A Corner of My World

If you have been reading my blog, you might have noticed that I love this time year. I look forward to turning on my accent lights. It's a little darker in the house, so you can see the glow of my night lights (that are on 24/7) placed through out my entire home as well. I light my candles, and look forward to making a hearty soup with a crusty loaf of french bread for dinner. It's time to get out those books that you have been wanting to read.

As much as I look forward to this time of year, my friend who deals with Lupus does not. The weather makes her battle with this disease even harder. Lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematousus, or SLE, is a chronic disease of the immune system. Instead of serving its normal protective function, the immune system forms antibodies and cells that attack healthy tissues and organs.

With Lupus, there are a lot of restrictions you have to live with. You are no longer allowed exposure to the sun, and are sheltered from doing anything too tiring. It's so unpredictable, it makes it very hard to plan anything. Our friendship has had to lean on the spontaneous side of doing things. Although my friend is constantly faced with the ups and downs of living with lupus, she maintains a positive attitude. She has been an inspiration to me. I don't take the simple acts of living my life, such as; my daily walks out in the sun for granted. We had something planned for this week, we didn't know what... just anything! We miss each other, and don't like a lot of time to get in between our visits. That is important to us. I opened my e-mail late last night to see that she had sent me a quick message telling me she had to go to the hospital very early in the morning for a shot. I was told that her lupus was flaring up, as the condition often does if a person is tired and stressed. With lupus, my friend has good days and bad. We try to concentrate on the good ones and keep positive in knowing that there will be more on the way. My girl-friend has said on occasion that, "I have lupus, lupus does not have me." Her strength and wisdom amazes me. As much as I love this time of year, I try to keep in mind that it is a very hard time of year for my friend. My feelings are kept sensitive in knowing that.


What Is It?

*Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. There currently is no cure.

*For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems. Although epidemiological data on lupus is limited, studies suggest that more that 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year.

*Between 1.5 million and 2 million Americans have a form of lupus, but the actual number may be higher. More than 90 percent of people with lupus are women.

~ Lupus Foundation of America Inc.

Halloween Memorabilia

Here, Rob was 2 years old, and made up as a mummy. I was so concerned about him staying warm, so I put him in sweats before I wrapped him with strips of sheets. I can bust up laughing just thinking about it. I wrapped him too tight the first time; he couldn't bend his arms or legs well. He actually walked like a "mummy." I started laughing so hard, and might I add that he did not like that at all. It took a couple of times wrapping him to get it just right.


This is one of my favorite photo's. Rob was 3 and Diandra was just shy of turning a year old. I couldn't even tell you what these two were laughing about. Rob and Diandra had their own language that had a sense of humor to go with it. To this day, they still get each other.


My mom showing Rob how to spread his wings at my little sister's school. He was 4 here.


This is our first Halloween with Adam and Mike, our two oldest boys. They had always spent Halloween with their mom. Adam was in the fifth grade here, and Mike was in the 3rd grade. Mike, I found out, loved to get really into the theatrical part he was playing for Halloween. The little white bunny is their cousin.


Diandra listening to a story in Rob's class. I love the expression on her face.


Rob as Leonardo with a pizza box and all. There was a photo of him in this get-up on the wall of our local Pizza Factory for the longest time. My mom helped me make this costume. Diandra was a little black kitty.

Have a safe Happy Halloween or Harvest!

Room with a Boo

Our local Newspaper in the "Fun stuff to do" section, started out saying "No visions of sugarplums for Jack Roads. When he lies in bed each night, they're more likely to be turnips, pumpkins or rutabagas, with big eyes and toothy grins. And rather than bring him fitful sleep, these images ~ these brainchildren of his ~ let Roads rest easy, knowing that upon waking, he'll make them a reality." It had me very interested. Today I went to see his work of art.

Artist Jack Roads, whose Halloween works are on display at the McHenry Museum, pays close attention to the clothing his characters wear, routinely using vintage fabrics and buttons and often dying the cloth himself. Roads is fond of using old things; empty clock cabinets, vintage buttons, antique patterned cloth or cloth he dyes himself in his art. On the walls of the exhibit room are a few Halloween costumes from the 1920s and '30s that inspired some of the clothing he created for his characters. The 70 year old's work is sought by collectors all over the country. Roads enjoys doing Christmas themed papier-mache, too, but Halloween is his first choice decor. In this country, most of the Halloween decor from about 1900 to 1930 came from Germany, and it's that look he really likes. Most of those decorations were quite small, though, while his are bigger and more showy.

