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More About Fall

I know what you’re thinking: “Jenny, will you PLEASE stop talking about pumpkins???”  Well, I’ll try not to mention the “P” word, but I’m totally immersed in all things fall right now, thanks to The Girl Next Door Podcast that Stephany recommended.

Every year, the girls- Erica and Kelsey- do a “Fall Extravaganza” episode, where they taste test fall treats, talk about their fall traditions, and take a deep dive into fall fashion, decorations, and general fun.

When I first started listening, I thought, “This is fun, but it’s kind of silly.  I’ll just listen to this episode and go back to my regular podcasts.”  Usually I listen to shows that will give me information or inspiration- all about health, working out, running… and I felt like The Girl Next Door was kind of frivolous.

But I ended up enjoying the episode so much, I’m now going back and listening to all the previous Fall Extravaganza episodes (there are nine of them.). And you know what I realized?  What in the world is wrong with JUST HAVING FUN while driving around, running, or- gasp- even at the gym.  I can listen to something purely because I enjoy it.  Not that I don’t enjoy my usual podcasts, but there’s always a certain amount of “learning” involved.  Screw that!  (for now, at least.) There are enough “have to’s” in life- every once in a while it’s fun to say “I GET TO listen to this fun podcast.”

One thing I especially love is that Kelsey and Erica live in Arizona, so their experience of fall is similar to mine.  It’s not cold, the leaves aren’t changing colors, and we can’t go apple picking.  People who live in hot climates have to create their own fall experiences, which is why I get so excited about my pumpkin bowls and scented candles.

The other thing I realized is that, for people who live in places like Arizona and Florida, fall is a very festive time of year because it’s a celebration that we made it through the summer.  Soon we’ll be able to open our windows and spend time outside without melting.  It’s a joyful feeling- as opposed to when I lived up north and experienced actual fall.  Then, fall just meant everything died and… sob… winter was coming.  Not anymore!  Fall is the beginning of our most beautiful time of year.

In lieu of hayrides, trips to the apple orchard or pumpkin patch, I like to go “fall browsing.”  The other day I went to Gifts and More, which is a great browsing store.

Look at these cute shirts!

The problem is, it’s pretty rare that we get to wear sweaters or sweatshirts this time of year.  If these were tank tops, I would now own all of them.

I also enjoyed smelling all the candles, and eventually came away with this little one:

… which I lit as soon as I got home.  Not bad for $2.50!

My trip to Target was a little odd, as I was greeted by this sight:

What the…

I mean… it’s never too early for Christmas (in my book.) But it does seem like we used to at least get past Halloween before switching over?  Not to worry, because this meant the fall stuff was on sale!

Why yes… I’ll buy some pillows at half price!  I really had to restrain myself from buying a throw blanket for $10… but I might have to go back.

Next up… a candle smelling trip to Bath and Body Works (how exciting!)

In case you’re thinking, “What in the world does this have to do with running?”  Never fear- on Friday it’s time for Runfessions, and I have a few things to share!

Is fall a happy time for you, or is it an ominous prequel to winter?

Do you listen to any “fun” podcasts?

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?  

31 Responses

  1. YES to fun podcasts!
    Or even just giving your mind a break.
    Yesterday evening, while I was ironing, I thought I should use the time wisely and listen to an intelligent podcast.
    But then my mind got stuck on something else and I ironed away for 40 minutes in complete silence. It’s the same with running – I enjoy that silent time.

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    1. Yes, that’s a good way of putting it- sometimes it’s nice to just give your mind a break.
      Wow… I’m impressed that you were actually ironing! I don’t even know where my iron is.

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  2. Your delight is so contagious, Jenny! I also love fall – but I love winter, too. It is so beautiful where I live. We have such an abundance of trees and they really put on a show. I also love fall foods and wearing boots and a light jacket. It’s a great time of year!

