Life Lately: September-November 2021

I know it’s been quiet around here lately, but hey! How the heck are you?

Because I’ve been away from the blog for awhile, I wanted to dedicate today’s post to a “catch up” of sorts. I’ve always loved reading about/seeing how other people spend their time, so I thought it’d be fun to share my own version of “life lately” to recap what I’ve been up to the past few months. From live music concerts to pumpkin patch adventures to a Nashville, TN vacation, September, October, and November were packed with lots of fun for me. I always try to make the most of the fall season and this year was no exception.

September Highlights

Spent Labor Day weekend in Wisconsin celebrating a friend’s wedding. Made some new friends, danced a lot, drank a lot of wine, and ate a lot of good food, including the most delicious Bloody Mary (that slab of bacon was the BOMB). Didn’t take but two or three low quality photos, but enjoyed every minute of our little getaway.

Went to see The Band Camino and Dan & Shay live in Greensboro — our first concert in a LONG time. Gosh, it felt so good to hear live music again. Shay’s voice… incredible… and that note at the end of Tequila live was just *chef’s kiss*. Look it up on YouTube. Also do yourself a favor and look up The Band Camino because they’re a phenomenally underrated band.

Walked the Cape Fear River Trail. Saw a snake and a deer along the route (first time ever seeing a deer in the city of Fayetteville).

Visited the Museum of Natural Science in Raleigh and saw all the dinosaurs. Then had a delicious ice cream cone from Videri Chocolate Factory afterwards. YUM!

October Highlights

Indulged in some delicious homemade pumpkin ice cream from Gillis Hill Farm. Quick, spontaneous dates have always been my favorite.

Stopped by Pate’s Farm Market for our first round of pumpkin/mum picking. We always shop local markets for our fall porch decor.

Went to see Kelsea Ballerini and the Jonas Brothers at Walnut Creek in Raleigh — oh my, this concert was SO MUCH FUN. I’ve been wanting to see the Jonas Brothers for a long time; I’m glad it finally happened! (also Kelsea love you so much!)

Chopped my hair off!

Spent a few hours at the Gross Farms pumpkin patch. Who doesn’t love a good pumpkin patch? The quintessential fall activity!

Decorated the front porch to celebrate all things fall! Mums were purchased from several places — Alex’s school, Pate’s Farm Market, and the Raleigh Farmer’s Market. Pumpkins were (mostly) purchased from Gross Farms. I really loved our porch decor this year, especially the fuchsia mums that blossomed late-October/early-November. They were so pretty!

Drank some beer at Peckoberfest, an Oktoberfest event at Segra Stadium, home of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (minor league baseball team). We had a blast drinking Oktoberfest beers from local NC breweries.

Had a low key Halloween — no candy for us. Instead, we had a little fire and enjoyed a cozy night in.

November Highlights

Went to my first high school football game in over a decade (wow it’s been awhile!). Alex’s school’s team made the playoffs, so we went to support them. They lost, but we had a good time. Gotta love those Friday Night Lights.

Drove up to Raleigh for an afternoon walk along the Neuse River Trail. We enjoyed the fall colors and Mogul enjoyed the car ride.

Took a family trip to Nashville and had our first true “Nashville experience”. We stayed about a mile and a half from Broadway and spent several days exploring the city. We even did some honkytonking at night — yeehaw! (full blog post coming soon)

Visited Gatlinburg for a couple days (an extension of our Nashville trip). Saw black bears in the city, walked across the Sky Bridge (minus Dad), and took a scenic mountain drive through the Smokies. Loved it all.

Your turn! Did you do anything fun in September, October, or November? Be sure to share in the comments below. And stay tuned for another catch up soon. I’m planning to share more of these kinds of recap posts in the new year.

PS — Not pictured above: the many pumpkin lattes I drank throughout the fall season.

PPS — Also not pictured above: the many days I spent in my pjs reading books, being lazy, and/or feeling apathetic.

Enjoy!

JB