A LOT TO SAY ABOUT ... STUFF!

You might wanna get some chips and dip and a soda ... I've got a bunch to say!  *wink*

First -- THANKSGIVING PLANS:

I'm planning for it here - unless anyone says "NO WAY!"  Tom Turkey and a fruit salad are already taken care of.  So what are you planning to bring (you don't have to be specific, just so we don't have a lot of duplication!)  I am doing smashed taters and the rolls for sure. 

Time?  Didn't we do it a little later in the day last year with pretty good results?  What time works best for everyone?

Night/day before - start bringing your stuff (if you choose to bring a lot of stuff) early so I can have it warm and waiting (we'll use crock pots and such to keep it all perking along). 

Mom?  Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same if we said don't bring ANYthing - but how about you don't bring EVERYthing!  *smile*  Choose a couple of things like everyone else (as long as it includes pumpkin pie).  Make the day a joy for you too!

Second - SOMETHING BUGGING ME FOR DAYS!!

What happened to tolerance and kindness in this world?  I heard something so mean spirited this week that it bugs me.  Why do some people think they can say ANYTHING they want -- outloud -- and not have to worry about hurting other people.  The Bible says that without the love of God - people's hearts will wax cold.  Cold wax is hard!  Hard hearted people. 

Please all - forgive me if I've been mean-spirited in words or actions and have hurt you in any way.  I like to think that I wouldn't PURPOSELY do that (except I have to Randy sometimes -- sorry honey!).

Third - I missed the jammies memo!

I am no fashionista - you might have noticed!  Stop laughing!  But I did go and get a haircut this week (again) and I have to say that my hair was looking so good today that I wished I could look in my rearview mirror all the rest of the day!  {{insert wolf-whistle here!!}}

But seriously I must have missed the memo that says being an adult female (or male) and wearing flannel jammie pants in public was attractive, appropriate, or ???  I saw a lady AT CITY HALL today with flannel TINKERBELL pants on.  She was a grown up -- and she strolled in like she MEANT to be there in her PJ's.  I had to conciously drag my eyes AWAY from her - because if I hadn't I KNOW my mouth would have soon said "excuse me ma'am, do you know you're in your jammies?"

Later I got to thinking that I've seen that more and more - and Randy - NO MATTER WHAT THE RESPONSE FROM ANYONE ON THIS IS ... you are STILL not allowed to wear your snowflake pants, your plaid pants, or any other pant that I may deem inappropriate outdoor attire ... OUTDOORS -- oops!  a little sidetracked there ... mighta been an issue once (or twice) -- anyway seems like flannel pants with Tinkerbell or stars, or polka dots or clouds ... and even sometimes SLIPPERS are showing up more often.

My main question - since I missed the memo and all -- is if you wear this kind of attire - is it WITH a bra or without!??


And last ... finally to the end of my ramble (this time!!) --

Anyone who has ever met Nick's dog Ti - knows that at our house Ti is synonymous with NAUGHTY DOG!  All manner of naughtiness eminates from this pup.  He's lucky he's cute and has a nice personality.  Or he'd find himself on a back alley of some Chinatown somewhere ... not long for the world!  Chewed everything you can think of - including my leather sofa (BTW Nick -- when does that go for repair?), chewed NEW shoes (and old), oh my -- this is way long enough that I don't need to make a chew list.  Everything.

Well, I subscribe to a thing that gets sent to my email each day called StoryPeople.  It's just quirky little one sentence 'stories' that appeal to my sense of humor.  More often than not people look at me when something Brian Andreas has written makes me smile - and say HUH?  Well today's was funny to me because ... #1) I listen to public radio a LOT (love it) and #2) it made me think of naughty Ti. 

I put the following together. 

LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE ...

It's not the s-lo-w lane actually, because there is always plenty to do.  With 1/3 of my afternoon job coming to an end at the end of the month, I have found myself up to my neck in things that I want to tie up before I turn over the property. 

Today I was able to drive to Iowa City and shop and purchase an egress ladder for one of the units.  Three years ago when the property reopened after major refurbishing, it passed inspection and has until now.  An inspector determined it needed a few changes in one room to make that unit compliant with code.  Hence my shopping trip.  I'm glad to have that purchase made.  It will be delivered in 2 days and installed by the maintenance guy and we're good to go with a reinspection.

Of course every trip to the IC area incorporates a squeeze of my baby J into it!  Today was no exception.  She was supposed to be napping, but was still awake when I got there.  I got to change a stinky diaper.  (Under every stinky diaper is still a soft baby bottom - cute as can be!)  Then she demonstrated her every improving skills at crawiling and manipulating things with her hands.

