HALLOWEEN - 2012

I'm not sure I will have any tricks but I know that I do have treats.  With my grandkids being here, I feel I have  been treated and it has been several years since I've celebrated a Halloween with them.  When my husband and I moved here 7 years ago, we noticed there were no small children near us so we have never had trick or treaters come here and really no different this year, except that my own grandchildren are here and with the move so recent and still unpacking and settling in, there won't be a lot going on here.  But I do have to go to town for supplies and groceries today so will look for something a little special either for our supper or a treat for later.

I hope all your little ghosts and goblins as well as you have a great Halloween.  Now here is my treat for all you special people.

THE SOUNDS AND SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT

The three children had been out on their rounds gathering up the treats on this Halloween night.  The sky was clear so the stars were twinkling and the big full moon was rising in the east casting shadows along with the street lights as they walked along.  It was a dark night but the three of them felt safe as a group and hurried from street light to street light to avoid the dark and the possible hiding places of those who prowl this night.

After an hour of walking around the neighborhood, they had a lot of treats and were heading back home.  The youngest, a boy of 11 told his sisters, "Let's cut through the vacant lot as we can get home faster and see what we have."

The girls weren't excited about entering the vacant lot.  There was a house on each side but both were empty and dark and eerie looking and as they looked at one another, told their little brother, "Let's stay on the street."

But Matthew was off an running across the lot as the girls stood there.  Afraid he might get hurt in the dark, they decided to follow calling out his name.  "Matthew, wait up."

Matthew was still running but stopped suddenly as he saw something run in front of him and hide in the tall grass near where he would have to walk.  He was standing there when his sisters reached him and were asking, "What is the matter?"

"I don't know but I just saw something run in front of me and it is in those weeds over there."  He was cowering down behind his oldest sister who put her arm around him.

Brianna told him, "It is okay.  It was probably just a dog or a cat."  She was wary as she took a step with her arm around her brother and looked at her sister, "Come on Hailey, let's go."

Hailey shook her head, "I'm not going there."  She turned to run back the way she came but let out a scream as she saw something too.  She ran back to her brother and sister, "We are trapped.  There is something in front of us and something behind us.  What are we going to do?"

Brianna looked around and then they froze as they heard the low growl of something very close to them.  Huddling together they each were looking in all directions.  The tall grasses were moving as the moon kept rising higher casting more shadows and then they saw something.  They screamed as they started to turn but there there was something behind them.  They turned back.

It seemed that there was more than just one or two as the noises were coming from all directions while the grass was moving and they could hear the crunch from the leaves under foot of what was in there.  They could almost feel the eyes watching them and the low growls and heavy breathing.  Occasionally a tall blade of grass would move revealing a shape but they couldn't tell what it was.

Brianna started running holding on to her brother's hand and calling to her sister, "Come on,.  Let's run."

But it was too late.  They all stopped as something came out of the tall grass and stood in front of them.  The growl was low and threatening and the light was reflecting off the eyes giving an eerie yellowish look.  The flash of white teeth glowed in the moonlight as the three children stood huddled together looking for another way around what ever this was.

The thing that had been in front of them just disappeared and slowly they started on their way to get home.  They could see the street and the house but they still had to walk by the tall stand of grass and whatever was hiding there.  

Tiptoeing they moved slowly until they were even with the spot where they had seen the object and then began to run.  Suddenly they heard the noise behind them and ran faster as the thing was getting closer, growling and they could almost hear it breathing,

They reached the end of the lot and were safely on the street under the street light but were still running until Brianna stopped to look behind them.

She began to laugh while Matthew and Hailey looked on.  She pointed to the thing that had come out of the vacant lot, "Look it is our dogs, Jazzie and Poe and some of Grandma's cats.

They arrived home with their tale of the sounds and sights they'd seen in the vacant lot vowing never to go there again and especially on Halloween.  While they told their tales and showed their mother and grandmother what they got, they didn't see the yellow eyes and flash of white or hear the low growl of what had followed them home and was watching through the windows.  Jazzie ad Poe were hunkered down in their cage not making a sound as the thing grew close.

At the screech of the old tom cat, the thing ran away, back to the vacant field and disappeared into one of the dark houses.  Later that night, there was a glow peering from one of the windows, two yellowish eyes watching the house where the children lived.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!  DON'T LET THE GHOSTS AND GOBLINS GET YOU!!! AND WATCH OUT FOR THOSE SOUNDS AND SHADOWS ON THIS NIGHT.

