The Last Thing I Should Be Doing....

Is blogging.

For real.

It's 4:44am, I've been up for well over an hour.

Got Glenco off to work, got my house chores done - but I'm supposed to roll out of here in 5ish hours for camping with Ms. Fox, and I've not lifted a finger to get ready.

I mean, I need to prepare all my food, pack clothes, pack down the camper, tend the birds, water the containers, winterize the bees, clean out my emails, pack eBay sales, etc, etc, before I leave - and here I sit blogging!

I just couldn't leave town with a farewell post....

I'm so out of the loop with y'all.

So here ya go.

It's been a ridiculous flurry of activity around the coop of late.

I meet myself coming as I'm going.

Again, I feel compelled to talk to the person in charge of making my schedule.

She's a task master!

I don't have a free day until October 30th.

Recapping the week -

not only am I cooking with gas, I'm now heating with it too.

I do find cooking with natural gas different than it was with propane.

Glenco tells me propane burns hotter.

I can't really get my mind around that - I mean to me, fire is fire.

Apparently not?

My day with the BoyChild.

Lord.
I love that kid.

I made the mistake of asking HIM what he wanted to do - instead of just controlling the situation.

:-)

I wanted to hike, bike, and eat a picnic near the lake.

Homeboy did not.

Homeboy wanted to go to resale shops in Chicago.

He's all about the resale now since finding a few awesome pieces of clothing for $1.

He recently went to homecoming and these are the pics I get.

There's nothing traditional about Aaron.

I wasn't too hot on the idea of going to Chicago and quickly squelched his dreams, er - I mean talked him out of it.

We decided to do that in November, when a friend of mine well versed in the thrift mecca stores of Chicago can go -

so we stayed local.

Remember me talking about food addiction?

I might have another addiction - and that would be thrift stores.

Especially lately.

I have so many pairs of  jeans now that I feel guilty.

(Never paying over $3 a pair mind you)

My drawers are bursting at the seams.

And then I bought these.

This purchase alerted me to the fact that I might have a problem.

Plastic pilgrims.

Oh - and they light up.

They are rather horrid aren't they?

But dadgum it - I'm celebrating Thanksgiving!

I'm putting these hard plastic figures out on the front porch and I'm lighting their butts.

I'll be doggoned if we'll overlook Thanksgiving like everyone else does! 

AND I'm keeping them up well into the first week of December.

So let it be written, so let it be done!

Other treasures included..

A vintage paint by numbers - $4

Family of owl trivets - a mere $1

(this purchase concerns me a little too-but not as much as the pilgrims)

Several outfits - can you see the size on that shirt?

M

Hallelujah!

The best purchase of the day, didn't get photographed.

It was a brand new - and I do mean brand new - LL Bean tan quilted jacket with an awesome plaid liner.

$3.

It was a large, and I just assumed I would need a large, and in my excitement I threw it in my buggy with visions of me on the cover of Martha Stewart Living, wearing that coat, with my cheeks red from the fall air, holding a bushel basket full of apples.

Alas, I got it home, and it was too big.

A pox upon me.

Yesterday - I found a home for the coat!

Carissa, a local reader of my blog (with a lovely blog of her own!) came by to get some honey.

You know what I think?

I think the people that read my blog are some of the most incredible people that walk the earth.

Carissa is a gem.

The coat fit her, and I'm kicking myself for not getting a photo.

She indeed should be on the cover of Martha's mag wearing that coat.

It was hers all along.

She totally has the fall vibe going on.

I fell in love with her children and asked her four year old daughter to start calling me grandma - which seemed to confuse her quite a bit.

I still tend to frighten children, even though I mean well.

Here's a comment from Carissa after meeting me yesterday...

I HAD to come by and say a quick hello. You are all that your blog represents and more!!!

A true beam of sunshine!!!!

Sweet inside and out and just the type of person who can leave an imprint on my soul in the short 47 minutes that we were able to chat!! :-)

Thank you so much for the lovely tour of your beeyoutiful home and for answering the million in a half questions from my children (and myself).

What kind of person lets a four year old that she has never met before go straight into her bedroom and look under her bed for the cat? Gives a total stranger a fabulous fall coat and sweater?? Gives countless hugs and lights up the room with her smile???

Jayme Does!!!!

Thank you for your kind hospitality!

Love Carissa

PS Thank you for your time too!! I know you have a lot on your plate for the next few days!!

Filled my heart right up, that comment did.

How I wish I could meet each and every one of you!

OK, I HAVE to go.

Janie - if you are reading this - please don't keep me up late tonight.

Let the shenanigans begin!

Please wish me luck pulling the camper by myself, and finding the campground, and leveling the camper, and sleeping, and getting home in one piece.

Thank you and amen.