Happy Halloween....

I have been missing in action for several days now...

been sick...

whatever the kids had/ have...

found me...

living on Nyquil and fluids...

the coughing is terrible...

and I lost my voice some time in the night before Friday morning...

I missed the harvest party with DH and the people he works with last night...

I even called and cancelled my doctor's appointment yesterday morning...

I am better...

but its not gone...

we worked on the second wall in the kitchen today...

I made it through the first coat of paint until I had to take a nap...

the guys did great with the rest and I got up in time to move it all back...

;0)

one more to go and then the built ins...

going to wait until I am over this to try that again...

its raining here and there have been no trick or treaters at our house...

DH and I drove around and didn't see very many...

nothing like it used to be when our kids were small...

it makes me sad...

I am sure a lot of people are out celebrating with it being on a Saturday night...

nothing much else happening here...

trying to get over all the sickness so we can get the yard work done...

before the snow flies...

med central going here...

got 2 sick kids...

and yesterday wasn't a good day for me...

but today, me meds are finally kicking in...

and its much better...

Doug came back last night...

he had no where else to go...

found some things out that he hadn't told us...

like he was evicted from his apartment...

for not keeping it clean...

he wasn't raised that way and not sure why he didn't heed their warnings...

and from I have gathered, there were many...

and this apartment he is trying to get...

he needs a co-signer...

and we are not going there...

he will just have to keep looking...

and until then...

he will be here as long as he behaves...

he has to man up and get this right...

its way past time...

and when the guys aren't sick anymore...

I can make lists of things to do to keep him busy...

pray for me...

its not going to be fun around here, I am sure...

and we have the toy drive gearing up...

and I still need oral surgery...

yippee...

;0)

ya know, God put him back here with us for a reason...

its time to go to work on it...

got rain here today and it so looks like fall...

squirrels are busy little dudes...

and I have this young one, born this year...

he grabs a nut and runs to the window here and shows me his prize before running off to hide it...

he looks so proud with his nuts...

;0)

its been 21 years today that I found my mom gone at her home...

hard to believe...

seems like a lifetime ago, yet, she really never went away...

have good days!

one wall down...

1 down, 3 to go...

so far on the kitchen make over...

still trying to get the counter right...

will be tweaking this a lot until I can find the right layout of things...

we will replace the stove one of these days...

thinking about a floating shelf on the left to go from the fridge to the stove for all the spices...

freeing up the space under it to spread things out a bit...

the cabinets were oak...

21 years of yucky looking cabinets....

the island is black and its half painted...

will have to do that soon enough...

going around and doing a wall at a time...

Craig is down sick...

had to call in yesterday and won't make it there today...

I am up with him now...

he has been vomiting...

fever...

feels like crap...

sore throat, the whole nine yards...

Doug left...

after he pitched a fit...

(didn't want to help anymore)

I told him to take his drama and go...

I wasn't dealing with it...

so Craig and I worked hard on the kitchen Thursday...

and we got so much done, without Doug being in the way...

he is just impossible to work with anymore...

he wanted to cut corners and do things the easy way...

and I wanted them right...

he would only do things his way, so, he had to go...

he did meet with the lady on the apartment yesterday...

now he wants us to co-sign for the apartment...

not happening...

 I love my son, but cannot afford to do that...

I am not going to be responsible if he doesn't pay his rent or tears the place up...

this guy has so much potential and he could be so much more...

but he won't...

and its sad...

seems like the only time he comes to see us or talks to us is if he needs something...

if he has money, we don't see him...

he spends it with his friends...

so, let them deal with him...

on a brighter note...

harvest is OVER...

I have my hubby back...

;0)

work on the kitchen will continue until we get it done...

taking the weekend off for Craig to mend and get better...

there's always other things to do!

a little fall for you...

took these yesterday on our drive through the country...

as we speak, the kitchen make over is under way...

lots of sanding and dust flying...

Doug is working on the cabinet doors outside...

Craig is picking up paint tonight...

we have 3 walls to do...

so we are doing everything on one wall and then will move onto the next one...

someone lost his head...

(that will be me by the time we get this finished...)

Doug went to work last night and before he could clock in...

they told him he was laid off...

I think he got a week, maybe 10 days in...

so now he has all the time in the world to help until me moves out again...

photos coming soon...

as the world changes...

we got our good frost...

down to 28 by Sunday morning...

and the transition from living to dying has begun...

what was blooming the day before is no more in some places...

but the cold did not take it all...

some limbs are bare, some have color...

and some are still green...

we have officially begun the process of the change over...

from more dark than light...

and that dark will steal away the warmth of summer days...

there is still beauty...

from what once was...

and there are still blooms, for now...

this changing time happens so fast most years...

but this fall, for us...

is going slowly...

and without all the rain and dreary days that we usually have...

this week, the sanding begins on the kitchen cabinets...

prep work on the walls...

my boys are going to help a lot here...

and we will knock this out...

and float right through this week of Indian Summer...

with highs near 80...

warmer nights coming...

maybe a fire in the pit or two...

harvest is winding down, finally...

and DH thinks this was the last full weekend to work...

I hope so...

it will be nice having him back...

;0)

enjoy this week...

we won't have many more like them...

lady down...

and its not me!

what a beautiful day...

until you stepped outside...

29 for a low last night and sure didn't feel warm at all yesterday...

I am not sure it was even up to the mid 50s by afternoon...

but a high of 62 today, so should be better...

the leaves are turning and falling here and there...

the nuts are all picked up now...

I think it frosted, but not sure...

we had wind...

but it did nip a few things...

the rest of the week will be in the 70s...

Indian Summer!

and these once beautiful pots are getting dumped and put up for winter...

I might fill the basket hangers with walnuts or leaves this year...

greenery after Thanksgiving...

still have most of the leaves on the trees here...

but that won't be for long...

sedum turned darker over night, too...

but this really surprised me...

not looking too bad after the cold night and it is not getting watered...

Doug will be here all week to help out and we can knock some of this stuff out pretty quick...

had a rough day yesterday...

just need a day down to re- coup...

those nuts about did me in...

but, do the worst job first and the rest will seem easy...

so that's what I did...

Doug wants to help me get the kitchen done, too...

so will start him on sanding the cabinets...

and we can run and pick up the paint...

;0)

just think...

by the first of the month...

I can have a new kitchen...

;0)

I just have to keep up with feeding the help!