November 9th and Looking Toward Christmas

See?  We've kinda already had Thanksgiving at our house - 

but we'll have it again - modified.

Sarah was home last week - a whole week.

Monday through Yesterday, Tuesday.

She rode the train.

That's right.

From New Orleans to Birmingham and back again to New Orleans on Amtrak.

It's like a car ride and the cost is about the same as gasoline for the car.

I would like to get with the city planners in Birmingham and suggest that they dip into their budget and give their train station a makeover.  

It needs it badly.  Sarah had warned me.  She said the New Orleans Station is pretty nice but the Birmingham Station was a bit of a shocker.  

So we had Thanksgiving on Thursday, last week.

Laura Beth drove home with John and Ada.   

Scott had to stay in McDonough and work.

This little guy and his friends were all over my house all week.

and the pink chair (can you see it?)

stays by this tree.

Luke, Ellie, and Ada use it to get themselves up in the tree.

So far Ada is the champion climber.

She goes up and up and Luke is very impressed.

Ada has a little bit of "monkey' in her.

Like Curious George.

I never stopped to take a lot of pictures.

But Sarah took some on the last day

which I've just seen

and the colors are brilliant.

So I'll close with Sarah's images.

We're moving into active days, aren't we?

I want my brain to absorb these warm colors which will evolve into Christmas reds and greens and glitter 

and then like a screeching halt

the world turns gray and still and cold and often damp.

Snow might happen.  Freezing Rain.

In all of these seasons and days and hours and minutes,

how do you live?  How do I live?

I want mine to count for eternal glory.

I so want it to count for that.

No White or Pastels After Labor Day?

Really?

No more flip flops?  No sandals?  Is that the rule?

Here it is at 7:00 pm and I've been reading a few blog posts and there is that continuing theme of no more summer stuff after labor day.

I hope the weather pays attention.

Seriously?

I can't slip into my yellow sandals? which usually sit outside my back door -

I used to know all of that and pay close attention.

I don't think the rules are as hard and fast as they used to be.  At least that's what I'm saying and sticking with.  Honestly, I don't care that much.

I was just reminded of my childhood and going downtown with Mom to the shoestore where we shopped.  Suddith & Bethune - and later it was Lambert's.  We bought fall shoes for fall & winter and Easter shoes for spring and summer.  School shoes and Sunday shoes for fall - but I only remember Sunday shoes for summer.  What did I wear to school after Easter?  I know I wore sandals and flip flops in the summer.  Oh, and keds.  I wore keds to school.  Without socks, probably.

I don't think I ever bought any clothing item outside of Evergreen, AL when I was growing up.  I don't remember it.  Unless, it was in Troy, AL and we bought it at Rosenberg's - a very fine ladies' shop in downtown Troy.  I know my grandmother bought Mary Ann and me our Easter Dresses from Rosenberg's when we were 6 and 4.  Mine was dotted swiss.  Perhaps Mary Ann's was too.  When I was  a senior I bought my prom dress at Rosenberg's.  It was so expensive that my uncle paid half for it as my graduation gift.  Total cost of the dress?  $55.00.  Too expensive for Mother and Daddy to buy as one purchase for Prom - and "The Miss Evergreen Beauty Contest".  I confess.  We had that.  Sorry.

I'm rambling - but Labor Day in September is so different compared to the past.

It rained all day today - as in flooding.  Charlie worked in his office all day since the Courthouse was closed for Labor Day - so that he could get a lot done.  Labor Day defines nothing for me anymore in terms of seasons changing.  What the rain has done is probably make things a bit cooler - or at least less hot.  I'm so glad for that.  I'm looking forward to fall and winter.  Usually I'm not looking forward to cooler weather.  I am very glad for fall and winter this year.  It's been such a hot summer and a very very - well - not a summer for vacations and recreation.   A tedious summer.  Detailed.  Details.  Blessed.  Abigail was born.  Laura Beth and Scott had major changes, for which we are all grateful.  Kate came(from Wake) and went(to China) and came(from China) and went(back to Wake).  Sarah visited but she's deep into New Orleans.

Good grief!  I'm rambling.

But tonight?  I am enjoyng the sound of rain all around and all over us.  We're very wet outside.

Moving on to Snow and Ice

It's a sure sign of aging when one no longer gets bad cabin fever.

We moved to Scottsboro in 1980. For years we could count on at least one "snowed in" experience during the winter..or iced in... At some point it stopped and we haven't had too many of those - not consistently - but we did this year, this week.

I used to get cabin fever really bad. The worst case I had was the year, 1988. I was very pregnant with Kate. Ann was 7, Laura Beth was 5 1/2 and Sarah was 2. We had had snow and then severe freezing. Days of being snowed and iced in and so cold. Charlie was driving a Bronco at the time and able, if necessary, to get out on the roads - but it was still risky. I remember calling my friend, Corny Rose and saying, "Bad news, we're all coming over!" I couldn't stand it any longer - I was going nuts. The last thing she needed was my showing up with the 3 little munchkins and my pregnant self - but we were close enough friends that I could infringe on her and she would still love me and even be nice to me while we were there. Charlie drove us over and left us there for a while. I am curious to know how long it would take me, now, to have to break out of the house.

I don't mind being stuck, in fact, I like it. There's so many personal projects and tasks I can do in my home - I need never leave it. But - there's the case of food - have to get it - but I even like making do with what I have - we wouldn't starve - it might not continue to be very exciting - but there's food. Or - like now - I'm out of computer paper and am about out of cardstock - my mainstay for projects and printing out stuff. Also - it's getting close to time to get more of my favorite photo paper from Office Pro or whatever it's called.

The Barbers, on the other hand, were suffering terribly from cabin fever yesterday - they reminded me of myself in 1988 when I could take it no longer. They did come into town yesterday afternoon and all spent the night here. It was an interesting night with Andrew - he was not loving the change of beds and created quite a disturbance in the night.

So - here we are with a little snow still on the ground - it definitely hasn't been a fast melt - but we didn't get so much either - if we're gonna go to the trouble to have snow - well, I prefer that it be really thick.