End Of The Season (312/365)

 
We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time.

Vincent Thomas Lombardi (American football coach, 1913–1970) 

TIME:  2:53 PM
PLACE:  Edwardsville High School
SUBJECT:  Ring in Cheer binder

MonkeyBoy ended up having his last game of the season today.  They lost 19-13 this afternoon, which made their record 5 & 4…not good enough for any playoffs.  They will play in a “Turkey Bowl” game over the Thanksgiving weekend against another city football league.  But other than that, this is it until next August.  I wish they would have done better and made it to the playoffs, but a little part of me is glad that we get a breather from an extra-curricular activity for a little while.  It was a beautiful day for football - sunny and 79 degrees.  I could handle this weather all year long.

You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Hose (311/365)

Love Is A Burning Thing
And It Makes A Fiery Ring
Bound By Wild Desire
I Fell Into A Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher
And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore,  "Ring of Fire."  performed by Johnny Cash.  Single. 1963.

TIME:  8:45 PM & 8:56 PM|
PLACE:  East Carondelet, IL
SUBJECT:  Bonfire

A friend of HH’s has an annual bonfire around first weekend in November and tonight was it.  They cook up chili and hotdogs, have a tractor ride down to the levees, play music and have plenty of fire.  This year, we even brought the dog along with us for the festivities.  She listened better than the kids did that’s for sure!  The bonfire is fueled by wooden pallets and plenty of gasoline.  More gasoline was used this year as the pallets were wetter than they have been in years past.  The pallets were stacked about 2-3 stories high, not quite as high as last year, but it still ended up being quite the impressive burn.

Thanksgiving At Grandmother’s House (310/365)

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. 

Thornton Niven Wilder (American playwright and novelist, 1897–1975)

TIME:  10:26 PM
PLACE:  The Living room
SUBJECT:  Department 56 Set

HandsomeHusband gave me this set in the fall of 2005, when I experienced my 1st Thanksgiving without my mother.  I didn’t feel much like celebrating that year (heck, I STILL find it difficult to get into any holiday spirit), but his thoughtful gesture touched my heart.  I don’t have many Thanksgiving decorations, so I am glad that he presented me with this one.

Howlin' At The Moon (309/365)

  
I know there's never been a man in the awful shape I'm in
I can't even spell my name, my heads in such a spin
To-day I tried to eat a steak with a big old table-spoon
You got me chasin' Rabbits, walkin' on my hands
...And Howlin' At The Moon.

Well, Sug, I took one look at you and it almost drove me mad
And then I even went and lost what little sense I had
Now I can't tell the day from night, I'm crazy as a loon
You got me chasin' Rabbits, pullin' out my hair and Howlin' At The Moon…

Williams Sr., Hank.  "Howlin’ At The Moon."  Lyrics.  Honky Tonkin’, Single released 1950.

TIME:  7:56 PM
PLACE:  The northeastern sky 
SUBJECT:  The moon

All I am going to say is that while I was taking this picture tonight, StellaDella was in the background, providing sound effects with one of her patented werewolf howls.  Ya’ll needed to be there.  It was something else.

Going Bananas (308/365)

 
“Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it”

Mary Jean “Lily” Tomlin (American actress, comedian, writer and producer. b1939)

TIME:  6:59 PM
PLACE:  The kitchen
SUBJECT:  Banana stickers

Lately, I feel that the phrase “going bananas” describes me quite clearly.  It seems I have so many things that I need to do, should do, have to do, not to mention the things I want to do.  I cannot seem to wrap myself around them, contain them and organize them into any semblance of order.  I have become overwhelmed and just want to crawl into a corner with a blanket wrapped around me and shut down.  I almost wish I could just rent a dumpster, throw everything away (both physical and mental clutter) and start completely over from scratch.  I realize that I am very fortunate in many ways – my family is healthy and happy, I have a husband whom I love and who loves me, I have 3 great kids, we have a roof over our heads, food in the cupboard and clothes on our backs.  I guess I just need to stop, take a deep breath and remind  myself that I should focus my attention on the things that will matter ten years from now – not the small stuff that will be forgotten about in a week or two.

The Eighth Plague (307/365)

 
Who knows what sort of seventeen-year locust will next come out of the ground?

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. Walden (1854), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 2, p. 366, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  2:15 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT:  Cicada shell

School conferences started the day off at 8am this morning.  All three children had good reports, DramaQueen and MonkeyBoy both made the honor roll (which reminds me of the bumper sticker “My kid can beat up your honor roll student.”) and StellaDella is right where she needs to be academically.  Way to go kids! – you must get your smarts from your mother. *wink*   

After running some errands, we came home and MB helped me clear the yard and garden.  We filled 4 containers of yard waste.  The yard looks so much tidier now and ready for the winter.  I found this cicada shell while we were clearing out the corner garden bed.  He needed a close-up!

Smoke, No Fire (306/365)

Worriers spend a lot of time shoveling smoke.

Claude McDonald (American, writer, b1925)

TIME:  12:00 PM
PLACE:  St. Luke’s Hospital
SUBJECT:  Steam pipe

Yesterday, MonkeyBoy’s football team ended up winning their game by forfeit as the opposing team did not show up to play.  So, MB’s team decided to scrimmage against each other.  HandsomeHusband said that he had never seen them hit their opponents as hard as they hit each other during that scrimmage.  MB tackled a teammate and hurt his upper left arm.  He couldn’t raise it past his shoulder and had some pain.  So this morning, I called the pediatrician and made the trek to her office.  A visit to the radiologist and two x-rays later, we got good news - there were no breaks or fractures!  He will just be sore for awhile and it should resolve itself with no further issues.

This steam pipe is visible from the parking garage that is attached to the hospital and the doctor’s offices.  After I took this, we went to Costco for a cheap lunch (you can’t beat $1.50 for a jumbo hot dog and a soda!) and the purchasing of pancake mix, a gallon of syrup, trash bags, almonds for my father, and winter coats for the rugrats.  Such excitement.