Friday, September 30, 2011

Taxes

Many things in the world puzzle me. One of them is how people think our society can work without paying taxes.

I want things like interstates, libraries, regulations about cleanliness in restaurants, approved drugs as opposed to snake oil sales, public schools, and thousands of other things taxes pay for.

Do other people just not want those things? You really don't want to have meat inspectors? You don't want any rules about cities dumping sewage in rivers? You don't want doctors to have to have licenses?

All of those things require a system that relies on taxes. It's hard for me to imagine anyone thinks the world would be better without those things.

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Food Traditions speech at Hutchinson Public Library on September 29 at 6:30 p.m.




Guess what I'm doing tonight?

Yes... you're right!

I'm speaking about “Food Traditions” at the Hutchinson Public Library. It starts at 6:30 p.m. and it's free -  Thursday, September 29.

Food traditions develop because of our culture, our geography and our backgrounds. We cook with the ingredients we have readily available and we learn how to use them in different ways through experimentation and observation. Mediterranean cooking relies heavily on olive oil because it’s abundant in the region. People living near water have far more recipes for cooking fish than those of us who are landlubbers. We make use of what we have.

At one time food was far more scarce, and more valued than it is today by many people in the world. We gave the gift of food when people lost loved ones to death, and to celebrate at joyous occasions like weddings. Food connects us to our heritage and to each other.

The “Food Traditions” presentation will touch on these and other related topics. It is part of the “Preserving the Past with Today’s Technology” series at the Hutchinson Public Library. The public is invited to attend. It’s free.

I'm bringing homemade refreshments, including my mom's divinity recipe. Should be a very fun evening!

Mama's Recipe for Divinity

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Why Do You Care?

Sunday I wrote about a 140conf speaker being told to close his laptop during a presentation. The very next morning I was at the Dillon Lecture Series and attended the luncheon afterwards. I was checking my email on my phone before the luncheon got underway, and someone a few people away said in an exasperated tone, "Patsy, please tell me you are not texting!"

I replied, "No, I'm checking on the condition of a friend who had surgery this morning."

"Oh, okay," he said. Then went on to say to others nearby, "Did you hear all the phones go off during the speech?"

I did not get a chance to ask him later, and I didn't want to embarrass him at the time, but I wanted to ask why he cared if I was texting. Of course, he didn't seem too concerned that he might embarrass me, but two wrongs don't make a right. Regardless, why did he care what I was doing.

I was not saying a word, unlike the others creating an uproar in the room - talking at a volume I considered far too great. I was not disturbing anyone in any way. If I were having a text conversation with a friend, why is that any different than having a conversation with the person sitting next to me? It seems it should bother people less. Are you just concerned because you can't eavesdrop? Why do you care? What difference does it make? I wasn't engaged in conversation with him or anyone else at the time. Why is it anyone else's business what I'm doing on my phone?

For the record, it wasn't my phone that was ringing during the speech. I had turned mine off. Of course, we all forget that on occasion and I just chalk it up to the law of averages. It's not a huge deal. I find a phone ringing to be less troubling than someone dropping something. We consider that an accident. Why is a ringing phone such an assault? You would think people have been offended by an ethnic slur being slung at them the way they snarl at the person who neglected to turn off their phone. Now, when people answer their phones in the midst of a speech or something, they get some ire from me. But if they quickly mute the ringing phone it was just an accident - lets all calm down.

I've never understood why people are so bothered by someone talking on a cell phone. Why is that any different than people talking in general? Psychologically, the answer is about eavesdropping - the fact that we can't hear the conversation in context is what disturbs people. Although I'm a fan of "overheard conversation" and have cataloged some of it on this webpage, cell phone conversations only bother me if they're overly loud, which they often are.

I'm going to have to come up with some response to people, because this is becoming a frequent issue for me. This is at least a dozen times something similar has happened in the last few months. However annoyed people may be by me using my phone - which I still don't understand - I can guarantee you I'm about twenty times more annoyed by them saying something to me about using technology as a tool when they aren't equally annoyed by others doing the exact same thing without technology. One of these times some unfortunate person is going to get my pent-up ire and that's not going to be pretty. I don't want to be that person.

So, I'm trying to figure out why people care. That seems to be step one.

