Pumpkin Spice Pancakes & Pet Peeves

It's still October! And Pumpkin Spice Month -- so why not Pumpkin Spice Pancakes?

So -- it's time for my October Pet Peeve: Christmas magazines have been arriving. So far, I've got FOUR of them and I am not going to look at them until at LEAST the day after Thanksgiving. Of course, by then, the Valentine's Day theme will be hot and heavy. Grrrrr.

Do you have an October Pet Peeve?

October on Lotus bay

The leaves are starting to turn on the trees around Lotus Bay. Without boats, the geese, swans, ducks, and gulls have the bay to themselves. I love to hear the geese flying overhead. They get restless paddling around, take off, land somewhere else, and the cycle repeats. I'm pretty sure they stay in the area year round, thanks to all the farmland full of leftovers (corn and soybeans) and the retention ponds. 

What's the wildlife doing in your neck of the woods?

Don't we need a little Christmas?

The seasons have changed. The weather is getting dreary (and gloomy--which is saying something). I've already got the SAD light out and using it in the mornings.  That can only mean one thing.

TIME TO BREAK OUT THE CHRISTMAS TUNES.

Unfortunately, Mr. L doesn't believe that last sentence. To him, October is October. Time to think about Halloween, and maybe start considering the Thanksgiving menu. But Christmas? Nah!

Well, he's probably right. But I ran errands the other day and in EVERY store I went to, all the Christmas stuff was out. Okay, I had to walk past the Halloween candy to get to it, but there it was. Slippers up the wazoo. Do you EVER see banks of slippers out at any other time of year? It's like people only buy slippers at Christmas. (That's the only time I've ever received a pair.)

And don't forget the decorations. Faux holly. Faux poinsettias.  Sparkly pinecones. Santa figurines. You name it, the stores have got it.

I have never really decorated the house for the seasons, but this is my first time at it. I've got a few bunches of orange and yellow silk flowers in vases, a few faux leaves on a tray with a couple of faux pumpkins, some gourds, and a sheef of dried corn. Limited and sedate. But I'm thinking already thinking about Christmas. I've got over 200 Christmas figurines that live in a china cabinet, but this year I think I'm going to scatter a few around the house.

And Snow Village! Since we actually bought

furniture for our living room about a decade ago, Snow Village got retired. I have about 20 pieces of it and we had a rather elaborate set-up for a while. Maybe I'll haul a few pieces of that out. I've got the cutest little log cabins and a mirror pond and even The Jingle Bell Houseboat.

But really, Christmas to me is the tunes.

For now, I'll just have to play them before Mr. L gets up -- or resort to the dreaded earphones.

Mind you, we have an unwritten rule in our house. Holiday tunes CAN be played in November, but none with vocals until Thanksgiving. So what's the harm in a little background holiday cheer?

How soon do you start thinking about the holidays?

It's Waffle Wednesday at Swans Nest Inn

Happy Waffle Wednesday! That's what Kathy Grant is serving today at her B&B, Swans Nest Inn.

Mmm...waffles. A little fruit and a dollop of whipped butter (or even better, whipped cream!) on top and some New York State (or maybe New Hampshire for Booktown readers) maple syrup ... even yummier.

What would you like with your waffles?

A question on Teacup Tuesday

Happy Teacup Tuesday. The Victoria Square Tea Room becomes very important in YULE B E DEAD, which comes out on November 27th. In once scene, Vendor Gwen mentions to Katie that one of the scones she bought had a tiny piece of mold on it.

Here's the backstory behind that little tidbit:  There was a little barbecue restaurant near our cottage. There never seemed to be any customers, and Mr. L and I felt sorry for the proprietress. So one day we decided to try it. It was very small--only about four tables. Mr. L LOVES barbecue and she made pork barbecue. So we ordered some pulled pork sandwiches. Mr. L thoroughly enjoyed his. But my bun had a spot of mold. I picked it off and ate the sandwich, but I wasn't happy about it. And we never went back. The place went out of business soon after. Now I always look at the bread on and sandwich I order.

Have you ever been to a restaurant and found mold on anything you ordered?

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In case you haven't pre-ordered your copy of YULE BE DEAD, links below.

My experience with mold is in the comments.

Amazon: https://is.gd/yUMf3f
B&N: https://is.gd/U3na1j
Books A Million: https://is.gd/MReu4E
Chapters: https://is.gd/uRArFe
Book Depository: https://is.gd/PZeR2h
IndieBound: https://is.gd/ANfG13
Kindle US: http://amzn.to/B07BD22MJ6
Kindle Worldwide: http://authl.it/B07BD22MJ6
iBooks: https://is.gd/5HI8cH
Kobo US: https://is.gd/trJwG0
Nook: https://is.gd/6b5sds
More info on my Website: https://is.gd/QSU4WS

Morning on Lotus Bay

The sky is gray and bay is calm in this first October morning. The wind starts to rise just before lunch. The leaves are still pretty much green, but they will start to turn any day now. Then the west side of the bay gets fiery red and orange and we call it the burn side. Spectacular.

Soon the cottages will be shuttered because the water needs to be turned off before the ground freezes. Customers are few and far between during the week during October when the water gets low. But life on Lotus Bay is peaceful and Tori Cannon wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Sunset on Lotus Bay