The leaves are starting to change and the days seem shorter as well as the temperatures are cooler. It means lots of little things to get ready for winter, while enjoying the fall. 

We haven't broken down and turned on the heat...yet...but we are wearing sweaters and jackets more. DH is hoping that he's mowed for the last time for the season. I pulled up the last of the garden, both vegetables and flowers. It's kind of sad to see the bare ground, but it needs to rest.

We have two different farmers who farm around us. They usually wait until the very last to pick whatever it is they planted. Last year it was soybeans. This year it is corn. Just a word of advice if you are not familiar with harvests, do not leave your windows open when they pick because it is very, very dusty when they pick. I put out little cheese cloth bags of herbs and spices around the door and the garage doors to hopefully keep mice from entering. I did that before they harvested because when they start picking those machines scare the mice and other critters. We also put some of the herb bags in the pole barn. Mickey Mouse might look cute, but mice can be very destructive, including eating wires on vehicles. I also spray a peppermint spray around the door frames because mice apparently don't like the scent. 

We will soon be in the last quarter of 2026. I'm not sure financially, if it was a good year or not. I've worked hard at trying to save money, but we did have some big expenses. I was going over my spreadsheet on coupons...as of today we've saved over $836 in coupons. DH was amazed. I have been writing companies and asking them for coupons and some have been very generous. Plus, I use the digital coupons that come with the loyalty cards. I'm not buying anything that I wouldn't normally buy, but trying to time coupons and sales. I use grocery apps to take photos of our receipts and so far have cashed in $175 in gift cards that I earned. I know this takes time and fortunately I'm retired and can do it. 

Our church is going to have a Christmas bazaar and one lady asked to be a vendor. I explained that it is $20 for an 8 foot table that we provide and 8% of whatever they sell. She agreed to it, then informed me she really needed to sell a lot because they need money. I recommended that her crafts not be costly because the people who shop have not, in the past, been big spenders on expensive stuff. She said she understood and she was going to have lots of stuff made up. I sort of wonder if she thinks just because she is showing up with stuff if she's going to make a bunch of money. I hope she does not only for her own sake, but also because our ladies' guild gets a percentage of her overall sales. 

No big bonfires or weiner roasts for us, just enjoying the fall before winter is upon us. I'm hoping that we end the year financially stable and when I saw we, I'm not just referring to DH and me, but to all of us on SA.