It is hard to believe we are down to the last month of Fall. I shall miss it so. It IS my favorite season.
This has been a somewhat melancholy week. I think being sick for so long has taken its toll on me.
This is the LONGEST trip 'home' we have had since we left in August. It will be a full week when we leave Tuesday morning. I've missed 'Home.' For the first time we walked in and the house smelled VACANT!
No one had been making coffee or doing laundry or cooking for the past three weeks and more so there were no smells of 'Home' to greet us. It didn't take long to remedy that! I threw open the doors and turned on the attic fan. Since our arrival I have gone through several buckets of Pine Sol water swishing down the cobwebs and wiping down counters and cupboards. For all my cleaning and nesting - I still can't seem to lick the mully grubs!
I tried my best to get in the spirit of things on Halloween night and I did stay up until the candy was gone and my favorite Trick or Treaters had come by!
These are our sweet neighbors and 'Little Red Riding Hood' brought treats to US!!
Spooky fingers!!
Louis Dean got a kick out of this!
They were cookies and I ATE mine!!
He's saving his!
Our other sweet former neighbors came and it was good to visit.
These children have grown up before our very eyes!!!
After the candy was gone we turned off the lights and went to bed!
I thought if I could just catch up on my sleep I would feel better.
Thursday was a happy day for LD! He bought a brand new AX!
You know how excited men get over tools!
While he played chopped up some firewood I was stuck in the house drinking all this yucky tasting herbal concoctions!
Together we did manage to collect a basket of pecans from our tree.
They are small this year. Very small!
But since we have not HAD a crop in the last two years - we'll take it!
They will go in sacks and we will take them back with us to Houston.
LD can wile away many an hour shelling pecans.
I can use them up in baking about as fast as he can shell them!
Friday I was with my precious mother and we had a good visit.
Lunch was at Red Lobster - her favorite - and she ordered a BIG bowl of clam chowder!
The waiter was sweet and filled that dish to the brim and she ate every single bite!
We spent some of the afternoon in front of her TV!
We cancelled our cable and since we have no antenna - we have NO TV!
NO news coverage at a time when so MUCH is going on!
So I got comfortable on her couch and she and I watched HER favorite news station - CNN.
I admit we both dozed off and got in a little nap!
I left Fort Worth and picked up my three oldest grandchildren on my way home.
Faith is a GREAT reader - she reads with such EXPRESSION!!
She read 80 minutes! A whole book!
Sam and Granddad enjoyed some music together.
Louis Dean was SO impressed with Sam!!
Sam would play a piece and LD would say, "Play it AGAIN!!"
He was thrilled with Sam's musical ability and brought out his mandolin for Sam to try.
Sure enough! Sam took to it and in a few minutes was playing better than Louis Dean!
Levi made some AMAZING OOZE!!
He filled water fountains......
ate cookies.....
told us all about the art he did (after he made the ooze, picked up pecans, ate hot dogs and more than one piece of candy!) He is an active little boy with a real artistic side and a great imagination!
In case you don't know - the picture is of a Cowboy with his whip and gun. Levi remembered that he FORGOT to paint in some cactus! He planned to do that when he got home as I had already put the paint away!
Sam treated us to a concert to end the evening.
All too soon their dad was there to pick them up.
We enjoyed being together. The kids were surprised that our camper wasn't in the driveway!
They are still not quite sure about us not 'living' here all the time and 'living' in the camper!
Today has been quiet. Lucy has taken to barking at Louis Dean like a crazy critter so I have been keeping her in the kennel when he is up and about. She's fine when he's sitting down. The moment he stands up - there she goes! I sent Louis Dean off on errands and enjoyed being 'Home Alone' for a bit.
I sat in the gazebo with a glass of tea and a book.
Just what I needed.
One of his errands was to buy an antenna so now we have TV!
(I don't think I could handle watching Patton again! As good as George C. Scott was in it!!)
This afternoon I edged the front yard and was picking pecans and doing the odd gardening job when Louis Dean came out to join me. Together we make a pretty good team and get a lot done.
It's getting about that time when we go out on the driveway to watch the moon.
Don't know why I am such a limbo of a mood but have learned the best thing about feelings is that they change. Feel what you feel. Feelings aren't 'right' or 'wrong.' They are just feelings. It is what it is. Things come to pass. They don't come to stay.
Keep doing the next right thing.
So.....I am going to enjoy this early November evening with my husband (who has been careful and watchful of me today since I am not often in a 'mood.').
Tomorrow is a brand new day.....
You have such a great family and a very positive attitude I always enjoy visiting. In no time you will feel like your old self.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon. Being sick is so wearing. Have you thought of going to the doctor to see if an anti viral or antibiotic might fix you up? None of us likes having to take heavy duty medicines but I am sure you want to get back to those growing babies! Take care
ReplyDeleteLinda it's high time you stopped for a bit and just relaxed, I thought I was a busy lady and then I read about all you do, you're non-stop most of the time.
