Today’s weather prediction was on and off rain and clouds. We’ll see if Trunk or Treat is inside or outside!

But Sunday School’s lesson was again about Esther. The kids made crowns and hats – Mordecai or Esther. Max held his scepter in the air, proclaiming Esther safe. They are enjoying the lessons and so am I.

When I got home, I started right away to switch out my summer clothes to my fall and winter ones. (And of course it’s to be almost 70* tomorrow!) I was just finishing when Nate came over to paint. He was just getting started when I had to leave.

There were well over 20 cars for Trunk or Treat at HCC. And there were a lot of people from the community and the neighborhood. In addition to the trunks, there were drinks, hot dogs, and chips inside for everyone. Just at 4pm it started to drizzle, but despite that it was a nice turnout, and very fun to see the kids in costume. Two of my favorites were the little colorful witch and the colonial gentleman!

Below are some photos from the trunks that were decorated, and there were actually several more than this. I couldn’t post them all!

As I type, I’m watching the Santa Stakeout with Paul Campbell on the Hallmark Channel. It’s so funny I’ve laughed out loud! I may actually step up my game and try to figure out how to record movies on my firestick!

Memory book- October 23rd: Did you ever pick apples? “We had apple trees on the farm when I was growing up. We picked them to make applesauce from the ‘summer’ apple tree. We picked them in early fall to make apple butter & pies. Then we picked from a ‘winter apple’ tree to store for winter.”

On this day in 1901 the first woman went over Niagara Falls in a barrel (Annie Edson Taylor), and in 1931 the George Washington Bridge opened connecting New York and New Jersey. In 1939 the first nylon stocking went on sale in Wilmington DE. Annie Edson Taylor was born in 1838, which means she went over Niagara Falls in a barrel on her 63rd birthday. Daniel Webster died at age 70 in 1852; Rosa Parks – Civil Rights Activist – died in 2005 at age 92. Maureen O’Hara, actress (the mom in the original Parent Trap!!!), died at age 95 in 2015, and Fats Domino at age 89 in 2017.

TOMORROW October 25 is:

• National Greasy Food Day
• Sourest Day
• Chucky, The Notorious Killer Doll Day

Tomorrow I am having a tooth extracted; it is also 2 months until Christmas Day (as Bud would say). I’m fairly certain it won’t be 68* on THAT day! Have a great week – God bless.

It was a very cool, dreary day and I was glad to just take my time: change & wash bed sheets, shower, breakfast. I had the other half of my giant muffin with tea. Oh – and here is a picture of the set for last night’s play – they were playing 50’s music in the background when I left. I’m sure it was a fun show! I hadn’t been to Scotland (Scottdale!) in quite a while, so I chose that Walmart for today. I got a few groceries (not a whole order), and also two pumpkins for the carving party at Hanna’s Town. Pam said everyone was put off by the cool and rain, so I left the pumpkins for someone else to carve and left. I’m not a good carver anyway!

I took a small detour on the way home and stopped to meet Teresa’s puppy, GiGi! She is so tiny (4 pounds!), and very cute! She was friendly and comfortable and enjoyed having her ears scratched before she settled on Teresa’s lap for a nap. Zoomie the cat just maintained her aloof attitude by staying in her bed or tiptoeing around the furniture to avoid us! She did walk past and say hello at one point!

I found the cutest video on facebook of these two little ones crawling around as skunks. Thought maybe it’s our next generation of Skunk Hollow girls!

Memory book – October 7th & 8th: What allowance did you get? and Did you have to earn it? “When I was 15 & went to high school I got 10 cents a week. (8th:) We always had our work to do whether we got any money or not. It was the way farm & country kids were taught.”

On this day in 1941 Walt Disney’s DUMBO was released. Zane Grey – author of western novels – died in 1939 at age 67. Johnny Carson was born in 1925. Two other are having birthdays today. First, Mike Petrillo. I have known Mike since 1967! He was working at Bud Smail Lincoln Mercury when I started there. Have a great day and many more happy years! And also, Augie Nicolai – fellow volunteer and amazing go-to guy for Hanna’s Town for several years. Sadly (for us, not him!), now living out of state – we miss him but still wish him a great birthday and a fun time with his family and friends. Love you guys!

