Flu Season

Most people agree that throwing up is nasty. But most people aren't terrified when faced with the probability. Hailey would rather be dangled off a cliff than throw up. First of all she denies what is about to happen by walking around in circles and hyperventilating. Next she tries to convince her body that it doesn't need to throw up by talking to herself, "it's okay, it's okay, it's okay." Next I hand her the traditional "throw-up" bowl, which also happens to be the spaghetti bowl, and make her carry it around with her. The bowl makes her feel worse. Then when I think she is over her bout of nausea, she bolts for the bathroom only to miss the target.
After all these years this moment is so predictable. I hear myself whispering "get closer to the toilet, get your head down there" because I know she will wait until it's too late. Eeeewww!

 

400 Buckets

When summer is over and autumn begins, the first change I notice is that the slant of the sun is all wrong. The sun is high but it's light is different. There is a coldness and a dimness. My yard takes on the look of slow decline as growth stops and death begins. Even before the signs of winter are apparent I am outside hacking down everything that I have enjoyed, the ground cover, the grasses and the ivy. Next comes the pruning of tree limbs and bushes. Ultimately I pull up the COLOR. What is left of my fertile yard is as baren as an environmentalist's idea of zero scaping. It is Ugly.

The process of maintaining a Garden of Eden during the summer is a hobby of mine which requires a great amount of time, muscle and sweat. The destruction of this Garden is even more daunting. All of which gives me joy and peace. I start my outside hobby in May and finish in October, I spend at least two hours a day in the dirt; planting, pulling, digging. During the growing season I over-fill twenty six "green" curbside garbage cans and in the dying season I fill an additional four heaping truck beds.

Now that my summer hobby is over I fall into hibernation mode which includes hot baths, sitting by a warm fire and cowering under a comforter with a book. I won't be absolutely content until the sun glows warm  again.

14 hand filled blue buckets equal one green garbage can...24 weeks times 14 buckets equals 336 hand carried buckets per growing season PLUS 56 extra for fall clean-up.... MAKES A TOTAL OF 400 hand carried buckets of yard waste. This is why I don't go to the gym in the summer. I don't have to.

 
I load up the truck when the green container is full. One truck load equals four green containers

-----UGLY-------

PRETTY 

The Twelve Years of Halloween

When the kids were still young I lovingly made their costumes myself. It was a fun project and made Halloween special for me. Really it was the only time of year I hauled out the Bernina and pretended that I knew how to use it. Now that Hailey is 14 she won't let me dress her up anymore, in fact, she won't wear anything that I think is cute. Tanner doesn't even know what Halloween is so I don't bother with him.
This year I abandoned the holiday entirely and escaped to the movie theaters as Dave served the 367 children who came to our door. So while I was at the IMAX, comfortably seated and well entertained poor Dave stood at our doorstep for 3 hours straight as the hoards of Iron Mans, Katniss', princesses and ninjas held out their sacks. I think I have found a new tradition...hope Dave doesn't mind.

-----------------HALLOWEENS OF THE PAST

--------------------1999 (skeleton and surgeon)

----------------------2000 (cave men)

-----------------------2001 (patriotic)

-----------------------2002 (ghosts)

------------------------2003 (Hawaiians)

-----------------------2004 (Dr Suess)

-----------------------2005 (mummies)

---------------------2006 (Frankenstein Monster and witch)

----------------------2007 (skeletons)

----------------------2008 (Chinese)

----------------------2009 (Cleopatra and Caesar)

------------------------2010 (Hobo)