Times They Are a Changin'...

We had our first "snow"... white stuff fell from the sky... but THANKFULLY didn't linger on the ground... I fear it's a "pre-show" of what's to come!

6 BIG BLACK TRASHBAGS have been filled... my "FAVORITES" list got (DRASTICALLY) pared down on the computer... my skin got "itchy"... I HAD to "clean house"...

When my OLDEST was little (around 9ish) he couldn't watch AIRBUD without busting out crying... 14 years later... not much has changed

We've switched over to a "Fall Menu"... soups, potpies and casseroles... and YUMMY CHILI (just spicey enough to give ya the sniffles!)

I was in the store the other day and had to stop short... WAS THAT CHRISTMAS MUSIC I WAS HEARING over the PA system? YEP...

It feels like we go to bed Sunday night... wake up and it's FRIDAY already... time didn't seem to FLY so fast when I was younger!!!

More days than not lately I just stand here DUMBFOUNDED and think to myself "WHERE did my SWEET GIRL go"???

A PERFECT Summer Day...

Spent at the County Fair... PERFECT WEATHER... PERFECT COMPANY... YUMMY FOOD!!!

Up Up and Away...

It's That Time Again...

I was back and forth on having our "Annual GARAGE/YARD Sale" this year... but by Tuesday noticed all the signs already up for the other sales this weekend... so decided to push forward and quickly get mine ready for this Saturday...


We had quite a lively chat at dinner last night on the differences between GARAGE SALES, YARD SALES, TAG SALES, PORCH SALES, RUMMAGE SALES, SIDEWALK SALES, BASEMENT SALES, and any other type of SALE we could come up with... although when I went to buy signs at the DOLLAR TREE all they had was GARAGE SALE signs... and I have never seen pre-made signs that say anything but GARAGE SALE... so that's what we're going with I guess... a GARAGE/YARD sale...


IF you happen to be around the neighborhood... and see the signs... stop on by!!!

Just Stuff...

Last night was SENIOR PROM... Lilley-Kate LOVED seeing her FAVORITE SENIOR all dressed up!

I remember MY Senior Prom... and how disappointed I was to arrive and see TWO OTHER GIRLS wearing the SAME GUNNE SAX DRESS that I had on!

We'll be planting our annuals this weekend... although we still have 2 weeks of possible FROST to contend with... Last week the temp didn't get above 55* all week!

Michael has taken up a friendly "bird feeder war" with the neighbor... Michael is NOT "winning"

Recital is a MONTH AWAY... and Lilley-Kate and I are getting VERY EXCITED! (Gotta make her PORTRAIT APPT.)

I have started switching over to our "warm weather" favorites for meals...

Since my "shy child" arrived home for Summer Break our grocery bill has DOUBLED...

I need to price all my Garage Sale items...

Hope everyone is enjoying warmer weather!

A REMINDER of HOME...

Right outside my window...



Who says you can't "go home" again? Even if only in our memories?...

Looking UP...

I ordered NEW BOOTS... to replace the broken ones...

I changed purses... to a style with "sturdier" handles...

The snow FINALLY stopped... and we saw the sun!!!

My FAVORITE GIRL is having a BIRTHDAY... has it REALLY been 8 years already???

LITTLEST PET SHOP is her current obsession... and the "theme" of the party...

MORE SNOW in the forecast... let's HOPE it holds off though through the weekend!!!

Anytime... A N Y T I M E...

OK... SERIOUSLY... I've had enough... it can STOP SNOWING anytime now... the white stuff (albeit as pretty as it is) falling from the sky is getting "old" quick...



We didn't have school today... canceled b/c of the 8 ADDITIONAL inches we received overnight... our first snow day of the season...


We have close to 28" total (in the last week)... and yes... it is CURRENTLY SNOWING... still

Passing on THE LOVE...

of SCARVES... once the temp dips below 50* here (yes... you read that right... to ME 50* is COLD) out come my scarves... Lilley-Kate has inherited my "love"... but finds all that FABULOUS length a bit hard to manage... so... she picked out some yarn... I crocheted it up (yes... I DO "craft")... and we made her a "baby scarf" (her term) or a "scarflet" (my term)...

Now she can easily manage putting it on (without having to wrap it numerous times around her neck) and just button it up!!!

