Back to Reality

I have been gone for several days...and now it is back to reality. We were blessed to get to go visit our son in Nebraska and watch the last football game of the season. It was a lot of fun. It is such a neat thing to be able to do.

We have made so many friends and have become very familiar with the area. We have a routine and each time it is very hard to leave. This time some friends from home joined us. My husband's high school football coach and his wife made the trip. This meant so much to us. One of our son's friends from home also came out. It was a weekend full of memories.

It is hard to believe our son just finished his junior year of college football.  Time has gone by quickly. One more year.  This chapter of our lives is a great one. 

So we are home and it's back to the daily routine. Back to reality. It is always fun, though, to get away and be a part of our son's routine. He has shown us how important it is to step out and try something different. 

Time for a Break

I am going to take a break for a day or two...out to visit our son.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

I also want to thank the many Veteran's who have served our country...including both of my grandfathers and my father-in-law.

So...off to enjoy some family time...

See you soon.

Great Catch!

I hope you've already had your coffee and breakfast.....

It was about 2:00 am and it was getting a little chilly in the house. I got up to put wood in the fire just like any other night. I stepped out on to the porch with no shoes on to get a piece of wood. I got more than a piece of wood...I stepped on a partially eaten mouse and felt it between my toes! Ewwwww! (I warned you!)

This was one of many treasurer's our first cat, Figueroa, left on the doormat. What is it about a cat wanting you to see what they have caught. Daily there would be a mouse head, bird feathers, the entire mouse or just some remnants.

Things haven't changed any. We have a new cat, Lilly. She is quite a hunter as you may have read in previous blogs. She catches several things in a day. She is a hungry cat. Yesterday, she was very clear in the point that we were out of cat food.

I went shopping and as I am walking in with a bag of cat food, I have to step over the icky remains of the inside of a mouse. I sweep this mess off of the porch and feed Lilly.

Lilly filled her belly and went back outside. It wasn't 10 minutes and I hear a squabble on the porch. I have learned never to open the door when you hear this or the prey just might come in with the cat. I waited a bit and opened the door. Lilly was gone, but there was a plump little mole on my doorstep...Thanks Lilly!

So we start a new day and she hasn't disappointed me, there is a mouse head on the doorstep.

I am guessing that the cats just want us to be proud of them and to let us know they are doing their job well!

Ready, Set, Go....

Do you remember when Christmas season didn't start until AFTER Thanksgiving? I sure do. As a small child I remember looking forward to it. I was always anxious for Thanksgiving because after that all of the Christmas stuff would come out. Those were the days!

I was in Redding today and the Halloween items are barely moved into the clearance section...and the Christmas items are in FULL bloom! Say it isn't so.

I love the holiday season. The holiday season to me, though, includes Thanksgiving. We seem to skip right over it in the stores. Sure there is the obligatory display of pumpkin pie filling, stuffing mix and some fall decorations only to be overshadowed by ornaments, wrapping paper and candy canes. They are even paying Christmas music...before Thanksgiving!  I love Christmas music, but something just doesn't seem right about that.

I say NO...I am going to be stubborn and enjoy the fall season and be thankful for the many blessings I have. I will enjoy my Thanksgiving turkey, too much stuffing and pie...then focus on Christmas.

I choose to take each season as it comes and enjoy each one for what it means. I choose to not get so focused on Christmas that the next 6 weeks are a blur. I choose to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to start on Christmas...on which day I will take my annual shopping trip with my sister!

Without a Map

Just get in the car...and go. No map, no plan, no reservations. The only thing ahead is the open road. That is my dream vacation.

If I could take any amount of time and not have to worry about being someplace on a certain day, I would just "wing it."

I have always wanted to just go...take off and head in whatever direction we felt like. It would be so fun to just be able to stop wherever we wanted and turn on whatever road caught our eye. No destination or schedule, just a spontaneous trip.

Many times we have been traveling and we pass a cute little town or shop or restaurant...but that's what we do...pass it. There is no time to stop. My idea of a fun trip would be to stop at any place, any time. 

There are so many places I would love to see, places off of the beaten path. Small towns, dirt roads, places of history are hidden all over the countryside.

So, one day maybe we will take a trip like this. All we will need is some time, money and NO PLAN.