Preparing For September!

I woke up all excited about this being the last day of August! Time to prepare for September!

Part of that preparation included driving over to Arlington for my pre op appointment.

I used to take selfies of Louis Dean and me when I would take him to the doctor.

He is such a good sport!!

It was nice of him to go with me. I always go IN to see the doctor or nurse when HE goes but he usually just waits for me in the waiting room. Today the nurse asked him if he would like to go back with me and he DID! I think everyone got a kick out of him as he recited a poem about 'Dr. Womack's Nurse' while MY nurse was drawing my blood! Louis Dean is already asleep as I write tonight or I would ask him for the words.

From there we went out for lunch as there is Mexican buffet place that he has been wanting to go for a long time. We see it when we drive home from Fort Worth. He has a real 'thing' for buffets!

Next door was a Dollar General and a Big Lots - so I shopped them both!!

I found teas and coffees and the odd and end things I was needing as in aspirin, baby powder and nail polish remover. I love stores like these where you can get a variety of stuff but it's not the size of a warehouse so you don't wear yourself out walking for miles!

Since we were in Arlington and since that's where my son, Jesse, lives and since I needed to return a necklace that Faith had left on the living room table the last time she was over here and since I just plain old wanted to see everyone - we drove over in time for me to ride with Leigh Ann to pick the kids up from school

I really love this road.

 It's called Forest Edge and I loved it so much today I turned around and drove it twice! 

Louis Dean woke up with some allergy problems this morning and they just got worse as the day wore on. When we got to my son's house, he went in and rested on their large comfy couch while we went to pick up the kids and get yogurt.

Next Friday is Grandparents Day to come have lunch with the kids.

I will be having surgery on Thursday so I don't think I'm going to be able to make it but I did get to spend some fun time with them today. Or at least with two out of the three. Sam has athletics right after school so I missed seeing him.

Faith is the one who keeps me up to date on technology!

She thought I needed picmonkey on my mini iPad.

She fixed this pic up for me!

Silly girl!

Poor Louis Dean was in pretty bad shape by the time we got back so we came straight home and he went straight to bed. That's where he's been since 5:30 this afternoon.

I have been meaning to trim up the front flower bed by the driveway since early spring and it hasn't happened yet. Now that I'm going to be laid up - again - I was bound and determined to at least take a whack at it this evening.

One hour later I had made some progress. The Asian Jasmine has grown up over the stone walls and it ALL needs to be cut back and trimmed up. I am not a real gardener but I pretended I was giving it all a hair cut. After an hour I had sweat running down my face and I was worn out. I didn't even have enough energy to put the hedge trimmers up so I just stowed them away in the trunk of the car.

They will be handy to get tomorrow evening when I tackle another hour or two.

If I do some every evening for the next several days, maybe - just maybe this will get done before I have my toe surgery. 

I came in and checked on Louis Dean. Still asleep.

So I took a shower and cut out three pair of pajamas for the grand quad girls.             

I've already made Harrison's so I will start stitching these up tomorrow!

I am doing the last bits of preparing for September tonight before I go to bed.

Recipes are out for Pumpkin Spice Muffins and Fruitcake Cookies.

I will have to add a lot of extra pecans to make up for not having quite enough of the fruitcake mix.

The coffee pots (his and hers) are ready to turn on when we wake up in the morning.

Pumpkin Spice coffee for me and fall cups for both of us!

Who knew they make Pumpkin Spice Snaps??

I am loving these Pumpkin Jellies!!!

Neil Diamond will be waiting for me in the morning.

That's like my all time favorite moment of the year.......

I pour a cup of fragrant coffee, light my special fall candle and hit play.

Ahhhhh......I know it's silly but I nearly tear up at the first notes from September Morn.

I COULD cheat and stay up another half hour and play it tonight.....

but it just wouldn't be the same.

Tuesday Treasures, Sunflower Art Projects and Where in the WORLD do I Put all my Debris???

I went to bed last night so tired I just KNEW I would be asleep in a blink and a nod.

NOT! It was after 3:00 this morning when I FINALLY slept.

Not surprisingly then, that I woke up shortly after 10:30 this morning.

I staggered to the coffee pot and then made my way to the sewing room (where my lap top is) and checked out the movies available for today. I was not impressed. Plus I was still REALLY really tired. As in 'old lady' tired. I called Ruth Ann and, guess what??? SHE was feeling really REALLY tired, too! We are truly 'kindred spirits!' We agreeed that, tired or not, we could muster up enough energy to hit up the Goodwill so 2:00 was the time we chose for me to pick her up.

Since Untion Gospel Mission was literally on our way - we were compelled to stop in there!!!

Then we visited our Goodwill on Beltline Road and a trip to ALDI and by 4:00 we were both back home!

THIS is my Tuesday Haul!!!

I fell in LOVE with that wreath! One can never have TOO many lighted pumpkins!

The two sturdy but light weight chairs are for Amber.

I simply could NOT pass up the large pumpkin planter!!

