brr!

the fall has really set in now. this morning it really hit home for me when we woke up to 40F-degree weather (5c), and while i was on the phone with mari in texas i heard her tell zoey that she couldnt wear her sandals because it was too cold outside already - so i asked what was the weather down there. she said it's ALMOST 60F (17c)!

well i guess i am really in for this new england winter bbecasue i am already wearing my biggest houston coats and its not even halloween yet! but it is beautiful though.. the trees and bushes are all putting on their peacock feathers. in my backyard park theres this tree that is so orange it wont quit - like a lit-up jack-o-lantern, and near it is an enormous bush whose top leaves are the brightest scarlet.. gotta get out there with the camera.

so im pulling out all my soup recipes these cold days. my new favorite is a baked winter squash soup. my old standby - yellow bell pepper soup came back, but this time with carrots and potatoes too. next up is last years' root vegetable stew, and my mouth is drooling already just thinking about making it later today or tomorrow... the lentils are soaking as we speak. so i was thinking about posting these recipes up on the blog - if i get a minute or two later this week.

lucas schedule is starting to stabilise now around a 1-nap-a-day schedule after a huge "awkward phase" ... when you never knew what to expect. so now i get almost an hour and a half every day after our early lunch to get online.. read... and piddle around the house.