When it Rains, It Pours

It's been raining really hard today, but my title isn't actually referring to the weather.  Life is overwhelming right now.  There are too many things demanding attention.  Anyone who knows me personally, knows that Rudy and I are completely nuts over our pets.  They are our children.  We have 6 cats and 5 dogs.  When something goes wrong with one of our children, our world stops.

Sadie gets her nails painted pre-surgery - to make sure they operate on the correct knee.

Our world has spun off it's axis.  Our largest dog, Sadie, had surgery last week.  We thought it was to be hip surgery, but it turned out to be a bad knee.  She was our first dog to go off to college.  :-) The surgery was at Auburn University.  She's home and doing well, but life is complicated.  She has to stay in a cage for a month.  She has to wear an e collar for 10 days.  She only comes out of her cage for brief walks outside to take care of business.  She is most unhappy about her situation.

Cocoa thinks having a bed in the floor of the living room is a grand idea.

When she loses sight of us she whines.  If we don't respond she panics.  Her cage is too big to be moved, so for now, there's a twin mattress set up for me (her designated sleep buddy) in the floor in our living room. The whole room had to be rearranged to make this work.  It looks  terrible and feels chaotic, but that's just how it has to be for now. And who cares, since the whole house feels messy right now.  I'm behind on everything.  Since Sadie is getting better day by day and we have figured out how to make this work, it's not a huge worry.

However, while our attention was focused on Sadie, one of our sweet kitties (Little Bit) got very, very sick.  It must have been coming on for a while, but she hid it well.  Her kidney's are failing.

We have notes like this all over from phone calls with vets.

She went to the emergency clinic for the weekend and is now with a specialist.  She's responding well to fluids and I'm waiting to hear from the specialist now.  I've been waiting all morning.

We've dealt with this before and it's not pretty.  Our other cat that had this (Spooky) lasted a year more than anyone thought he would and was quite happy for most of that time.  We had to inject him with fluids every day of his life.  I guess we'll be doing that again for Little Bit.  I hope we can get her back to feeling well.  Giving fluids can be a challenge.  I learned some tricks over time to make it easier and more comfortable for the kitty.  I hope I can remember all the tricks.  I know one had to do with getting the best needles possible.

Update:  We've talked to the vet a number of times since I posted yesterday.  Little Bit's numbers keep coming closer and closer to normal.  She's acting like she's feeling great.  We're picking her up tomorrow.  :-D  Not sure what we'll be dealing with after that, but things are not looking so bleak.

Our two sick babies are the most worrisome thing going on, but our lives are little over-complicated right now in general.  Rudy is absolutely overwhelmed with work. I do his bookkeeping, so when his work picks up, mine does, too.   I have to watch every little thing I eat or I get sick. Gluten and more are off limits.  Thinking so hard about every meal is exhausting.

I also recently started promoting another antique mall on Facebook.  Now I have two malls.  It's pretty time consuming, but I enjoy it.  The main challenge will be figuring out when to go take photos since Sadie can't be left alone.

Our problems are small.  I am well aware of that.  But it sure is hard to feel peace when everything around is in a state of chaos.

Bach's Rescue Remedy is good for stress in a nice subtle way,
but the way things are going,  I may need to pull out something with a bit more kick.

I wish that specialist would call.  :-(

Library Geese

As I was leaving the library the other day, I noticed a flock of geese in the field where some sort of construction is about to take place. I thought a group of geese was supposed to be called a gaggle of geese, but this site, let me know that either is correct, as well as a few others I'd never heard of.

No one was on the road, so I pulled over to admire the geese.  After enjoying the view a bit, I got out of my car and snapped a few photos. A panorama camera would have come in handy.  The geese stretched out over quite a large area.

The photos aren't all that clear.  I zoomed from a bit too far away. Even so, the photos make me happy.  I really get a lift from coming across things like this.  It's nice to pause now and then to smell the roses... or admire the geese.

Be sure to check out  the latest RE- Party!

We RE-do, RE-decorate, RE-organize, RE-pair,  RE-upholster,   
RE-member, RE-finish, RE-purpose, and of course, we love to RE-lax!   

This party celebrates ALL the RE-'s in our lives!  

Messy House - Bless or Impress

Words of wisdom sometimes travel far beyond the intended target.  Such is the case with something my friend, Kathy, learned at a church workshop.   She learned about Bless or Impress.

image from the fabulous Anne Taintor

  When company is coming, my first instinct is to start running around, picking up debris, grab the vacuum and dust rag and go on an all out cleaning tear.  I don't think I'm alone in this.  

