A River Runs Through It!

Elizabethtown, IL

Columbus, KY

Paducah, KY

We have now completed two days of field tripping!! While the river was not intended to be the focus of our trips, it can't help but be noticed. It has clothed itself with beautiful colored trees on either side and has formed gorgeous sand islands that beg to be daydreamed about.

OK, if you recall, Elizabethtown, IL was late October, but still recent enough to be included. All three of these pictures are in different cities where the marvelous OHIO RIVER runs through. All three are photographed at my most favorite time of year and all three have been destinations for my family. Couple that with our most favorite town of Evansville (ALSO on the OHIO) and our love of river towns is apparent. The river has so much history, so much industry. So variable...one week it is high, the next it is low. I love the way rivers join states to each other and promote tourism. I love that it is a thriving booming industry right now when so little else is.

We will be tripping to Cairo, IL very soon to watch the convergence of the Ohio into the MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI river. Cairo, the most depressing city in the world. It should be booming because of its location and history but instead it is practically a ghost town. Someday a historical society is going to seize that city and restore it to the historical boomtown it should be-and remind us that all history has value and should be noted even if it isn't all good.

A Funny

Lilly knows that Obama is liberal. However, she has a bit of a bizarre definition in her head of what that exactly means. At supper last night she made this hopeful observation.

"Obama will probably just do away with kids being in car seats and boosters and only require lapbelts."

This would be a dream come true for her as we make her sit in a booster until she weighs 80 pounds because we are hopelessly "conservative".

BUSY DAYS!

Somehow I managed to schedule 4 busy days in a row. I am very protective of our time away from home/time at home ratio. Last year we did everything that came our way and so the vow was made to be very thoughtful of the things we got ourselves into. So to have so many things all in a row is not something I am used to anymore!! Today is only day one and I am exhausted!! I am also not at home, I am killing time at the library until our next thing today.

My emotional life is a bit chaotic right now. I can't blog about it, I have finally learned a lesson about the feelings most personal to me. ( ; Let's just say there is alot of soul searching and personal crisis and leave it at that. I could use prayers by the boat-fulls (and by boat-I mean Titanic!) I had lots of worries on my plate already, but yesterday they sort of multiplied exponentially. I hate worry. The Bible expressly warns against it, but I just can't seem to wrap my feeble brain around "Fear not."

In other news, the girls and I are studying constellations-or trying to. Is it just me or are those things nearly impossible to see? I finally realized last night that we were going out too early to see them at their clearest, but I still couldn't make them out later when the stars shone brighter and were higher in the sky. Alas, finding the big dipper is about as far as we can get, oh, and Orion's bow. We may all flunk the science applications lab for constellations.

Things To Be Thankful For

America is still free!!!

We live near a huge lake and the sunsets there are awesome!!

My girls will pose for pictures when I beg and plead.

Gorgeous fall foilage and seldom traveled roads.

Spoiled rotten animals.

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Today is election day, of course, but it is also my mom's birthday. We had a big bash over there with all the sisters and the younger kiddos. All the hubbies couldn't make it, but it was still alot of people. It was fun and took my mind off of the impending DOOM...I'm being overly dramatic but I really don't feel good about Obama AT ALL. I did all that my little vote could do-it worked-my state is still a red state.(all because of me...heehee)

We have a busy end of the week coming up. Hope some of you are happier than I am right now!!

Sharpton & Jackson Consideration

I am pleading with you to please vote for McCain/Palin tomorrow. Otherwise Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will be out of a job.

This has been "Two things considered...."

Time For Change?

It matters not if you "gain" an hour of sleep, time changes still kick you right square in the buttocks.

NOVEMBER!!!

Surely you jest. It cannot possibly be the eleventh month already. It just can't. It can't possibly be less than two months away from Christmas-that is NOT possible. Every bone in my body is in denial, even though my family is busily making Thanksgiving plans.

I don't exactly remember when days, months and years started flying by like race cars, but the reality is that they are. It troubles me deeply. My kids are growing up. They have moved beyond the stage where it is work to have them around and into the phase of life where they are helpful, reluctantly helpful sometimes, but still helpful. I can't believe how quickly they grow up.

Halloween was fun. The big girls had fun at their sleepover and Lilly had fun being an only child. We went grocery shopping today-just Lilly and I and it was fun. Kroger sent me some kick-butt coupons and so I only spent $95 on this 2-weeks round of groceries. We are officially weaned off of eating out and it feels good. We did not spend alot-usually only 4 or 5 dollars when we were out and about but it all adds up. It is really nice to see gas prices continue to fall, but I don't have any faith at all that they will stay there.

The election is coming up and I can't wait. I bet we get 6 pieces of mail a day. It goes straight to the trash. We are even avoiding TV as often as possible because the ads are maddening!!

Welcome to November!! Carpe Diem!! Winter is just around the corner.