Surprise!

My aunt is turning 80 this week and we just couldn't let that pass without a celebration - you know, never pass up an opportunity to see your family, visit, and, of course, eat cake! As you all know, I'm a stickler for paying attention to the "big ones!" Happy birthday, Aunt Verla! (Remember, I'm due for a new camera soon so these pics might not be the best!)

Balloons!

Cake and candles!

Decorations!

Decorations!

The birthday girl is surprised!

Aunt Norma and Uncle John - sorry Uncle! Didn't mean to catch you eating!

Decorations!

Aunt Verla with her son, Ralph and his wife, Kat!

Jim, Maria and Apollo!

Jim, Maria and Apollo!

Maria!

Jim, Maria and Apollo!

Lighted candles!

Aunt Verla and Karen!

Aunt Verla, Vicky and Steve!

Regina and Karen! I said "put your heads together!" Smarty pants!

Jim and Steve! Again I said, "put your heads together!" They knew what I meant!

Good food, good fun, lots of smiles and laughter! We should do this every weekend!

Babies, babies, babies

It seems like lots of people we know are pregnant or just had a baby - maybe it seems like it because I'm going to be a granny for the first time. Regardless, it's such a wonderful, miraculous, time (when you're not throwing up, that is!). Here's Mal and her friend Amber - both of which are in the middle of that "glowing" time of pregnancy!

Someone to be like

Isn't it funny how younger kids want to be just like their older parents, siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc? They all want to dress like, act like, sound like the older ones. It's very cute but also kind of a responsibility for us "older" ones - not that anyone I know is just itching to be like me - lol! I was just reminded of this yesterday when Tanner and I stopped by for a quick visit with my youngest brother's family. Here's a couple pictures of Tanner and his "fan club" - they all want to have and show off their muscles that are "just like Tanner's"!

Cooking day!

In keeping with my current compulsion for autumn cooking, here are a couple of things I made this morning - corn flake candy and apple cake. Soon pumpkin cookies and apple bread will be baking.

However, now my kitchen looks like this.....

Oh well - cleaning is next on the agenda, I guess! lol! It's worth it!

DJ's Pumpkin Patch

As most of you know, a small log cabin surrounded by what seems like millions of pumpkins, a corn maze, and a bazillion gourds, filled with crafts has landed next door to the salon - DJ's Pumpkin Patch. What fun! Today when I had a break, I called Vicky and she brought the kids out - we had a great time! They went through the corn maze, picked out pumpkins and gourds, buckeyes, and more! I'm glad the rain held off and the kids could enjoy being out in the field!

Perspective!

A few days ago I was commenting to one of my friends about how absolutely gorgeous a certain tree was this year. It was a really, really deep red color - so fabulous. He said yes it was nice, but didn't seem real impressed. But you know me - I went on and on and on and on and on about this tree. I couldn't believe how pretty the color was and that spurred into how wonderful this fall had been, yada, yada, yada. Fast forward to yesterday when I saw another tree, this time in our neighborhood, that also had fabulous coloring - I could barely take my eyes off it, it was so pretty. So after a few minutes of driving, I arrived at work and, yep, you've probably already guessed, when I went inside it was pitch dark - I was wearing these -

Now, the trees are very pretty this year - the colors are a welcome change and beautiful to behold. But what I saw was over the top - with a little help from my friend, my sunglasses! So now my new thought?? It's all in how you look at things. When things are tough, stressful, whatever - my new mantra is "just put on your sunglasses, Deb, and change how you see things!"

Cooking!

What is it about this time of year? The temperature? The product availability? The season? The cravings? I don't know, but this time every year I get on a full out binge to cook. All sorts of stuff. In the last couple weeks I've made vegetable soup, barbecue, apple pie, pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing, roast, etc., etc. and I have dancing in my head ideas of corn flake candy, apple cake, applesauce, fried apples, pumpkin roll, and on and on and on. I can't quite put my finger on the cause but everyone seems to enjoy being here when I hit this mode - there's always lots of leftovers and plenty to share around. It's not that I don't like to cook other times of the year - it kinda reminds me of when I was a grade schooler and every year right before school started, mom took us shopping to get some new clothes. Not that we didn't get some new things along the year when we needed them, but every fall we got new clothes. It seemed very weird when I didn't get to buy new things every August! This is kind of my replacement maybe??? Who knows. But for now I am enjoying exploring new recipes and using as guinea pigs whoever happens to be around!

