Domingo Delicioso #20

Man, where do I start?

Well, Fall is here. My favorite time of year. My FAVORITE. Here in the Texas Panhandle, you can tell it’s approaching, even when the temps are still flirting with the 90 degree mark. The subtle change of sunlight, that certain scent floating on the breeze . . . as long as it isn’t from the feedlot, that is. Some fondly refer to that familiar stench as the ’smell of money,’ considering it, along with helium, oil, horse-flesh and various cash crops, make our world go ’round. Ah, yes. I guess I must admit, there is even a difference in the smell of Eau de Cattle this time of year.

I go out of my way to kick through a yard full of crisp cottonwood leaves, reveling in the swish-crunch of their rustling corpses. Produce aisles and various corner lots are full of cheerful orange pumpkins, among which my Perfect Pumpkin waits, patiently, for me to bring it home so I can make him over into a jack o’ lantern. He has plenty of company while resting among the dried cornstalks and gourds of various size, shape and color.

The nights are crisp and clear; as I stare up into the stars, I catch a whiff of smoke from some fireplace a lucky someone has blazing. Our next home should have a fireplace. I still leave our bedroom window open a crack so the cool air can waft over my face and I hear the lonely wail of the train break the quiet of the night. *Wheeeooh, Wheeeooh, whee-whee WHEEEOOOH.* I imagine a large cabin in the mountains, lit cheerily from within as I drift off to sleep. All is well with the world, I tell myself as I say goodnight to God.

_______________________

I’ve been hopping around the blogosphere, catching up on everyone’s posts as I put DD together, and boy have you guys been BUSY!

As for myself, I’ve been running around like crazy this week too. Granny’s in a rehabilitation center, getting her strength back after her hospital stay. So Mom spends the first part of the day up there with her, and I go up in the evenings when I get off from work. She’s getting better. Still weak though. But she is working hard, so she can hopefully go back home. We’ve also been keeping an eye on her house, as she has a Wicked Stepdaughter that is acting like a vulture, waiting to take back the house Granny lives in so she can sell it and get the money. Evil bitch. It’s a long story, and not pleasant, so I’ll save it for another time. Hopefully, she doesn’t know that Granny has been under the weather. I don’t trust that woman as far as I can throw her…on the other hand, as mad as she makes me, I imagine myself hurling her to China sometimes.

Brother, Sister-in-Law (I MUST find a better nickname for her, she deserves it!) and Toddler came to town on Monday to visit. They were such a sight for sore eyes! Mr. Man and I saved Toddler’s birthday gifts to give her then. We found this PlaySkool toy that has a beehive in the center and a stick with a bee on the end that toddlers can jump over…well, Toddler wanted US to do it too. Let’s just say that I nearly knocked myself out and leave it at that. The things that kid can talk me into. We also got her a PlayDoh kit, and in it was this little thing that looked like a garlic press, in which the PlayDoh oozed out in strings. (When it was red, it looked like ground meat!) Anyway, Toddler got an idea (!) and made a scary noise and waved it in my face, and I guess I was startled (because Sis-in-Law and I were busy with our own PlayDoh projects and not paying attention) and I made a face that tickled Toddler so much that it struck her funny bone– she got one of those laughs that wouldn’t quit! You know the kind–people-could-pay-you-a-million-bucks-and-you-still-can’t-stop kind of laughs. And it was contagious! We all laughed and laughed until our sides and our faces hurt. It felt so good. I haven’t had that kind of pure joy in such a long time. I don’t think any of us have. I wish Granny and Mom could have been there with us.

Still Toddler and her parents provided plenty of happiness during their visit. When they were getting ready to go back home, and on the last visit of the day at Granny’s bedside, Toddler gave Granny a hug and a kiss, and crawled off the bed. Then–get ready, this is a good one–she went back to the bed and leaned toward Granny and said, “I love you with all my heart.”

All together now– “Awwww!”

__________________

On the Weight Watchers front, things have been going well. I have had pretty good success so far…but I gained back this week what I had lost the week before. I ate out too much, and those freaking hormones are playing havoc with me again, says the Doc. I thought I used my Flex Points wisely, and used my Activity Points okay…but I think I drank too much Diet Coke…thus too much caffeine and sodium. Pissed me off. I guess I will have to count my success a different way this week:

1. I faithfully wrote everything down for once, and can go back and see where I was led astray.
2. I learned that the times I got home from visiting Granny were a stress point for me, and I wanted to shove food in my mouth the same way an alcoholic might want to guzzle a bottle of Wild Turkey. But I refrained.
3. I earned activity points by walking into and out of the hospital so many times (long walk from parking lot, down long halls and back) and cleaning house for Granny. This might not be much to say, a Cavalry Scout (stop laughing, my friend, I can hear you from here!) but to a sedentary sort like me, it was a lot more that usual.

There may be more positive points, but gee, I’m tired. Sorry this is so long this week guys, I guess I’ve saved it up all week!

Now on to other people’s lives:

_______________________________________________________

I FOUND MY COFFEE POT! (yes, I am yelling …I’m that happy!)

Yay! Oh, and dink, you can’t just get us all involved in the Disastrous Door Drama and then quit. NOOOO Ma’am! We’re in this together, until the end!

______________________________________________________

Omg, a bell/light went off in my head. Sucky time.

Ha! How funny! I’m glad Diggy-Do is doing better! The things these crazy kids get into, huh, Kristen?

____________________________________________________________

I went to my regular grocery store last night to be met with a sign that said “We are rearranging the store to make your shopping experience more convenient”. What it actually should have said is “We are moving everything around, we haven’t put up new signs to tell you where stuff is, cereal is in 4 different aisles right now, we have hired every giggly high school girl we can find to do the move and drive you nuts, so have fun!”

Yeah, Lady Shanny, what mess! I hate it when the move stuff around at my local. You are doing GREAT, btw! Love your blog!

____________________________________________________________

All horns and rattles – Said of someone displaying a fit of temper. A man in this mood, as one cowboy said, “maybe don’t say nothin’, but it ain’t safe to ask questions.”

Love it, Charlene! I might have to get that book and add it to my shelf!

______________________________________________________________

I sigh. “You’re a sad, sad man, babe.”

Vikki–I LOVE TFK! It’s one of those eternal stories. That being said, sounds like your man and my Mr. Man have something in common–they’ll keep going until they THINK they’ve won the argument at hand….

_________________________________________________________

I WANT MY MOMMY!!!!!….Anybody got any Valium?

 

Day-um, Groovy! I’m gone all week and everything over toward your place goes bananas! *scratch scratch*

 

_______________________________________________________________

Sagacious Woman said, “I use a men’s strap on.”

Oh, my. Ms. Karen, I shouldn’t turn my back on you, either, should I? Hope you had a great weekend! What an nice smile you have, dear. Oh, and watch out for those balls.

____________________________________________________________

I’m nosey that way

Gabrielle–I think this is a lot of fun!

_____________________________________________________________

Hmm. Alligator skin and shaggy llama hair. Writing fiction is hard on a girl in more ways than one!

Well, Jenny, um, you wear it well?

______________________________________________________________

My brain hurts bad. I’ve been without sugar for almost two weeks. Damn, that’s a lie.

Candy, you crack me up!

__________________________________________________________

31 days until CRAIG FERGUSON in Austin!