I post a lot of photos from signings or RWA or various trips, but mainly Nora is a soul most content at home. And over this pretty fall weekend, before the rush of release week and a signing next Saturday, she had (what appears to me) to have a perfect balance of things she loves. She sent photos and some text, so settle in and see what she was up to. ~Laura
Fall and winter say soup-making (and eating) to me. Weekends, when I’m lucky, give me time to play in the kitchen so that’s where I spent most of my Saturday. By early afternoon I had a big pot of three bean 
and ham soup simmering. Yum.
Right after I had the soup simmering, I had a visitor. My oldest grandson came by to hang with Nana. Visits from young boys to Nana’s should always involve cookies. My young baker decided on chocolate cookies, and did a fine job with the batter–we both sampled it to be sure it was worthy.
While the dough chilled, we walked outside so I could cut some of the last of the season’s flowers–still some bright spots in my garden–and bring that reminder of summer indoors. Then we baked, frosted, and my boy did the taste test. Thoroughly approved!
Life can often be crowded and busy and demanding. A lovely Saturday of soup and cookie making, a pretty mixed bouquet from the garden and a few hours with an adorable and happy young boy is a gift.
My advice. Grab some time for yourself now and then. Make some soup, eat some cookie dough, put some flowers in a vase. If you don’t have an adorable young boy to share a Saturday with, maybe you can rent one. I guarantee you’ll end the day with a smile.
Nora
I love Nora Roberts and J D Robb books. They are my all time favorites.
We have 10 October birthdays so yesterday was “Octoberfest”. I made a big pot of white chicken chilli for the family while re-reading “The Dark Witch” series as I gear up for book 3! Halloween, witches, family and making soup. It was a good weekend. Frost on the ground this morning….time for a hearty beef stew.
This post made me :-), the soup looks delish and I’m sure the cookies and time with your grandson nourished his soul too! See you at the signing this coming weekend , it is supposed to really feel like fall! I’d better dig out the gloves and layer up!
I love the fact that Nora is just as human as us, the readers. She seems so much larger than life when I follow her post about things like all her traveling that I sometimes forget she is a homemaker and Nana. Seeing this keeps her even more special to me. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work. Can’t wait for the new Blood Magic book.
Homemade soup, cookies and time spent with grandkids, are the perfect ingredients for a wonderful Saturday. I am sure your grandson was happy to have this special time with his Nana, as much as you did. These are memories that will last a lifetime and are priceless!!
One of our sons has 3B & 1G, so we often take them one at a time, so we can have that quality time with each. It is a joy to our hearts and balm for our souls!!
Thanks for your wonderful books and for sharing a bit of your day.
What a delightful way to spend a Saturday. I can almost smell the soup and cookies. Care to share the recipes???
Gayla,
I’ve seen Nora in action at the stove and know for a fact that she doesn’t use recipes per se. She might follow one the first time out, but after that she alters to suit what’s in the pantry or fridge, or her mood that particular day. So writing down amounts is a hard thing to do. Perhaps someday I’ll take some notes while she’s at the stove and share them here.
Best,
Laura
Your soup looks delicious! Would you share the recipe please?
Hi Jennifer,
Please see my reply to Gayla above. I’ll have to bring along a notebook sometime to jot down the ingredients Nora uses for things. Most of the time she just goes by instinct.
Laura
Like a warm hug that will live forever in Nora’s and Handsome Grandson hearts.
Thank you for sharing,
Teresa
PS – we had a heat wave last week but now seemed determined to embrace Autumn so cookies and hearty-soup are in order too.
Lovely post. Reminded me of wonderful days when my youngest grandson would stop in and baking cookies would be his request. He’s 17 now and has moved to a different ciy, so this grandma gets a little lonely. Still, precious memories.
Thanks for sharing with us Nora!
I made bean and ham soup this weekend too!! Nora’s looks yummy!
This is one of the reasons Nora’s characters come through as real people. She has a rich, genuine life and that comes through in her writing. Can’t wait for Blood Magick tomorrow!
A wonderful fall Saturday. I think I see some homemade soup in my future after reading this!
Yes , I started chili soup to have tonight with football. I bought some home made tamales so we’ll have them with chili and cheese on top !! Onions for my husband !! LOL Have a great day Donna
Makes me wish my younger grandsons lived nearby, Teenagers are wonderful also, but in a different way
My little one is a 4-year-old g-niece with huge blue eyes and the guile to use them. Last trip to visit auntie involved a hilarious attempt to learn how to crack eggs. We did save enough to make cookies! Thanks for sharing, Nora, I think my slow cooker is going to be busy today.
Excellent advice!
Thank you for your warm generosity in sharing such a simple part of your life. The flowers, the soup, the laughter with the cookies – they are all good reminders that self care doesn’t have to be something exciting or over-the-top.
Side note: I have read your books for years, but only just got into the In Death series. Now I am attacking them as voraciously as I’m sure that sweet boy attacked the cookies. 🙂
thank you for sharing this with us. this & those wonderful Irish vacation posts serve to show you do have a life outside writing all those wonderful stories you involve us in. my grandson and I spent this past Saturday afternoon seeing who could draw the scariest Halloween picture. Ah, the fertile of mind of a 6 year old.
Priceless!
I made and actually just finished a bowl of home made savoury pumpkin soup. Yum.
No cookie baking nor little boys to do it with but I do have the 2 young granddaughters I could import. Lovely thoughts for a nice weekend, thanks Nora.
Loved this post! Having 17 grandkids and a great grandchild, I know how special a one-on-one visit can be. Thanks for sharing!