the whole “kindness” thing…

4 / 17 / 13

“Random Acts of Kindness”. Hmmm…. You’ve heard of it, certainly. It’s one of those “buzz word phrases” that gets thrown around a lot; but have you ever really stopped to consider what it ultimately has to do with YOU…?? Well – my opinion on that, (be it ever so humble), is; in a word… Everything. Now let’s just think about this for a moment. You are already living your daily life as a “kind” person; Right? Practicing Random Acts of Kindness (RAKS) is just taking that daily kindness and bumping it up a level. Or two.

OK – You already smile at the person behind you in line or strike up a friendly conversation; So how about letting them jump ahead of you when you have a full basket and they have just have a few goodies? What about leaving a quarter in the gumball machine (woohoo!) or taping a dollar to the vending machine at work? In the winter, try leaving hand/foot warmers for the mailman or offering to buy the Salvation Army “bell ringer” a warm drink. Can you imagine the sheer joy of a “little nugget” (my daughter’s phrase) upon discovering a dollar bill on the shelf of the toy department ? (make sure you pick a lower shelf 🙂 If a friend is under the weather, perhaps a little homemade soup is “just what the doctor ordered”. Your trashmen work so hard, and they love cold bottled waters in the heat of summer. Warm chocolate chip cookies are always good for the soul, or perhaps a soothing candle for a friend who is feeling overwhelmed. An unexpected hand-written card or note in the mail will certainly brighten anyone’s day.

One of the simplest things to do is the “pay it forward” in the drive thru line. Any drive thru. If you have never practiced RAKS before, this is a GREAT place to “start”. When you get to the window, you simply tell the person taking the money that you would also like to pay for the person behind you. It makes the person at the window happy, and the person behind you in line even happier! The true gift, however, is the way that you feel after you do it. It’s like a high. Really. And there are long-lasting benefits that you may not have considered yet. This whole “kindness thing“… well – let me tell you right now – It’s both addicting AND contagious! xo

Am I so simplistic and naive that I believe that I can “singlehandedly” create world peace…? no. Do I believe that I can, however, change the world? yes. Mother Teresa’s quote from yesterday’s (part 1) blog post bears repeating… “If you can’t feed a hundred people, just feed one”.

And so I challenge you TODAY… to start practicing simple acts of kindness with those around you. Friends, as well as complete strangers. To get you in the right frame of mind, take a minute to watch this little video – “Take a seat – Make a friend”. Watch it all the way through, and it will, hopefully, leave you inspired. For free printables of the cute little “Kindness Quotes” (below), click on this link – “Thirty Handmade Days”. For even further inspiration, click HERE for some actual pics of heartwarming examples of RAK and HERE for a list of 134 simple ideas for RAK!!! I’m making it SO EASY for you… only because I sincerely believe in the true POWER of kindness!! “There’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end”. – Scott Adams

so what to do…?

4 / 16 / 13

What happened at the Boston Marathon yesterday is incomprehensible. A senseless act of violence against innocent people; so horrific that it takes our breath away. It’s like Sandy Hook all over again. We are in shock, and react with the predictable emotions… anger, fear, sorrow, helplessness. In the midst of the chaos and confusion, however – there is another side to the story. A gentle, loving side. There were police officers, first responders, hospital workers, med students, ambulance drivers. There were bystanders and complete strangers. They all rushed in to help with one common purpose…to help in any way that they could. Marathon runners who had yet to complete the run, instead ran/walked the rest of the “race” to the Red Cross to offer what they could. Even after running a marathon. When surrounding hotels were forced to close down, messages poured out from the people of Boston – offering their homes as a warm place to stay. People opened their hearts in the midst of devastating chaos, and this reminds us NOT to lose sight of something very fundamental. People are good. Random acts of violence do not change this fact.

So what to do…?

Well, I say we fight fire with fire. OK – remember back in science class when we learned about the “law of motion” from Sir Issac Newton…”For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” (Ok. So I liked science.) Yesterday’s “action” was a random act of violence. Our “reaction” is to come back, FULL FORCE, with a barrage of RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS. Let’s show the world we care.

