#3 Pumpkin Pie

Not much says, "It's fall" like a good round of baked home goods!  For generations, kids and dads have come home to cookies and pies, stews and crock-pot meals that subconsciously tell us it's time for cooler weather.    Being a Canadian, this is my FAVORITE time of year.  (Right before you have to start cleaning up snow)  A time to snuggle up and read a good book and spend time with family and friends.

I realize in order to create this environment in my home, I should probably become proficient at creating the centerpiece of this great feeling.... food!   Today, with my canned pumpkin in hand, I decided to bake myself a Pumpkin Pie.   Never having done this before, I waited till Luke was out of the house in case I had to call the fire department.. :)

Believe it or not, the recipe was easy, and this is the finished product.

Pumpkin pie is going to be a staple in the Crane household.  It is simple to make, it makes your whole house smell good, and it welcomes in Fall with style. 

I wish I had a funny story to add, including the fire department, but unfortunately for you readers, everything went smoothly.

If you have a recipe that helps you welcome in fall, please post it here, you never know, it might become one of my "New Things" endeavor and make it onto the blog.

Happy Fall Everyone

# 2 My First 5K

If you know me well, you know that is takes A LOT to get me to run.  Barring a dog chasing me or some kind of sporting event where my competitiveness gets the best of me, I don't run for pleasure.  Thus, I guess, making running a perfect candidate for this blog.

Last weekend, Luke and I invited three friends to run a Halloween inspired 5K with us called the "Monster Dash."  Along the route there were obstacles that you had to overcome.  For example, the "Witches Ditch" where you had to run back and forth over a large ditch in the ground,  or the "Monster Mud Bath" where you had to wade in waist deep muddy water only to be sprayed by the firetruck hose at the end.  This was my kind of race.

We showed up and registered (I was number 477) and were put into heat number 4.  We pulled all the rookie mistakes of someone running their 5K.  For example...

1.  I drank a whole bottle of water (probably out of nervous energy) before the race began.
2.  We brought our phones and money with us, and then realized we had no place to put it.  I think     we made 3-4 trips back to the car before the race began.
3. We didn't train... at all... I mean, the day before we were couch potatoes... the next day running a 5K
4. We both wore non-running... running shoes...

the list goes on.....

Anyway, despite our lack of preparation, the excitement of it all kept us going.  Luke and the boy in our group raced competitively, trying for their best time, while I hung out with the wonderful 5th grader that decided to run it with us.  I think she pushed me harder than I would have pushed myself. 

At the end of the day, I LOVED running this 5K.  With great friends as support, finishing the race was no problem.  The brain/body battle that happens during a run is something that will never cease to amaze me.   Thanks to my first running partner (on my left), I am now a victor over the 5K and am confident that this will not be my last race.

#1: Monoculars and Targets

If you have ever met my husband you would know that he is a TRUE southern boy.  He loves food, he opens door and he LOVES hunting. (yes, that is my definition of a southern boy:)  

Some months ago, he was given his great uncle Harrison's rifle; a huge honor as that is who he is named after.  He cleaned the gun and even got a new scope for it because the other one was falling apart.  When I told him I was starting this blog endeavor, he told me that he had my first project.

One Wednesday morning we headed out to the gun range.  I was a little nervous as the only time I had shot this gun before I got a serious bruise on my shoulder and ringing in my ears for one hour.   To my delight he told me I wasn't shooting and that he had bought me ear plugs.

My job that day was to look through a monocular at the targets he was shooting at.  They were 50 and 100 yards away.  I was supposed to tell him how much to adjust his scope so that he would be shooting on target. 

                                                   (what I saw through the monocular)

                                                     ( me attempting to look professional)

Did you know that sniper spotters have to instant math for their shooters.  Depending on where the first bullet hits, they have to tell them how many clicks to move (which is a calculations of how many millimeters of scope adjustment equals the necessary distance movement in the real world) plus at those lengths they even have to factor in wind speed and direction and even the rotation of the earth.... WOW!

Even though I will never be a real military spotter, it was a fun experience.  I now have a much greater respect for people who do that while their lives depend on it.   

Mission 1: Success