November 1.

Cruel stats, big apple cakes, outdoor joy.

The quote about the precipitous drop off of time spent with our kids once they hit 18 is making the internet-rounds again. I’d like to petition for it to go away forever. What cruelty that we have to even have endure this stat. My parents never had to hear it. Sure, they knew — in some intangible way, all parents know that you will not have as much time with your children after they leave the home than their first 18 years — but did they have to have the actual number? Be confronted with the earnest faces of adults on the internet sharing it like it’s a gift? No. Neither should we. God, life is challenging enough! We feel our kids growing older every day! Spare us the stats to back it up!

In any case, if you didn’t know, buckle up because after your kid turns 18 you basically never see them again.

Anyway, what’s for dinner?

I made this "big apple” crumb cake recently. I love that it has big in the title. Is it the big apples? Big crumb? Just an overall big energy? I assigned big to the apples, and added one more than it called for. Go crazy, apples! Do your thing! In any case, it was delicious and it was perfect for those apples I had kicking around in my produce drawer that were likely picked ten months ago and not worthy of being eaten alone anymore. (Not your fault, apples. It’s really a heavy lift we’re asking for you to be good ten months after you’ve been picked.)

We went camping recently in Vermont and this nighttime shot is pretty great for the iPhone, isn’t it? I also had an early October hiking retreat with a group of women, and the picture below pretty much sums up much of my experience on the trail. That is… joy. I feel so much joy when I’m on those trails and even more joy seeing other people’s joy on those trails.

The outdoors continues to be the biggest blessing and I’m so glad I figured out how much it lights me up. So looking forward to some winter hiking ahead.

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Other things:

This sweater in that beautiful green!

Peter Attia was on 60 Minutes recently. It’ll be worth watching.

I have shared this recipe before, but it’s worth sharing again because I make it over and over again. There isn’t a more perfect meal then piccata. The lemon! The capers! The garlic! The slightest hint of a crust on the chicken! Man, I love it.

Have you watched the second season of Nobody Wants This? Steve and I watched it from 4-6 am a few days in a row when we had jet lag last week. Watching it in the quiet, dark house in the morning together was the perfect jet lag past time.

Still my favorite pumpkin bread. Makes two loaves and uses the whole can of pumpkin as a result. No half-cans of pumpkin puree in your fridge to be thrown out later, hurrah!

A few new things at Counter, including their jellies which I still hold, are the best gloss! And these are still my go-to products every night.

I had someone stop me at a coffee shop to ask me if these were Rothy’s. I told her it’s her lucky day. Target. They’re $14 today too.

Any embroiderers out there? What projects do you like? Tell me more! I just learned a few stitches and I love it!

Bye!