Goodbye October......

Oh so true!  We are coming to the end of one of my favorite months.  I love knowing we are entering the fall...even though it might take until October's end for the temperature to reflect the fact that summer is over.

October means mums and pumpkins.

And cute babies sitting on the front porch barefoot!

October is silly in the pumpkin patch,

and just for fun a cheesy face!

It is rain...finally!  Lots of rain! Around here rain is a much needed commodity, and a relief since we just received our only water twice a month water restriction card.  And while it is raining and a good bit cooler, it means a lazy day and a long afternoon nap.  Oh, how I treasure a good nap!!!

It is FINALLY dragging out the boots!  Yes, I do put my flip flops away, but only if I can put on a pair of boots.  I cannot begin  to explain my passion for having my calves stuffed into a leather corset when I normally demand that my toes be totally free, but I would own as many pairs of boots as I do Yellow Box sandals if the price was equivalent.  I could always blame the purchase on a misorder.....right???

And finally it is yet another birthday!  Oh, how I also love cake and candles....so much so that Heather had her choice of two different desserts this year.  Sugar is a good thing.

Tomorrow is Halloween.  

It is a big deal in our neighborhood full of kids, so the pantry is stocked and the cobwebs are strung.  We are expecting lots of ghosts and goblins...and possibly an Abby Cadabby and Elmo.

It is the end of October.  That means it is the beginning of the holiday season.  If the costumes are packed away can Christmas shopping be far behind?  Oh my, I think I need another nap!

I Am Pausing........

This was a bit of an accident....the book that is.  I have been in reading mode lately.  I switch interest like I switch underwear and this month I have been reading like I was on  the road to earning my masters. So, while I was in the library with Sara I was perusing the self help book section.  No particular reason why I was in the middle of all these books but what I realized was you could help yourself do just about anything from loose weight to be rich in 60 days.  It is a bombardment of titles that convinces you that there is no way your life could possibly be satisfactory if you must read that much to get back on track. I chose "pausing"...why?....because I rarely do.  What I discovered was that it was an excellent choice.  

I have always been a bit OCD. I am a list maker.  I love to write things down in the morning and the sense of accomplishment I feel at the end of the day is incredible if I have managed to cross everything off my list...but, I am beating myself up. I am a senior citizen that finds pleasure in completing tasks.  So do I really want my identity to be linked to my productivity level?  NOPE!!!  Now I am "pausing".  And I think after just a few weeks in this mode that maybe finding that book opened a gold mine of contentment.  I can pass on making a list and life moves forward.  Things don't get done and we are okay.  So maybe there is some extra laundry piled up and there are dishes in the sink but they will be there tomorrow....tonight I am "pausing".

I actually took a few days off and left the family to take a short trip with girlfriends to relax....

and what did we do for three days?  We "paused".

It was therapy.  There were no schedules, no guidelines for completion of projects, no rules for bedtime or mealtime.

We sewed, if we wanted to.  

We read books, if we wanted to.

We sat outside, if we wanted to.

We talked to each other, if we wanted to.

It was a mini sewing retreat and to be honest it is hard for me to sit nested in the middle of yards of fabric and not not be in a state of total calm.  Cotton is like a big tranquilizer in my life. Simply arranging colors gives me the same pleasure that some get from a 90 minute massage.

We talked thread, patterns, ironing boards, and cutting tools.  

It is not often you can sit with a group of women that can relate and enjoy conversation on that level.

Loved being with these friends.  It was  relaxing and renewing and just fun.  

So glad I took some time to "pause"!

(disclaimer...forgot to set the focus on my camera...yes, you are seeing blurry!)
Love you, dear friends.  Thanks for the opportunity to "pause!

It's All FAIR!........

There is something just wrong about living in Texas for 50 years and only attending the State Fair once in that time period.  Guilty!  The family goes yearly...and I sit quietly at home savoring the peace and quiet that is a rarity in our living quarters.  But, today I stepped up to the plate and joined in on the fun. The afternoon did not disappoint.  Texans are a proud bunch and if they are going to hold a fair it is going to be done right....and it was!

Big Tex....the famous Big Texas...is rebuilt and back to work after last years tragic fire.

