Tales of the Traveling Tote #37 and Giveaway

Hello, friends! Welcome to the 37th installment of the Traveling Totes - a quarterly post - where a group of MacKenzie-Childs, Courtly Check tote-loving ladies gather together and share our recent whereabouts. All our posts are linked within each of our posts so you may visit us all, and virtually travel with us. To see all my previous posts, you can click here.

The magic of the holiday season is best seen through the eyes of a child, don't you agree? More on that later, as we go through activities since we last updated on September 1.

The last of August into early September had me and my totes headed to Cincinnati to visit/work some inventory with my Panoply sisters. We had a couple estates to sort through, divide and price. We always enjoy some shopping while together too.

On Labor Day, my oldest and her husband took us out for a boat ride on their newest toy. 

The next weekend was my high school's centennial anniversary. All eight of my siblings and I, as well as our mother, graduated from the same high school, and several nieces and nephews did as well. A local distillery bottled a commemorative bourbon whiskey for the occasion as a purchased takeaway.

In late September I gathered with some girlfriends from high school (two from waaay back in grade school). We try to get together to celebrate birthdays with each other.

Early October really ramps up with lots of fall activities, and spending time doing them with Jaqueline is always fun! We went to the local Pumpkin Festival and enjoyed lots of arts, crafts, food trucks, and fun fall atmosphere. Jacqueline always enjoys interacting with the animals, and got to ride this pony she made friends with.

She wanted her face painted, and was very patient in doing so.

Posing by the winning weighted pumpkin is an obligatory photo op while at the Pumpkin Festival!

The following week, Mr. P. and I went on our first day-trip in West Virginia to go leaf-peeping. My brother and a friend of his went with us, and we enjoyed the day at the Grandview State Park area. It is part of the newest US national park, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

This view above will look a lot different next year because there were some significant forest fires within this horseshoe range in this section of the New River Gorge Park and Preserve area later in October.

Another outing right in the heart of town is FestivALL Fall, where several venues become works of art for the community. We enjoyed the Carriage Trail, a more than 100 year old trail which used to be the "road" for horse and buggy travel to the top of the hill residence owned by a prominent Charlestonian who was once Governor. It now houses a prominent law firm. 

From behind the building, there is a fountain with brick path surrounding, and this view below. If you look closely at the buildings in the forefront. the red brick building before the pavement break (parking lot) is the building Mr. P. and I lived in for two and a half years when we first downsized in 2019.

Another West Virginia day trip to close out October had us doing Bridge Walk at the New River Gorge bridge. Mr. P. and I had walked this bridge in 2015, and you can read more about the details in this post. This time we took my brother and his friend for their first experience!

The little town of Fayetteville, WV is where the 876' foot high New River Gorge span bridge is located. First we had lunch, and then onto to the adventure!

The bridge you see pictured below is where we walked the catwalk just beneath that four-lane highway.

The distance from one end to the other is approximately 1.5 miles long. Each 'walker' is tied in to the cables you see running over the catwalk, which is about 24" wide.

Nearly midway through, we all sat on the catwalk (except for my brother, who was scared to death, lol, and Mr. P., who was afraid he wouldn't be able to get back up, lolol). In the river, just above the beam where my right toe is in the photo below is part of the Class V whitewater rafting route. The sandy area to the right of my ankle is where the B.A.S.E. jumpers attempt to land on Bridge Day. Bridge Day is the one day per year where B.A.S.E. (buildings, antennae, spans, and cliffs) jumpers are allowed to propel off of the New River Gorge Bridge to the ground below. It happens each October, on the 3rd Saturday.

Of course, the end of October is Halloween. Little miss J loves makeup, and here she is working on her own face paint for a Halloween party her Auntie held. I think Santa is bringing her a kaboodle for Christmas. 

The first of November was another trip to Cincinnati, this time to celebrate my Panoply sister J's birthday. We enjoyed dinner out, did some estate sale work, and some retail therapy. Fun!

The second weekend of November was the Rosegate Open House. Rosegate is our local venue for MacKenzie-Childs. Needless to say, we're on a first name basis there.

Our city is doing something new this year, called Light Up the Park. They've taken the minor league baseball field and decked it with over a million Christmas lights and fun activities. I went with my daughter M and little miss J on opening night. She is lightning fast and says, "I'm running fast!" as she goes! 

J is more excited about Grinch this year than Santa. It all started with her Daddy buying her a dancing Grinch. Then Mimi bought a stuffed Grinch because J wanted to sleep with the battery-packed one. Her voice over for Grinch is hilarious.

Speaking of fast, you should've seen J in the light maze! Her little sneaky smile below says it all.

This was a really fun night (although J did NOT like the ferris wheel). She did, however, like the train ride around the park, and started hanging out the window, waving to everyone we rode by.

Ahhh, the magic of a child and Christmas.

One last event in November, this time with Auntie B and J. Our town hosts what's called the Holly Jolly Brawley. This is the second year, and we arrived on scene a few days before they opened on Thanksgiving weekend. Volunteers were still decorating the Brawley Walkway (a connecting alley with shops in between) between the city's Slack Plaza park and Capitol Street, but J loved ooh-ing and ahh-ing and dancing her way through. This is a fun place to be throughout the holidays.

NOW, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!

The Traveling Totes Tribe is offering another giveaway and Ricki Jill at The Bookish Dilettante is our giveaway sponsor this time. One lucky reader who leaves a comment on Ricki Jill's  post will have their name thrown into the hat for an opportunity to win this MacKenzie-Childs Scented Disc. 

PLEASE NOTE: If your comment displays as anonymous, be sure to write your name so that you may be identified!

Be sure to check out my other traveling sisters' posts to see how they spent their summer months.

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Patti with Miss Kenzie and Miss Taylor @ Pandora's Box

Jenna with Miss Coquille @ The Painted Apron

Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply (you are here!)

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Jackie with Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home

Ricki Jill and Countess de Monet @The Bookish Dilettante

Join us again on March 1, 2024 for another edition of Tales of the Traveling Tote.

Thanks so much for your visit. I love reading your comments, and be sure to leave one on Ricki Jill's blog for a chance to win our token gift. Stay safe, and Happy December (and soon-to-be ❆winter❆ in the Northern Hemisphere).

Rita C. at Panoply

Parties I Share With: Pieced Pastimes, Love Your Creativity, BNOTP, My Wee Abode, My Family Thyme