Herman's Humble Happenings: Fall Miscellaneous Activities

We had our first snow yesterday, so it's time to update on a few fall activities. Although clouds covered a bit of the foothills, we loved seeing them all snow-covered again.

COVID-19 interrupted Lydia's National Honor Society induction last spring, so she was inducted this fall. Not only was she inducted, but she also helped lead the ceremony since she was asked to be an NHS leader earlier in the year.

Beautiful fall nights gave us many opportunities to enjoy our gas fire pit.

This is what our mask basket looks like most of the time. What does yours look like?

As produce began to wind down in the garden we enjoyed a bit of ratatouille-- eggplant, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes layered over a marinara sauce, topped with fresh herbs. The leftovers tasted great on a pizza crust topped with cheese!

Although Dorothy passed away this summer, her daughter still asked us to come pick her Concord grapes. We processed so much grape juice! Although we kept some for our pantry, we gave lots of juice and jam away. We also made four pies for the freezer and lots of batches of concord grape muffins.

The last Saturday of September we had an outdoor youth group kick-off event. The kids enjoyed tacos and ice cream treats as well as fun and fellowship. These pictures just show the game Nine in the Sky, but the kids also played Newcomb (a variation on volleyball) and Pickleball.

One beautiful fall evening in October, we took advantage of a gift certificate to Baquet's restaurant in Eagle. We ordered their Thursday special to-go--smoked prime rib, mashed potatoes, green salad, and dessert--and ate it in Merrill Park in Eagle. Afterward, we walked the river for a bit, and Seth perfected his stone skipping abilities.

Nicolas asked if I could crochet a cow for one of his roommates who is a dairyman. I made two since they were so cute! I also made several Hardanger bookmarks in different colors. I promised Lydia one for her birthday, and she wasn't quite sure what color she wanted. She actually chose one that is not pictured--blue/gray colored thread with white background.

We had pretty good success with our two geraniums that we kept in the house last winter so we thought we would try again. I ordered this plant stand so we could try to keep a few more alive. We'll see how we do. I do love having plants in the house, but I'm really not that great at nurturing them. I could learn a bit from Caleb about caring for plants!

When coronavirus numbers increased in October, CVCS just canceled school for a week. I think the kids could get used to a week off in October! When they went back, they enjoyed dressing up for homecoming week. This picture shows Seth and Lydia dressed for twin day.

Our elderly cat, Smokey, loves being warm. Lounging just outside our sliding door in the kitchen is her favorite place to sun in the summer. Now that the weather has gotten significantly colder, she found her next favorite spot--on a cozy blanket next to the kitchen heat vent.

The Reformation Boise conference was canceled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. In place of the conference, the involved churches and pastors arranged a Reformation night on October 30. The four pastors (and their helpers) set up a bookstore in our church narthex (sold about $1500 worth of books!), offered games for kids, fed everyone who attended brats and hot dogs, and replicated their radio show format with a question and answer session on the Reformation.