But now that I have learned the magic phrase, I stop and take a breath and ask myself - am I trying to bless ~or~ impress my company?  

While thinking this over, I thought about my friend's homes.  Mostly, I thought of one special friend, Susan, whose house always looks lived-in.  She and her family are super creative and very busy.  Yet she has people over all the time.  She doesn't get concerned over whether things look perfect.  And let me tell you, I feel more comfortable in her house than in any other house I visit.  I can completely relax there.  I don't hesitate to prop my feet up and get comfortable.  In a house where everything is spotless and orderly, I tend to sit up straight and feel the need to be very, very careful.  You can't really relax like that, even if you dearly love the person who lives there.

Today, my wonderful niece, Kelly, and her daughter Eiligh (in case you are wondering, that's a Celtic name and is pronounced Eye-Lee) are coming for a sleepover.  I will tidy up just a little bit, but let me assure you, it will not come anywhere close to being ready for a white glove inspection.  We won't be impressing anybody, but I sure hope to shower those girls with love.

I've joined in with the following parties:
Home and Family Fridays at Home is Where My Story Begins
Favorite Things Friday at A Few of My Favorite Things
Saturday Share Your Faves  at It's a Blog Party
Weekly Words to Live By at Notes From A Cottage Industry

Tiny Cottage of Her Own

I can't remember where I first came across this story.  After searching on Google, I know that many others besides me have blogged about it.  All I know is that I haven't been able to stop thinking (fantasizing) about it.

Here's the story as succinctly as I can tell it (I'm not known for being succinct).

The main character is Sandy Foster - an itty-bitty, cute and talented,  but frazzled woman.  She has experienced financial troubles all her life.  She marries a man who is loving and sweet and a wonderful cook.  She clearly married him for love - not money.

 They end up living frugally on a beautiful piece of property in the Catskills where their main abode is a not-so-smartly decorated trailer (man cave decor).  

It just so happens, there was a tiny, run-down hunting cabin on the property. 

It's not easy to get to - it's across a creek.  

worked her magic and it's now the exact opposite of the trailer -

a totally feminine white-on-white getaway.  

It has no electricity or water and likely never will.  No TV.  No phones.  It's a place she can go to when she needs to catch her breath.  A place to relax and feel all girly.

The NY Times did a story about Sandy and her cottage and has a fabulous slide show to go with it.  The story hit a nerve and captured the imagination of so many people.   Now she has people coming by to do photo shoots, TV spots (like Nate Berkus), book deals and more.   She created her dream in the best way she could and the dream became more than she could have imagined. 

I'll bet lots of women would love 

such a serene getaway.  

I suspect it would not be a place to escape, 

but rather a place to be quiet and recharge.

Want more?  So did I, so I started Googling.  One thing I came across was an entire blog devoted to tiny houses - Tiny House Blog.

But, best of all...  Sandy has a blog - My Shabby Streamside Studio - with loads of photos!!!!!!!!!!    Enjoy.

I have linked up to the following parties:
Mosaic Monday at Little Red House
White Wednesday at Faded Charm Cottage
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

An Old Wagon from Uncle Clyne

Rudy's Uncle Clyne will soon be 90 years old.  He had around 100 acres but sold it.  He now lives on 5 acres of it. He has some farm things that he no longer needs.  One of them is this wonderful old wagon.

The chassis and wheels are Army surplus items - from around WWII era. Clyne got it sometime in the 1950's. The chassis had been an Army ammunition carrier that was pulled by a jeep.

These tires are that old.  Think of it. A good 60 or 70 years old and still holding air.  The tires would be very dangerous to change.  They have snap rings, which haven't been used for years.  And they are pretty big - almost as big as the tractor tires.

Rudy remembers "helping" Clyne build the wagon about 46 or 47 years ago.  Rudy wasn't really a big help - he'd hand Clyne the wood or little things like that.  Still, this wagon has great sentimental value.

The sideboards are made to come off so that if you want to use this as a flatbed wagon, you could.  Rudy said he can shut his eyes and remember Clyne using a hatchet to shave the ends of the support boards so they'd fit into the chassis.  The sideboards are made of pine, but the supports are oak - very hard to nail into.

It was hard to get off the trailer.  It was quite heavy. 

Rudy plans to store it under the lean to on the barn.  He will be using it.  Too bad.  I think it would look pretty under some big trees in the yard loaded with pots of flowers. Rudy said there's no way!!!

