where did October go?

 so here it is- already October 20th and I have neglected much of the month.... we have been busy working on our visa applications and getting ready for three weeks away before six months away- many lists...many many lists....

Steve & Suzanne are coming to visit the last week of the month and we leave on the following Sunday for New Orleans.....

Lee came back from his trip and we had dinner with Nick and Lee on the night we had planned pizza at Burt's (but it was too cold to eat outside...so we went to cozy Tango Sur) 

then we had dinner the next night with Leslie at Bien MeSabe

And then a night at home followed by a duck dinner on Phil's actual birthday- followed by the big birthday celebration at Obelix the day after (they are closed on Wednesday nights - so we held the get together on Thursday.)  The Obelix dinner was Todd & Evie and Lee & Nick and we all had a fun night with some fabulous wines...

the Obelix dinner photos- 

into the last of the six bottles and slowing down...LOL

for the last two+ years this has been my personal favorite restaurant in Chicago- 

At least one night this week, I cooked a meal at home - salad and scallops and mushrooms and spinach (no photo)

\we had a ring of fire eclipse (not my photo, a FB friend's) and a massive harvest super moon - the last one this year- (photo from our deck)

the weather has turned cold, but even worse the days are so much shorter- so the plants are indoors now (except the perennials that winter well in pots)

so that's it for now- tomorrow I start a scanning project that I was doing a big "sort and organize" for today.  And, if I have time I will work on my packing list for Spain and/or the three week trip down south.... we'll see how far I get....stay tuned.....