first Friday of the month, which means I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date.  It’s obviously time to get out the Halloween mugs.  Pour yourself a spooky beverage and join me! The first thing I would tell you over coffee is, tomorrow is my son’s senior recital. We can’t be there in person but will be able to watch it via livestream.  I’m dealing with a cocktail of emotions here: disbelief that he’s a SENIOR in college, nervous for him (I mean, I’m sure he’s well-prepared and will do well, but a mom has to worry), sad that his time at Baylor is coming to an end, and of course- so, so proud of him.  The baby whose nickname was “Li’l Sumo” is now a MAN. So what else is on tap for the weekend?  My husband and I are planning a little at-home “Oktoberfest.”  I’m not quite sure what that will entail, other than beer of course.  My husband is very enthusiastic about the beer- “Let’s make it really cold!  We can get a bucket and put all the beers in it with some ice!”  WHOA THERE.  I’m not sure how many beers he plans on drinking, but my limit is probably 1.5.  We’ll have to have something to eat as well- I’m looking at this website with vegan Oktoberfest recipes. In other news, I got a letter saying that my request to postpone jury duty has been granted.  PHEW!!!  Interestingly, I’ve talked to three people who told me when they get a jury summons, they just throw it away.  They figure since it’s not registered mail, no one can ever prove they got it.  Huh!  Now I’m feeling virtuous about getting out of jury duty the “right” way.  Or, maybe I’m just a fool. Lastly, thanks to everyone who complimented me on fixing my blog.  Unfortunately I did NOT fix it (yet) and the only way it looks “normal” is if I include lots of photos (to make the post long.) Here’s one of me in my element…     What would you tell me over coffee?  Do you have any plans for the weekend?      

Reading and Eating

I finished the Ken Follett Century Trilogy!!!  Fall of Giants covered WWI, Winter of the World continued with WWII, and The Edge of Eternity starts in the 1960s. One thing I loved about these books is it showed me the continuity between these events.  I used to think of WWII as something that happened in the past, whereas events in the 1960s and 1970s were in more “modern” times.  Now I understand more the connection between WWI, WWII, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the events leading to the fall of communism. Edge of Eternity focuses mostly on the children and grandchildren of the original characters from Fall of Giants.  It was fascinating that a young man who fought in WWI, if he lived to a ripe old age, would also live through the Cold War.  There were characters in the book who endured Nazi Germany, WWII, the Soviet occupation of East Germany, and then saw the Berlin Wall come down.  It was incredibly moving to me that Black people who fought for Civil Rights in the 1960s could live to see Barack Obama elected president. I will say that, while I was reading it, Edge of Eternity was my least favorite of the three books, and I’m still trying to figure out why.  The first two focused heavily on Europe, and in Edge the focus shifted to the United States and Soviet Union.  There was a lot of detail about politics in the US, and while it was interesting, the story bogged down a little for me.  JUST A LITTLE!  I still enjoyed it, but whereas with the first two books, I didn’t want them to end, with Edge, I was kind of looking forward to finishing it. Then… I actually finished it, and the ending was so good that I cried.  There was an epilogue, which I was initially annoyed to see- I mean, the ending was perfect, what’s with this epilogue?  But then the epilogue also made me cry.  You guys- it was so good and I’m so glad I read these books.  I’ll be thinking about them for a long, long time. It was hard to move on to anything else, but I had to forge ahead.  I have some library books to get through, so I started this one: So far, so good!  I’m not very far into it, but I’m enjoying it. Eating-wise, I continued the pumpkin theme with some pumpkin oatmeal.  No special recipe- I just add a couple dollops of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to my regular oatmeal. For dinner on Sunday, I went to Nora Cooks and browsed through her “Fall Recipe” section.  I ended up making Butternut Squash Curry With Chickpeas. It was good!  The only problem was, I should have doubled the recipe.  I like my Sunday dinner to also feed us on Monday, and I should have known one can of chickpeas wasn’t going to do that.  My daughter wasn’t a fan of the squash, but she’s obviously insane.  You cube the squash and roast it, and add it to the curry at the end- it was delicious. I’ll echo Engie’s recent question- what was the last book that made you cry?   What are you reading now?