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, just feed one”. – Mother Teresa

Ponder that thought – I’ll be back tomorrow.

“In spite of everything, I really do believe people are good at heart.” (Ann Frank)

my “lovely” friend; alice

4 / 2 / 134 / 2 / 15

(A repost from exactly two years ago… With love. To you, Alice. I miss you today xoxo)

Today would have been my lovely friend, Alice’s, birthday. April 2. My birthday falls on May 2. We celebrated our birthdays together in 1987 and 1988.

Unfortunately, that was all the time we were blessed with…

We moved to London in the fall of 1986 for a (short… way too short) two year adventure with my husband’s accounting firm. Knowing that I only had a very limited period of time, I decided that the best way to do things was to jump in feet first; and ask questions later. So that’s exactly what I did. “Getting cozy” with the Brits, however, was a rather daunting task. It was much easier to develop friendships with the New Zealanders, Aussies and the other Americans. The British are, overall, a bit more distant and hard to get to know. And I am the first to admit that my personality might be a bit “over the top” for them. Regardless, I decided to venture out of the old “comfort zone”. We had been attending mass in a massive English cathedral… cold and dark and full of gold and stained glass. “Cozy” is not exactly the word that I am going for here. I decided to pursue some volunteer work through the church. I made some contacts, and before I knew it, I had a slip of paper in my hand with two names, addresses and telephone numbers. They were “older women” who might welcome a visit or two. One of the names scribbled on that piece of paper….was Alice.

I phoned her “straightaway” and made arrangements to stop by for tea. Her flat was down a quiet little cobblestone street near “Marble Arch” in the heart of London. I knocked, the door opened… and, in that very moment, a friendship began. Yes; Really. Just like that. We started out setting specific times and dates for my visits. But as the friendship deepened, we started having “impromptu” visits between visits! I would phone her to see if perhaps I might stop by for a quick visit. “That would be lovely”, she would say. She loved the word “lovely”. Not once did she turn me away. And they were not usually quick visits, either – ha! We would just sit and talk for hours. Alice had lost her husband many years prior and had no children. Her closest relative was a niece (and her family) who lived outside of London, but she didn’t really get together with them very often. I knew that my visits meant the world to her. Truth is, they meant the world to me, as well.

Alice would leave the front door open when she knew that I was on the way. I would let myself in, and from the moment that I stepped inside that tiny, dimly lit, cozy little flat – it was like my heart coming home. If I close my eyes I can still remember everything like it was yesterday… the sound of the teacups and saucers clanking against the tray as she made her way

to the tiny little kitchen table… the scent of freshly brewed tea and something warm from the oven… sometimes the soft little purr of a kitty that also called Alice “home”. Alice had a frail little body, crooked fingers, soft golden white hair and a tiny little voice. Her eyes would sparkle when I entered the room with a love that was, indeed, mutual; and shared between the two of us. We were separated by many, many years; it’s true. But we were kindred spirits; friends of the heart. It was a gift, and I think that we both knew that we were blessed in the moment. We treasured those moments up until the very, very end. Leaving Alice felt like I was ripping out a piece of my heart and leaving it there in London… Indeed I was.

Upon returning to the states, we kept our promise to each other to write often. Those letters meant the world to me. Sometimes I would even call her just to say a quick “hi” and hear her voice. I still remember calling to tell her that I was pregnant with twins and she was going to be a “grandma”… xo! She was SO excited and just kept saying how “lovely” that was… her favorite word!! She started making plans to come to the United States after they were born. “Nothing would make me happier”, I told her.

I still remember the day the letter came.

It was from her niece. I sat down. I started crying before I even opened it. “Auntie Alice” had passed away peacefully in her sleep. She knew that I would want to know. She had found my letters, along with my address, there next to her bed. She thanked me for being such a special person in her “auntie’s” life. Wow. “Ever had a memory that sneaks out of your eye, and rolls down your cheek…?”

