Fall is in the air?

Our fall is beginning more like summer - at least I believe so. Days up to nearly 80 degrees and no rain now for over 40 days! WOOHOO! To celebrate, the Hinkelgrubers are going to wine country! I know, I know, we have a wine cellar (read: basement) full of wine, do we really need more? Well, we have wine shipments from two wine clubs to collect and if we don't do so before mid-November, we'll have to pay shipping (and be available to sign for them), so we're getting that wine anyway.

I've been knitting - made two cute winter hats; one for the wee one across the street (the sample to learn the pattern) and one for the younger Hinkelgruber boy's new girlfriend. Hats - always a safe gift. I have a new favorite knit shop - one that I can easily walk to, if I really wanted - and it has the most beautiful yarns. And, most importantly, it smells like wool! I can't explain it, but that's a smell I have in the deep recesses of my mind - the smell of wool I remember from going to the Mill-End store as a child; when it was truly a "mill-end" store, with skeins of wool piled high on long, plywood tables, by color. Push your nose into a ball of wool yarn, and inhale; you'll learn the smell I mean.

Did you notice the menu of "Fish heads and rice?" I'm guessing Mr. Hinkelgruber doesn't want guests for dinner tonight. To bad for him, he can't lose me - I'm all for fish heads!

Fall is here!

So, my vacations are over (yeah, I'm a little relieved), fall has officially arrived and with it, baking season!

The month of September saw a trip to Vegas, two weddings, an anniversary trip to Seattle and a quick four-day cruise from Vancouver, BC to Los Angeles...WHEW!...what a month! Now it's time to gently slide into the fall and holiday season. (Did I say gently?!? Really?!?) Neighborhood kids have gone back to school, soccer and fundraisers. (Gift wrap, anyone? How about a magazine?) As for me, I'm going to fully embrace my Tuesdays with Dorie blog group and pick up my knitting needles in earnest.

You'll notice that this week's menu is beginning to look a little like winter comfort food, with a few selections we haven't enjoyed in a while. Mac & cheese...Roasted chicken...Texas toast...mmm....well, winter's not all bad. Wonder what I should bake?

We're baaack....

So, the Hinkelgrubers have been on holiday (well, Mrs. Hinkelgruber has been several holidays and is about to embark on another!). Thus, the lack of posting for the past few weeks. But, bowing to pressure from the peanut gallery, we return to the posts this week.

Let's see...to bring you up to date, Mrs. Hinkelgruber has been to Lost Wages (with said peanut gallery), then Mr. and Mrs. Hinkelgruber went to Seattle for their anniversary (29-years, and they said it wouldn't last!) and Mrs. Hinkelgruber is heading for a re-positioning cruise from Vancouver, BC to Los Angeles this coming Monday. Come Friday morning, it's back to normal and baking season starts!

With fall beginning in such a lovely manner, it's hard to believe Halloween and the holidays are right around the corner. Ooh - spooky!