Autumn

Autumn.............my favorite time of the year. I love the beautiful colors that Mother Nature paints. The reds, oranges, yellows, rusts and browns.........I love them all. The mornings are so crisp and the afternoons are warm.

Rich and I love to travel the backroads and view all the changes of autumn. Of course, we don't get anywhere quickly as I'm always stopping to take photos. It seems that a trip that would take the average person 2 hours...............turns into a 5 hour trip for us.

My Birthday

I had the most wonderful birthday weekend. It started out with me getting my stitches out after 4 weeks. For those who don't know I had a mole removed from my back......they had to go back in and remove more as there was a tail on the abnormal (no cancer) cells and they didn't get it all the first time.

We met Dad and Mae at Skipper's for a birthday lunch for both Rich and I. Rich and I had called Dad and Mae and invited them to lunch....but Dad wouldn't go unless he could pay for the meal for our birthdays. Dad always told us that if you invited somebody out to eat.....you paid. I reminded him of his rule........he told me that he had already planned to take us out for lunch so he was paying. After lunch Rich and I went shopping. We bought a card reader for our camera and a 512mb card. Now I won't run out of room for photos.

Rich was still being mysterious about what he had bought for my birthday. He asked me if I would like to stop at the LSS and spend the $25 shopping spree I had for filling my punch card. We stopped at the LSS and as I started to get out of the pickup........Rich handed me $50 and told me....."Happy Birthday, enjoy your shopping spree!!!!"

I shopped until I almost dropped!!!!!!!!!!

I bought Wild Asparagus paper and embellishments, SEI paper, brads, eyelets, stickers, Jolee's Scrabble embellishments, patterned paper and cardstock. I almost bought the Silent Setter........but I love my hammer too much. I bought everything I wanted and still have birthday money left.......I'm going to save it for vacation.

Paulette also gave me 25% off one item for my birthday.

After shopping we went home and watched DVD's and ordered pizza for dinner. I had the most enjoyable day for my birthday......but it wasn't over yet.

Thursday morning Rich let me sleep in.......then we went to Wildlife Safari (a drive-thru game park) and had lunch at the White Rhino. We then drove through the game park and took lots of photos........308 to be exact .

I had a wonderful birthday thanks to Rich, my family and my wonderful scrapbook friends at Scraphappy101.

Summer Days and Autumn Nights

It seems that here in the Northwest that we are starting to change into Autumn. The days are still hot but the nights are getting cool.

I love this time of the year. It's the time of the year to make sure you're pantry is ready for winter. Rich and I both grew up in families that depended on the timber industry for their income. At times, the mills would close during the winter months..........and the unemployment checks didn't cover everything. So we both learned to be prepared for winter. Even if you can't freeze or can fresh veggies and fruits.............you can buy a few extra cans of fruit and veggies at the store when it's on sale.

Rich and I recently bought a small freezer. With the prices of gas.........groceries prices are bound to go up sooner or later. So we are freezing fresh veggies and fruits for winter. We haven't done a lot of canning this year........but we are freezing blackberry juice to make blackberry jelly later.

Speaking of blackberries!!!!!!!!!! Dad and Mae showed up this afternoon with one and a half gallons of fresh picked blackberries from their back yard. So as you can imagine no scrapbooking for me today.

Not only did I have the blackberries to juice and freeze. I had a dozen ears of corn to prepare for the freezer that I had bought at the produce market.

It might be work now to get the veggies and fruits in the freezer.............this winter they sure will taste good.

HMMMMMMMMMM! I wonder if Bobbie will have any extra Concord grapes this year??????? I better check and see.

Gas Prices

Rich came home this morning and told me that gas prices had jumped to $3.07 for regular at the Truck and Travel Center where I work in Canyonville.

How are the people that are barely surviving now going to afford the gas to go to work at minimum wages?????????????????????

Something has to be done about gas prices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, Hurricane Katrina has played a part in the gas prices..............but the gas prices were rising before Hurricane Katrina.

At the Truck and Travel Center the prices are rising 1 or 2 times a day.

Maybe we should all go back to horse and buggy!!!!!!

Hurricane Katrina

My prayers go out to all the people affected by Hurricane Katrina and their families that are waiting to hear from their loved ones. My prayers also go out to the animals.........both domestic and wild.