It's that time of year again...Halloween Store!!!

This weekend we stopped by our newly opened Halloween Store. I love the Halloween Store. There are so many things you can do when you're there.

Like see a friend's new baby.

Or run into an ex-boyfriend.

Pick up some cold cuts.

Realize that in this economy some people have really fallen down on their luck.

Drool over the latest fall fashions.

Or you could run into some folks that are just hanging around.

You can even see some celebrities.

Hey Homer!

Hey Willie Nelson!

Is Mario with you?

Let's not forget to say hello to our elders.

But whatever you do, don't forget to put on your makeup before you leave the house.  You'd hate to be caught out looking like SOME people.

Wordless Wed...what...It's Thursday???

I was going to post up a Wordless Wednesday post today. Only I just now realized today is Thursday.

Who stole my Wednesday?

Can I have it back?

All day today I thought it was Wednesday. I'm getting ancient, I guess.

Well, anyhoo, here's my Wordless Wednesday on Thursday contribution. Enjoy!

Founder's Day 2011

2011 marked the 100th birthday for our hometown. Every year in September the town puts on a Founder's Day celebration. Just to impress you all, my great-grandfather was one of the founding fathers of the town. He ran a small general store and had his own farm. The home I grew up in was the one he built the same year the town was established. Sadly, it is now gone but I remember it well.

On Saturday, we went to watch the parade. I have to say that the pre-parade events will make this parade go down in my own history books as one of the most memorable and one of the strangest I have ever attended. Just know this one thing, my little chickadees - crazy is out there and it will rise up and bite you on the butt whenever it can.

Bean was excited about the parade. She racked up on candy. And now she keeps asking every morning "is there a parade today?" No. Thank God.

That evening we went back for the fair.  Thankfully, no run ins with crazy this time.

Here's Bean and the carousel.

This was Bean last year on the same carousel.  Hard to believe.

Next was the train.  She was the conductor again.

This was the first time she could ride the swings and she loved it.

Let's not forget the four wheelers.

And Daddy was so nice to take her down the fun slide.  Thank you Daddy!

And the evening wouldn't be complete without another ride or five on the carousel again.

Remembering is all I can do.

911blogger.com

I'm sure you will or have already read many blog posts or articles on the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001. I'm sure there is nothing here that I can write that will enlighten anyone or relieve anyone else's sadness over the anniversary.

My friend Holly wrote a nice post about her memories of 9/11 here.

I did not know anyone personally that was affected by the World Trade Center or the Pentagon bombings or the crash of Flight 93. The only connection I had was that a New York firefighter that had been on a reality gameshow that I watched a few years before was one of the 343 firefighters that perished that day.

I spent a lot of last week and all day Sunday watching documentaries on 9/11. I've been asked me why I wanted to dwell on it so much. My only connection was the same connection we all had to that horrible day - we witnessed it.

I watched all of this because I just wanted to remember. I wanted to honor by remembering. That's really all I can do now.

I can't imagine what those families went through. I can't imagine what those firefighters and police officers faced every single day. I can only remember.

And for as long as I am able, I will remember. It's the least I can do.

Growing right out of my arms

Life has been moving right along for us. We are all trying to get used to a new schedule. Bean has started a new school and that has caused me to start a new work schedule. It's going okay. I feel though that I'm rushing now more than ever.

I don't feel that I have time to do anything but that's life, right?

I am still working on my Etsy shop. I've tried to teach myself some new designs. As soon as I get those finished up and get some decent pictures, hopefully I'll stop being scared and just post everything. I look at what I make and think "I've seen so much better". I have always second guessed myself and this is no different.

This Sunday we were walking around a home improvement store, or I should say we were following Hubz around praying that he would finally get tired of looking at everything he can't afford to buy so we could go home. At one point, I picked Bean up and started carrying her around. I made a comment to her that she was getting so big. It won't be much longer before it'll be really hard for me to pick her up and carry her like I love to do.

I told her that she was growing right out of my arms.

I got really choked up at that thought.

But it's true. She is.

She is getting so big and so smart. She still whines like a little baby but hey, I guess I do too sometimes.

She's getting to be so independent. She already was but it's reached new levels.

I hate these levels. Don't get me wrong...I'm grateful that she can be independent. I know that there are kids out there that aren't healthy and will always be dependent upon their parents. Thank God she is healthy. I pray every night that she will always be healthy because that's half the battle in this life.

But still, it's happening too fast. She's growing right out of my arms.

But she'll never grow out of my heart.

My Book Shelf - August 2011

I originally wrote this post sharing my reading list at the time. This idea came from Grams at Grams Made It.

I thought it was a good time to revisit my list.

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close.

I enjoyed this book.  It was really funny and made me wish (almost) that I was a single New Yorker.  I can completely see this book being made into a movie.  I want to play Lauren.

I am still involved in my Bible in 90 Days challenge.  I am very behind though and am trying to work through the roadblocks that keep popping up taking my reading time away.

The Hobbit is still in my reading basket.

I will start my next audiobook on Monday on my way to work.  I'll be listening to Haunted Ground by Erin Hart.

I found this on Audible.com and don't remember much about it except that it was interesting enough to add to my wishlist.  Here's a little description about the story:

When farmers cutting turf in a peat bog make a grisly discovery -- the perfectly preserved severed head of a young woman with long red hair -- Irish archaeologist Cormac Maguire and American pathologist Nora Gavin team up in a case that will open old wounds.

I love listening to audiobooks with Irish accents.  So I know on that point alone I will like this book.

Have you found any good books lately that you'd like to recommend?

Pinkie's Picks - August 23, 2011 (and Etsy news)

First, let's get some news out of the way. The Etsy Share theme for the week is football. Preseason is underway and regular college games start Labor Day so let's start hunting for items to help us cheer on our favorite teams!

Another tidbit of news - I am currently working on setting up my own Etsy store. I have a few items listed already but I am just not happy with my photos yet so it's all rolling out very, very slowly. But I will get there and when it's all up, I will have a Grand Opening.

It's been awhile since I posted any Pinkie's Picks so that's what I'm sharing today.

For the best step by step stitching instructions I have found, try Stitch School.

If you want step by step cooking videos, try Visual Recipes.

I'd like someone to make me these cake batter pancakes from How Sweet It Is.

If you can't get your family to eat lima beans, make a lima bean wreath out of them like this one found at TipJunkie.com.

For those of you that have to pack lunches for the kiddos and have already run out of ideas, check out the $5 Dinner Mom's favorite sites for lunch ideas.

It won't be long before the haunting begins again.  I love this vintage clip art of a witch and the moon found at The Graphics Fairy.

I know a certain friend of mine in Iowa will appreciate this Mini Cooper party just like I did.  From Farmstyle Studios.  The cake is smashing!

I think this chalkboard lunch box would be a great way to leave special notes to your sweeties when you send them off to school.

I keep telling Hubz that I can spray paint our bathroom fixtures and we can have a whole new look but he thinks I'm crazy.  Well, thanks to Saving 4 Six, I have proof now that I'm not so crazy.  Well, at least about this point anyways.