Ren's College Debut

I thought I would share with you some thoughts and pics about/of Ren's first college level performance as Sabrina in A Servant of Two Masters.  As most of my close friends know, she is a theatre major at a nearby community college.  Next year (or perhaps the year after) she'll be headed off to a four-year school to continue her education. 

Doing a scene during a dress rehearsal

I have to admit, her dad and I (both in stable, predictable jobs) cautioned her in her choice of study.  Why not do this? Or, perhaps, that?  There has never been any question in our minds of her talent and potential, only worry on how tough and competitive a field it is in which to "make it".  And, of course, the thought that so many jobs in the field would require her to move from our little corner of the world has certainly given us a momentary pause.  Finally, we just decided she should do what will make her happy - and pray she can earn a living doing it at the same time.

Ren and her "love interest" in the play - Truffaldino.  This kid has an amazing amount of talent and Ren absolutely adored playing opposite him. 

The picture from a dress rehearsal that accompanied an article in the county paper about the play.

This particular night was made for Ren when her high school drama teacher surprised her by attending.

Well, so far, there's no doubting the happiness factor of her choice.  She is just thrilled with every single aspect of her major.  From classes to weekly Delta Psi Omega (ΔΨΩ) meetings to auditioning for and then performing in her first college play (not to mention the "after-parties") she is one happy girl. 

 

October in Review

Whaaattt???  We're already six days into November.  Yeah, well, when have I ever been on time with ANYTHING?

My plan - a plan...what a lofty idea - my plan was to do this little review here on Nov. 1.  Of course, things happen, life happens, I happen. 

But in the wee, small hours of this morning, the blogging gods smiled down and said, "Tyla, you need some time to blog."  And just like that I had a feverish son who had to stay home from school.  So, in between alternating the Tylenol and Motrin, disinfecting with Lysol, and changing out the dvds from Unstoppable to Glory to...well, whatever he wants to watch next, I have time, at last, to catch you guys up on what we've been doing.  I'm sure you've all been on pins and needles in anticipation of this.

 

 

Okay, these first four pics are from Ren's 18th birthday - which is at the end of September BUT couldn't be fully celebrated until the first of October because of absentee family members.  The first two pics are from her actual birthday evening - thrown in for good measure. 

with bestest buddies Austin and Caitlyn at the Cheesecake Factory in Green Hills

not cheesecake, but yummy just the same.  and cute

the second of the celebratory cakes

18 candles...and a little brother

Next up, it was time to celebrate my dad's birthday.  82 years young he was.

 

 

The third birthday celebrated within this two week period was my sister's.  She's ** years young.  I would never, ever divulge her age without her permission.  I'm a good little sister...born in 1970 when she was just shy of 17 years old.

Next up, we had hay mowing time on the farm, so I took advantage of the newly baled props and snapped a picture of John-Heath and neighbor girl Emma, who is also a classmate of his. 

 

 

I ask you, what October is complete without watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown? John-Heath talked Pa Gene and Ma-Ma into coming up one night and watching it with him.



 

We typically get together with my dad's side of the family on Easter and Christmas, but I've always thought it would be fun to have them up in the fall.  It was, and I think we may have begun a new tradition.  My cousin Tammy introduced us to the card game Fill or Bust.  What a blast!  I'm going to have to make sure I order this game.

the winners of Fill or Bust - momma and Tammy

(we're still waiting on the scoresheet to be officially checked, though)

 

 

Halloween Eve brought on some father-son pumpkin carving.

 

 

 

Finally, the day had arrived...HALLOWEEN! 

Wearing his soldier uniform to school.  Yes, it was his costume from last year, but as he explained it, there are new kids in his class this year that didn't get to see it then.

 

Going as the Mayhem guy from the All State commercials for trick-or-treating

 

 

The customary Halloween picture with the boys (aka Weston and Dylan)

 

Stopping by Aunt Deann's for some goodies.

Now, these final two pics are from a time-honored tradition among teens in the south.  Do people even roll in the north?  Am I being geographically insensitive in my thoughts about rolling?  I would be interested in hearing from some of my Yankee friends on this. 

 

Ren had been given a "heads up" by someone on the inside (or rather the close relative of someone on the inside) that this was going to happen.  But when Oct. 31 came and went, we thought we were in the clear.

 

I guess one shouldn't rule out the early morning hours of the weekend following Oct. 31.  Next year, I'm shipping Ren off to college.  Maybe if she's in Boston or Winston-Salem they'll travel there and just roll her dorm room or apartment.

 

 

Hope everyone's October was as wonderful as ours.  Now, on to Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween from...



...Mr. Mayhem (a.k.a John-Heath) and all the rest of us here at Tire Swings and Fireflies.  Have a wonderfully FUN and HAPPY night!!!  It looks like those of us in Middle Tennessee are in for some stormy weather, so be safe, too!



P.S.  Yikes!  Why didn't you tell me I spelled a word wrong on my last post?  Some kind of friends you are!  lol  I would blame it on auto-correct if I could.  Sadly, it was just a brain malfunction on my part.

Happy All Hallows' Eve Eve

Ahhh...the night before the biggest day of the fall season for kids and kids-at-heart is upon us. 

