Favorite Small Things (September 2022)

02/10/202202/10/2022 by Some Small Things In Do 5 Comments

Favorite Small Things: September 2022.

And just like that, it was fall.

The community pool closed after offering its last day of the season to local dogs for Doggy Swim 2022. A bear was spotted in town sitting at a picnic table eating out of a bird feeder. We put away our shorts and brought out our jackets. I remembered how blissfully quiet the house is without the A/C.

Here’s a sampling of my favorite small things from September.

Spotting a Camouflaged Frog on Land in the Wild

It was one of my most trying geocaching outings. A tick on my action pants that I flicked away in time. A snake in plain view that abruptly ended my husband’s season. And then this guy below who jumped out of the foliage, startling me as I struggled up a hill, getting caught in sticky spider webs and yelping intermittently. But I was amazed. I stood there and admired him. What a marvel.

I’ve never seen a frog on land. Only in the water. And in pet stores. It was a thrill.

There’s just one month left for me to complete the NYS Challenge. I’ve snagged 41 of 45 required caches. The last 4 are going to be rough with my partner on the sidelines. I think I can pick up the 2 at Walkway over the Hudson, but the remaining 2 will need to be retrieved from parks that are two hours away.

Onwards.

Mrs. Meyer’s Apple Cider and Acorn Spice Hand Soap

Didn’t see this one coming.

As a longtime fan of Iowa Pine, I expect to make my Mrs. Meyer’s holiday-themed soap purchases in December the earliest.

And I’d been looking forward to Trader Joe’s Apple Cider soap from last year, hoping they’d re-release it this season.

But there these two were on the shelves of Wegmans. There for the taking.

The verdict: awesome. The apple cider variety is so spot-on realistic that it produces a sort of synesthetic quality during hand-washing. Bravo. The acorn spice is a close second — not sure what acorns smell like in real life, but the soap is a respectable medley of fall spices rendering the “acorn” in the name believable.

Replacing the Slab of Butter

Look at this beauty. It’s from Iceland. Lightly salted. Yellowy color.

I love replacing the butter. I love washing the dish in the dishwasher, and I love the way the new butter looks on the dish.

Being the Sort of Person who “Runs” (Start Running App)

Being partial to cake slices and all sorts of treats, I decided to become the sort of person who “runs.”

Truthfully — exercise makes me feel like hell.

I envy those who say they feel “energized” after a workout. Six minutes of running can easily land me in bed for half the day.

But I’m trying. I found “Start Running,” a straightforward, simple app with no bells and whistles. It tells you to walk. Then run. Then walk. Then run. And 20 painful minutes later, the whole thing is over.

Making Rosh Hashanah-ish Dinner

What used to take me hours (e.g., making my own schmaltz) now takes minutes. My secrets?

Streit’s Gluten Free Matzoh Ball Mix for fast and fluffy matzoh balls. Canned chicken soup. And air frying hot dogs with Dinosaur BBQ roasted garlic honey sauce.

Happy New Year and happy fall to all!

Thanks for reading. 🙂 What are your favorite small things from September?

If you enjoyed this post on favorite small things September, you might like this one from August and this one from July.