An Autumn Snippet...

Another month comes 'round...

I've lived in Connecticut for 32 years. Never thought I'd live here longer than 5 years, but that's another story for another day, (oh, and don't hold your breath!). In all the years we've been here, this has, hands down, been our most  glorious fall/autumn. Just incredibly, gloriously, spectacularly beautiful!

It's been a very long week so I'm not waxing eloquent about anything at all...  Instead, below is a snippet from the health office: 

Little boy (a 3rd grader) comes into the health office:

Him: "I just want to know what's going on in there!", (said while vigorously poking the top of his left forearm). 

Me: "What do you mean what's going on in there?" 

Him: "I have this thing shooting all through my body under my skin and I don't know why and now it's stuck underneath right here and it's making my arm feel all funny!" 

Me: "What's this thing you're talking about? Do you know?"

Him: "Yes! It's a pencil that's shooting through me! How do I get it out? You know, my mom gave me this book about my body. I haven't read it and I should because maybe then I'd know about this thing in my body." [him whispering] "My mom told me that there's no way a whole pencil could be shooting through my body, but I don't think she's right. Well, maybe it's not the whole pencil but just a part of the pencil, but it's still in there!"

Me: (totally at a loss for words and trying really really hard not to laugh): "Well, um, maybe a bag of ice would help?"

Him: "Yeahhhh.......I think maybe it will freeze that thing that's shooting through me and then it will burst through my skin here and be out of me.....Oh no, will that hurt???"

Me: _____________!

I got him a bag of ice for his shooting body and he went back to class. And then I lost it.

Never have heard whether the shooting pencil part left his body.....

xoabb

expect anything!  

First Frost

We had our first frost last night, scattered though it was. Our home is down at the end of a cul-de-sac, the lowest-in-altitude house on the block. My glorious morning glories, (though the blooms are getting smaller the colder it becomes), were in full bloom this morning. The neighbor's lawn just a house up and about 20 feet higher was covered with frost. My thermometer read 41 degrees. Two miles away where I work, 32 degrees. The above photo is of the frost-touched ground-creeping evergreen I saw in the parking lot. Amazing how much the temps can fluctuate!

Snippet from the nurses's office: 

"My ear hurts." 

"How long has it been hurting?"

"20 years."

"Um, you're only 7 years old."

"So?"

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

My World Tuesday,

a quite wonderful new meme, is  premiering today!

The goal of this is to share some of our personal corners of 

the world with others. What a grand idea!

While my entry is a very small slice of the world I inhabit, 

my corner it is, both photo and words. 

Do join us!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

As you might recall, I was in NYC last Wednesday to help forward along plans for the Norwalk Hospital Foundation's annual fund-raising gala with our caterer, Gracious Thyme.  Along with Miss LaLa, Jules and I, Maria and Bridget of the Hospital Foundation were also there.  The two of them drove in, so when it was time to go to lunch at Asia Society's Garden Court Cafe, the five of us drove there together. As women (and men from my own personal observation) are wont to do, we gabbed on the way there. Along the way, Bridget told us the following story:

She and her hubby met and married rather later in life and were blessed with a boy child about seven years ago when they both were around the 40 mark, give or take a few years.  

On weekend mornings, the three of them have a long-standing routine that as soon as the boy child (BC from now on) wakes up in the morning, he barrels onto his parents' bed and snuggles between the two of them. Nice!  

Last Saturday morning, BC came in as usual and the three of them are snuggling away when out of the blue, BC abruptly sat up, perplexedly looked at his mom who is lying on her back with her tee-shirt pretty night gown covering her, and asked: "Mommy why are you so flat when you lie down? You aren't flat when you stand up." (Bridget said at this point her hubby turned toward his nightstand and became intensely focused on the books there.) She answered her son:  "Well, that's because my boobs are in my armpits."  (With that, Hubby sat bolt upright on the side of the bed, looking like he knew he's seriously out of his realm.) BC then asked her why that was. She answered:  "It's because I'm in my 40's and that's just what happens, and also because I had you and babies do that to mommy's boobs." BC: "But when mommys on TV lie down, they're not flat." Bridget: "That's because they've had work done so their boobs stay up there and are perky. When you're older and are dating and the girl lies down, if her boobs stick straight up, you'll know she's had work done. But, of course, BC, you'll want a girl just like mommy!" (She said at that point hubby fled the bedroom without a backward glance.) BC: "Ohhhhh. Well, ok!  Let's go make pancakes!"   

~~~

xoabb

Photo courtesy of Asia Society

P. S.  Judy and her husband, Chef Mark Cummings, proprietors of Gracious Thyme, have taken over the reins of Asia Society's Garden Court Cafe. The Cafe is located within the museum on the corner of Park and 70th and is only open for lunch and Sunday brunch. Please do yourself a huge favor! Go visit and dine in this little gem. You won't be disappointed! We were treated to lunch there and everything we tasted was beyond excellent, from the food to the tea of the day (oh, they also serve wine, etc.).  Yes, truly a "sublime secret spot!"  Click on any of the links for more information.

A Pretty & A Snippet

Monday morning prettiness & a snippet for you:

Kousa Dogwood

~

Conversation on a recent all day beach field trip:

Teacher's Aide: Vera, you're getting a little red, there. Want to borrow my sun block?

Teacher: Oh no, I don't need any. I don't get sunburned.

T.A.: Really?? How come? I thought everyone burns eventually.

Teacher: In my family we don't burn because we keep a homeopathic household.

T.A.: _____________________. (Speechless: 1. because she know if she opens her mouth she'll burst out laughing, and 2. because she just doesn't know exactly how to respond to complete stupidity.)

Fast forward to the next morning. T. A. runs into teacher in the hallways of school. Teacher is bright red.....her nose is blistered. T. A. immediately does an about-face and sprints in the opposite direction. She has the decency to burst into laughter - finally - after running into the bathroom. She also decides that a homeopathic home is no substitute for SPF 50.

