Visitor

I have been so busy preparing for my father-in-laws visit. He arrived yesterday from the east coast and will be with us through Monday. I am always so excited for him to come! For #1, my hubby loves his dad and enjoys spending time with him, for #2 my girls and I love him too and like seeing him, but # 3 reason why I am excited for his visit, is because he is the original Mr. Fix It! I will get things repaired around my house, that I did not even know I needed repaired! To top it off, he is a fabulous cook and I get to relax and have some great meals. Saturday we are all going to a college football game with my family and Sunday to the apple orchard. My oldest daughter is excited that he has arrived, because she will be able to share her favorite meal with him. Whitecastle Hamburgers- the greasy, little, oniony thing that resembles food. She loves them and so does grandpa! Apparently Whitecastle used to be popular on the east coast, but now they are pretty scarce, so he does enjoy a bite of the past. I refuse to buy them, so when GP visits she always cons him into taking her there. Last time my daughter ate them, she ended up having the Cha-Cha-Cha's and we had to cancel some plans, hopefully she will remember this as she gorges on those little gut bombs....

I have been trumped...

I do not succumb to defeat easily, and I am not totally ready to throw the towel in, but I am afraid my Halloween Party, this year, will be a bust! For the past 5 years I have been holding a Halloween costume party for our friends and family. It started out as a little soiree of about 15 kids dancing, banging on a pinata, and generally getting hyped up on a tremendous amount of sugar. However, the little event has grown and has turned into a highly anticipated event. I have jell-o body parts, many tasty, gruesome treats, a magician, great adult beverages, I could go on and on. I was eagerly anticipating this year's event, as my children are at new school and were/are very anxious to impress their new friends. I cleverly wrote a Halloween poem for the invites and hand addressed each and everyone. Then in Monday's mail, this...

A professionally done invite to another party. A party with catered food, a hot chocolate bar, nail BOO-tique, and haunted maze. A invite, not to mention the party that puts my little crafty poem to shame. Clearly I cannot compete on this level. 1. I have no warehouse to hold my shin-dig 2. I have no haunted nail painting ability- what should I expect with this, Libby Lu on acid? 3. I take great pride in my pigs in a blanket wrapped up like mummies, no catering here.

So do I proceed with my own pitiful party with my head held high or admit defeat and hope not to mortify my children in my rendition of the Monster Mash?

As the leaves turn and the air carries a cool crisp, it becomes evident that Autumn is upon us. It is such a nostalgic time of year for me. As most people reflect on their lives during the Christmas season in preparation for the new year commencing, I become most reminiscent in the Fall. Perhaps it is the smell of leaves gathered in the yards awaiting a fate of fire, or smell of apples and cinnamon baked into the goodness of a pie. As the summer sun fades into the Autumn night, the air ushers in the ghosts of my adolescence. The nights playing flashlight tag with neighbors, knowing the possibility of a scare was one dark shadow away. The chance that I might stay up just a little later one night, catching an episode of my favorite night time TV show horror host. Carefully planning and executing the most perfect Halloween costume; one that would help maximize the maximum candy yield. As I grew older, my Autumn memories blended into first loves, high school football games, my first semester at college; miles away from the memories of the neighborhood game of tag. My memories now are tied to the experiences of my children. Snuggling with them behind the warmth and glow of an evening bonfire, peeling apples for our own pie. Carving pumpkins and yes, still planning that perfect Halloween costume.

My First Time...

Do you remember yours? You talk it over with your friends, read all about it in books & magazines. The anticipation makes buterflies in your stomach. The time finally comes- you've figured it out, you do it and realize that it wasn't really that complicated after all. Your first blog post...

I had been wanting to do it for some time. Evidently, I feel like my life is so comical and spectacular that the rest of the world would want to share it! No really, I love to write. I love words, I love to paint pictures with letters and sounds. I really enjoy my life. If nothing else, this blog will help me look back on a days journey and revel in the beauty of my job, my friends, my family.

Welcome to my world, please wipe your feet at the door...