HOWDY FOLKS! I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE AND TELL YOU ABOUT MY HALLOWEEN WEEKEND...

I ENDED UP GOING ON A (SORTA) SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT TRIP TO NORMAN, OK. WITH MY MIL... TO? WELL I AM GLAD YOU ASKED... TO THE GRAND MOTHER-IN-LAW'S!

THE START OF THE TRIP THERE WAS THROUGH NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE RAIN... BUCKET-LOADS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT... UNTIL WE WERE JUST OUTSIDE OF SHREVEPORT, LA. WHEN IT SEEMED WE WERE AT LAST PAST THE CLOUDS... SO I TOOK ADVANTAGE AND QUICKLY SNAPPED OFF A FEW PHOTOS...









WE WENT TO HELP TOE'S GRAMMA WITH A FEW THINGS AROUND THE HOUSE... AMONG THEM... PAINTING (WOOT!) THE SHED...
BEFORE:


WITH A COAT OF PRIMER:


WITH THE PAINT:


I THINK IT IS CUTE!

HERE IS THE MIL IN HER PAINTING CLOTHES, GETTING READY TO GET TO WORK:


DUDLEY CHASED SQUIRRELS WHILE WE PAINTED:


WE WENT TO A HAUNTED HOUSE... IT WAS A SMALL HOME-MADE ONE, BUT THEY DID AN AWESOME JOB!! (YES! THEY WENT ALL OUT!) EVEN WITH A CEMETERY IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE AND SINGING PUMPKINS!! (SEE VIDEO!) THEY EVEN LET ME TAKE PHOTOS!! I ASKED BEFORE I TOOK MY CAMERA IN...





THE MIL AND GRAND MIL OUTSIDE OF THE KIDDIE MAZE IN FRONT OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE...


VIDEO OF THE SINGING PUMPKINS:


STROBE LIGHTS INSIDE OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE


FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, THOSE SNAKES LOOK SO REAL!!


THE KIDS EVEN GOT INVOLVED AND WERE JUMPING OUT OF A CASKET AT PEPLE AS THE ROUNDED A CORNER:


THE ENTRY FEE FOR THEIR HAUNTED HOUSE WAS A CAN OF FOOD FOR THE LOCAL FOOD BANK. I THOUGHT IT WAS SO COOL THEY WERE GIVING BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY!


WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE HOUSE, THIS LITTLE SPIDER WAS WAITING FOR US... HE WAS THE ONLY TRICK-OR-TREATER WE GOT ALL NIGHT... TOO BAD WE DIDN'T HAVE THE KIND OF CANDY HE LIKED... LOL!!


I CAUGHT THE MIL "ENJOYING" A "CANCER STICK!"


WE WENT FOR A RIDE ON SUNDAY EVENING... I MANAGED TO SNAP A COUPLE OF PICKS BEFORE I GOT CAR SICK... LOL!




FALL WAS IN FULL SWING AND THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT THE WHOLE WEEKEND.
THIS TREE IS SO BEAUTIFUL. (THE SAME ONE IN FRONT OF THE THE SHED.) I LOVE THAT SHADE OF YELLOW ON THE LEAVES:


I ALMOST FORGOT... I TOOK A PHOTO OF THIS FOR MY BOSS... THEY NAMED A STREET AFTER HER! LOL!


IT WAS A FUN WEEKEND AND ON THE DRIVE HOME, WE WATCHED AS ALL OF THE NASCAR DRIVERS HEADED WEST ON I20 TO THEIR NEXT RACE... I AM NOT A FAN AND DIDN'T BOTHER WITH DIGGING OUT THE CAMREA FOR PICS, BUT THE MIL IS A FAN AND KEPT CALLING HOME TO TELL HER HUSBAND WHO'S TRAILERS AND SUCH WERE PASSING US... IT MADE THE TRIP SEEM LESS THAN 12 HOURS. LOL! AND AFTER EVERYTHING... I DIDN'T GET ARRESTED... *SIGH!* MAYBIE NEXT TIME... LOL!

I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE PARK WITH MY NIECES... THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN!

