Sorry!

I'm the youngest of four. Pretty trusting. A bit gullible. Just wanting to be loved.

Back when I was little (I'm not sure how old, but younger than 8) I was playing the game Sorry with my brother and sister (7 years older and 6 years older respectively.) I picked the Sorry card and was just about ready to play it when my sister presented a deal. If I did not use the Sorry card on her, the next time she picked a Sorry card, she would not use it on me. We didn't shake on it, but there was a verbal agreement.

I didn't see it coming, but of course, she picked the card and played it on me. I pleaded with her reminding her of our deal. Instead of responding with, "Oh, that's right, my mistake" they both laughed and mockingly said "Soorryyyy!"

As I was browsing on the internet I came upon this great piece of art that pretty much sums up the whole experience...

LOL

O.K., I know I already did a blog today, but I couldn't not pass this one along (compliments of Natalie Dee.) I don't know if it's because my son and I have been eating Ricola like Tic Tacs this last week, but this shit is funny!

My husband thinks I need to get a life. I say there's more to humor than Monty Python...so there.

Meet Rocky

I think that the creator of Rocky the squirrel really got it right with his depiction of this little creature that, in real life, you love to hate.

After our recent trip to the pumpkin patch, I thoughtfully arranged little fall displays in the yard. My husband begged the question...how long until the squirrels start eating the pumpkins? The answer...less than 24 hours. However, they have been kind enough to concentrate all their efforts on one pumpkin, leaving the other two alone (so far.)

I admire their blase attitude towards me as if we have been old friends for so long. Today I pulled the car into the driveway to find Rocky the squirrel on top of my pumpkin snacking away. I got out of the car, went into the house, got my camera, and proceeded to take pictures of him and he was not the least bit phased by my presence.

So here he is...our very own Rocky the squirrel. I didn't even bother to name the pumpkin.

Nose Warmers and Toilet Paper Cozys

I just finished reading a pretty good book, The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. The main character starts her own business in NY knitting garments on commission and eventually opens a yarn and knitting shop. As a young girl she is taught to knit by her Grandmother in Scotland.

This is how I remember my Grandma

It reminded me of my Grandmother. German, not Scottish...Milwaukee, not Scotland...crochet, not knitting. I remember asking her to teach me. She tried, but I was too young and then it just never occurred to us to try it again. I regret that.

I also regret that I never kept one of the nose warmers she made. If you think the concept is ridiculous, that's nothing compared to what it actually looked like. And yet, there's many a time sitting in my extremely cold office, working on my computer, by myself, that I secretly wish I had one of those again.

Not my kid. Not my Grandma's nose warmer.
But you get the general idea.

What I do still have is one of her toilet paper cozys. If you thought the nose warmer was unnecessary........

My toilet. My Grandma's cozy.
You get the general idea.

And yet, I love it. It reminds me of her and the stuffed animals she used to make for us. She'd stuff them with old pantyhose that had runs. (A time when recycling was about saving money, not the environment.)

So I'm inspired. I want to learn how knit. Or crochet. Or both.

Traditions and Uncle Stevie

Last night our family was invited to some friend's house for a very enjoyable dinner. We were talking about how their church has a monthly get together for families. I've heard a lot about it from others I know who attend the same church and for the most part it seems to be met with a lot of grumbling. However, last night, my friend said what she really likes about it is that it sort of forces them to talk about things as a family that they otherwise would not.

The example she gave was that they asked them each to write down what their favorite family tradition was. She loved hearing what her kids had to say because she was surprised at their answers.

One of my favorite traditions for our family is to go to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. The last couple of years we have been going to Barthel's Fruit Farm out in the country. It's a really great drive that takes us through a quaint little town with a beautiful old church/cemetary, hardware store, and two taverns. You drive your car right out to the orchard and pick your apples. Then you drive to the pumpkin patch and spend time finding just the right ones to bring home and display in the yard.

What's funny about pumpkins is that there always seems to be one that fits your personality. This year, we found a great one for Uncle Stevie...the king of the moon.


We've returned home, left the muddy shoes on the back porch, and are settling in for an afternoon of football and lounging. Later I will make one of my mother-in-law's apple bake recipes to have for dessert. The perfect finish to the perfect fall day.

Quote of the Day

The fourth graders at McKinley Elementary have their recorders! We know because as the children were dismissed on Monday, parents on the playground were greeted with the beautiful sound of recorders approaching en masse.

My son has been faithfully practicing his recorder since Monday. His father and I are very proud.

This morning I made him get dressed, brush his teeth, and make his bed before he could play. The quote of the day came after he finished all his chores and began to practice the one song he knows. He said to his sister, "That's what it sounds like when you play it out of breath."