The man spends many hours standing on the Fair grounds greeting everyone that enters the gates.  That is a lot of time on your feet.  I am sure that he will be more than glad to remove those boots and pack up that huge hat until this time next year.  Thanks big guy for all the 2013 memories.  No wonder no one comes to the fair without stopping by to say HI.  You are indeed a Texas treasure!

Off to the midway and wow....everyone that could not make it due to the deluge of rain that fell in the past week chose to make an appearance today.  

I was informed upon arrival that fair fun starts by fighting the crowds and standing in line for a chance to buy the famous Fletcher's corny dog for a mere 10 tickets ($5.00 in cold harsh cash).
Worth every penny!  I think it was the crust that sold me.  It is a crunch that only hot vats of peanut oil can produce.  No microwave can compete. Have we given up true flavor in our foods just to save our arteries?  

Not at our state fair....because we are the home of the equally famous fried Twinkie, fried butter, fried turkey dinner, fried ice cream and oreos.  The list is endless as are the calories.  The lines at every food vendor's booth are proof that along with the fact that we are proud of our fair, we are also proud of the fact that we openly stand in public and boast about how much grease we can stuff into our mouths in one short afternoon.
In Texas we are all about "go big, or go home"!

So how was my return trip to the fair after about 30 years of absence...I say it was a great experience.  

It was CLEAN...and that is something that always made me fear the fair in the first place.  

It was packed with people that were all polite and courteous. 

The exhibits were great and the food was a win!

I am not sure that I will need to make a return trip again next year, but I will be back someday...if only to slather ketchup all over another corn dog and say hi to Big Tex.  It was a fun afternoon, and a great fair, done the way only Texans know how, all under incredibly clear blue skies!

Focus.....

I have had an extremely bizarre last couple of days...so much so that I (who always photograph everything in case I need it for a blog post) could not even round up a camera to capture the series of ridiculous events that have been part of the nightmare I have been living lately (photos taken after the fact). I admittedly have the ability to embellish a story.  It takes me twice as long as anyone else to say simple things.  This was pointed out to me the other day by my daughter-in-law as she recounted a tale Brooklynn had told her about the fact that she watched the first 15 minutes of Gray's Anatomy at my house while I was giving Finley a bath.   The tale was told to her "Gramma style", which I guess means with every adjective, adverb, and detail that she could add for effect.  I am okay with that.  I entertained a classroom of teenagers for years in that manner....random stories meant to entertain and educate....and in most cases it worked.  All of this just to tell you that every detail of the following stories are FACTS...not enhanced for entertainment value, but the facts as they happened.

Thursday night I had a NEED...not a want, but a real need for a bowl of ice cream.  At our house if it is in the freezer you have to back out the car to get it out of that freezer...so I did.  I fixed myself a huge bowl of Blue Bell topped with spoonfuls of Nutella.  Figured I would go with the healthy!!  Ice cream eaten, helped Sara with some laundry, and sat down to watch Gray's Anatomy.  Just a nice peaceful evening.....until a hysterical Sara came running in to tell me that my car was out in the driveway still running.  Yes, it is surely the curse of Blue Bell and Gray's Anatomy that I simply forgot to pull the car back in, turn it off, and close the garage.  It had only sat out in the driveway, running, keys still in it, burning $3.00 a gallon gas for about an hour. However, the pot of gold in this story is that my car WAS still there.  In a neighborhood where I have had my purse stolen out of my car three times....I am thrilled to report that no one took my car....and for that I am grateful.  For that, and the fact that irregardless of the amount of gas that was burned...the Blue Bell did not disappoint!

Follow that with a brand new bottle of Mazola corn oil that landed...OPEN....on top of my head last night.  From the top shelf of my pantry...cap not on tight it came crashing down.  I looked like a victim of the BP oil spill. Fortunately I had removed my contacts due to severe allergies earlier in the day because my eyes were swimming in grease, it was down my legs and in my shoes...and my hair...it took three washings with DAWN to cut through the yuck.  I felt like one of the ducks being washed after said oil spill.  I won't even comment on the state of my kitchen floor....

And, just days prior to the great oil drop, the above container of frosting tips, frosting, cupcake papers, and sprinkles fell on my head too. Same pantry, same shelf, and no reason other than I did not back on the shelf before I let go. It was not nearly as messy as Mazola , but it was much more painful. I am still finding tips under counters and in drawers.  The pantry is just not a safe place anymore.

I blame it all on lack of focus...because that sounds as good as anything, huh?

