It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Autumn.....

I love the Fall. I received one of my country magazines yesterday in the mail. It showed that Summer is winding down and Fall is right around the corner. I love this time of year. I always have! I was always the kid who couldn't wait for going back to school.....of course it wasn't so much for the academics as it was for wearing my new Fall sweaters, and attending Friday night football games! As a soccer mom, Fall brings a new season of soccer games and cheering from the sidelines. I love when the weather turns cool and one can start wearing thick, warm socks and heavy sweaters. I love warm apple pies, and pumpkin (anything, yum!) in the Fall. I love the smell of wood smoke in the air when people start using their fireplaces and wood stoves for another season. I love going to October fest or on long drives to see the leaves changing colors. Even when the sky turns a steely gray and the sun begins to set earlier--- I just love it! It's time for candles in the windows and warm throw blankets. I can't forget a nice hot mug of coffee or hot chocolate, and settling down with a good book in the evening. The other day I saw some geese flying overhead in a V. A sign that the season will soon be changing. (It's still hot here in the south, but I know it's coming....I know it's on it's way....I know Autumn will arrive before I know it!)
It's even more exciting this year because of our house being built. One more thing for me to love about the Fall. I know the Autumn weather will be a lot different in Ohio then it is here in Tennessee...but I'm fine with that. I'm ready. I'm excited. I'm waiting...........

Justice...At Last

Well, he got what he so rightly deserved. He was executed last night in Texas. The "he" that I am talking about is the Mexican, illegal immigrant that murdered two young teenage girls after he sexually assaulted and tortured them. Texas took care of their own and made sure this animal was not going to be prowling around anymore. I blogged about this story when it made news earlier this year. I think the death of these two innocent young girls was overshadowed by this man's "rights" to talk to the Mexican consulate. The thing is this man didn't even ask about that until 4 years into his sentence. (He was 18 when the murders occurred and 33 when he died.) Hey Mister, don't senselessly kill people and you won't have to worry about having rights on death row!

This is the article from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-03-medellin-execution_N.htm?csp=34/

If It's Small and Furry I'll Get It!

The other day I went downstairs to the laundry room and noticed that one of the throw rugs was sopping wet. You know it's not a good thing when one's feet make squishy noises. Oh great! I go about pulling any boxes, or other junk that we have stacked up downstairs out of the pool of water. I called Scott (even though he is hundreds of miles away in Ohio). He tried to console me as best he could. He ended up talking with Bradley to get his help. Bless Bradley's 16 year old heart. He helped his mom to fix whatever was backing up the air conditioner and causing moisture to condense. (Give me a break I don't understand how the AC works---just THAT it works!) So I used the shop vac to vacuum the downstairs and got towels to get up the rest of the water off the floor. Now, picture this.......
I'm down on my hands and knees trying to vacuum back in the corner.....I have the vac in one hand and am scooting the box with the other when all the sudden I spy a furry thing behind the box. It didn't move. I was wary. It looked like a mouse, but it couldn't be a mouse! I've NEVER had mice in my house for all the years I've lived here! (Well, except for the one time when a field mouse got in the garage.....but believe me I tracked that little thing down like a mafia hit man. It didn't even have a chance. I caught him in a glue trap after only a couple of days....and he never made it into the house.) So anyway, back to the story...... I'm eyeball to fur ball with this thing, when it dawns on me that it is a mouse....BUT not a live one----it's a cat toy. I had just been ready to bonk it over the head with the shop vac when I came to the realization that it meant me no harm.

