Often Charlie and I travel in October but this year we are staying home and enjoying our beautiful surroundings while also planning and scheming some future events.

Even at high tide the bay and marsh are beautiful.

The longer we live here the more interesting activities we’re discovering.

In addition to my planned list I (we):

• received 3 dozen fresh from the henhouse eggs from our neighbor so we made a pound cake.  Yummy!
  

  We found a great pound cake recipe that calls for a dozen eggs.

• attended a revival at a local church.  Charlie was the musician.
• trained for a walking 10K.
  

  Some days I started slightly before sunrise while the fog lingered.

• began an online study focusing on history, literature, and a general understanding of the Bible.
• Fought hordes of swarming gnats in the house most of the month.
• Attended a local production of Hot ‘n’ Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration! Cole Porter is one of my all time favorite composers who also writes his own lyrics.
  

  The onstage band is getting ready.

• Planted some daffodil bulbs and a peony root.
  

  Not much to look at now but hopefully pink Shirley Temple peonies will bloom in spring.

• After a long hiatus from reading, I read The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
  

  The next one on the list.

  I plan to continue reading the series.

We also focused on finishing some of the major projects we’ve already started:

• staining the exterior of the house,
  

  The front of the house is totally stained.

• planning a new kitchen,
  

  We’re moving the stove from the center of an island to an outside wall.

• starting with the demolition of the current kitchen,
• lost the “e” key on my computer which ended up costing about $20 to replace.  It would have been half of that but I was unwilling to try and replace it myself.
  

  The new key works just fine.

• clearing out the garage,
  

  One of the streamlined areas in the garage.

• making a heartfelt effort to minimize clutter in the primary bedroom. I started by washing the windows which were very murky due to spray from the gnat infestation.

The numbered list for October has some time-sensitive, must-do items:

1. Purchase a major appliance for the kitchen.  The first major appliance I bought for the newly designed kitchen is a side-by-side refrigerator.
   

   I can’t wait to start using this BIG BOY.

2. Choose excursions for Norway trip.
   

   After the sled ride we’re being treated to dinner by a famous Norwegian chef.

   Among other things we have an evening dogsled ride for me and an organ concert for Charlie on his birthday.  Of course we’ll attend everything together — that’s part of the fun.

3.  Drink a glass of water every morning for an entire month.  I drank a glass of water every morning for the past month while brewing my coffee.  I’m planning to continue the habit.
   

   At least one tall glass every morning.

4.  Clear everything out of pantry.  This was a BIG project — basically I packed up everything I had unpacked when we moved in a year and a half ago.
   

   From this . . .

   

   . . . to this.

   Then I had to find a place for it which turned out to be any empty spot on the first floor.

5.  Unpack 3 boxes. I got rid of 3 boxfuls of old stuff when they fell over in the garage and spilled all over the floor.  GONE!
   

   I’ll used these newly emptied boxes to pack up more of the kitchen.

6.  Bird tour at Blackwater Federal Wildlife Preserve.  I planned to go on a second birding tour since this is the season when migrating birds are prevalent in our area. The weather didn’t cooperate so I’ve rescheduled for early in November.
   

   There’s an eagle in those trees.

7.  Finish shopping for Christmas.  I ordered all my gifts and have received all of them including a few souvenirs from our trip to Canada to mail and distribute closer to Christmas.
   

   I’m planning on a calm and unhurried holiday.

8.  Donate or throw away something we don’t need anymore.  I got rid of an old refrigerator, a wooden bench, and a pair of box springs thanks to my darling son who hauled them away.
   

   Among other items this working refrigerator is gone — hoping someone else can use it.

9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: FOCUS.
10.  Write a goal list for November, 2025.

Jo

October is a beautiful time to be in Maryland — fall colors, temperate days, cosy nights.

Soon the color of the trees will echo the evening sky.

Before I jump into any new activities I want to focus on finishing some of the major projects we’ve already started:

• staining the exterior of the house,
• planning a new kitchen,
• starting with the demolition of the current kitchen,
• clearing out the garage,
• making a heartfelt effort to minimize clutter in the primary bedroom.

I wish it always looked like this.

The numbered list for October has some time-sensitive, must-do items:

1. Purchase a major appliance for the kitchen.
2. Choose excursions for Norway trip.
   

   I’m hoping to get my first choice of excursions.

3.  Drink a glass of water every morning for an entire month.
4.  Clear everything out of pantry.
   

   This is just the beginning of clearing the kitchen.

5.  Unpack 3 boxes.
6.  Bird tour at Blackwater Federal Wildlife Preserve.
7.  Finish shopping for Christmas.
   

   I hope Charlie can find another sprig of fresh mistletoe this year..

8.  Donate or throw away something we don’t need anymore.
9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: FOCUS.
10.  Write a goal list for November, 2025.

Jo