Christmas Past Visits Christmas Present

Well, as usual, the holidays have sped up and before we know it, we'll be taking down our decorations and looking back at this Christmas instead of anticipating its arrival.   A few days ago we were driving around our neighborhood looking at Christmas lights and noticed a remarkable absence of trees in windows and houses festooned with multiple strings of blinking (or non-blinking if that is your preference) lights.    I am not sure if that is a reflection of a more somber mood about the season or just a change in what the decorating fad is for this year.    All I know is that in the not too distant past you could drive down any street (in neighborhoods rich and poor) and you could count on seeing a tree in the window, proudly lit up and showing off its finery to all who passed by.  I could scarcely believe my eyes as we passed house after house that was dark and no evidence of  Christmas or any other holiday for that matter.    There were a few but even those were restrained and Clark Griswold (you Christmas Vacation fans know who you are!) would win a neighborhood decorating contest, hands down.   And it was only four days until Christmas.  

So that had me thinking about the good old days when we would beg and plead with mama and daddy to hurry and put our tree up.  This always took place after we got out of school for the holidays.   That meant that no amount of begging, pleading or nagging would entice my parents to put up a tree before December 18th.   Daddy frequently reminded us that in "his day" Santa brought the tree.   In the 1950s, not too many people put lights outside but most of us had a wreath or candy cane (fake) on the front door.    One year mama made (with Daddy's help I am sure) a cut out of Santa and a chimney made of plywood that she hand painted and then placed in our flower bed by the front door.    Most of the decorations in our home were pretty simple and often handmade.    We made paper chains of red and green construction paper at school and brought those home to drape on the tree.  We had a collection of glass ornaments for our tree that were quite delicate and some got chipped or broken nearly every year.  The lights that we used back then were most frustrating and sure to make a father pull his hair out in rage when one single bulb burning out could make the whole darn string go dark.    Finding the offending bulb was a tedious and unpleasant chore.    We had some friends who had the "bubble lights" that were long, skinny tubes that had colored liquid in them that made sparkling bubbles.   I always coveted those lights but, alas, we never had that kind.

Memories of those days are pretty dim and distant but sometimes I see something these days that helps transport me back to those happy days of childhood.    Today I saw some something that stirred a memory long buried.    As I was driving out of my neighborhood, I saw that on a house not too far from ours, someone had gotten hold of a can of spray snow.    That was one of those things that we frequently hounded mother to buy during the holidays and more often than not, she did not buy it.    It was easy to put on and really hard to get off.    The house near us had sprayed every single window pane on the front of the house, top to bottom, with a thick layer of "snow".    It was as if a blizzard had come to Pensacola last night instead of the steady stream of thundershowers that passed through.    I couldn't help but laugh thinking how tempting it was when I was a kid to make it "snow" and put the fake stuff on the windows, write Christmasy sayings like, "Ho Ho Ho" or "Joy to the World" all over our front picture window.   

And then I remembered the decorating stuff I wanted most of all back then.    It was called Glass Wax and you bought it in cans along with a set of holiday stencils and a sponge.    It was really easy to use and even  pleasant to remove since it was designed to go on glass and essentially was a cleaning aid that not only dried to a whitish finish (perfect SNOW!) but left the windows clean and shiny when you polished the stuff off when the holidays were over.    Not so with the fake spray on snow.   You could rub that stuff for days and it stayed stubbornly on whatever it touched!     I think mama probably consented to buy the Glass Wax for us maybe a time or two and I am sure that our joy knew no bounds.     Such a simple time with simple pleasures and entertainment.   

34 designs for 59 cents! 

Whatever triggers those moments that transport you back in time to simpler ways and simpler wants, please be sure to take a few minutes this holiday season to remember them with fondness.    We live in a crazy world with lots of things to frustrate us and cause us much stress and unhappiness.    Just a few minutes down Memory Lane can bring a smile to your face and can ease your troubles for a while.     May all your Christmas wishes come true and your memories take you to special times and places.   OH, and if you have a happy memory of childhood (or even of recent holidays) please leave a comment.    

Ginny, Marcia and Rebecca 1959, Christmas in Jackson, Mississippi
Blessing our Tea Party----while one of us sneaks a peek at the camera!