If a yellow rose is the symbol of friendship, perhaps those are the tears of missing a friend…

So today, Alice, I am thinking about you with my whole heart… I brewed a pot of tea, selected my favorite little floral teacup and saucer and put some quiet music on to help me write this post. So many memories are running through my mind. It truly feels like you are right here with me. I know you are. There were tears in my eyes as I wrote this entire blog post, but they flowed uncontrollably as I attempted to type that last paragraph… I still miss you so much. I always will. I realize, however, that I am so very, very lucky to have been blessed with such love. “Missing someone isn’t about how long it’s been since you’ve seen them or the amount of time since you’ve talked. It’s about that very moment when you’re doing something and wishing they were right there with you.” Oh, Alice; If only heaven weren’t so far away…. Happy Birthday, my dear friend.

the bunny corsage

3 / 27 / 13

I LOVE Easter. It is a springtime holiday, and just for that reason alone it is a favorite of mine. Spring is cheerful and happy and hopeful… The flowers peeking up from the soil (sometimes right through the snow… like now!), there are little baby animals everywhere, warm rain and sunshine replace the sleet and freezing rain, we trade in the winter parkas for light jackets and pastel sweaters… I could go on and on and on. Suffice it to say that I simply adore spring. As a little girl in a big (Catholic) family, we had huge family gatherings for Easter. It would start with church and my first warm, fuzzy memory… a “bunny corsage“.

A carnation with googly eyes, pipe cleaner ears, little whiskers and a big bow. To this day, one sniff of a carnation and I am instantly transported back in time. Priceless.

After church we would head to my grandma and grandpa’s house for a day of celebrating with tons of food and sweets and extended family. There was always ham and scalloped potatoes and lots of cousins. We used the “pretty plates” and ate in the dining room under the beautiful chandelier. My Aunt Adeline would always make the coconut coated “lamb cake” and my mom would make little chocolate nests that would sit at everyone’s place.

These little nests are made by melting chocolate and mixing with torn up “Shredded Wheat” cereal to form little nests. Fill each nest with jelly beans and little “Peeps” or fuzzy bunnies or chicks. Funny story. One year my mom didn’t actually have “Shredded Wheat”, but she did have some “high fiber bran cereal” on hand. That should work. Well it worked all right. Really well, in fact. Especially for a few of my brothers who liked to sneak other people’s nests when they weren’t looking… (teehee!)

So time marches on… and suddenly you are in the position of “making” those special memories for your own children. Some childhood memories we did our best to “re-create”… others we made up as we went along. I still remember going to the florist when my daughter was maybe four years old and attempting to explain a “bunny corsage”. Ha! Aunt Adeline’s “lamb cake” became the inspiration for a happy little bunny cake that the kids used to make and decorate. The chocolate nests were a tradition that survived the test of time – Made with Shredded Wheat, that is. When the kids were little we had an Easter Village, Easter trees and even made an Easter gingerbread house one year. We were big on dying Easter eggs – our “trick” was to use 2 “tablets” per color to make them extra bright – and we made the most beautiful decorated Easter sugar cookies; chicks, bunnies, crosses, flowers, ducks… beautiful AND yummy; gotta say!! But once again, time marches on. Now those little people of mine are college seniors. Easter is… well; different. I still decorate, but I realize that is basically for me at this point. But that chandelier that hung in my grandma’s dining room is now hanging in my dining room. The “bunny village” is tucked away for safe keeping and I have saved all of the cookie cutters. Yep. I am patient and confident. There is no doubt in my mind that there will, once again, be bunny corsages in our future. Someday…

scalloped-potatoes-complete — Check out this blog, Dally’s Vintage Days, for a recipe for scalloped potatoes similar to the ones “Gram” used to make.

baked-ham-ck-1011300-x — Intimidated by the “How to’s” of a baked ham for Easter? Check out this video….

he ain’t heavy; he’s my brother

3 / 21 / 13

Yes. I sure do.