SHE'S already decided she wants to pick out some more yarn so I can crochet (yes... once again I DO "craft") her some more... AND we've decided they would make good gifts too for some of her BESTIES!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

As the WHITE STUFF Continues to Fall...

And fall... and fall... and fall some more... 10" TODAY (so far) to be exact...

Michael treated us to a warm and cozy fire...

It's ALMOST as good as sunshine... ALMOST...

But I am still waiting ANXIOUSLY for a break in the clouds!!!

Hope everyone is staying WARM!!!

Brrrrrrr... it's COLD Outside!!!

This was our temp reading this morning in the 11:00 hour...

I don't think I'll EVER get use to this weather!!!

Hope everyone is keeping warm!!!

Puzzles... In Progress

One of our winter-time activities is "puzzling"... I set up the "puzzle table" (just a card table really) next to a window in the Family Room and before I know it... there is a puzzle in Progress... A place to sit and relax... while working on the puzzle and keeping an eye on the falling snow outside the window...



Lilley-Kate had quite a few puzzles on her Christmas list this year... she tends to lean towards floral and bird/animal themed puzzles...



Our puzzle table went up on the 27th (I'm a "taker downer"... definitely...) and already one puzzle is complete (above)... and another is well under way (below)....

Wordless Wednesday...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We hope EVERYONE has LOTS of things to be THANKFUL for!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

We woke up to RAIN this morning... Michael kept a close eye on the radar all day... and by noon all the rain had passed and by Trick or Treat time we were starting to see a bit of blue in the sky!!!

The HARDTS came over for Trick or Treating... since they live in the "country"... it's safer (and more "candy profitable") for them to come to our house for Trick or Treating... we make an evening of it... out for ToTing and then homoe to our house for some HOT CHEEZIE PIZZA and games...

Lilley-Kate was a MONARCH BUTTERFLY this year... and her friend Kylee was a BUMBLE BEE... the girls had a BLAST ToTing and saw lots of their friends in the neighborhood!

Hope everyone had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN too!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

Fall Fun...

Fall has "offically" arrived... Michael and Lilley-Kate spent Saturday afternoon raking up leaves in the backyard (the first of many "rakings" they will do)... we'd had a few days of damp, drizzly weather... translate... WET LEAVES... but that didn't stop Lilley-Kate from making her own pile to jump in!




Saturday was our first "sunny day" in a WEEK! A bit CHILLY... but SUNNY!!!

Today since Lilley-Kate didn't have school... we decided to try to beat the rain forecasted and headed out into the country to our (my) FAVORITE pumpkin patch... AAAAAAHHHHHH... pumpkins "gathered" by SIZE, SHAPE, COLOR... all in neat rows or stacked into BINS (You KNOW how HAPPY that makes me!!!!)

We made it there... CHILLY, MISTY, a bit BREEZY... and saw some pretty funny looking pumpkins...

We thought these "bumpy" gourds and pumpkins were hilarious!!!

I even cajolled Lilley-Kate to take her jacket off for a quick pic next to the scarecrow (it was CHILLY!!!)

We had to cut the visit a bit short... as the light drizzle turned into more... but we had a nice time....

Hope everyone had a nice weekend and Holiday!!!

Molly... Monty... and Puffy

It seems we have been "overtaken" with little visitors... they have burrowed under our neighbors patio... there are several "holes" in the mulch... and it's been fun watching them scurry in and out... back and forth...

I have been waiting with camera at the ready to see if I could get a quick shot of ANY of them... Lilley-Kate has sat still (for 20 minutes yesterday evening) waiting... and waiting for them to peek out... as soon as she sees one they are IMMEDIATELY given a name...

This is MOLLY...


This is MONTY... (at first he was DELMONTY... LOL... but she shortened it to just MONTY)


And THIS is PUFFY... we caught "him" (I definitely think it's a "HE"... what GIRL would be caught with her cheeks crammed full of food like that in "public"???) spending quite a bit of time at our neighbors birdfeeder the other evening... making the evening birds that visit quite angry since "PUFFY" ate all the birdseed!!!

The neighbor mentioned filling the holes... I'm guessing they don't think Molly, Monty, and Puffy are quite as cute as WE think they are!!!

Lilley-Kate said to the neighbor "Well... tell the chipmunks my Dad said they can come live in our woodpile if you don't like them living at your house"... LOL...