Perry (left) & Trace (right), Dave's younger brothers, take a break from jumping up & down in the dumpster!
Monday, November 28, 2005
No Place Like Home For The Holidays!
Well, we got back yesterday afternoon at 3PM, fighting a strong wind all the way. I told Dave that this must be what it's like trying to drive through an F-1 tornado! There were times when I was driving that I had to fight to keep the van on the road! I had a white-knuckle death grip on the wheel the whole entire time! We left my in-laws at 4:40AM, determined to try and get home before the heaviest holiday traffic was on the roads. I think we set a record, we made the drive in under 10 1/2 hours!
We left on the 18th, heading home to St Charles (outside St Louis) to spend the holiday with family and friends. Dave's youngest brother Perry is staying with his folks for now and they actually gave permission to start throwing stuff out from the basement. That in and of itself is nothing short of a miracle! They had a 30 foot long industrial dumpster delivered to the driveway and in a few days time we easily filled it with junk! The biggest miracle of all-we threw out a lot of the food that's stockpiled down in the basement! I officially hold the record for finding the oldest food!!!! Upstairs in the kitchen, I found a box of brown sugar that was from 1974!! I had to laugh because I was a Freshman in high school and younger than what my son is now when my Mother-in-law bought that! Altogether 4 wheelbarrows of expired canned goods were thrown out from the basement (We were just getting warmed up, there are easily another 4-5 wheelbarrows that could go) My Father-in-law doesn't realize just how much was thrown out. Once he does, he will not be happy! Upstairs in the 2 refrigerators in the kitchen (yes, you heard me right, there are 2 refrigerators in the kitchen for just 2 people) I took down to the dumpster 16 plastic grocery bags of expired food items. The most disgusting-the eggs whose yolks were stretchy like rubber bands. The green look that came over Perry's face was worthy of a picture! A close second was the brown (not moldy!) shredded mozzarella cheese from 1993! Since I'm an early riser and was the only one up Thanksgiving morning, I cleaned out 3 13 gallon sized trashbags of boxed caked mixes, rice from 1976, 1985 Bisquick etc! What a triumph!!!
We left on the 18th, heading home to St Charles (outside St Louis) to spend the holiday with family and friends. Dave's youngest brother Perry is staying with his folks for now and they actually gave permission to start throwing stuff out from the basement. That in and of itself is nothing short of a miracle! They had a 30 foot long industrial dumpster delivered to the driveway and in a few days time we easily filled it with junk! The biggest miracle of all-we threw out a lot of the food that's stockpiled down in the basement! I officially hold the record for finding the oldest food!!!! Upstairs in the kitchen, I found a box of brown sugar that was from 1974!! I had to laugh because I was a Freshman in high school and younger than what my son is now when my Mother-in-law bought that! Altogether 4 wheelbarrows of expired canned goods were thrown out from the basement (We were just getting warmed up, there are easily another 4-5 wheelbarrows that could go) My Father-in-law doesn't realize just how much was thrown out. Once he does, he will not be happy! Upstairs in the 2 refrigerators in the kitchen (yes, you heard me right, there are 2 refrigerators in the kitchen for just 2 people) I took down to the dumpster 16 plastic grocery bags of expired food items. The most disgusting-the eggs whose yolks were stretchy like rubber bands. The green look that came over Perry's face was worthy of a picture! A close second was the brown (not moldy!) shredded mozzarella cheese from 1993! Since I'm an early riser and was the only one up Thanksgiving morning, I cleaned out 3 13 gallon sized trashbags of boxed caked mixes, rice from 1976, 1985 Bisquick etc! What a triumph!!!
Thursday, November 17, 2005
My daughter's tribute to an influential teacher
Goodbye Mr. Bailey
Last night I recieved a phone call from my mom; and I have to say it rocked me to my core. My high school theatre arts teacher committed suicide.
I had the honor to be taught by Mr. Bailey all 4 years of high school. My freshman year, 1996, was his very first year to teach at Denton High School and I took Theatre 1 from him and then took Theatre 2 the next year with him. While learning under him, I realized that I was more interested in the mechanics behind the curtain than what was on stage. I wanted to learn the lights, paint the sets, everything. So he took it to the school board to create a Theatre Production class, and luckily 11 other students were interested and it was approved. So my last 2 years in high school I worked on all of the behind the scenes aspects of theatre. All under the direction of Mr. Bailey.
