Where Did October Go?

My goodness how time gets away from me. I seem to remember a few days ago it was the first of October and the weather was just starting to cool off. Now it is the day before Halloween. I was considering participating in the NaBloPoMo but now I honestly don't think I could do it. I'm just working too much. I don't even think I have the time to do up a bunch of posts and then post them each day. So good luck to all of the participants and have fun.

After I decided to not participate I saw this entry on Tangerine Zest. Great minds think alike, Ha!

I went on a field trip today with my daughter to Lyon Family Farms in Taft, Tn. This was a very well organized trip. We went on a hayride where the children picked their on pumpkins from the patch. We played in a corn maze, giant inflatible slide, and corn bin. The kids petted and fed all sorts of animals. We listened to they story of how the pumpkins grow and had a sing a long. We had a picnic lunch outside. Luckily, it warmed up enough to enjoy the day. The kids had a onderful time!

My mother sent this picture of me I wanted to share with you because it reminds me so much of Gina's picture on her blog.

I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween. Unfortunately, I have to work late and will miss out on the annual tradition of dressing up and begging door-to-door for candy. If our camera was not on the fritz I would perhaps get pictures but now I will only get stories. I'll be back (hopefully) on Friday to tell you about my upcoming weekend plans.

MDA Lock-up

Well, I survived my stint in the big house. I was "arrested" for Mucular Dystropy Association. I was picked up by a Huntsville Police Officer and escorted to Sci-Quest in Huntsville where I had to present my "bail" money to the "judge". I was very fortunate to have raised a good bit of money ahead of time. But I made a few calls and raised several more hundred. I am counting on the company I work for to match my first $1000, also. I enjoyed a good barbecue lunch (they ran out of banana pudding, though) and was escorted back home by limousine. I raised at least enough to send 3 children to MDA's summer camp. I am glad I participated in the fundraiser and am touched by the generosity of so many people. Several of my husbands colleagues came through as well as mine.

Book Update

While on Vacation I read the new John Grisham book, Playing for Pizza. It is written in his usual style but is not a legal thriller. The story follows a disgraced NFL quaterback on his adventures in Italy playing for the Parma Panthers. Just like his previous book, The Broker, it made me want to visit Italy. I enjoyed the book, although I thought it was too short.



I also read the latest Diana Gabaldon book, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. This is the second Lord John book she has written. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. I would only recommend it to those readers who are already fans of the Outlander series.



I just finished reading Track of the Cat, by Nevada Barr for the second time. This is the first of the Anna Pigeon Mysteries. My book club has chosen this book for November. I read it several years ago and have read all the other books in the series. Anna Pigeon is a National Parks Ranger and all of the books take place in different National Parks. Like other mystery heroines, people are always dying around Anna. There is always a murder to solve. Track of the Cat is not the best of the series but I think it is important (though not entirely necessary in this case) to read them in order. I highly recommend this series to any murder mystery lovers out there.



I'm sure I was reading something else before all of these but I can't recall now what it was. Must not have been that memorable. I have a lot of things still on my shelf to read. My SIL brought me two books when she was in town and I checked out one from the library. One down side to the new job is there isn't quite as much time to read. Bummer!

Jail Bird

Hey! Thursday is the day I am going to be locked-up in Jail for MDA. It's not too late to help me with your 100% tax deductible donation. Please!!! Any amount is appreciated.

Blog Fodder

Blog Fodder, blog fodder, where are you...

I am not going to blog about the ballgame yesterday. I've refrained from blogging about football this fall for good reason. I'm not going to blog about how I stayed up 'til after 11:30 (by myself) last night watching a game that did not turn out so well for us. Why do they have games starting at 8pm? T.V. of course. Football was all anyone wanted to talk about in Sunday School this morning (well, the men anyway). I really didn't want to relive it at 8 am this morning. Apparently, our rival school across the state had a big win yesterday. Some guy mentioned how the coach had shown he was worth the $4 million he had been paid. I can't help being thankful it isn't my Alma Mater that paid that much for a FOOTBALL coach. Anyway, I said I wasn't going to blog about it, okay? So STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!