ReplyDeleteYour grandchildren are adorable and all so special in their own unique way. That's impressive your grandson loves playing the guitar and LD sounds like he sure enjoys listening to it. I love it when the guitars come out and unfortunately those who play in my family don't live in the city anymore. If I had more free time on my hands I'd love to take lessons, just to hear the guitar, that or violin.
Your mother looks amazing!
I hope you have your spunk and positive energies back real soon, in the meantime take it easy and rest!
Have a wonderful laid back Sunday... or try to! :-)
You and your LD are such a great team - as spouses, as friends, as parents and as grandparents. I'll bet everyone who spends time with you two comes away feeling better, smarter, more talented and loved.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you feel much better soon!
A lovely time, at home. But I am so sorry that you are be-deviled by health issues. -sigh- Best wishes for them to go, go, go, go, go. I don't know how you can be so upbeat and active, when not, not,not feeling well. I can't.
ReplyDeleteBut then, you have more *umph* than I do!!!
Well, you so much younger than I am! I'm gonna' conclude that I have less *umph* because I'm 'Olden.' There! :-) That makes me feel better. -grin-
Get allllll bettttttter soooooonest! "Auntie" sezzzzzzzzzz...
"Auntie"
As it is Sunday, I hope you are feeling better today. Will it give you a small chuckle (or maybe a big laugh) if I tell you I Googled "mully grubs" as I thought that perhaps it was a Texas pest of some sort.....after all you had been cleaning but could not get rid of the "mully grubs"....I had to laugh at myself when I saw what it meant - just another phase I am not familiar with!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is hilarious!!!!! It DID give me a big laugh and that's a PERFECT way to start this day! Laughing!! Thank you so much, Nicki, for that great comment!!!
DeleteHaving just put in a week with an ear infection, I "hear" you. (No pun intended.) When we're feeling under things, it wears us right out. Hope that you are catching up on your sleep and feeling a little better. If you can take echinacea, I hope that you will because it truly does help keep our immune system at optimum levels. I take one daily from fall to spring. My doctor was thrilled by that. I haven't had a cold...don't know what happened with the ear.
ReplyDeleteYour grandchildren must have been so happy to see you again and to spend time with you. They are all so cute and bright. Some day give us a little video of Sam's playing. Tell him to start practicing his favorite song as he'll be featured! =)
Take it easy now, enjoy the pecans...I'm slightly jealous there.
Love to you...
Just sayin'...I love visiting your home and your family, it's almost like being there. Feel better and cherish those pecans. (they are like gold at the supermarket).
ReplyDeleteIt looks like even when feeling under the weather you still attack life with so much vim and vigor, that is what keeps drawing me back to your blog:)
ReplyDeleteYour older Grandkids are darling, loved reading your descriptions.
Will also have to look up "mully-grubs":)
Those pecans are pure gold in grocery stores here in the Midwest...enjoy them;)
Take care, and feel better soon:)
I'm so sorry you aren't feeling well, Linda but I love your positive ways and your get up and go! You and LD are such a great team and always get so much done when you are together. But right now I think you need to make rest a priority.
ReplyDeleteI always love seeing your grandkids! You really have a full and wonderful life. Enjoy the rest of fall, dear one!
XO,
Jane
Sounds like your mood is linked to you not feeling good. I always feel a little down when I'm fighting a bug of some sort. I think it's to be expected. I know that your grandkids visit probably helped cheer you up though. They have a way of keeping your mind off how bad you feel. Hope you get better soon.
ReplyDeleteI know that feeling you are describing. I think you are still reaping some of the sickness you experienced. One day soon, you will wake up and realize you are back! You are such a high energy person I know it is hard to feel like you are a "quart low". Trusting that you are 100% very soon.
ReplyDeleteI had just read your post about fall being your favorite and someone sent me this web-site. I thought of you as I looked through it.
http://soloshideawayfunpages.com/_special/f01/fall.htm
Hope you can read the beautiful poem which goes with the breathtakng pictures. Enjoy!
I was thinking how fun your grandies are and how fortunate that there is several years between the two sets--You'll have little ones around for a long time and the older ones will be a joy to watch as they mature and grow into young adults. Fun, fun, fun. Its a wonderful time in your life...and to think you have your precious Mom still.
Blessings!
my girlfriend says her give a damn is broken..when she gets in this kind of mood....hope your is reapaired soon...
ReplyDeleteHalloween and I am so late - I am so sorry. This week has been a mess. Love your header photo!
ReplyDeletesandie
You work hard but you know how to relax. That is so cool that Sam has so much musical talent. He'll keep LD on his toes.
ReplyDeleteHugs
I hate it too when fall ends but at least Christmas is soon after. You get gifts from people. I can't wait to see what I get from Santa.
ReplyDelete