Look what I found....

when I walked into work this morning.



Yep, today is my birthday.....oh, happy day! I started celebrating yesterday with a cookout with my siblings, my nieces and nephews, and my son and his family. JV was helping me with a project last night and he wished me happy birthday. Now, I walk into work to find my desk completely decorated (thank you, Laura), I already received a birthday phone call on the way to work (thank you, Keith), I'm having dinner tonight with my best friend (thank you, Charlie), and we'll celebrate again this coming weekend when it's my kids, grandkids and me. I think I like this birthday week business. Wish I had known about this when I was a kid. *grins*

I hope your day is as wonderful as mine is starting out to be.

Welcome back my lovely season.

One of my favorite places to hike is the woods and creek by my house. I live in the middle of the city, but it never seems like it once I hit the path. All I do is walk out my driveway, turn right, walk to the end of the street and I am instantly transported to some other place. It's peaceful and quiet - sort of magical too if I'm quiet. Does anyone else wander along rivers and creeks and try to feel the people who walked the same paths ages ago? Who were these people? What were they doing? Did they find peace here as well?

It's only been a week or so since my last walk, but I'm pretty sure it didn't look like this the last time I was here. How does this happen so quickly?

Am I complaining? Not in the least. How could I when I'm confronted with such beauty. Fall is my favorite season. It's full of rich scents and colors and I feel so cozy each time I slip that first sweater of the season over my head. And my boots - I miss my hiking boots all summer long.

Welcome back my pretty.

Ack, I need a maid.

How odd that 30 days of nothing has somehow turned into 30 days of cleaning and purging for me. It's necessary, but not so fun. Look at the messes I have to clean up - and this is just the 'office'.

Messy, Messy Messy!

Seriously, I was just using the iron. It's not like it's been out for 3 weeks or anything wierd like that.

And then there's this lovely 'little' pile that needs to be sorted.

Ok, it's all very useful, but could someone please put it back the way it was before I started my sewing projects.....and finished them?

And how does one person manage to get so many shoes on the back landing? It's not like I'm a collector of shoes....am I? Nah, it's only 8 pairs stacked here and I'm not telling how many are still in the closet. This landing is also on the list of things to have completed by the end of September.
And all this needs to be accomplished without buying any storage items? Hmmm, better head to the cellar to see what I might find tucked away that can be reused.

What new paths lie ahead?

Once upon a time, in what seems to be only a moment ago, I was the one doing the teaching and guiding. I did that to the best of my abilities and though I didn't set the best example all the time (understated) I managed to raise 3 extraordinary boys, now men. To this day I am amazed that the tables turned and I began to learn from them. Each, with their unique personalities, teaches me about life and myself constantly. In raising them I learned to be brave, to take risks, to push my boundaries and then to stand firm in what I believe is right. I learned to trust my instincts and to question status quo, to forge new paths. They say I taught the same to them. I don't know how.
I learned that they value and respect me as much as I value and respect them, but raising them also taught me to value and respect myself. I learned about responsibility and trust and honor. I learned about love, the boundless capacity to love.
Today I feel as if I'm on a precipice looking over a whole new world and what a beautiful world it is. I think I'll jump and see where I land. I think I'll leap and see where the wind takes me. I think my upcoming birthday is making me introspective. I think I like what I'm finding. Oh, happy day!

My Weekend

Wow! What an amazing weekend. From torrential rains (thanks Gustov) which completely cancelled our Thursday show for the first time in 29 years, to beautiful clouds and perfect weather for Friday and Saturday. I just finished up Celebration on the Grand and had the most marvelous time. Several new elements were added this year and I think they were a huge success. Here are just a couple of highlights.

It's a completely different view from 32 stories up. I was at the top watching people rappel down the side of the building. Oh, let me tell you, it takes your breath away to look down, but the city looks so beautiful from up here.

There she goes. It took about 15 minutes to get to the bottom. Would you have gone?

I have to laugh because Miss M wanted her face painted to look like a little pink pig. I do believe she got what she wanted.

I'm feeling sick today.

But not because I'm truly sick. Crazy, but I'm feeling empathy for my very very sick kitty. He had surgery on his mouth yesterday. Tim is 14 so the vet put him under with gas and when I retrieved him last night he was still stumbling around like a drunk man. I meant to carry him downstairs to use the litter box, but he started moving and did this crazy side-stepping weave all the way down the stairs with me scrambling to catch up in case he fell. Not sure how he made it without tumbling, but I think it's because he just kept his feet moving. Poor kitty.....
For a while he lay splayed out in the living room, the tip of his chin barely touching the floor, eyes glazed and half closed, looking absolutely miserable. I kept checking to see if he was breathing.

Later, he tried to jump up on the couch with me - he didn't make it. He got his front paws up, but sort of rolled sideways and fell on the floor. Geez! I felt like the meanest pet companion ever. I picked him up and snuggled him next to me. He slept for a couple hours and I didn't dare move - I didn't want to wake him.
Anyway, I suppose I'm thinking how I would feel if I were him and now I feel sick. Serves me right! Mean ole pet companion.......
He's better this morning, but he's got a few days before he starts to feel chipper again.

What is it?

I can't say yet other than it's for F.M.S. - for his birthday. I've finished it, but now have to wait 6 weeks before I go to Taiwan and can give it to him. It was so much fun I've bought more wool to make one for myself.

Now can I say I'm a knitter? Yeah, and I'm welcoming myself to the club. What a great club to belong to.

Now, about that welding I've been wanting to learn. I found a place in Kalamazoo that teaches classes.