CAMPING SEASON OVER

Came home from the lake today after our last weekend for the season. Brought the camper back with us and will use it as extra sleeping quarters when company comes. The lake offers so much- relaxation, entertainment, a safe place for the grands to run...it's a real retreat. We love going to church there, too. Now I have to get back in the groove in my little town. The church bazaar is the second weekend in November and typically I help with it, but haven't been contacted. Suppose because we have been gone so much. The kids are planning to come that weekend anyway. We will probably bottle the 20 gallons of wine in the closet and then we are through making wine for a while. We aren't drinking very much of it anyway. It gives me a tummy ache and Husband should not have too much because of diabetes. Kids love it, though. Just got back from KC on Wednesday night- went to meetings there. Got to eat at a Red Robin at last! It was pretty tasty! Also ate at a place called "Bravo" in the Zonarosa shopping area. Had not been there before. We had access to so many appetizers and soup that I didn't enjoy my lasagna because I was full. Shame on me. My daughter and her family attended the K State game Saturday and went dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland! They were on the jumbotron for a full two minutes- which means they were on national tv! She was the white rabbit, he was the mad hatter, K was the red queen and A was Alice. They took one of their friends and she was the white queen. We met them in Hutch at Village Inn for pie when they came through Saturday night. Their pics were so cute!

RELAX-AVOUS

Well-I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to do a presentation at the state activity director conference last weekend- nor can I appropriately express how relieved I am that it is OVER.

Public speaking is not my cup of sassafras- and I truly do not want to do it again. Boss is already talking about the next time and what we should tweak, yada,yada,yada, but I'm going to turn it over to her. She can do the crowing- I'm very contented to just lay the eggs. The song and the poem I wrote for the presentation went over super- everyone wanted copies and we had a great time singing together- Put a bunch of activity directors in a room and you're bound to have a sing-along. Even the critiquing was reasonable- only a couple of people had adverse things to say, and 2 out of 60 participants isn't bad. Gotta get my head wrapped around the next few months because it's my busy time with the holidays and all. Already have my entertainment for the Christmas Gala lined up. As usual, the Sweet Adelines will perform and this year we have a new act, too. A local pediatrician and a woman he goes to church with are going to be performing Christmas music from the 30's and 40's. They're working on "Baby, it's cold outside", too- so should be fun. I got a few new craft ideas at conference and incorporated a couple into October's calendar- and one lady showed me how to do some simple but beautiful flower arrangements. Going to KC at end of month for a regional meeting and will demonstrate for the group how we have begun to use the knobby balls for exercise- as well as engage the group in a mini drums alive exercise. We have a blast with it- and I know other buildings will enjoy it too. Kids coming mid month to bottle wine- it will be awesome to get all these carboys emptied and into bottles so I can have my closet space back. Number 1 son made two carboys ( 12 gallons total) of wild- one is Peach Mountain, made from colorado peaches and the other is a sandhill plum wine that he has named "out of gas" because they ran out of gas while they were picking the plums. They will take a couple of years to mature. We will enjoy some of our first almond wine (called Almond Joy) at Christmas time this year. It will be not quite 2 1/2 years old. Made our first batch of chili Friday night- mmmm-mmmm good- and then worked at our little fall festival on Saturday at the church carnival. It was nice to not be working on "work". Stayed the night at the lake Sat. night and after church we came home and plan to spend the rest of the day resting.