A day off

So today I got the full day off for Rosh Hashana. Getting Jewish holidays off is one of the perks of working for a synagogue. I have to admit that over the last three years I've become really accustomed to the extra days off.

Usually, anytime I have a day off (unless I'm actually away from home) I have a game plan of things I want to try to accomplish and today was no different. I spent the first part of the morning potting up some pansies and ornamental kale and cabbage I bought yesterday afternoon. I love the way ornamental kale looks, last year I got a variety called 'Osaka Pink' and it was really gorgeous as it got bigger. Plus planting pansies makes fall a reality for me.

I did some house chores too, laundry, dusting and running the dishwasher. I packed up some of my summer clothes and put them into storage. Of course the weather in Memphis is always subject to change so I left out some pieces because you never know...

Since today was October 1 I took the opportunity to get my Halloween decorations out. Maybe too early for some but I really like Halloween. I'm not super crazy with my decorating but I am a huge dork and I love, love, love "The Great Pumpkin" so I have two little decorative porcelain scenes from TGP to set out for Halloween. I always feel bad for poor Charlie Brown and his rocks.

Another thing on my list was to make butternut squash soup. Before the demise of my squash vines in August, I was able to save one little butternut squash from my garden. I wanted to use it (along with a bigger, more mature squash from the store) to make soup. I decided to use the Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Onion recipe from the At Home with Magnolia cookbook. This book has amazing photos and some nice recipes but usually they're very time consuming. The chopping of the squash, apples and onion was the longest part of course. Chopping and peeling uncooked butternut squash is hard - literally.

I'm clumsy in the kitchen and I was a leetle concerned I would accidentally slice through a finger. Luckily I had no mishaps while making the soup. The recipe made about 4 quarts, I used some little Ziploc plastic containers to freeze individual portions of it. Doug isn't a butternut squash fan (of course) so the individual portions will be good for me to have for lunch or if I just don't feel like cooking. I had some for my lunch today and it was fantastic. It has apple cider in it and I think it adds a little sweetness that's balanced by the sauteed onion, great recipe.

The last thing I did this afternoon was relax! I gathered up my basket of knitting, iPod, mosquito spray (they seem to think I'm an open buffet) and a book and sat on the patio enjoying how gorgeous it was outside today. The weather was again, almost perfect, so nice and cool with a crisp blue sky. I worked on my Lace Ribbon scarf, which I feel like I've been working on FOREVER. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though because the cake of yarn I have has gotten a lot smaller so I'm hoping I've only got another week or so left. I may end up ignoring everything else and concentrating solely on the scarf until I get it done. I know its going to be so pretty once its done but it feels like the never-ending project.