He was a very motivational and influencial teacher; with a very rough life. My sophmore year in high school, his wife and 2 of his 4 children were killed in a car accident. I still remember the day that he tried to come back after the entire tragedy. He was teaching class, and we were working on some workshop excercises, and some of us were in the auditorium working, and he just ran out of the classroom and ran to the auditorium and just sat in the front row of chairs and wept. I remember that so vividly because I had never seen a grown man just weep and cry...it was a very somber moment.
Mr. Bailey was one of those teachers that help make and shape you into the person have become. I wasnt the most popular kid at school, and I had a small handful of friends, and I remember 2 years in a row I didnt have any lunches with them. So at lunch I would go and sit in his classroom and eat lunch with him and then help him with making phone calls for the community theatre or help him organize the prop room. In those times of just one-on-one, we would talk, and he was so inspiring. He actually cared about me and my life.I have to say, I have never had or known anyone close or even an acquaintance commit suicide before; and it's such a different feeling than when someone passes due to a car accident or natural causes.
I feel so incredibly sorry for him that things got so bad and he felt he had no one he could turn to; I couldnt imagine the inner pain he must have been struggling with to take such a drastic measure. Why wasn't someone there for him, and care about him they way he cared about us as students? What was so bad that he had no way out? So many questions, and so tragic that such a great life had to end because he felt there was no way out.Mr. Bailey, I am so sorry I didnt stay more in touch with you. You were the most inspiring and influential teacher I had. In this time of sadness, I still remember your smile and sense of humor, and always will. You made such a difference in so many peoples lives, including mine...you have no idea how much you are missed. I will be praying for your children, and you will not be forgotten...I will just choose to remember the good times. Good-bye my friend.
Jessica Brandon (Class of 2000)
Last night I recieved a phone call from my mom; and I have to say it rocked me to my core. My high school theatre arts teacher committed suicide.
I had the honor to be taught by Mr. Bailey all 4 years of high school. My freshman year, 1996, was his very first year to teach at Denton High School and I took Theatre 1 from him and then took Theatre 2 the next year with him. While learning under him, I realized that I was more interested in the mechanics behind the curtain than what was on stage. I wanted to learn the lights, paint the sets, everything. So he took it to the school board to create a Theatre Production class, and luckily 11 other students were interested and it was approved. So my last 2 years in high school I worked on all of the behind the scenes aspects of theatre. All under the direction of Mr. Bailey.
He was a very motivational and influencial teacher; with a very rough life. My sophmore year in high school, his wife and 2 of his 4 children were killed in a car accident. I still remember the day that he tried to come back after the entire tragedy. He was teaching class, and we were working on some workshop excercises, and some of us were in the auditorium working, and he just ran out of the classroom and ran to the auditorium and just sat in the front row of chairs and wept. I remember that so vividly because I had never seen a grown man just weep and cry...it was a very somber moment.
Mr. Bailey was one of those teachers that help make and shape you into the person have become. I wasnt the most popular kid at school, and I had a small handful of friends, and I remember 2 years in a row I didnt have any lunches with them. So at lunch I would go and sit in his classroom and eat lunch with him and then help him with making phone calls for the community theatre or help him organize the prop room. In those times of just one-on-one, we would talk, and he was so inspiring. He actually cared about me and my life.I have to say, I have never had or known anyone close or even an acquaintance commit suicide before; and it's such a different feeling than when someone passes due to a car accident or natural causes.
I feel so incredibly sorry for him that things got so bad and he felt he had no one he could turn to; I couldnt imagine the inner pain he must have been struggling with to take such a drastic measure. Why wasn't someone there for him, and care about him they way he cared about us as students? What was so bad that he had no way out? So many questions, and so tragic that such a great life had to end because he felt there was no way out.Mr. Bailey, I am so sorry I didnt stay more in touch with you. You were the most inspiring and influential teacher I had. In this time of sadness, I still remember your smile and sense of humor, and always will. You made such a difference in so many peoples lives, including mine...you have no idea how much you are missed. I will be praying for your children, and you will not be forgotten...I will just choose to remember the good times. Good-bye my friend.
Jessica Brandon (Class of 2000)
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Bub's new look!
I haven't had much spare time lately, getting ready to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday. I only have a couple more presents left to wrap and then I won't have to ship anything next month! Hooray!
