Rain, Rain

Well, finally we have rain and lots of it. The leaves are falling to the ground and making a carpet. I went to the gym and rode the bike and lifted weights. Then I picked up my beta blocker medicine. I get 90 days so I don’t have to go often. It has rained a lot. I was lucky and left the gym when it wasn’t as much a down pour. Sigrid had to drive to UAMS. I hope it was an ok trip. Logan E has drill. Sig doesn’t like being alone. Astrid stayed with her last night and Laura is going to stay Wednesday. 

My birthday plant is still beautiful. I hate to see it go.

Kay and I are going to eat at Hagarville grocery Thursday. It’s a little store far from anything. The drive will be nice.

Ingrid voted today. Locally, we all early voted. I’m glad to have the ads disappear. Same ads run over and over and over. At least one can mute them. I do.

 

New Week

I worked trimming my lane to the hiway again today. It’s about an 1/8 of a mile long and if I don’t trim back the vines and limbs my road is lessened as the growth squeezes inward. I must trim both sides and will try to keep working on it. I’m not 1/2 done.

Friday I started getting sick. I guess it was a stomach virus. I feeling more normal today. I wondered if the flu Covid shot could have caused it but Siggie said no it’d been too long. I probably caught it Thursday at the gym as there’s are quite a number of bodies there.Glad to be alive.

I went to Kroger Sunday as I didn’t feel like it before. Halloween candy was 1/2 off. I bought Paydays and caramels. Fleta loves Paydays. She’ll be surprised. I love caramels. 

When Ada went trick or treating she loved the fire trucks parked at the assisted living place.

Clayton made an A on his last Calculus test. He didn’t do well at the beginning of his class, but he really has knuckled down and it’s paid off. I’m sure Calculus is very hard.

One of Eric’s students drew this and gave it to him. How special.
 

November is Here

Half an inch of rain fell and my Maple tree loved the drink.

Greta drove for the first time by her lonesome. She worked at the soup kitchen Halloween morning. She drove there and home with no hiccups. Proud she volunteered. She has her first job at Little Caesar’s. It won’t get started for a few weeks. Papers to fill out. 

Ingrid was a butterfly and her friend a bumblebee. 

Astrid and Sigrid are Ron Burgundy and Veronica Cornerstone from Anchorman! Astrid looks just like Will Ferrell.

Ada trick or treats at Nursing Homes in Harrison. They are very safe and the residents will love seeing Laura Ingalls Wilder.  They went by Maplewood Cemetery to take pictures for me.  The Maples are decorated for Halloween too!  Ada has several relatives that are resting here on her dad’s side of the family. The cemetery has rows of Maple trees. It’s beautiful in the fall.

Ron and Veronica 

Halloween

Astrid’s flowers are always the prettiest.  Greta is serving at a soup kitchen this morning with her Church. Bet she drives there! She said basketball was hard the first day…lots of running!

Ingrid is flying as a Monarch Butterfly today. Perfect fit as they’re both beautiful 🖤🧡🖤🧡

The picture of the butterfly on the Iron Weed Astrid took when she mowed another pasture Friday afternoon. She mowed around the iron weed. She also left some False Foxglove. 

My Grandparents were teachers. After Grandma married she stayed home and farmed. Schools wanted only single women then. Grandpa taught for a number of years. They went to what was called a Normal School that trained teachers. Grandma boarded with her Uncle Judge Joe Maples. She attended Clark’s Academy. Grandpa lived at Carrollton, AR and went to Carrollton Academy. They went to Eureka Springs to take their teachers’ exam. They both passed and could teach up to 8th grade with their licenses. Grandpa’s brother Jesse went to Carrollton Academy also. He became a teacher too. 

Astrid was interviewed yesterday on Good Morning Arkansas. She is a nurse for a nonprofit that supports members who need care. I think many have mental disorders. I watched and was proud. The group choice her to be interviewed. What a honor. She said it made her nervous. She had a list of questions she’d be asked, but the interviewer asked different questions. She said that was okay with her. She just tried to answered what he asked.

 

I videoed a little snippet of her interview.

October’s End

Looks like Laura decided to dress as her mother this year. She lost her puppy but sat on the poor pooch.

Starting tomorrow we have a big chance of rain for several days. I hate for the little children to have a rainy outing, but we really need rain.

Greta finally drove to school today I think. Yesterday she couldn’t because she had not paid for her parking pass. I wonder if she’ll take Ada to school? She will be in basketball today. There’s lots of running. She’ll be sore tomorrow. 

 

Thursday

Laura brought me lunch on the way to school. It was butternut squash soup. I had corn bread I’d made to have with my vegetable soup. It was really good with Laura’s soup. I must admit that I thought squash soup didn’t sound too good. I was pleasantly surprised. She said it had butternut squash, an onion, homemade chicken broth, salt, pepper and thyme.  

Soon my Penta flower will be frostbite. I hope I can remember the name. It really stood the heat of summer like the lantana plant does. 

These are both Maple trees. Ones in front of my house and one in back. They are completely different in color. Could they be two different varieties of Maple trees?

Greta is back at school today. I think she drove herself to school. After the volleyball team lost in the tournament, they stayed in hot springs one extra night. The booster club rented an Airbnb. They fixed their meals together. I’m sure the girls will have great memories of this team.

Greta had to keep up with all her school work while on the trip. The picture is from science class doing an experiment.

Wednesday

I’m a dud at Halloween fun. As a teacher, I dreaded all the holidays. Halloween was the top of my list. It was a long day filled with disruptive behavior. Now, it makes me sad that I was such a party pooper. 

My Laura takes dressing up for Halloween seriously. About the Holliday growing up she says— “Mom made me be a witch every year”. She had long red hair and made a great looking little witch. She got her love for dressing up from her Dad. He had a huge trash sack full of masks. He bought new ones each year after Halloween during the mark downs. Here’s a few I found of Laura’s characters.

Fiona

Jessie

Darla

Sally O’Malley

Anxiety 

Mrs. frizzle and Jessie

Tuesday

Astrid has a camera at her chicken house. I this this guy could smell the chicken feed.

I started my walk at sunrise. The hunters moon was big and pretty.

Sun came up then I could see better. My neighbor has a pretty Red Maple.

My maple by my porch is turning red. 

Astrid cut the dead headed grass in one pasture Sunday, now if we could get a little rain.

Today is my gym exercise day. I’ve added a little elliptical to the end of my workout. Today it took 2 hours. My knee hurt afterwards. I over did it a little. I washed my dirty car and it filled up with gas. 

Greta’s team plays at 6 tonight. Hope we win. 

Astrid is being interviewed tomorrow on tv about the nonprofit she works for. Hope I can catch it.