Holiday Prep

I've really been slacking in the blog post production.

I blame the holidays-

Thanksgiving and now prepping for Christmas.

We're anxiously waiting for Santa's arrival.

(no, I don't have a fireplace in the house, this is my mom's office where

my grandson was checking for signs of the Jolly Old Elf)

We had a good Thanksgiving holiday

though it was a hectic one.  

I had hoped to host Thanksgiving at the house this year, 

but it just didn't work out that way.

I'd prefer a decent bathroom

and a dining room without a view of the upstairs bathroom plumbing

(not to mention the sound of the rushing water after the flush, though

it does signal when it's your turn to take a seat on the throne).

I have hopes for maybe Easter dinner.

There hasn't been too much going on as far as renovations go.

We did put up some curtains in the living room

(still have a few to get)

and I've got some ideas and plans spinning around in my head.

I just need to sweet talk Big E into getting on board

because getting him to agree grudgingly
is better than starting the project and yelling
"Surprise!"
when he comes home.
I can't share my ideas since he actually reads this blog
(probably to see what I'm up to or what I have planned for him)
and I don't want to give him a heads up before I have it all worked out in my head.
One idea might possibly involve friends of mine and demolition.

We did manage to get our Christmas tree.

It's up and the lights are on it

and the train is out.

The grandson loves the train, 

though there's only so much "All Aboard!"

and train chugging noises one can take.  

Unless you're 3, 

then apparently there is no limit for such things.

Hoping to get the rest of the house decorated in the coming days.

What I've Been Up To In October

October always seems to be an extra busy month.

Perhaps because there are 3 birthdays this month,

mine included.

Maybe it's because the season is changing to Autumn.

I don't really know for sure,

but it's always busy.

We're still working on replacing the windows in the house.

Or, rather, the window fairy 

my dad is still working on replacing the windows.

On the fun side of things, 

we attended a family friend's annual hayride.

It's always a good time, 

and this year was no different.

The food is always phenomenal, 

as is the hot cider.

Plus we had a visit from the grandson,

who always wants to visit the horses and chickens.

He said, "I wuv her!"

He's also quite angry that the raccoon ate all of the chickens 

(except 2).

He plans to have his Poppy get him a real gun so he can shoot the raccoon.

In other news, 

I've been busy working on a book of ghost stories.

Seems a bit odd perhaps, 

but I love the paranormal

and I love hiking

so that's how the idea of a book of paranormal stories

 from along the Appalachian Trail came to be.

And to tie all this in a little,

the very same family friend who plans the hayrides, 

is the same that helped nudge me towards wanting to write again,

though she doesn't really know it.

She said to me once, "Do what makes your heart sing."

It's something I try to tell myself on a fairly regular basis, 

especially those times when I get discouraged 

and think I have no business doing what I'm doing.

Because sometimes, you have to rediscover who you are and who you're meant to be.

Maybe that seems strange to some, 

but I know to others it makes perfect sense.

Life changes you.

So who you were at 18 and who you thought you were going to end up being  

aren't necessarily the same or even close.

Sometimes, you need to take a second to reorient yourself 

and figure things out.

Me- I need to write.

So if you want to read about hiking check out my other blog

Hiking 40 For My 40th

and if you want to know what's going on and where I am in the whole book thing

like the Facebook Page

The Haunted Trail: Ghosts, Monsters and Aliens on the Appalachian Trail