A New Month

It’s October!  Time to get out the Halloween decorations- how exciting. Like many others, I’m looking forward to the Girl Next Door Fall Extravaganza episode for 2024.  While I’m waiting, I’ve been amusing myself by listening to their old ones.  One thing I love about these episodes is, Kelsey and Erica live in Arizona. Arizona weather is not Florida weather, but there are similarities.  Mainly that neither place has a true “fall.”  While the rest of the country is (hopefully) experiencing beautiful, crisp fall days, we’re still sweltering in the heat. In this episode from 2016, Kelsey and Erica talked about how they adjusted to fall in the desert.  They went through stages of denial, acceptance, and said they are now living in an alternate reality where it IS fall, dammit, because I say so!  That’s the way I feel- I put up my decorations and light a candle, so therefore it’s fall. Switching out my decorations (fall to Halloween, to Thanksgiving, to Christmas) also helps make one month distinct from another.  In Florida, we pretty much have two seasons: Summer, and SuperSummer.  There’s definitely a difference between January and July, but still- most days in January you can still walk around in shorts and a tank top. There are many times that I temporarily have no idea what month it is.  I know we all have those moments, but I doubt most people up north get confused between summer and winter.  In the absence of external cues, it’s important to me to make one season distinct from the next.  Otherwise time slips by much, much too fast. In this week’s Best Laid Plans podcast, SHU discussed how she marks the start of a new month,  One of the things she does is switch her screen backgrounds.  I like that!  I’m going to switch the photo on my phone, and I’m thinking of using this “terrifying” one of Charlotte… Hee hee… actually, she was yawning.  But she looks ferocious.  Here she is looking like her beautiful self: Magical black cats really do guard my home this month! Do you decorate for Halloween? Do you feel like you need to do something to make your months distinct, or does it naturally happen where you live?  

Weekly Rundown

It was a great week!  That is, if you like heat, humidity, and hurricanes.  (If you don’t like those things, don’t come to Florida in September!)  Here in South Florida we’re sending love to those in the panhandle who got pummeled- while being grateful that we were spared this time.  As always, I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah (thanks, ladies!) for this Weekly Rundown.  Let’s just see how it all went down… Sunday 6 miles on the trail!  The first mile was walking, then 5 miles running.  It was hot, sticky, parts of the trail were overgrown and there were biting flies.  But I loved it. Monday Leg day at the gym!  Here’s how I found the squat racks: BOTH racks had heavy weights left on the bars.  Why do people do this???  I didn’t feel like dealing with it, so I went over to use an older squat rack in the corner.  Once again I avoided deadlifts because of my cranky low back, but did squats, some single leg balance exercises, and abs. Tuesday I continued my cautious every-other-day running schedule.  Today I walked half a mile and ran 2.5. I followed this with a MadFit standing core workout. Wednesday It was a strength day at home- upper body, Caroline Girvan deadbugs, and hip stability exercises. At 5 pm we got a call that school was canceled the next day because of the hurricane.  Wait, what?  This was the first I heard of Hurricane Helene (I really should start watching the news more.) In my defense, it wasn’t on track to hit us, but we still had a tropical storm warning. Thursday The good news was, since there was no school, I was able to sleep in a little and run in the daylight.  The bad news was, we had pockets of horrendous weather, and one of them happened during my run.  Wind, driving rain, and thunder and lightning in the distance.  I did 3 miles and then hightailed it back home- and as soon as I got there it started to clear up. I followed this with the MadFit standing core workout- except I didn’t realize it was a different one.  Apparently MadFit has at least two standing core workouts.  I like them both! Friday I was very proud of myself for getting to the gym twice this week for leg day.  This time I did squats and deadlifts.  My low back is still achy, but I just decided to carry on. Saturday 5 miles!  Well, the first half mile was walking, and then I ran 4.5.  I’m getting there… slowly but surely. Sunday On tap for the day- sleeping in and waffles!  I’ve decided to shift my “long” runs to Wednesdays (a day off from work.) Obviously there will be football as well, although the Dolphins play Monday night.  I’ll find a game or two to watch. How was your week?  Any “interesting” weather?  

34 Responses

  1. Well, isn’t this a fun and cheerful post! The funny thing is, living in Calgary all my life, I’ve always kind of longed for fall. I’ve always wanted a true fall, and in Calgary, the leaves change, sure, but it lasts only a couple of weeks before they all blow off the trees and there is a snow storm. NOW I am really enjoying true fall! I can leave the house in a sweater and scarf and boots, JUST LIKE IN FALL PHOTOS.
    The farm market near me has the best fresh apples right off the tree, and they are to die for. Also I made those Levain fall spiced cookies on the weekend. HELLO!