We are the “bookends” in our family; Michael and I. I’m the oldest of seven at 51… Mike’s the youngest at 27. Michael was born about a year after I got married. I grew up in St. Louis, but had moved to Kansas City after college, so the two of us never actually had a chance to “grow up together”. But there is now good news. Really good news for me. My mom, dad and Michael are moving to Kansas City. To say that I am excited does not even begin to touch the surface of what I am feeling. Just typing that fills my eyes with tears. There is just so much time to make up for… and I absolutely cannot wait!!!

Poem: “Welcome to Holland” by Emily Perl Kingsley

November 12, 2008

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this…

When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome To Holland”.

“Holland?!?” you say, “What do you mean “Holland”??? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy”

But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.

So you must go and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills…Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy…and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say“Yes that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned”.

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away…because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But…if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things…about Holland.

And so Mom, Dad and Michael; we are all moving on to a fresh new chapter. Your big move to Kansas City. It may not be Italy, or even Holland; but I can tell you it’s gonna be great. Because I love you, and that’s enough. And so a song for you, “Mike the Singer”… from someone who loves you very, very much. xo

“He Ain’t Heavy; He’s My Brother”

My face may be different But my feelings the same I laugh and I cry And I take pride in my gains I was sent here among you To teach you to love As God in the heavens Looks down from above To Him I’m no different His love knows no bounds It’s those here among you In cities and towns That judge me by standards That man has imparted But this family I’ve chosen Will help me get started For I’m one of the children So special and few That came here to learn The same lessons as you That love is acceptance It must come from the heart We all have the same purpose Though not the same start The Lord gave me life To live and embrace And I’ll do it as you do But at my own pace

Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. That is why today, March 21 (3/21) is designated as World Down Syndrome Day.

Links: National Association For Down Syndrome / Special Olympics

a dr. seuss birthday

3 / 2 / 13

rainbow cookies — “Dr. Seuss Cookies” Rainbow Pinwheel Cookies Click for link to Souders Cookery blog & cookie recipe

Oh my… who doesn’t have memories of Dr. Seuss… Anyone? I think not. “The Grinch”, “Red Fish, Blue Fish”, “Green Eggs & Ham”. Just hearing those words sends a rush of memories cascading through my “maternal mind“… Two sweet little buddies curled up on my lap, snuggled under the covers to read a nighttime book (or two…) before “nighty-night”. A memory so warm and close I can practically touch it. But those “little buddies” of mine have moved on to other books… Accounting & Finance and Anatomy & Chemistry. And with my son at 6’1″, curling up on my lap is probably out of the question. No worries. Plenty of nieces and nephews keep the bookshelf dust from accumulating; and I know in my heart that (someday) God will bless me with some little “Grandbuddies” of my own for snuggling and spoiling and baking Dr. Seuss cookies – all in due time. So today we celebrate our beloved Dr.Seuss; born on March 2nd 1904, some 109 years ago. As a tribute – a “Birthday Poem“, written Dr.Seuss himself!! A man wise beyond his years. He will live forever in our hearts, both young and old. Dr. Seuss – we thank you. live happy… laugh, love, dream, create

Happy Birthday To You!

“If we didn’t have birthdays,

you wouldn’t be you.

If you’d never been born,

well then what would you do?

If you’d never been born,

well then what would you be?

You might be a fish!

Or a toad in a tree!

You might be a doorknob!

Or three baked potatoes!

You might be a bag full of

hard green tomatoes.”

“Or worse than all that…Why,

you might be a WASN’T!

A Wasn’t has no fun at all.

No, he doesn’t.

A Wasn’t just isn’t.

He just isn’t present.

But you…You ARE YOU!

And, now isn’t that pleasant!”

“Today you are you!

That is truer than true!

There is no one alive…

…who is you-er than you!

Shout loud, “I am lucky

to be what I am!

Thank goodness I’m not

just a clam or a ham

Or a dusty old jar of

sour gooseberry jam!

I am what I am! That’s a

great thing to be!