Changing my Lifestyle

On Saturday, October 13, 2012 my life style changed and I really think it is going to be for the best.  My youngest daughter, Michele and my three grandchildren, Brianna, Hailey and Matthew arrived with a U-haul truck and trailer and two friends with their belongings which now are part on my carport, part on my covered porch and part in the storage shed.  Oh, and I can't forget three dogs, Greta a german shepherd mix, Jasmine, a boxer mix and Poe who bless his heart is a combination of who knows but they are all good dogs and it has been interesting to see them interacting with my cats, inside and outside.

First, the outside cats disappeared as soon as the truck drove in and Michele got out of the car with three dogs on leashes.  They are slowly coming back but it is going to take some time for the two outside dogs, Jasmine and Poe to realize they can't just run up to the kitties and play and for the kitties to realize the dogs are not going to eat them.

The two inside kitties hid and we didn't see them until the middle of the night on Saturday.  Then yesterday one of them began coming out just a little bit but still very cautious.  About 11 PM on Sunday night, the other cat came out and was curious about Greta who was sleeping in her cage.  We think he might have come too close and woke her up as we saw a flash as he raced through the bedroom and heard Greta barking up a storm.  Then I caught him peeking around the corner.

This morning everyone was up at 6 AM as the kids got ready to go back to school.  Michele took them in to get them enrolled which has taken longer than she thought.  But she is very pleased with the school and thinks the kids will be once they are familiar with them.  

One of Matthew's teachers is married to the bus driver of the bus she rode when she went to school here and when she went to enroll Hailey who was really nervous about finding her way around, she was introduced to a girl who is President of the Honor Society and a cheerleader and so she will be meeting a lot of new people and finding new friends today.  I think she will relax a little bit now and quit worrying so much about it.

They went to get Brianna enrolled in the high school but the counselor won't be back until 12:30 so they are doing some other business in town and then will go back to get her enrolled.

I'm babysitting all the cats and dogs this morning.  Greta is being good unless I go outside and then she thinks I'm leaving her.  I let the two outside dogs out of their cage to run around and go to the bathroom and then had a time getting them back into the cage but once I had a treat for them, they went willingly.  We will keep them locked up for a few days until they really get to know their new surroundings and we can teach them not to run out the gate each time it is opened.

When the kids get home later, it is going to be a nice warm day so they can be out there with them and give them some exercise and work with them about the gate.

In the meantime, I'm still packing up stuff in the two rooms the kids will use so we can start getting their beds set up.  Right now, we are on temporary sleeping arrangements but so far everyone is comfortable and hopefully by the end of the week everyone will have their own room and the unpacking can start.

It is nice to hear the sound of voices and laughter again in the house after almost three years of living alone and only having the cats to talk to daily and the occasional visits from Melanie and Zach or when I was able to go visit a neighbor.

It is going to be a lifestyle change but I think once we are all settled in, we will begin to function like a family unit and I know that I'm very happy to have them here with me.  Although I will admit being around teens and a preteen reminds me of the days when my own two were growing up but times have changed so I'm being updated too.

As I said in my previous blog, my indecision may have been because I was being guided to stay here and when the time came, it was meant for my daughter and family to move here to be with me.  We all believe in a higher power and we feel we were guided into this decision so we know it will work for us.

Indecision = Decision

As I have posted here before, I've wrestled with the decision as to sell my home and downsize to a smaller space like an apartment. I even made the commitment even though my heart wasn't in it, but I was going to go through my things and sort out what had to go, maybe not what I wanted to go, but what had to go.  I have worked a little bit on it but I can tell you that it was hard for me to go into a room and look around to see what I had to get rid of.  So I have just kept putting it off even though I knew I would eventually have to take the bull by the horns, as they say, and just do it.

But then something happened that made me do a double take and really look at my decision and the proposition that was being offered.  I could stay here and I would have someone with me to help me with the things I can no longer do.  Not only that but I would be helping them in return.  It is a win/win situation for all of us.

My youngest daughter, Michele asked if I would consider having her and my three grandchildren move in with me.  She is renting a place but as with most rentals on limited income, it isn't the best and she loves to do yard work and plant flowers and she loves to cook but right now she doesn't even have a working oven and the landlord isn't to ambitious about fixing it.