TOMORROW October 24 is:

• National Food Day
• National Bologna Day
• United Nations Day
• National Mother-in-Law Day

TOMORROW is Trunk or Treat at Hempfield Church, 4-6pm. Rain or shine! Be there or be ….. deprived of fun and candy! See you there – God bless.

And just a side note – after the second service at HCC last Sunday the youth of the church made a video tribute and good well wishes for Kyle and Janet. Check it out if you get the chance. It was very moving – we’ll miss you Janet, Kyle, Anaya, Josiah, and Noah, for sure! Love you! (Just go the Hempfield Church of Christ on facebook and look for the live stream of Sunday’s service!)

I did NOT want to get up this morning. The air was chilly coming in my slightly open window, and the covers (and my wonderful new pillows!) felt comfy and warm. But I wanted to make sure my Pinnacle guys were caught up from my missing yesterday, so I was up and moving on time. Definitely not early, though!

I did work both stores, took the excess boxes from yesterday to Goodwill, stopped at Lowe’s and got roller covers for the trim roller (Nate’s painting project), got gasoline for the mower, picked up some supplies from Diane, and came home to make lunch. I was hungry for an egg and homemade bread toasted. I notarized a document for my neighbor Dotty, and she sent Torilyn over with a huge muffin as a thank you! I was just making a cup of tea, so I cut a slice and enjoyed it while I read my book.

When I stopped at Lowe’s I had to wait for a clerk in the paint department. They had the cutest sign on their chalkboard!

I was trying to decide what to do with all the magnets I had on my garage/house door. That is one of the doors Nate is painting, and when I pulled the magnets off to prep the door, I noticed that some of the magnets were so strong they pulled the paint off. I know I am repainting that door, but what if I put them back on and then decide to rearrange them later? I was tossing around options in my thoughts, and finally came up with the perfect solution. I see them all the time, still, and they will never be a problem. And there’s room for more!

Also want to thank Beth for the thank you card. I especially loved the flower stickers on the back of the envelope. Thank you, Beth – Christmas seems so long to wait for a visit!

Tonight I am ushering for Bear at the Civic Center – OVER THE TAVERN – a comedy, it seems. Not sure I’ll stay for the play – It’s been a long week and will be a full weekend! Miles to go before I sleep.

Memory book – February 28: Tell about pets you had. “Rabbits, that the cat had caught. We nursed them back to health. My brother had a pet crow called Jake. He was smart. He would take the clothespins off the clothesline, on wash day. Mom wasn’t happy about that.”

On this day in 1836 Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first elected president of the Republic of Texas, and in 1897 the world’s first car dealer opened in London. In 1906 Henry Ford because president of the Ford Motor Company, and in 1907 Ringling Brother Greatest Show on Earth bought Barnum & Bailey Circus. And in 1969 Paul McCartney denied greatly exaggerated rumors of his death (I should HOPE so!!!). Peyton Randolph – the first president of the Continental Congress – died in 1775 at age 54. Very young… Annette Funicello was born in 1942; Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) in 1938. And I missed a post yesterday. My uncle Clifford celebrated a birthday yesterday, and by the looks of it, they did celebrate well. Happy, happy birthday and many more ahead. Love you!

TOMORROW October 23 is:

• National Boston Cream Pie Day
• National Mole Day
• National TV Talk Show Host Day
• Swallows Depart from San Juan Capistrano Day
• iPod Day
• National Make A Difference Day

I plan to make a difference tomorrow. Not sure about WHAT, but I can try! 🙂 Have a blessed day – God bless!

I left the house a little before 7am, and the moon through the trees was bright and pretty. It followed me for about half an hour, then the sun came out. The drive up was beautiful, with spots of color everywhere, and some mist and clouds hovering over the fields. Because I was alone, I could think about the beauty around me.

I took a few minutes to take some pictures – of the barn, the house (inside and out). Just one last walk-through.

