A high desert Autumnal hello

Our wee trip was quite lovely, thank you. When it comes to travel this time of year, things have a tendency to get touchy. You never know when the snow will fall, making the passes persnickety at best. And I’ll tell you now, you do not want to tangle with a persnickety pass. No cause for worry this year, however; the weather was fabulous! I caught up with my cousins, discovered {much to my chagrin} both of my cousins {once removed} have surpassed me in height, and met my foster cousins {once removed}. We hung out and chatted, we celebrated and laughed.

We also toured my uncle’s remodeled liquor store. From the outside, it looks much the same as it has for the last however many years, but inside—! We were like children in a candy store. I’m not a big drinker, mind you—but oh, the variety. And I’m not sure if it was the wide selection or the good lighting, but I never imagined a liquor store to be such a designer’s paradise. Seriously. I’m pretty sure my family got tired of hearing me, “Ooh, look at the colors!” . . . “Gah! can you stand this label?!” . . . “Look at this bottle!” . . . “GASP! It’s designed to look like moonshine—are you kidding me?!” So, chances are good you probably won’t get quite as excited as I, but if you like a good libation every now and again, and you happen to be in Burns/Hines, Oregon, do stop in.

Needless to say, as I sit here sipping my first eggnog latte of the season and perusing pictures from the weekend, I can’t imagine a better way to start a month of thankfulness.

So yes, I’m thankful for family members I’d also pick as friends . . . for warm autumn days . . . for a good something to toast . . . for RJ’s takeout . . . for sugar cookies and haystacks and peanut butter yums . . . for rooting for our team—together . . . for watching our mothers cheer—and laughing until we cry. I’m even thankful for cell phone pictures and those taken through dirty windows, on the road, at 65 miles per hour {I hope you don’t get motion sick} . . .