So after thinking about it and discussing it with a good friend of mine and even mentioning it to my oldest daughter, I have decided to accept her offer and when they are here at Thanksgiving, we will be discussing how we will fit everyone in here.  Basically I have 3 bedrooms but there is another room that we have used as a bedroom so we will have the 4 bedrooms we need.   It will not only help me but I'll be helping her as well and it will be nice to have the family close together again.

As she said, they can help with the mowing and upkeep of the yard since my allergies always act up even when I wear my mask.  And I know she will be more than happy if she has a place to plant flowers and take care of them.  She has a green thumb and can make anything grow.  I know she is excited about the prospect and so are the grandkids as she said they are already telling their friends that they will be moving to Oklahoma to live with their Mamma and help her. 

And the grandchildren are old enough to be little helpers as well.  Brianna will be 16 next March, Hailey just turned 14 in July and Matthew will be 12 in April.

It will be nice to have them here with me and to be able to enjoy the grandkids and be a part of their lives as both girls are in band right now and hope to join when they move here.  Matthew is in scouts so will be looking for a troupe here. 

So I guess my indecision and reluctance to start going through my things had a hidden reason.  I still have to move some things to storage but that is fine.  So again, I've made a decision and if all goes well then they will be living here either by mid year for them or we may have to wait until school is out in May.  It will depend on the weather and she has some things to take care of.

September

Here it is mid September already.  Time is slipping by to fast.  It doesn't seem that long ago I was writing about the cold and winter and then spring and the hot summer and now we are headed into fall.  I've weathered the cold, the extreme heat and drought and now can enjoy a few weeks of fall before gripping about the cold of winter.

I'm disappointed again this year that we won't have the color for fall.  With the drought, it has hurt the trees so bad that most have turned brown or are losing their leaves early.  I hope that isn't a sign of what is to come and that winter will be nasty.

All my pretty spring flowers finally gave it up during the 100+ days we had for weeks on end.  No amount of watering could keep them alive as the heat just dried them up or wilted them so they lost their ability to live.  I tried so hard but only a couple of very hardy ones survived and only because they were in a very protected area where they got no sun or very little and escaped being exposed to the hot winds and heat. 

The yard suffered as well and looking at it from a distance, it doesn't look bad but up close it is really sad.  Most of the grass is dead and the green that is showing is weeds and wild grass and is clumpy so there is a lot of bare ground when you look at it up close.  The moles are having a hey day! 

The outdoor kitties spent most of their days in the car port lying under or near the car as the cement floor was the coolest spot for them.  I would go out several times a day to give them fresh water and water down an area of grass and dirt which brought them out to lay on until it dried up.  The water cooled earth felt good to them but didn't last long enough but for a few minutes I would have a cat garden.

I don't want to rush the time or the seasons but I really am looking forward to Thanksgiving this year.  If all goes well, I hope to have all the family together to celebrate.

And I have made up my mind, not what I want to do but it is what I have to do, I will be putting the place up for sale next spring.  So between now and then, I've got to go through things and decided what I absolutely want and can keep and the rest will go in a huge yard sale or be given to the girls and grandkids.  I know I have to downsize so a lot of mementos will be going.

I think this last summer really made up my mind.  It is hard to keep up the place and with the heat I was forced to stay inside most of the time and even now it takes me two to three days to mow and trim the large yard.  There are a few other things that need to be done and I'm just not able to get them done.  I think this has been the hardest decision I've had to make since Harold passed away.  This was to be our last home where we could spend our retirement years but things have changed and so I'll give it up but I'm also giving up some of my independence and I think that is the hardest thing of all.

I'll be at the mercy of a landlord whether it is an apartment or small house and it really won't be mine but just a place to hang my hat and it is hard for me to accept that.   True I won't have the worry of repairs or yard work but at the same time, it will be a very confined life for me and it will be a big adjustment.  However, I do plan to stay in this area as I do have friends here and I have the necessities so as long as I can live on my own, this will be home base.  