The two bottles it's holding are for watering pot plants. There is a tiny hole on the side of the pointed carrot looking top which you push into the dirt. I will probbably let the kids help me add a little more color to the pumpkin and - as the quads told me yesterday - the stem is NOT supposed to be orange!

(They saw it on something around here and made comment!!)

Two placemats that just look like 'home' to me and two fall colored coffee mugs (the BIG one is for ME!) and another cup made in England and, lastly, a glass fall leaf candle holder.

Louis Dean tops my list of TREASURES no matter the day!

He is sorely missing his big white truck!

Every time I pull into the driveway, he asks me to park over a ways just in case his truck comes home. We are praying about his truck. It's not seriously ill - at least we don't think so.

Still it is MIA and Louis Dean is pining away.

NOW! I know you wonder WHERE in the world I put all the debris I haul in week after week after week!! Now I DO contribute BACK to Goodwill on a regular basis and I am currently accumulating nearly a whole trunk full of stuff to take next week. Also, I have a pretty good pile of stuff for Louis Dean and I to burn in our firepit soon. The old baskets and wreaths and 'debris' make pretty good fire starters.

Tonight let me show you where I put everything I brought home today.

First of all, I pile it all on the porch bench and take pictures. Next I take off all the price tags.

THEN I place each item where it will live - if this is the current season for it - or store it away if it is for later in the year.

The candle holder is sitting in the foyer just as you enter the house.

The wreath I love so much is hanging in our bedroom.

It may not live there long - but then again, it may!

There's green in the wallpaper and I have always loved having these mirrors and 'debris' in place of a traditional headboard.

The lighted pumpkin feels right at home right there on the porch - safe and secure in the scarecrow's lap!

The pumpkin planter is not in its final resting place - but this will do for now.

Fall coffee mugs all ready and waiting for September first!

The stacked pumpkin light adds a nice touch!

This pumpkin is resting in the den on the corner of my organ - but it is destined to live out its life in Quadville!

I put all my treasures up and then shift gears!

Tuesday Night Art Class!

While I USED to teach art - as in instructions and everything - now it's more of a laid back art party/fellowship. My 'students' consist of Ruth Ann and occasionally Sabrina and they are both talented artist in their own right. I am way past the point of instructing someone in the basics.

I did that for over  25 years and I am done. Now I simply enjoy the ambiance of sharing the fragrance of the oils and turpentine with a few friends. Those who don't paint bring whatever art they are involved in - as in needlework or sketching or whatever.

Tonight we enjoyed a good spread of snacks that equaled a meal in our opinion.

Chicken salad and a French baguette from Aldi, cheeses and ham from Trader Joe's.....

crackers from Trader Joe's - Mango/Ginger, Raisin/Rosemary and Fig/Olive.

Greek olives and chips and dips and a special drink!

Peach wine with a blend of fruits and simple syrup.......delicious!

Next week - Peach Bellini's!

It was fun to sit and visit and catch up.

By 7:00 we had cleared the table and set out the palettes and were painting away!

I based in four sunflower canvases and I am happy with my progress.

I meant to do more but there's always NEXT week!!!

I will add the details and highlights and by next Tuesday I will be listening to Neil Diamond and September Morn as well as his other hits!

Quad Monday!

Today was the first time to host the quads on a Monday instead of Wednesday!

We were excited and waiting bu the door!!

I told Louis Dean the kids take turns ringing the bell so he could NOT open the door until he heard it!

Excitement all around!

The kids loved looking at all the fall decorations ......

and meeting the old banjo playing skeleton again.

The girls were afraid to push the button so they got Harrison to do it first.

Then they all took turns!

Busy kids! There's always lots to do!

Lunch was served on the deck.

Homemade pizza, sweet potato fries and fruit.

And juice. Lots of juice.

Amber had sent lemonade in their Dickie cups so I used those for lunch.

First of all, Trystan knocked hers off the bench and it fell and spilled.

She cried. I gave her more juice. NOT lemonade but juice. 

She tried to console herself and said, "My mommy will give me more lemonade when I get home."

I came back out with her juice and picked up my phone to take a pic when Harrison knocked HIS cup off. I went ahead and took my picture and then rinsed his cup and filled it with fresh juice.

JUST as I sat his cup down, Logan knocked HERS off! 

These were all truly accidents, too!!

Never a dull moment and by the time I sat down to eat my pizza, well, I didn't have to worry about it being too hot!

We are on a firmer schedule now that school has started so lunch was aimed for noon but it was 12:30 when it actually happened. Reading and naps followed and we ALL slept well.

I admit to hearing it thunder so I snuck outside to clear up the craft work we had been doing before it rained - which it never did!

This afternoon we had a BIG tea party!!! As in ALL the ingredients - sandwiches, cookies, fruit and cake and, of course, TEA!!! WITH sugar cubes.

Harrison dearly loves the  Miss Debbie  white tea cakes!

He eats the most!

They remain fascinated with watching the sugar dissolve.

Everyone had a good time and no one left the table hungry!

I just loved this picture of Logan......

