It's The Most Wonderful Time, Of The Year

Ah-haaa! You started singing the Christmas song didn't you? 

I meant Autumn. I love Autumn!  I love the smells of the leaves and fires burning.  The sounds of the leaves falling and crunching under my shoes as I walk.  I can hear the chipmunk scurry along. The sky is so much clearer and more blue than during the hazy humid days of summer.

Pumpkins, golden fields, crisp mornings, hikes on the trails that don't make me sweat profusely.

Great hair days on which my curls are just WONDERFUL and well-behaved.

Cinnamon apple smells and tastes. Cobblers, ciders, punch, apple donuts with cinnamon sugar sprinkles.

Farmers' Markets with bulging baskets, boxes, trunks and truck beds.  Flea markets with baked goods from the Amish.

My husband's birthday. My oldest son's birthday. Thanksgiving.

Such joy, peace and serenity.

Productive Days

It was extremely busy today, but we did get quite a bit accomplished.

~ Grampa needed help with his load of dirt for the driveway.
~ Dad needed help with his load of dirt from Grampa for our flower beds.
~ There were things to put away outside.
~ There were things to put away inside.
~ Dishes
~ Schoolwork
~ Reading
~ Laundry - cleaning, folding and putting away.
~ I had to work - and at work I was able to accomplish alot!
~ Slammed my finger in a drawer at work.
~ Went to an appointment with a friend.
~ Went window shopping this morning with that same friend at a craft store.
~ More dishes
~ Tidied up the house
~ Fell into bed exhausted.

Falling Asleep in Class

Enough said.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

Gluten Free
Pumpkin Butterscotch
Muffins

These muffins turned out really yummy! I'm so happy!  If you'd like the recipe, I have a Recipes Page. You can find it there. There aren't many recipes yet, but this one will be there for sharing!

Hey Mom just testing to see if this works

Coolness! hahaha. I'm done with school for today just letting you know that!

Film Appreciation

One of your 'fun' classes for this year is a Film Appreciation class.  We are having so much fun with this one.  It's work too, but lots of fun and laughter to go along with the work.

The movie we watched today was Room For One More, with Cary Grant and Betsy Drake.

The movie was about a married couple that decides to take in one foster child and then a second.  The mother, Anna, also takes in stray dogs, cats and a rabbit.  The father, Poppy, has to come to terms with even less private time with his wife.

It's all good fun, but the film showed the struggles that they had with each child.  It touched me because Anna miscarried their last child and feels a bit empty. I can relate to that empty feeling - as well as wanting to be a foster mom.  Poppy is reluctant to take on older foster children, but he is the one that makes 'Room For One More'.  I can imagine my husband doing the same.

The next school year.

We have started our next hs'ing year.

You are a Sophomore and a Junior - 10th grade.... 11th grade.... I could hardly believe what my hand wrote. I really had to think.

It feels like just a few months ago that I took those precious Kindergarten First Day of School photos.

My heart is rejoicing and breaking all at the same time.  I am happy for you and for me. I am proud of you and me and your Dad.  I am breaking apart inside because this is a stage of my life also.  A stage that is ending.

I am also afraid of the future because I don't remember what I did before we hs'ed you. I don't remember life without reseaching and organizing fun school things!  I am afraid of the completion - of the done-ness. Afraid of the feeling of empty. I am afraid of not being useful!

What will I do with myself?