The chill has officially ARRIVED and with it has come the never ending phone calls from people who are out of propane :), the hunters with their always empty RV bottles, and the knowledge that my wood pile isn't nearly high enough! But, man, how I'm lovin' the smell of the fireplaces and wood stoves. Fall finally feels and smells as good as it looks!


I can't believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away. It's just wild how fast time is flying by. I can't wait til Thursday...the community Thanksgiving dinner is the highlight of my month. It's so much fun to get together with people who mean the world to me and laugh and cook and just exist in each other's presence for the day. Just a day to slow down and enjoy life and the people in it. Plus, we're given a chance to make a difference in the lives of others. You just can't beat the feeling you get when you sit down to dinner with someone who otherwise might not have had a meal that day....but more commonly, we sit down to dinner with people who would have spent the day alone. No one should be alone on the holidays, in my opinion. Not even if they think they wanna be! I've got my heart set on baking a pumpkin cheesecake. I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong with the combination of pumpkin, cream cheese, and sugar...unless you forget the Cool Whip. I never forget the Cool Whip...and it shows!





I've begun the dreaded shopping experience of the year. It's not right to hate something so much that's such a big part of the day you love so much. I despise the shopping part but I love the giving part. Someone mentions Black Friday and I shudder. Why would anyone do that on purpose??? I've been exactly twice. The first time 11 years ago when my very pregnant sister almost clobbered a dude over a VCR and the last time in Colorado with Josh. I literally have witnessed people shop til they dropped...or rather, dropped trying to shop?? I dunno but I've watched a chick hit the dirt grabbin' a toy...one dedicated momma. Both times I went, I didn't get what I went after and because of it, I spent way more money than I wanted to buying things I never planned to buy in the first place to compensate for not getting what I went for! Insanity and it shan't happen a third time. I'm shuddering again. Ugh! More power to those who're braver than I! I'll stay home and out of their way! I had to take Josh to Ft Smith to the doctor last nite and just seeing all the Christmas decor that's already out and all the traffic and the jammed full parking lots triggered a near anxiety attack. (Can we please just finish giving thanks before we wrap the world in tinsel??) So, I'm shopping online....I can breathe while buying. I highly recommend it...it's fantastic!