If I say so myself,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

one lucky, lucky girl

2 / 24 / 13

As you know, I am kinda sorta playing “catch up” with my blog posts after my computer crashed… So today I am sharing with you a few images of my Valentine’s Day 2013. Morning began with a “Valentine Breakfast” for my two boys, complete with heart shaped pancakes, chicken apple sausage and sauteed apples with maple syrup. One of these “boys” I shared a first date with on Valentine’s Day 1980 (Yep. Do the math. That’s 33 years ago!!) and one I shared my big ‘ole belly with, along with his twin sister, some twenty-something years ago. Both of them loved and treasured… xo Each one of my boys surprised me when they came home from work with a beautiful bunch of flowers. Pink roses from my sweetie, and a beautiful “springlike” assortment from my (6’1″) “baby”. I’m such a lucky, lucky girl…

And speaking of lucky girls; a little story. I was really, really missing my baby girl all day (my college baby girl!!). All day long treasured memories of Valentine’s Days when my kids were little played out in my head, and my heart, like the poignant video of a mom’s soul… My heart ached to return, just for a moment, to days gone by… Five short minutes after returning home from a final run to the grocery store for dindin, I heard the doorbell ring. I opened the door to find these two precious smiling faces… little “buddies” of mine. And even better – They had cupcakes. Yummy, yummy pink frosted and (lovingly) hand-decorated cupcakes. Yes indeed. I am one lucky, lucky girl…

We ended the day with a dinner at home, and I have to say it was a big hit with both of “the boys” – so I thought that I would share! On the menu…Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto (http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2010/02/roasted-asparagus-with-prosciutto.html), Mustard Beef Tenderloin (http://bbq.about.com/od/steakrecipes/r/bl70628c.htm) and “Salt & Vinegar” Roasted Potatoes (Basically, Oven roast your potatoes with olive oil, sea salt & pepper until golden & crispy; then toss with malt vinegar & serve immediately). The mustard sauce for the beef pairs nicely with the asparagus & the potatoes as well!! A yummy dinner. A yummy day.

“There is only one happiness in life; to love and be loved.” – George Sand

Yep. One lucky, lucky girl… xo

a love that remembers

1 / 25 / 13

kiss little boy and girl

Just look at their faces… That, my friends, is love. True love. This beautiful pic and story are originally from a wonderful blog… Bella Camila. (Thank you, Camila) Please check it out! And another big thank you to “Tyler Knott Gregson” for his touching words, as well. A guy named Tyler is just gonna write things like that. I know this from experience… trust me. Yes – for me, love began in 2nd grade. He was my first boyfriend. Tyler Ledford. Looked kinda like that cute little guy in the pic above, actually. No, Dad. That’s not me. We didn’t kiss. He did, however, try to put his arm around me when we were watching a movie in class. No worries, tho. The teacher put an end to that – Ha!

wink, wink to you, Tyler. Wherever you are. I hope you are as happy (in love) as I am…

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80′s arrived at the hospital to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. The nurse took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’

He smiled As he patted my hand and said, ‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’

happy new year!!

1 / 1 / 13

Notes: The simplest way to wish someone a happy new year in French is with Bonne année !, but Bonne année et bonne santé is a classic expression. In English, we say “happy new year,” but the “new” is unnecessary in French – bonne année does the whole job. The addition of bonne santé (good health) is not only a nice thought, but it also rhymes, making a little sing-songy sort of phrase.
**Interestingly, kissing under the mistletoe is a New Year’s custom in France, rather than a Christmas custom as in other countries. Hmmm… I’m thinking – How about BOTH?!

And now, for a few more random New Year’s Day thoughts and musings…

How about a Daily Affirmation (from “Jessica”). For such a young girl, she has much to teach us, I think. A great way to start each day of the new year…! And then there is that “all too familiar” New Year’s resolution – I’m gonna work out… again… more… every other Tuesday…. once…???

Decision. This year, rather than “New Year’s Resolutions” – I’m thinking more about a 2013 “bucket list” of sorts. I guess that “thinking” is the key word here – as I am actually still forming this 2013 list.

I do know certain things that WILL be included…. moving my parents and my brother here to Kansas City, blogging more 🙂 taking a photography course (and, of course, taking a TON of pictures!), re-working my “Creations” room and then using that room to CREATE…!!!! There are so many creative ideas in my head… and I am so ready to start doing them… rather than just wishing that I was doing them!

