Monday (er, Wednesday) Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: A Friend Gone, Moving On

      It hasn't been an easy few weeks.

     The Brick has been putting in long hours, harvesting potatoes. During this period, I lost a very dear friend...and almost missed her funeral. (We were left off the text group -- and no one mentioned it on elsewhere, until another dear friend asked if I was going to the service.) 

I was incredibly grateful that we were able to visit before she stopped talking -- it was a God thing. We just happened to be going to Denver to hang out with another friend in the hospital -- and heard that Jo was going on hospice. We saw her on a Friday; she died the next Wednesday. 

Put all this together, plus reports that I'm supposed to be finishing up -- and life has been a little bleak. I've needed to take care of several things, because of the Brick's working hours. And I've had to jam in extra trips, as well. 

     Just a bit longer...and life will calm back down again. But I still miss my friend.

The leaves are finally starting to turn, though not as lavish as in this photo.

 We're in the high desert of San Luis Valley, after all.

The mountains have had their first snow. We haven't -- yet.

Meanwhile:

Some terrific (and easy) oven dinners anyone can make.

A centuries-old sculpture -- found in a salvage yard. 

This is one of the strangest-ever Instagram events: a full apology from a woman who tried very hard to destroy Tanya Zuckerbrot and her brand, F-Factor. Yes, this person will pay money, too...but I'm wondering. What in the world possessed to do this -- and keep it up over SIX YEARS?!?

Contestants who cheated -- and got caught doing it.

A famous Hawaiian landmark collapses.

St. Elmo's Fire -- it still happens!  You read about this historically, but rarely today. 

Kurt Russell reported seeing UFOs -- the famous Phoenix Lights. I thought about this while watching him in The Thing.

Cookie baking tips from the School Lunch Lady.

Marcos Rodriguez Pantoja -- raised by wolves.

Betrayed by your brothers, to the tune of 12 MILLION DOLLARS.  But incredibly supported by your wife. 

How to keep hallway runners and small rugs from slipping.  (Thanks, The Spruce.)

So not wearing nail polish is white supremacy??  That's what this columnist for the BBC said -- until the article quietly disappeared. I am sick and tired of people trying to read racism into every detail possible.

Hopefully you're having a good (or at least a better) week.