Start of fall & new beginnings

On the first day of fall my family and I went to an orchard to pick up delicious apples.

Ami hogging the apple picker :)

Hey - she didn't pay for that apple!

My beautiful parents

Yummm... corn!

I got my two sisters and me

In other news, I got laid off from my awesome job, so I am preparing for a challenging time ahead. But I am optimistic things will be just fine.

Halloween 2009

S and A came over and we left together to go to a party held by my husband's classmate.
The party was fun. Here is my hubby with his friend M.
My husband was a fisherman, and I was a fish/mermaid/sea creature. I was told I looked better with my wig.
A was a "grim sweeper" - he kept sweeping these people's kitchen floors while being grim about it. It cracked us up.
I was being gutted by S. Fish do have feelings.
My bff was a "cereal killer" - that was awesome, and very fitting.
I met some new peeps at the party, including C. She was totally sweet. And she is a lawyer.
Overall, tons of fun. We then went back to our house and hung out even more. The party was over around 5am. :O

Haunted forest

Friends and I decided to do scary stuff for the Halloween season, and the first activity was the local haunted forest/village attraction. I have never paid to get scared before, so I was a bit reluctant about the whole thing. Luckily, my brave sisters joined me on this journey.

Myself, M and Z before the adventure.

We then met up with my BFF S, her sister Z, and her brother D.

Then there were nine. We were joined by our friend A, and his friends A & J.

It was mad fun. We were screaming and laughing the whole time. Wouldn't call it scary, though.

Here is the gang with awesome 3D glasses on. They look like nerds and crime fighters (except for A on far right - he looks like a grandpa who fell asleep). :D

The first Halloween 2009 activity was a success. I think next we are going to see Paranormal Activity.

Root vegetable medley

My sisteroos came over on Sunday afternoon and we cooked together to the sound of neo-jazz/lounge music in the background. We always have a great time cooking together.
The creation is a root vegetable medley (only 106 calories per serving), consisting of turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, carrots, and pearl onions. It is dressed with a cumin seed, anise seed, nutmeg, cinnamon, paprika, rice wine vinegar, avocado oil, sea salt, agave nectar, and I am sure something else that I cannot remember.
It was soooooo delicious! Very earthy and autumn-y. Definitely something I'd want to make again.

Locavore sisters

This morning, my sisters and I woke up early and headed to the DSM Downtown Farmers' Market. There they are, looking all cute, as always.
The earlier you go, the better. The crowds are sparse, and the vendors are stacked with the best, freshest produce. We also got to enjoy some bluegrass bands and talked to plenty of local farmers who were just super-friendly. I love Iowa.
Of course, my sisters and I cannot pass up ANY crêpe stand...ever. Here we had some Nutella Banana Crêpes. Yum! So rich and delicious, calories be damned.
And here is my loot of the day - small, tangy Harrison apples, farm fresh eggs, farm grown zucchini, heirloom tomatoes (a nice variety of different kinds) and a selection of oyster mushrooms.
We are going to have some good, nutritious meals this weekend.

PPGI Fall 2009 Book Sale

Sisters and I volunteered at the Planned Parenthood Book Sale tonight. Our checkout station was super-efficient. I was asked to be the Volunteer Coordinator starting in the Spring 2010 Book Sale. Sweet. I am a super-volunteer.
We were so busy the entire time we were there. Most people were super-friendly. There were also some "interesting" characters. I also got to see my ex-boyfriend's parents. That was a bit awkward.
Once again, a pretty fun time spent with my sisters, while doing something good for the community. I am so exhausted now, though, I am going to bed.