Moonset

This is the moon setting around 5:30 last Saturday morning.

Is there such a thing as 'moonset'?

Beautiful visitors

Look who came to visit yesterday!

I don't know where they live, but they seemed happy to be here.

They went home some time after lunch.  Their mom must have called them for dinner.

Toilet Wars

Today, I am so thankful that we are having carpet installed in our upstairs bedrooms.  It has been a long time coming and this is the realization of something Daryl and I have dreamed about for years.

With that said...

I see how dirty this toilet is, too.  I have known it was going to be replaced, but didn't think that I might take a picture of it.

We are also, having flooring installed in the bathrooms which includes removing the toilets for the day.  When we knew we would have to do that, we decided to buy a new toilet to replace the 40-year-old blue toilet in the guest bathroom.  


Daryl has a problem with laws about things like toilet tank size and he really doesn't like it that we are getting rid of a working 5-gallon tank toilet.

This was our conversation as we moved the 40-year-old blue toilet outside:

Daryl:  I'm not throwing this away until I am satisfied that a new one flushes right.

Me:  But this one isn't coming back in the house.

Daryl:  I'm not throwing this one away.

Me:  But this one isn't coming back in the house.

Daryl:  Well, all I know is that I'm not throwing this one away.

Me:  I guess you can use it outside, then.

Daryl:  I'm going to do an experiment.  I'm going to connect the tank to the downstairs toilet.  If it flushes better, I will replace the old tank with this one.

Me:  You think we are going to have a blue tank on that toilet downstairs?

Daryl:  No, I will take it somewhere and have it painted white.

Me:  The rest of the world is getting by with smaller tanks.  We can too.

Daryl:  I'm not throwing this one away.

I may need some help with this one.

First fire fail

Today it was about 45 degrees here and drizzly.  I was sitting on the couch working on a Christmas present that needs to get finished when I decided that today was the day for First Fire.

Usually the first fire of the season in our fireplace includes Daryl, but I made the selfish decision to start one while I was home alone.  I deserved it, after all.  It was cold and wet outside and I had several hours of smocking to get done.

So I wadded up some old newspaper, put the newspaper under my stack of wood, struck a match, lit the paper....

And watched the house fill with smoke.  

There was one major detail that I forgot about -- we haven't taken the top off of the chimney.  It isn't something I can do by myself because it is terribly dangerous and I leave all of those dangerous things to Daryl.  First you get a ladder to get on the roof, then you get a ladder to get on a higher roof, then you take a heavy lid from the top of the chimney.  Obviously not something I could do quick enough to save myself from the smoke.

Oh, well.  

I opened the back door and the kitchen window to air out the house, got the house good and chilly and turned up the heater.

First fire has been postponed!

A lesson in love

picture taken by Abbie

Happy Birthday, Sweet Bennett!

Bennett has taught me a great love lesson.  

Before he came into my life all of my children and grandchildren  were genetically related to me.   I love them all unconditionally and fully and with all my heart.  When I knew that Bennett would be joining us, I loved him immediately, but wondered how that love would feel.  Would it be a different kind of love?  

Nope.  It is the same.  I love him the same as I love Jonathan, Lily, Daniel and Bella.  I love him unconditionally, fully, and with all my heart.  

I love all of these little people, not because they might possibly have my eye color or bone structure, but because God brought us together to love each other. 

What a blessing!    

The Barbie wall

When I was in Oklahoma earlier this year we visited an art museum.  After looking through their beautiful exhibit of Bibles, we looked through the gift shop.  Instead of buying some sort of momento of the Bible exhibit, I bought a Barbie calendar.  That probably says something amount my maturity level.

This was no ordinary calendar, though.  It was very large, 14x18, and printed on heavy card stock.  Each month has a different drawing of Barbie in an evening gown.  When I saw the calendar, I knew it had to come home with me and go on the wall in my newly repainted pink guest room.

Thanks to Hobby Lobby having their frames half price this week I got 12 simple black frames and Daryl and I put them on the wall this morning.

It is as beautiful as I thought it would be.  My pictures aren't too great, but the wall itself looks lovely!

Lessons from boot camp.....so far

1.  Boot camp is hard.  Tough.  Killer.

2.  I really like exercising with my friends.  When I think I can't do one more push up, I look over to Cheryl, or Abbie, or Jenah, and sometimes I see them struggling, too.  That keeps me going.  More often, though, I see them just doing it.  That keeps me going, too.  As hard as it is, and as red as our faces get, and as nauseated as we feel sometimes, we keep laughing.  Sometimes we laugh because that is better than crying.  We laugh because we feel so silly and awkward, but  I think we mostly laugh because we are having fun.