It was a very busy, long day but I feel like we accomplished things. It’s probably the last trip I’ll make to the farm. A few more trips for Barb and Bobbie and the boxes (which are all packed up) will be taken to the Thrifty Shopper. Barb, Bobbie, and Whitey were loading two cars when I arrived, and we also loaded mine. But when we got there, the manager explained that they don’t have warehouse space and can only take a few boxes a day. So we drove a few miles to Barb/Whitey’s house and put the leftover boxes from that trip into their garage. They only live a few minutes away so they’ll take a few every day. Byron is going to take the furniture to the Erie Mission.

We had just got back to the house when Dick (who was hunting) called Bobbie. He had shot his first deer on his Dad’s (now Byron’s) farm! Byron came down on his side by side and helped get the deer gutted and back to the house. I took a picture but — uck. Byron was super excited – the first deer shot at Buckhaven farm! I was glad to be there as part of the excitement. And very happy for Dick!

After we had finished packing everything up (including my car – a few things my kids wanted and then the rest just to drop at Good Will) Barb took over the bookkeeping part of finishing things up. Bobbie was looking at a few photos that were at the house – I think she’s taking them home for Dick to look at.

We just locked up and stepped out on the porch and it started to POUR down rain! We all ran for the cars – I was soaking wet. I just turned the heater up full blast to take the chill off. The storm pushed aside emotional goodbyes or talks about the future. We just all ran! I was behind them, and when they turned in at Bobbie’s, I honked. At that exact second Kenny Chesney’s new song ‘Knowing You’ came on and it did bring a twist to my sensitive heart. The line is ‘… it’s been good knowing you.’ I can’t think about that today. I’ll go crazy if I do. I’ll think about that tomorrow! (Scarlett O’Hara, Gone with the Wind).

The rain followed me the whole way home – sometimes fierce and sometimes a drizzle. Right before the Turnpike we got stopped in traffic, but didn’t take long to clear out. I took a photo out over the bridge and was glad I wasn’t headed toward THAT storm!

Got home, emptied and organized the car, and took a shower; looked out the window to the sun shining off the trees – then started on this post. Next: food! I stopped for gasoline for the Mazda and a milkshake for me at about 2:30pm so I’m ready to eat.

We’ve been making trips to Erie and Albion since the early 1980’s, even before Mom married John. This is a chapter of our lives that is closed. It wasn’t perfect, but it certainly WAS good, (and Mom was happy!) and I am glad to have had the experiences that we did. We’ve met wonderful people, had fun adventures, and learned a lot about life on the way. We may make trips up there again – but it won’t be the same. It will be a NEW book, a new chapter. So to all of you, it, indeed, was ‘good knowing you’!

Memory book – October 5th: Do you have any special memories about raking and burning leaves, or mowing the lawn? “When late October and early November came each year we would rake the pine needles that fell from our big white pine tree. I really had fun doing that. We would burn them & I loved the “Smoke Smell”. Our lawn mower was heavy & hard to push. Uncle Jim steered and Hazel & I pulled it like a team of horses 🙂 ”

On this day in 1774 the first display of the world ‘Liberty’ on a flag was raised in MA against British Rule. In 1854 Florence Nightingale and 38 nurses were sent to the Crimean War, and in 1975 Elton John got a star in Hollywood. Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) was born in 1956.

TOMORROW October 22 is:

• National Make a Dog’s Day
• National Nut Day
• National Color Day

I’m so glad to be home, and done with the work part of my day, and all the driving. I feel blessed and humbled as I reflect on 4 decades of memories. God bless!

Full moon tonight! There’s just something about the beauty of a full moon on a fall evening. Here is a view from the hill at church after Bible study.

Kelly and the boys left about 9:30am. I always hate to see them go. Peyton starts basketball and has practice or games every night FOREVER! So not sure when they will be back up for any length of time. I’ll miss them – I do already!

Today – as typical for a Wednesday – I cleaned the house. In addition, I changed the sheets from the bed Kelly slept in, and washed them with the sheets the boys used downstairs. When I was done cleaning, I cut the grass – maybe the last time, but I’m betting there will be at least one more cut. I ran completely out of gasoline for the mower so that will be on Friday’s chore list. But the yard does look nice!

