VOTE! More treat, less trick.

The numbers are scary out there y'all.

The only thing keeping me sane is playing Rummykube 

with my kid and 93 year old neighbor.

I've also started going back to the movie theatre.

($5 Tuesdays!)

Amsterdam was weird but interesting - especially since it is historical fiction!

Ticket to Paradise was just the mental vacation I needed.

I took a spontaneous trip to Wotown.

I got a yummy eclair and watched the Buckeye game.

Great fellowship and food!

It was great to see some peeps and get in some thrifting.

I was given a tour of some developments going on in Columbus.

Lots of great improvements.

The Halloween event on the Village Green was precious.

Moon sliver, moon sliver.

Moon Dance

We are ready for the Trick or Treaters here!

I continue to enjoy listening to LPs. 

& checking out Spotify recommendations from my nephew.

Doing a puzzle while listening to podcasts and 

half watching a show does a body good.

Vintage shopping is so fun and scoring 

Snoopy stuff for a collector gave me a happy dance.

The first weekend in October most of the family 

met up in Michigan and took a bazillion photos

with the newest addition to the family.

What a blessing to all be together.

The best treat is reading books 

 & singing camp songs to the wee one.

I've tried to retire from dog sitting but I just can't cut the leash.

Too many cute pups.

It's sad I'm allergic to cats and most dogs...

Road trips to see the fall colors have been eye popping!

Wisconsin was bursting with color!

We heard a live band at a burger joint on the Fox River.

Snail mail continues to be a joy to receive and give.

My month was tasty.

I hope you had some treats and no tricks.

(Like the dropped plate of macaroons shown below.)

Did you take some time to be playful?

Have you read some books?

These two autobiographies were out of this world.

A trip to the Art Institute with friends was enlightening.

It's been a year since I broke my shoulder 

so being able to ride my bike below the fall colors was wonderful.

I attended the Erma Bombeck Writers' Conference online.

I made some new friends and loved the presentations. 

HEY YOU!

YES, YOU!

PLEASE,

VOTE!!!

Thanks for your continued views into my world

(as I see it)

I am honored you come here to visit.

PEACE BE WITH YOU.

Jen Pen

Here’s to Marlon!

Each time my husband and I went to a concert 

at Ravinia Festival we took a moment to say a toast, 

"Here's to Marlon!"

As in Marlon Brando, my doppelgänger. 

(HA!)

Some of you know why I say this, 

because 

I WON TWO SEASON PASSES 

to Ravinia the summer of 2019 

in a Marlon Brando LOOK ALIKE CONTEST!

It's a longer story, but let's just say my hack 

improv skills and silliness bagged the $4,000+ valued prize.

Ask me about it, I love retelling the tale.

We went to MANY concerts, 

rain or shine,

but not as many as I would have liked, 

only because we were busy doing other fabulous activities.

Here's some photos of the last days of our summer 

of rockin,

and rockin'

and rockin'

with a little bit of classical, jazz, and dance.

Diana Ross sang for about two hours and had a million costume changes!

Stevie Nicks paraded on stage with platforms, capes and ribbons!

Sting advocated for PEACE and gave a soulful performance!

The Pink Floyd tribute band was spot on!

In September we made it to all of these events:

Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris, 

Too Many Zooz, Grace Kelly, Erykah Badu, 

Hubbard Street Dance Company, and Queen! 

My favorite was the Yacht Rock night!

 I lost my voice because I sang along with every song!

Speaking of losing, I rarely did when spinning the prize wheels 

the sponsoring radio stations had by the swag tent.

I came home with multiple tee shirts, stickers, and such.

As usual I sent some of you correspondence,

did some puzzles and enjoyed the hammock.

The Queen of England passed away and the world

watched as she was given a formal goodbye.

I read, listened to podcasts and music,

 and watched movies and shows.

I played Rummykube and bought a silly sweater vest.

(It's out of this world, get it?)

I ate healthy.

And I ate starch and salt.

We went to Food Truck Thursdays and ate internationally 

while only walking to a park a mile away.

I did a little bit of dog sitting,

watched a lot of The Great British Bake Off,

 and made some collages.

A friend from Florida visited and we had an adventure downtown.

I walked about Chicago around Rush Street and Michigan Ave.

I got to have lunch with friends at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

I love using a B&W filter to really see the city's lines and shapes.

My husband and I were invited to attend an 

architectural tour of Chicago on a beautiful boat.

We did not know about the lock system that is used 

between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.

Amazing!

The boat was quite posh!

The views and information shared 

by the tour guide were fascinating!

The day was warm and sunny and perfect for the event,

but now the air is crisp.

Nothing says fall like my husband's chili! YUM! 

(And a warm cuppa tea in a mug from a dear friend!)

We have had a lot of rain, but nothing like others.

Stay safe!!!

We have had a skunky smell in our yard lately.

I saw this stinker MANY times

while in another neighborhood

and in the DAYTIME which really surprised me!

I went to the city to give my car to my daughter

and came home with a Laura Ashley vintage dress!

The Halloween decorations in the city were great.

I have passed this graffiti mural many times 

but I finally captured a photo of it!

I think it's out of this world!

Life is full of sunrise and sunset moments.

Treasure them.

Our family met in Ohio to say goodbye to a dear cousin.

Then we roadtripped it past "landsharks" 

(landmarks) to meet up in Michigan 

to introduce our grandchild to her great grandparents!

It's hard to see, but there's a helicopter

between these trees.

There was a guy fixing light polls from 

a platform attached to the base of the helicopter!

Talk about a strange and brave job!

What have you been up to this month?

It's been a year since our bulldog Magnus left us. 

We miss him, but we have been able to easily zip off 

to see our grandchild and others without 

needing to find care for him. 

I miss his facials and seeing the world through photos of him.

Below is a bulldog statue on our driveway with a chipmunk on it's head.

We remember our pup when we see this scene.

Thank you for continuing on this blog journey with me 

as I record my gratitude and thoughts. 

I am grateful for your companionship.

Peace be with you,

Jen Pen