The kids played inside, outside and in the gazebo.

Our craft for today was decoupaged clear glass saucers using these fall paper napkins.

I will clean up the edges and paint the backs of the plates before next week.

We still have a set of dinner plates to make to match.

I made the quads pajamas a few months back and they are still their favorite PJ's.

Amber picked up some lightweight knits at Hobby Lobby on Thursday and I stitched up a pair for Harrison this afternoon.

Amber had bought a package of plain white t-shirts and I added some matching trim to the neckline.

Harrison personally requested a pocket and a small heart.

I sewed on the pocket and thought I would leave off the heart, thinking the reason he wanted one was because the other ones I made for them I had sewn a matching heart to each t-shirt so they could keep up with the sets better. No, he said. He still wanted a small heart. I said okay and put one on for him.

Then he told my why he wanted it......

"Now I will have a heart on my pajamas for Kailey! It will remind me to pray for Kailey's heart."

Harrison has such a sweet heart!!!

All four of them do.

Trystan was out of sorts this afternoon because she wasn't feeling well.

Logan came up to her and instead of fussing at her, she simply put her arms around her and kissed her on the forehead.

We had a lot of object lessons today.

The quads are good teachers and we learn as much from them as they do from us.

Tonight I was so tired I didn't think I had the energy to even put my photos on the lap top much less write words! I showered and went to the den where Louis Dean was watching the news and I admit to being a total zombie. He just reached over and gave me a shoulder massage and then when I stretched out on the couch he rubbed lotion on my feet.

Today I saw a lot of kindness in action.

Weekend Happenings......

The best thing that happened on Saturday was that we ate dessert for breakfast!

Life is short! Eat dessert FIRST!

Breakfast was the highlight of our Saturday as we woke up tired and stayed tired all day long.

We finally mustered up enough energy in the late afternoon to do a few things and then by 8:00 we were BOTH ready to go to bed. Lights out by 9:00 and then we OVERSLEPT this morning!

Our Texas Sage showing its blooms signifying a change in the weather this morning as I was leaving.

I hopped out of bed at 9:30 and proceeded to get dressed for church without so much as a single cup of coffee! It CAN be done! I knew better than to expect Louis Dean to move that fast so he totally missed Sunday Services! 

After church the quads wanted to show me their school class room!

Oh, what BIG kids they are now!!!

We celebrated the day with a Family Lunch at Dickie's BBQ!

My sweet Logan!!!

And Kailey Girl!! She continues to recover nicely from her open heart surgery in July.

Soon we hope she will be given the GO signal that she doesn't have to rest and can go full throttle once again!

Oh, that Harrison!!!

He is the brightest and sharpest and most compassionate and caring of them all!

I left Dickie's and headed home to pick up Louis Dean and then we went over to Fort Worth to visit Mother. It's been a good long time since I have seen her and I have felt a need to go.

She seems more frail than she has been in the past.

I asked her about it and she said, "I'm OLD, Honey!"

As in 90 years old. 

Still......

She was bound and determined to go out in the back yard to see the fence work that has been done recently. It seemed to take all of her energy to go out there. She WANTED to go look along the side of the house but I assured her it was just the existing fence and grass.

She seems to think she can't come back to our house anymore.

I actually think it's a GOOD thing for her to stay with us a few days out of the month as she gets to see people, Louis Dean sings and plays the guitar for her and she gets a bit of variety to her days.

We will see.......

We left there and went to one of my 'Happy Places!'

Trader Joe's!!!

I haven't been in months so I stocked up on crackers and cookies and all sorts of things!!!

Amber requested the Chocolate Coconut Almonds so I bought one for her and one for me.

Pizza is on the menu for lunch tomorrow!

It will be our first Quad MONDAY!!!

Now that they go to school three days a week - no more Wednesdays!

You would think we are preparing for a week of holidays and so we ARE!!!

Quad Monday!

Tuesday ART night complete with a special menu and sparkling wine recipe using peaches, simple syrup and mint!

Then Wednesday is my pre op day but we will celebrate with a lunch out after wards.

Then, do you KNOW what THURSDAY is????

September FIRST!!!

There will be Neil Diamond singing September Morn - over and over - and pumpkin spice muffins and fruitcake cookies and all sorts of celebrations going on!!! 

My favorite day in all the year!!!

So on this late Sunday afternoon.....

Louis Dean and I put out all the cushions and tablecloths and even the place mats on the picnic benches for lunch tomorrow.

We settled down and relaxed with a glass of wine and made plans.

Afternoon turned into evening and we moved our party to the gazebo.

It has taken me all of ten days but every last tub and bag of fall decorations has been dealt with and all we need to do now is store away the empties!

We lit our homemade citronella light and continued to visit!

Spider man has moved to the back instead of holding court on the front porch this year.

Just as I was writing my journal what should happen but it started to RAIN!

It didn't last long so we are about to go back out to the gazebo to eat a very late salad supper before going to bed.

We have a BIG day ahead of us tomorrow!!

Hoping you all have a wonderful week!!!