I waited until all the work was finished before getting my shower – then washed a load of towels. I’m typing this as I wait to leave for Bible Study – Angels. Wednesdays are generally not very exciting but extremely rewarding. I love my clean house!

Memory book – July 10th: Tell any favorite summertime memory. “Planting potatoes in the truck patch in my bare feet. I can still remember how the warm soil felt when I walked along, dropping the cut potatoes in the row that Dad had made with the “Shovel plow” pulled by the horse. Molly was the name of the horse.”

On this day in 1954 Peter Pan staring Mary Martin opened in NYC – I loved Mary Martin as Peter Pan!! In 1965 the Beatles got a gold record for YESTERDAY, and in 1962 the Monster Mash (Bobby Pickett) became a graveyard smash as it reached #1 on the charts. Sir Christopher Wren – architect for St. Paul’s in London and the Wren Building (College of William and Mary) in Williamsburg VA was born in 1632. Mickey Mantle (baseball Hall of Famer) was born in 1931, and Kamala Harris – 46th US Vice-President) was born in 1964. Herbert Hoover (31st President) died at age 90 in 1964, and Anne Sullivan (The miracle worker, Helen Keller’s teacher) died in 1936 at age 70. Our 23rd President Benjamin Harrison married his music teacher Caroline Scott in 1853; Jacqueline Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis in 1968, and Lisa Hartman (actress) married Clint Black (country singer) in 1991.

TOMORROW October 21 is:

• National Witch Hazel Day *
• National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day
• National Reptile Awareness Day
• National Get Smart About Credit Day
• Get to Know Your Customers Day

Tomorrow is ‘a trip to the farm’ day – one last trip to help pack up everything so it can be donated. Hoping for dry weather and easy travel! Have a happy Thursday! God bless…

We had a full but fun day today. I worked all morning, and Kelly worked on some of her home-school and co-op projects before having lunch with Ashly. I got home first and got the boys something to eat, then got busy with some household chores. Kelly and I took turns watching Hempfield maintenance crews repair Wren Drive about 3 houses down. There were enough trucks with machinery to repave the entire plan! I think you could have buried a car in the place they repaved. We were being ‘Gladys Kravitz’ again!

Nate, Jen and Chris came over for pizza, and we spent a really nice 2 hours eating and talking and laughing together. Logan and Chase did not – however – move from their designated spots that they have been in since Sunday at 3pm! I do think I saw them use the bathroom once or twice, and they both got showers today. But other than that…

Memory book – October 20th: Share a favorite fall memory. “For years we always tried to drive to the mountains. Your father liked Bedford & Myersdale. That is still my favorite time of the year. This year, 2005, was beautiful & a nice long fall season. We have gum trees, which are very beautiful early in the fall.” I’m a summer person, but I do like the beauty of the fall trees!

On this day in 1512 Martin Luther became a doctor of theology, and in 1781 the British surrendered to George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau at Yorktown at 2pm, ending the revolutionary war. That’s it for today – short day!

TOMORROW October 20 is:

• National Chicken and Waffles Day *
• National Youth Confidence Day
• National Brandied Fruit Day
• BRA Day USA
• Hagfish Day
• Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce
• Medical Assistants Recognition Day

Tomorrow is also a full moon, although tonight’s moon is round and bright and beautiful. It’s a clear, cool night and very peaceful. Enjoy – and God bless~~~

It’s a cool but beautiful day. After breakfast (boys were still sleeping) Kelly and I ran a few errands. It wouldn’t have taken quite so long, but we got stuck in traffic on Route 30 because of traffic light replacement work at the intersection of Route 30 and North Greengate road. We mostly accomplished what we set out to do – I cashed a check and picked up another blanket (it’s an addiction…). That started the day out exactly right.

Other than mundane tasks, that has been the day. Cooking, laundry, cooking, cooking, cooking….. Does anyone ever eat at the same time?

As promised, here is the rest of yesterday’s events. October 17th was the last week that Kyle would preach at Hempfield Church. He – along with their truck of belongings – is leaving on the 25th for his place as senior minister at a church in Logan, Iowa. Janet, Anaya, Josiah, Noah and the dog will leave the following week.

