Happy happy Joy joy

Is anyone as excited about the new fall season starting on tv as I am?? Hello Grey's Anatomy, CSI, the Unit, Criminal Minds and so many others...I have missed you all. Seems like it took FOREVER for this week to come. Okay, that may seem lame to you but I have actually been counting the days.
(I have no life) So, even though I hate that the days are getting shorter....I love the new shows ;-)

Goodbye Ike!

Nobody knows how much fun hurricane season can be! I feel like a mother hen who can't get her chicks in line to protect them for the big bad storm. Fortunately they are quite able to protect themselves. As Jason said the day before IKE made landfall in Texas....we will be fine mom, this isn't our FIRST hurricane. Keri and Angie and their families have also experienced the forces of nature. No serious damage this season so far. Just annoying power outages and tree limbs down. I don't know how long Jason and Mandy will be without power in Katy, TX (near Houston). They just had a tree down in their front yard but the city of Houston is really messed up.

Congratulations to both son-in-laws.....Chad and Ryan have both had promotions in the last few weeks!! Ryan has also decided to make a career change that has finally come through (finalizing the application/offer/acceptance process with the federal government seems to move at the speed of a herd of turtles running through peanut butter)

I just returned to Arkansas after a week back in Alabama with friends. God I miss those gals so much and the area. It was so much fun seeing them. I am always so sad to have to leave them. . I also spent quality time in my climate controlled storage building. Mostly I stared at the stuff thinking "and I kept this crap why????" Of course the winter clothes and stuff I needed were on the bottom of the piles. I realize now that I hired some bang up movers....The fragile stuff (or the things I needed) was on the bottom under the other heavy stuff. I actually found a wardrobe box at the back, on top of the bookcase, laying down sideways, with the top shoved up next to the wall. I had to be a contortionist to get into that one. My Envoy looked like a scene from the Beverly Hillbillys..full to the brim (minus the rocking chair and granny on top). Can't wait to unload that sucker.
Okay, I'm going to bed now. If you get a chance, check out the beautiful full moon.
Peace Out

Another One Bites the Dust

The following is a passage from a new book of mine:

Let me not destroy the beauty of today by grieving over yesterday...or worrying about tomorrow.

Yesterday was my birthday! Woo Hoo...I am another year older. or actually one day older than yesterday and one day younger than tomorrow. It was a great day filled with wonderful Happy Birthday Songs,Cards,food,cakes and a visit to see mom (who birthed me)... topped off with winning a prize at Bunco at Anne's house! I think I will celebrate my Birthday all Month.

Down Comes the Rain

Thanks to Gustav it is a steady rain..The forecast for the next three days is Heavy rain, heavy rain with wind, and isolated and scattered showers. I am seriously thinking of pulling out the floaties and putting them on the cats. I'm pretty sure that Callie and Izzy can't swim. For those of you who know I have children in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas in Louisiana and Houston, Texas..as far as I know their homes have been spared much damage with this hurricane. The kids are all doing okay. Angie and her family evacuated to Ruston, LA. I'm not sure when they will return to their home in Slidell and don't really know how hard their neighborhood got hit. You really hate to see the beautiful trees blown down by the high winds so maybe theirs will still be standing. Keri and her family chose to stay in their home in Baker and and only suffered some downed trees. Of course those trees fell on the electrical lines so, like so many others, they have had no electricity since the storm came through their area on Monday. I don't have a report as to when they might get power to their area. They will just have to live like pioneers I guess...hopefully it won't be too hot! Jason and Mandy were in San Francisco for the holiday weekend and were flying back home tonight. I don't know if Houston got much wind or rain with this storm. Thank God the kids are all fine. It is always scary and the weather can turn critical in just an instant. Now we will have the rains and tornadoes associated with this kind of weather event. It looks like it is going to be a very active hurricane season. Hello Hannah, Ike and Josephine... (Still wish I had a cruise booked!!)

I have Zumba tonight at the fitness center. I am SO excited that they are starting this class. It is a high energy dance/latin/hip hop type stuff that really gets me going. I took this class in Alabama and also at Angie's house in Louisiana. Zumba means "Party" and I am all for it and it makes me sweat...... hopefully Zumba is also not slang for "Throw a Hip or Knee out Old lady" ha ha

2 days until my birthday! ;-) Love to you all

Another Full Moon

457 days. more than 15 full moons. and again the darkness that follows the breathtaking beauty of the night. Even here, even now, the presence of his absence is everywhere.

How am I doing? Tonight..not so good. Yesterday just fine thank you. Tomorrow...who knows. I am doing my best to stay on top of the waves. To some, I appear to be on top of the world. Always traveling, always going somewhere usually to be with family. Some think I have completed my period of grieving and have sailed through it all. Grief is a very personal thing and everyone deals with it in their own way. Do not attempt to judge me or how I grieve for it is not your place. Some days I am fine. Actually most days I am good. It's when the silence and the emptiness fills the room and overpowers me that it is scary. Unless you have experienced it, don't even try to understand it. I run from the silence and it is a race that I even sometimes win.

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I did move into the duplex on the 1st of August. Most of my new furniture has been delivered except for some that was damaged in shipping and is being replaced. I still don't have pictures, etc. on the wall but that will come in time. Some of this stuff I have to retrieve from the storage unit in Alabama next month. Today the landlord delivered the washer and dryer....."Hallelujah Chorus sung here". I had LOTs of dirty clothes both mine and mom's stuff and have been doing loads all day.

I moved mom into the NEW Russellville Nursing & Rehabilitation Center last week. It is SO nice and she seems to like it. It is not near as depressing as the old one was...and...since I am there every day...the brightness of the new facility is a welcome change. I have also been slowly plugging in to the local community. I participated in Hospice volunteer training last week and think that I will try to help establish bereavement grief counseling meetings here at the local office. I also have joined the Community Choir group of the River Valley along with the choir and bell choir at church. I am hoping to meet some new people. I miss my friends. Don't get me wrong, family is great, but you need other people in your life too.

Speaking of family...I went to Branson with cousin Debbie and her daughter and 2 granddaughters last weekend. Branson is only 3 1/2 hrs from here and we had a great time at the Waterpark and Celebration City and the outlet malls. shopping...now that is a Great diversion....retail therapy. oh, and fudge and funnel cakes. We got back on Saturday evening.

I will be driving to Louisiana on Thursday to help celebrate at Nicholas's birthday on Saturday then back on Sunday. I wish I could stay longer since I always have such a great time with the kids and grandkids. Short trip I know but mom has an eye dr's appt and I have a meeting on Monday anyway. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and getting away again. I am so sad that I won't be able to make the Casey-Teter Reunion this year. (I had some really neat stuff for the auction too ;-( I will try to go up and see everyone before the big freeze starts).
Okay I am through ranting and raving...again. Nite nite

Beach babies

I think I finally posted a picture! WOW Who knows what will happen next....maybe music?? of course I didn't know how to get rid of the duplicate pictures but hey......it's a step in the right direction.