Happy Trails to you,


Marcia

December at the Beach

Some of you may be having the kind of December we're having along the Gulf coast.    It is warm and definitely not the kind of weather to put one in the mood to sing holiday songs and deck the halls with bows of holly or any other form of greenery.    In fact, yesterday as I was leaving the house, I was struck by how "spring-like" the weather felt.    You know what I'm talking about.    You walk out and are met with warm air, blue skies and the feeling that it's going to be a lovely day.    You half expect to see flowers sprouting everywhere and robins scratching the ground for worms and other goodies.   Except it was mid-December and I was thinking about putting the Christmas wreath on our front door when I got home.

We have years like this pretty often where we are a week away from the jolly fat man coming down the chimney and you'd swear it's time to break out the shorts and tee shirts.   The very thought of wearing a sweater or other winter apparel makes you start to itch and sweat.    In fact, having really cold weather at Christmas is more often the exception to the rule.  Having weather cold enough for even a fake log in the fireplace is rare.  True winter weather is probably another two or three weeks away, in January.  The one time I remember snow at Christmas was in 1993 and it was big, gloppy flakes that melted upon contact with anything they touched but they sure put us all in the mood to sing, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas".     Never mind that it never accumulated, not even enough for a decent snowball.   We did get very cold weather that Christmas, just not a winter wonderland to go with it.   

So with such a lovely day before us, Larry and  I took a drive to Gulf Breeze on a short shopping trip in search of a new recliner for me.    Since we were so close we decided to go on a few more miles to Pensacola Beach.    Truthfully, the beach is only about a half hour drive from our house.   We are so accustomed to having this wonder of nature so close by that we often forget about going down there.    We really take it for granted except when a hurricane wipes the beach clean and flattens all the dunes so we don't even recognize the place.     The beach has definitely recovered from the last big blow that re-arranged the landscape down there.   It has even recovered (on the surface anyhow) from the BP oil spill of 2010.    

Beach visitors and shore birds (who live there!)

On the drive along Scenic Highway as we headed toward Gulf Breeze, we couldn't help but notice the flatness of Escambia Bay.   It was slick and smooth and Larry commented that he could have gone out there even in his tiny Porta-bote.      As we entered Pensacola Beach, we saw the sign that warned beach goers about the "moderate" surf.     The Santa Rosa Island Authority gives tourists and locals the heads up on the surf conditions every day with wise instructions on when it is safe to go in the water and when it is mandatory to stay out.  (Here's a hint for any of you who come here:    Rip tide days---high surf days--- are good days to stay on the beach and out of the water.)    

After seeing the calm waters in the bay, we were surprised to find a fairly vigorous surf when we got to the beach.     In fact, the noise from the waves crashing into one another made quite a smack and near booming sound while we stood at the water's edge admiring the water, the shore birds and the stunningly beautiful day we were privileged to be enjoying.     We watched one wave after another come rolling onto the beach and then retreat back only to be thrown back on the beach over and over again.   

Larry soaking up the sun.

Shells for the taking.

             

The beach was populated with a few locals and some tourists visiting here for the holidays.     Larry and I remarked what a great time it is to come to the beach since you could have your pick of choice spots to set up a chair or do a bit of surf fishing. And some folks were doing just that with some very long fishing poles, jammed tightly into the sand.   There were no drunken visitors making a nuisance of themselves.   No dogs running amok in the dunes.  The weather was so nice we did not even need a jacket or long sleeves.    In fact, if we had stayed much longer, we would have needed a wide brimmed hat and some sun screen.    

Marcia by the shore.

So I snapped some pictures, breathed in the salt air and just took in the free show that the Gulf of Mexico provides for us on a regular basis.    It struck me that even when I am back home in the quiet of my family room, when I am sleeping, when I am reading the newspaper, doing the most mundane, ordinary things, the waves and the tide go on.    The waves lap at the shore, sometimes in a great, crashing crescendo, other times gently kissing the sand.  Tide moves in--tide moves out.  It is eternal and doesn't need me to do what it does.   It just is.  
 

It never stops moving.

There are so many places like that in our world and we need to visit them from time to time to remind ourselves of the vastness of time and space.    We need to put ourselves into that scene to gain some perspective on our tiny part in all of it.     We have the power to protect this for ourselves and for those who will come after us.   If you have one of these great spaces near you, get out and enjoy it.    Take pictures and spend time breathing in the air and soaking up the beauty around you.     When you get the opportunity to do something to preserve that special place or donate money to those who are trying to save our mountains, meadows, forests, beaches, rivers and wetlands, think of what your world would be without them.   Then give what you can and do what you can to protect and save them.   And if you are so inclined, please comment and tell about your favorite spot to go when you need to renew your spirit and remind yourself of all the wonders and beauty of our world. 