Glorious Autumn

The kids and I loaded up the bikes on our new bike rack and headed out to the Indian Creek Green way this morning. The weather was wonderful (even a little cold in the shade). We rode about 1.5 miles then sat in the sun and had a snack before returning to the car. I had been shut up inside all week at work and it was great to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Hubby and some buddies have headed to the mountains in Tennessee for the weekend and the kids and I are flying solo. Last night we picked up Pizza Hut and watched a movie. Tomorrow, after Sunday School we are going out for breakfast. This afternoon they are busy playing and I am just relaxing. I slept better last night than I have in weeks.

Thursday, night we had a house full. Mike from AtHomeDaddy drove over from Texas to go camping. My SIL drove over (from the other direction) to see him while he was here. Unfortunately, she did not get to stay but one night. Mike, if you are wondering, is just as entertaining in person as he is on his blog.

I had lunch with some fellow Homemaker's on Friday to celebrate Homemaker's Week in Madison. We ate at the Welcome Table, a small restaurant in Madison. Although, a little shabby on the outside it was very elegant inside. I had a wonderful lunch of chicken salad on croissant with sweet potato fries. I also enjoyed the conversation with the other ladies.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekends and this great fall weather we are having.

Monday

Where have I been? Well I went on vacation for a few days, and when I returned of course there were many things needing attention. The I worked all weekend. So here I am trying to catch up on a week's worth of blogging. So much for my ambition to blog two to three times per week.

Our Vacation to the Beach went well. We put the kids in seperate rows in the back of the Tahoe and that seemed to work really well. They did not have the temptation to irritate each other. As expected there was some argument on whose turn it was to ride in the very back. The weather was wonderful. It did not rain, was in the 90's every day and the water was warm.f

Our condo in Ft Walton Beach was adequate but had some problems. The first morning there I had planned to cook cinnamon rolls and discovered there was no bread pan or cookie sheet. And no pot holders, either. We couldn't find the remote to the DVD player. The bed. Don't even let me get started on the bed. But besides all that it was a relaxing vacation. We played at the beach and at the pool. I read a lot. We watched T.V and the kids did their usual playing. We ate out every night and had some nice meals. We raced go-carts, a vacation tradition.

My daughter's birthday fell during the week and we had her ears pierced. I had my pierced at age 6 but had decided she should wait until 7. I think she was suprised how much it hurt, but seems to be happy with them now. She is trying to be responsible and clean them every day.

We watched the first 8 episodes of Lost. I had checked it out of the library. We are hooked now. I went back to the library but they did not have the next set. I guess we will order it from Netflix. We finally got through the first season of Sopranos. Of course, now we have all the regular prime-time stuff recorded on TiVo and have to work our way through that.

Hubby's camping trip is coming up this weekend and AtHomeDaddy is driving out to participate. My SIL is coming in to stay a few days, too. So I guess we will have a busy weekend.

My fundraising for MDA is going well, however, I am still a long way from my goal. I wonder if they will really leave you locked up if you fail to raise your bail. Anyway, that is still a week away.

I really should have broken this post up into several and spread it over a few days to make it look better. Oh, well. Thanks for stopping by and I'll talk to you later.

Saturday

Today was the Madison Street Festival. Hubby and I, along with my daughter drove the 1924 Chevy in the parade. We had a good time waving to the crowds lining the street. The parade is just a short jaunt down one street and up another and includes not only the usual Boy Scouts, Beautie Queens in convertibles and marching band but also people pushing strollers and pulling wagons. The street fair seems to get bigger every year. The kids enjoyed the morning with the Grandparents. Hubby and I had a nice lunch out alone. I had to head back out to the street fair late in the afternoon. My Homemaker's Club has a booth every year to sell pizza and my shift was 4-6 pm. I brought home cheese pizza for the kids and donuts for everyone. I drove the Miata over to the street fair because I was afraid of the parking situation. The Miata is certainly a lot easier to maneuver in tight areas. The weather could not have been better. It was warm and sunny with a cool breeze. I enjoyed cruising around in the little car.