I have linked to the following parties:
Home and Family Fridays at Home is Where My Story Begins

Family Reunion Time!

Yesterday we went to my husband's family reunion.  He has a bunch of aunts and uncles, and half a million cousins, who have kids of their own.  I must say, they are are really fun family!  It was loads of fun, but I'm still worn out.

There was lots of good food which I didn't take pictures of because I was too busy stuffing my face.

 2010 Reunion

By the way, the handsome guy in the top right corner of the collage is my wonderful hubby. 

We gathered at Aunt Jane's house, which is about an hour and a half away.  Her house is wonderful - very old and full of character.  We had such a large crowd that we ended up staying outside all day.  Even though it was scorching hot, we stayed in the shade of her huge trees and there was a steady breeze - it was surprisingly nice.  I only noticed the heat if I ventured out into the sun.

Jane's House - photo taken several years ago

One bit of excitement - through a crazy comedy of errors, a huge hornets nest was stirred up and the crowd under that tree cleared REALLY fast!  Amazing, only 1 person was stung - Uncle Jim - right behind the ear.

The Wasp Incident

An Alarming Night

It's a little after 9am.  I'm about to go back to bed. 

What a night.  We had a bug in our fire alarm. Literally.  As in insect.  Did you know an insect could set off a fire alarm?  Did you know that some insects find this entertaining and can set it off as many as 6 times before being sucked away into vacuum cleaner land?

Apparently, the sadistic little bug (which I'll refer to as SLB) had it in for us.  Each time he waited til we had drifted off to sleep.  Then, RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG! There it would go again!  The DH had changed the batteries when the time changed.  He's good.  Still, last night we changed batteries again thinking that one must have been defective.  We sniffed for smoke and checked all over the house.  We got up on step stools and examined the detectors. It's really loud if one goes off when you are close by. While I was checking out an upstairs alarm, the SLB crawled out of the alarm and then went right back in. 

What I learned tonight:

• Bugs can set off alarms.
• Dust can set off alarms.  When you change the battery, you should also take down the alarm and clean it out. That wasn't our issue, but I learned this around 3am while looking up fire alarm issues on the internet.
• The "Stop That Unbearable Noise" button, does not really stop anything.  It merely makes the alarm less sensitive for about 15 to 20 minutes.  If you still have a problem, it will go off again.
• If you have high ceilings, you can turn off the "Stop That Unbearable Noise" button with a broom handle. Bashing the alarm with the broom handle is not necessary, though it is very tempting.
• My darling husband is driven completely insane by alarms going off numerous times in the night.  Actually, this lesson is not new.  I've seen signs of alarm insanity in the past.
• Removing the alarm case, disconnecting the wires, and removing the battery WILL stop the alarm.  

If the SLB is still there and was not sucked into the vacuum cleaner, then hopefully he will crawl out sometime today.  If he does, I hope I see him. Even though I am typically an animal lover and will try to catch bugs I see in the house and set them free, if I see the SLB, I will react a little differently.  I will smash him flat and grind him to the point where he is completely unrecognizable. 

Maybe tomorrow, after I have recovered, I will put the alarm back in place.  If it goes off again, it will need to be replaced.  Because it will likely be stomped as flat as the SLB.

Now.  Time for bed.  Goodnight.  Don't let the alarm bugs bite.

Dustin Graduates

My nephew, Dustin, graduated last night.  His class had close to 500 graduating.  It was a long, looooooonnnngggg ceremony!

It's no secret that I don't enjoy graduation ceremonies.  The parties afterward are great, but I hate being trapped listening to pomp and nonsense, even when it involves someone I really love. I think I've reached my lifetime limit of meetings and ceremonies.  Maybe after 10 or 15 years of retirement, I'll be able to tolerate them again.  Maybe not.

There were a few highlights where I came alert.  The first was a flyover.  It was very pretty.  Three planes flew over 3 times and did a few tricks.

Just as I was taking this picture, one veered off, looking as if there might be a collision. I jerked the camera as I snapped. 

The next bit of excitement was when they finally called my nephew's name.  I'm so proud of him - he's a really, really wonderful guy.

He's the one just to the right of the flag.  

This is Dustin walking to his seat.  I think this photo is interesting in that Dustin is fairly clear, but the others are a blur.  Some day, seemingly in the blink of an eye, his high school years will seem like a bit of a blur.

