On Making Dates

with hubby!

Over the course of the summer, Mr. Mac and I have been setting aside one day a week ... when our son, Nathan, is in school or camp ... and our grandson, Jacob, is not being watched by 'granny' .. to get out and explore the greater area that we call home.  We have to time our outings around the school bus schedule, but even so, that gives us until 3:30 PM, which is long enough to even head out of town.  So far we've taken a bike ride exploring downtown Coeur d'Alene, a tour of a silver mine, shopping at thrift stores, kayaking in a beautiful bay, exploring area parks and malls ... and always grabbing a bite to eat at a local eatery ... which is the hardest part for me due to food allergies.  Next week ... is quite local with a bike ride around our own dear little lake .. no need for a car ride ... and lunch will be in a picnic basket at our choosing along the shore.  Making time to keep our marriage alive is of great value!  Parenting at our age is lasting forever ... and the prospects of having a empty nest are zilch!  Parenting our special needs teenager .. is actually getting easier ... but we need to recharge our batteries for sanity's sake. 

Nathan ... Waking Up To The Beat Of The Drum

Most days find our son, Nathan, somewhat apprehensive and shy.  That is ... until ... he turns on some music and starts dancing (spinning) .. non stop until he either wears himself out ... or I purposely 'unplug' him.   Sometimes it's a struggle for the rest of the family to 'endure' another playing of 'Little GTO' ... or ... surfin' 60's music, or The Monster Mash, as he can listen to the same selection over and over.  Thank goodness when we built our home I had six inch walls stuffed with insulation and solid wood doors put on the bedroom doorways lest his bedroom would be moved to the basement ;)  On the bright side .. Nathan often sings along with the music ... helping him to practice his speech.  My once un-intelligibly voiced son is starting to string three and four word sentences together.  Music ... soothes the savage beast (so I've heard) ... and brings out the best in Nathan.  Normally, loud noise sets him off in a tizzy ... but not so with music .. to him it's a white noise pleasure.  BTW ... I have to frequently change the furniture placement so as not to wear a hole in the carpet.

Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song,
      praise him in the company of all who love him.
   Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator,
      Zion's children exult in their King.
   Let them praise his name in dance;
      strike up the band and make great music!
   And why? Because God delights in his people,

      festoons plain folk with salvation garlands! 

Psalm 149:1-4 The Message Bible

Thank you, Dr. Boucher for exploring this topic with the many families you have helped to think outside of the box in the physical and occupational therapy areas of your expertise.  To read more, visit her site, Therextras and follow her third annual blog carnival coming soon.

Closing In On Autumn

Today I plan on making my last run out to the local u-pick farm to get food to store away for the coming winter.  The days are sitting pretty at about 78-80 degrees this week with nights in the 40's (F).  In the winter, 40's would feel like a nice summer day.  In the summer, 40 degree temps feel cold.  The past month has been spent busily in the kitchen canning and freezing garden produce.  A lot of work .. but a $ and time saver during the cold weather. 

Hubby and I have made dates for one day each week during September and October. Our bikes have been fine tuned and have been getting some use as well.  He put his name in a drawing at the library and won two tickets for a lake cruise which took place last Friday evening.  Everyone aboard had won similar tickets ... so the boat was full of 'readers' and book club fans.  Mostly silver haired folks with great life stories to share.

With the cooler nights it's time to start feathering the nest with extra bedding, and hanging a few sweaters in the front closet for cool morning walks.   What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Blessed Routine

 ... has been reestablished!  With the start (albeit rocky) of the school year this morning, Nathan is back in his routine ... which means my time is more predictable.   After the school bus got a mixed signal this AM by not picking him up at the bus stop, and Mr. Mac had to drive him to school, the ride home was just as 'exciting' when a rock hit a side bus window and another bus had to come to complete the transportation. 

Mr. Mac got a call from the library that his name was drawn for two free lake cruise tickets this Friday ... with a guest speaker aboard telling about the history of our area lake.  Wow ... an actual date .. if I can find a sitter.  All's well that ends well!

Ahoy!

Photo:  Nathan and his teacher, first day of school 9/7/2010

Off To The Fair

We talked Nathan in to going to the fair yesterday :)  Since he's been receiving 'intense' development therapy, it's been a little easier getting out and about with him.  The highlight was having him walk through the horse barn.  (OK ... I bribed him with a few pennies ... he's saving up 70 so he can 'purchase' an outing to the bowling alley.)

Aaah ... the sights and smells of the fair.  Fried food galore.  Even deep fried pickles.  I was not tempted to try one ... have you ever eaten a deep fried pickle?  Who thinks up food like this??????

My favorite part was walking through the quilt exhibit.  There were so many beauties displayed.  I'm working on finishing up a hand pieced quilt top that my(dearly departed) grandmother started.  There are enough complete squares to make a full size bed quilt.  She must have started the pieces in the 1960's from scraps of fabric she saved.   It will be so special to sleep under the cover knowing she hand stitched the pieces.  Her son, my dad, will enjoy using it when he returns for his annual visit next summer. (Mums the word mom if you read this post.)  Inside the quilt barn were some ladies spinning wool yarn.  Since I have been mastering so many new/old skills the past few years, I'm looking for something to work on this winter so just might take up spinning ... it looks so relaxing.

Did you get out to a fair this summer?  If so, what is your favorite part?  Rides, food, exhibits?

Savoring The Last Bit

... of summer. 

Already the leaves on our maple trees are starting to be tinged with yellow and flame red.  Hints of cooler temperatures can be felt upon the daytime breeze ... and the nights .. well, they are getting chilly.  School starts once again the day after Labor Day ... and then I can begin my LONG rest.  It happens each year.  Look forward to spring (which bypassed us this year) ... then work like a dog all summer ... and slide right into the restful mode that autumn ushers in.  We are predicted to have a snowy winter this year.  Each season is a welcome change from the one that just passed.  We are still busy storing away food for the colder months ahead.  Our freezers are full and the storage pantry should be overflowing in the weeks to come.  The cycle will begin once again ... Life goes on.  Ebb and flow.  The cricket will have its swan song soon enough ... then the quiet peace will return as our little area settles in for a long winter's nap, once again devoid of summer's tourists.

Photo credit:  Carl Larsson, Apple Harvest

"The Big Burn" 1910 Fire

This coming weekend will be the 100th anniversary of the tragic 3 million acre forest fire that consumed much of the northwest including areas of Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Canada.  Monday we took a trip up to Wallace Idaho to see the Historic Nine Mile Cemetery where some of the fire fighters that lost their lives are buried.  Our son Patrick, a federal forest firefighter, has been working to spruce up the graveyard in preparation to this weekend's activities.  It's a very moving experience to tread upon the site where so many heroes are laid to rest, including U.S. Veterans, miners, and various pioneers from a bygone era.  To read more about these devastating fires check out these links:

 

USDA Forest Service’s Northern Region 1910 Fire Commemoration Information web site

Outdoor Idaho August 20: The Day the Fires Burned

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America, book by Timothy Egan