Here's a little Night-Before-Halloween survey.

Tonight, you are...

A.  trying to find the last of some accessories for a costume

B.  furiously stuffing treat bags for the class party

C.  contemplating which kind of face to carve on the pumpkin & pleading with the husband to go ahead and do the carving tonight

D.  making sure you're stocked up on extra-strength Tylenol to combat the headache sure to follow living with and working among sugar-crazed children

E.  all of the above

A Favorite Halloween Poem

This is a somewhat recycled post and I almost feel like a "re-gifter" in rehashing an already used topic, but I couldn't not share this poem again.  It's my favorite to read this time of the year.  I first heard it, read it and recited it more than a few years ago as a fourth grade student.  We did a lot of things that year I remember with fondness, but this poem and all the other Halloween activities are among some of my favorites.  So, thank you, Ms. Ann, for a wonderful fourth grade year and for introducing me to an orphan named Annie.

LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE

by: James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)

INSCRIBED WITH ALL FAITH AND AFFECTION

 

To all the little children: -- The happy ones; and sad ones;
The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones;
The good ones -- Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.

 

ITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,

An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,

An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,

An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;

An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,

We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun

A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,

An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--

An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,

His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,

An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!

An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,

An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;

But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout:--

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,

An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;

An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,

She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!

An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,

They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,

An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,

An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!

An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,

An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--

You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,

An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,

An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,

Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

I read this to my own lovely bad one tonight, and I hope you'll be able to share it with your children, too.  Simply a classic.

My Halloween Table

I don't do a huge amount of decorating for Halloween, but I do like a few signs of the season here and there...usually my mantel, the dining room, kitchen and a guest bath.  Below is how our table in the dining room ended up this year. 

 

Lest you think I've put away my faith and upbringing to practice witchcraft, I have not.  However, I couldn't resist the  ceramic pumpkin (Home Goods), the ravens (Hobby Lobby) or donning up an old broom, which was a handmade craft given to me by my Pa Frazier and even more special because the hands that made it were his. 

 

 

 

I don't guess Pa ever intended on me using it as a table decoration, but I doubt very seriously he would mind.  And for the rest of this month, I will think of him every time I walk by my dining room - as if I even need a reason to think of that wonderful man.

 

Halloween Mantel 2013

Where have I seen this mantel before???  Oh, yeahhh...it's practically the same one I did last year. 

It's true.  I wasn't very creative.  But at least I got this one up early enough to get a little enjoyment out of it (during our awesome fall break).

 

 

I still love my "tombstone" bookends.  They are a tad on the creepy side but just perfect for Halloween.  They're also very heavy, too.  Toes beware!



 

The only "new" addition to the collection is this 88-year-old signal lantern from the railroad that once upon a time ran through my hometown.  If you'll look closely, you'll see the name of the railroad, L&NRR, etched in the glass.  It's been on a shelf in our garage these past seven years, so it was due a little recognition. 

 

In years past, when my husband would tell ghost stories to Ren's friends, etc., he would tell the story of Jake Vance, who fell to his death -via his horse- from the top of a tunnel in our hometown onto this very same railroad. 

Sweet dreams!

A Boy in the House: Vol. 1

When you have a little boy, anything is possible.

...like guns in the fruit bowl and faces drawn on the bananas.  We called him Bob the Banana...until he started to rot.  It was a slow, sad, fruit-fly-yielding death. 

"w w w w we loved him so much!"



P.S.  That last sentence was compliments of John-Heath - he came up with that one and typed it all on his own.  He said it's meant to show someone who is all choked up. 

P.S.S.  The gun is not real.  It is a toy gun that was bought for my husband John when he was little, so it's old.  Very old.  Like older than me.

P.S.S.S.  In other news…can you believe my almost favorite month has nearly come and gone and I have blogged a whopping 4 times!?!  I really have no excuses; except for ten of the days which were spent on fall break…they were glorious…the weather was beautiful…I almost decided to retire nine years early and just stay home each and every day.  But then I remembered that if I quit my job I wouldn’t be able to pay my mortgage and staying home every day wouldn’t be nearly as fun. 

82

To be this man's daughter, I am forever blessed and grateful.  He is my earthly rock and moral compass.  And at times in my life when I just couldn't pray for myself, he has been my prayer warrior.  He is my daddy.  

 

Happy 82nd birthday to the greatest man I know!!!

31 of My Most Favorite Days of the Year

Oh, October, how I love thee!
Seriously, what’s not to love about this month?

cool, crisp weather

beautiful foliage

falling leaves

leaf piles

(who hasn't jumped in one?)

mums

all things apple...butter, cider...

fall festivals

jeans 

hoodies

sweaters

hayrides

hot chocolate

pumpkin patches

campfires

weenie roasts

smores

ghost stories

scary movie marathons

haunted houses

fall break

Halloween

candy corn

(I don't particularly like to eat it, but it looks pretty in my pumpkin-shaped glass bowl)

carving the jack-o-lantern

kids in costumes

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

harvest moons

the glow and smell of candles filling the house

soup for supper

scenic drives

football in full swing

time with family and friends

the kickoff to Thanksgiving and Christmas

There.  31 one glorious reasons why I love the 31 days of October.