Another source of entertainment were the balloons that were flying all about.  It was interesting watching where they might go. It was getting windy.  Rain was predicted.  Really dark storm clouds were hovering over us for a good part of the night.  That was entertaining.  Will they finish before the rain starts?  Will lightening strike one of us?  How fast could I get out of this stadium?  Would we all be trampled in the rush to get out? There were even a few drops of rain here and there to keep this train of thought going.

More entertainment was to be had for people who know how to have fun when trapped.  My dad counted the girls with the name Nicole.  Apparently, Nicole was a really poplar name around here 18 years ago. My mom and I entertained ourselves by trying to make sense of the order names were called. I also, spent ages looking through the names to see who I taught in elementary school.

The graduating class was really amazing.  This is one of the best high schools in the state.  There were over 5 million dollars worth of scholarships awarded to this class and that doesn't include the HOPE scholarship fund sponsored by the state.  Sixty-four percent of the students graduated with honors.  My brother-in-law teasingly suggested grades were inflated.  Hey, hey, hey... not true.  Test scores back up this percentage.  I taught in this county and am very proud of its reputation.

The after party was much more fun.  When my niece graduates, I think I'll skip the ceremony and go directly to the party.

Here' my nephew with his proud mom (my sweet sister).

Pam looks so young, but actually, she'll be 45 in a few months.

Doesn't she look great?  Isn't Dustin a cutie?

This is Dustin with his girlfriend, Jessica.  They are so sweet together.

My good friend, Kathy, has always believed it is important to know how and when to gush properly.  When one receives a gift or favor, one should sincerely and appropriately carry on.  The giver should have no doubt that his gift or action was appreciated.

My nephew got many nice gifts.  I was very impressed with how he handled it.  This guy knows how to gush properly.  Nothing about his gushing was fake.  Each giver got a warm hug and plenty of carrying on as their gift was opened. 

I was completely distracted after this and completely forgot to take more photos.  There were other people I wish I had taken pictures of.  I should have taken a photo of the table, which included photos hanging from the chandelier.  I should have taken a picture of the cute graduation cake and the gifts.  I guess I'll have to check out photos taken by other people and hope they weren't as distracted..

A Lifetime of Medals

Rudy's oldest sister, Linda, and her husband, Carl, have been working on a major project for some time.  Linda sent off for her father's war records.  That was not easy and it took ages, but she finally hit the jackpot.  She received a large stack of papers detailing all of my father-in-law's army records. The records are amazing, but it takes a lot of reading and research for a civilian the information.  It's fascinating.   He served all over the world through World War II and the Korean War.  He went through some horrific things.  No one is ever the same after going through a war.

Linda gathered medals and dog tags and patches and more and put them together in a case as a tribute.  It has turned out very nice.  By the way, the bullets in the case are the ones that were wrapped up in the flag presented at his funeral.  She has the flag in a nice case of its own.

As you can see by the medals, he went through a lot.  Every time I think of him, I can't help but think of all he went through.  The medals are meant to honor bravery and acts of courage, but I can't help but think how each experience must have also taken away a bit of his heart and soul.  Sad memories are hard to keep at bay. 

I Love a Rainy Day!

Today was a perfect rainy day.  I didn't have to go anywhere.  I was alone in my house with nothing pressing to do.  I was able to enjoy puttering around and doing whatever struck my fancy.

One of the first things I did was open my kitchen windows.  It was fairly warm, but a cool breeze came through.  It was really quiet.  All you could hear was the soft sound of the rain.

I opened the door for Jack so he could enjoy the breeze, too.  He seemed to appreciate it and settled in for a long nap.

Every now and then I made a point of stepping outside to enjoy the moment.  I'm lucky in that it doesn't take much to give me a thrill.  I was quite entertained by the patterns the raindrops made as they fell on the rail of our steps.

My car was happy about the rain, too.  It had been an unattractive yellow from days of pollen.  The rain had reminded me that the car was actually blue.

Since the day was so sweet, I decided a cake was in order.  I made a Brownstone Front cake - the recipe is from my Taste of Georgia cookbook. It's supposed to be made in a bundt pan.  I was in the mood for a layered cake with cream cheese frosting.  I made a mess while trying to frost it.  It didn't look pretty, but no matter - it was very tasty!   It was a sweet addition to a wonderful day.  When the DH got home, he was welcomed by delicious smells and a wife who was blissfully happy!

Be Kind to Your Accountant

The third post about an ideal workspace will come soon.  Meanwhile, this is what's on my mind:

Long, deep Sigh.