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    1. Wow, I’m impressed, you love winter! I always wished I could be that type of person who embraces all the seasons. I would probably like to visit you in winter for about… three days. Then I would have to come back to Florida.

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  3. I mostly listen to podcasts that I can learn something, but my other favorite genre is stories — of adventure, of woe, of life. I really enjoy The Moth, which if you are unfamiliar is actually a live show where people stand up and tell stories, about anything, and then the best ones get put onto the podcast. I have been to the actual show a few times and it is very entertaining! The other kind I like are investigative journalism, but even better when it is told well, which is why I like This American Life. Otherwise, it is mostly financial, running, travel etc.

    Happy fall to you! I live in a place currently that does not get brutally cold, and I really enjoy being here for fall and winter because we can still run, OUTSIDE, all year long! Yay. However, I am not looking forward to the endless rainy days, as that kind of puts a kibosh on certain things.

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    1. My husband loves The Moth, so I’m definitely familiar with it. And yes- for all my complaints about the Florida heat, being somewhere we can run outdoors year-round is pretty awesome.

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  4. Jenny, I am 100000% here for your talk about pumpkins! It’s so fun! And as for podcasts, I ONLY listen to things that I enjoy, just for fun. I usually end up thinking about or learning something even from lighthearted chatty podcasts. Sure, I do like a few science or history podcasts, but my favourites are just lighthearted ones about other people’s lives. I guess that’s why I like blogging so much. So please don’t stop the pumpkin talk!
    Speaking of CHRISTMAS, I am going to stop at Bath and Body Works today to pick up some hand soap. I plan to put out the festive soaps on November 1 – it’s Tiny Secret Festive Season for me, you know!
    Fall is different for me here than it was in Calgary. This week in Calgary, it snowed 10 cm and is currently minus 10. It feels amazing to NOT BE THERE. I am really loving fall now.

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    1. Ha ha… I remember (and love) your Tiny Secret Festive Season. Have fun at BBW! I still haven’t gotten there, now my plan is to go next week.

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  5. Unfortunately, it’s an ominous prequel. Sigh. I LOVE fall. It is my favourite time of year without a doubt, but it switches into cold weather so quickly which I hate. In a perfect world, I would just chase fall 365, moving to temperate climates to get cool mornings, warm days, and blue skies all year long.

    There is frost on the windshield in the morning now and today I HAVE TO get winter hats and gloves out. Yesterday morning on the walk to school it was 2C (that’s 35F). Brrrr.

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  6. I still need to listen to that podcast! I usually listen to trail running-related podcasts but this one sounds really fun.

    I love all the fall things you browsed and bought! I’m so happy because we are FINALLY getting fall this week, after (hopefully) one final weekend of 90+ temps, we are now in the 70s and 80s and the air just feels so nice! I love fall and even winter here because the weather is amazing, the only downside is all the snowbirds are coming back so traffic on the roads is getting worse and the trails are getting more crowded, ugh, but at least it finally feels like fall!

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    1. Yay! I’m glad to hear it- that must feel amazing. I’ll definitely mention it on the blog, but do you ever listen to Sally McRae’s podcast Choose Strong? It’s one of the best! I just listened to the latest episode on my run today.

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  7. I have a strong opinion on this. If you LOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEE something and you have a blog, then you should blog about the thing you love even if it doesn’t fit in with your regularly scheduled programming. I don’t decorate or do anything special for fall, but I still pick up on the warm fuzzies that you have and it makes me feel good to read these posts. So that’s my hot take.

    I just made my second annual Leaf Peeping last weekend so there will be an overload of fall pictures coming as soon as I can sit down and write it up.

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  8. I listen to a few comedy podcasts, but the silliest is Finish It!, a podcast where two (adult) brothers read choose your own adventure books every week with the goal of getting every page and every ending and slowly going insane while doing so. The phrase “this is an Edward Packer” joint is in my vocab now as a way to describe something with potential that I know will let me down in the end. LOL.

