This is going to be a really terrible winter...long and hard.

When you go out on my back porch in the morning, you will be greeted by







ALONG WITH:



AND THE NEW ADDITION:


There is no longer just Scrawny squirrel. We counted four of them along the tree line this morning watching and waiting for food. Of course, it could also be becuz the daddy leaves peanuts out there and I leave corn cobs out there. Also, the yard has many bunnies...and they are here for the pistachios and carrots that we leave out under the bushes at the back of the yard.

What we DON'T like is Mr. Woodchuck. He was found out today. Something has been slashing at my butternut squash but we weren't sure what. (would Chuck? yes. He would and he did.) Let's just say, he got too greedy and came out in the daytime where he was seen...and sighted...and now his bottom has some buckshot....buckshot woodchuck. Should I call him Bucky? Chuck? Woodbuck? Chuckshot? I'd rather call him GONE.

Yesterday there was a big hawk sitting on the top of the neighbor's fence. And as I so bravely started out there to shoosh it away, it spread it's large wings and made a swoop towards the ground... and ALMOST grabbed off Scrawny!!! If you want something to eat you dang chicken hawk...grab Chuck! Sure that's a lot of animal...and maybe Chuck would come back up (up chuck ) but you would have something to pick at and we would be rid of my squash slasher.

To go along with the previous post...

My daughter was all happy and thrilled when she came out of the school...despite the 90+ temps and 46% humidity...no air conditioning in her school. She made contact with a lot of her former friends and had a long list of IM's to add. She got home and actually got her trumpet out...ON HER OWN WITHOUT BEING TOLD...and practiced! Whew.

The daddy went and picked Jr. up from school and they stopped and put the title to Jr's car in Jr's name...the mirror should be in tomorrow so that will get put on...then when I pick him up from school Friday we can stop and get plates. He will be good to go. He said things went fine...and some girl (one of the cosmotology students) gave him her phone number already. She came over, too! Dang...talk about fast! She's cute...but, you know, teenage girl cosmotologist...likes to do 'experimental' things with her hair/makeup. Hey...whateva...as long as she is nice. I AM wondering, though, what her real haircolor is.

No funding info at MY school, yet. My mother (so embarrassing) is loaning me the money for my books until the money comes through. I just was not planning on having to cough up $800 for books from my own pocket book...on top of my kids' school expenses. I am feeling very blessed that my parents are frugal ppl with the ability to plan ahead...I wish some of that would rub off on me. I try to and sometimes I do fairly well...

The daddy got some great news today...their HR dept. did some market analysis and found out he is $5,000/yr under others in his field. So...he's getting an instant pay raise...plus at the end of Sept. he gets another pay raise. Too bad we didn't have that money now. But...I am NOT complaining. No sir.

So, it was the first day back to school for both whipper snappers. They both got up without me having to kick them (that will change next week)...ate breakfast together WITHOUT calling each other names...they were encouraging each other...made their beds, too!

They did good until just before I left to take each one to school. Although, my daughter seemed less uptight than my son. She felt better knowing that I had informed her teachers of her GAD so that they may cut her a wee bit of slack for the first 2 weeks. There is no excuse for a teacher embarrassing a student in front of a class anyway.

Driving her to school was a 5 minute process...normally 3 minutes BUT this morning I was dealing with mucho traffic! Lined up going to the school...and the roadway was also plugged full of the HS drivers. The schools are all along one road. I'm sure the idea looked good on paper....

My son drove to his school...with me riding shotgun. It is about a 20 minute drive from our garage to the parking lot of his school. Most of it highway...and the part that he has to drive isn't very busy. He was doing great until he got ready to get in the van to go...then he started complaining about major stomach pain. But I know that once he gets through the day he will feel much better. He will be fine. As he pointed out, though, he hasn't been in a school since he tried again 2 years ago and the panic attacks took over. And then I pointed out to him that this is like regular HS...

Anyways...so far so good.

I can't explain it...well, I can but y'all would just think I'm nuts...there is one blogger out there that if they read this would totally understand...but I was in such a heightened state of anxiety today and I was blaming it on school coming up. But about 2:10 this afternoon I just felt a calm come over me like a blanket being pulled up to cover me when I'm cold. I smiled cuz I knew it meant someone was doing better today.

I had two tasks to do today to finish getting my kids ready for school. 1)my daughter wanted her hair dyed all one brown color to finish covering up what's left of the blond highlights she had put in her hair months ago. She HAD wanted some red highlights put in after the initial dye job...but she liked the brown so well, thankfully she decided to leave the red highlights out. The stuff I used on her allowed her hair's natural lights to show. It really looks nice! 2) they both needed a new pair of sneaks. I was prepared to travel into the next town just east of us but I took them to the local sports store first. Every year at this time they mark down their nikes and adidas for cheap...and today we hit the jackpot...not only did my son get his Nikes for more than 50% off...I got his sister's Nikes for 1/2 of the marked down price on hers! $60 for two pairs of Nikes.

Other than making sure to put money in their lunch accts. at school...we are done. Ready. Tomorrow is bum day. Just make sure everything is packed and ready for the big one. TJ is doing pretty well with the onset of school. He says it helps knowing that ALL the Juniors at this school are the new kids. Not just him.

Bethany is just really looking forward to getting there...not so much for the actual academics...just for the social function, of course.

My left hand was STILL paining me today. But hubby did me a favor. He asked me if I could crack his back. So, when I went to press on it, his back cracked and so did my left wrist. Loudly. And guess what? Pain gone.

I am half-way through my online workshop...child junk. I am just biting my nails about my funding coming through. I just might make it under the wire. I am HOPING I will make it under the wire. I haven't gotten any word, yet. I know I will get it...I just NEED it NOW! I think they like to drag out the drama. I don't need any more drama in my life. Of course, I know as my kids grow there will be a lot more. YEP yep yep yep. I have found the secret to handling the drama is sit back, wait for the dancing to stop, the floor to clear, consult with God's jukebox and change the music.

I took my daughter to a play last night. It was a community play and one of her best friends was in it. The play was "The Wizard of Oz" and her friend was a munchkin.



Bethany (on left) and her friend after the play...still wearing her stage make-up.


It was a break in my routine. I am not a big fan of plays. I don't know why. This was something she said that she might like to get into doing That means, if she does, that I will have to spend time watching. I love my kids, and I support them 100%...if this is what she wants to do (and since the doctor found the right meds and dosage for her, she has popped right out of her shell and going gang busters) I will go and sit in the cold theater and watch...

I trimmed the hedges yesterday. They were awful. Normally it isn't such a big deal but hubby had screwed up the electric trimmers the last time he used them (wasn't paying attention and hit something not so nice) so I had to use the manual scissors. My right arm took it well but my left arm was just a throbbing last night! Even my left hand hurts...my fingers swelled up and I couldn't get my rings off! They were cutting in...still can't get them off. I have been icing my shoulder. 'Thee pain..thee pain!' Yes, I am an old, out of shape wimp. Okay...I know...round is a shape...but I'm out of the shape I had.

I am rather thankful this morning that I am not having to batten down the hatches becuz some terrible hurricane is threatening my home and my life. We could use some more rain...but then, over in Kansas and part of Arkansas, I'm sure, would gladly give it to us right now. Then again...I think the mountains in Wyoming could use a good dousing.

Winter is going to be early...we are going to go from ungodly hot and dry to winter. Scrawny Squirrel has been eating like a horse! And she has been just running like she's running out of time. The locust are loud! I don't think I've heard them since we've moved here 3 years ago...but they started 2 days ago and the noise never stops!

I will miss my fall. It's my favorite time of year.