I have been working at an accounting firm for about 16 months - two tax seasons.  I have a whole new respect for accounting. 

The accountants I work for have been working 7 days a week and keeping very late hours for months. They haven't had any time to enjoy spring.  At this point they are worn out.  Haggard.  Walking around like zombies.  Hanging on for dear life.  They have been looking forward to this day - April the 15th - like a drowning person waiting on a life raft.

I have learned a few things from working there.  I'd like to pass on some tips.

E-file.  Use direct deposit.  It's safer and more secure.

Extensions are good. If your situation is normal and you aren't expecting to owe an arm and a leg, extend.  Your accountant will have more time and energy to work on your taxes if you wait til after spring.  It's ridiculous to think that everyone's taxes can be done in such a short period of time.  So many people come in a week or two before the 15th and expect to have their returns completed on time.  If we said anything about the limited time and/or number of returns ahead of them, almost all would tell you that theirs was really simple so it should be no problem.  Hello.  A whole lot of simple returns still add up to a whole lot of time.  Get in line.  I wish I could have been more blunt. 

Make copies of everything your give your accountant.  I don't say this to suggest anything about reliability.  I say this because unforeseen things can happen.  Accountants can die and clients can't get their stuff.  Offices can burn.  Make copies.  Give your accountant the copies and you keep the originals. 

Be organized.  Put your name and contact information on the things you turn in.  I am amazed at how some people turn in their stuff.    If a client brings in a heap of papers and receipts in disarray, it's very likely that something will be missed.  And just remember, if you or your taxes are a pain to deal with, you'll probably be charged more.

Smart clients have their papers grouped into categories.  They add up their contributions.  They put their items in a folder or envelope or small binder. They use gem clips, not staples!  They make it a point to learn what's needed.

If your accountant gives you something to fill out... FILL IT OUT!   It's for your own good.

Last but not least, be kind to your accountant... even if you end up owing.  They did the best the could for you.

Today was my last day at my job.  I loved the people I worked for. They were fun and incredibly nice, though I do question their sanity for being in this business. I know it crazy, but I loved organizing and making folders and doing the little jobs I did.  But, I am so excited to be a homebody again.  I have so much I want to do... as soon as I recover from tax season.

A New Design for My Life

When we first moved, I wanted a part time job. I am a retired teacher and my pension is decent, but we needed a little extra while trying to sell our house. My plan was to work about 15 to 20 hours a week, 2 to 3 days a week. That was my plan, but that's not how things worked out. I let my plan get away from me. My life revolves around my work with not enough time or energy for much besides "chores".

The key point in the paragraph above is that I let my plan get away from me. I can't blame this one on fate or say that God meant me to do this. I'm pretty sure I'm the one who dropped the ball.

I read an article yesterday about the true cost of working. There are expenses you take on when you work - gas & transportation costs, lunches, extra money spent on food when you are too tired to cook, childcare (I don't have to worry about that one), clothing, office gifts and more. There are online calculators to help you figure out what you truly make. It's pretty interesting.

I have continued to think about the cost of working.  The "costs" that are bothering me most cannot be input on a calculator. You cannot put a price on things you miss.

I miss time with my family.
I miss sunlight and vitamin D.
I miss having time and energy to have fun while I cook and clean.
I miss having time and energy to play and visit with friends.
I miss sleeping well and waking up with a smile on my face.
I miss wearing my comfy at home clothes.
I miss moving around all day.

Last but not least, I miss moving towards the creative life I want. I have postponed that life over and over and over. 

I plan to enjoy my job through the tax season (I work in an accounting firm) and make the most of working with people I have come to love - I have great bosses and great co-workers. But, after tax season is over, I plan to become the designer of my life again.  I will be retired again.  Anything I do involving making money will be for myself.

To celebrate my new life, I bought new flowers.

This photo does not do them justice.  They are so vibrant and amazing.  Usually I go for flowers that look like you picked them from your backyard or a field, but this time I chose some that made quite a statement.

I also put out a new quote. I keep a frame in my kitchen for quotes.  I change the quotes often to suit the season and/or my mood.

This quote may not be the perfect one to define my new life, but it's pretty darned close.  I intend to enjoy life again... to really live it with purpose and joy.  It's hard to tell from this photo, but the credit for the quote goes to Hans Christian Anderson.  That seemed fitting.  The master of fairy tales is providing me with a bit of inspiration.  Once upon a time... we lived happily ever after!