I’m really excited about all that is ahead for the year, actually. It’s going to be a good year. So how about you…?

What’s on your “bucket list” for 2013?

“moo” said the dalmation

10 / 31 / 12

So it’s Halloween. A day for lttle kids (and sometimes full grown adults!) to test their inner “ying & yang”. All of the sweet little angels want to be devils, and the crazy little terrors want to be Cinderella. It is a day that evokes so very many memories for me, somehow. As a kid, myself, we had a big family and there were no “costumes” like some of the elaborate productions that you see today. Basically, your choices were vast, and limited only by your imagination. That is “code” for “find some stuff in the house and put it on; we’re leaving in five minutes”. Well, let me just say that this was a system that worked just fine for me. My mom’s suggestion for me…? A gypsy. A what??? OK – Once I discovered that this costume involved lots of baby blue eye shadow and lipstick, my mom’s chiffon scarf tied around my head and lots and lots of her jewelry – especially that coveted gold coin bracelet/necklace… well, I was hooked. So a gypsy it was… every single year. Such a smart Mama…!

Fast forward about a hundred years – and our kids are now the “trick-or-treaters”. Oh my gosh, they loved figuring out their Halloween costumes, but the rules were (kinda sorta) the same. We basically tried to create a costume out of things that we already had – we just gave it a month or so; rather than the traditional “five minute warning”. There were lots of alterations… but the creative process was the fun of it!! When they were just a couple of months old, they were tiny twin pumpkins – so cute; but store bought! The next year, however, I was feeling really adventuresome. I went to a fabric store and bought patterns and material to make their costumes from scratch. Yep. From scratch. A bumblebee and a dalmation. OK – let me explain something here. I feel that sewing is kind of like math. You either “get it/like it”… or you don’t. Let’s just say that a sense of reality washed over me about “mid-project”. I get math. I don’t sew. Too late. So I finished it, and was feeling really proud of myself for pushing through. I dressed the kids in their costumes and brought them out, beaming with pride, to show their daddy. “Awww… How cute… Daddy’s got a little bumblebee and a baby cow”. Did he say – a COW??? Oh my gosh, it was, so obviously, a DALMATION… “Just look at the ears”, I screamed! “Those are dalmation ears!!!” Suffice it to say, that this was the “one and only” year that I made a costume from scratch. Any sewing from that point on was a straight seam or a needle and thread. Period.

The years rolled on; so many memories. An angel & a devil; a cowboy & an Indian Princess (still giggling about that pic… as you can see!), Santa & a bride; Batman & the Snow Princess… Wow. I remember the year of the pouring rain where we literally ran, carrying them, from house to house covered in rain ponchos; or the year that my daughter was sick and had to spend Halloween on the couch – so her brother took her treat bag and gathered candy for her at each and every house.

When my son got a little older, we would have to bring Uncle Patrick over to carve a legit “scary” pumpkin, because Mom wasn’t very good at that. My scary pumpkins were still kinda “happy/scary” – Like a creepy clown.

So fast forward another hundred years. I’m gonna have to say that Halloween just isn’t the same when you’re kids are in college. As much as I love the amazing adults they are today, and I really do, there is still that inner mommy voice that silently wishes to go back in time just for a moment… to re-live the memory, to capture that feeling… But I can’t. So I make Halloween coffee/tea and drink it out of my Halloween mug (from when they were little) one more day. The neighbor kids will be out in full force tonight and I love seeing all of them!! Time permitting, our little nephew will stop by for a quick pic and a dip into our Halloween bucket. I will, however, have to keep his mom away from my display of Halloween photos from years past. She was over the other day, and was gazing admiringly, at all of the pics. She is one of those people who DOES sew, so the fact that she was fixated on the pic of my “bumblebee and dalmation” was particularly impressive. She obviously recognized the quality and workmanship that went into those costumes. “Awww… How cute!” she exclaimed. “A bumblebee and a cow!”. Right. I give. “Mooo….”, said the dalmation.