Tackling a Black Hole

Perhaps you have one in your home.    I think there must be at least one in every dwelling.   You will know what I am talking about shortly.    I refer to ours as a Black Hole.   In most homes these days we have places where we euphemistically "store" things.     Sometimes these places are closets.   Other times they are the so-called junk drawer.     On larger scale they are our garages and out buildings.    For today's blog entry I am referring to that dark, dense place known as our pantry.     

When we moved in this house in 1994 our galley type kitchen had a pantry----basically a closet with shelves and a door to hide it all.     I was happy, at first, because it was a pantry separate from the other cabinets.     It seemed like an enormous amount of space to put cans of baby corn, sacks of dried beans, cereal and syrup.    We had lived in an apartment and had not lived in our Mobile, AL house for several years.      So having what was clearly planned as a storage space for all those staples we use to stock our kitchen seemed like the bee's knees.  (That is a good thing for all you readers who are many years younger than me.)   

For a while this pantry worked nicely and functioned as intended.     But you know it had to happen.   One day I realized that things had migrated to the back, never to be seen again.     Cans of chili beans, lone jars of mango-chili pepper jelly (given to us as a gift), half a box of raisins (long since petrified into a muy shriveled version of itself), nearly a whole bag of dark brown sugar (easily a substitute for a brick) and assorted remnants of half eaten boxes of cereal (clearly past their prime so that even the birds would not eat it if I tossed it out in the back yard).   Our pantry needed help and fast!  Food was being wasted and ruined.   In addition I would get aggravated when I would discover (by accident) that I had 6 cans of tomatoes but NO tomato sauce when it was the sauce that I really needed to buy. 
 

Nice pantry, but definitely a Black Hole!

                                                           Pantry pre-modification

So I would pull it all out, re-arrange the contents and vow to do better to use up things, never allowing it to mysteriously migrate to the far reaches of the shelves again.     But it is hopeless when the shelves are too deep for me to reach to the back.    Things get shoved back there, not rotated to the front.     The pantry is also dark inside, another factor that makes it extremely hard to see what is in the pantry, no matter where it is located on the shelf.     It would have taken a lot of discipline and determination to stop the inevitable and I had neither.   
After many complaints and hearing me bemoan the poor design of the pantry, Larry finally heard my pleas.     It also helped that my niece, Rebecca, recently got a makeover to her pantry, a storage place in her kitchen of very similar design to mine.     And what was the solution that turned the black hole (hers and mine) into better storage places for our family larder?     Pull out drawers that sit atop the shelves, thus making things at the back, easily accessible to even a shorty like me.     Yes, there are limitations to this solution, but all in all, we're pretty happy with the way this modification turned out.  

Larry started the process by measuring the shelves and door opening of the pantry.    Then he went to the local building supply company where he found the drawers at a very seasonable price, made out of real wood---Italian Oak!    Then we unloaded the food inside the pantry and discovered before he could do anything else, he would need to paint the walls and shelves.   (He actually asked me if I wanted him to do that!)  Who knew that cans and boxes could leave so many black marks on the walls and shelves?     A quick two coats of an off-white paint to the dingy walls and shelves and he was ready to install the drawers.    

Making measurements and marks for drawer guides

                                     Two coats of paint to cover the black scuff marks.

Next he had to put the runners on the drawers and then make the appropriate marks on the shelves to determine where he needed to screw the runners in place.      Then it was just a matter of installing the drawers in the guide-runners.
 

                                           One drawer installed----three more to go!

Once that was done, it became apparent that the small vinyl covered shelves that hold boxes and bottles of spices on the inside of the door would no longer fit inside the pantry without butting up against the newly installed drawers.     OK, so we didn't think of everything.     That meant moving them up or down slightly so they would fit correctly.    Problem solved at no extra expense.    

The pantry looked nice after I started putting things back inside.     I am still adjusting and figuring out the most logical way to have the food inside, but so far, I am very happy since I can pull out the drawers and actually SEE what is there.      There are spaces along side each drawer where I can put more food and will use those for things like cans of tomatoes that I usually keep in quantity.    I also have put some taller bottles of things like catsup and vinegar that are too tall for the drawers but fit nicely along the sides.