3.  My days have been so much more fulfilling to me since I started the boot camp and it is because first thing in the morning I am doing the thing I want to do least.  When I used to exercise on my own I would find something, anything else to do before I exercised.  Boot camp is over at 6:30am and then my day really begins.  I've done the hardest thing, and feel good about myself all day.  Some days around noon or so I think my old thought, "I really need to get some exercise in today", and then I realize that I have already had a one hour killer workout.  It makes me happy with myself.

4.  Boot camp is only two days a week so on the other days I have committed to myself that I will jog.  Since we live in the country, I can look silly without caring!  When I listen to We Live by Superchick I can lift my hands in the air when they sing, "Life is such a gift, so how does the story end, well this is your story and it all depends.  So don't let it become true, get out and do what we were meant to do!"  When I listen to YMCA by The Village People  I can make the Y, the M, the C, the A with my arms.  And did you know that the lyrics say, "No man does it all by himself.  Young man put your pride on the shelf"? That's me -- exercise with some friends and look stupid without caring!

5.  When it comes to exercise I have been too easy on myself.  I will get winded, or sore, or weak, or tired and I will quit.  I should expect more of my body.  What might have been easy at 25 years old is really tough here at 50, but tough certainly doesn't mean impossible.  Generally, I push myself pretty hard to accomplish the results I want, but when it comes to staying in shape, I have made excuses.  I know that boot camp is a step in the right direction, though.  I am under no delusion that I will keep this up, but now I know that I can do more than I was expecting of myself.

A new session starts on January 2nd.  Anyone else want to join us?

A moment in time

I love this picture!

While Daryl and his brother and sisters were putting together a slide show for their parents we realized that it would be great to have a picture of Beau and Joy with their 5 great-grandchildren.  Since we all go to church together, it seemed like the best time to snap the shot would be on a Sunday morning.

Well.... you know how some Sunday mornings just don't go very smoothly?  This was one of those Sundays for the two-year-old people in our family.  First, we tried to get a shot with just the kids, Pappy, and JoJo.  But, no luck.  No amount of silliness and jumping from Minnie could convince them to sit on the couch.  They needed their parents that day.

Then, Abbie had the best idea -- everyone get in the picture.  She handed her camera to me, and before anyone could fall apart, I snapped this picture.

The only thing that might make someone wonder what was going on is Bennett's turned head.  He just wanted to watch the fun!  

This may be one of my favorite pictures ever.  The few minutes before the shot was crazy, hectic, please sit on the couch, why are you sad, everyone smile, "LOOK AT MINNIE"!  Then you have this split second in time.  

I love these people!

The wasp

(Gary Larson cartoon)

Today while I was driving around Montgomery I was stopped behind a Nissan Maxima at a red light.  A wasp was flying around the back window of the car, trying desperately to get out and the driver seemed oblivious.  

As we pulled away from the light I noticed how unconcerned he was about the angry wasp.  He carefully pulled out into the crossroad after looking both ways and drove fairly slowly right in front of me.  When he sped up a little I couldn't see the wasp anymore, but I was certain I was about to see the car start moving erratically around the road.

That didn't happen, though.  We got to another red light, I still saw the wasp in the back window, and was curious about how he couldn't hear the buzzing sound that mad wasps make.  As he pulled away from this light it occurred to me that he might have his music too loud to hear the danger.  When he moved to the right lane and I passed him, I could hear the boom-boom of the bass in his car.  He was clueless.

I tried to think if I knew any sign language that I could have used to let a stranger know that he was about to get stung, but I don't.  At the next light I turned left, he turned right.

The end.

My kind of popcorn

I have heard people from Oklahoma to Pennsylvania say that the colors this fall are some of the prettiest they have ever seen.  It is the same way here in Alabama.  No one travels to our wonderful state to go on a Fall Foliage Tour, but they could!  We are past the peak, but I am awestruck every time I step out my door.  This picture is SOOC - no touch-ups at all - and just look at the brilliant color!  (Just thought I would throw in some camera talk.  SOOC=straight out of the camera.  That is the extent of my camera lingo and I felt the need to use it.)

In our little part of the world there are several types of trees that have pretty colors in the fall, but none any more beautiful than the popcorn trees.  Such a better name than Chinese Tallow, don't you think?