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Time Capsule Opened in Hutchinson Kansas - 100 Years After Cornerstone Laid by President Taft



On this date 100 years ago, in 1911, a time capsule was put inside the cornerstone of what is now called Memorial Hall in Hutchinson, Kansas. On that day, President Taft was present to speak at the event that drew 40,000 people.

Listen to Reno County Museum Chief Curator Jamin Landavazo talk with me about what they found today.








Not as many people were in attendance today, but an actor playing the late president reenacted the event when the cornerstone time capsule was placed.










Then, the box was opened in a public ceremony and residents got to see contents as the Reno County Museum Curator, Jamin Landavazo, (in the blue) was pulling them out of the copper container. They immediately placed them under protective material and allowed people to come close and look at them.



Everything was in remarkable condition. Contents included newspapers, coins, stamps, a Bible, postcards, a flag, and the President's flag. Also were some items they didn't expect, including some handwriting on cards they assume to be people who created the box. The mystery item is an envelope that says M L Grimes with some handwriting on it.























I asked Jamin about her reaction to what she found in the box, as well as plans for the new time capsule that will be created next spring. You can listen by clicking the button below.




Kudos to the Reno County Museum for a wonderful event.

See more photos by clicking here. 

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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Catching Up...

It has been a busy few weeks and I've been remiss with blogging at times. I've been writing more by hand lately, and it seems I write less at the keyboard when I'm doing that. I write by hand whenever I have something I need to figure out. I do all my "mental sorting" with pen and paper. When I come to the keyboard I've generally already thought about whatever I'm writing about - with or without pen in hand. Or, it's something that I can just dash off by keyboard.



The other day I went to Wichita to meet with a new friend, Deb, who gifted me with all these wonderful pins. You may know of my decades long obsession with old costume jewelry pins - generally the more sparkly and gaudy, the better. Deb made a bouquet for her recent wedding with some pins and used others on the favors. These were some that weren't pressed into service and she asked if I'd like them. Of course, I love them! I've already worn the little heart with flowers - so sweet.

Deb is someone I connected with on Facebook. We had common friends and connected there, but this is the first time we had met in real life. I really like her. Hopefully we'll get together again soon. She's very smart and very fun - a wonderful combination.

After lunch I went to the Museum of World Treasures, to visit the Egyptian exhibit. I bought a membership earlier this year so I could do that whenever possible. There is something about ancient Egypt that speaks to my soul in a way I can't describe in words.



That evening I had dinner with Martha at one of my favorite restaurants in Wichita. There are times you connect with a friend when it seems you both are coming to it in a way that results in an amazing experience. That's how it was for us the other night. Sometimes you're called on to bring with you all you've been up to that moment, because your horizons are expanding before your eyes. It was one of those kinds of conversations. Really extraordinary. Blessed.

I left with things I'm still thinking about.



The other night, on a spur of the moment decision, Greg and I went to see Roseanne Cash at the Orpheum in Wichita. She was magnificent. I'm not a huge music fan, but I'm starting to get excited when I arrive somewhere and see a guitar, a microphone and a stool, and not much else. This seems to indicate the person in question can actually sing and play. Roseanne Cash and her husband perform together, with him playing guitar. Sometimes she plays as well as sings. She was really amazing. And it was the first time I'd been in the Orpheum. It's a beautiful old place.

I think I posted my 140conf presentation, but I'm not sure I explained much about it. The 140conf explores how real time media, like twitter and facebook, affect our lives. This was the second ever "smalltown" one. I was flattered to have my presentation topic accepted. Thanks to Jennifer Keller for taking the photo of me on stage.



It was a really terrific day. I love to connect with other people who are interested in these things. We can share our stories of being misunderstood, and find comfort in that. Kevin Honeycutt told a story of live blogging a conference, talking about how smart the speaker was, when the speaker came over and closed his laptop, telling him to not check his email during the presentation. I felt his pain. He was "accused" - and wrongly so. Besides, what difference would it make if he were checking his email? Kevin is an incredibly capable person who can do more than one thing at a time.

It's curious no one ever complains about someone rummaging around in their bag to get materials to take notes with pen and paper, and rustling around throughout a meeting, but silently pull out your iPad - not making a single noise - and watch the visual daggers fly. It was a joy for me to go upstairs at one point and look down and see multiple screens glowing as people wrote online about what was happening at the Fox Theatre in Hutchinson, Kansas.



