Saying Goodbye to August

 I am coming to terms with the fact that August has flown by. She may leave her mark though... More about that later. Yikes!

I sound as if I don't love September. I do though. September is a great month for our family and I love it even more in retirement. I am no longer stressing over school and get to enjoy the month without the other. It is a month of birthdays and an anniversary and then fall slides in. 

I love September and sometimes it seems like we need to throw fall decor out, but the past couple of years I have kind of slowed that down and just eased into fall. I love the light changing and like to spend a little time just staring down the bayou in the evenings...that is, if it is not sweltering in high temperatures.

I like to add a few things slowly and just kind of let it all fall in on me slowly. 

I have quite a few pictures to share. I will start with Gus who got his grooming; more like a shave only. It is ok since it will grow out fast.

He was just glad to be back in the safety of the truck. He got a little bow tie.

Jeff said he looked like he was wearing a suit.

I am still busy but it is getting better everyday. Lindsay is doing so much better. She still has a long way to go, but she knows that if she looks at it from day one to now there has been lots of improvement. She is hoping by the end of September when she goes back to work that she will be back to normal. The physical therapist has been so good. 

Palmer has hit the 1 month mark.

Then, 

this is what happens...

Tucker picked out his clothes that day. They match so well:)

We went to the park one day. Lindsay captured me waiting on Tucker to get tired while she and Palmer stayed in the shade.

In another direction, Katie is carrying on my tradition with the palm tree. Jeff made the palm tree for me many years ago. I had it in my classroom really all except for the first few. It has been downstairs, but I asked Katie if she would like to have it in her room and she said yes. My only stipulation was that she make a picture standing by it for me.

Another Mrs. Palmer

Mother is doing better. I know that I have to face that she is aging. I have not really done that until this last illness. She can get really down and bounce back which she has this time, BUT each time they leave her a little weaker and a little smaller and a little more feeble AND while she is sick a bit cantankerous. I am working on getting ready to be helpful and not let myself get so down with it.

Hurricane season is about to ramp up...September brings that. I have spent more than a few birthday celebrations dealing with those. It is a part of my story.

This weekend one will be looming in the Gulf.

Gus doesn't seem too concerned, but the moment one enters the Gulf I am on high alert. I have lived this life pretty much my entire life. There is a process we go through. I have been a busy bee today washing every item of clothing and sheets because when one is out there that is the first thing I do. I don't want to be caught with lots of dirty clothes when the power is out. 

I am prepared in the way of supplies. I stay that way from May to October...just second nature. 

Then comes the boat and outside plants and furniture if needed. That is still to be determined. After that is wait and watch and lots of prayer. 

We do know what to do but it never makes it easy to deal with. For a few weeks of the year, it is hard but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. 

The longest we have gone without power is 18 days, but generally we can count on 10-14 days if we get a direct hit. The power is nothing compared to knowing everything is ok. 

Several of our neighbors on the street have gotten the whole house generators. They are quite pricey. I have not caved to that yet. We do have generators and gasoline to run the refrigerator and a fan or two. We do have a really small window unit that we put in one room and close off for sleeping at night. 

So as I say goodbye to August in the next few days I am hoping for a miracle and that Ida will decide she doesn't like the Gulf and just dissolve into nothing. IF not that, may she be a quick mover and weaker than expected for whoever gets her. Right now we aren't in the cone, but as I said once they enter the Gulf I keep an eye on the weather.

The news has been harder than ever lately....

I have needed to hug my family a little tighter and thank the Lord for my blessings.

Sandy