Happy Birthday "B"......

Love this precious girl!!!!  Four years ago when this baby arrived I had no idea how much I could love one little soul, but then I think I say that all of the time.  

 Yesterday she celebrated her special day with family, friends, presents, and butterflies!!!

 She is growing up.  

 Brooklynn loves the color purple,comfy dresses, laughing, dancing, and curling up with her strawberry Shortcake pillow and my Kindle.  She is a snuggler.  She loves arts, crafts and being creative.....something genetically inherited from her mom!

 She just loves....everything except people dressed up in costumes like Chucky Cheese....and that is something she is not going to like until she is seven....just ask her.

She has a memory like a sponge.....which makes one very wary of anything they discuss or say in front of her!

She loves being outside...especially in the pool where she could give Esther Williams a run for her money.  A simple freestyle or backstroke is fine for awhile but then she has do do some rigorous maneuvers which entail her leg sticking up in the air while she paddles madly underwater to keep herself afloat. Add a few mermaid moves and she is Ariel at her best. There is always something new to perfect.....which keeps a gramma on her toes.

One of the things that B is very best at is taking care of her little sister....and that is a task!

Finley can be a bit feisty some times and can try a four year olds patience....but the minute the spat is over they are rolling around the middle of the floor in a big old hug!!

Yes, I see you hiding inside the parachute!!!!

You only think you are tricking me.  I have you figured out little lady!

So...happy 4th birthday precious Brooklynn.  I hope you don't find it necessary to move through this year at a Superman pace.  I am finding it hard to keep up as you move on so quickly wanting to learn and master all things right now.  At little pause now and then is good for the soul, but somehow I know that when you are young 

you don't think there is time to go slow.
Today is your day
You're off to great places
You're off and away......
Much too soon.       Dr. Suess 

Questioning......

I am not usually one to comment or post thoughts on anything political because it is just a recipe for disaster...especially since I am not a very good monitor of anything I say or think....

BUT

really congress???

We are now on day one of a shutdown where the effects go way beyond what most of us can possibly comprehend.  Case in point....Meals on Wheels.  I picked up my food today, and the talk on the parking lot was like it must have been in a lot of other places.  "Just how much longer can this subsidized program last with no government support?"

 Truthfully, I was not sure what to expect when I began meal delivery with this group.  Would I become jaded because there were recipients that were not really needy?  Answer to that...NO!!!

When you knock on the door you know how much this program is needed.  I am very certain that for most of these people it is the only interaction they have with the outside world each day.  I noticed on my delivery list today that the Mr. 8B was celebrating a birthday next week.  When I mentioned it his eyes lit up.  "How did you know?"  We talked for a minute about his age and the cancer he was fighting and then I was off to stop at the next food drop.  When I think of how lonely he seemed I can only hope that whomever has his delivery on his birthday will notice too.  How sad to be so alone.

How sad to lose the meal he counts on each day and the friendly face that delivers it because we cannot seem to find a compromise in congress.

 It has been my week to be up front and personal with those that are growing old and seem so forgotten.  Our church decorated cookies with the elderly at a neighborhood assisted living center this past weekend.  It is anything but comforting when you see what actually exists inside the walls of these buildings.  I have not had any exposure to life in a nursing home, as thankfully my parents were so totally self sufficient until they died.  

 These women were precious and you might have thought they were out for a day on the town as they discussed "lady things" like getting dressed for the event.  But, sadly the word that was uttered the most often was LONELY.  Where are their families?  Do you get old and do your kids just dump you somewhere and hope that the not so patient staff will get your medications to you on time and roll you down for dinner?  I was so distressed at the care givers at one point I had to count to about 50 to keep from embarrassing everyone I was with.  So what if you are eating the sugar free icing out of the canister....quite possibly you might be having fun for a change!!!

 I am sure that there are better...and worse scenarios than what I witnessed this weekend.  I guess my frustration mostly lies in those that are completely written off and forgotten.  These people at one time led productive lives and should be able to live out their days with some sort of dignity.

Maybe I understand now why my dad found so much satisfaction in the "bread run".  I never much got why picking up day old bread and taking it to centers that needed it mattered.  I knew my kids loved going along , but to me it was just nice to have a few child free minutes to focus on doing laundry.  I do get it now.  It was stewardship....and taking care of people that others have forgotten.  My dad was a great example of how that works.