the fair and fall

The Washington Parish Free Fair is a Jenkins family tradition that I've gladly embraced - the perfect way to usher in the Fall season.

I like to think that we really do make the most of the fair weekend. A weekend away from city lights and five o'clock traffic and strip malls.

We hang out on hay bales.

And snuggle with the pups.

We spend as much time in the crisp weather.

And I usually act like I've never seen a farm animal before.

We ride rides until we're green. And by "we" I mean the entire fam.

Especially Pharaoh's Fury. Over and over. Me screaming, D laughing, and all of us doing our best to make our fellow riders have as much fun as we do. It's tradition!

 

 

my new favorite apps

A couple of weeks ago, I finally joined the iWorld. Which means I can check my email when I'm not at home. Crazy, right?

Now when I'm wanting to know/accomplish/waste time on something, I usually think, "I bet there's an app for that."

And you know what? There usually is. These are my new faves:

PrayerNotes: A great way to organize requests and answered prayers. It's even great for this pen and paper girl.

The Night Sky: This is the only app I've purchased because it's SO STINKING COOL. You hold it up to the sky and it tells you what you are looking at - stars, constellations, planets, galaxies, and even satellites. I totally geek out.

Byline: The best blog reader I've found. All you do is connect it to your Google Reader account. Or whichever RSS reader you use.

GroupMe: My bestie Ash first introduced us to the world of group texts. With friends and family spread out over so many different states, it's one of my most-treasured pieces of technology. You can just use it through the regular messages app, but GroupMe seems to make it a little easier. The app will bypass your normal texts so that you don't get every message twice.

Dictionary: Pretty simple. Love the word of the day and the thesaurus even more!

Houzz: It's like a well curated Pinterest only for interior design. Endless photos to support my endless keyword search. If we ever build a house, I will have to limit my time here. Seriously.

Flowerwheel Lite: Because it's free and because I can never get enough flowers!

Zillow: With a plan to buy a house in the somewhat near future, this guy helps me get to know the real estate of our new area.

Pinterest: Duh.

FreeQuotes: Because I'm a sucker for motivational quotes! There seems to be lots, and I like how you can search by author.

Hobby Lobby: I'm always getting on the computer to check the weekly flyer and to print out that beloved 40% off coupon. Now both are right on my phone! I've used the e-coupon. All you have to do is tell the cashier the 4-digit code. Easy peasy!

And if you have an iPad...iFontMaker! Absolutely the coolest app ever. A splurge [for me] at $6.99 and definitely worth it. You make your own fonts which are then easily used in Microsoft Word or Photoshop.

I'm hooked!

If you have any favorites that I'm missing out on, I'd love to know. Help this new kid out!

fall on king street

Like many, I'm not one to let a season pass without fully immersing ourselves in it: heart, stomach, and olfactory senses.

 

I'm especially fond of Fall this year. Relating might be a better choice of word. It's the way it relinquishes itself to the changes which it cannot control. And the way that those changes yield such beauty.

 

I also don't hate how we haven't turned our air conditioning on in what seems like weeks. Shamefully, I'm not one to stick out a little indoor humidity for the sake of the power bill. The weather has been that beautiful.

 

Here's how we're celebrating Fall on King Street:

Not pictured: pumpkin spice creamer, caramel squares "only to be used for baking," and an unnatural amount of fall-scented candles and air fresheners.

apple picking

Unless I've been a terrible Googler for the last few years [which, lets be honest, is impossible after so much practice], there's not much apple picking to be done in South Louisiana. Plenty of other lovely varieties of fruit - yes. But not too many apples.

I loved everything about our day trip to Sky Top Orchard. The quick change from Carolina midlands to those pretty Carolina mountains, from palmettos to fall-colored hardwoods. The faded picking baskets. The acres and acres of low-limbed apple trees. And our armfuls of fresh cider, pumpkin whoopie pies, and lots [and lots] of apples. Not to mention that it was the perfect way to usher in boot-wearing weather. My favorite kind of weather.

It was a weekend spent falling more in love with this new home. Who knew apple picking could be so good for the soul?