Thirteen Things I Am Going To Do At the Beach

Well Fall break officially starts tomorrow afternoon and we are headed to the beach for a few days. What I love most about the beach is the layed back atmosphere and the lack of pressure to do anything. Some vacations you feel like you have to go, go, go (like Disney World) but at the beach you just are.

1. Eat
2. Read
3. Sit and listen to the surf
4. Ride Go-Karts, a family tradition
5. Sleep late
6. Watch the kids play in the pool
7. Sit on the beach and read
8. Help the kids build sandcastles
9. Watch movies and stay up too late
10. Play games
11. Eat
12. Sit outside on the balcony and read
13. Spend time with the family

Changes Coming On

Tomorrow is my last day of work at my current job. I am leaving this slow-paced, quite workplace (with a window) to go back to the hurried, frantic pace of retail. I'm not really going to go into the reasons for this change because I don't feel I need to defend my decision. The decision was prayed about and it has been made.

The reason I'm telling you is that it will affect not only my blogging but my reading of blogs. At my current job I have lots of downtime with which to spend on the computer reading blogs. At my new job not only will I not have time but will not have internet access. This means I will only be checking blogs on my off-time. Sadly, I will be cutting down on the number of blogs I can keep up with.

So many people I have gotten to know through the blog-world and many of them I will miss checking in with several times a week. I will still visit, I'm sure, though not as frequently, and I will try to blog at least twice a week.

Monday

What a glorious Sunday we had. I stayed up too late Saturday night. I was too keyed up from the excitement of watching Auburn beat Floriday to sleep. War Eagle!! So Sunday morning we slept late. I went out for my morning walk with the kids riding their bikes. It was a great day weather-wise, one of those blue-sky, cool days we so longed for during the heat of August. I put out my yard display (first in the cul-de-sac, thank you). I took a much needed nap and took the kids out for ice cream. I enjoyed my hot tub for a while. I fixed a big pot of chili for supper and we watched the Japanese Grand Prix. My back is hurting again this morning and I wish I knew what I had done to it. But otherwise, I'm having a good morning and looking forward to this weekend (more later.)

Book Update

My Last book update was about 2 weeks ago and I've read quite a few books in that time. My mother left a bag full of books on her last visit. My favorite of these is Once Upon A Day by Lisa Tucker. This book is written from the view of the different characters (switching back and forth) and detail both their past and present to tell the story. The book kept my attention and I read it quickly. It is a compelling story about how some decisions both big and small can affect so many lives. Please go read Amazon's review to get a better idea of the story. I loved it.



Another very interesting title was The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. You may be familiar with the legends of the Changelings: Fairies would replace children with their own weaker offspring and steal the human child for their own. The stories were used to explain a child who failed to thrive in rural areas. The Stolen Child is a "real-life" story of a changeling who grew up as the child he replaced, and also the story of the human child and his life with the fairies. Once you accept the basic premise the remainder of the book is quite believable. It is a different type of novel then my usual and I enjoyed the change.



I finished the short novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The author actually wrote this story before his bestselling Tuesdays with Morrie (which I haven't read either). It is the story of how in heaven you meet 5 people who were somehow part of your life (if only briefly) and your life affected them or was affected by them in someway. These 5 people help the character, Eddie, understand his life and its meaning. It's a short story but very good.



I also read Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini. This is the eighth book in the Elm Creek Quilt Series. You do not have to enjoy quilting to enjoy this series (although it may make you want to learn.) The stories are well written and enjoyable. If you find them interesting I would recommend starting from the beginning with The Quilter's Apprentice.