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    1. Oh yes, I made those cookies too!!!
      Glad you’re getting a true fall experience! Funny how everyone has a different experience of fall, depending on location.

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  2. Yay for cooler temps! It definitely makes running more pleasant; I remember slogging through the humidity in the summer in Florida. I also played soccer when I was living there and it was gross. My cleats were so nasty I had to leave them outside, but then they would never dry.

    I am not a huge fan of all of the pumpkin paraphernalia, but I do love apples! We grow a lot of them here and they are ripe now and I bought honeycrisp apples the other day for $0.39/lb! I was so excited! PS I don’t hate pumpkin; it has its place in breads and stuff, but I don’t really want it in my coffee. If you like apple cake, you should try this recipe too..it is my favorite! https://travelspot06.blogspot.com/2011/11/apple-day-monday-ii.html

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    1. That recipe looks similar- they both have a caramel-ish glaze. Honeycrisp apples for 39 cents a pound??? That’s WAY cheap!!!
      I forgot you lived in Florida- yes, the humidity is what makes the summers extra horrible. i’ll bet you’re happy you got away!

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      1. I liked my time in Florida, and actually the humidity in the Bay Area is pretty high! Like right now in my house it is about 61% but it has been as high as 88% in the last month. We just aren’t as hot all the time and somehow not as oppressive. I don’t know if it is a pressure thing or what but the humidity in FL just sits on you.

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        1. I picture it being kind of cool and damp where you are? I guess it depends on the time of year. Yes, the humidity in Florida is extra special

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  3. Can I just say that I’m SO jealous of your weather? Ugh for some reason we are still having temps NEAR 100 DEGREES! This isn’t normal for October, even for here. Luckily the forecast looks more promising next week with temps in the 70s and 80s.

    I’m gonna have to go listen to that podcast episode especially because the hosts are from Arizona! I feel a similar draw to all things fall and cozy since we don’t really get much of that here, and I grew up in Colorado where fall was a gorgeous season (before the first snow hit, usually around Halloween lol). I just wanna wear all the flannels and beanies and eat chili and cornbread and stay cozy with the fall scented candles!

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    1. Ashley, you’re not doing a very good job of convincing me to move to Arizona! I can’t believe there’s someplace still hotter than us, but apparently it’s true. I’ll be interested to compare our weather in the winter.
      Yes, you would definitely be able to relate to this podcast! I hope you like it, and I sure hope you get that cool down next week.

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  4. I love all of the things in this post.

    I love candles. (And love the smell of cloves; spicey ginger cookies are MY FAV). I love cozy socks. I love fall weather. I love fresh Honeycrisp (jealous of Kyria’s deal – I thought I was doing well with $2/lb – $.39/lb for honeycrisp is incredible!)

    Love chips. Love apple cake (though I refuse to use my honeycrisp for cake right now because they’re so delicious I want to eat them raw/plain)…but apple cake will be making a comeback in the winter.

    What a fun post to start my day off on the right foot 🙂

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    1. Elisabeth, your posts always brighten up my day so I’m glad I could return the favor!
      I’m pretty sure I used fuji or gala for that cake- I wouldn’t want to waste my honeycrisp either.

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  5. We’re in peak fall season here, and I’m headed out to go leaf pepping this weekend. I can’t wait. I mostly remember fall being yellow and brown when I was growing up in Illinois, but here we’ve got the full range of red, orange, and yellow (before it all turns brown and winter sets in…grump).

    Team Apple! I do try to get in a few pumpkin things in the fall, but since the rest of my family hates pumpkin I’m limited to what I can eat on my own.

    I love “one for the pot and one for the chef” when cooking with alcohol;-)

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    1. Hmmm. I grew up in Illinois, and honestly I can’t remember what color the leaves were. My impression was just that everything died and it was depressing (I only love these things in retrospect- I didn’t love it when I lived there.) I’m going to have to ask my sister what color the leaves are!

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    1. We had two good days of cooler temps, and I do feel like I made the most of it. Now we heat up again, which is to be expected- it’s always like that this time of year. Hopefully our really intense heat and humidity are over though.