It's also great to meet new people - like Kerwin in the photo above - who I might not ever meet any other way. You automatically know you have a lot in common when you meet at an event like this. 

I think I don't realize how much I miss making connection with people who are like me in that way until I'm with them and then they're gone and I miss them again. Fortunately, our social media group locally seems to be growing, which is nice.



I don't think I ever got around to sharing photos on the blog of the various performers at the Kansas State Fair. I think I put up photos of Kool and the Gang and Kenny Rogers and then didn't do the others. So, I'll pop a few up here of Darius Rucker, Daughtry, and REO Speedwagon. You can see more on my Facebook page if you want at facebook.com/patsy.



Those are some highlights of the last few weeks. Mark was here the week of the fair and it was good to visit with him. It seems there's something interesting happening every day. I get behind in chronicling it sometimes.

This week I'm teaching some Facebook classes, which should be interesting given the changes they've made in the last few days and the ones planned for the coming week. I was once teaching a Facebook class and it changed during the class. I hope that's not the case this week.

Thursday night I'm giving a presentation about Food Traditions, which should be fun. I just need to figure out how to make all of these things lucrative!

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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Details, Details, Details

In broadcasting there's a thing called "continuity." It's a catch-all phrase that can mean a couple of different things. But, in general, it means things logically flow - characters have consistent traits, clothing remains the same, etc.

When I was in college and we had to do a video shoot, I was often the continuity person. Because things are not always shot in sequence, it was my job to make sure if someone was wearing glasses in one scene that they still had them on when the scene continued, or we saw them take them off. Continuity errors are often small - like how much water is in a glass. But they can be major, like the color of a jacket changing from one scene to the next.

Tonight I decided to watch the new show, "Unforgettable," since I was at the computer working on projects. Well, they should have hired me to manage continuity, because whoever is doing it on their set didn't do a very good job.

In one scene we see the main character from the back as she walks toward bed, naked from the waist up, as she pulls on a tank top. Soon thereafter she is seen bending over a dead body, after jumping out of that very bed, and there on her shoulder is a black bra strap peeking out of her tank top. At some point between going to bed and being awakened from a deep sleep she arose to add a bra to her nighttime attire.

It may seem like a small thing, but those little details that are ignored add up people being unable so "suspend their disbelief," an essential in all fiction - be it a book, a TV show or anything else. For a show that's all about a person who remembers everything, it was a glaring error.

Continuity errors are nothing new. Even the Canterbury Tales has one. However, I'm guessing Mr. Chaucer didn't have an entire crew devoted to preventing such things.

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Friday, September 23, 2011

Hieroglyphics and Their Modern Lessons



I stopped by The Museum of World Treasures in Wichita today, as I do whenever I can. I usually just go into the Egyptian exhibit, which is conveniently one of the first galleries. I took a few photos and it wasn't until tonight in looking through them that I noticed this one.

It was taken from the side of one of the coffins. I have tried to teach myself to read hieroglyphics, but I know only some basics. However, one of the things I do know is that hieroglyphics can be read from left to right or right to left. You can tell which way because the figures always face the direction where you start - the beginning of the line.

So, in this case, it would have been read from right to left. But, you'll note the photo I took has it slanted as if it's the other way - the way it would be read in English - left to right. It reminds me just how much on auto-pilot I am a large part of the time. You'd think a person who has studied hieroglyphics, who considers her copy of The Egyptian Book of the Dead to be great bedtime reading, would have noticed this basic thing. But, I didn't.

It makes me wonder how many other basic things I am missing.

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Celebrity and What it Means for Us



I was at a conference when I worked in the mental health field where the presenter was talking about how people like celebrities because they are a substitute for friends. They went into much science that was above my head, but the gist of it was that friends develop partially because of familiarity. And in our modern world we are familiar with celebrities - even if we try not to be.

This has a couple of obvious problems.
1. These people are not your friends and when you need a friend they are not going to be there for you.
2. While you're obsessing over what Taylor Swift is wearing, and pretending she's your friend, you're missing opportunities to make real friends with real people in your real world.
3. You could be thinking about other things that might have more long-term impact in your life.

I was thinking I see this mainly in women, but then I realized how many men own shirts with their favorite team's logo on it. It's just that I notice it more in women, not because it's more prevalent.