Finally, I read Jimmy by Robert Whitlow. Whitlow writes really good Christian fiction. I enjoyed Jimmy but I was so dissapointed in the ending that I can not recommend it. It is the story of a mentally challenged boy and some of the adventures in his life in a small town. It was a good story until about the last 20 pages. If you are looking for good Christian fiction I would recommend other books by Whitlow, especially The List.

Shameless Plea For Money

I am going to be arrested!!

Actually, I am participating in the Muscular Dystrophy Association's (MDA) Lock-Up on October 25. I am to be put in "jail" until I raise enough money to send 4 children to MDA summer camp. How much does it cost do send 4 children to MDA camp? $2600. Wow!

Last year my good friend Beth's son David was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. Specifically his diagnosis is Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic, degenerative disease primarily affecting the voluntary muscles. David is only 3 years old.

Now everyone has heard about Jerry's Kids and the annual MDA telephon held each Labor Day weekend. Now this disease is affecting someone close to me and I am trying to do my part.

I know that there are a lot of other worthy causes to support and so this is my shameless plea for help from my internet readers. Any contribution is 100% tax deductible. I have a lot of money to raise and so I am looking for help wherever I can find it. Take the time to look at MDA's website and learn about this disease and the Association. Look at the Better Business Bureau's report on this charity. Do your own research and then please, please help me send 4 deserving children to MDA summer camp.

Go here to see my MDA fundraiser website.

And if anyone can help me put a linky on my blog to this site, I would appreciate the help.

Tuesday

I had a really good, relaxing weekend but it went by too fast. We skipped swim lessons on Sunday because frankly I needed a nap! Sunday evening the kids were racing down the hill to our house on their bikes. I had visions of an emergency room visit and stitches. But when the inevitable accident happened it was not that bad. B had to have tender loving care and bandages but she is alright. Of course, she screamed so loud from the street that I heard her in the house. I had just went in to check on the spaghetti on the stove. But I am glad I didn't witness the wreck. The aftermath was enough, thank you. Even though I knew it was coming, I didn't stop them riding. All children have to experience these things, right? Of course they had on their helmets, but perhaps next time I'll insist on not riding in shorts. On the bright side her brother was a great help. He walked her bike back to the house and gave her some of his chocolate milk.

Saturday

Today we had a family reunion. This one is held at my great-uncles farm about 35 minutes away. He has a beautiful back yard with tall oak trees for shade. It was a pleasant afternoon. There was a lot of good food. I enjoyed seeing relatives again. It was a little sad because this reunion last year was one of the last times I saw my Papa alive. His presence was greatly missed.

My cousin Janet and her family were there also. They too, live in Huntsville. Janet and I met each other for the first time at my first football game as part of the Auburn band. (We're actually distant cousins. My great-grandfather and her grandfather were brothers.) We both play trumpet and we happened to sit together in the stands at that first game. We were talking about where we were from and realized we were related. Her grandfather at that time ran a small country store in the town where I grew up. After the game her parents came over and we were introduced. It was a little strange but we became great friends. We roomed together the next year. Even though we live in the same town, we don't see each other often. We both work and have two children. I am hopefully going to the alumni band game in November and we will sit together in the stands again.

We returned home sated and tired from sitting in the warm afternoon. Everyone rested or napped. I still had to finish the laundry and refill the hot tub. (I had drained and cleaned it in the morning.) Tonight we tried out a new Mexican Restaurant out in the county a bit. The food was good and the service quick. The cheese dip was excellent. We will definitely be visiting it again.

We've been watching Sopranos on DVD from the beginning. I definitely do not like the language but the story line has captivated me. As hubby says, "They keep pulling me back in."

Friday

I had lunch plans today but they fell through. Because I did not receive the email canceling the plans I did not make any other arrangements. So at 9am this morning I found myself off work without a lunch date. A little disappointing. I went to LifeSouth and donated blood. I do this occasionally (though not regularly) mostly for the free T-shirt and movie coupons. I did a little grocery shopping and by the time I returned home I was feeling a little faint and nauseous. I skipped lunch and took a nap. When I picked the kids up from school we made a Sonic run for slushies and root beer floats. I spent several hours in the kitchen. I made fruit salad and pound cake for a family reunion on Saturday. I mixed up some homeade butter pecan ice cream to be made on Saturday and made Baked Potato Soup for supper.

