Seasons of the Cottage

So a few weeks ago I wrote about a change in the wind, that autumn was fast approaching. For those of you who may not pay too close attention to a calendar or who are not married to a Fall-fanatic, you may not have noticed that autumn has officially started as of last Monday. Personally I like to hold off totally embracing the season till October 1st. But I cannot deny the signs of fall surrounding me. To embrace the season, the Cottage (our home) has been embellished with all things autumnal. There are red, yellow and orange leaf garlands adorning the windows. A festive wreath welcomes you at the door, along with a little pumpkin sign by the doorbell. And here and there are little pumpkins and gourds and ghosts. The newest addition to our fall decorations is a large pumpkin pillow, complete with fabric leaves, stem, and beaded vines. As we welcome autumn, we welcome you to come and visit the autumnal Cottage!

Fauf, Live from the Emmy's

I have just been dancing with the stars. Okay, not literally dancing with them, but very nearly. See, I have just come from a day where I stood mere feet from some of our fave TV stars today. Only a silly bar kept me from flinging myself at Tina Fay and begging for a cameo on her Emmy-winning show. Many people have been asking me what it was like to see so many great stars in person. Well, let me just say, they are all very tiny and short...much more than expected. (ie, Oscar from the Office is ridiculously petite and short). But on the other hand, they look pretty much the same. Although I didn't realize how blue Patrick Dempsy's eyes were until he glanced up at me so close, I could have ran my hands through his dreamy hair. Or how pretty Tina Fay is when she's not sporting her jeans and knit tops while running around NBC looking for Tracy Jordan. But Steve Carel's nose is just has long in person, and Steve Colbert's glasses are just as shiny, and Heidi Klume is just as tall and fashionable, and Kathy Griffin is just has hideous ten feet away.

A Change in the Wind, Says I

There are many exciting things brewing in the air right now. We're living on the brink of wonderful things that are to come very soon. Can't you sense it? Let me just point out the chilly foggy mornings, hence a new season is fast approaching. Also all the stores are stocking their shelves with items of an orange and black and deep purple palette...hmm, I think autumn and its fun holidays (Halloween and Thanksgiving) are coming quickly. Recently a cookbook arrived in my mailbox centered around all baked goods using pumpkin and cinnamon and brown sugar...another testimony of the yummy season to come. And let's not forget to mention all the new TV shows starting up next week: Heroes 3, 30 Rock, The Office, and I think even Ghost-Whisperer is returning (although I can't think why). So you see, there are many great things about to come as Fall fastly approaches us. Besides all these signs, the most obvious sign that Fall is coming can be found at the ever reliable, ever trend-setter Starbucks: they've brought back the Pumpkin Spice Latte, and that, my friends, is how I know that Autumn is almost here!

First Week

So Fauf's new life has begun: teaching art! And I must say, it is Fauf's dream job. This week I've been teaching how to mix colors using watercolor paints. For the most part, the classes have been well-managed and very engaged and loving their new art teacher :) There was one class that was obnoxious, but that's okay...I only have them for 45 minutes a week! However, my feet sure hurt from standing on them all day straight, and from having to get used to wearing shoes again--I've been wearing flipflops all summer! I get to work with all grades sometime during the week, which is fun, but tricky since I have to remember the age group and how to talk to them. Let me just say that 6th graders kinda smell, and 1st graders are ridiculously cute. 5th graders are nice, 4th graders are unpredictable, and 2nd and 3rd graders are predictable. How fun! So in conclusion, Fauf must confess that her life is pretty great right now....

Fauf's Latest Adventure

Fauf had a new adventure of late (meaning just this morning). It all started about a month ago when one day Fauf woke up and declared, "I would like a beach cruiser bike!" From there she began her research to find the perfect bike for her. She checked out the local bike shop in Orcutt, but was told one for sale would be around $200, so she quickly exited. She decided she wanted to spend $150. She ventured to Wal-Mart (don't judge her) and to K-Mart (okay, you can judge her), but to no avail. Finally she visited her favorite all-American store Target where all her dreams usually come true. And Target did no fail her this time. She found the perfect bike for $149 there, but....

It sold!

Back to the drawing board (or in this case, the Mac)...Fauf decided not to give up on her dream, or on Target fulfilling her dream. So she went online, printed a picture of the perfect bike, and presented it to Target Guest Services. The helpful clerk radioed in the back and inquired after the perfect bike. The response: "I'm putting one together right now. She can have it!" Within 15 minutes, the perfect bike was brought to the front. The total: $161. Fauf looked in her wallet; she had exactly $161 in cash! After a quick exchange, the perfect bike was hers!

While Target made Fauf's dream come true once again, it didn't help fitting the perfect bike into Fauf's small trunk. Try as she might, she could not fit the handlebars in. Feeling a bit sad, Fauf wheeled the bike back to Guest Services, and while she inquired leaving the bike until larger transportation arrived, a familiar face caught her attention. This friend offered to fit the bike in her SUV and deliver it to its new home, the Cottage. With much thanks, Fauf loaded her perfect bike into her friend's SUV.

Once home at the Cottage, Fauf polished the perfect bike, cut the tags, and took it for its first ride through Orcutt. With the wind whistling through her hair, and the sunshine kissing her shoulders, Fauf and her perfect bike became fast friends. Many days of great rides are in store for the happy couple!