Checking out the contents of the pantry is much easier now.

                                           Drawers pull out so the contents are easily seen.

                                        For right now, things are pretty neat and tidy!

Oh and one other thing.    After Larry put the door back up and the drawers were loaded, shelves filled with the food necessary to keep our kitchen open, I shut the door.    Or at least I tried.   One last little glitch jumped into our faces----the door knob bumped into the drawer directly across from where it entered the pantry.    I was somewhat stumped with what to do about that problem.     Larry took one look, went to his tool box and retrieved a screw driver.  Before long he had the whole problem solved.     Since this is a pantry and no one will ever be on the inside, hoping to get out, he simply removed the inside knob.   Duh, now why didn't I think of that?  The door shuts, doesn't hit the drawer and all is well.     Yay for people like Larry who can see the problem and instantly know what to do to fix it!    And thanks, Larry, for fixing this black hole!

                                         No need for a knob on the inside of the pantry!
So this was one more step in finding the good life. It's amazing how much a little thing like improving storage can raise your mood and make your kitchen a happier place. This entire project took less than two days to complete. It could have been done in a day if we had not had to wait on the paint to dry for a second coat. If you have one of these black holes at your house, I urge you to consider installing some pull out drawers so that the contents can no longer go into hiding, never to be discovered until 3 years after their expiration date!   

                 A happy Marcia inspects the inside of the reformed and transformed pantry.


Happy Trails to you in your search for the good life!

Marcia

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

Slow down, you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last
Just kickin' down the cobble-stones, lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy

Feeling groovy

Hello lamp-post, what's cha knowing, I've come to watch your flowers growin'
Ain't cha got no rhymes for me, do-it-do-do, feelin' groovy

Feeling groovy

I've got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me

Life I love you, all is groovy

Simon and Garfunkel, Feeling Groovy (59th Street Bridge Song)

Last Sunday as I was showering, this little ditty (familiar to a few of you, I am sure) just sort of popped into my head.    It's a well known fact that I do some of my best mulling and thinking when I am in the shower.     I had been thinking about the previous "Black Friday" and the aftermath of that day when thousands, yeah, even millions of Americans descended upon the malls and Big Box Stores across the land in search of the perfect gift, the best bargains and to mix and mingle with the rest of the hordes of shoppers.   I have been among that herd of bargain hunters in the past but of late have given any notion of shopping on Black Friday a quick "shoo and be gone with ye! "  

So whilst contemplating that, it occurred to me that we barely had the chance to finish off the leftovers from Thanksgiving and some of us have a few Halloween decorations still dangling from the ceiling.    I won't name names, but you know who you are!     These past few months have been a rush of days that blended into weeks and morphed into months.  It seems to be a blur of activity and rushing from one holiday or event to the next.     We don't even get the chance to download pictures from the camera to the computer before it's time to clear the memory card for the next event.  

Somehow, I really don't think that is the way it's supposed to be.    And being the cynical soul that I can be sometimes, I began to wonder why this seems to be way we live our lives these days.   Why is it that we can't just for once, slow down, really savor the moment and let time kind of stand still for a little while?    Are we lead around like sheep by the corporations who are more interested in selling us the latest electronic gadget or must have toy of the season than in whether the quality of our lives has been pushed aside for the sake of the almighty dollar?   You have to know something is out of whack in our lives when you walk into the store to buy something for your kids' Halloween party and they have pushed all that stuff into one corner of the store so they could start putting out the Christmas decorations and the piped in "It's a holly, jolly Christmas".     So we nearly skipped over Thanksgiving this year and gave Halloween a quick glance and it was over, too.    

It kind of makes me sad in a way that we've come to this place where no one is allowed to linger in the moment, to dawdle a while in the sheer joy of what is in front of you right that second.    I think of time spent recently with my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren for our first camping trip in the new camper.    There was not one thing that we did that was spectacular or earth shattering in any way.   Yet, all of us, each and every one of us who was there expressed sadness that our time together was coming to a close.    It was all simple stuff.    Cooking on a grill.   Playing cards until late at night.    Going to the beach to collect shells and see the sun sparkling on the water.    It was all the things that make life worth living.     Time doing everyday things together.    Time laughing and listening to one another.    And a chance to savor those moments, let them linger just a little while before we had to pack up and head for home.   

