I Smell Corn Dogs!!!

September is on her way out, with October marching in the wings.
I smell corn dogs!!! State fairs are opening all over the country and Georgia has one on every corner!!!or so it seems. People have been making quilts and grooming hogs, hankering for a ribbon.
Carney people are putting the pieces together for the rides of a lifetime. The grease is hot, hot, hot and anything fried works for me. Cotton candy a mile high, and candy apples that will remain in your teeth for a week or two!!! Gold fish are swimming in tiny bowls, and tacky stuffed animals are only a 'ball throw' away. Oh how I wish, I still loved the fair. I love my memories of the fair, but going....not so much. I don't see things the same way, I'm ancient and I love hand sanitizer!!! The rides are all rusty and make funny noises. All the carney people freak me out, with no teeth and boils, beckoning me to "Take a Chance" on a prize!!!! I do love to look at the crafts and animals. I have a tendency to bring home pets!! We had a wonderful rabbit for years that I bought from the 4H club at the fair in Pennsylvania!!! I want to "Free Willy" and let the animals run free, and that may disturb the people on the "Bullet" or the "Roller Coaster!" I do miss the freak shows of my youth, Tiny Pete gave me nightmares for years. There was once body parts in jars, that crowds would surround. Fair memories will have to keep me company for one more October, and just maybe someone will come up with a candle that smells like a corn dog!!!

See You later Nicky

I have been pouring through photo albums, and boxes of pictures, hunting for my cousin Nicky.
We lost him on Sunday, or maybe many years ago?
There was this one photo of all cousins stuffed into the house on Kenmore Street, I can not find it!! The more I look, the more anxious I become. There were photos of Nicky as a Lifeguard at Jacksonville Beach, in his glory, with all of his boys. I thought I had organized my pictures, but not one is within reach when I need it. There are photos of Nicky, and I and Becky Anding in a photo booth, where or where?? Oh well, who needs a photo, I have a lifetime of stories about loving Nicky. In fact, my charmed life, is filled with delicious stories about all my cousins. I think for years, I was not really sure if I were a Brown or a Blackman. Growing up with 'trunk loads' of cousins, affords me with endless material, that I cherish.
Bill and I met Nicky and my brother Benjie in San Francisco many years ago for dinner. He was stationed out west, and I think he left something of himself there. Nicky's life was very different, for the remainder of his days. Are there ever really any answers? I hope he knew we loved him, even on the crazy days. We all have crazy days, not just Nicky!!! that is for sure, and the love remains.
I choose to remember that young strapping lifeguard, who I claimed out loud and proud!! "Hey, I'm Nicky Brown's cousin!"

I did find one photo!!! of cousins, and brother, I also found one of me holding a doll!!! They were in the same box, I have no organizational skills!!!

OVERLAP

So often I'm reminded of my youth, among middle school age children. After many years, I still can find a reason to smile, and tell them a story or two about my school days. You do realize my kids , ELL kids, are just learning English. So "my stories" may take on a whole new meaning. I can read their minds, "Oh that crazy Mrs. Baron, she tell many stories!!!" I like it when they shake their head in recognition of Kirby-Smith, or Andrew Jackson being mentioned. They know my friends by name, and my family members. They are my sponges, soaking it all in.
Just the other day, I was helping three boys with their social studies project. They had to do a collage on religions around the world. It was their lucky day!!!
"Boys you have hit the jackpot (confused looks on faces!), Mrs. Baron , Susan and Paula made awesome collages at the Partin house, many weekends." " I think Jude and Gail may have been there on occasion too!" ( Lost looks!) " We cut out out words, and pictures of Beatles and Stones(eye rolls), Fashion looks of the 60's and 70's!" (Hmmmm....when?)" Every inch of poster board covered and OVERLAPPED, in beauty!!!" "Go for it boys!, cut and paste, and listen to Crosby, Stills, Nash AND YOUNG!" They smile and make their perfect projects!!! No piece of paper is touching, they have cut perfect squares, measured where each one goes and I think ironed the piece!!! They smile and look at me, for.....job well done look!!! " Well, angels, they are collages of a different generation, a little wound tight (huh??), they are PERFECT!!!!"
I would give anything, if I had kept one of the collages us girls had made, I needed a visual!!!
Class is over, and they say, "Tomorrow? stories?" and I always tell them, "It's your lucky day! "

