Halloween,2008

Well---I don't know where to begin. This Halloween started pretty good. I decided to go home to Grace (Greg didn't expect me home until Saturday afternoon since the dogs hate Halloween Trick-or-Treaters) & surprise Greg with pizza & salads from the Royal Hotel in Lava (if you have never been there before, you must try their individual salads with the house dressing--they are to die for--it is Halloween--give me a break!) & have my SMOKING! Halloween costume on when he arrives home from a long day's work at the drug store. Well, I get the truck packed & ready to go home, washed the sheets on the bed & remake the bed, wash the dishes in the dishwasher & get them put away, vacuum the bugs out of the windows one more time, order pizza & salads, shut every thing down at Bullwinkle, & get ready to put the dogs--all 4 of them in the truck to go home to Grace. I'm absolutely certain that the next word I would like to use cannot be used on the internet! The right rear tire on my truck is going flat!!!!!!!!!!!What to do?? Well, it's not completely flat--can I make it to Lava without damaging the rim? I really don't care if the rim is ruined--I am out of here! (Pizza & Halloween are waiting for me!) Okay, I get down to the gate--still worried about the tire. I close the gate & put the lock on it. Guess where I am? On the wrong side of the flippping gate!! I have to crawl under the flippping gate!! Okay, back in the truck & finally headed to Lava with an almost flat tire. Halfway down the mountain, I realize I have left my purse at Bullwinkle--well, that won't work! I can't buy pizza or pay for anyone to fix the almost flat tire on my truck!! JEEEZ!! My life is starting to get on my nerves BIG TIME! I turn around & go back to Bullwinkle. I go back into the house & can't find my purse anywhere! Did I leave it on the back of the truck & it fell off in the driveway? No. It is sitting on the table on the deck exactly where I left it! UGGGGGGGGGGHHHH! By now, I am a basket case! I call (by the way--couldn't call them earlier because my cell phone was in my missing purse!) the Royal & inform them of my dilemma & head back down the mountain in my truck with the almost flat tire. Of course, by now, the dogs are totally confused & my blood pressure is rising--I can feel it! Okay, we pick up the pizza & salads & head for the Sinclair to pump up that almost flat tire for the rest of the ride home. I have absolutely no idea how much air to put in a tire! And, I didn't know that you now have to pay for air--who knew?! Be sure to have 2 quarters available just in case you ever need five minutes of air to put in your tire---mine took all five minutes of it & probably could have used a couple of minutes more, but, I like to live on the edge--obviously! Okay, finally heading home--I'm a wreck!! I am terrified about going 65 with a tire that has recently been really close to flat, but I don't want to embarass myself by going too slow--stupid EGO!! (Blood pressure is still rising!) I stopped a couple of times on the way home from Lava just to check my tire. Well, I get home at about 5 minutes to 6 pm. Not enough time to empty the truck & put on my"smoking HOT!" Halloween costume. I opt for getting all of the stuff out of the truck since I don't want Greg to have to do it, after all, it is my stuff. Greg gets home from work & is surprised to see us at home; but glad, since he is not feeling well & was not looking forward to an evening of trick-or-treats. So much for my Smokin' Hot Halloween. sigh. I spent my evening treating little ghosts & goblins--I looked generic--I could have looked "smoking HOT" had it not been for a stupid flat tire!! sigh

DITTO!

It was another "WOW!" day at Bullwinkle! I actually finished two projects that I never seem to have time for in Grace, vacuumed, cleaned bathrooms & still had time to enjoy this beautiful day outside! (If you can call cleaning up dog poop enjoyable) Just spending time outside in this glorious weather doing anything is time well spent! The squirrels & chipmunks are really storing up the sunflower seeds for winter. Sarge keeps trying to chase them away, but they pretty well have him figured out & know just where to go to keep out of his reach. The winter Chickadee's have arrived & are also chowing down on the sunflower seeds & the suet cakes. I really enjoy watching these little birds--they are so feisty! Good -bye to another beautiful day & sunset! Looking forward to what tomorrow will bring!

WOW!!!

