Sixty Five

My father turned 65 on Friday. We all went out to eat, my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, three nephews, Brent and me. Yes, it was a hoot. But we all had seafood, well most of us did, and then we went over to my parents' house for cake and ice cream.

While supper settled, we had a photosession on the front porch - which was another hoot - trying to get all three boys to sit with their parents at one time is like trying to pick a broken egg off of the floor with your fingers.

After cake and ice cream, dad opened his gifts. We are all preparing him for his trip to Australia which is coming up in October. Brent and I gave him cash for a card for his digital camera. My sister's crew gave him the coolest backpack from LL Bean. Very nice. Mom gave him a post-dated check to be sure he didn't cash it before he left on his trip - hahaha - because he would.

I can't believe my parents are 65 years old. I never thought they would be my Grandmama's age, of course I can't believe she's in her mid 80's, so who am I to really say anything.

Happy Birthday old man!

It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas . . .

Went over to my mom's house on Sunday while my sister and her three sons were there. They were rampaging as usual - three boys will do that - but the center of attention was the new Sears Christmas Wishbook.

Now, let me warn you. If you are, say, thirty or older and have fond memories of an actual book that Sears but out full of toys for Christmas, the new version would disappoint you, to say the least. Today's version is more of a magazine, limiting the wish list my nephews can make.

I remember being young, primary school-aged, and getting off the bus in early November always wondering if the Wishbook had come yet. Note the capitalization - this was no mere catalog to be looked at once and thrown in the burn pile. Oh no, the Wishbook let you dream about things you would never see - at least not until you were old enough to buy your own. I know my sister and I wore out my Grandmama's Wishbook. We would go through and circle things and fold pages down - just waiting for my mama to get there so we could push the catalog at her to be sure Santa would know what we wanted.

There were drum sets and guitars, telescopes and machines that would take old bottles and turn them into polished glass stones. Oh we were soooooooooo excited. And there were trampolines, something I had always wanted, and dolls, and horses. I could go on forever.

But Sunday, there was my four-year-old nephew all excited about a bowling game that works with an air hockey puck. And my nine-almost-ten-year-old nephew had already circled two or three PlayStation games he wanted. So I guess the Wishbook is still capturing kids attentions, and I'm glad of it.

A Mighty Wind

Okay. We've survived Ernesto. I think the worst thing Brent and I had to deal with was the ninety minute wait for the oh so exciting call saying that school was closed today. Our power was out, so we sat listening to the only radio we could find (needless to say we were not really ready). The DJ kept promising updates but would only play commercials and then a song or two. The water had backed up from the drains to block our driveway, so I told Brent I was just going to go back to bed. That's when the call came through - and the radio announced - school was closed. I'm worse than the kids on snow days.

We had water up to the curb, but not in the yard, thank the good Lord. No real trees or branches, just lots of yard trash which I will leave for the guy that cuts our grass.

Brent and I went out around 11 to see what kind of damage we could see - I took some pictures but haven't downloaded anything yet - will do that next and post anything good here -

I think that the National Weather Service may want to rethink when hurricane season starts and ends. Seems to start and end later every year. But that could just be me.