Now, this is coming from someone who has developed ongoing relationships with people I know largely from online. And I maintain those online by and large, although I love it when we are in the same place and can interact face to face. The difference is that it's a two-way interaction. Reading Paris Hilton's tweets is not.

My true friends are people I know I can count on in multiple ways. The people who will drive you to the mechanic's, pick you up at the airport, bring you a generator during an ice storm, or show up when you have a crisis. There's a limit to what people who are not in your physical world can do. However, people you have an ongoing interaction with can add to your life in multiple ways.

As I watch so many people try to emulate celebrities I realize just how desperate we are as a society. There must be some part of the psyche that believes if we look and act like them they will notice us. Mimicry has been well-documented in multiple mammals as a way to connect, so it's not surprising, really. However, I find it really sad.

The question I keep asking myself is why I find it sad. What does it matter to me if people want to wear the same sunglasses as Scarlett Johansson? I'm still mulling that over, but I think it's because I believe people have so much more potential than that. They could accomplish something amazing if their energy weren't going into worrying what jeans to wear.

I think it's making us dumber. Really, I do. Obviously, we have some brilliant young minds, but I think we are losing some potential to "celebrity worship." There's nothing wrong with entertainment. There's nothing wrong with enjoying an escape. It's when daily life begins to be consumed with the trappings of that. We are all fascinated by creative thinkers, people who are doing something unusual, but there's a difference between wanting to hear how an actor prepares for a role and what kind of underwear he buys.

At the conference this week I learned a couple of stats that surprised me with regard to this. In the last decade, there has been a 70% decline in the number of students studying science, technology, engineering and math. In the last 10 years. That seems really big to me. Those were the "smart kids" where I went to school. Are we just making fewer smart kids? So it would seem. There are more honor students in China than there are students in the U.S. That is a matter of scale, of course. But, it's interesting nonetheless.

I'm sure there are many contributing factors in all of this, but I don't think worshiping the Kardashians makes us brighter in any way, shape or form.
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Kiva

Kiva is a micro-finance site that helps people around the world. You can make a loan of $25 to people in developing nations. If you want to learn more about kiva.org, you can click here. I don't go to church, so don't tithe in the traditional sense, but I feel this is one way to support "God's work" in a direct way. One of the few tenants of all of the world's major religions is to care for the poor. This is just one way to do that. It gives me a sense of satisfaction to feel my small contribution can make a difference in someone's life.
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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

140conf

Today was the 140conf in Hutchinson and it was - in a word - incredible. I am so humbled to have shared the stage with such amazing people and their stories.

Here's my presentation:
The Nutburger Next Door
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/17398889

It was such a fascinating day - loved every moment of it. So thankful to have been a tiny part of the process.
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Opportunities for small things that have big impacts



Tonight was the first gathering for the smalltown 140conf that starts in Hutchinson tomorrow. I love this event. It's so wonderful to see people in person that I know from online, or that I haven't yet met online either, but who are interested in some of the same things I am.

This evening I was talking with one of the other participants and he said, "You like rocks, don't you?"

"Yes," I said. "I love rocks."

He pulled this out of his pocket and said, "I saw that online and brought you this."

I thanked him profusely. It was so very kind that he went to the trouble to do that. I had posted a photo recently of rocks friends brought me from Colorado. He had seen the post and decided to bring me this. It was so nice he made the effort.

Allen and I haven't met before. We haven't even talked online before. But, he took the time to look at people's social media streams and saw that I liked rocks. He told me about the area it was from and it gave us a chance to visit about a number of things.

I wonder how many opportunities like this exist in daily life that I miss. Allen has reminded me I must pay closer attention. I'm grateful.

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Twitter Classes

I've had multiple requests for Twitter classes in the last couple of months. The library is coming to the rescue!

I will be teaching two Twitter Classes - for free - at the library in October.

October 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
October 20 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Hutchinson Public Library - 901 N Main Street - Training lab in the basement

It is the same class - a basic introduction to Twitter.

Sign up begins Wednesday, September 21 at 9 a.m. Space is limited. Call 663-5441, ext. 163 to register.

Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone you think might be interested.

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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Smalltown 140Conf in Hutchinson

Tuesday is the second annual Smalltown 140 Conference in Hutchinson. If you're a social media lover, if you want to understand what it can do, or if you just want to meet some cool people from all over, come to the Fox Theatre and join in.

