Ode to Halloween

I shared my favorite Halloween book with my class today.  Here it is for you to enjoy, too.  May I present the comedic stylings of Jerry Seinfeld's Halloween.

  

It got me all sentimental about Halloween's past.  So, I dug up a few pics at Mom and Dad's today and fired up the scanner. Here I am with my brother Andy, I'm guessing 1981. I think my mom sewed up these costumes with her bare hands.  And no, we weren't the "dirty kids", we must have had some kind of make-up on at the beginning of the night.

My "mummy".  She wore this to a Halloween night pee wee football game in who knows 1989? (She was the trainer!)

And good 'ole Timmy.  He looks around 5, so I'm thinking 1987??  Scary.

We were all about some homemade costumes.  I was a geisha girl, before Memoirs of a Geisha.  So fashion forward.   I wore a vintage kimono, wooden shoes and umbrella my mom's Aunt Martha brought from Japan in the 1950's.  I was so excited because I got to wear a wig AND make-up.  Andy was a pirate, Arggggh!  Eat your heart out Jack Sparrow. And Tim, hmmmm, I think this was the year we couldn't get him to wear anything except an old superman cape. This must be 1985.  Wow, we had some stylin' floor tile. 

Roman Holiday

I stayed awake through one of my absolute favorite movies today.  I felt like I took a little trip back to Rome, away from my sick couch.  It hasn't changed a whole lot since 1953 when this movie was made.  Just throw in a Bancomat machine on every corner and tacky tourists and junk stands, and voila!  Or should I say, allora.  (Shel and Catherine, that one's for you)

I wish I could swap places with Audrey here.  Gelato on the Spanish Steps.  On my last trip to Rome, our hotel (Hotel King) was walking distance to the Spanish Steps (and gelaterias, yum to lemon gelato).  

Gregory Peck, take me away.

If you haven't seen this movie, you must.  It's so charming and sweet.  Who can't resist lovely and elegant Audrey Hepburn.  And Gregory Peck is so dashing.  Here's a little sneak peak with some fun Dean Martin on bgv's.

sick, sick, sick

So here's my war chest.  Turns out I've been battling pneumonia for the last few days. I'm not winning every battle, but I think I will win the war.  Eventually.  

Mo has been a great supporter.  He's been snuggling up to me while I wallow on the couch and in bed.  Look at that sweet face.  Such concern.

Molly tries her hardest to be supportive, but trouble is too easy for her to find.

And Pete, well, Pete couldn't be reached for comment.  He's relegated himself to the bonus basement room dog bed.

Sheepish Admission

Ok, so maybe I'm a little embarrassed to admit this to my blogging public... but here goes.  I'm not voting.  That's right.  I'm not voting.   I love America.  I'm proud to be an American.  I appreciate the fight these lady suffragists fought so that I have the right to vote.  But I just can't decide.  Our country is in need of a change.  So many issues need to be addressed, but I just don't feel comfortable with either candidate and his broad rhetoric, generalities and vague plans to solve the world's problems.  McCain, while a I appreciate him as a liberal conservative, just seems about 10 years too late for the job.  He's been so crotchety and negative throughout his campaign.  And Obama, while he does seem to offer a fresh perspective, just might be a little too green right now... about 10 years to early for the job.  It's come down to picking the lesser of 2 evils and I can't decide who's more evil!  So... I'm sorry sisters, I'm not voting.  Think of me what you will, but that's the way it is.  I'm proud to live in the country where I can chose, but I just can't. 

Trading Post Post

Here are just a few things happening at the Trading Post. Finally out with the old carpet. You served your 30+ years well. RIP

In with the new.
Here's the living room with the fresh paint and carpet.

And the bedroom, a little cozier and bare-foot friendly.
The Camo Cafe is enjoying visitors. Lots of hunters coming through eating Nate's good burgers.
And Nathan's changing too. He's fitting in very well these days. Just needs some camo carharts to go with his new toy!

Gourd-geous

I love fall.  Pumpkins, mums, hot cider, cool weather, crunchy leaves.  I could go on and on.  At the grocery store today, I overhead the cutest little guy, about four, look at those gourds and say, "How amazing.  They're camoflauge!"

Letting Go

I've been asked quite frequently how I'm doing with the "distance thing" Nathan and I have going on right now.  My usual, and truthful, answer is it's not that bad having an out of town husband.  Monday through Thursday, I do my thing.  I work, watch my guilty pleasure tv shows that Nathan hates, take care of things around the house, enjoy long bubble baths and reading in quiet.  But by Thursday night, I'm getting pretty lonely for the company of my best good friend.  And it's ok, because the weekend is right around the corner and I get to see him.  

But this weekend, all of the pressure came crashing down on me.  Like everyone else, I have a job and household chores to take care of.  I go to my draining and demanding job each day and come home to the usual mundane chores each night (laundry, cleaning, making sure the dogs have their heartworm medicine, checking to be sure the litter maid hasn't shirked her duties, taking out the garbage, making sure I eat all my veggies).  But I (we) also have the added responsibility of a new business, second home, separation and maintaining our "connection".  I had a hard time watching Nathan leave our home in Kingston Springs on Sunday.  After watching him load up his truck and head down the driveway, I curled up in a ball and a had a good cry.

It's so easy to get caught up in the to-do lists, stresses and pressure of everyday life and feeling like I have to do it all, by myself.   I'm not one to ask for help.  I like to be Miss Independent.  A much needed and timely reminder came to me today while checking my email in the car on my way home from school (yep, I was checking my email while driving) from an email forward my mother-in-law sent.  It was the usual tug on the heartstrings story about a person in need and God sending angels to earth in the form of regular people.  But tucked in at the end was a Bible verse that spoke to me, my heart, and my cluttered conscience.  It was God speaking to me...

"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalms 55:22

Wow.  It hit me like I ton of bricks.  Why do I feel I must take on the world all alone?  I simply don't have to.  God sent his Son to suffer and intercede for me so that I don't have to be burdened.  I then pulled up the Holy Bible app on my iPhone and looked up The Message version of this verse.  I like to hear scriptures in simple, everyday relatable words, too.  It said:

"Pile your troubles on God's shoulders - he'll carry your load, he'll help you out.  He'll never let good people topple into ruin."

So right then and there, in my car, I prayed a prayer of relief.  And then peace and verses came rushing to me.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

And then an favorite... which I'm posting "Message" style.

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."  Jeremiah 29:11

So that's what I'm doing.  I'm trusting in God's plan for my life.  I'm trusting He'll be faithful to the prayers I prayed this summer when contemplating the gas station purchase and that He'll be faithful to the prayers I prayed today and will pray tomorrow.  Our God is an awesome God. I'm letting go.