This morning I celebrated 11:11:11, 11/11/11.

Not really.  I wouldn't know how to celebrate a time of day that has no significance to me.  But numbers and time are interesting to me for some reason.  My birthday is on October 3 and almost everyday I see 10:03 on the clock.  Why is that?  And sometimes I almost can't keep myself from noticing people's license plates and saying the numbers to myself.  Okay, that sounds crazy enough that I think I should stop sharing.

Enjoy your weekend!

Clotheslined

I have a new clothesline!  Something so simple, yet so perfect for me.  I like the smell of sheets fresh from the line, I like their crisp feel.  I like the energy conservation of saving that one dryer-load.  I like that I can see the breeze by watching the clothes sway.

It would be difficult for me to name one inanimate object that gives me as much joy as a clothesline.

Many years ago, when we had children in diapers, we chose not to buy a dryer.  The decision was a financial one:  save money by not purchasing the dryer and save money by not using the electricity to run it.  Almost every day I had a line full of diapers, drying in the sun.  Sometimes being softened by a rain shower.  Sometimes freezing before they dried.  Many days our clothes smelled like we had just returned from a camp fire because of the smoke from our chimney.  Some days, unfortunately, cows would linger along the fence row beside the clothesline and we would smell like cattle ranchers.  Mostly, though, the clothes were just fresh, and crisp, and smelled like sunshine.

My life became a little easier when we gave up our pioneer ways and bought a dryer.  Today when I hang sheets outside, it isn't a financial decision.  It might have a little to do with 'saving the planet' :), but mostly I hang the sheets outside because of one thing:

It makes me happy.

The fall outside my window

Here is our view looking out the window above the kitchen sink.  This was yesterday afternoon when it was a little rainy, a little breezy.

Kind of makes me want to wash dishes.

I've been a little busy....

I'm sure you have been asking, "What's new, Cindy?"  Well, here I am to fill you in!

Don't get too excited.

I have done a little sewing.  I love the sewing space I have carved out of our dining room.  This room was once two rooms, a dining room and a living room.  Years ago before we lived here, JoJo had the wall taken down and it is such a wonderful space now.  There are windows on each end and this is the brightest room in the house.  Then, a couple of years ago, I decided that it seemed like a shame to only use the room when we needed the dining table.  At the time I wondered if I would mind the sewing clutter, but I don't at all.  I try to keep it as neat as possible and the colors of the yarn and fabric give me a little burst of happy when I glance them.

This room has been red for many years now.  I'm considering a change.  Just wanted to warn anyone out there who thinks that the room should be forever red.  I am still taking input from all sources, though. :)

And speaking of the dining room, I refinished the top of our dining table.  I'll post more about that when I get the buffet finished.

Last Saturday night I was just minding my own business when Abbie asked me if I wanted to do a boot camp with her and one of her friends.  Without even doing much soul-searching, I said that I would.  Crazy, I know!  Over the past year or so I have worked to get my cholesterol number down below 200 and exercise seems to be the best way to do it.  That doesn't really explain why I would jump off into the deep end of the exercise world, though.  The only thing I can  figure out is that when she told me that it would be from 5:30-6:30 in the morning, I thought that sounded good.  Something like, "Get it over early.  Then move on with your day."  I'm pretty sore, but, you know, it feels good.  Until I get up or need to cough.

The strangest thing about this is that I don't think I have any abdominal muscles.  You may be thinking that I couldn't walk if I didn't have some.  So, I'm a freak of nature!  I must use all back muscles to support myself.  If all I do over the next 5 weeks is get some abs, I will feel successful!

I'm still picking up walnuts.  Anyone else want some fun like this?  Come on over!

The thing that has taken more brain power than anything else I have done recently is that I'm helping to put together a slide show for Daryl's parents.

When we first came up with the idea, I volunteered to do it because I have a computer program that we could use.  Then, we started thinking that some music would be nice.  And then, we needed narration.  At that point, I had no idea what I was doing and have had a blast learning some new computer programs.  The questions that I had didn't seem to be addressed in the Help section of the program so Google has become my friend.  David suggested that I type my question into the search bar as if I was asking him.  That worked great.  Just last night I figured out how to really work the sound portion of the program.  At one point I didn't think I would be able to pull it all together, but now I am feeling pretty good about it.  Last night at church I asked our sound guy if he had used Adobe Premiere Elements before and he said that he is very familiar with it.

Next time I will use the phone-a-friend lifeline.

