Autumn is for Apples

We eat tons of apples in our house. Quick, healthy, yummy snacks. Apple pancakes. Apple crumble. Fried apples. You name it, we probably like it. Ellie likes Granny Smiths, Emma likes Galas, Sam like Yellow Delicious and Galas. I like them all, but my absolute favorite is the elusive Honey Crisp. It is apple perfection. Crispy, juicy, sweet and crunchy. Not mealy or mushy or tart or dry. Honey Crisp apples are the greatest apple ever. And apparently the growers know it because it is rare to find them for less than $4 a lb. I won't buy them at that price, but last week Target had them in a 4lb box for $5. Heaven. I ate one on the way home and another once I got home. We'd eaten most of the box in less than 24 hrs. A box of Honey Crisp apples is better than a bowl of candy any day.

A Blessed Veteran's Day

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Better late than never

We had a great Halloween. Kids had a blast, got tons of candy. Trick or treater numbers seemed to be down this year. I don't know if people were thinking it was going to rain and planned something else or if they were afraid of the piggie flu. But, we had fun.