I found that some of his art was dark and a little more spooky than I am comfortable with. All in all, I am glad that I went. I would liked to have taken my own pictures though.

Note ~ I didn't take these pictures. Picture taking was not allowed. Information on Jack Roads came from the local newspaper.

Faces

Midnight Faces

As the clock strikes midnight,
Many faces are asleep.
At the strike of midnight,
It can be very bleak.
People don't notice the faces around.
Even while they wander on the ground.
This world is made of faces.
Many people don't see.
If I were you I wouldn't peek.
I would just fall back asleep.
Because the faces can be scary.
Even sometimes very hairy.
As the clock strikes down.
A new day has begun.

by Michael Mandel, age 11

Photo's were taken at the River Walk ~ San Antonio, Texas.
Make sure you click on the photo to see the detail!

It Must be October

The harvest moon hangs round and high
It dodges clouds high in the sky,
The stars wink down their love and mirth
The Autumn season is giving birth.
Oh, it must be October
The leaves of red bright gold and brown,
To Mother Earth come tumbling down,
The breezy nights the ghostly sights,
The eerie spooky far off sounds
Are signs that it's October.
The pumpkins yellow,. big and round
Are carried by costumed clumsy clowns
It's Halloween - let's celebrate.

- Pearl N. Sorrels

Grinning from Ear to Ear!

It all started early this Saturday morning... 

I have been wanting to go to our local produce market for some time now; with working the summer school program and now that the regular school year has started, I rarely get to go. The newspaper printed that it ends November 1st; I was so bummed.. I thought to myself, 'How did I let all this season go by without going to it but only a couple of times.' I decided when I read the last market date in the newspaper, 'Come hail or high water, I was going to the two that were left.' I jumped into the shower, threw some clothes on, grabbed my camera and purse; I was on my way. The paper said it was going to be 82 degrees today; the air was a little crisp, with a light wind. I parked my car, and took a deep breath. Ahh joy!

Immediately my face broke into a smile; apparently with it being the last weekend before Halloween, there was going to be a parade of little ones all dressed up in their costumes. It was like a scene from a movie; there were beautiful leaves gliding down from their trees. Just what the Dr. ordered. I made my way through about 10 vendors looking for the best prices and quality on produce, and then I seen her. It was my best friend Laurie from the 5th grade! We immediately started screaming trying not to bring too much attention to ourselves. We have always kept in contact with one another until my dad was diagnosed with cancer. That is when time had gotten away from us. Why do we do that? The people that mean so much to us and that are or were a big part of our lives? We let them slip through our fingers like sand. We both stood there catching up with each others lives; I am so thrilled that our paths crossed! We plan to get together more often. In fact, I am helping her with the last of the produce markets except for one; Charlie and I have a get away planned. Oh! Laurie also informed me that the newspaper printed the wrong date that the Farmers Market ends; It will last until right before Thanksgiving!

We also have a weekend trip in the works that involve our girls; I hope we can make it happen. I haven't stopped grinning. When I got home from the market, my day just got better. I got to spend some time with my grandchildren; it was our grand-daughter's birthday. Charlie and I then stopped at a Chinese Restaurant on the way home and had dinner. What a wonderful Saturday! Have you heard of that saying, "Having too much fun?" I think I did that today! :)

Lady Autumn

Diandra ~ Halloween 06

Lady Autumn, Queen of the Harvest,
I have seen You in the setting Sun
with Your long auburn tresses
blowing in the cool air that surrounds You.
Your crown of golden leaves is jeweled
with amber, amethyst, and rubies.
Your long, flowing purple robe stretches across the horizon.
In Your hands You hold the ripened fruits.
At Your feet the squirrels gather acorns.
Black crows perch on Your outstretched arms.
All around You the leaves are falling.
You sit upon Your throne and watch
the dying fires of the setting Sun
shine forth its final colors in the sky.
The purple and orange lingers
and glows like burning embers.
Then all colors fade into the twilight.
Lady Autumn, You are here at last.
We thank You for Your rewards.
We have worked hard for these gifts.
Lady Autumn, now grant us peace and rest.

- Deirdre Akins