Kyle’s message was – as always – excellent. He is truly a man after God’s heart. I am hoping that his sermons will be either taped and available or live-streamed, as I will miss his knowledge, insight, and God-breathed instruction. His message yesterday was about the Children of Israel spying out the Promised Land – and how they didn’t trust God to help them take the land. Our God is GREAT – worthy of our trust. God said it was good, and it was; he said they could do it, but they didn’t. God gives it, and He does the work for us. But even after all the distrust and failures, God forgave. We can’t deserve or even earn God’s grace, but He gives it freely. We need to accept it and serve Him, no matter where we go, where we live, or who we’re with. He is good!

Janet sang a song about friendship, and praying for each other – and I don’t think I could have done that. It’s an emotional time for everyone.

After the service there was cake and fellowship in the welcome center. It’s a hard time to get through – having both the youth minister and the senior minister leaving their positions at Hempfield within a month of each other. But God is indeed good, and no matter what mistakes are made, what feelings are hurt, what spirits are broken, and whose opinions are shattered — He is in control and can make beauty from ashes. Keep praying for each other without ceasing, and look to the future as the answer to God’s grace.

Autmn came over after lunch, and we worked on her Halloween costume. She had a picture of an Elton John costume that she was duplicating, and she did an excellent job! I was very impressed. I helped her do a small alteration with her white jeans, and then it was perfect, from the crazy glasses to the platform shoes. Lookin’ good!

Memory book – September 15: What teacher did you dislike the most? Why? “Mayador McMillia was a very un-fair teacher. He was disliked by all the parents, as well as the students. I was in 5th or 6th grade when he taught at Davis School.” It doesn’t matter if it’s home, school, job, or church – there will always be difficult situations and people who are hard to like or are if differing opinions. Ask God to help you love them, even if you don’t like them. That would be Mom’s advise to all of us!

On this day in 1867 – Alaska Day – celebrated the formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the US. In 1851 Moby Dick was published. Thomas Edison died at age 84 in 1931; Bess Truman (first Lady when I was born!) in 1982 at age 97, and Colin Powell (first black US Secretary of State) died today – 2021 – at age 84. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis divorced in 2000. Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939, Erin Moran (Joannie on Happy Days) in 1960, and Chuck Berry (Rock and Roll artist) in 1926. And our most senior member of the Skunk Hollow Girls (cousins) has a birthday today – Happy birthday Gail Pauline Crooks Patterson Sexton! Hope it’s a great year with many more to follow! Love you!

TOMORROW October 19 is:

• National Kentucky Day
• National Seafood Bisque Day
• National LGBT Center Awareness Day
• Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity
• National Pharmacy Technician Day 

Tomorrow I will take a little time out of my day to go to work, then spend the rest of the day here with Kelly and the boys. Have a great day! God bless…

Today, my baby son is 40 years old! I know he is feeling the transition, but so am I. Hardly seems possible – even as I reflect back on what I was doing on this date 40 years ago. I was certainly not as comfortable as I am now, sitting in this brand new office chair at my lovely desk. But it was more than worth it!

Kelly, Logan and Chase came up for a few days, so Nate, Jen, Chrissy and Autmn stopped over for a short visit. Nate’s family took him to dinner at Rizzo’s, while Kelly & I made cinnamon rolls as part of his gift. In addition to his gift, I snipped a piece of lilac branch and wired dollar bills to it for his money tree. I told him to plant it and see if possibly it would grow! But we sat and looked through a box of old photos of when my two kids were little, and the girls had a great time seeing pictures from the past. I’m sharing a few of these – and I took snapshots of them and transferred them to the computer, so they aren’t very clear. But you get the idea!

Nate was a good baby, and a fun toddler. One of the worst things I had to do was to go back to work after he was born. I felt like I missed out on so much, but it would be only me to provide for him and Kelly so I didn’t have a choice. So glad both my kids inherited a strong, honest work ethic, and a kind, loving heart – and had happy memories despite day cares and baby-sitters!

I’ll share the rest of today’s adventures in tomorrow’s post.

