Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is a humungous event in Munich, Germany to celebrate pumpkins and beer.  The original festival was actually a public celebration of Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage in 1810 to Princess Therese of Hildburghausen and was centered around, not pumpkins and beer, but a horse race.  These days, over 5 million people attend Oktober Fest the world's largest fair.

That's a whole lotta beer and lederhosen.

Like June, Oktober is full of birthday celebrations.

Katie, Deb and Mike's oldest is 24 now and has three kids of her own.  Twenty four?Mother of three kids - really five 'cause you have to count Caleb and Justin.  Impossible.  It was just the other day that she was tottering around our house.  Now she has kids of her own that are tottering around.  Impossible.

Our friend, Tom has a birthday on the tenth.  I am not sure just how old Tom is.  He's older than me, but younger than Randy.  That would make Tom somewhere in the mid-40's.  Seriously impossible.  But I don't want to embarrass myself by attempting to figure out his age and be wrong.

This is Tom trying to teach me how to smoke a cigar.  There is not enough wine - either boxed or bottled - in this world for me to try that stunt again.  About the monkeys - don't ask, don't tell.

My girlfriend, Nina's son turned twenty on the 24th.  Again, impossible.  It was yesterday when I got the call from Ed to let me know Eddie was born.  It was in the morning, I was standing in the kitchen of the Milton house.  Yesterday, I tell you.  Twenty years and six houses ago.

Will is twelve now.  Next year, he will be a 'teen'.  Next year!  Will got Call of Duty for his birthday.  That should simply not be allowed - he should still be watching Veggie Tale movies.

Sammy turned ten.  Ten!  She is now grown up enough to get her ears pierced.  Prom dresses and high heels are just around the corner.

How can my beloved grandkids be growing up so fast?   That's it!  I refuse to blink anymore.  When I blink, time goes at warp speed.

Debbie is twenty nine today.  My big sister is now somehow younger than me.  I don't even know how that phenomenon even happened.

Happy Birthday to the BEST Sister in the World!

I love you!

Have the BEST day ever!
~ Dorothy

Dinner At Our House

The other night, I decided to make chicken pot pie for dinner.  The good kind, from my well used Betty Crocker cookbook.  The good kind, the kind my mom used to make.  With celery seed crust, although I didn't use celery seeds, I used poppy seeds.

The Many Choices of Titles

White Women Don't Bounce

No, That Wasn't an Earthquake

Ouch

Roxy loves for me to chase her.

I have no athletic prowess.

Our driveway is gravel.
And slightly sloped.

Flip Flops. 

All these add up to potential injury for me.

The Three Sides

I recently had the opportunity to reconnect with some long lost friends and family.  Friends and family that Randy and I left behind in Washington State long before we moved to Texas.

I put a lot of thought and prayer into whether or not I wanted to, needed to or should do this.  It’s scary to open yourself back up to the old aches and pains of a lost relationship.

Don't Forget To Look Up

I have not used an alarm clock in many, many years.  Since Randy started working from home, I think.  I was never one for sleeping in and never having a problem waking up when I needed to.

Now and then I have even slept until - yeee gosh - 7 am.

Then we got Roxy.

Roxy the Alarm Clock goes off faithfully every morning right around 6am.

One little squeak

Another bigger squeak.

Then two little squeaks put together.

I usually wake up at the first squeak and hope I was just dreaming.

At the second squeak I know that morning has broken.  I break out in song ‘cause if I’m getting up, the whole house is getting up.

Kidding.  I try not to wake the bear.  He is not a morning bear.