simply magical

How was your Halloween weekend?
My kids are too young to care, so I got a "freebie" and did not attend a single Halloween party, nor did we trick-or-treat. I don't dislike Halloween, but I'm not that into it, either. Usually coming up with a costume is more stressful than fun, so I enjoyed evading the usual parties.

Instead we spent the entire weekend with friends and family. On Saturday night our hosts served up chili for friends and neighbors. We sat around a huge table and enjoyed conversation and Mary's incredible pumpkin bread pudding topped with caramel sauce and chopped hazelnuts. I think I died a little, in a good way, when I ate that bread pudding. It was simply magical. 
Saturday before dinner was spent with friends at the Guthrie Pumpkin Farm. The kids loved it! We did the hayride, saw and pet farm animals (the piglets and calves were my favorite), got lost and found again in a corn maze, and picked out the perfect pumpkin.
On Sunday we took it easy and hung out around the house, then joined our friends for dinner. Our hosts set up tables outside in the yard atop fallen leaves. It looked so homey and rustic, and I wished desperately that I had brought my camera. We drank wine and ate delicious food, and the kids fought over toys and took turns on the tire swing.
It was an easygoing, splendid weekend. I had the chance to reconnect with my husband, my family, and my new friends. It looks like Tennessee isn't that bad, after all.

How do you reconnect with your family and friends?