Living In The Sticks

A few months after we moved to the 10-OC, I took a picture of Jonathan and his little stick gun. He was having so much fun with that little stick and imagining all the things he could shoot with it.



But how fast they grow.



Now he's shooting cans like a pro.


It's good to be a boy in Tennessee.


And a girl too for that matter.


I think Amanda is going to skip that whole stick gun stage!

Autumn Is Here!

It starts out innocently enough, with a sweet little Lady Beetle.



And soon you spot a few more...


...and soon it becomes apparent...


...that every lady bug in the world has finally decided to listen to all the little girls who told them to "Fly away home."

(click picture to enlarge)

And picked ours.


Then decided they wanted to stay for the whole winter.


After a few early fall frosts, on the first of the Indian summer afternoons, the Lady Bugs swarm to find a place to hibernate over the winter. Autumn is Here!! For the next few weeks we will be finding Lady Beatles on our pillows in the morning, floating in our coffee, crawling across our keyboards, squeezing in between the floorboards and generally making themselves at home. Only to disappear from view.

Until spring arrives and they all decide that they want back out!

T&T in 10-OC

Trunk or Treat time in Leipers Fork!!

Franklin High School played their last regular season game on Hallowe'en night so it was up to me and the 3 youngest ones to have some trick or treat time at the Trunk or Treat out at Grace Chapel while Rick and Derick cheered on Austin at the game.

Here's Amanda, me and Jonathan hanging out in the Trunk Zone. Like my hat? It came straight from Moscow during Rick's visit to Russia. It's very warm and you'll probably be seeing me wear it ALLL winter long!


This princess needs TWO princes. In silver is Jonathan, in gold is Timothy:



Hay rides Tennessee style!! That's Pastor Steve Berger with his trailer full of joy!!!


Hey Timmo! Shout out right back at'chya!



"WHAT? That's ALL we got?!"



Post sponsored by my local dentist; who thanks me for indulging in the Trick or Treat tradition with the next generation of future dental insured patients.

YIPPEE for Family!!!

Because when family comes to visit we get the excuse to play, play, play alll weekend long. Rick's sisters and families came out to pay us a welcome visit. We had SUCH a good time!


We had tea parties,





And chess pie, corn fritters and other yummy tasting things at Puckett's,



We had lots of eats at home,



A trip to Maridee's after the Pumpkin Fest in downtown Franklin,



And hikes in the woods,

Lots of pictures,

A trip to the pumpkin patch at Gentry Farms,

Lots of loving for the kittens,

More yummy eats at home,




A little bit of shooting,

And a little bit of riding,

You all make our lives a blessing and a joy!!

Come back and see us soon ya'll!!

New Day

Morning has broken,
Like the first morning


Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing praise for the morning


Praise for the springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven



Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,



Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning


Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's recreation of the new day

As Sung by Cat Stevens
lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon

CA Weather vs. TN Weather

This about sums it up.

This is the type of Autumn weather I had to deal with in California:




And here is my Autumn in Tennessee. Don't mind that the clip primarily states the north east because if you look at the big weather map, it totally shows that Nashville is going to get hammered with the system (eventually):

I Miss...

I miss my van! Who would have ever thought I'd say such a thing 20 years ago when I was out racing our little Honda CRX up and down the Cajon Pass every day? But now, I miss my van.

My van is ultra-cool. It's nicer than my house! It has leather heated seats, triple climate control and dual DVD screens! It also has a navigation system and XM Radio.

But my van is away from me now because I went deer hunting with it and bagged me a nice deer. I mean really, look at how dead on I was!



Is that a hit or not? Niiiice!



I have another van now while my mean red hunting machine gets some new paint. The interim van is fine and all, drives nice. But it's not the same.

Hurry home van!

Because It's Funny and I Know You Like to Laugh

OK I came across these videos and I just thought I'd like to share. I mean they're 2 of my favorite songs and videos from the '80's, EVER and I love clever and cheesy remixes. So get out your Aqua Net, Member's Only jackets, Izod shirts and join in the fun!!

Friends of Gold

I headed out to CA this passed weekend to be with friends and family that I left behind in California. It was a visit that was good for the soul; where a few words could set me to laughter until I was in tears.

So in the words of Carol King....

....Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there...

....To brighten up even your darkest nights...

...You just call out my name, and you know whereever I am

I'll come running, oh yeah baby....

....to see you again.

Winter, spring, summer or fall...

All you have to do is call. And I'll be there.

Yeah...

...yeah, yeah.

You've got a friend.

Drizzly Daydreams

When Smokey Mountain mists
Fill the hollow with the sound
Of quiet rains on hallowed ground,



And the banks of springs
Themselves have found
That their bounty spills all around,




And roses heavy with drops
Of more than dew
Bend their sweetness toward the ground,




Then the darling of the sunlight
Has sought her muse
And surely cannot be found.