Cards Win! Cards Win! Cards Win!

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals. What an incredible team! If Game 6 and Game 7 were part of a baseball movie, it would be so unbelievable, movie goers would say, "That's just crazy. That would never happen!" Ahhh, but it did. I'll never forget this particular World Series -- 2011.

(both photos courtesy internet)

"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." ~Saul Steinberg



ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

I'm exhausted.



The St. Louis Cardinals are amazing.

I don't have any other words to say, except.....

Yay, Rally Squirrel!!

And, tonight same "bat" time, same "bat" channel!

I don't think I've ever blogged about baseball, but I'm a huge fan of my hometown Cardinals!

"A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. " ~Earl Wilson

(except in the Thursday evening game...it was eleven (11) innings!)

Intense Colors & Joy

I've mentioned before that autumn is my favorite season. I wasn't sure what kind of affect the crazy summer weather would have on the leaves in my part of the world, but I must say I haven't been a bit disappointed!

When I've been in my car the past few days, I could barely keep my eyes on the road due to my "Tree Admiring, Shrub Gawking, Foliage Observing" driving!

I thought many internal "Oohs and Aahs" and even shrieked some outloud....all to myself, while meandering through winding roads.

When I left to go on errands today I even took my camera with me. I realized immediately, though, I wasn't going to be able to stop and take pictures.

I would've been stopping every few feet, rolling down my car windows, taking pictures of gorgeous trees in people's yards....and would've probably had the police called on me! I'm going to have The Ronald drive me and see how that works. ☺ 

So..when I got back home this afternoon, it was time for Vern's walk. We try to go on one every single day. He gives me the incentive to do it even when I don't really want to, because he just loves it! AND, an added side benefit to that is....it certainly has helped with my weight loss. I've lost between twelve and fourteen pounds, depending on how well I eat any certain day! I plan to lose at least eight more.

Vern snoozing last Saturday evening, after a hard day....consisting of one walk and lots of rest!

Anyway, while on our walk today, I picked up a few lovely leaves to share with y'all. These were right in my neighborhood which is just breathtaking.

While stooping down to pick these up, a flood of school day memories hit me: Walking home from fifth grade, shuffling through the fallen leaves carrying an armful of books, seeing a pile of burning leaves at the edge of the street, hearing the crackling noise and inhaling that intoxicating aroma, reliving the two-sentence conversation I had with the current boy of my dreams....Ahh, it seems like yesterday.

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter." ---Carol Bishop Hipps

* Nostalgic Sundays *

Happy Nostalgic Sunday, Everyone!

After looking at some charming "way back when" photos on Kathy's blog yesterday, I decided to attempt to post some of my own here. The problem is....trying to take a picture of a picture, and with MY camera, the results aren't very good. I couldn't get half the ones I wanted because it just wouldn't focus. But...for Nostalgic Sunday.......

This is my mom. Isn't she adorable??
She has on a tiny necklace and what looks like a mesh shawl.
This would've been taken in early 1916.
(Yes, she was almost 40 years old when I was born.)

These are my two (older!) sisters and me. I'm in the middle.
[I think it's obvious we hadn't fixed our hair yet!]
To my left (purple shirt) is my deceased sister Jo Ann.
To my right (navy shirt) is my sister Marian, who lives in Atlanta.
This was taken in March of 1983 when we were in Iowa.
A little over a year later, Jo Ann died from a brain tumor.
(She didn't even know about it at this time.)

Remember my Illinois neighbors I wrote about on October 9th?

¸ ¸ ¸¸¸

Well, here they are at my 3rd Birthday Party!!

The little boy in the striped shirt and the girl in the checkered dress next to him.
I don't know if that's me in the back right corner, or not.
But the little boy in the back, by the door, is my brother, Mike.

 
"Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money." ~ Author Unknown

* Autumn Bliss *

I posted this picture of my fireplace and mantel last October. Since I decorated it pretty much the same way this year, I thought it would be okay to share it again!