Clean Up This Mess!

This morning my house was a mess.  A big mess. On the verge of being condemned.  You could probably have eaten off my floors - there was food there.  It's not my fault.  I blame everyone but myself.

Mostly, I blame our four legged children.  We have 4 dogs.  They bring in a load of dirt every time they enter the house.  Thanks to my darling husband, they enter and exit the house about half a million times a day.  We have cats.  They are not quite as messy but thanks to them it looks like our furniture was upholstered in fur.

Today, the first day of Spring, was sunny and in the mid 70's here in Georgia. My hunky husband stayed out of my hair today and I was able to do a little Spring cleaning. I didn't finish everything, but I think I can safely leave the house now without praying, "Please God, don't let me die today, because if I do, friends will come to console my husband and they will all see my messy house and I would die of shame.  Well, actually I'd be dead already, but you know what I mean." 
Keeping a house clean with pets is a real challenge.  I do what I can to make cleanup easier.

I  vacuum as often as I can, but not as much as I should.

I slipcover everything!  My slipcovers are all washable and I wash them as often as possible.  I slipcover chairs, pillows, ottomans, porch furniture, office chairs... you name it. I've never had much luck with fur removing tools.  But, the slipcovers come out wonderfully fur-free (or almost) after being washed and dried.  Today, I washed all of my slipcovers.  Now, if I kick the bucket, I could die in peace, knowing that any mourners who came over wearing black pants would not end up with a furry fanny after sitting in one of my chairs.

I have no wall-to-wall carpet.  I have rugs - you can lift them up and get to the dirt that's underneath. I can turn them over and vacuum both sides. With dogs going in and out, there's no way to get all the dirt vacuumed up from wall-to wall carpet.  Some dirt will work it's way through.  We got rid of the wall-to-wall in our previous house a few years ago and when we pulled it up, I swear, it looked like a beach under the padding.   Now I know I don't vacuum as often as I should, but I'm not a complete pig.  Today, I pulled up most of our rugs and cleaned under everything.

I then used my Haan steamer.  I love that thing! I don't use traditional cleaners.  I am sensitive to chemicals.  I have found that most everything can be cleaned with vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, cream of tartar, or steam.  There is something about steam cleaning my floors that makes me feel good.  The Haan cleaner comes with pads that attach to the bottom.  You just throw them in the washing machine after each use. 




If you want to learn more about cleaning without toxins, I highly recommend these books - Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond and Clean House Clean Planet by Karen Logan.

Tomorrow, it will rain and the dogs will play in the mud and then waltz through my clean house leaving a trail of mud behind them.  But tonight, my house looks pretty good.

Have a Laugh!

If you have a slightly warped sense of humor, you will LOVE this article. It's so funny I had to post about it.

Study Finds Link Between Red Wine,
Letting Mother Know What You Really Think

Never Hope More Than You Work

Creativity comes from trust.

Trust your instincts.
And never hope more than you work.
- Rita Mae Brown

I read that on Notes From a Cottage Industry recently. It's a great quote. I've added it to my collection. I think a lot of people collect quotes.

My blog quote is an homage to dreaming, but if I want something to happen, then I guess I'd better get to work. That concept has been on my mind lately, but I certainly didn't phrase it as well as Ms. Brown.

I had never heard of Rita Mae Brown until seeing this quote. I looked up some of her other quotes and found others I like, including this wonderful one:

I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.

Bonfire of the Vanities

A bonfire is such fun! Thankfully the fire department did not have to be called for this one.

We had a good bit of wood from cleaning up around the property. The fire was set with pile 1 - the smallest pile. Burn regulations require that piles be 6 feet or less.

We moved wood from the taller pile to the smaller one as it burned away. It sure did get hot around the fire! This photo shows both piles getting pretty small.

We also had a trailer piled high with more wood. Thankfully, help arrived. Linda and Nancy brought Jack and Jonce. Sarah was with us while my sister and brother-in-law went to a wedding in New Orleans. They were all soooooo much help!

Having their help meant that others could settle back for a bit and supervise.

It wasn't all work. We had contests to see who could pull out the longest branch. We roasted marshmallows. Sarah liked hers very well done - charbroiled. The kids still seemed to have lots of energy so they had a few races through the field. By the end of the day, all the wood was gone and everyone smelled like smoke. The adults were pooped. Everyone seemed to have had a good time. It would have taken so much longer without so much help and it sure wouldn't have been as fun.