Yesterday, Jessica convinced Charles to get a haircut and go for an edgy look. I think he looks fabulous! Of course, I am a tad biased!
Yesterday, Jessica convinced Charles to get a haircut and go for an edgy look. I think he looks fabulous! Of course, I am a tad biased!
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Ladders!
I had hoped to clean bottles last Saturday but had some other household chores come up and take priority. So, I will start on them today. I really hate getting up on the ladder for good reason. Four years ago in December, I opened up Dave's RR telescoping ladder that he carried in his Jeep so I could fix some Christmas lights on the roof that weren't working. I thought that each extension was locked into place and positioned it on the porch and began my ascent. Just as I got ready to step onto the roof, the ladder began to collapse and I landed on the porch, whacking my head on a pile of firewood that was stacked out there. I was extremely fortunate that I didn't literally break my neck!
Laura had been sitting on the couch watching TV and saw me fall from the sky through the front door. She freaked out and ran to the door. I pulled my hand away from the back of my head and it was covered in blood. I told her to call 911. Dave had been out of town and in an unbelievable moment of timing, drove up to the house about 2 minutes after I had fallen from the roof! He said his first thought was that I resting but he knows I don't exercise (despise it) so it's not like I just got back from a little jog around the lake. He told Laura to cancel the 911, he got me a washcloth and loaded me up to Denton Regional Medical Center about 5 minutes down the road.
By the time I got to see the Emergencey Doctor, I looked like I was a victim of a drive by or something! My head was all matted with blood and my clothes were all blood stained. Obviously I didn't have ITP yet or else I probably would've bled to death! I got 11 stitches in the back of my head and 3 in my left shin. Needless to say, I don't do outdoor roof Christmas lights anymore!!! They're pretty to look at but don't expect to see me up on the roof anytime soon!
Laura had been sitting on the couch watching TV and saw me fall from the sky through the front door. She freaked out and ran to the door. I pulled my hand away from the back of my head and it was covered in blood. I told her to call 911. Dave had been out of town and in an unbelievable moment of timing, drove up to the house about 2 minutes after I had fallen from the roof! He said his first thought was that I resting but he knows I don't exercise (despise it) so it's not like I just got back from a little jog around the lake. He told Laura to cancel the 911, he got me a washcloth and loaded me up to Denton Regional Medical Center about 5 minutes down the road.
By the time I got to see the Emergencey Doctor, I looked like I was a victim of a drive by or something! My head was all matted with blood and my clothes were all blood stained. Obviously I didn't have ITP yet or else I probably would've bled to death! I got 11 stitches in the back of my head and 3 in my left shin. Needless to say, I don't do outdoor roof Christmas lights anymore!!! They're pretty to look at but don't expect to see me up on the roof anytime soon!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Where does the time go?
Today is our Anniversary. I married my best friend 19 years ago today. I have to admit that mature love, the kind that comes over the passing of time and experiences is far better than fireworks and quickly fizzled passion.
Dave and I come from such different backgrounds that it's very obvious it was the Lord who brought us together. I came from a dysfunctional family background filled with alcoholism and abuse whereas he came from the typical "Leave It To Beaver" family you saw in the old television shows. His mom stayed at home, mine was a single mom providing for the 2 of us. His dad was there even if he was the disciplinarian, mine was seldom seen. He had 2 younger brothers, I had little contact with my half-siblings, making me basically, an only child. He was athletic and was always playing something outdoors with others. I studied classical ballet for 10 years and read a lot. Reading was an escape for me because I had such a lonely childhood. My mother was different from the other kids moms; she was divorced (a definite no-no in the Catholic church in the 1960's) and she was from Germany. It only dawned me a few years ago why the other kids would call my mom and I Nazis. We weren't that far removed from WW2 and their dads probably fought against the Germans! By the time Dave came into my life, I had been married and divorced twice and I was only 24 years old! That would scare most men off, but then my man isn't like most men.
The first time I saw Dave was when I decided to go to the "Singles Sunday School Class" at Calvary Evangelical Methodist Church. I made the decision to attend this particuliar class 6 months after finding myself suddenly single again.I had been at Calvary for a couple of years but mine and Dave's paths had never crossed. Ironically, I met his best friend Charlie and his wife Brenda (Brenda is now my best friend as well)before Dave. We were in a different Sunday School class, Brenda was pregnant with Kelly (now aged 21) and Charlie had just graduated from Dental School and had opened his practice. I even went to Charlie for dental work!