Soap Is Cheap

Okay....I'm going to warn you this is another one of those blogs that might cause some people to get mad at me. I just can't help it. I had to go to the Social Security office today to get some paperwork straightened out. (paperwork that has to do with the kids getting their survivor benefits since they had a parent to die...but that is beside the point...just explains why I was there.) So anyway, I walk in get my number and wait. The entire place is full...not one seat. So I stand. I'm a people watcher, so I covertly observe people while waiting. There were a disproportionate number of young women there. Women with MANY children. I overheard one woman tell a lady sitting near where I was standing, that she had 5 kids...then I heard her tell another girl that she turns 25 next month. She wasn't married. Then another young woman came up to me and said, "Do you know how the @#5$! I can find out if my number was called when I was out smoking?" I just stared at her at first. I couldn't believe that she would have thought that was appropriate to talk to me like that! I think she assumed I worked there since I was standing and was dressed nicely. IF she thought I worked there, she certainly didn't know how to be respectful. Another lady plopped down and cussed out the security guard for telling her what she needed to do. It just made me think that people who resort to crass language as a way of communication make themselves look unintelligent. It's just a fact. Sprinkling ones sentences with curse words makes them look like they have a very small vocabulary to work from. In the meantime the security guard is having it out with a young man about not using his cell phone in the building. The guy gave him attitude. The security guard told him this is a federal building and he would be escorted out if he didn't shut his mouth. The guy, I guess, decided it would be better for him to just shut his mouth than be arrested. Finally, I will end my observations today with this thought: It does not take a lot of money to buy soap and shampoo. People can be poor and still be clean. I don't care how much money a person makes, or where they live. I don't care how educated (or uneducated) they are or what circumstances they live in. Being clean, having a smile, and speaking kindly to others is a choice.

And Again!

The rogue woodpecker strikes again! This morning it was at 7:18am. Yesterday my sister sent me something that she read from the Audubon Society. Turns out that this isn't such as unusual thing. My male woodpecker is attempting to woo the ladies. Male woodpeckers will find the nearest thing around that makes the loudest noise to attract the females. Come to find out downspouts are often a first choice for their noisy pecking. I just happen to be the lucky female that gets to listen to it each day. Now, if I were a female woodpecker I'd probably find this feathery guy a real catch.....but unfortunately for him I just find him annoying. The article my sister read suggested putting something shiny in the area the male is attracted too. They don't like the shine, I guess, and go elsewhere. I've got some advertisement CD's in the mail. Maybe I'll go out on the deck and string up a couple of shiny CD's. MAYBE that will work. The lengths I will go to get this Romeo to stop........

It Happened Again!!

This morning it was 6:42! The bird is driving me nuts. If anyone cares about my sanity you'll give me some advice on how to get this crazy bird to stop! And WHY is he on the downspout early in the morning???? Why not mid afternoon when it wouldn't be so annoying? This would be funny if it didn't drive me absolutely berserk! AAGGGHHH! I feel like I'm a character in the movie GROUND HOG Day....where the same day keeps happening over and over and over again.

Rambo Ain't Got Nuthin' On Me

It had been a long week packed with activities and by last night I was exhausted. I looked forward to getting to sleep in a little later then usual this morning. It was not to be. My feathered foe was back. At 7am this morning he started pecking away at the downspout. I woke to a sound that resembled a metallic Uzi. I shoved the pillow over my head willing the bird to stop his noise. I felt like the man in Edgar Allen Poe's THE TELL TALE HEART. The sound of the beating heart drove the man in the story mad. The sound I was dealing with was a beak on metal and it was driving me just as nuts.
After several minutes of this I started to snap. I threw my bed covers back and sat straight up in bed. That's it! I've had it! I stomped into the bathroom and looked out the small window to see if I could get a visual on my enemy. I didn't see him from my angle, but I knew he was lurking just outside my line of vision. Now, most of the time I think of myself as your typical girl....you know sugar and spice (with a kick of cayenne!) and everything nice. BUT not this morning. This morning I was having Rambo-esque thoughts. I was considering grabbing my son's air soft gun, slinging ammo over my shoulder and marching out onto the back deck in a blaze of glory. Now, I apologize to the faithful members of the Audubon society, but with that said I still wanted to nail my feathery little friend and bury his body in the flower bed.
To drive me even battier was the fact that my back yard/woods was full of birds this morning. Lots of twitters, chirps and warbles were going on. I think it might be a conspiracy amongst the feathered flock. I'll keep you posted on what happens.....or maybe you'll see me on the evening news. "Soccer Mom Goes On Wild Rampage. She Was Found Walking Around Her Backyard Mumbling Something About Woodpeckers. She Was Suspiciously Covered With What Appeared To Be Feathers."