"Severe" winter weather

As anyone knows who lives in the South, we all hunker down at the slightest chance of snow. Milk and bread flies of the shelves of the grocery stores, schools close, and the local news cranks out hours and hours of coverage from their "severe winter weather" teams. The truth? We got some snow. We got some ice. It's probably not safe to drive on the roads. But "severe"? I think not. However, since everyone is staying in today, I think we should take a tip from Penny Lane and just curl up in bed with a good book. (If you are wondering what Penny is reading these days, it's Cuba Diaries: An American Housewife in Havana in preparation for my trip there this summer. She likes to stay abreast of international culture.)
Penny was none too happy this morning when she had to go outside. She has gotten a taste of winter this year for sure. I haven't seen her dash back inside that quickly in a long time. And she went immediately back to her favorite spot, curled up in the laundry that I have had every good intention of doing.
It is legitimate snow, however, and it is nice to feel like we got a real winter. I know my NYC and Philly friends will disagree that the snow is enjoyable, as they have been buried for far too long.
But for today, below the Mason Dixon, we have a lovely, quiet winter's morn. Maybe I'll make some french toast with all that milk and bread.

Cure for what ails ya

We made a trip to The Vortex for lunch as an antidote to last night's Halloween festivities. If you are ever in Atlanta, I highly recommend it. They have the best burgers in the whole world. The Blue Shroom is my favorite, with bleu cheese spread, bacon, and mushrooms. But they also have ridiculous burger creations on their menu that I can't believe anyone eats, like the Coronary Bypass that is topped with a fried egg, the Elvis that is topped with fried banana and peanut butter (gross, gross, gross), and the infamous Double Coronary that is not only topped with five (count them, FIVE) slices of bacon and instead of a bun is placed between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Amazing. And with the giant skull entrance, it was a fitting place to cap the spooky weekend. Not the healthiest meal (or healthy at all), but delicious.

A day at Uncle Shucks

On Saturday, we had our annual pilgrimage to the Uncle Shucks pumpkin patch in Dawsonville, about an hour from downtown Atlanta in the North Georgia mountains. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day.
There were horses! A city girl doesn't see horses very often, unless they are pulling a carriage downtown.And we had corn cannon target practice...
And I finally got caught in the stocks. Probably because it took me an hour to pick out my pumpkin! I finally found the perfect little guys to bring home. It was such beautiful weather, and sooo nice to get out of the city for a day. I can't wait to do some carving this week for Halloween.

If you are looking for some ideas for unique pumpkin carving, you should visit Extreme Pumpkins. Beware, these are NOT for the amateur pumpkin carver! How about a mooning pumpkin?

Photo from Extreme Pumpkins

Eat your veggies

My friend Leah just gave me the heads up on this fabulous service, Vegetable Husband. They pick out locally grown, organic produce and deliver a big basket to you once a week. They also put recipes for what they give you on their website. How awesome is that? I am so not adventurous with my veggies, I basically stick to broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, and romaine. Perhaps this would help me branch out?

As someone with displaced princess syndrome, I really just like the idea of someone bringing me groceries. In NYC, I had to go get a bunch of snacks and drinks for the teens who were coming to do the play reading I organized. It was rainy and gross outside, and as a non-New Yorker, I could not figure out for the life of me how people in the city get their groceries home. I always have a gigantic car load when I shop. So, I brought my empty suitcase, and I'm sure everyone was staring at me as I was loading up. However, at the checkout, the cashier asked me if I wanted them delivered. They do this for $4! I was shocked. Sadly, you had to have a four hour window for so I shlepped through the streets with my suitcase full of snacks. Oh well. At least now the mystery of grocery shopping in a real city is solved. We don't do public transportation very well here in Atlanta.