Which is exactly what I did when I decided to do boot camp.  I texted Cheryl.  Thanks, sis, for hurting with me!

Thankful Thursday

Last weekend Daryl and I had our first fire of the season.  That's a cause for celebration around here!  We enjoy fires outside in our little firepit and inside in our great big fireplace.

We grilled some hot dogs and listened to the Alabama football game on the radio.

I love fall!

And, I'm so thankful.

The Wedding Crasher

Two years ago today a squirrel fell from a tree here in the Walnut Grove. 

They are usually such nimble creatures, jumping from tree to tree, limb to limb, without so much as a misstep.

But, on October 24, 2009, the excitement of the day and the beauty of the ceremony were absolutely overwhelming.  Even to a surefooted squirrel.

While the minister spoke some of the most sincere and kind words ever spoken at a wedding, our little squirrel fell.  He landed with a thud just behind the second bridesmaid, directly in front of the bride’s family, and just as quickly as he fell, he was up and running back to his tree.  

Laughter nearly overtook me.  It was one of those laughs that you must contain quickly.  A laugh fueled by the humor of a squirrel falling from a tree during the wedding ceremony.  And by the emotion of the day.  A laugh that had to be squelched at all cost.  

The bride and groom never knew about their wedding crasher.  They were so wrapped up in the love and beauty of the day that even a tumbling squirrel couldn’t intrude.

Happy Anniversary Jackie and Corey!

Flowers and eggs

This morning I headed out to have a little talk with the chickens.  On the way I noticed how pretty the flowers are.    The lantana blooms so pretty up until the first frost.

We seem to have a bumper crop of Granddaddy Longleg spider this year.  Do you see him?  I don't hate them, but I don't like them, either.  They are spiders, after all!  

I got these mums a couple of year ago to put outside around the time of Jackie's wedding.  They are in pots and have survived two summers with me and my sporadic watering schedule.  I think we are becoming friends.

Shiloh came with me to have my little chat with the girls.

 But, they didn't pay any attention to her so she gave up.

The issue we needed to discuss was about their egg production.  It has been horrible.  Yesterday they only gave me 2 eggs!  And there are 25 layers.  24 if Mr. Delaware turns out to be a Mr.

We just have a little egg operation here and I know that the amount of eggs I get can vary widely from week to week.  Usually that has to do with extreme temperatures or with stress.  Several things can stress a chicken.  Moving them from one pen to another, loud noises like hammering going on around them, or adding new chickens to the mix are all things that affect whether they lay or not.  Life has been very stable for them lately, though, and the weather is perfect.

The question we needed to discuss this morning was whether they were having some sort of problem I was unaware of or if a chicken snake was stealing my eggs.

But, when I did a little fact check before we began our pow wow, this is what I found.

 All together this morning there were 9 eggs!  That is more than I have gotten for the last three days combined!  I still don't know what the problem has been, but they decided to correct it on their own.

At least I hope that is what it is.  And not just that I beat the chicken snake to the hen house.

A Day of Simple New Recipes

When I search for something new to cook, or for a basic recipe for a staple like rice, I almost always turn to The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook.   The connection I have with this book is strong!  On Saturday I decided to try some new recipes and they were all three really simple and good.

Breakfast:  Country French Omelet

Boil a couple of red potatoes.  When they are tender, cut them into cubes and brown them in a skillet in a little butter.  Scramble some eggs with a little milk or water.  Add chopped chives to the eggs.  In an omelet pan, pour in your egg mixture and make an omelet!  Put the potatoes in the center of the omelet before you fold it over.  You'll be surprised how yummy this is!

Lunch:  Egg Salad BLT

This is nothing more than making egg salad and putting it on a BLT sandwich.  Absolutely delicious!

Supper:  Lemon Basil Grilled Tuna

Grate the rind from one lemon into a bowl.  Add the juice from that lemon, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and 1/4 cup of chopped basil.  Mix together and pour over tuna steaks.  Let it marinate for a couple of hours then grill the fish.

I have started making notes in my cookbooks when I make a recipe.  Things like, "This doesn't taste as good as it looks."  Or, "Cooked this the day we had a wedding planning meeting."   Sometimes I just write the date, but I'm always glad that I took the time to do it.

On this day I should have written, "Yummy!  Cook it again soon!"

First Date Anniversary: #35

Daryl and I have two anniversaries that we celebrate -- our wedding anniversary and the anniversary of our first date.   Yesterday was the 35th anniversary of our first date.  

