Where's Autumn? And Difficulties

 

Saturday, October 10:  Hurricane Isaias didn't do much damage here.  I woke frequently in the night and listened to the weather outdoors, but the rainfall was normal and the wind never really picked up much.  I found a few dead limbs on the ground, but nothing fresh and green broke loose.   

Bess drove into town this morning and came back saying the electricity was off and the stores all closed due to that.  I suppose we lost power at some moment in the night because the TV had to reboot this morning when I turned it on, but I never knew it went off.  A pro-longed outage generally triggers my fire alarms.  A blip outage doesn't.  I'm assuming we had a blip.

The Only Pumpkin for October, and I Did Something

 

October 3, Saturday:  I'm frustrated.  Still feeling poorly.  And it hasn't rained a drop though it was meant to rain for three solid days.  That means I'm losing painting time on two scores.   Fortunately, I feel just ill enough to shrug and say, "Oh well."

I had two bananas left from my grocery purchases on Tuesday.  They were just ripe, not overripe, but I couldn't resist making one of the few treats that include pumpkin that I enjoy each October, Pumpkin Banana Bread.  It's an old Land o Lakes butter box recipe that I found 35 years ago and then lost.  I was able to call the company's 1-800 number and got the Home Ec department who told me they'd look in their files for it and a few weeks later, I had a lovely typewritten copy in the mail.  That's the copy I have still and which I used today.  

I'll post that recipe on my recipe blog and link it HERE.

Another Gramma Date and October

Saturday, September 26:  I did not feel well today.  This time it's a tooth, a tender-ish tooth, that appeared to be threatening to become infected.  However, I had made a promise to Millie that we'd absolutely have our Gramma Date today and I had no intention of letting her down.  Tylenol, swish with an antiseptic, employ a natural remedy, pull up the Gramma pants and GO.  And that's what I did.  

Millie laughed and chatted all the way over to Warner Robins.  She'd asked to go to Wendy's and yes, she knew just what she wanted to eat: Chicken Nuggets and fries in a kid's meal with a Dr. Pepper, and a cheeseburger and a Frosty.  Since the kid's meal had only four chicken nuggets, and Millie has grown by at least 3 inches in the past 3 months, I thought it likely she might eat the cheeseburger, or at least part of it.  And she did eat part of it.  She also dipped her fries in her chocolate Mr. Frosty, "Because I've seen people do it on YouTube..."  I don't think she much liked it, but she tried it.  "Why do they do that?"  I told her, "Perhaps because of the contrasts.  You know, salty/sweet, hot/cold?"  She didn't say much about it after that, but she had the satisfaction of saying she'd tried it.

Goldenrod Has Bloomed!

 

Saturday, September 19:  Today was my Gramma date with Isaac.  I knew it would be a good day with him when he came out to the car smiling shyly at me.  Isaac prefers to look stern and hide his emotions, but he couldn't help looking pleased and happy.  He brought along his tablet and pretty much kept his nose stuck to the screen the whole ride over to McDonald's (his choice for lunch), but he did answer the questions I asked and tell me a thing or two voluntarily that had nothing to do with questions asked.

He left the tablet in the car when we went in to eat our lunch and boy was it like turning on a faucet and not knowing how to stop the flow at that point.  That boy talked and laughed and talked and talked.  He told me jokes, of things that went on at school or home.  At one point he made a comment and used a word that I didn't quite catch.  It was unusual, not bad, but he quickly apologized and said, "Oh that word means..." and he told me what it was then added, "I forgot you were old."  Despite myself I chuckled and he quickly apologized.  

Mid-September: Loss and Gain

Saturday, September 12:   Grandparents' Day is this weekend.  I vaguely recall it becoming a thing back when my children were young, though we celebrated it by sending the grandparents cards or inviting them to a Sunday dinner.

No such luck for me being celebrated, lol!  Nope, it's all about the grandchildren now and one must go see them at school and admire handiwork while sitting in miniature chairs and listening to wailing children as you decline with a polite 'Thank you, but no', when the teacher assures that it's quite all right to check them out early and then fighting massive traffic blocks in the school yard trying to get out while buses come in.

Thinking, Cooking, Doing

 

Sunday, September 6:  I did not go to church today.  I was thinking of the week ahead and the extra gasoline I'll need to use.  So, I watched church online.  Well, no, I shall admit I listened to church online.  I kept busy tackling the mess on the dining table, starting laundry and making myself a really good lunch.  And thoroughly enjoyed my day while I was at it.  

But when church came on, I just turned up the volume, so I didn't miss any of the sermon, and I'm glad I didn't because it was quite a good sermon, the sort that gives you a perspective you mightn't have had before and made a passage of scripture come alive in a way it never had.  So, I appreciated it.  But it wasn't the same as going to church and being more fully attentive.

Am I Back? Maybe...

 

Sunday, August 30, 2026:   Well hello!  I'd said I'd rest through the first week or two of September, but today I felt strongly that I wanted to write and so here I am.  I've written all of the posts I plan to publish for September on the Fresh Season blog.  They are scheduled ahead and will come out each Monday of this month.  We'll call it 'writing lite'.  

But as we come to this week marking the last two days of August and the start of a new month, I do feel ready to 'talk' a bit, which is how I always see what I write here.  It's just a chat between friends and neighbors over a cup of coffee as we stop to rest between chores and appointments and living.