The day ended with getting my hair cut.  Thank you Rhiannon for going with me.  BORING as it was. You didn't have to go, but it was nice!  I like my cut better now that I'm home and seeing it in my own mirror!  I always look spectacular in the downstairs bathroom mirror!  *wink-lol* 

Bellie, I got some jasmine rice.  Now to find myself a good Roasted Tomato Soup recipe (anyone?) -- it has to have roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion and cream - and be topped with jasmine rice.  I had a bowl of Roasted Tomato Soup with jasmine rice this week and it was superb.  Now to duplicate it.  GLORIA????  I thought of you immediately - it seemed like a recipe you might try.  Have a good recipe?  This was thick (in part because of the scoop of rice in it) but also from the tomato and other things.

Off to bedroom I go -- It's still to early to say off to BED I go, but I can at least go to the bedroom and read or something until an appropriate time.  I'm pooped!

DAY ONE OF FALL BACK! Did you remember?

I am sure going to enjoy (???) getting up tomorrow better than I have been for the last couple of weeks.  It's been SO dark in the morning.  I like light in the sky (at least a smidge - is asking for one or two small sunbeams all that much?)!  Probably won't like the darkness coming before I get home though. 

I guess it doesn't really matter one way or the other.  I don't get to make the choices!

Here are a few more pictures taken yesterday that I just HAD to share.  It's our little monkey.  See her tail and the banana in her back pocket?  She could have cared less, but we sure thought she was cute!  We took these when we came back to our house after the farm and just before our small group started.



Poor Nick.  He is really sick.  He didn't feel good before he left for work yesterday, but he went anyway.  When he got home he ate some soup and went straight to bed.  He got up today long enough for me to make him some oatmeal and get him some Sprite and soda crackers.  Haven't seen him since. He's been sleeping pretty much straight for over 24-hours now.

I worked on my card projects today.  I have several I have to do.  I'm going to do part of my community service as a card making class for ladies at Hershey Manor.  I have one of two projects done for there.  And I have an idea for the second one (which is 1/2 of the battle!).  I also got some stuff ready for our next stamping night.  So as of November 1st -- I'm really on top of it.  I won't stay there, but *ha!* I'll enjoy it for tonight!

I better get off of here and do something else.

Ludke family -- where are you guys?  I haven't heard from ANYONE lately!!

A DAY ON THE FARM!

Another beautiful day at the farm.  That little house holds a lot of love!  It's a tight fit with all of us gathered, but it's filled with chatter, smells of good food and love!

We arrived after church and already several had gathered!  Mom was busy in the kitchen and it was smelling wonderful.  She works too hard!  Wynter and Rhiannon chopped up some onion.  Obviously I had not trained my daughter in the art of onion chopping.  She did pretty good though.  Wynter was the champion of the onion chopper though! 

Tons of toppings from the aforementioned onions to tomatoes to to black olives, sour cream, guacamole ... and that was just for the tacos!  There was fajitas (with choices of chicken, steak and tofu, four mexican style casseroles (and my ever thoughtful mom had mac and cheese for those who weren't Mexican food fans).  Not to mention a bevy of desserts.

Mom -- it was delicious -- but SIMPLIFY!!  *lol*  or DELEGATE!  It's okay (REALLY) to give us each a recipe and a list of "to-do"s.  Thank you though for the amazing food!  I know I appreciated a delicious meal and I'm sure others did as well!

And Joy -- she made a couple of pies.  So she still gets her title ... of YOUNGEST FAVORITE DAUGHTER!

Bellie and Mark came a little later as Bellie works at the Lutheran Homes.  She is a nurse there and sometimes her schedule includes weekends.  She had her FORTIETH (40) birthday this last week too!  Happy birthday dear sister!

Also congrats to Mark and Bellie on their 3rd anniversary this month and John and Gail on their 18th anniversary.

We enjoyed having Ryan home for the weekend.  He did children's story and Rhiannon had special music for church.  Jaimee was happy to have her daddy.  Hard as it was to have her sitting so close to us in church - we refrained taking her from Ryan because she hadn't seen him in two whole weeks.  She seemed perfectly content to be sitting in her father's arms. 

We left the farm and came home to get ready for small group.  We are well over 1/2 way through the Desire of Ages.  Much as I am enjoying it - it's a LONG book and we will all be glad for a change.  We read through the chapters in the book and then read the account in the Bible as well. 

After small group - Sabbath was done and we rooted around for food (basically sandwiches) and popcorn left from small group.  Watched the movie The Propsal.  It was a cute movie.  Had a few naughty words, but not as bad as so many.  Things like referring to your backside as A-- and stuff like that.  But the F-word was NOT in it.  I hate that.   Wish they could make a movie without any of those words ...

Here are some pictures of our three little characters (the great-grandchildren) plus Colton was in a few and JoDe, Rhiannon and Tonya were in some.