Fall, glorious fall !

Hooray for long fall weekends , beautiful weather and time to actually enjoy them ! Does not happen often for us, but when it does , it is a very good thing .

We were able to visit some of the local forest preserves to enjoy the colors, the trails and the smells. There is something about the smell of decomposing leaves that I really love. Sounds strange perhaps, but that acrid subtle twang sort of says "take all of this in because in a short time it will be gone". It adds to the visual reminders all around that the season on growth is coming to and end.  All that is bright and bountiful is about to give way to something else. And what better time of year to go pay your respects to those who have gone before you ?

One of our destinations was the cemeteries where many members of our families are buried. This is not one of their graves, but one of the more interesting monuments their. I call this one the Disturbing Angel because of a black mold that has taken up residence on parts of it's face. The hands have been broken off, and the affect is kind of creepy...don't you think ?

As a child , my grandmother would bring us down to the cemetery to visit the graves and we would stop to take pictures of us perched on this monument to Jesus and The Children. Times are different now, and people get rather upset when you climb on statues, so I simply stop to nod to the memories of childhood days past.

Another must visit stop is the memorial to the children and sisters who died in the Our Lady of the Angels school. It is an event that few remember today, but was very influential in the formation of today's fire codes, fire drills and more. It happened when I was an infant, but my next sister was born exactly a year to the day of that horrible fire, and my father had friends who lost younger siblings in the blaze.  For these reasons, it is another meaningful stop for me.

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Just enjoying the fall days !

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Goofy faces are never outgrown !

Always nice to spend time together !

One of the best things about going back to the Weight Watchers 123 plan is the freedom it allows. You CAN  eat out, eat pizza and even a doughnut - if you save the points for such a thing. I think this is something that a lot of people do not understand about the program. It is not just specific Weight Watchers brand foods that are included on the program, but ALL foods. Points are calculated by a formula of calories, fat and fiber- not simply some marketing strategy. One of the big philosophy's of Weight Watchers is that this is not a diet, but a way of life. Life DOES include celebrations, holidays, weekends away , parties and a lot more.

Today is back to the grind, and a date with 4 pie pumpkins that will be roasted, pureed and frozen for future use. I keep canned pumpkin in stock, but I also like to make my own for the freezer. So good in soups, stews and quick breads !