This picture was probably taken sometime in the spring of 1977 after we had been dating for about 6 months.  We are the ones in the center of the picture with Daryl's brother and sisters on either side.  

We were all children!

Daryl and I first met at church on a Sunday night.  My family was an Air Force family and that Sunday morning had been the first in our new church in our new state of Alabama.  Daryl had been speaking in another congregation that morning so we hadn't met.  I remember another teenager telling me, "Oh, you need to meet Daryl!"  And someone else had told him that a new family was moving to town, "And they have THREE DAUGHTERS!"  

So, we met that Sunday in August of 1976.  It was the year Daryl graduated from high school -- and the month I began high school.  He was 17.  I was 14.  We both had birthdays coming up soon, but we were both so young.

The movie version of Gone With The Wind had been re-released that year and was showing in theaters.  It was one of Daryl's favorite books, he wanted to see the movie, so he called and asked me to go see it with him.  On a date.

My parents said "No."  I was only 14 and he was starting college.  There was nothing against Daryl personally, but I was just too young.  Besides, as the oldest child in my family, we hadn't dealt with dating issues, yet.  This was new territory for us.

Daryl and I talked on the telephone, saw each other at church and at youth group events, and sometimes sat together at church.  He had a birthday and turned 18, I had mine and turned 15.  The thrill of those days is still such a good memory to me.  

A church in Wetumpka was having an area-wide singing on Saturday night, October 16.  I guess Daryl thought that inviting me to a church event might go over better with my parents than the movie idea.  He called and asked if I could go with him.  I said I would let him know.  I asked Mom and Dad.  They said, "No, you can't go on a date.  But, he can give you a ride."

And what a fun, wild ride it has been!

Yesterday

This is what I did over the weekend:

Cooked some new recipes.

Worked in the yard.

Helped a daddy teach some little ones how to work a little and how to help a little.

Taught a little boy that if you roll down the window while you are riding in the car and put your arm outside, you can make your hand fly in the wind.

Learned how to do something new.

And then I sat outside Saturday evening to see the sun set.

To do this last thing, I got everything I needed.  A house phone in case the phone rings so I don't have to get up to go answer it.  A cell phone in case someone calls me on the cell.  My latest sewing project.  My camera.  The Nook so I can listen to the Vitamin String Quartet station on Pandora.

 Then I noticed how pretty the reflection of the tree was in the Nook.  So I took another picture of the Nook.

It was truly a Heavenly Day

Green and Yeller

The past few days have been a little dreary.  And I really, really love that kind of weather.  Hot tea, cuddling with a throw on the couch, naps.  I really do love it.

But, the past few days I have been dying to take a picture of the soybeans.  The fields have been two distinct colors - green and yellow.  I wanted to snap a picture of them before they changed to some greenish, brownish hue that isn't very interesting.

This morning for about 30 minutes the sun came out and I got out there in a hurry and captured a picture.

Isn't it beautiful?

Reading is Fun!

Last night was a busy night for The Parents, so the grandkids and Minnie and PawPaw were able to play together for a while.

Lily and Bella took a break from playing, "I'm the Mama, You're the Baby", and sat down to listen to Daniel read a book.

Then, Bennett took a break from his walking practice to get in the picture.

And over here was Jonathan.  Curled up with a good Nook.

Isn't reading fun?!

The Walnuts are Falling

I didn't name this blog Walnut Grove Farm for nothing!  Our house was built in a grove of black walnut trees.  They are old, gnarly, mossy, stately, and.....messy!  Each fall the walnuts become ripe and fall off of the trees.  This picture is of SOME of the walnuts under ONE of our trees.  They are just a little smaller and about as hard as a baseball, but then they get smushy, and the green husk turns to black yuck. 

A few years ago I did some research on the topic, "What Do You Do With Black Walnuts?"  Here are the results of that in-depth study:

1.  It seems like the obvious answer to "What Do You Do With Black Walnuts?" would be "You Eat Them."  Maybe, yes.  In my case, no.  But, if you have a relative who sits and watches Jerry Springer reruns all day, you could give them a bowl of nuts, ask them to please pick the meat out of the shell, and at the end of the day you would have enough walnuts to sprinkle on top of your salad.

2.  They are great for twisting your ankle when you accidentally step on one hidden in the grass.

3.  You can throw them at your brother.  If you have a brother.  I don't.  You can also throw them at trees to test your ability to hit a target.  Daryl uses them this way.

4.  The black dye in the husk is wonderful for staining your gravel road into black polka dots.  Of course, this only happens if you are lazy enough not to pick them up twice a day.

