30 Days of Thanks Is Taking Over The World

Unless you live under a rock or do not have access to Facebook, you have seen some form of the "30 Days of Thanks" floating around web-land.
It's a simple concept... You think of things to be thankful for and list them.
One for every day of the month.

I've seen some cute ideas on blogs.
I have a few friends listing their "thankful things" on Facebook.
I have one pal who made a little construction paper tree with "thankful leaves" attached.
My friend, J, has a blank list for her people to write on. (She has a lot of people.)

And then there's Pinterest.
Don't get me started.
I didn't linger for too long because I was sure to see a real tree with twinkly white lights transplanted into somebody's house... covered with handmade leaves sewn out of beautiful fabric... with each leaf bearing a thankful item hand-stitched into it.

Have I mentioned I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest?

So we are being thankful this month, and we are using the chalkboard already on the wall. I'm crafty like that.

I let the boy go first, and so far the only thing on our wall is "food."
Well. You can't say we don't have our priorities straight around here.

What are y'all thankful for?

Happy November And 10

When Dan/Daddy first put his 'fro on last night, I laughed so hard I nearly choked to death on the Twizzler I was eating.
He looked like a middle-aged Napoleon Dynamite minus the awesome suit.

I went casual and wore my favorite hat.

The boy ran (dragging me behind) all over our new neighborhood and scored a VAST amount of sugar.
I was, however, a little disappointed by the low number of trick-or-treaters we had. We usually live on post wherever we are stationed, and I am accustomed to MASSES of costumed kiddos.
We are typically out of candy by 6:58 pm, and we have to turn off the lights and lock the doors and hope no one tears up the decor in a candy revolt.

Not here.
It was a little sad.
It's especially sad this morning when I look at all the candy I have left.

Dear Lord,
Please keep me from eating it all.
Amen.

Now. My pal over at Roots and Rings has pointed out a lack of participation in 10 on Tuesday. Well. Oops. That has been me. No excuses, just slackness.
Go join in if you have time...

1. What is your favorite month?
December. Love the cold and the holiday.

2. What is the best candy to get while trick or treating?
Anything chocolate

3. What kind of pen do you use?
A gel pen

4. You go to a new Italian restaurant, what is your go-to order?
Lasagna

5. If you could choose to have any celebrity’s hair, who’s would you choose?
Reese Witherspoon

6. What’s your favorite board game?
Is Boggle a board game? I heart Boggle.

7. Do you know how to play poker?
Nope. I wish I did, but I am hard to teach.

8. What do you think about Old Navy commercials?
Some of them crack me up. I like going into the store and seeing the plastic folks from the commercials.

9. What hurts worse- a stubbed toe or a paper cut?
A stubbed toe, initially. But, a paper cut is the injury that keeps on giving... like when you wash your hands or when you get ketchup in it.

10. What’s your favorite kind of pie?
Something warm... like apple or peach or cherry.

Have a great 11-1-11, people!

Don't Call Me If The End Times Come

Did y'all ever know someone who canned things? Someone who spent hours and days making sure they were ready for the winter with jars and jars of vegetables and pickles and jams?
I have aunts and grandmas and grandma-in-laws (and even friends) who do.
I vividly remember the smell in my house growing up when my mom made homemade pickles.
All those jars and lids and hot water baths... not to mention all the picking and washing and cutting and chopping.

Well that is not me.
I soooo admire the art of storing food, but I am content to ride off to the Mart and spend money on Smuckers.
Don't get me wrong... I LOVE the homemade stuff. It tastes better, and it probably has way less sugar and chemicals.

When we came home from the orchard a few weekends ago, I had a LOAD of apples, so I got the bright idea to make apple butter in the crock pot.
My sis-in-law has done it a thousand times, and the recipes are all over the internet.

Well.
20 apples and 2 days later, I had myself 2 whole jars.



Don't be jealous.
There are calluses on my hand from all that peeling.
I am happy I did it, and it IS yummy.
But my word. The labor and the payoff did not equal out.

I'll be rationing this stuff out like it's liquid gold. If you come over to our house for breakfast, do not expect to get free reign on the apple butter jar.
And, if the apocalypse is coming, you may want to find another place to stay.

Do You Have Your Costume Ready?

You only have a few days left to get that Halloween costume together.

Our cat?
She's going as a shower curtain.



I love that she thinks we can't see her.
She is a master of disguise.

All Things Apple

Two weekends ago, we were at a beautiful cabin in the mountains of Georgia.
I haven't blogged about it yet, because it has taken me some time to return to reality.

My brother and sis-in-law have the sweetest friends who own the most beautiful place in the Georgia mountains, and... they let our rowdy crew spend the weekend there.
(Minus Dan/Dadddy... he was working.)

The view of the river is unbelievable.
I didn't want to come home.



We had a whirlwind Saturday of picking apples and eating apple treats and shooting apples from an apple cannon.

When I say we all took a turn, I mean we all took several turns.






I actually just noticed the "apple cannon assistant's" face in this picture of me taking a shot. Hee hee. He looks worried. (He probably should be.)


After we picked some apples, we bought even more.



These two ate their weight in apples.


Later that day, we went hiking up the Amicalola Falls until I thought my legs were gonna detach themselves from my body in protest and dive off the mountain.

It was such a nice weekend, and as we like to say,
"A good time was had by all."
Truthfully, any time I get to spend getting love from this blue-lipped kiddo is a good time to me.

Chalkboard Confessions III

7 days later, I finally got a reply.

I'm not sure who "Me" is, but I have my suspicions. I don't watch all that crime TV for nothing.

Hey there mysterious "Me" person...
You sure are cute with your skinny purple self and your spiked up hair.
I love you, too.

Down On The Farm

Dan/Daddy's parents were here a few weekends ago, and we had a grand ol' time showing them around town. They were able to watch the boy play football on Saturday, and on Sunday we hauled them off to the Pumpkin Patch.



This place had tons of stuff to do. And they had snacks. My people were quick to vote this farm as "the best pumpkin patch we've ever been to!" It is all about the funnel cake.

We picked some punkins...


We took some funny pictures...
Well hello Farmer Dan!


Is your mama a llama?


Nope. My son is.
(This picture cracks me up.)


Guess what the farmer enticed the pigs with to get them to race? Oreos. Yep. I will run for an Oreo, too.


I am proud to report that our group completed the corn maze in record time. (It was all about the lure of funnel cake.)


Here's me. Doing my best "I am lost in the corn maze!" face.
Or maybe I just heard that the concession barn was all out of funnel cake.
Move over pigs, and pass me some of those Oreos.