The Frost is on the Pumpkin and all that jazz...

So you'd think I'd at least blog after my great trip to New Jersey for the Little Guy's first birthday! Here I've been home a month and there's nothin'! What kind of Grammy am I?
Shame on me!

So here's a picture of my grandson, Michaiah...

He's the best little guy in the world. (In the world!) He makes Grammy smile and smile, just like his daddy used to do. It's a wonderful feeling to know that the best grandbaby in the world is being raised by the best kids in the world. (In the world!)

Since I've been home I've been busy with school, work, and helping my folks move to Arizona. School is fun, but it's different online. Maybe when I'm done with this part of my degree I can get into a traditional classroom setting for the next part. I miss the interaction with the instructor-- plus the suck-up factor-- I've always scored big on the 'teacher's pet' thing.


Work is work. A constant pendulum swinging between great and wonderful customers and really crappy people who are mean. I have been feeling more positive lately about my job, however, and try to make my customer's time an unexpected delight while they're with me. I'm like a mini comedy club... or a speed dating segment... or the smiling clerk you never expect to find anymore. Most days are pretty darn good. And when they're not, there's donuts right there to make it all better. Mmmmm. Donuts.


As far as my parent's moving to Arizona... well, that's been a tough one. Hard goodbyes, although, as my dad always says, there's no 'goodbyes', just 'see you soon', and that is the best way to look at it. Of course, I was the one left waving from the driveway as the U-Haul drove off, so it seemed pretty much like a goodbye to me! Lots of teary hugs and last minute words of love and thanks. I have the best family in the world (in the world!) because we never leave anything unsaid. When the day comes that one of us is gone, no one will regret what wasn't said... it's always been said, and said eye to eye with plenty of hugs and smiles through tears.

Here's my mom, loading up her van with the pots of flowers she took with her to Arizona. I love that wherever she is, there are flowers. The earth laughs in flowers, and my mom loves a good laugh.


This past year has been the hardest year of my life. I found a notebook I was quasi-journaling in a year ago; I had forced myself to make a list of the good things in my life, since the bad things were bigger and scarier than what I could bear. There were simple things like having a job, having Natalie Spangler, having good kids... and the last entry was, simply, "in 12 months this will all be better".

And it is. And it only took eleven months.
I have much to be thankful for.
If you're reading this blog, I'm thankful for you!

Oh, and as a closing thought about Natalie Spangler, she and I went to the Pumpkin farm yesterday to get some fall cheer. She rode in the wagon and was rather nattily attired in her green scarf, much to the delight of everyone who saw her. We brought home pumpkins galore and made the house look like fall. I love fall! Maybe because my birthday is just NINE days away (hint hint). Or maybe because everything good always comes with fall: pumpkins and pies and orange leaves and candy corn and warm fires and new notebooks for school and flannel sheets...

Enjoy.