Just Another Day in Autumnal Bliss

While I keep an eye on Texas weather, we have a breezy and cool start to the day. It is overcast and I can hear the sound of rifle shots in a distant pasture or forest. The huge leaves from our red bud tree are falling with more leaves on the deck and ground than in the tree. The wind picks one up every so often and I find myself watching to see if the underground deck railroad is back in business. I am so thankful it is merely leaves in the breeze. The one eyed kitty cat came around this morning to say hello but probably more to be on the hunt for birds...who have already been here for their breakfast. So far the cat has caught a lot of big rocks. It must be hard for a one eyed cat. He doesn't jump much and that is probably again due to his handicap. I left him a few cat treats out by the garage but I let him know he doesn't need to bring his catch of the day to me as a gift.

I took a Goode Company pecan pie over to my neighbor on Wednesday because she let several use her parking area on Tuesday night when my Sunday School class was here. She is about 80 years old, has new hearing aids and you will see her outside pushing her mower...not gasoline or electric powered, around a few places that she feels Mike the mower man might have missed. Her hair is white curls that come out of a Toni box or whatever permanents are sold today. She invited me into her home and when I crossed the threshold I stepped back in time, not just to another time but for me to another place. There in that small, well kept home were things that reminded me of my grandmother's home where I spent many a summer. The beautiful tongue and groove hardwood floors covered by rugs both great and small. Her tiny kitchen, although not anything in appearance like my grandmothers, but it had that welcoming feel. There was something boiling on the stove...which she paid little attention to until she noticed me staring at it. She was excited that her electric lines were going to be fixed on Thursday and that her front porch would be more inviting without all those wires around. Her home absorbed a huge lighting strike this summer and many of her appliances were damaged and unusable. I remembered seeing an old microwave oven on her side porch. Slowly but surely she has been having things repaired and replacing those things damaged by the storm. She still watches her afternoon "stories" and she reads a lot. I loved being a guest in her home for those fleeting minutes because it flooded me with good memories and summers that went by too fast for the rest of the evening.

On Tuesday evening, and I know I have written about this, about twenty or so ladies came over for a potluck dinner. We are the JOY class and the name fits the class. And we could be called
Cooks Class because at every party, these ladies blow me away with their culinary skills. Maybe their skills will rub of on me. I think that is Roy's prayer. I have heard from several by phone and by cards how much fun they had, Many have expressed they enjoyed how we have decorated our home. I don't know about that but I want it to be a warm and inviting home.

Today the generator has finally been hooked up and we did the test run on it powering the house. Hallelujah! It all works well. No more worries about the pump to the well, not being able to open the garage door around keeping my phone charged up at all times. Just installing this will ensure a mild winter in our area and now those pesky summer storms with loss of power will hopefully just be a blip on the screen.

Tonight our church is having Fall Festival for our community. I am doing the trunk or treat part and I have finally came up with a solution for adequate lighting. I bought some battery operated Christmas lights and put them on a trellis as well as buying two lanterns run by battery power. Nice touches but not enough light. Then I remembered the flashlights I had bought at Tractor Supply with magnets on the bottom of them...so a quick trip there yesterday evening was made and now I have several of those lights to put on the side of the truck to provide light to see into the candy basket.