5.  They are good for waking you up when they fall out of the tree onto your metal roof.

6.  They will keep your squirrel population fat and happy.

And it is #6 that is my favorite use for all of these walnuts.  I'll even pick them up and dump them in a pile so the squirrels don't have to gather them.  It seems to work well for both of us because I have never had a squirrel eat out of our bird feeders.

I'm not complaining about the walnut trees, though.  I love living here.  Walnuts and all.

I Heart New York

View of Manhattan at sunset from the Brooklyn Promenade

I love New York

the energy

the lights

the restaurants tucked into tiny spaces

the subway, the taxis, the limos

the life lived without a car

the people

the people-watching

the skyscrapers

the rivers

the bridges

the food carts

that in one block you can find food from Thailand, Kenya, India, Ireland, Ukraine, and, yes, America

that in one block you find people from those same places

the parks

the museums

the tourists

the locals

the pizza

I love New York

Wrambling Wednesday

1.  In my continuing series of Roast Chicken Month, I did roast the third chicken.  It didn't turn out very well.  The recipe was wonderful because it was one of Emeril's recipes and he has never let me down!  It may have something to do with having sweet grandchildren with me all day that day.  Come to think of it, I don't think I became a good cook until I didn't have little children around.  Wonder why?  It must take a lot of concentration for me to get the recipe right!

2.  Speaking of Months of Foods, October is National Pizza Month.

3.  Speaking of October, my birthday is on Monday.  My Big 5-0!

4.  Speaking of pizza and birthdays, I think I will go celebrate in....

New York City!!!

Thanks to my great husband, we are leaving tomorrow to spend a week in Manhattan.  Ben, Abbie, David, Sarah, Jackie, and Corey will join us there on Friday for one big, huge, fun birthday party.  We have never done anything like this, and may not ever again, but we are all REALLY looking forward it!  I'll definitely be checking out the New York pizza!

Jackie had a business trip to Hartford, Connecticut this week.  When she goes there she takes the train from Philadelphia and rides right past New York.  As she came through she took this picture on her phone and emailed it to me.

I'll let you know how my pizza pilgrimage goes!

Mr. Delaware

This spring we became adoptive parents to three wandering chicks.

Daryl's uncle found them roaming the streets of his neighborhood and thought of us.  We babied them, petted them, and waited until just the right time to move them in with their new family.

That can sometimes be a problem because old chickens just don't like young chickens very much.  These three must have been very easy going because all went well.

Two of the little ones are some type of red chicken, probably Rhode Island Reds.  I had to do a little searching to find the breed of the white one and it turns out that it is a Delaware.  I have never had that breed before, but if we had a beauty contest in the hen pen today, that one would win.

Here he is today.

And I say 'he' because I am trying to decide if Dela is a rooster or a hen.  I'm thinking rooster right now.  He is bigger than most chickens, his comb on top of his head is getting pretty big, and he goes to the top of whatever he is around.  King of the Mountain, you know.  I don't see any long tail feathers, yet, and he hasn't crowed.  But then he hasn't laid an egg, yet, either!

I'll let you know what I decide.

Very Random Facts Friday

The bees are still working on the first day of fall
~~~

The fact that you are losing weight in your face does not mean that your jeans will fit any better.

~~~

I can get more done in 30 minutes with a timer set than I can in an hour of working without a timer.

~~~

Last week when I was changing the sheets on my bed I couldn't find the top sheet.  I just knew I had brought it upstairs, but I retraced all of my steps all over the house and still couldn't find it.  Turns out, I had already put it on the bed.

~~~

When a 3-year-old plays a game it isn't about winning and losing.  It is just about playing.

~~~

Skittish cats make me nervous.  Twinkle is skittish.

~~~

The weeds blooming right now have some of the prettiest flowers I have seen all year. 

~~~

My first thought when I think of a gift for someone is, "What can I make for them?"  That must be truly annoying to the recipients.

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One of the things I try to do is to celebrate the ordinary -- like a cup of tea on a cloudy day -- and not put as much importance on 'special occasions.'  There are very few special days, but many special moments in every day.

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It is very difficult for extroverts to understand introverts.

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And the best fact of the day -- today is the first day of Fall!  

Thankful Thursday

It was just one of those day.

One of those days when you think life doesn't get any better than this.

First you have helpers to make the chocolate chip cookies,

watchers to watch the cookies cook,

and eaters to gobble them up.

Yep, I'm thankful!