Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Favorite Things

Last week two great things happened. 

I received another lovely gift from a blog friend, Caty from North Carolina.

I opened the package and immediately smelled the forest.
I shoved the package under Brad's nose and said,
"See? North Carolina smells so nice!"
 After smelling the pine cones, pine needles and acorns, I sat down to read the lovely note attached. 
I read that she hoped the package would smell like home to me.
It really did!
Caty also sent me these darling fridge magnets. 
The best part about them was, 
they are from Utah, sent to North Carolina, then sent back to Utah!
Just like me!
And one day, when I move back, they will come with me.

I now have all of my North Carolina collection on a shelf in my room.
Thank you so much to those who sent me little Earth Gifts from my favorite place. 
Thank you thank you thank you! 

That same day, Brad and I went to a Halloween Party.
His dad works for Adobe, and they threw a big ol party/ halloween walk through.
We scored lots of candy. I got chased by a werewolf and hid behind Brad's little brother.
It was a lot of fun, and I was able to take some pictures of the outside area.
The outside area was set up to look like Alice In Wonderland, and I loved it.
I took lots of pictures and thought this would be a wonderful idea for an outdoor tea party someday.
I was also given cotton candy.
My favorite treat in the whole world. 

I'm sad Halloween is over. 
We took down our spider webs, and put away the decorations. 
Onto the next holiday! 
Which also means the weather is getting colder.

The leaves are no longer crunchy from being dry, they are actually frozen in the morning.
My car needs to be scraped 3 times in the morning before I can make it down the street.
I keep telling (pleading with) my little car that he just needs to get through March
and he will be a happy car again.
Winter only lasts 4-5 months here. 
Only.

Anyone have any advice on driving a car that's older than you are in the winter months?
This is my first time ever having a car in the winter... and it doesn't help that he is 24 years old.

12 comments:

  1. What a lovely gift and happy post...thanks for sharing :)

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  2. Our car isn't quite that old, but I'd suggest good tires. They aren't necessarily cheap... but definitely less than a new(er) car :)

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  3. 3 days ago I went out for taking some pictures of the colours of the Trees and I found a lot of little acorns, huge acorns and buckeyes and you came to mind!!! :)
    They aren't from North Carolina but some day, if you want, I can send you some of them ;)
    (I brought home a lot!!!)

    I live in the Alps and the winter is very very strong (coldddd) and it lasts from October till March or sometimes April too...
    I work sometimes as driver when I need extra money...
    The best things to do when you're driving a car during the winter season are:
    1. Driving slower than normal even if you got the right tires...
    2. If there's ice on the ground never squeeze/press/crush the brake... It is better to go down with the gears (if your car has gears) or leave the accelerator... If it's necessary to stop the car be very very gentle with the brake.
    3. On the puddles, moderate the speed and leave the gas... (In summer too... the high speed on water may generate the aquaplaning effect... and it's like sliding on ice!)
    4. Always heat well the engine before leaving.
    5. Be careful! :)
    6. last but not least... try to have 1000 eyes!!!

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  4. Chiara! That is wonderful advice!! I will for sure take that to heart, and try to sprout a few more pairs of eyes. :)
    I would love if you sent me some acorns from where you live!!!

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  5. From a Canadian sister -
    I don't know if you guys use them as much, but a block heater can be excellent for making sure you can start when it's super cold out. Like Meandering Mind said, winter or all-season tires are a very good idea. And, if your car is automatic, and you have spare money (ha ha), get a remote start put in. It'll have your car toasty warm by the time you get in, and will allow your engine to warm up sufficiently so it's not so hard on it when you step on the gas.

    We have a saying in my family that originates from my Dutch Grandparents. They spoke english, but sometimes they made mistakes that stuck. So I pass on to you: Drive be careful Rachael!

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  6. Oh! And the best (and most fun) advice!

    After the first snow, find an empty parking lot, and practice sliding and doing donuts. Sounds completely juvenile, but it will teach you a lot about how the car handles when it's slick out, and will give you more confidence if you are actually skidding out in real life.

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  7. Oooo! Teresa! That is great advice. Thank you so so so much!!

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  8. My first car was older than me by a couple of years. It was an '84 Blazer and a seriously tough bastard of a car.
    I was just always really careful in the winter, giving the car ample time to heat up, etc. But that thing was a TANK and could withstand anything. It withstood winter probably better than I do, lol. I wish I had more advice to offer! Just take it easy on your car, give it time to warm up in the mornings and you'll be okay!

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  9. awww, WOW! that is SUCH a thoughtful little gift :) i love getting notes and packages in the mail...and that is just adorable, the story behind it.

    your hair looks great!!

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  10. According to my mechanic friend, your car will last forever if you change the oil every 3000 miles and take good care of the tires. My car is 11 years old and has 140,000 miles on it, but still runs like a top because I've done that.

    I've also found that letting it idle and warm up long enough to thaw things out is a big help. It kills my environmentalist soul to do it, but my car is much happier about being driven in the cold (and so am I, since my car is nice and warm when I get into it).

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