I HAD THE CUTEST CHAT WITH THE OLDEST:

N: "I WANT YOU TO COME HOME WITH ME!"
ME: "I CAN'T UNCLE THOMAS WILL BE SAD IF I DON'T COME HOME!"
N: "HE'S NOT CRYING!"

LOL!! SHE IS TOO CUTE SOMETIMES! I TOOK A FEW PHOTOS OF THEM PLAYING ON THE SLIDE... I HAD TO USE MY CELL PHONE SINCE I FORGOT MY CAMERA AT HOME! LOL!

SOMETIMES IT IS EASY TO LOSE SIGHT OF THINGS... LIFE COMES AT YOU HARD AND FAST AND YOU OFTEN FORGET JUST WHAT YOU HAVE...

SOME PEOPLE AREN'T SO LUCKY. SOME PEOPLE HAVE DUMPED THEIR WHOLE LIFE'S GOALS AND VALUES ON THEIR KIDS. THEY EXPECT “SALLY” OR “JUNIOR” TO ACHIEVE ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS THEY NEVER DID. “YOU MUST BE THE NEXT GREAT COMPOSER!” OR “YOU MUST GET INTO YALE BECAUSE I NEVER DID!” THEY SAY TO THEIR KIDS... KIDS WHO HAVE GOALS AND DREAMS OF THEIR OWN. KIDS WHO WILL FOREVER FEEL TRAPPED BETWEEN THEIR OWN GOALS AND DREAMS THAT SEEM EVER UNATTAINABLE AND THEIR PARENT'S OVER-BEARING WISHES AND DEMANDS ON THEM. THEY ARE IN A BAD SITUATION... THESE KIDS HAVE BEEN MADE TO FEEL THAT ANYTHING LESS THAN REACHING THESE EXPECTATIONS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THEY MARCH TOWARDS THEIR PARENT'S WISHES INSPITE OF THEMSELVES. FOR ASKING FOR THEIR FREEDOM WOULD HURT MOM AND DAD AND THEY COULD NOT LIVE WITH THEMSELVES AFTERWARDS... SO THE KID JUST SUFFERS IN MISERY AND SNEAKS BEHIND THEIR PARENTS' BACKS TO DO THE THINGS THEY REALLY WANT.

SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT GROWING UP IN FOSTER CARE GAVE ME A LACK OF RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY. I DISAGREE. I RESPECT EVERYONE. WITHIN REASON. I AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE PARENTS WHO HAVE DONE THEIR BEST TO PREPARE ME FOR THE WORLD. THEY HAVE SPENT SO MUCH TIME TELLING ME THAT NO MATTER HOW BAD I WANT IT TO, THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND ME. THEY HAVE LET ME KNOW THAT THOUGH THEY WOULD LOVE TO SEE ME GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AND HAVE A FAMILY AND LIVE THE “AMERICAN DREAM” THEY HAVE ALSO LET ME KNOW THAT IT IS MY LIFE AND I HAVE TO MAKE MY OWN MISTAKES AND LEARN THE LESSONS OF LIFE. THEY DO THIS BECAUSE THEY LOVE ME AND THEY KNOW THAT I NEED TO LEARN THESE LESSONS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ME. THEY WOULD BE SETTING ME UP FOR FAILURE IF THEY WERE TO TRY TO HERD ME INTO SOME FANTASY DREAMS AND GOALS THEY HAD FOR ME.

IT IS NOT DISRESPECTFUL TO LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE ON YOUR OWN TERMS. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU DON'T LOVE YOUR KID IF YOU DON'T BULLY THEM INTO A LIFESTYLE THAT YOU THINK IS BEST FOR THEM. AT SOME POINT, YOU HAVE TO LET GO AND LET THEM TRY TO FLY ON THEIR OWN AND TRUST THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT THEM THE THINGS THEY NEED TO KNOW AND THAT THEY WILL FLY BACK HOME WHEN THEY CAN'T FLY ANYWHERE ELSE! IT IS PART OF LIFE. NO PERSON WANTS TO LIVE IN A CAGE. IF YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE A PERSON INTO SOMETHING YOU WANT THEM TO BE AND THEY DON'T WANT IT... IT IS THE SAME AS FORCING THEM INTO A CAGE. THE OLD ADDAGE “IF YOU LOVE IT SET IT FREE...” IS SO TRUE!