September

I'm so glad that it is September. It's hard to believe now how hot it was just a month ago (and how much I was complaining about it.) Before you know it it will be October, my absolute favorite month of the year. Before you know it the weather will be cool enough for sweaters. I know I've done a favorite things about fall before so I really didn't want to bore you with it again. But what else can I blog about?

13 Things I love about Fall

1. Fall color. The maples and oaks and redbuds turning their gorgeous colors of gold, brown & orange before falling to the ground and creating piles of leaves for the children to play in.

2. Boiled Peanuts bought from a roadside stand. I wish I knew where I could get some. I may have to settle for my own. If you're unfamiliar with this delicacy check out my mom's post on the subject.

3. Candy Corn. It may be mostly corn syrup but I love it! It is good that it is only available in the fall (or the good kind, anyway) because I definitely eat too much. The absolute best, of course is Brach's.

4. Cool morning & evening breezes. My morning walks are so much more pleasant now. And in the evenings you can sit outside while the children play and just soak it in.

5. My hot tub. Oh, yes. After months of disuse because it was just too darn hot, I'm looking forward to evenings soaking in bubbled bliss.

6. Fall Fashion. Oh how I love my sweaters and sweatshirts and jackets and boots and jeans.

7. College Football. I love to go to games although in I've only been to 4 in the last 12 years. The atmosphere and excitement is hard to explain to the uninitiated. Playing in the band at Auburn was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life and I miss it. I even love watching the games on T.V. And I love Auburn even if they are not having the best season so far.

8. Halloween. Not just the night of when all the kids come to your door begging for trips. But the whole Halloween experience. School carnivals and carved pumpkins, yard displays of mums and scarecrows,. I love to decorate the house with pumpkins and fall decorations and candles. I have these really cute pumpkin baskets and Halloween beanie babies.

9. Fall Break. This is only the fourth year of fall break for us. I wish we had this when I was younger. It is nice to have that week to look forward to.

10. October at the Beach. Fewer crowds on the beach and in the restaurants. The water is still warm but the sun is not scorching. The kids spend long hours playing in the sand and I spend long hours lounging and reading. (Hubby spends long hours inside the condo on the computer). We race go karts, play miniature golf, and play games at night (since we can't take our Tivo with us.)

11. Christmas shopping. Although I start this process in August I try to be finished by October (except for the unexpected). I like to have my presents wrapped before others start thinking about who's on their list. Of course, I miss the bargains, but I also miss the crowds and the last minute stress.

12. Harvest Festivals, Street Fairs, Pumpkin Patches. We have a wonderful pumpkin patch here complete with hay rides and activities for the children. In October we have the Madison Street Festival complete with a parade. Our school is having a harvest festival in late October.

13. Chili. Now, I confess that I have eaten this during the warm months but usually refrain from cooking it. I like my chili full of beans (unlike the Texas versions) served over corn chips and topped with cheddar cheese. It is a great meal to eat while watching a football game (or even a F1 race).

Blogiversery

Tomorrow is my 1 year blog anniversary. One year ago, after months of reading other people's blogs, I took the plunge and began writing my own. I remember it well (because I blogged about it.) It was a beautiful fall day and I felt like engerized about the prospects. Of course, those first few months my readership was limited to my mom and husband and iMike. Now, I'm proud to report my readership has at least doubled. So in the tradition of others celebrating this milestone, I'm giving you the last two sentenences (because one sentence just didn't seem enough) of the last blog for each month of the year.


