Watching the Change of Season

Two weeks plus have passed once again like a flash, and I am wondering how it can possibly be midway of September already. September has been very busy and a little busier than I would like. I haven't as much time for some of the things I have wanted to do but some very important things have been accomplished.

In the way of stitching, I have been slowly working on the lighthouse. I wish I could say I were further along with it, but I forget sometimes I am not in a competition for finishing things quickly. I know I am going to love this one when it is completed.

I read an oldie book and just fell in love with it. Walking into our public library is a bookcase in the foyer for freebies. Some of these are library books they are parting with and some are things people drop off. I usually will take books that are nice and I think will be picked up quickly rather than donating to Goodwill sometimes. I always peruse the shelf. One day I picked up this oldie but goodie and honestly the forward to the book is what me intrigued me to take a new and deeper look. It did not disappoint.

Here is the version I picked up.

The forward said we are often too young to read this in high school. Its wisdom is missed by the youthful. The author of the forward said the following about reading it later in life..."In other words, I had lived enough of a life to finally understand what was so great about Our Town."

The copy I picked up was all marked up by a student and I truly loved seeing what she chose to highlight and star, but I had my own things to star and underline. If you recall from your younger high school days, it is only 3 Acts and follows the same characters through 3 days in different stages of life. 

Here are a couple of quotes I marked ---

When asked about the town of Grover's Corner, NH one of the main characters says of its people...

"I guess we're all hunting like everybody else for a way the diligent and sensible can rise to the top and the lazy and quarrelsome can sink to the bottom. But, it ain't easy to find."

And then this...

"No ma'am, there isn't much culture; but maybe this is the place to tell you that we've got a lot of pleasures of a kind here: we like the sun comin' up over the mountain in the morning, and we all notice a good deal about the birds. We pay a lot of attention to them. And we watch the change of season; yes, everybody knows about them." ----Oh that is me to a T and I suppose it takes some age to appreciate those things.

I enjoyed the book a lot and saw many life lessons. It ended on page 112, so very short. The remainder of the book was about the play and its history. I didn't read all that.

After that, I haven't read anything new. Waiting for something to call me in from my stack.

Family Life

~Miles started a Mother's Day Out program at a local church after Labor Day. He is so smart and I really felt he could use something, but he has cried a lot. That has not been fun to watch. I do think he likes it but he knows how to make Mimi and Mommy feel bad too. It is only for a half day. He has rebelled by not napping. Whew! Major sleep regression. He will sit in there and relive what he has done that morning. I guess we will have to play it by ear and time with what to do.

~I turned 64 yesterday. My how time flies! I always celebrate birthdays. When you lose a parent young in life you are part of a club you didn't ask to join, but you view birthdays differently than most all the way through life. I feel them deeper and am very grateful for them. I also can very easily see there are less of them ahead than behind. 

I didn't expect anything because with Lindsay's birthday in September as well, we have chosen to celebrate together for the past few years. Paul Allen, Katie and Miles went to eat breakfast with us yesterday at a new place out on the beach. Then we went to Lindsay and Tyler's for supper last night and watched the first half of the game. Tyler and Lindsay had my favorite foods and the meal was so good, and Tucker and Palmer could not hardly wait for me to blow the candles out on the delicious brownies they had helped make with Lindsay.

In other happenings...

The important stuff mentioned in the beginning was getting the places that had leaked inside the house over the past couple of years all repaired. I hate having workmen in the house because for some reason it disrupts me so much. It makes me so nervous. BUT...I am so glad that it is behind me. They did a great job. I have some wood to restain, but that will make good winter projects for the days when it is too cold to do much else.

This was the scene in three places; the worst being the bathroom. Fortunately, they did that one first so we could get back to showers upstairs.

I have a new car. My truck was 9.5 years old. I can't believe that, but another reminder of how quickly time flies. I loved my truck, but Jeff had told me I needed to think about trading it before it hit the 10 year mark. I had done my research. I knew I would miss my truck, but with lifting kids up so high for car seats and trying to lift Mama up in the truck for appointments I knew I needed a different style. I landed on a Kia Telluride.

It is very nice and I can still drive Jeff's truck for my truck driving needs. It has way more bells and whistles than one needs, but they all do these days. I have located the ones I like and that is that.

I am grateful that the latest storm didn't decide to veer east. I can never wish one on anyone, but Francine decided to hit Louisiana. If she had chosen us she wouldn't have been a Cat 1 or 2 as she would have way too much time in the hot waters of the Gulf, so for now we dodged another bullet. September is the month of a changing season but it can hold onto summer. The light has shifted and we have had some milder weather but nonetheless still hot. I have pulled out some fall decor in the house, but it all feels so out of place still yet. I drove by the lawn and garden department at Lowe's today, but it is honestly still too early for those too. 

I watching for fall though. We went on a hike earlier and there are some wildflowers or vines with the colors of fall, just no fall temperatures. 

September is also the height of hurricane season, so that is always in the back of our minds. I can't tell you how many times in my 64 years there has at least been one sitting somewhere in the Gulf on my birthday. I have enjoyed summer this year so it will be easier to welcome it when it arrives this year.

Thanks Robin and Arlene for my cards. They made me happy.

Grateful and blessed,

Sandy