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  9. I don’t listen to any podcasts (my bad), though I have an invite to be a guest on a fitness one soon 🙂 And, my son asked me to chat with him on his podcast (last Saturday at the Iowa game), so that was fun (can you say, “almost famous?”). I do embrace the warm fall days (not the cold, windy, rainy ones), and I’m in awe of all the beautiful colors of the changing leaves.

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  10. Too early for Christmas decorations but they’re all out.

    I love fall stuff. Don’t tempt me to check out sales.

    I need some fun podcasts.

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    1. Well, go to Target! You will find plenty of fall on sale there. And I like looking at Christmas stuff, but I’m not in the Christmas mood yet, so I definitely wouldn’t buy anything.

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  11. I love that you’re embracing fall so much.. I am sad though that you still can’t wear sweaters. I feel like a nice sweater to cozy up in is part of fall.
    Too early, Target, with the Christmas stuff.

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  12. Yay for fall! And yay for blogging about WHATEVER YOU WANT. Your blog may be running-focused, but I don’t think that means you have to limit yourself to SOLELY talking about running. We want to hear about your love for fall!

    I love that you went back and listened to all of the Fall Extravaganza episodes. They are so fun! I like a mix of fun/frivolous podcasts where I’m just listening to them to be entertained, and educational podcasts where I learn something new.

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    1. I’m currently in the 2nd Fall Extravaganza episode- I’m going backwards which means I have one more to go. It’s fun to hear how they’ve evolved over the years.

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  13. Love you talking about fall! And, as a non-runner, non-running topics are a-okay! (Also, running topics are perfectly fun for me to read, too! I used to be a runner, for a while, and I still love all things fitness and exercise and goal setting, so even though I do not currently run, your posts are always a full delight to read, no matter what the topic!) I love the toss pillows!! So, so cute. And I guess I have a question, about the long sleeved fall clothing. Don’t you guys have a/c on all the time?? I feel like in the summertime here in WI, when it’s also super hot, I still wear a zip hoodie or long sleeves often when I’m inside for long stretches, because I’m always freezing in the a/c. I also bring a sweater everywhere I go, because even when it’s 90+ degrees outside and humid, the inside always feels frigid in comparison! So I think you should just buy the fall clothes, and wear them inside, with a tank top underneath. 😉

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    1. That is true- some places run their AC SO COLD. I could buy one of those shirts just to wear when I go to Starbucks- they keep it absolutely freezing in there. Okay, thanks! You’ve convinced me.

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  14. I really enjoy this podcast! I especially love their fall extravaganza podcasts. They are such joyful and fun podcasts. They always eat some weird stuff that is an epic fail. It’s nice to laugh and smile while listening. A lot of my podcasts are related to reading and I would say they are still ‘fun’. I also listen to things like the NYT daily but I am more drawn to podcasts that align with my hobbies like reading! I don’t listen to any running ones. I think when I am back to feeling like more of a runner I would listen to some. For now I feel kind of like an imposter when I say I am a runner….

    I love love love fall even though it does have a sense of foreboding. But overall it’s such a gorgeous and fleeting time of year. So it reminds us to live in the now and appreciate the beauty around us!!

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  15. HaHa this cracks me up. You obviously enjoy all the fall things and appreciate it. I can relate just with a different season. I do have a beautiful display of colored leaves just outside my window from the new apartment. I never had that so it is nice. And I have been enjoying some pumpkin spice coffees since my sister gave me som sirup last Christmas and it’s finally time to use it.

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  16. We have really lovely weather in Autumn. I remember one year when we had horrific fires, drought and a lot of hot weather it was a relief to finally move into Autumn. So, I finally went to a Trader Joe’s and although we didn’t buy any of the Fall stuff, it was fun to see, but as we were waiting to checkout we were right next to a big stack of advent calendars. I thought it was a bit strange that they didn’t wait until after Halloween and then do a proper switch over.

    Reply

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