When I walked into the Singles class that February, Dave was seated with his long legs extended and I remember thinking, "Golly, that guy has HUGE feet!" So much for first impressions! Over the course of the next few months, we were always doing things in a group setting with others. During the summer, we started spending more time together which would include my girls, Jennifer & Jessica and I got the impression that maybe this was going somewhere. Later on he would tell me that he was "testing the waters" to see what kind of a mom I was and if my personality was similiar to his. He would be taking on quite a bit of baggage if he decided to date me. In September he was preparing to leave on a Missionary trip and told me he wanted to talk. I figured that meant, "It's been nice but...." I told a friend of mine that if Dave wasn't the guy for me then the one that God had in mind must be REALLY something special and that I'd be fortunate to have a friend like Dave.
The night before he was supposed to leave for Bolivia he came over for the talk. He just came right out and asked me if I wanted this to be a friendship or a dating relationship. I could hardly believe my ears when I quickly blurted out, a dating relationship! Me, the one who had been burned SO badly, who had trust issues, insecurity issues and who knows what all other kinds of issues yet to be revealed, the one who told God that from now on HE was to pick out a guy for me because my judgment was NOT to be trusted. The one who had told GOD that I'd rather be single for the remainder of my life rather than screwing up again, told this man I wanted to date him. Fortunately for me he said that's what he was wanting too!
The rest as they say is history, but it is OUR history! I love this man more as every year passes. I thank GOD every day for bringing him into my life and adding such love and color to my life. We have been through so much through the years. Those tough times when we lived out of state and our kids were little and we were all on our own. We've survived a rebellious, prodigal child and seen her restored to the loving arms of our family. We've squared our shoulders and are riding out a chronic illness and my recent surgery. We've watched our children be born and we've had loved ones return back to the Lord. We are enjoying the fruits of our labor with grandchildren and will know the heartache of losing our parents. This man of mine is exactly that-MINE. What I love the most about him though is that as much as I say he is mine, he is really God's man first.
I admire him and respect him more than any man I've ever met. He is a man of deep moral character and great integrity. What he lacks in those occasional moments of perceived insensitivity are easily tempered when I remember his self-less personality and his desire to be like another man named David. King David was called a man after God's own heart. What woman can resist a man like that? Certainly not this one!
Here's to you man of mine. You're the great love of my life and I'm proud to be your wife. It just keeps getting better and better and better.....
Eternally Yours,
Connie
Dave and I come from such different backgrounds that it's very obvious it was the Lord who brought us together. I came from a dysfunctional family background filled with alcoholism and abuse whereas he came from the typical "Leave It To Beaver" family you saw in the old television shows. His mom stayed at home, mine was a single mom providing for the 2 of us. His dad was there even if he was the disciplinarian, mine was seldom seen. He had 2 younger brothers, I had little contact with my half-siblings, making me basically, an only child. He was athletic and was always playing something outdoors with others. I studied classical ballet for 10 years and read a lot. Reading was an escape for me because I had such a lonely childhood. My mother was different from the other kids moms; she was divorced (a definite no-no in the Catholic church in the 1960's) and she was from Germany. It only dawned me a few years ago why the other kids would call my mom and I Nazis. We weren't that far removed from WW2 and their dads probably fought against the Germans! By the time Dave came into my life, I had been married and divorced twice and I was only 24 years old! That would scare most men off, but then my man isn't like most men.
The first time I saw Dave was when I decided to go to the "Singles Sunday School Class" at Calvary Evangelical Methodist Church. I made the decision to attend this particuliar class 6 months after finding myself suddenly single again.I had been at Calvary for a couple of years but mine and Dave's paths had never crossed. Ironically, I met his best friend Charlie and his wife Brenda (Brenda is now my best friend as well)before Dave. We were in a different Sunday School class, Brenda was pregnant with Kelly (now aged 21) and Charlie had just graduated from Dental School and had opened his practice. I even went to Charlie for dental work!
