September Begins

I can't believe September is here.  September used to be one of my favorite months.  The nights get cooler, the leaves begin to turn, and the many fall fairs begin (such as the Belchertown Fair and the Big E).  My calendar is currently filling up with something every Mon-Thurs of the month already.  It will be a busy month for sure.

Dan came home this weekend, so that's a good start to the month!  We had a great weekend that went way too quickly.  I am reminded how blessed I am to have him in my life and I thanked Ed again this evening for giving me such a wonderful son.

One of the things we did this weekend was make pesto and sun-dried tomatoes using basil and tomatoes from our garden.

Grape tomatoes in our garden.

Cukes, tomatoes, and basil from the garden.

Making the pesto.

The finished product!

And, although the beginning of last week was very difficult, things were better mid-week.  Wednesday in our Support Group, three members of our group introduced their loved one to us.  They were nice stories and it was good to hear about the person they lost.  I never would have thought I would join a support group, but these folks are all terrific and I look forward to seeing them each week.  I hope we stay in touch once the group ends.

Thursday night was the get together of what we're now calling our "Supper Club".  This is a group of three, now four, woman who have lost a loved one.  It was a nice evening of good food, good drink, and good company.  We laughed, we cried, we shared.  The newest member of our group lost her husband in June and I can so relate to what she's going through.  The circumstance of her husband's passing is different, but our grief is not.  I enjoyed our evening together, but how sad the circumstances that have brought us all together.

"Supper Club" beverages

Today I spent time pulling together my notes and pictures to introduce Ed to the Support Group on Wednesday.  Naturally, this task brought tears to my eyes and conjured up questions and doubts about Ed's illness and death, but thankfully Dan was here to talk me through it.  Again, how blessed I am to have him.

Oh, and did I tell you I have two new "pets" that I acquired on vacation?  The kids all participated in the Hermit Crab Races at the Purple Ape.  Their mothers said that if any of them won, they could not keep the crabs and would have to give them away.  So I volunteered to take them.  Well, out of hundred of entries, Matt won!  HA!  Joke's on me!  So now instead of talking to Priscilla and Brown Bear (remember them?), I can talk to Stefan and Polly!