More of The Great Pumpkin Project! Jacks #'s 16, 17, 18, and 19!! Plus Tuesday's Treasures and a COLD October Morning!

I left off at my last journal entry rooting for the Dallas Cowboys!

Alas, they did not win!

It was late when we went out to the driveway to carve Jack #16!

It was really late when we got to the park on Northgate Drive.

No one was there but us - and Jack who was looking for a place to sit!

There's a body of water at the back of this park and I really want to set him with that in the background - but it was TOO well lighted.

You can see him down there beside the hole in the drainage ditch.

I had a bit of litter to clean up before leaving him - and that was a little spooky - sticking my hands down there by the dark hole!

It was 11:59 when we got back up to the car.....and on our way we saw a man out jogging his way down to where Jack was waiting for him with a spooky grin!

Monday morning I gathered the last bouquet from my sunflower bush the birds had planted for me and that I have been enjoying since May!

I cut the blooms and filled in the bouquet with sprigs of mint, rosemary, lantana, and such.

Louis Dean slept REALLY late Monday - so much so that it was afternoon when he finally woke up!

While he slept long and hard, I barely slept at all.

At 4:30 I finally got up and went to the guest room.

Louis Dean had had adventures in his dreams and he moved all night long!

Twisting, turning and kept me awake!

I waited until he was completely awake before I left to get my hair cut!

My hairdresser works magic!

She says I have one problem spot in the back crown area and that since my hair has turned white, it looks thinner. She gave me tips on wearing my hairpieces that will certainly help me!

I am working on my Santa paintings every day and 'keeping house.'

I have always felt a comfort in the routines of homemaking.

Cooking - cleaning - decorating - gardening - it gives me peace.

These October days have been  every bit as good as the September ones were and I do dearly love September.

The table the Barons gifted us has been such a blessing! 

We have had it for over a year now and the new has not worn off.

We do so much out here and pumpkin carving is the newest activity.

I'm loving everything about FALL!

The pumpkin project, the cooler temps, my decorations, the open doors (I keep Samantha and Tabitha in the guest room then) and the attic fan running instead of the AC!

And my music......I do love the 5 CD stereo Louis Dean gave me for my birthday the first year we were married. That was 2005.....

Jack #17 was a small pie pumpkin - because I was tired.

Carving these good sized pumpkins take a lot of energy!

He went to a pocket park on Northgate just down from the bigger park we were at the night before.

This Jack sits high on the wall looking down at the 'family' riding bikes.

This is at the corner of a school so I am sure someone noticed him sitting up there smiling at the kids.

I was all excited for Tuesday morning!

First of all, Louis Dean and I both slept so well Monday night because I banished him to the guest room for one night so we could get caught up on our sleep.

The weather forecast said cooler weather was arriving and I was up to greet it!

While Louis Dean slept, I made coffee, a huge pot of oatmeal, fried up a rasher of bacon and baked a pan of biscuits.

I had a fire ready to light as soon as he got up.

We ordered half a cord of firewood that will be delivered on Saturday so for this fire, I scavenged the yard for burnable wood - mostly from the bark dropped from our old elm tree and small limbs from this and that. 

The "AH" moment that I have been waiting and looking forward to!

Louis Dean and I sipped coffee, read our Bible and did our devotions - all in front of the fireplace.

We could sit and watch the flame for hours - and we did!

Tuesday is Senior Discount Days at the thrift stores and that's the day Brenda gets off work early....

and on THIS Tuesday Summer was joining us!

Summer had a very painful procedure on Monday - a myelogram of her spine and she was told she needs two surgeries. One is in her neck and the other is on her hand - carpel tunnel on her right hand. Extreme carpel tunnel..... The appointment next Tuesday will determine which of the two is most dire and that surgery will happen shortly after Thanksgiving.

That being said, she is in a lot of pain.

And still.....she smiles. Summer smiles always if it's possible.

But even so - there are days she can't.

This was not one of them, thank goodness.

Brenda picked us up at 2:00 when she got off work and we were off to the thrift stores!

Brenda is new to thrifting but has taken to it like a duck to water!

And, oh, my goodness!!  She is a great shopper!!

Here she is in action!

She is like my personal shopper as she has an eye for Chico and Travelers and Michael Kors.....

What can I say??  Brenda has class!!!

These are my Tuesday Treasures! 

I love buying block cheese at Aldi and have missed my cheese slicer since it broke.

I was happy to find another one - brand new, too!

And that fall platter? Yes!

I got the yard lights because I am the Queen of Lights!

And that book? I so need that.

I read that day's meditation while still in the store.

Brenda found all these treasures for me.

And these! Plus more - 9 in all!

I actually found these two items!

The top is super cool and matches the camo leggings.

I am going to wear these on Sunday when we go down to the ranch.

I don't know why this photo is brown when the pants are actually green - and another good match for the green top above!

My three muffin pans that disappeared weeks ago and that I used all the time with my pumpkin making....are still missing.

And now that I have found these wonderful replacements at $2.25 each - I'm sure the original ones will turn up - somewhere!!

All in all a very good Tuesday!

We ended our Goodwill Hunting with tea at Whataburger where Louis Dean joined us.

It's good that he can call me on our land line and he answered when I called him on the land line.

It was time to carve Jack #18 and Pam came over to drive me to his resting place.....

Outside the fence of an abandoned house....

right across the street from Heritage Park in downtown Irving.

I brought some snack bags filled with string cheese and crackers and a bottle of Gatorade.

As with any city these days, there's always a homeless population.

Pam saw two guys in the shadows of a building and I hope they found the snacks.

I'm sure this house will be demolished soon but for now....Jack #18 is guarding the home place.

Today - Wednesday - was a Home Day! 

My favorite kind!

Summer came over and entered phone numbers to our land line and did a return of Spectrum equipment. Summer us always doing something for someone she loves.....

It's been a slow kind of day...small routines and even a nap....

and Jack #19!

I actually carved him in the daylight and had him sitting on the mailbox waiting for us to take him to his destination.

Guess where??

Closer.....

On a train!

As in the TRE station where we were there just last week to ride to Union Station.

The parking lot still had lots of cars in it so I am pretty sure several people saw this Jack-o-lantern smiling at them as they pulled into the station!

I did notice several homeless people and next time I will be bringing snacks and drinks.

There's a clock tower nearby and that will be tomorrow's pumpkin drop!

Home to do some Santa art!

After I took this pic, I added three wrapped gifts to the left of his boots....and did away with the light area on the right, It was mostly the camera but I still put that area back in the shadows.

Okay - so this journal entry is really late!

I put the pics on earlier and then took my laptop out to the den to write my words as we watched a Blue Bloods and NCIS.

It's a wonderful thing to live this retired life where you can stay up late and sleep in.

We as a family are planning our Thanksgiving Celebration and this will be so different from the years before when Nita and Mike hosted.

Deanie and Charlie have stepped up to the plate and will be doing the hosting this year.

All the important dates coming up are going to be emotional but we, as a family, are all doing the best we can. Grieving is not a pleasant thing.

Still, there are some healing blessings....as in when Sheryl - Nita's beloved  next door neighbor - shared a recent dream she had of Nita, I hung onto her every printed word.

Then I had such a blessing when I received a most encouraging letter from Carol P.....

never underestimate the power of the written word. Thank you for yours...

I am still grieving and it catches my breath sometimes when I realize - again - that Nita is not HERE!

How can that be??

I still don't know but I have had a few days where I haven't cried.

Maybe 3...but I still can't say or even THINK her name without tearing up.

And so may of us dearly loved Nita....but Deanie and I loved her longer and deeper than anyone else.