When I walked into the Singles class that February, Dave was seated with his long legs extended and I remember thinking, "Golly, that guy has HUGE feet!" So much for first impressions! Over the course of the next few months, we were always doing things in a group setting with others. During the summer, we started spending more time together which would include my girls, Jennifer & Jessica and I got the impression that maybe this was going somewhere. Later on he would tell me that he was "testing the waters" to see what kind of a mom I was and if my personality was similiar to his. He would be taking on quite a bit of baggage if he decided to date me. In September he was preparing to leave on a Missionary trip and told me he wanted to talk. I figured that meant, "It's been nice but...." I told a friend of mine that if Dave wasn't the guy for me then the one that God had in mind must be REALLY something special and that I'd be fortunate to have a friend like Dave.
The night before he was supposed to leave for Bolivia he came over for the talk. He just came right out and asked me if I wanted this to be a friendship or a dating relationship. I could hardly believe my ears when I quickly blurted out, a dating relationship! Me, the one who had been burned SO badly, who had trust issues, insecurity issues and who knows what all other kinds of issues yet to be revealed, the one who told God that from now on HE was to pick out a guy for me because my judgment was NOT to be trusted. The one who had told GOD that I'd rather be single for the remainder of my life rather than screwing up again, told this man I wanted to date him. Fortunately for me he said that's what he was wanting too!
The rest as they say is history, but it is OUR history! I love this man more as every year passes. I thank GOD every day for bringing him into my life and adding such love and color to my life. We have been through so much through the years. Those tough times when we lived out of state and our kids were little and we were all on our own. We've survived a rebellious, prodigal child and seen her restored to the loving arms of our family. We've squared our shoulders and are riding out a chronic illness and my recent surgery. We've watched our children be born and we've had loved ones return back to the Lord. We are enjoying the fruits of our labor with grandchildren and will know the heartache of losing our parents. This man of mine is exactly that-MINE. What I love the most about him though is that as much as I say he is mine, he is really God's man first.
I admire him and respect him more than any man I've ever met. He is a man of deep moral character and great integrity. What he lacks in those occasional moments of perceived insensitivity are easily tempered when I remember his self-less personality and his desire to be like another man named David. King David was called a man after God's own heart. What woman can resist a man like that? Certainly not this one!
Here's to you man of mine. You're the great love of my life and I'm proud to be your wife. It just keeps getting better and better and better.....
Eternally Yours,
Connie
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Packing Up Halloween
Today is Saturday and after sleeping in until 7:30 this morning, I've been putzing around the house. As I've been drinking my last cup of coffee, I've been thinking of how I'll spend my Saturday. Later today, Dave and I have to run up to church and help do some set up for service tomorrow. Our best friends here in Texas are leaving on a cruise and we are filling in for them tomorrow and next Sunday. I have laundry that needs to be done, the house needs to be cleaned up and then I think I'll pack up the Halloween stuff. I can leave some stuff out for Thanksgiving though. I started my Fall house cleaning, the deep cleaning stuff a couple of weeks ago. It's easiest to go room by room. My biggest chore (and that's exactly what it is) is cleaning the bottle shelves.
Dave and I collect the old glass milk bottles that milk used to come in. We specifically collect from Colorado only. What I would really like is to have a basement or an outdoor barn to actually display everything. My favorite ones are the bottles that have the war slogans and pictures on them from WW2. Dave made some beautiful display shelves years ago and every Fall before I begin the massive Christmas decorating, I clean the bottles and the shelves. This is not some simple project, it takes hours because we have literally hundreds of bottles!
At times, I have found myself frustrated because they take over the house. There are some rooms and certain areas that are off limits! When I started seeing them in our bathroom, I said, "That's IT!" I didn't care if they were drying after being washed, I had had enough! No more of the milk bottles in my kitchen (sounds ironic doesn't it?) and none suddenly finding a home in the china cabinet! Grrrrrr! The living room and dining room have the shelves and so I'm okay with that. The den is Dave's room and so I can't really say anthing about it. Our bedroom has 2 big display cases and while I'd rather not have our room junked up, no one really sees them so I can live with it. When you live in a double-wide mobile home, space is at a premium! We've talked about eventually displaying all of the dairy collection in one of the kids bedrooms once they're on their own. I still like my barn idea!
Now I'm depressed thinking about the monumental job ahead! Oh well....time to get off of my hiney and get at it. Don't you wish everything was "self-cleaning"?