Memory book – May 26: Tell about memorial Day traditions during your youth. “It was called Decoration Day back then & we took flowers & “Decorated” the graves. My father mowed the cemetery & helped keep the old tombstones setting upright. We also put flags out on our fence posts around our yard.” Those are great family memories to share. Memorial Day these days mostly mean retail sales or Bar-B-Qs! It’s important to remember our history.

On this day in 79AD Mt. Vesuvius erupted, burying the city of Pompeii and killing thousands. In 1939 ‘Mr. Smith goes to Washington’ debuted, directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart. A classic! In 1966 Hollywood Squares (game show) premiered, and in 1979 Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Price. Julia Ward Howe (wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic) died in 1910 at age 91, and Evel Knievel (daredevil cyclist) was born in 1938. Irene Ryan – Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies – was born in 1902. My friend from HCC youth group days, Carole Means Ryder, has a birthday today (Happy birthday Carole!) as well as Nathan.

TOMORROW October 18 is:

• National Exascale Day
• International Legging Day
• National Chocolate Cupcake Day
• National No Beard Day
• National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day

No cupcakes, but chocolate/chocolate chip muffins! That’s good enough! And none of us here have beards so we’re good to go. Have a great week. God bless…

It was cold, dark, and rainy so no outside walk. I realized that my neck was stiff again, and also realized it was my pillow. I had bought new ones 2 years ago but they were pretty flat already – so I decided that a good night’s sleep was more important than a dozen other things I could splurge on, so I bought Serta extra puffy pillows. We will see what happens tonight – or in the morning, actually!

I did go to the bank and deposit the money for the 3 books I sold, and then went to L&L Fleatique in Adamsburg. I hadn’t been there in quite a while and there were a lot of new and interesting things – both fall and Christmas. I took my time walking around. Just when you walk in the door Father Christmas was there to greet you! My big find there was a Snoopy Christmas travel mug- I’m really excited! Also a tiny pumpkin with a black star that looks super nice in the kitchen. I just love going to that store! I’m a fan for sure.

On the way home I was taken by the skyline over my house – so I snapped a photo. Snoopy slept through the whole thing.

I was in an organizational mood this morning – probably a carry over from yesterday – and took everything off the pantry shelves, threw away some expired items, and put everything back neatly. Job well done.

By then it was time to pick up Autmn and Penny to take them to work. As usual, for my ‘payment’ I had a taco – which was lunch, and very yummy! Service with a smile! On the way home I snapped another picture of the mountains in Irwin. Beautiful dramatic sky.

I stopped on the way home at Miller’s Crossing Fleatique, which – again – I hadn’t been to in a long time. Lots of holiday decorations, and new booths and items. I found little wooden hanging houses for $.50 a set! You can see I’m not a big spender.

Had to make a quick stop at Walmart (for the pillows) – and saw a cute shirt. Almost looked like it could have been a Hallmark advertisement! But this Grama DOES love Christmas!

I made chocolate/chocolate chip muffins from a mix that was going to expire SOON, and now I’m going to grab something to eat. Nate is requesting pie dough cinnamon rolls for his birthday treat, so I’ll mix them up tonight and bake them tomorrow! Another full day…

Memory book – April 5th: Did you ever feel a hatred for another person? Explain. “I just remember after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor the whole nation had a hatred for them. We also hated Hitler. When I got older I understood not to ‘Hate’ anyone. Just what they did.” That is a very hard lesson to learn. Some never do learn it, as evidenced in today’s culture.

On this day in 1847 the book “Jane Eyre” was published; in 1859 John Brown led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, WV (originally Virginia). In 1950 the first edition of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis was released. In 1957 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip visited Williamsburg VA. In 1793 Marie Antoinette (Let them eat cake!) – queen of France – was guillotined for treason at age 37. Barbara Billingsley (mom in Leave it to Beaver) died at age 94 in 2010, and Shirley Booth (maid in Hazel) died at age 94 in 1992. Angela Lansbury (Murder, she Wrote) was born in 1925, and Noah Webster (Dictionary) was born in 1758. And my nephew’s son Isaac Eisaman is celebrating his 15th birthday today. Happy birthday, Isaac – hope it was a great day!