It has been the hardest decision I've had to make and I'm sure it is really going to hit home when it comes down to the day I have to leave here.  I'm not one that likes change that much and especially one like this.  I feel I'm not only giving up my home but so many of the things I love and cherish.  True I probably have more trinkets and gadgets than I need but they are a part of my life and hard to part with.    Like I don't need two complete pan sets when I barely use over one or two pans at the most or a cupboard full of mixing and serving bowls.  I've just always had them so it just seems natural to keep them but they will have to be thinned out.  All the books, except for a few favorites will have to go and as my oldest daughter keeps reminding me, I've got to get rid of most of my Christmas and other holiday decorations.   I can understand that but I've been gathering these things for years and now I have to choose what to keep and what to get rid of.  And for all who know me, I don't spare anything when it comes to decorating for the holidays.  I could just about open my own store with all the decorations and flowers and wreaths I have.  But I use them all right now so will have to pick favorites again and that will be hard.

For now, I'm just going to enjoy the Fall, hoping winter will hold off and when it does come, that it will be kind and mild.  

Happy September everyone.

Shadow and the Raspberry Muffins

Last night I decided to mix up a Jiffy mix of Raspberry Muffins.  My big old white cat, Shadow is usually shy and timid but lately has been my shadow so to speak and last night wasn't any different.  He had to sit at my feet while I mixed them up and poured them into the pan.  I literally had to step over him in order to put them in the oven but I did without spilling them or getting burned as again he had to get right at my feet.

When they came out of the oven, I put them on a rack to cool down after trying a couple of warms ones with butter.  Again he was at my feet but I knew he had a full bowl of food and this wasn't one of the treats I usually give him or Miss Kitty.

They both will come running when I use the can opener thinking they will get a bite of tuna which is their one and only people food treat.

Anyway, I left the muffins on the rack to cool and went back into the other room to watch some TV.  It was a few minutes later that I heard a noise and went to see what was going on.  I saw him on the counter and called out so he jumped down immediately.

But before he did, he had managed to take a bite out of every muffin on the rack and had one cornered and was really going at it.  He sat back and watched as I gathered them up and scolded him.  I didn't feel I could salvage any of them so out they went.  

In the meantime, Miss Kitty had come to see what all the fuss was about and sat in the doorway with a look on her face as "what did I miss?"  I'm sure if she had found them first, she would have done the same or worse as she is usually the one who has to see what is up there and gets snoopy.

So it was a surprise to see Shadow being my bad boy last night.  Guess I will remember the next time I make muffins not to leave them out where he can get to them.  And especially if they are Raspberry Muffins.

Procrastination Again

I’ve been procrastinating again.  I’ll blame it on the hot weather.  I’ve thought about coming to the blog as so much happened in June. 

My daughter and I went to the Barry Manilow Concert which was fantastic and we had a great weekend together.  Then about a week later, I got hit with a bug.  It really knocked the wind out of my sales.  It was like a summer cold without a lot of the runny nose thing but I was achy, feverish, and for two days I stayed in bed most of the time sleeping.  I lost my appetite and about 6 pounds which I hate to admit I’ve gained back.  It lasted about a week although the cough lasted almost two weeks and still flares up at times.  But it also caused ear aches, headaches and heaviness in the chest.  It was a mean bug and I hope it doesn’t come back.

I was over the worst part but still a little on the weak side when it came up for our yard sale.  Melanie came down to help and bless her heart, she did most of the work.  It was a hot weekend and glad we only had it for two days.  On the last day, we waited until that evening to load it up as it was a little cooler but still worked up a good sweat.

I also had a surprise one day when I couldn’t get online and it was during the time I was ill so I waited until the next day to call only to find out that my internet provider pulled the plug without any notice.  Well, that led to me going with a connection that I’m not thrilled with but not having any choices, I either had to take it or go without and I’m so spoiled, I knew that going to town once a week to use wi-fi wouldn’t work for me.  So not sure where this will go but still not happy with it.

I had some excitement one evening when I had gone out to give fresh water to the cats and to water my plants.  I was standing on the sidewalk watching my cats lay in the grass that I had soaked down for them when something caught my eye.  It was a 9” Copperhead lying on the sidewalk in front of my shed doors.  I looked around and realized my neighbors across the street were gone, Spike had company so there was nothing to do but to get the hoe and kill it.  I walked around to get the hoe and I’m sure I made quite a sight as I stretched it out as far as I could and then began whacking it.  I did kill it and was able to get it on a shovel to toss over the back fence.

About the time I saw it, so did a couple of my kitty cats and they were watching it as it laid there but moved when I began to whack it.  Guess they were afraid I might get them.  Anyway, it kind of surprised them as much as me as I’m sure they weren’t aware of it as they laid on the grass but did finally notice it as it crawled onto the sidewalk.