Dave and I collect the old glass milk bottles that milk used to come in. We specifically collect from Colorado only. What I would really like is to have a basement or an outdoor barn to actually display everything. My favorite ones are the bottles that have the war slogans and pictures on them from WW2. Dave made some beautiful display shelves years ago and every Fall before I begin the massive Christmas decorating, I clean the bottles and the shelves. This is not some simple project, it takes hours because we have literally hundreds of bottles!
At times, I have found myself frustrated because they take over the house. There are some rooms and certain areas that are off limits! When I started seeing them in our bathroom, I said, "That's IT!" I didn't care if they were drying after being washed, I had had enough! No more of the milk bottles in my kitchen (sounds ironic doesn't it?) and none suddenly finding a home in the china cabinet! Grrrrrr! The living room and dining room have the shelves and so I'm okay with that. The den is Dave's room and so I can't really say anthing about it. Our bedroom has 2 big display cases and while I'd rather not have our room junked up, no one really sees them so I can live with it. When you live in a double-wide mobile home, space is at a premium! We've talked about eventually displaying all of the dairy collection in one of the kids bedrooms once they're on their own. I still like my barn idea!
Now I'm depressed thinking about the monumental job ahead! Oh well....time to get off of my hiney and get at it. Don't you wish everything was "self-cleaning"?
Friday, November 04, 2005
Can You Feel It?
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." Well at least in the stores it is because you certainly couldn't tell it because of the weather! The leaves are beginning to turn their many shades of BROWN (ugh) down here! Lest you think it's all drab there is a little bit of color but trust me, it ain't that much! Still, living in Texas, I'll take what I can get and be grateful!
Two weeks from today we'll be traveling home to the St Louis area for Thanksgiving. I love to travel around the holidays! As crazy as it sounds, the weather is cooler, we're traveling at night, there's frost outside in the darkness and we're all snug and warm inside our van. I guess you have to be there! Ha Ha!
I hope to finish my Christmas shopping for family back home so that it's less I have to send in December that might get broken! Our time back home is already spoken for, visiting everyone that is important to us. Sometmes it seems we need a vacation from vacation!
Last year we decided for the first time in our marriage to spend Christmas back home. I enjoyed being able to be with my folks on Christmas Eve and Dave's family Christmas Day. Our return day was on the 26th and we were having family come down the 28th! It was a little rushed to say the least! A tradition I have is that the day after Christmas, Laura Lou and I get up REALLY early and hit the stores for after Christmas sales. She usually gets her Christmas shopping done for the next year. I have even lucked out and gotten Christmas presents at a really good bargain price, for company that is in route to spend the remainder of the holidays with us. I have to quickly get it wrapped though and stashed under the tree, but I can get more bang for my buck that way! I am really cheap! Maybe in another post, I'll share just how cheap I am!
Ta Ta for now....
Two weeks from today we'll be traveling home to the St Louis area for Thanksgiving. I love to travel around the holidays! As crazy as it sounds, the weather is cooler, we're traveling at night, there's frost outside in the darkness and we're all snug and warm inside our van. I guess you have to be there! Ha Ha!
I hope to finish my Christmas shopping for family back home so that it's less I have to send in December that might get broken! Our time back home is already spoken for, visiting everyone that is important to us. Sometmes it seems we need a vacation from vacation!
Last year we decided for the first time in our marriage to spend Christmas back home. I enjoyed being able to be with my folks on Christmas Eve and Dave's family Christmas Day. Our return day was on the 26th and we were having family come down the 28th! It was a little rushed to say the least! A tradition I have is that the day after Christmas, Laura Lou and I get up REALLY early and hit the stores for after Christmas sales. She usually gets her Christmas shopping done for the next year. I have even lucked out and gotten Christmas presents at a really good bargain price, for company that is in route to spend the remainder of the holidays with us. I have to quickly get it wrapped though and stashed under the tree, but I can get more bang for my buck that way! I am really cheap! Maybe in another post, I'll share just how cheap I am!
Ta Ta for now....
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Back To Normal?
Anyone who knows me will realize that normal around this place is anything but! My best friend Brenda came down from Missouri a few days ago and flew back tonight. I will miss her! Fortunately we are going home for Thanksgiving and I'll be seeing her in about 2 weeks! Brenda is the sister I never had. (I've mentioned before that I was raised as an only child despite the fact that I have 8 surviving siblings.) Brenda and I finish one another's sentences, read each others minds (I swear it's true!) and when we've been apart, we can pick up without ever missing a beat! She is a one of a kind, priceless treaure! We had a lot of fun shopping, going out to lunch, visiting, eating out and eating out, followed by more eating out!