About a year ago, I began to find a different picture/painting to put over the mantel, for the four different seasons. Until then, I kept the same one for years, until I got tired of it, or decided to switch back and forth with a large mirror. Because I found very inexpensive framed pictures, it's been really affordable to do. And since the size does vary a bit, we don't hang them on the wall, but stand them on the mantel, leaning against the wall (with a hook thingy so it won't fall off!)

Right now, I have candles and autumn decor inside the fireplace, until it's time for wooden logs and fires! I just love having a fireplace. It was always one of the top things in my Home Wish List. The Ronald and I take turns stacking the logs and lighting the fire, and I do all the clean-up. THAT'S how much I love being near a crackling, glowing fire.

We never had a fireplace when I was a child and I always longed for one. They just represented "Home" to me. Most likely I got that idea from living in the world of TV and movies......Ah, but that's another post for another day.

"Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, we have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!" - Humbert Wolfe

* I WONDER *

Zowie! Time for another I Wonder.



I Wonder: Those of you who have DVRs (digital video recorders) on your TV...Do you ever catch yourself, while driving along listening to your car radio, reaching down to hit some kind of Go Back button?? You didn't hear what the person said, or didn't understand, and so you wanted to go back and listen again?? And in that split second you think to yourself, Duh! my radio does not have that!

The Ronald and I have gotten so spoiled by having that on our TV. Eldest son, Scott, kept telling us we should get it, but we always seem to drag our feet on anything new-fangled and that costs more.

I Wonder: Do the radio systems you can buy for your cars, like Sirius, have a Go Back button on them??

"There is no harm in repeating a good thing." -- Plato

A Special Day

Twenty four years ago today I received a special gift.....my youngest son, Mark, was born! I could go on and on about what a wonderful boy he was and what a great guy he is now. But since we moms all feel that way, I don't feel the need to write about it.

I receive Mari McCarthy's e-newsletter and always get something really great from it. I was also fortunate to win one of her "Peace of Mind and Body" journaling book a few months ago. (Sorry to say I don't remember where I won it! Somewhere in Blog Land....and I still haven't begun to use it. Mari said to be sure and start it when I know I'll have the time and desire to keep at it every day....I hope I begin soon!) Be sure and check out Mari's website. She's an amazing woman.

The following was included in today's newsletter. It really grabbed me and made me say WOW. It perfectly fits my current self and that third sentence is the one I really need to remember...and achieve.

"Be vigilant with your mission. Be exuberant with your passion. Be gentle with yourself." -- Michelle James 

Virtual Book Club

Stacey Krone-Battat, co-founder of Kiwi Publishing, and the President and Editor-in-Chief of the Thin Threads book series contacted me yesterday. She asked if I'd like to join in with her and promote their upcoming Virtual Book Club! As soon as I heard the details, I said a resounding "YES." Please read the following two paragraphs which I copied and pasted from their website.

What: A Virtual Thin Threads Book Club – we are expanding our community to share the best of the Thin Threads series – both to our dedicated fans, and to new readers who are intrigued by the topics. Every other Wednesday, simply dial a number on your phone and escape from your hectic pace to join our inspiring and soothing conversation. You won’t have to leave your place or home/work during the cold months (if you live in the cold)!

This is not a boring radio interview or webinar. You will be able to listen, ask questions, answer polls for fun, and even have a chat with others about the topics, as if we were together in my living room. Just think, you can invite one friend over for coffee or tea and participate, or call in while you are on the go! HOW CONVENIENT!!

Now, how cool is that?? I've already registered for the first two sessions: November 2nd and 16th. Click on the link below, and then click on the book title to get to the Registration Page.

http://www.kiwipublishing.com/component/option,com_eventlist/Itemid,54/ 


It'll be a blast! Just like Stacey said, it'll be like we're in her living room, chatting about books, having coffee or tea...and hey, I'll bring some homemade desserts! Come on and join the fun!