Would You Trick or Treat??

Here are pictures of Robert and me ready for the Halloween party. It was fun dressing up.

Whirl Wind Days

It always strikes me as funny, strange, frustrating, and any other adjective you might want to insert that in life everything happens at once. The month of October has been a whirlwind of activity. The calendar looked something like this.
October 1-11 Visit from Mother and Daddy. I flew to Amarillo and drove them down here. That was so much fun. We really didn't do much, but just to having them here was awesome. I guess I had lived for a year with a little bit of fear in my heart that they wouldn't ever get to travel here again. But I think getting to come down here proved to them that they are still well enough to travel. Mother helped me pick out the material for the dining room chair seats. Not what I bought what she and I had picked, but something that was a compromise with Robert, and my second choice. We also played a lot of games. A new card/board game that I love to play call Sequence and of course Yatzee. Then I drove them home and flew back --- Thank goodness for good friends. Robert found out that he had to be in Austin the day I was supposed to come home. Minor problem.
October 13 Start to work. I worked on getting my schedule set and visited with the teachers about goals and students.
October 13-14 Women's Retreat at Matagorda Beach on Friday and Saturday. Sunday School Department annual fish fry Saturday night. There were both fun activities but each required me making a dish or two to take.
October 15-22 Jury Duty Jury duty was interesting. It was a case where Ford was being sued for wrongful death (or something like that) because a woman's husband had died in a roll over accident when she was driving. Her case was that Ford knew that the Ford Explorer was an unsafe vehicle and would roll over easily in an evasive manuver. The jury was never picked after having to go back to the courthouse 4 times. The judge declared it a mistrial, so 72 people were incovenienced for a week.
October 18-21 Rice Festival I was the typical RF widow that whole week, but Robert was having a great time while I got to watch the shows I wanted to watch and make the bed skirt and window scarves for our bedroom. Robert chaired a great parade. I ended up helping him a little, but mostly I was just hanging out and trying not to get in his way. Saturday night he celebrated the parade being over a little heavy and even though we attended the Bull Blast and dance together he wasn't in a very, shall we say, attentive mood. I was glad I was there to drive him home and that home was only a few blocks away.
October 23 Fire Safety Dinner We attended a free dinner about how a regular smoke dector will fail 55.8% of the time, and the importance of having regulare fire drills in the home. (Remember those girls?)
October 27 Costume Parties Yes, that is right. Robert and I were invited to two Halloween costume parties. They were very different, but both fun. The first was across the street and a young couple's home that moved in to their new home just before we moved into ours. They invited every one up and down the street and people from their place of business (HEB). There was lots of food, kids and neighbors. The other was an all adult party with many of the people we had been on a cruise with. Food, booze, music and conversation were the main attractions. Both were fun! Robert was a pirate and I was his wench.
October 28 Home and Garden Party On Saturday Robert helped me get the house shining to show off. And the party was a success. Not as many people came as I would have liked, but I learned how the seating in the house works and what needs to be moved etc. to make it work better. Everyone likes my bedroom and the boldness of the colors. That makes me feel good.
October 31 Fall Festival at the Church FBC host a city wide carnival that will have approximately 2,000 people in attendance. There will be 36 different games and activities for people to particapate in and of course lots of food. Robert and I are helping in the Coke stand from 6:00 to 9:00. The whole thing last from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm with clean up from 9 to 10. Wednesday will be a long day, but one that is fun too.
That is a brief look at October. So far November isn't nearly that full. As a matter of fact the only thing on the November calendar is Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to having the girls here. Doesn't look like any of the boys will be coming. Sunray is doing very well in football this year and with Preston playing we understand that coming here would be nearly impossible. Matt begged off because he and Myrna are still recovering from the expense of getting married in Jamacia and John and Melissa are busy with her family. And Christmas is in just 55 days.

Back to Work

Work as started well. Everyone has been very receptive of the schedule I worked out and I haven't heard any grumbling. Of course, I wouldn't. I know how teachers are; we all smile at each other and say pleasant things then talk about the offender in the workroom/lounge. Hummm that makes me sound a little paranoid doesn't it. Probably I am, because I do like to please others. I do have some really low kiddos this year. I think I say that every year though. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not working with the general population, but the students that are low and even sometimes low-low. I have no idea anymore what a true 3, 4, or 5 grader can do.
It is nice to be back in the grind so to speak. I have about figured out when I have to leave the house to get to work on time. That is a little bit of a trick from Bay City to Blessing. I have to go through 3 school zones before I get on the open road, but once I'm past the high school it is a straight shot with no slowing down. That is better than the drive from the farm house was even if it is a little further.
I just noticed something about my writing -- this sounds like I'm writing a letter to someone. Some imaginary person out there that is very interested in my life and ramblings. It that how it is supposed to feel??? New thoughts and ideas to me. Writing here is different than writing in a journal because you become aware that someone else might read it. With a journal I knew that I was the only one who would ever see it.

Busy Day --- And Not Nearly Over

Some days just start earlier than others and end later. This will be one of them. As chairman of the Rice Festival Parade 2007 Robert had to be at the Service Center at 6:30 to start getting ready for a 10:00 parade. (Makes me wonder what time the people have to start their morning for the really big parades like the New Year's Day Parade, Thanksgiving Parade, etc. UGGGG) Anyway back to my story, I got up with him and since I didn't have to be anywhere until a little before 10:00 I worked on the bed skirt. I know most people would have it finished by now, but not me-- I left the house with ample time to wonder around the court house because today is Market Day on the Square --- Here in Bay City we like to bunch things together. Now as I got out of my snazzy red Mustang, I decided I might ought to throw my purse and a few other things into the trunk since the top was down. So I gather the keys, my cell phone and camera when I saw a friend. As I spoke with her, I dropped the car keys into my purse tossed the purse into the trunk, you got it, and slammed the trunk shut. (Should my children wonder why they stink at being responsible grown-ups? I think they have learned from the best.) Saving grace is that my cell phone and camera were was still in my hand. After the parade I called Robert to let him know my predicament. When he finished laughing, he said he'd pick me up, but the same friend with whom I was visiting when this predicament started came by and offered a ride home and back which I took her up on. It is nice to have friends. Robert got home about 30 minutes after I did --- he was still laughing. He if off again to do whatever he has to do at the carnival --- he promises that tonight during the Bull Blast and dance he'll be all mine --- we'll see. He loves this mad week-end and because of that so do I.

Where to Start

Where to start? Well, this whole thing has started because two of my daughters have blogs and after reading theirs for some time now, I decided it was time I joined. I have several journals laying around with two or three pages written on in each --- a diet journal that tracks the lack of success of weight loss, one book that is a collection of a few stories about the girls and the cute things they said or did as children (anyone remember the *crash-a-dent* story or HAAAing the glasses), and another journal, that doesn't have much in it, is a group of devotionals that I wrote just for me. The real reason I began this adventure today though is that I didn't want to work on a project I really need to be working on and this seemed like a good way to get out of it for a few minutes, which now has turned into a couple of hours. I'm very slow at setting things up. Even had to call daughter #1 and ask a couple of questions about what things mean. But now that things are up and running and I've actually typed a bit, I feel I must go on to other things. The bed skirt and curtain swags won't make themselves and I really do want them to be done --- oh, by Thanksgiving. And I imagine most of my post will end this way ---- gotta run.