So as we enter this holiday season, the time of decking our halls,  carolers singing of the reason for the things we do, parties and holiday gatherings and yes, even shopping, do yourself a favor and refuse to rush through it.    Don't be like the bride who was so busy greeting her guests and putting on a good show that she forgot to have fun at her own wedding or even eat any of the wedding cake.    Make a promise to yourself that you're going to slow down and not move quite so fast.    You really do need to make the moment last.    Some day in the future you're going to want to relive these moments and bring back all the great times and even the ordinary times of your life.  When you pull up those memories, make sure you have some good things to remember----not just a blur and whir and it's over.    Like that song says, in a term that has long since gone out of fashion,  Life I love you.....all is groovy.   

Happy Trails,

Marcia

Painting the World Pink!

In case you haven't noticed, the world got painted pink this month.     This is in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.    Over the past few years, the month of October has gotten pinker and pinker as more people, organizations and businesses signed on to be sponsors of all things "pink".   There are now so many activities and fund raising/awareness events that I really can't keep up any more.     Many of them support the Susan G. Koman Foundation while others donate their earnings to the American Cancer Society.    All that I know about are well intentioned and remind women (and men) to know the symptoms of breast cancer and the importance of early detection, with or without symptoms to send you scurrying to your doctor.   

In recent years the type of activities used to increase awareness have gone from somber, survivor centered events to some that are more "in your face" and on the edge of good taste, as well.     Today we have an event in our town called "Bras Across the Bridge" where participants will link new bras (you gotta know they are mostly PINK) across a three mile bridge that spans the Pensacola Bay.     Heavily promoted on radio, TV and newspapers, it is meant to bring a lighter note to the serious side of breast cancer as well as to collect bras for needy women in the community.   

A few weeks ago I was a guest speaker for an event honoring breast cancer survivors and promoting the local version of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a mall to mall walk raising funds for the American Cancer Society programs that assist breast cancer patients with much needed services.   It is a great program and the walk just gets more and more participants each year.    During this year's survivor event, a group of women sponsored a "fashion show" of bras, mostly very heavily decorated  with sequins, feathers and lots of bling.     They came out to loud music, strutting their stuff and it was mostly met with hilarious laughter since some of the models were men who were good sports about wearing the gaudy bras on the outside of their clothing.  I would say almost without exception that the fashion show was deemed a hit and the vast majority of the audience laughed their way through the two dozen or more entrants who danced and pranced their way across the stage.   

However, I must add that one lady came up to me during the fashion show to express her dismay and horror at the trivializing nature of the fashion show and the minimizing (in her eyes) of the seriousness of breast cancer.     You see, she was diagnosed with breast cancer not quite a year ago and is still in the midst of her treatment.    She has had about six different surgical procedures and numerous staph infections.      In an almost apologetic tone, she explained that what she was seeing (while well intentioned) was not funny to her.   Her exact words to me were, "Maybe I am just too close to it, but there is nothing funny about breast cancer."   

As a twenty-one year survivor of breast cancer myself, I had to agree with her.   There is NOTHING funny about it, no matter how you look at it.    Yes, you do have to have a sense of humor when you're going through treatment and being able to laugh again is an important part of healing;   however, when you are in the midst of a battle for your life and have had nothing but one set back after another, see no good news ahead of you and are not yet feeling hopeful about your future, the last think you need is for someone to try to tell you how "funny" this all is.     'Cause it's not.  

So with a note of thanks to the those who want to advocate for awareness of breast cancer (or any other kind for that matter), please keep in mind that many people are still in the midst of their treatment and may have a hard time seeing the humor in their situation.     And many thousands of people will succumb to their illness, in spite of advanced treatment available today.    It does not respect your gender, social status or sheer determination to overcome the odds against you.      It is a biological process gone awry, not a demon or a "boogey-man" out to get you.    And when you are fighting for your life it doesn't quite feel right to see people trivializing this disease, no matter how well intentioned they are. 