Wow! is the only way I can describe this gorgeous fall day! Fall is not my favorite season since it precedes a long, cold winter. But today was one of those days that makes you feel glad to be alive & to experience the season. I am at Bullwinkle spending the last few days of October at the place I love the best on this earth. I wish I knew how to post a picture of the beautiful sunset that I witnessed this evening (alas!! computer illiterate!). Even my 'pack' seems to be feeling the wonder of the fall. They are happy & playful--so fun to watch! They don't often play together, but have had me laughing at their antics all day. Every day is such a gift! I feel so lucky to be who I am & to have what I have. I think we must remind ourselves to enjoy living each & every day that we wake up. There are so many new things to experience each day. Today was the perfect day!!

Quiet

It is quiet at Nana's house tonight--way too quiet. All four of my grandbabies were here this weekend; and, it was pure bliss!!! I really wish I could just create a "compound" on our block in Grace & move them all here & have them all close to me every day! I think Sarge would like that, too!! Jingle Bells would also like it because he would have four homes to go to instead of just two! sigh. I am such a daydreamer! Anyway, we had soooo much fun! Cade & Lucy are so cute together--he says that Lucy & Grendel(a friend from Bellevue) are his best friends. That is sooo sweet!! However, he doesn't hesitate to take things away from Lucy! But, this morning, I think she very innocently got even with him when Cade's Daddy put some ketchup on their shared plate of sausages & she immediately started dipping in it. The look on his face was priceless! I guess it's hard to share ketchup! Lil & Seth are soooo adorable! Soooo sweet! Beautiful babies! I am truly blessed. When it came time for Jeff, Jamie, & the boys to leave this afternoon, Cade started to cry. I asked him what was wrong as I held him in my arms trying unsuccessfully to console him, & he said, "I don't want to go home!" Okay, I've never had that happen before (I don't think any of us that were here had heard that before). I could see that Daddy was a little surprised. Mommy was busy finishing up the little details of packing up so she was a bit distracted, Grandpa was sympathetic, but clearly didn't know what to say or do so he just took charge of Seth (sometimes he's such a chicken!). So, I'm left with a distraught & crying 3 year old leaving all kinds of bodily fluids all over my shoulder. Hummm? What to do? First of all, I try to talk him through it--such as going to school tomorrow--yada yada yada--not working. So fun to play with all of your toys at home--yada yada yada--not working. Watch the movie Spiderman on the way home-yada yada yada--not working. Now, I start to cry--still not working!!! I carry him outside to the car--both of us crying--this is definitely not working!! The sight of Daddy's face stops my crying, but not Cade's--he's used to that look--I'm used to giving that look. Well, Daddy talked to Cade for a few minutes after he put him in his car seat & Cade decided that watching "Spiderman" wasn't such a bad idea afterall. He was definitely exhausted from his crying spell & starting to forget about why he didn't want to go home. I wish I could have recovered as quickly as he did! I was still sobbing an hour later! This Grandma thing is harder than I thought!

Sarge & Nana's Girls

Hummm? I do believe Sarge is missing Lucy & Lilybeth tonight. He is lethargic & keeps looking up at me with these sad, brown eyes. I even think he would like to have Lucy back at Nana's house so that she could put the leash back on him & drag him down the stairs once again. I'm also sure that he missed cleaning up the floor underneath Lilybeth's chair--probably missing a lot of nutrition there, too! Sigh. Nana is also missing my girls. I love those sloppy baby kisses & those "Hi, How Are Yous?".Oh, Man!!! I am soooo lucky to have my girls living so close---I wish my boys were just as close--sigh. I know I can't have everything my way---but, I can still wish it were so. Jeff could actually save Marketron a LOT OF MONEY!!! by relocating their office to Grace--there is no reason that I am aware of that they have to be in Hailey. Jamie can still teach--yeah, I know that she will not make a lot of money;but,they will not have to pay for day care since ---Nana will be here to care for Seth! Gosh!! I am certainly day-dreaming in the direction I wish things would go. Sigh

Twilight

I, too, am an Esme. I'm not surprised--I always like to stay in the background, but will be there to support my family whenever I am needed. I also took the "guy" test. I am a Jacob--not surprising since he was my favorite "monster"!--strong, yet sensitive--also ready to defend the people that he loves fiercely & giving no thought to what that may cause him to sacrifice in his own life. Sigh, MY HERO!!!