Autumn!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this time of year. I love how everything looks, sounds, and smells. Favorite memories flood my mind as the fall arrives. Yesterday, my mom, my aunt, and I went over to the orchard and got some apples - you can never have enough - I'm already wishing I had gotten more. We love to eat apples in a million different ways - from pies, to pancakes, to bread, to cake, to fried, to sliced, etc., etc. Working up apples reminds me of all the fall seasons past when my grandma and my mom made applesauce - we kids loved to use grandma's "squisher". Now, when I make applesauce myself, I tend to just make the "chunky" kind because, guess what? Someone has to clean that wonderful "squisher" and it's kind of a pain! Anyway, peeling apples will be taking up my spare time in the next few days - that's kinda good because I still need to be off my foot a little bit. It's a wonderful world!

Ow!

Sorry - my toe's kinda ugly up close, eh? Even without all the pretty colors. That was my left big toe last evening, after I fell and, apparently, broke it yesterday morning. Today it is even more colorful and extremely painful. Ugggg. It is amazing how a part of your body that is so small in proportion to lots of other parts can cause so much trouble! It's hard to walk, stand, or actually get in a comfortable position to sit or even lie down! But this, too, shall pass, and I'm sure will be the subject of many a chuckles later on - "remember the time when Deb got her foot stuck in that baggie that was on the floor and fell and bounced off her bed and landed on the floor? - ha, ha, ha!" Thank goodness there are no video cameras in my room!

Lucky Bamboo

While on the Spoon River Drive Sunday, we came upon a little booth with bamboo plants. Now, if you know me at all, you know that you only give me a plant if you have a death wish for it - I don't know how or why - perhaps it's my special gift - but I kill plants. Not on purpose - I actually love plants. But I always kill them. My grandma used to say I was the only person she knew who could kill a philodendron. A common saying after a funeral where there are really too many flowers to distribute - "give those to Deb". Hmmm.. Anyway, I digress. A couple of years ago Mallory bought a lucky bamboo plant and, unlucky for the plant, while she was away once I was responsible and actually killed an almost unkillable plant. Not to be disheartened, I bought one on Sunday. It's a Lucky Bamboo - the Chinese say it will bring luck, prosperity and something else good that has currently slipped my mind, to you and yours - I bought it because I think they look really cool. Apparently, to care for these plants you put them in your chosen container, put in some rocks (Lord knows I have plenty of those around - I chose a handful of polished brown agates) and cover the roots with water. Then the last step is of utmost importance where I am concerned - leave the poor thing alone! You just have to replace the water as it evaporates so the roots are always covered in water. Here's his picture - he needs a name. I'll think on that and let you know. Oh yeah - I bought the "twisty" one on purpose. The lady said it had been trained when it was little to grow like that.

P.S. In a rash decision I wore tennis shoes to Spoon River Drive Sunday - big mistake. It's been a year and a half since I had "real" shoes on and my feet were NOT happy with me! Oops!

October is here!

What a wonderful fall season we are having! From here on out life just gets busier and busier and busier until the end of the year happens and I look back and wonder where it all started and ended and what happened to the whirlwind of activities that led up to the end. I love it! This past weekend's adventures included the rock and gemstone show in Springfield and the Spoon River Drive. Good food, some good bargains, and lots of laughs and fun with good friends. I'm looking forward to several jewelry parties and displays, probably a couple of pumpkin carvings (which I admit, I'm not too great at!), decorations, parties, celebrations, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then a grandchild! Whew! There are soooo many things to look forward to, and I'm trying to pay good attention and savor each and every moment, knowing I cannot get them back once they've passed. Life really does get funner and funner - it truly is what you make of it, so get out there, enjoy your life, and make something fun of it today!