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  7. I despise raw apples. I like apples cooked in pie and cobblers, but raw apples kind of gross me out. So I guess I’m Team Pumpkin, but I wouldn’t eat that raw, either, obviously. I think I just like the fall-spice mixture!

    I am so excited you got some temps in the 50s. It must feel like absolute heaven!

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    1. Wait- maybe you just haven’t tried enough apples! I don’t like ones that are soft and mealy, but the really crisp ones are delicious. I think you should give them another chance.

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  8. Apples are one of my favorite Fall things too! There’a a market I like to go to in the Fall because they have so many different kinds of apples- when I was there last weekend, the guy at the register told me they have about 30 different varieties over the course of fall. I always try to keep track of the varieties so I can remember my favorite, but by the time I get home, they are all mixed up. They are all tasty anyway.

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    1. REALLY- 30 different varieties??? I want to go to your market! Okay, I’m going to challenge myself to get a few different kinds next time I go to the store- I keep buying honeycrisp because I love them.

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  10. That’s a tough question… both.

    I prefer apple cake and apple pie. But I love pumpkin everything else.

    Yes on scented candle… I used an electric coil to light them.

    Glad you have cooler weather… it’s close to ours except ours stay cooler during the day.

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  11. I’m definitely more apples than pumpkins, when it comes to fragrance. But I think I prefer pumpkin over apples when it comes to baked goods. They said, I’m not into the PSL craze that’s swept the nation in recent years…

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    1. Ha, I’m pretty sure most people agree PSL is overdone. I was listening to a podcast where they looked it up and there is actually PSL scented TOILET PAPER. Yes, that’s going a little too far.

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  12. I used to love burning candles when I lived alone but Phil is not a fan of scents so we do not own any candles! I kind of miss it but I can always get my fill of candle scents by walking through Anthro. Their candles are THE BEST. We’ve definitely been enjoying lots of apples, too. Paul, Taco and I share one every night after dinner while watching Wheel of Fortune. Aren’t we the dorkiest family? 😉 The leaves are changing here so I have tried to pay attention and soak it in because the season is so fleeting and we are always one windy day away from the pretty leaf season ending! Paul and I have our first Halloween-themed event of the season. We are going to the zoo on Saturday night for the Pumpkin Extravaganza. They have something like 5,000 carved pumpkins. We had the best time last year so I am excited to go again!

    I am so glad that the weather is finally cooling off! It must feel like a dream to run in cooler temps after your hot, soggy summer!!!

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    1. Sadly, our local Anthropologie closed. I’m SO bummed. I can still order candles, or travel a little ways to get to the store, but we used to have one closeby and it was so fun to just go and browse around. Yes, their candles really are the best. Hmm. Maybe I need to make a little trip to the Anthropologie- the closest one now is in a mall about 40 minutes away.
      I hope Paul is feeling better and you can get to the Pumpkin event! I want to see photos!

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  13. Yay, cooler weather! That must be a relief. We have had a couple of days of warmer weather here after a cold spell. I love all your Fall things, you really do get into the season. In Australia it’s Autumn and although we do have non-native trees planted that lose their leaves, the change of season isn’t quite as obvious here.

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    1. Wait- I thought it was opposite in Australia- shouldn’t it be spring? I remember reading a Liane Moriarty book and being so disoriented that it was autumn for Easter. But what do I know! I’ve never been to Australia.

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  14. Wasn’t this little cold front so nice?! I could even turn off my AC for a few days! I am looking forward to lower energy bills for the next few months. Summer is BRUTAL for my energy bill, haha.

    I bought two fall-scented candles at Bath & Body Works in September but I am so bad at burning my candles. I don’t know why! I think I’m going to commit to burning them every evening because I feel like it just makes things feel extra cozy.

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    1. Yes, burn your candles! I don’t always remember either, but at least a couple times a week I’ll light a candle. We were able to turn off our AC and sleep with windows open for two nights, and now it’s back on. SIGH. But it always goes back and forth like this in October. We’re lucky we got that cool down- it doesn’t always happen this early.

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  15. Yes, I am here for all things fall…. apples, candles, cozy socks and the food. I already bookmarked a couple of things to make this fall (soups and baked goods). I also love the Native Deodorant – but I am loyal to the coconut-vanilla scent.

    Reply

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