Another year just rolled by...

Nice and quiet, just the way I like it. It was a low-key birthday with Papa and daughter cooking up some treats-- mainly because the girl loves it more than her Mama.

 However, my favorite was the Lemon Poppy Seed cupcakes with Lemon Curd filling. It was perfectly moist and not too sweet. Of course, the little girl decided to add the "filling" by gouging out a top piece from the cupcake, but, it was still delicious.

The Vadaam Stand was a surprise present from my parents. It worked out well!

Halloween came and went with the usual fanfare-- pumpkin carving, roasting pumpkin seeds, and trick-or-treating.

Older child was an Elf Princess (more like Galadriel than Arwen in her mind, I think...) The elf ears were achieved with some scotch tape and foundation and a pioneer girl dress doubled as an elf princess outfit.

The younger child was set on being a Banana, but changed his mind.

 Deepavali, the festival of lights, had a special significance for me this year. Am glad it was special and hope many more are like this.

 All in all, an uneventful few weeks have rolled by this Fall where I cherished the everyday things. The yearning to sit back and do nothing is growing stronger by the day. Even just for a day, if I can linger in bed, read my favorite book, not worry about feeding the family or being productive... just shut down and recharge... sounds like a distant dream.