Tickets are $100 but if you use the code "friendof140" you'll get a ticket for only $40. It's a heck of a deal. I guarantee you will find it to be an interesting day. Don't miss the opportunity!

Very cool things will happen, synergy will occur, we want you to be part of it all!

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Friday, September 16, 2011

Seasons Changing



We've had our first cold snap, and it seems Autumn may really be arriving. Changing seasons always make me contemplate change in general.

Change is a constant in life. I realize some see that as a negative, but I've always viewed it as potential for something wonderful.

If we want something different, we have to do something different. Of course, the danger is that in the process we'll "upset the apple cart" with regard to something we love just the way it is.

I suppose all of life is about risk. The cost-benefit analysis to me always seems to fall on the side of jumping in with both feet, eyes wide open, heart and soul fully engaged.

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Concerts

We've been going to concerts at the State Fair this week. Tonight was Little River Band and REO Speedwagon. The Little River Band did a brilliant marketing thing - they took audience photos and put them on Facebook for people to tag themselves. By the time I looked at Facebook after the concert, it was already in my stream. Interesting tactic.

The grandstand was just trashed after the concerts tonight. I wanted to tell whoever cleans up - hey, I didn't leave any trash there. I didn't bring any in and I didn't leave any.

It was cold tonight, but that didn't seem to slow beer sales. I watched two guys in the row in front of me consume about - and I'm not exaggerating - 30 cups of beer each. I'm guessing there's about 16 ounces in each cup. I think they sell for $4 each. I will readily admit I could never hold my liquor, but I was astonished at the amount they drank and remained standing.

They arrived with two cardboard trays that hold four cups of beer each. They then made trips to get more every few minutes. They would both come back carrying one in each hand, and once brought back a new tray full of four more for each of them. Amazingly enough they were still functioning at the end of the concert.

Frankly, the beer made them no less appealing than when they started drinking. And, apparently to some it made them more attractive, because a Snooki-wannabe came down at one point and introduced herself by licking both of their faces and rubbing their bald heads. I wanted to tap her on the shoulder and say, "Hey, look, I know it's hard to believe, but even you can do better." But, then I wasn't sure that was true. After all, as far as I know, the Guidos had not gone around licking people they didn't know on their beer runs.

The music was good. The sideshow was pretty disturbing. Fortunately, the folks near me were all great. I really felt for the people the tri-state rejects were crawling over every few minutes in their quest for more beer. And I felt for the ushers who were trying to keep some semblance of order. And I feel for the people who have to clean the spilled beer, discarded cups and other trash.

People apparently forget that just because they're listening to the music of their youth, doesn't mean they can't act like adults. Responsible adults. Who clean up after themselves.

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

I've Got Nothing Bad To Say... Really...

I spent some time at the fair today and bumped into a number of people who wanted to hear the story of my departure from the museum. I repeated the story - truthfully - just as I told it on the website, Facebook, etc. when it happened. But, some people are unsatisfied with this - they want to hear "the dirt."

There is no dirt.

People seem to want me to be angry. They want me to vent and say nasty things.

I am not angry. I do not need or want to vent. I have nothing bad to say - about any former employers. I've been fortunate enough to work with some incredible people with fascinating perspectives at some amazing places over the years and I'm only grateful.

Things happen for a reason, and I can only assume there are better things ahead for all of us. I wish nothing but the best for every person and every entity.

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Kool and The Gang at the Kansas State Fair



Saturday night we went to see Kool and the Gang. The guy above is Kool. Yeah, him. He was with the original group.



This is his brother, who was also part of the original group. I couldn't help thinking "More Cowbell" from the Saturday Night Live sketch with Christopher Walken everytime they used it.





They also have a couple of newer members who were both really good.





All in all a fun night. It's neat to see how different artists use the same stage. It can look very different from one night to the next.

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Monday, September 12, 2011

Kenny Rogers at the Kansas State Fair



This is me and my buddy, Ace Jackalope, with a tambourine Kenny Rogers threw me from the stage tonight at the Kansas State Fair. Greg captured the essence of "things that are Kenny Rogers" in this shot, I think.


As you might gather, we went to see Kenny Rogers tonight at the Kansas State Fair. He puts on a fantastic show. He's 73 and still sounds wonderful. He's also looking good. I like the slightly more rugged Kenny, with a few wrinkles here and there.

