Valuable

A little one, not even one of my little ones, just ran in from outside, and handed me this leaf. She said, "I found it outside," then ran away.

It makes me smile. Someone saw something that they thought was beautiful, and wanted to share it with me...me. It makes me feel valuable.

It's been a rough week here...trying to keep it all together. I succeeded, I think, but barely. Pumpkins are carved, one trick-or-treat down, school parties and parades done, and one crazy birthday/slumber party is out of the way.

I forced myself to stay away from the computer. I wanted to keep up, but I kept asking myself "why?" Who does it really matter to?

I know this space is for me. It was that way for a long time, and I was fine with that, until I started trying to connect. I thought, "If you build it they will come," like in the movie Field of Dreams, and because I'm just like everybody else out there, but for some reason, I don't feel like I'm connecting.

Value comes from within, I know, but my conflict is usually man vs. self...man vs. man or man vs. environment...no problem...I'm a fighter, it's that darn SELF that kicks my butt every time.

So, today, I'm glad I have a leaf to keep me going for a little while, until one day you decide you like me, or I decide I don't give a crap, but I really hope it's the former.

Almost Famous

Macy came home the other day with this skeleton balloon, and told me she was going to be famous...well, just her arm was.

She had gone to Donatos with the neighbor girls, and she asked the balloon twister guy to make a skeleton. According to her..."He didn't have any more faces left, so he had to draw his own...AND he was going to put it on his website with her holding it!"

Then, she rolled her eyes and said, "Are you going to put him on your blog?"

I said what, I think, any good mother would say at that moment..."Were your hands clean?"

Quote of the day - When I started out, I didn't have any desire to be an actress or to learn how to act. I just wanted to be famous. - Katharine Hepburn

Happy Hallo-window

Sometimes I take the little town that I live in for granted. I drive through, or walk through, and never give it a second thought, but this time of year I am reminded of why I love it here!

Every year, the fifth graders paint the windows downtown for Halloween. Isn't it festive?

And, this Thursday, we have Merchants Trick-or-Treat, where all of the shop owners sit outside, and pass out candy to the kiddos. It's crazy-packed with little ghosts and goblins, but it's really fun.

It's a tradition that I'm glad the kids and I have, and if we didn't already live here, I would really wish that we did. This little town suites us just fine.

What kind of festive things are going on in your neck of the woods this time of year?

Quote of the day - I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween. - Author Unknown

Right Now - Instead

Right now, I'm taking it slow after being sick the past couple of days. (Thank you so much, if you wished me well!) I'm cleaning the house, and thinking about all of the things I need to do for the upcoming busy week.

Instead, I wish I was sitting outside on a bar patio watching football, or sitting with good friends on a backyard patio, having an ice cold beer, and enjoying this beautiful Indian summer day.

What are you up to today? What would you rather be doing instead?

Quote of the day - The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not. - Mark Twain

Fluey Kablooey

We've got the flu. Well, I have the flu, everybody else seems to be okey-dokey so far. There's nothing more fun than being a single mom with the flu, when you have a messy house, and three rambunctious kiddos...really nothing. I'm not joking! Okay, I'm joking...It's really not fun at all. I'm just trying to be positive.

At least I get to lay around all day, right? If these little monsters would stop jumping and rolling on me like I'm their new trampoline/bean bag, it might actually feel like I'm taking a break.

Oh well, at least somebody's having fun.

Quote of the day - Being ill is one of the greatest pleasures of life, provided one is not too ill and is not obliged to work until one is better. - Samuel Butler