Time! Pool Time, Amber Time, Summer Time and Lillian Time....Monday-Wednesday

I have been reflecting about all my past Septembers and realized just how long I have been celebrating them.

This was September First 2017 when I had a special Party for some of my favorite friends and family.

September First 2010......

Amber surprised me on September Morn 2011!

I was in the kitchen stirring up muffins when she came in the front door!

Then in 2012 when we were in Katy, Texas living in our camper, I baked the fruitcake cookies in the toaster oven and played Neil Diamond on the laptop. Traditions do go on!

Summer and I were talking about it and we know I have doing September First since 1974.

It has always been as elaborate as I do now - but it has always been my favorite day of the whole year. Although in my post from 2010 - the first year I blogged - I wrote it was ONE of my favorite days. I noticed the next year I wrote - correctly - that it is THE favorite!!!

I have written about it in all my handwritten Country Diaries since 1984.

I was 26 and Summer was 11 and Jesse, Jr was 8 when we first went all out in decorating for fall.

I look forward to it every single year and have never miss a fall season of decorating and celebrating.

So that's how it started!

Funny how we do things forever and ever.

On Labor Day, I was still basking in the glow from the wonderful time I had on Sunday.

It was the last day the public pools would be open so I met up with Amber and the kids at the Jack Carter Pool over in Plano for one last time.

I didn't do much but the lazy river and sat with my book for a good while.

The kids were cute and loved showing me all their moves in the river.

I took three pair of earrings for the girls to wear and that was a hit....along with the Mexican pastries I brought and the celery and Ranch dressing.

I stayed until nearly closing time - 6:00 - came home, took a shower and was in bed asleep by 10:00!!

Tuesday was an Amber Day.

Since the 'babies' have been born, our time alone just one on one has been about as scarce as hen's teeth! We purposely plan time together - just the two of us - but it is not often and not for very long at a time.

She and I both felt a tremendous overwhelming desire to 'escape.'

There's been several situations on our minds and hearts lately and we just 'needed a minute.'

This was our movie of choice!

We needed something uplifting and with a happy ending.

Amber even checked it out to make sure it was a 'feel good' movie!

And it was!!! 

The moment we pushed through the doors and smelled the fragrance of 'THEATER popcorn' - 

we both sighed and said 'Ahhhhhh.'

Amber has a bucket that can be filled with popcorn at every visit for a reduced price so she got popcorn, Coke and a hot dog. I opted for something else......

A fancy Ghost Margarita Cocktail!

I am telling you - this was GOOD!!!!!

I usually order a frozen margarita since you can't drink them fast and they last longer.

Next to frozen is one of these!

Hot and spicy enough that you will NOT gulp it down!!!

It was wonderful and after I finished it - I added flavored water to the peppers and kept sipping!

I saved the glass with the sliced jalapenos - along with the seeds put in for extra flavor - for later!

We left the movies feeling much better but we still didn't want to give up any of our time so we headed to Target - another one of Amber's Happy Places!

I shopped the Dollar section and found these super fancy little pumpkins for $1 each!!

I also picked up a package of SIX clever wine bottle labels.

I put them right on six different wine bottles - a few empty - but the others full.

This one is my favorite!

Then we shopped a new Big Lots and found some good buys......I bought some facial day cream and night cream. Pretty pricey in most stores. So pricey I use organic coconut oil most of the time.

We were right on time in picking the kids up from school and they were surprised to see me - for the third time in the last three days!!

Ahhhhhhhh.........

I called in to check on Summer and Louis Dean throughout the afternoon.

LD had taken Summer to the ER because she was having some severe stomach pains.

Turns out she has IBS and ulcers.

I know! She can't seem to catch a break.

They were heading back home so I went ahead and ran a few errands after I got back to Irving....

then I decided to do a little treasure hunting.

I found these four chair cushions for the gazebo - once we get it all back up and going - for $21!

Not bad since they are still expensive even on clearance right now.

Loved this spooky little guy - $1.50!

Every skeleton needs a tombstone!

A pretty metal tray and some pumpkin napkin rings!

I'm using these on the den table.

It felt good to be doing a Tuesday again!

I got home and Louis Dean was in the kitchen COOKING!

He had been home less than an hour.

Summer said he practically RAN to the kitchen and whipped out the hamburger meat and started peeling potatoes to make his Hamburger Stew - which he calls goulash - but it isn't.

Summer was feeling better and resting well in the guest room while Louis Dean and I watched another Sam Elliot movie - 

From 1986!

He was YOUNG and beautiful back then.

I made a home made version of  the margarita I had earlier and it was pretty good.

Not nearly on the same level as the one at the theater but good.

We went to bed at 9:30 last night!

Guess what time I woke up this morning!

8:30!!!! I slept 11 hours!

I must have been really tired!

Louis Dean and I did our reading together and I spent some time paying bills and doing work on the budget before getting ready to drive to Fort Worth to visit Lillian.

Summer felt well enough to go with me and that made it fun!

I knew I wanted to take her out to lunch and on the way over Summer looked up restaurants in the area. We decided on Jason's Deli!

It was a good choice!

Lillian got the Plain Jane Potato which did not look like  plain Jane at all!!!

Summer and I both had the salad buffet......

and the Black Currant Tea!

We lingered long at the table just visiting.

It does Lillian good to get out.

From lunch we shopped Aldi.

It had been over three years since she had been to one and they have changed a good bit since then.

She picked out some snacks and these diced peaches which she put on her cereal every morning.

Plus she got a couple of boxes of cereal. You can't go wrong with a sandwich or a bowl of cereal.

She's down another pound and needs to EAT!

These were my purchases.

I had to buy more wine because I decorated the ones I had!

My son brought sweet cornbread over on Sunday and I absolutely LOVED it.

I saved the last three small pieces and ate them with the hamburger stew Louis Dean made and it was so good. I asked them for the recipe and it was this mix from Aldi!

We drove home using the express lanes to get here faster without sitting in traffic.

It's worth every penny to me!

I did not worry a minute about Louis Dean while I was gone.

There was plenty of food in the fridge and I knew he was resting.......

however ......

once again, he had bent over backwards to do some cooking!

He had to go out to the store to buy more hamburger meat!

And he made - you guessed it - hamburgers!!

The only down side about it was - he did NOT clean up.

I came home to a messy kitchen with greasy pans and cabinet doors open.

I am honestly surprised he actually closes the refrigerator! After all, it's a DOOR!

I was not a happy camper.

He was smart. He stayed in his music room with the earphones on until I have finished my cleaning frenzy and gone in the bedroom to rest for awhile.

It's hard to be upset with him as he does especially love his own cooking - but I was. 

For a little while.

It's just a few minutes after 9:00 and I am pretty sure I won't be going to bed anytime soon.

All that sleep has helped me get back to normal and I need to water - which is best done at night.

We still have several days to a week or more of near or at 100 degrees.

I close tonight with this thought which I think is true of just about every one of us.

I am so eternally grateful for the grace of God.......