He's funny and charming. On the last song he threw out a few tambourines - maybe half a dozen. I didn't even realize until after the concert was over that it was autographed. Then, I wondered if the autograph was just printed on so we went up and compared with someone else's tambourine and the signatures were different. So, very cool.

We left bigger fans than when we arrived. As far as I'm concerned, that's the mark of a true performer. Very cool night! Here are some of my pix from the evening.

"Kenny Rogers" has become an adjective now. The world is divided into "things that ARE Kenny Rogers" and "things that are NOT Kenny Rogers." It's the fun way of saying something is cool or not. I don't know how long this will last, but we're having fun with it so far.  



















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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Artist Erika Nelson on Conversations with Creatives



Erika Nelson created the World's Largest Collection of the Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things in response to her love of roadside attractions. She travels around in her art car, sharing her love of such things. Following her passion had led her to an appearance on the Conan O'Brien show, to be part of a story in The New York Times, and to make her home near The Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas.

She is a voice for "outsider art" or "folk art" or whatever your favorite terminology might be. I met Erika at Kansas Dialogue in mid-August and asked her to sit down after the event and share some of her thoughts about her path.


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This is part of a new series on the website called Conversations with Creatives. Very little editing is done. It's an opportunity to eavesdrop on a conversation with a Creative Soul sharing the planet with us.

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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Joplin Missouri Today

This was taken on Monday, September 5. I've been documenting what Joplin looks like every few weeks. It has been 15 weeks since the tornado and it's amazing how much has been cleared away. The eerie thing is that it's so quiet in these neighborhoods, and they're right in the middle of town. This was shot from a car so the quality isn't the best but it gives you a sense of what it's like. The thing photos and videos can't convey if you haven't been there is the scope of the destruction. You could drive for more than 30 minutes and still be in areas that suffered damage. It's right through the middle of town. These streets once had houses where people lived, and children played. Now they're silent foundations and stairs that lead to the sky. -----
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Thursday, September 08, 2011

Stream of Time



I think of time very differently than most other people I've discussed it with. I do not think of time as linear - it's 2 p.m., then 3 p.m., then 4 p.m., etc. - I think of time as much more fluid than that.

At some point I came up with the idea of a "Stream of Time," that we are moving along with it just like a leaf might move along with a flowing creek. If we consider different eras in history, and if you believe souls have lessons to learn, it's easy to see how we could be here to experience particular things.

Because we live in an era of such wonder, invention and innovation it seems logical that all of us experiencing it are here for a reason. But at the same time, other souls coexisting with us have other reasons. Think of someone you know who's different than you and you'll see you're in very different "streams of time," even if we're all living in the same ocean.

I have often felt out of step with regard to time. My parents were really two generations older than me. One of my serious relationships was with someone a generation younger than me. I cannot stand to be rushed - it makes me very testy when I feel someone is pushing me time-wise. I never feel like there's enough time. I don't feel like there's enough time in a normal life-span to do everything I want to do.

Just recently I was talking with a friend about the Theory of Relativity, which isn't really a theory anymore - but a fact. It occurred to me that maybe this is why I have always bristled at the idea of being on a schedule. Even when I was very young I knew that time could not possibly be linear - it just made no sense at all to me. And so scheduling is incredibly limiting to my mind. Therefore, being on a schedule makes life limited as well. It's the first time I have ever put those two things together, but it makes sense.

There's much more to consider in this realm...
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Scenes From My World



This was taken in an antique mall in some small town in Missouri this past weekend. I don't remember which town. I don't remember which store. But I remember I got two handfuls of vintage Christmas ornaments for a quarter each.

I heard Greg and his mom approaching and peered around the corner, holding the ornaments. I knew it would amuse him and horrify his mom. I was right. Greg had me reenact so he could get a photo. I was a happy camper, as you can see!

This year I'm hoping to do my big Christmas extravaganza. I think a vintage tree will be making an appearance.

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Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Autumn's Arrival


It seems fall has made its presence felt, slipping right into our days and nights while we were longing for it so much we almost missed its arrival. Life is like that sometimes. We are so busy wanting for something we miss its appearance.

Air conditioners have fallen silent and we have slid into a new season, a time for home and hearth. Windows are being flung open to welcome the cooler air and we are timidly reaching for warmer clothes.

Autumn has seemed a long time coming this year. I'm going to revel in it.

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