The next time you see a bumper sticker that says, "Save the Ta Tas" or a three mile line of bras linked together, just remember that breast cancer is a deadly serious matter to some people and when you try to make light of it or reduce it to silliness, you might give some people a good laugh.    However, you should also remember that there is the possibility you'll hurt feelings or make someone who is having a hard time with their disease feel worse or even guilty that they fail to see what's so funny about it.     No one is suggesting that October needs to be a month of gloom and doom when making people aware of breast cancer but we do need to make sure we balance the light hearted fun with a keen awareness of those who are in the midst of their battle and who need our compassion and understanding to get them through their ordeal.   Some time in the future when THEIR future is less murky and uncertain, they might be ready to join you in the laughter, but for now let's give them dignity and respect for the very real fear and threat they feel.   


Happy Trails,
Marcia

Live, Laugh and Love!

We had the opportunity this weekend to apply this simple prescription to help find the Good Life:  Live, Laugh and Love.   It almost sounds too simplistic to be of real value but there is much truth in its plain, unvarnished approach to finding happiness.   How often do we hold ourselves back from truly engaging in fun and games with our family and friends and then wonder why we don't have strong bonds with them?    This weekend we had a good old fashioned backyard bar-b-que and then played a silly but fun game that had all of us laughing and competing fiercely for bragging rights.

It has been quite some time since Larry and I have had the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with his sisters.    So recently when his oldest sister indicated she wanted to come from Arkansas for a visit , we quickly hatched up a family get together that included his younger sister, Amy from Opp, AL, Larry's Mom and her husband, Jack, two  cousins from Helena, MS and a niece, Tori,  from Panama City, FL.  Unfortunately Larry's sister, Lisa, could not join us due to a new job but she was invited and was with us in spirit, if not physically!    Our intention was to spend some time with the sisters initially and have the bar-b-que on Saturday that included the other family members who drove over here for the day.   

So we spent the first part of the visit with Linda and her grand daughter, Carlie, just catching up on life and all the things we have missed talking about for the past few years.     It was good to relax with a cup of coffee and just talk about nothing in particular and everything in general to reconnect our lives again.  Then Amy and her daughter, Cayla, joined us on Thursday evening.     We ate supper together and just had a grand time being a family.    It felt good to catch up on all the things everyone has been doing lately and how their jobs were going and to take a trip down Memory Lane talking about the "good ole days".   It was not earth shattering, important news but significant, never-the-less, just to feel the connections and bonds that tie us together.    

When the other family members joined us on Saturday we pulled out the bar-b-que grill, seared some hamburgers and enjoyed the simple fare of a backyard bar-b-que.    Tommie and Rayner (the cousins) brought more cold drinks, chips and a huge four flavored cheese cake to add to the table.    So we all ate plenty of burgers and beans and sat in our backyard enjoying the wonderful October weather we typically have here in Northwest Florida.   The skies were blue, not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze held the 80 something degree day in check from being too hot.    It was as if we had ordered the day from the "perfect day" check list.    

Later that night we gathered around a table in the living room and played a highly competitive version of the game, Taboo.   If you've not played this one, you should give it a try.    The object is to get your partner to say a certain word or phrase without using any of the forbidden words on a short list below the word or phrase you're attempting to convey to your partner.  It is much harder than it sounds!    However, it IS a lot of fun and I assure you that, in spite of the competition going on, we all were laughing at least as much as we were plotting to win!   It also activates some brain cells that may have gone unused for a while.    And the endorphins released from all the laughter and good natured ribbing going on had us all in a very good mood!  

At some point during the evening as the night wore on, I got a whiff of something cooking, wondered what it was and almost said something but was involved in the game and didn't say anything.     Pretty soon, Larry came waltzing into the room with a paper plate covered up in Turtle Flavored Chocolate Chip cookies, hot from the oven and filling the whole room with the amazing smell so unique to hot cookies.     It was the first thing that had diverted our attention from the game all evening!    It didn't take us long to empty the platter and call for a refill which Larry happily did, much to our delight.    

Finally, when we literally were propping our eyes open to keep ourselves awake, we decided to declare the evening over and the cousins departed for Mississippi and the rest of us all collapsed in our beds.    We slept soundly until the next morning when I distinctly heard someone say, "Hi, Sam!" and then, amazingly enough, I heard Sam's voice answer back.    Turned out that Linda was Skyping with her son who is in the Air Force and finishing up his assignment to South Korea, hoping to depart for the US in mid-November.     We all took turns talking to him and were happy for the chance to see him and know he is doing well but eager to come home.     It was a great way to end our family together.