Halloween has officially come & gone now! My 15 year old son went 'Trick-or-Treating" last night. Lest anyone get their noses out of joint because of his age, I gave him the thumbs up. I saw older kids going house to house too but they didn't even bother to put on a costume! Now that I have a problem with! Charles dressed up in Dave's pirate costume and his friend had on a Naval uniform.I figure if he's willing to go to all the time and energy and dress up, it's okay with me!
I had to laugh over something my daughter Jessica told me this morning while she was dropping off Jacey-Beth for our Tuesday, "Gigi & Me" day. A local radio station asked listeners to call in and tell them about what kind of treats they got. Apparently one guy called in and he told the DJ he got a bag of salad croutons from a fast-food restaurant. The Dj asked his age and when he told him he was 15, the DJ said, "Dude! If you've got facial hair, you're too old for trick-or-treating!! I told my son that and he said, "Mom, pirates have facial hair!" Now how am I supposed to argue with that? For the record, Charles got mainly gum, a few candy bars and a granola bar! Who ever heard of healthy food for Halloween? Are they trying to buck tradition?
While Charles was making the rounds at his friend's subdivision, Brenda, Dave & I went out for dinner. Dave suggested I leave the light on and place the remaing candy on the porch between the carved pumpkins. He said if someone came along and took the rest of the candy, oh well, that it was meant for the kids all along! It was? That's why I bought all of those Butterfingers? For someone else?
As we drove down the street after dinner, I was curious to see if the pumpkins were still there or if someone had smashed them? To my surprise they were still there! There wasn't any candy though. Actually, there wasn't any candy left in the bowl because there was no longer any bowl!! Someone had run off with the plastic bowl I had left out. Right before we left for dinner I decided to switch the candy to this flimsy plastic, Halloween bowl that had gotten a little too close to the heater coils in the dishwasher. It was a smart move after all! This morning when I was doing carpool, I kept my eyes peeled for my bowl, either whole or in a lot of tiny pieces out on the streets in our neighborhood. It's disappeared without a trace and I'm thinking it was those aliens I saw running around last night! I mean how else do you explain it?
Halloween has officially come & gone now! My 15 year old son went 'Trick-or-Treating" last night. Lest anyone get their noses out of joint because of his age, I gave him the thumbs up. I saw older kids going house to house too but they didn't even bother to put on a costume! Now that I have a problem with! Charles dressed up in Dave's pirate costume and his friend had on a Naval uniform.I figure if he's willing to go to all the time and energy and dress up, it's okay with me!
I had to laugh over something my daughter Jessica told me this morning while she was dropping off Jacey-Beth for our Tuesday, "Gigi & Me" day. A local radio station asked listeners to call in and tell them about what kind of treats they got. Apparently one guy called in and he told the DJ he got a bag of salad croutons from a fast-food restaurant. The Dj asked his age and when he told him he was 15, the DJ said, "Dude! If you've got facial hair, you're too old for trick-or-treating!! I told my son that and he said, "Mom, pirates have facial hair!" Now how am I supposed to argue with that? For the record, Charles got mainly gum, a few candy bars and a granola bar! Who ever heard of healthy food for Halloween? Are they trying to buck tradition?
While Charles was making the rounds at his friend's subdivision, Brenda, Dave & I went out for dinner. Dave suggested I leave the light on and place the remaing candy on the porch between the carved pumpkins. He said if someone came along and took the rest of the candy, oh well, that it was meant for the kids all along! It was? That's why I bought all of those Butterfingers? For someone else?
As we drove down the street after dinner, I was curious to see if the pumpkins were still there or if someone had smashed them? To my surprise they were still there! There wasn't any candy though. Actually, there wasn't any candy left in the bowl because there was no longer any bowl!! Someone had run off with the plastic bowl I had left out. Right before we left for dinner I decided to switch the candy to this flimsy plastic, Halloween bowl that had gotten a little too close to the heater coils in the dishwasher. It was a smart move after all! This morning when I was doing carpool, I kept my eyes peeled for my bowl, either whole or in a lot of tiny pieces out on the streets in our neighborhood. It's disappeared without a trace and I'm thinking it was those aliens I saw running around last night! I mean how else do you explain it?
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