Eating close to home--just like the squirrels

During my 1.5 hour walk in the park yesterday I noticed the very first tinges of autumn. Namely, that every squirrel I saw had something in its mouth and was frantically running up and down trees, putting things in order for winter. It gave me a shock to see it, since we've just this week managed to have daytime temperatures that are back in the two digits, but fall definitely seems to be on the way. In some ways I'm relieved--it's been a really awful summer in so many ways. But I get an almost paranoid feeling when daylight starts fading. Isn't that bizarre? I mean, I really mourn when it starts getting dark early, and not because I'm such an outdoorsy girl. I don't know what it is, but last winter was pretty crummy, which just makes me more certain thatI need to go into this winter with A PLAN.

First thing on my list? Exercise. I did join the gym and my membership starts this Friday. I've been doing a lot of walking in the meantime, but I'm in no way in 'walking trim' as they used to say in the girls stories I read as a child. Lately my quads have been feeling really weak about an hour into my walk, and I don't know what to do about it. I eat before I go--nothing big, but enough to power me through a one and a half hour hike/walk, I think--but that doesn't seem to help much. I've always thought of myself as having strong legs, but maybe that isn't true. When I've done with the walk I'm not sore or anything but my legs continue to feel sort of weak and Jell-Oish. I don't know if this is the walking, or the fit of restless legs I've been having at night, or if those are connected.

Speaking of which, the restless legs thing is REALLY old. I've had fits of them before, but notthis many consecutive nights. Right as I start to get comfortable my legs get this terrible achy desire to *stretch* and I can't stay in the same spot for more than a minute or so. This nightmare goes on until I somehow trick myself into falling asleep--usually around 1 or 2 in the morning. It's put me on a terrible schedule of geting up at 7;30 or so and then not going to sleep until the wee small's. I usually get so bad I get out of bed and go to the guest room so I don't keep L. up all night.

Second thing: On the eating front, things could be going better. I am managing a lot more fruits and veg during the day, which is helping, but I'm still having terrible cravings. Tonight I even made chicken and dumplings, but I only ate about a quarter cup. I'm struggling to find the way to eat food that I love but *just* until I've satisfied the craving.

I'm totally besotted lately with the 'eating local' idea. I'm going to try to do some of my shopping at the farmer's market in the next month or so, but I'm not at all good at autumn vegetables. I don't know what on earth to do with squashes and that sort of thing. I remember my mother baking small squashes with a teaspoon of brown sugar on the top (which I just tried to scrape off) but past that I'm dim. Any ideas on what a person can do with autumn vegetables?