The All Night Deli is Closed

All my research about getting rid of snakes, seems to require me closing down the all night deli, which is my yard. You see I feed all the animals, so I keep stocking the buffet table for these snakes. Chip and Dale live under my front porch, and I adore them. I even fixed there entry way with a broken piece of pottery, to look nice. Hart says they are as good as GONE!!! Not my chipmunks!! Damn snakes!! Thumper and her babies surround my yard, so I leave out carrots, so they will not be hungry and eat my plants. Love the wild bunnies, hope they were not last nights supper!!!
I have recruited my family to help rattle some bushes, but they are not willing snake hunters! I may have to drum up the ghost of Steve Irwin to help me, he wasn't just good with crocs!! I know Ireland is free of snakes, St. Patrick, I need thee. Surely, I can get a mongoose on e-bay, a real Rikki-Tikki-Tavi for a good price?
I'm not having a good time, with snake worry. But......I was thinking, some cute rubber boots!!!
To keep me safe, and cute.
Satan's serpent beware of the woman carrying a pitch fork wearing cute boots! I'm coming to get you.

SNAKES In The Burbs??

When we were moving from Pennsylvania to Atlanta, I specified, do not want house by any water. I knew I was headed south, warmer weather, and snakes! Growing up in Florida La-La land, I have seen my share. Snakes and I love warm weather, but one of us has to go, and I'm staying!!! I hate snakes, I don't care if some are good and eat mosquitoes! While gardening in Pennsylvania, a garter snake showed itself to me, and I chopped that thing into a million pieces. I could have worked as a sushi chef, my hands were so agile and fast!!!
Yesterday we received an e-mail from our 'Stepford Wives' subdivision. Two Copperhead snakes found in neighbors yards. Do not let small children, or pets play outside. Stop It!!! Call Critter catchers, take some of the pool money and tennis court money and kill the snakes. Please don't send me an alarming e-mail without a solution!!! I ran to close the back deck door, and called my hubby .(who is from New York??do snakes grow up there??) " We have to call the snake people, Critter Catchers."( whom I have used before for bats, another story) OH!!( I also used them for raccoons!) New York husband replied, "Oh Lucy(lab) will scare them away!"..........I had to breathe...
"Lucy is a big baby and the snakes will get her and they may get you too for not taking this seriously!"
This weekend will be busy, I know how to use a hoe!!! Snakes be gone!!!!

Adrian's First Day

Number one grandson started kindergarten yesterday, such a big step.
Can so many years have already passed? Uma singing "off key" all songs known to the world, as I held onto him for as long as I could.
One cold early morning, I sat in his room, holding him in the rocker chair. Looking at the frost on the window, and snow on the ground, explaining to him how much I love him. " Adrian, I must love you so much, because this Boston winter weather is for crazy people!" So many flights, to watch him grow, and now he is in school.
I remember that morning in the rocker, Emily saying, "You know you can put him in the bed?" She was a new mommy, little did she know how fleeting this baby time is. If I could wish for anything, it would be to hold my babies one more time. New mommies are so tired for sooooooooo long, they miss some things. I know this, because I did the same thing.
I do remember all of my kids first days of school, what they were wearing, and how glad I was to have some time to myself. My favorite time, was when they came home. I missed seeing Adrian go to school, but thanks to all these fancy cell phone cameras, I saw the smile. The first day of school smile, it only happens once.
His Uma is happy to be a part of this special day.

It It Wrong?

September requires me to think about putting beach towels away. Then comes the sun-screen and its over. Each fall I go down kicking and screaming. Today I wrapped myself in a towel and sniffed it, like summer smells could be locked into the fabric! That did not work, so I opened up the Banana Boat sunscreen and went to sniffing!!! Is this wrong? I think not, maybe smearing the lotion on me, could seem different to some?? I know we have a good month left to sit out, but the air feels different. It's like a stealth jet, this fall, flying low looking at me. I'm nervous, people are starting to pull out sweaters, and we had a jeans day at work!Yikes, its too hot for jeans. Labor Day is ready to take all of my white shoes, and clothes away, is that still a tradition, no white after Labor Day?? Who makes this stuff up? The same people who encourage me to start looking at fall clothes in catalogs, and BOOTS!!!Give me a minute to phase into these things.
I need to get the coat rack off my back porch, with the swim gear and tell her(coat rack is female) it's time to change. Get ready for mittens, and scarfs and coats weighing you down. I bring her in the month of September to adjust, its not easy coming in from outside, for us girls.
I did buy Halloween candy, is it wrong?? and ordered my Christmas cards, I'm trying to lay out the welcome wagon.....even if it still smells like the beach.