Ramble On

(happens to be my all time favorite Led Zeppelin song...)

Things around here just never slow down.

September: we went on a family trip with my parents to Destin - our first time!

Logan traveled really, really well with all his posse.

October: I finally gathered my cajones and had my wisdom teeth out.

That was 1 day post-op.
Logan started fighting bed time in a major way:

And was out sick from school with high fever and/or strep. TWICE.

A big project of mine finished up. On the left - before. Dark wood entry, drapes in the conference room!
On the right, AFTER. I'm pretty proud.

I was criticized for wearing rain boots (on a rainy day no less!) and wore them anyway. I love them.

Logan carved his first pumpkin.

 And was his favorite Monsters Inc character for Halloween.

All he wanted were Popsicles.
We had to keep him from going INSIDE the houses. Stranger Danger, kid.

November (so far):

I joined a Pilates studio for both my mental and physical health...

We went to Palestine this last weekend for just the day:

That's Zoey, Logan's 3rd cousin who was born about a month before him. That year there was a baby born in September, October, AND November!

Otherwise, work is nuts and home life is crazy.

I am looking for the Mousekatool to help me with potty training because Logan is pretty bad at the holding it part...

He loves Pomegranate seeds, which is odd for most people but especially a toddler...

I can't find my Pioneer Woman cookbook, the second one, and it is making me crazy. Looks like even a good 6 months in and I may have missed a box while unpacking...

I am excited for Christmas and have only put up one "fall decoration"

Ta. Da.

That's all you have missed the last two months....

Fear

Today for #blogtember, the topic is being afraid.

There are different types of afraid, I have found.

There is the type of afraid where you are just REALLY worried, like when your little one has surgery.

There is the type of afraid where you are literally scared for your life.

I decided to talk about the latter.

In September of 2008, Houston was warned of a Hurricane approaching. The first instinct was to not take it very seriously as we had just had a scare with Hurricane Rita the year before, which resulted in mass hysteria trying to leave the city and people stranded on the highways - and then the storm moved and missed us.

Certain areas of the city this time were told to leave - especially all of Galveston Island. Since we were much more inland, near downtown actually, and our house had never flooded, we were in an area told to "hunker down."

So we did.

At 3am on September 13th, we awoke to very very high winds and some rain. At this time, we had old windows in our home and a large Oak Tree that dropped branches when the wind changed direction. After a few moments of deliberation, we moved into the hallway where we could shut all the doors and be safe from glass should a window break. We had a wind up radio so we could here what was going on. We lost power around 4am.

At some point, I am guessing as the eye got closer to our area, I started feeling sick. I looked at Lee and I said "What are we doing here? Why did we stay?" I started thinking about our life and our pets and our families and why we risked all these things to stay in our house. I was truly afraid, as our windows were bending and vibrating, that we had made a fatal mistake.

In the end, we didn't. Our house was fine, most everyone we knew was fine. We only had one couple had damage to their house but it wasn't life threatening.

I remember being in shock. Just sitting and staring. Not eating. I lost about 10 pounds and never wanting to see a grill again for a long time.

I know now, with Logan, our decisions will be worlds different should we face this again.

I also know, I am not equipped for "sheltering in place."

Fall means...

NEW TV!

I am a little underwhelmed by the new lineup, but I still have HBO/Showtime and Bravo to fill in the gaps too.

So far, here is what we plan to watch (Circled in red)

I recently read that The Crazy Ones shouldn't be missed, so I may give that one a go too.

 Some are new shows, and some are shows I can't give up on (ahem... Grey's..)

Anything you are excited about coming up?

3 months...

Today's Blogtember post is about what you would do if you had three months off to do anything.

This puzzled me. 3 months? Anything?

Then it hit me.

I'd cook.

I'd cook those meals I don't have time for.

I'd bake those tarts and cakes I flagged in magazines.

I'd make fancy food you only see in magazines.

Like this:

From Donna Hay Magazine

Then, I'd take the next three months off to exercise.

A Lot.

Where I'm From

As part of Blogtember, today's assignment is to talk about where/what we are from.

Awhile back, I did touch on a Cookbook my grandmother sent me that had a lot of town history in it.

Today, however, I don't need to talk about the history of the town. I need to talk about the history of me and my childhood in this town.

Welcome to Palestine, Tx.

I was born in 1980 in Palestine. We lived in a white house for a few years until we could afford my mom's dream home. A 2 story home with picture windows.

I lived in this house when I learned to tap dance.
When my cat had kittens
When the old lady next door poisoned our cat, Mr. Flowers, for getting in her birdbath.
When I started Middle School and High School.
My bedroom was that window upstairs by the chimney.
I fell down the stairs, a LOT.

Here is my High School:

Sadly, it has been redone so this is not what it looked like when I was a student there...

I even looked on Google Maps at a photo of my Grandparents old house, when I spent most of my life. It has changed too. So drastic I didn't even do a screen shot.

It's interesting when you move away and grow up. You want to go back to those places that built you and reflect, yet things constantly change and you have to rely on your memories.

My cousins and I rode our bikes to Anderson Park to play in the fountain.
I rode infinite loops through the parking lot of the shopping plaza to see my friends on Saturday Nights.
I graduated on the football field in the largest class the High School had seen. (I'm sure that's not the case now).

I grew up saying yes ma'm and no sir.
I grew up with bread and butter on the table at every meal.
I grew up watching the dogwoods bloom every year.
I grew up going to school with all the same kids from K-12.
I grew up in a small town.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

50 Shades of OH YEAH!

Did you see who Christian Grey will be?

Source: Charlie Hunnam

Oh yeah... Charlie Hunnam from Sons of Anarchy.

Ok fine, I'll watch the movie.

But it will still be at home in the living room.... I was embarrassed enough reading the book, much less going to see the movie with 150 other people!

September 1st - AKA Fall Freakout

Every year, on September 1st, I freak out.

It's fall y'all!

I don't care if it's 95 degrees outside, I get that Pumpkin Spice Latte and lap it up.

I don't care if my grass is fried, I bake a loaf of Williams Sonoma's Pumpkin Bread:

I don't care if the mosquitos are as big as bats, I haul out my Pumpkin Warmer and Pumpkin Roll Scentsy and plug it in.

Want some? Order here SCENTSY

Lee has learned to just accept this first of September freak out and just watches me as I start pulling out decorations and washing my scarves so they are fresh and ready for the first cold snap in November.

Do you love Fall? How do you will it to show up?


Also - I am participating in Blogtember. I have been absent lately and I am hoping this is what I need to get those bloggy juices going again.

Our Summer

Since I was MIA most of the summer after moving, I thought I would do a catch up.

After moving, we took full advantage of being new pool owners.

Logan got Strep.
Twice.

So we broke out the train set to entertain him while sequestered.

I've spent a lot of time on a huuuuuge project

A rendering of what the Reception area will be like

My mess while developing the final selections

In July, Lee and I went to Hawaii while Logan hung out here with his Pappy and Pogo!

Since being home, we do normal things like grocery shop

These carts SUCK

But these parking spots are GREAT

 Play with Logan's hair

 We eat a lot of breakfast...

Hi Mike Wisowski

In the playroom with Teddy waiting for crumbs.

Waffles on the couch...

And we drink a LOT of coffee...

We've settled nicely into the new house. I am going to make a few changes, just because I can't help myself.

Summer has been pretty great, and very busy.

And boy am I ready for fall! Who's with me?