Even as the call with Sam was ending,   several of the family members who had spent the night with us were packing up their bags and loading their cars, ready to depart for home.    With hugs and kisses, and declarations that we must do this again, pretty soon our house was quiet as one by one, they pulled out of our driveway.    As I reflected over the time we had spent together for the four days, my eyes fell on a plaque that is hanging over my back door.   It reads:   Live Well, Love Much and Laugh Often.  I could not help but think we had done just that these past few days.   And I couldn't help noticing how good it felt to reconnect with family and realize that it is those connections that help us stay strong and able to make our way through the world.    

The simple fact is that the world is not always kind to us.    Life can be really challenging and difficult at times.    With the love and laughter (and sometimes tears) shared with our family, we can get strength and courage to face almost anything that comes our way.   If you have lost those connections with your family and even some dear friends, I urge you to give the simple philosophy of Live, Love and Laugh a try.    It really can refresh you and make you realize that your Good Life is within your grasp.    But you do have to reach out to get it.    Make the effort.   It's worth it.    

Happy Trails,
Marcia      

Welcome Fall!

Larry and I have spent the past week at a campground near home working on our camper and just hanging out. We have a camping excursion planned for later this month with Brian, April and the three grandkids in Gulf Shores, Alabama and we are getting our travel trailer ready for our first camping trip with the kids in the new camper. Gulf Shores is a little less than an hour's drive from home and we'll be camping in Gulf State Park. It has recently been rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina sort of re-arranged the pines and picnic tables in 2005. Unfortunately, that area catches a lot of bad weather and since it's near the Gulf of Mexico is a prime target for Mother Nature's wrath.

When we woke up this morning the first thing we noticed was how cool it was. My nose was really, really cold. In a dog, that's a good thing. For humans, not so good. So Larry got up while I pulled the wubie up around my nose and he found the small, ceramic heater we have for cold snaps. They are safe and, in fact, probably safer than turning on the propane heater in the camper. In pretty short order the little heater did what it was supposed to do and got the place heated up nicely. Shortly after that the familiar beep, beep, beep, beep, beep of the coffee pot let us know that our favorite morning brew was ready for us to drink! So life was good!

Having a true Fall/Autumn in the deep south is a "some time" thing. Some times we get it, some times we don't. We who have lived here for most of our lives can remember going trick or treating at Halloween with shorts and tee shirts on under our costumes. We would be lucky if our chocolate candy survived the heat back to the house where we dumped the plastic pumpkin to ooo and ahhh over our treasure. Daddy usually came in to "inspect" our loot and frequently offered to take some of the choicer pieces off of our hands.

Thanksgiving is another holiday that we have been known to celebrate with the windows flung wide open or even cranking the thermostat down to a lower notch so the masses huddled around the groaning table don't perish from the heat. I have spent more than one Christmas trying out a new bicycle or skates in summer clothes, all the while hoping and praying for just one teeny-tiny flake of snow. Never happened. Well, I guess I could concede that one Christmas in 1993 when we had a Family Gathering planned at Pensacola Beach, we did get a tiny smattering of big, fat, wet snow flakes on our trek down to the beach. And it did turn very, very cold on Christmas Eve. The snow was gone before we got to the beach, however, melting the instant it touched the ground.

So having a real cold snap, colorful leaves, the smell of a fireplace puffing an announcement all over the neighborhood that the Gaineys are having the first fire of the season and a hot, steaming cup of cider are cause for real celebration in these parts. When we get to experience REAL fall we send up a loud hosanna! The crisp air, the bluer than blue skies, the faint rustling of leaves are the first inkling we get that the seasons are getting ready to change. They are so rare and yet so welcome. It's enough to make you hug yourself with joy! In fact, I think I saw two squirrels doing a happy dance this morning as they were busily burying acorns in places they are sure to forget later this winter.

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but as you read this, I hope you're having the signs of fall/autumn all around you. (I realize that for people in the Southern Hemisphere that your seasons are reversed from ours, so just go with me here!) Drink in the beauty that is there and let it refresh your soul. Our calendar year is winding down, but then some of our biggest celebrations are fast approaching. So while the life cycle is ending for many things, the time of joy will be here, too. It really is a bitter-sweet time of year. Take the time to appreciate the regularity of the seasons and all that they offer. I know that this year we're really going to have a fall and I am just so glad to be here to enjoy it! I hope you enjoy it, too.

Happy Trails,

Marcia