Remember scary?

we had to mow yesterday...

this was yesterday...

and the rest are today...

still no killin' frost...

we've got 60s...

off to do something...

DH thinks harvest will be over this week and that he might actually have a whole weekend off...

we will be packing away all the summer stuff and getting the yard ready for you know what...

yippee!

17 years...

17 years ago my life was forever changed...

17 years ago I buried my mother...

I remember thinking when she died how in the world am I ever going to take another step without her...

each day was so long...

my life before was taking care of her and my grandparents...

not until they were gone, did I really bloom...

between them, the kids and working full time...

that was my world...

I did so much after she left here...

I started crafting...

painting...

gardening in earnest...

I had never had time for me before...

it was a new path...

discovering what I had in me...

and looking back over the last 17 years...

I can tell you now that I didn't do it alone...

she's been  with me every step of the way...

a mother's love never fades..

the first few years were hard...

but, things mellow with time...

this is not a bad time of the year for me anymore...

but..

if you have your mother here with you...

don't waste a day...

because they fly by so fast...

ask her all those things you want to know...

write it down!

cause 17 years ago...

I had to do my very first Thanksgiving dinner...

yeah...

had always mooched off of grandma and mom...

they did the dinners...

I was just a dumb kid then...

have a blessed day, everyone...

I'm spending it with my guys...

I knew there was something I forgot to do yesterday...

like blog!

HELLO!  yeah, sometimes I forget things...

well, it didn't frost hardly at all...

and look at the tomatoes...

had to pick more of them again...

the skies were so pretty...

yeah, still blooming...

I figured they would be black...

but no...

I hear tell that Jersey is getting 3-6 inches of the that S word this weekend...

sorry to hear that...

still having fall here...

check this out, ladies...

got my money's worth out of that...

and then look at this...

after it warmed up this afternoon...

no coats...

went up town and saw the grade school kids parading around in their costumes...

little monsters everywhere...

it was fun seeing the kids...

been a long time since mine were trick or treating...

we don't have any kids on our street anymore...

the youngest one is a senior in high school...

funny how they all grew up...

had another good day...

3 in a row...

and counting...

didn't get as much done yesterday...

too busy gawking at ghoulies and playing around...

even watched some tv...

someone ran a marathon of Rosanne Halloween shows...

yeah, we watched part of them...

still need to do my bedroom...

putting it off...

dreading it...

but it will be so much better when it's done...

turn out the lights, the party's over...

the southern breezes flew the coop...

and the northern gale took over...

and this is what it brought...

more naked trees...

frost advisory tonight...

let Bebe out a little bit ago to potty...

yeah...

had a tank top and shorts on 2 days ago...

ain't happening now...

so what do you do when the gale winds sail in?

you make a big killer pot of chicken and noodles...

bake a chicken...

strain the broth...

heat it back up...

dump in the egg noodles...

home made or bought...

de-bone your chicken and hand tear it apart...

add that to the pot...

along with...

1 can of peas- drained...

and...

1 pack of meatloaf seasoning...

yep...

that's what I do...

pepper to taste...

and parsley until it's pretty...

we now have NINE...

yep, count 'em...

9...

cats in my house!

got 2 more this morning...

neighbors caught the other two to the litter that goes with Baby Bear...

those 3 will be gone in a few weeks...

kennels are full...

taken in no more!

looking forward to indian summer now...

got tulips to plant and junque to clean up...

leaves to throw in the beds...

hope this frost happens and kills it all so we can move on...

got to get it done before the snow flies...

still have tomatoes on the vine and the roses are still blooming...

geez...

may have fresh tomatoes for Thanksgiving...

wouldn't that be weird?

I have done more in the last 2 days than I have done in the last 3 months...

sorting,  cleaning, and pitching...

and not whoo, either...

and there's still more to do!

laundry...

does that ever end?

no...

washing up the winter coats and getting them ready...

need to find the long johns, too...

maybe now I can pack away the summer stuff...

putting up the flip flops...

having to wear socks now...

I think today is Friday...

not real sure...

but bet it is...

need to call mower guy and tell him it's on for this weekend...

need to check into snow tires for the wheel chair...

or skies...

shoot...

just get me a sled...

with a rope so they can pull me...

welp- that's it from here...

don't know when I will be back in here...

we haven't even started on my bedroom...

after 3 days...

send in a search party..

later, girlies...

been chasing tail...

his, hers, mine...

Beau Beau...

who hardly ever sits still...

love his coloring...

it was 75 here yesterday...

guess where I was at...

playing...

bag of promises...

crocus in the spring...

Craig planting...

it's a slow turning fall...

it was rainy today...

foggy...

but I still played outside...

DH worked Sunday instead of Saturday and my whole week is off...

thought Sunday was Monday...

Tuesday felt like Thursday...

have no clue on the date anymore...

just know that October is almost over...

and I might still have bloomers when November comes...

Baby Bear started voiding on his own...

so  he graduated from the bird cage to a big kennel...

brought in the green bench to stack the kennels on...

moving things around...

cooking...

chicken and noodles today...

still no frost...

got all these leaves to put on the beds...

but not until it frosts...

more things to do...

more days in the sun...

soaking up what I can...

come back later...

I don't feel like blogging today...

maybe tomorrow...

yesterday...

DH had a Saturday off!

after he went to town for stuff...

had the truck's battery checked and replaced...

we headed for Ashmore...

now this is like 3 blocks out of town north...

I have not been down this road before...

and it's my newest favorite place...

there is a tad bit of corn left standing...

and they were working it hard yesterday...

I would love to own this space...

I'ld put a house there...

wouldn't ya just love to snoop around in there?

heading out of Ashmore for home...

we have a new road!

smooth as a baby's bottom...

then, back in town...

dummy me calling cows for photos...

only the bulls looked my way...

move on, dear...

I messed up...

that's a puney fence and those weeds just aren't thick enough...

there is color all around and more coming...

Laurie, look!

more leaves!

she has a thing about them...

love this...

she has been spruced up this summer...

steps fixed, painted...

this is the first house in town to have an inside toilet...

really...

blue skies and orange leaves...

around the square...

just a sleepy little town...

deserted on Saturday afternoons...

everything closed at noon at Saturday so you can go to town...

that's Charleston...

it was homecoming weekend at EIU...

so many went to the parade and game...

the only time this place hops is at  harvest, which is winding down...

and when someone needs help...

DH had to go in early today...

after 3 inches of rain, it didn't slow things down at all...

the farmers where hitting the fields Thursday...

thought the guys would get a breather...

nah...not here...

we were so dry...

could use some more, too...

we had a good day...

just being together...

take a drive...

watching tv...

went for a couple walks...

and played with 3 baby kittens...

nothing much better than that...