It is the first one I’ve seen in over two years.  I’m sure they are here and I’m always on the alert for them but I’ve relied on my kitty cats to keep them away.  Here lately, it has been so hot that the cats are all gathered under the car in the car port or in the shaded grassy area that I wet down for them.

Then it was time to get ready for the 4^th of July.  We were to have some of Melanie’s friends come down from Tulsa but they were unable to make it so it was just her, Zach and my friend Spike and me.  But we had quite a fireworks show thanks to my grandson Zach and we enjoyed some drinks, snacks and good music as well as a lot of laughs and good conversation.  So we had a good time even though it was just the 4 of us.

But now the holiday is over, the decorations taken down and time to stay inside away from this excessive heat.  Hopefully we’ll have a break soon and get some rain as we are so dry.  We had a little shower a couple of days before the 4^th but not enough to really count.  The grass is brown and I haven’t had to worry about mowing.

The summer is going by quickly and soon it will be September and fall.  I prefer the warmer temps but not exactly the triple digits but it will be nice to have the nice days of September.

I hope you are having a great summer.  I’ll try not to be such a procrastinator from now on but since my time is somewhat limited on the new internet service, I will be writing my blog in Word and copying and pasting to it since I’m afraid I’ll run out of time on the wireless phone card I’m using now.  They say I can get 3 to 4 hours but haven’t had it happen yet and have already replaced one device as it didn’t work worth a darn.

Girls Night Out

Friday, June 8, 2012, I made the trip to Tulsa to see my daughter.  We had tickets to the Barry Manilow Concert and planned to make an evening of it.

I got there mid afternoon so we had a chance to visit before getting ready to go out to dinner.  We decided to go to a place we had been to before, The Spaghetti Warehouse.  Food was delicious as always and it was filling but we knew we would do some walking later so figured we'd walk it off.

When we left the restaurant, we found a parking garage not far from the Center where we were going for the concert.  We got parked, walked the half block to the center and waited until they opened the doors.  It was a nice evening so not to bad to have to stand outside to wait.

Once inside, we got in the line and as we approached the ticket taker, I was first and she told me to step over to a table near by as my ticket would be upgraded.  At first, I thought it must be my age or maybe we were the 1000th customer or something.  I waited to see what they said to Melanie as I didn't want to sit somewhere else without her being close.  But they told her the same thing.

They didn't sell out all the seats so were filling in on the others and boy did we get a deal.  We were fairly close to the stage and just high enough that our view wasn't blocked and we still could see the big screen.  We were given light sticks to use during the concert which was fun too.

This was my first concert so I was really excited.

But back to our walking experience for a moment.  When we were admitted, we went looking for the vendor's booth to get our T-shirts.  We found one small one and he said we had to go on around the other way to a larger one.  Well, he must have been turned around in his directions as we started walking and almost encircled the inside of the center before we found it and it was just a ways from where we entered.  But we got in line and got our T-shirts and then found out seats.

And we were in for the show of our lives.  Barry Manilow still has a great voice and entertained us with many of his songs and added some humor along with it.  He also had a video presentation going on behind him which made it enjoyable as well.  We took pictures, videos and sang along and applauded and really enjoyed it all.  The people around us were all friendly and it made it a real enjoyable experience.

When we left, we exited at the opposite end so it meant another long walk back to the parking garage.  See, we did get to walk off all that good pasta we had.  LOL  

We went back to her apartment and changed into our shirts and then went over to her place of employment, Magoo's.  She'd been telling everyone I was coming so they wanted to meet me and I wanted to meet the ones she always talked about.  We got a bite to eat and of course had a couple of drinks but we also had some laughs and good times.  We even got up to dance once which was fun.  

By the time the evening was over, I was tired but it was a good tired and I had so much fun but then when Melanie and I go out for an evening, we usually do have fun.  We laugh and play and I have to say she makes me feel younger.  But usually the next day I realize I'm not 40 something anymore but wouldn't change a thing.

I left yesterday morning to come home and took a nap yesterday afternoon and by evening I was feeling pretty good.  Legs were a little sore and knees a little stiff but it was well worth it and I think if the opportunity came up again to see a favorite, I'd do it all over.

There is something about seeing them perform live that beats listening to the records or CD's or watching them on a TV special.

So we had a great girls night out and a lot of memories to last forever.