Hodgepodge ~ October 21, 2026

 Hi friends!  Linking up with Joyce today for this week's fun Hodgepodge questions.

1. This week's Hodgepodge lands on 'Back To The Future Day'. October 21, 2015 was the date the movie characters (Marty McFly, Doc, and Jennifer Parker) traveled to in the future in the 1989 film Back To The Future Part 2. 

Did you see the movie? Tell us a something about what was happening in your life in the fall of 2015. 

Oh, I loved this movie!  Here are some pictures from October 2015.  I went down a picture trail and found a lot :).  It happened to be a good travel month for me.  I was living in Colombia at the time, but flew to New York City to meet up with my mom, sister and sister-in-law for a girls trip.

I also went on a trip with my family to Armenia, Colombia, which is in the coffee region.  We were with the team we worked with while living in Colombia and took a retreat there.  It was so cool to stay on a coffee plantation and take a tour of how Colombian coffee is made from watching them actually pick the beans to tasting their coffee!

We went horseback riding and this area was known for their wax palm trees.  

We went to a restaurant that is known for their trout.  It was served on a patacones.  I specifically remember when I ordered this in Spanish to ask for the fish to be served without the head!

The girls also went zip lining.  It was quite the experience!

On another Back to the Future note, I went to see some of the cast last year on the 40th Anniversary of the original movie.  I went mainly to see Huey Lewis, who had a brief part in the movie and sang the theme song.  I was also a big fan of Michael J. Fox in the 80's because I loved the TV show, Family Ties.  Michael J. Fox was on a panel at this event, so I was able to see him, which was really cool.  This was a really fun day & another trip I did on my own in New Orleans.

2. Which -ber month is your favorite? (September, October, November, December). Explain why. 

November is my favorite month of the year.  Here are my top 5 reasons in no particular order:

The weather is cooler.

There is an emphasis on what we are thankful for in life.

People decorate for Christmas and begin the holiday spirit.

Black Friday/ week of sales!

It is my birthday month!

3. Red, yellow, orange, bronze...your favorite fall color to wear? To eat? To see in nature? 

I like to wear red or bronze color clothing.

I like to eat most foods these colors!

The red and yellow leaves really stick out to me as such beauty.

4. What do you miss most about being 20? 

I miss the easier schedule because I was in college then.  I miss having most of life in front of me.  I would probably do a few things different....study something else, eat healthier, wear sunscreen and spend more time with my grandparents.

5. We're roughly three quarters of the way through the year. What's one goal, habit, or mindset you want to purposely carry into the final weeks of the year? Elaborate. 

I want to carry the goal of keeping up walking most days and a mindset of being okay with being alone.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Happy Wednesday!

Fashion Files ~ October 20, 2026

 Good morning!  I am joining again with Fashion Files with a short post today.

I wore a new dress to church Sunday that I purchased from the most recent Amazon Prime Days.  It is comfy, lightweight and has pockets....a perfect transition dress for the season!

This is a lightweight long sleeve shirt that comes in so many colors and looks nice to dress up or down.

I went shopping with Brook Sunday afternoon for her birthday and it was fun to go into stores and see what the fall trends are.  It inspired me to look for some things online or see what a TJ Maxx/Marshalls has that is similar.  I did find these 2 sweaters on sale at Altar'd State that I bought.  I will style mine a little different though, ha!

Tie front sweater

Pullover Sweater

That's all for today!  

Hello Monday ~ October 19, 2026

Hey friends.  My weekend was one of those where I was holding the good and the hard things at the same time.  I will focus on the good for this post!

After work Friday morning, I went to a pumpkin patch with my sister and 6 of the greats.  The weather was delightful, as it was all weekend.  

Saturday morning, one of my great nieces had her 1 year old party and it was a sweet time.

That afternoon, I walked to a local fall fest, which was just a 1 1/2 miles from my home.  They had live music, rides and booths there.

I bought some incredible whipped cinnamon honey that was divine on sourdough bread!

I spent the afternoon watching all the football games/upsets.  I had the TV on multi-view, mainly watching the Ole Miss game, Georgia/Auburn, and the UT/Alabama game.  I was so glad UT won!

Sunday was my daughter's 22nd birthday!  I spent some time being the birthday fairy and decorating a wee bit.  I made breakfast and it was so good to see her again on her birthday after missing a few years while she was at college.

I went to church then met up with a friend who I use to work with for coffee because it was her birthday too!  Afterwards, I met Brook for some birthday shopping.  Look at these earrings....original price $24/sale price $24, ha, ha ha!

Thanks for reading and enjoy the start to a new week!

Friday Favorites ~ October 15, 2026/Exploring Virginia

 Hi friends.  I am recapping a little more of my trip to Virginia.  This was my 4th trip to Richmond since my brother has lived in Virginia so I have explored Williamsburg, Jamestown and a few other places over the years.  Virginia is such a historical state with so much of our nation's history that took place in this state.  

On this trip, I did two things I had not done before.  The first one, not a historic location, but a fun one for sure!  We visited an orchard and went apple picking!

It was my first time here and someone else's too :)

Me with my siblings, 2 nieces, great nieces and sister-in-law.  My nephew couldn't make it and my niece's husband took the picture.

The apples were so good!  We picked a ton and ate a few right off the tree!

It made my trip when my great niece let me hold her!  She is super attached to her parents and I hadn't held her since she was a baby.  I asked if she wanted Aunt Marilyn to carry her a bit and was shocked and so excited when she said yes! Holding my 2 great nieces were the highlight of my trip! My favorite from the week for sure!

These hot apple cider donuts were sooo good!

Afterwards, we ate at an old tavern.  It was like stepping back in time here.

We then rode around Charlottesville and saw the campus of University of Virginia.  I love seeing college campuses!

My sister, sister-in-law and I took a walk when we got home.  We ate such a big lunch, none of us ate dinner that night. I loved sitting on their patio each day.

The next day, we took a tour of Berkley Plantation. Here is some information on it from the world wide web:

Berkeley Plantation, one of the first plantations in America, comprises about 1,000 acres on the banks of the James River. It is the ancestral home of two presidents of the United States: William Henry Harrison, who was born there in 1773 and his grandson Benjamin Harrison.

Among the many American "firsts" that occurred at Berkeley Plantation are:

In 1619 settlers celebrated the first annual Thanksgiving celebration after landing at Berkeley Hundred.

In 1862 the Army bugle call "Taps" was first played, by bugler Oliver W. Norton; the melody was written at Harrison's Landing, the plantation's old wharf, by Norton and General Daniel Butterfield.

One of the many interesting facts is this home is 300 years old this year, which is quite remarkable for the United States.  It has never been re-built.  This is the 4th oldest brick home in our country.  The oldest is not too far away on the other side of the James River and that home is 361 years old. It was cool to see 300 year old brick.

Afterwards, we ate lunch at CAVA.  I don't have CAVA at home, so I always enjoy eating there. 

My brother was going on a trip the same day we left, so he changed his flight and flew with us to our connection in Atlanta.  He is top level with Delta, so he got my sister and I in the Delta Sky Club.  Traveling with him felt a little more bougie for sure. Below I am with my sister in law and sister on the morning we left. 

I was back at work for the rest of the week.

If you missed it, the first part of my trip was recapped here.

Hope you have a great weekend friends!