Weekends at Home

As always, I'm late on the weekend recap. I can't be the only one who doesn't have it in them to blog on Sunday night or Monday morning, right?

This weekend was one of those good-for-your-soul, totally restorative weekends. Wheat and I headed back to my hometown to spend some quality time with my mom and it filled my heart and soothed my mind more than I could have ever imagined.

You see, I live in a dreamy Midwestern town, where you run into someone you know everywhere you go and time slows down to match the rhythmic chirping of the crickets. The quaint type of town that practically shuts down on Friday nights when the high school football team takes the field. The charming type of town that hosts seasonal festivals and parades to excite the locals and entice visitors from hours away.

This weekend, I indulged in all things home  and it felt wonderful and overdue. On top of everything else, this is truly the best time of year in the Midwest. As summer slowly fades into fall, the leaves start to change, despite the warm afternoon temperatures. Apple cider and pumpkin pie make their way into the fridge, but you're still cheering for baseball teams amidst the excitement of football.

This weekend was the perfect mix of summer and fall, old and new in the Johnson household. We visited with dear friends, watched Hocus Pocus, and savored apple fritters and cinnamon-cider donuts for breakfast. We watched college football, perused the booths at Apple Fest, and picked fresh vegetables from Dad's garden. We fed the goats at Iron's Fruit Farm, decorated for fall with Indian corn and pumpkins, and ate two of the Cincinnati staples I miss the most, Gold Star and LaRosa's.

On Sunday afternoon, Mommles, Wheat, and I headed downtown to say farewell to the Reds in their final game of the season. We nabbed some pretty great seats in the outfield, aside from the obnoxious Pittsburgh family in front of us. Despite the oppressive heat and the one-sided sunburns we brought home from the game, we had an awesome time. The Reds won, 4-1, and Johnny Cueto secured his 20th win of the season (the first Reds pitcher to do so since 1988). Cueto also had the go-ahead hit in the eighth inning, Kristopher Negron hit a late home run to seal the deal, and we even spotted our buddy Pete Rose in the stands.

Of course, comfortable weekends like these make it even harder to function at work on Monday. I promise I'm not wishing time away, but the weekend starts again in T-minus three days. We can do this.