Max Fisher

Max Fisher I adore you. I am a Rushmore Yankee at heart. So much so that my new autumn duds had to include a red beret I discovered while out and about with the husband today. When it is upon my head I feel ready for the world. Note: Also pictured are this season's new fingerless gloves made from recycled sweaters and the like. Now if I could just get directions to Rushmore....or an application.

Frost

Goodness. Last night I ran around outside like a crazy person in my flannel teddy bear PJ's for all the world to see. What was I doing? Oh, just running around in the dark in a panic to cover all my flowers to save them from the frost monster. What is happening to me............? Oh....I slept through the frost hours and awoke to find everyone still in bloom and ready to go. So far this is the very highlight of my weekend:) I think I need a pet cat or something....

Fever

Next year around this lovely time of year I will have the opportunity to witness a dear friend's wedding. Bless her, she asked me to be part of the party. And bless her again because she said I could pick out my own dress to wear. Dressing up for me is very difficult and usually involves tears and panic attacks. There is some deep buried evil seed that cracks open and begins to grow when there is the expectation to become the prettiest I can be outside the comfort zone of jeans and grey t-shirts. She has a year to organize a wedding....and it will take me the entire year to do some weeding in my fashion soul garden to harvest the confidence I will need to support her on her beautiful day instead of worrying about the trivialities of my hair and nails and what others may think.....and it will probably take the year to find a dress. (Note 1.: I am reading Circle of Friends...and it has been a soul quencher for my plus sized self...long love Benny and her modesty panel! Read it!) (Note 2: pictured above is discovery A...the first of I am sure many many dresses I will find while performing my "research").

...hello October

Welcome dear October. This past week the weather has begun a new dance. The cooler days have made it easier for me to rest during the day....bless the flannel sheet makers of the world over....so cozy. And work turned a bit too...this past week my associates seemed pleasant and worked hard every day (really). One of them said I have been smiling more, I overheard another associate relay to others that I was in a good mood, and then one of my toughest told me to "take care" when he clocked out, and when I said "thank you" he said "your welcome". So simple. The real question...who has been doing the changing...me or them?

Tenenbaum Pets

This afternoon my husband took off with his brother to attend some B-Movie at the independent movie theatre in the big city. Left with Saturday hours to my self I decided to finish the Tenenbaum Pet Portraits I have been working on for the next post card swap---due this coming Tuesday. I painted Buckley the beagle first and then I was in the zone. I painted for close to six hours straight. When the husband came home with pizza I looked a wreck...paint everywhere, hair a la Einstein, and my eyes could hardly stay open to finish the last one...the turtle. On Monday they will be made into post cards and then off they go....

Mordecai the Falcon
Buckley the Beagle
The Turtle

Dalmatian Mouse

Cheddar Chili Fries

Mmmmmm. So simple. So good. Greasy, gooey, calorie filled goodness. Friday night I met my beautiful friend C at The Hot Dog Shop back home. It was kind of half way for both of us (though I believe she drove a bit further than me....what a good friend). We had a chance to catch up on life, work and stuff--well, actually she patiently listens and laughs as I complain a lot about my life. I am such a great dinner date. (Note: two cheddar chili dogs, two cheddar chili fries and two sodas came to nine dollars and some change....most excellent). You have to love small town food. As much as I loved the food and the company...the trip did have a down side. The Hot Dog Shop is in the city next door to the town I was raised. Back in the day it was the pretty city with a real downtown and everything...like parking meters, multiple red lights, department stores, a working fountain, a YMCA and a movie theatre. Now the downtown is a ghost town---it feels abandoned and neglected. Everyone migrated to the shopping plazas on the outskirts of town. I took some photos and will be adding them to the husband's or my flickr site...because it is important somehow for me to share this city on the river...for me to be reminded of where I came from and how it is always a part of me where ever I travel or how far I move away...

Boo!

October has yet to arrive and already the monsters are out about and arriving in my mailbox---of all places. Actually the post card is for some cell phone company and how ATT contributed to the GOP for the last two elections. That aside, it creeped me out when I found it in the post this morning. I was afraid that somehow my name and address found its way on a Republican mailing list....scary indeed. (Note: if you would like to read a very well written article on one's opinion about the presidential race go here to the little hands big world blog...scroll to the September 15th entry...good reading for both sides of the party).