TOMORROW October 17 is:

• National  Edge Day
• National Mulligan Day
• National Pasta Day
• Black Poetry Day

As Mom would say, have a good day in the House of the Lord tomorrow. God Bless…

I woke up at 5am with a headache and a queasy stomach. For the next 3 hours I was up and down, thinking I would probably eventually be sick, but never was. I took a few Tums, gulped a few swallows of Pepsi, and tried to get some rest. I cancelled my plans to help Janet, as I wasn’t sure what the issue was, and didn’t want to share any germs. Also cancelled plans to spend part of the evening with Kath – which I was really looking forward to. But I didn’t want to take any chances, not knowing what was wrong.

I curled up in bed until almost 11:30am. I finished MURDER AT KINGSCOTE by Alyssa Maxwell (I think it may have been my favorite Newport mystery to date), and just tried to relax. After a quick shower I felt pretty good, so I had hot tea and toast. My stomach seemed to be back to normal, so I tossed a load of clothes in the wash and went to the garage. I’m not the type to sit around when I have even the smallest amount of energy, so I slowly started moving some boxes and piles that had gotten disarranged over the summer.

I took my time, and got the worst problem areas cleaned off and stacked away from the shelves. I reorganized several dozen boxes and totes, threw things away, and packed things in the car to donate. Then it took me about an hour and a half to figure out how to put everything back. The worst was making trips down to the shed. I didn’t want to carry heavy items so I made several trips. Now the garage looks much neater and uncluttered, I know where more items are, and I also cleaned out the cedar chest. I think Nate wants to take it over to Chrissy when they move. I’ll handle disposing of the excess either tomorrow or Sunday.

L&L Fleatique posted new photos of displays, and it enticed me to go over and check it out. Probably tomorrow after I go to the bank. I sold a few books yesterday and need to deposit that money so I’ll just go from there.

So now I am listening to the ’25 most beautiful places in America’ – and happy to say I’ve been to a few, though not many. I’ll get something small to eat next then just chill out for the evening. I’m really thinking my stomach issue was something I ate, and am glad the issue wasn’t any more intense! So I’ll stay laid back this evening.

Today was National Boss’s day – and although I did post on facebook just wanted to take a minute to say how blessed I am to work for and with such a great group of guys. They are gentlemen, they are smart, they are kind, they have a great business sense, they are worthy of respect and also respect me. Thank you Rege, Joe, Ken, and Barry – for the years we have spent together! You guys are great! (Had to edit photos!)

Memory book – March 10: What was your favorite movie as a youth? Why? “Anything with Gene Autry playing in the western. Gone with the Wind became my all time favorite when I finally went to see it some time in the early 1940’s. I fell in love with Clark Gable.” I get it, Mom! Rhett certainly had a way about him! You picked a good movie.

On this day in 1860 11-year-old Grace Bedell wrote to Abraham Lincoln telling him to grow a beard. He said it was silly, but he did it. In 1881 the first American fishing magazine, American Angler, was published, and in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the Statue of Liberty a National Monument. In 1951 I LOVE LUCY debuted, and in 1954 RIN TIN TIN debuted. Charlotte’s Web was published in 1952, and Dolly Parton released ‘Jolene’ in 1973. In 1977 Debbie Boone’s ‘You Light up my Life’ hit #1 and stayed there for 10 weeks. Penny Marshall (Laverne of Laverne and Shirley) was born in 1943; Mata Hari – Dutch exotic dancer and the world’s most famous spy – was executed as a spy by a firing squad at age 41 in 1917. Beatrix Potter married William Heelis (watch the movie – it’s very good!) in 1913, and the 38th President Gerald Ford married Betty Warren in 1948. And our Skunk Hollow Cousin Colleen welcomed a new granddaughter today – Sadie Elaine! Congrats to Brittany and Seth and big brother Heath!

TOMORROW October 16th is:

• National Sports Day
• National Liqueur Day
• National Dictionary Day
• Global Cat Day
• Department Store Day
• National Sweetest Day

Lots to choose from tomorrow – but be as sweet as you can. Everyone will appreciate that! Have a happy day! God bless…