But I never say, "What race?" Of course, in his defense, he doesn't jump up and down and yell at the referees during the formula one races. Please do not put off planning for your eternal future. Please do not fail to plan for those loved ones you leave behind. We ate lunch together and he fussed over my children. I hugged him goodbye before we parted in what would be the last time. I am going to try and catch up on all my blog reading now and if I find anything else to say I'll be back. We've almost destroyed it and Him in the process. I like to think He tried it again and maybe got it right. So I don't need to have the dream interpreted to understand why I dream. I would be interested to know if anyone else has had an incurring dream for a long time. 12. Tomorrow I am going to clean off my porch, wash my car, and buy a sofa.13. I am off the next three days! There are only 5 in a box, though, so you pay a bit more. But I think they are worth it. Thursday is only 1/2 day of school. Friday they both start summer care, though. On the bright side (always, always look for the bright side), tonite I'm having Rosie's and watching qualifying for the French Grand Prix. So if I can entertain myself for the next 9 hours then I'll be home free and happy. But today I am taking the kids attitude and concentrating on doing nothing. We will see how it goes. We've had a couple days with rain and the highs are just crossing 90 with overnight lows in the 70's. Looks like Fall is on the way!!!

Actually, it sounds pretty mundane put altogether like that.

Book Update

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented and prayed for me. I'll get to a regular post soon.

I just finished reading Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel. Wow, how did I miss this book? It reminded me so much of the Outlander series and also a little like Mists of Avalon. Maybe that is because it is historical fiction that goes into great detail about the lives of its characters. It is well researched and well written. It fit my criteria of a really great novel by immersing me completely in the story. I wasn't too dissapointed with its ending because I knew there was a sequel.

I haven't blogged a book update in almost a month and I'm trying to remember what all I've been reading. I did read Club Sandwich by Lisa Samson because I read about it on someone's blog. (Again, I didn't write it down, so thank you and I'm sorry if it was yours and you're not getting credit.) It was a pretty good read but a little eratic. I also read A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (I remember I read about this on J's blog. Actually, this might be where I get a lot of my book ideas. Thanks Jules.) A Single Shard is more of a children's tale but quite enjoyable.

In my quest to read more of that silly top 100 list that circulated a while back I also read A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The book seems a little silly to me but I can understand its appeal when first published in 1932. The overall concept is still fresh, though.

I also read The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. This was the first of the Cat Who books by Lillian Jackson Braun. I had never read any of these but my new book club had chosen this author for September. What better place to start then the beginning, right? This was a short, light book and would be perfect to follow any of the more deeper titles I tend to read.

Book Update II

Oh and let me tell you about Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow. Turow has written a lot of legal thrillers which I enjoy but this book was quite diffrent. It is a wonderful story of romance and intrigue set in WWII as told by both the veteran and his son as he discovers secrets that were kept for 50 years. I shamelessly stole this quote form Amazon's review but it tells it so much better than I could:

This hard truth stands at the center of Ordinary Heroes, Scott Turow's seventh novel. The story opens in 2003, when Stewart Dubinsky, a 55-year-old crime reporter, happens upon a bundle of letters that allude to his recently deceased father's court-martial during the last days of World War II. Stewart is knocked flat by the thought that his "tirelessly proper" father should have such a scandalous past. An insurance company lawyer and devoted family man, David had always claimed that his wartime service as an assistant judge advocate in Europe was unexceptional. Stewart decides to investigate whether he is "the son of a convict who'd betrayed his country and slipped away on some technicality, or, perhaps, the child of a man who'd endured a primitive injustice which he'd left entombed in the past."

A very good read. I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy fiction surrounding WWII.

I'm halfway through another book I got from mother and am enjoying it a lot. I'll tell you all about it soon. I'm really enjoying using Bookins and appreciate the commenter who suggested it. I am looking forward to a couple of brand new titles that I'm saving for my October vacation: Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (Diana Gabaldon) and The Wheel of Darkness (Preston/Child). Also, John Grisham has a new book out soon. I like to have really good books to read on vacation and then read almost constantly (while relaxing at the beach or beside the pool).