~~~

xoabb

Me Me Me Me MEEEEE!

Country Girl Kate tagged me for two meme's...
And after a little blog sleuthing, I found that the first meme
was thought up by dlyn and she wants to do it once a month
or so to see what the different seasons, and possibly neighbors bring.
Isn't that a terrific idea?

Meme 1: The Front Door, Back Door Meme
I'm to take a picture out my front door, a picture out my back door and then post them.

Out my front door

Out my back door

~~~

Meme 2: This one is about your significant other. I'm with Kate - we're getting a wee bit personal so I'll keep it brief. Plus, half the questions happened so long ago I really don't remember.

How long have you been together? Since 1977. Spring Break in Daytona. I was in college, he was marketing (pushing) Wild Turkey Bourbon. Nuff said!

How long did you date? 1 year, 1 week and 1 day. Got married April Fool's Day 1978. He said he needed a date he couldn't forget....I think I believe him...maybe not, tho.

How old is he? He's 57. Sometimes I think he's 70. Other times, 35. It's all relative.

Who said ‘I love you’ first? I have no idea - maybe it was a mutual blurting??

Who is taller? He is, dammit, I've always wanted to be 6', too!

Who is smarter? We sort of split it down the middle. Except when it comes to math. Then, we're both doofuses.

Who does the laundry? I do. Except when I'm out of town. Then he does. He has discovered that khaki pants become pink and yellow blotched when bleached...twice.

Who does the dishes? We both do. But he'll tell you that he does. Honestly, I did them for the past 28 years. I think he can do some now, don't you? (This could very well have been written by me, except the 28 years would be 30 years. BUT it was actually written by Country Girl Kate!)

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does. I like my side. It's on the left. Always has been always will be. (CGKate and I agree again!)

Who pays the bills? We both have sets of bills that we pay. (Yep, agree again.)

Who mows the lawn? Guilty secret - neither of us. We have it done by a friend who has a lawn service.

Who cooks dinner? All grilling done excellently by him - and that's most nights. All indoor stuff is my domain.

Who is more stubborn? Definitely him.....me.....him.....me.....

Who kissed who first? The stars were shining, our hearts pounding as loudly as the ocean's waves. With one glance we knew, knew in our heart of hearts we were going to lock lips and stay that way for the foreseeable future. Since it takes two to kiss, I'd say it was a concurrent happening. And now you know why I'm not a romance writer!

Who asked who out? It was spring break. I don't think there was a lot of asking out. He did call my home 3 times before I got there to see if I'd arrived safely. (My mother upon my arrival: "Ann, just who is this George W. Turkey that keeps on calling here??)

Who proposed? He did at Thanksgiving with all my family, and his mom there. He'd frozen my ring in an ice cube in my water glass. Everyone panicked when I got up with the glass and went to the kitchen sink. The sink had a disposal and they were afraid I was throwing my ice and water down the drain. I kinda figured out something was going on about that point. And when I looked up and was 6 people standing there staring at me with horror written all over their faces, it kinda confirmed it.

Who is more sensitive? Him about reality stuff. Me about make-believe stuff.

~~~

As far as tagging - hmmm....

~~~

xoabb

Wistful Thinking & Thursday Cleanup

I miss my home state...ahh my Mizzourah...

We're going back in April and I can hardly wait!

The photo is the ~crick~ that's below my parent's home.
Over the last 20 years our three kiddos,
as well as GB and I,
have made many unforgettable memories
with mom & dad & the extended family, (aka my Dodgie)
in, around and beside that ~crick~...
~~~
My thoughts and prayers go out to all my fellow
Missourians who have been flooded out.
May the waters recede quickly and your damage be manageable. Blessings!
~~~

Our Mimi is still on an improving trend. She is finding it hard to walk as she gets so winded, but we're hoping with time and PT she'll regain the strength she lost. She has so many visitors it's just ridiculous - what a wonderful tribute to the friend she's been to so many over the years! If anyone cares to drop her a line, call her or visit her, just e* me and I'll give you the info. She's an incredible woman. As her doctor so eloquently put it:

"The old gal has a 90 year old body and a 21 year old mind!"

* annbumbly@mac.com

~~~~

WW update:
There isn't any. Gotta a problem with that?!?!

~~~

Snippets from the nurse's office:

1. 1:45pm: "I have a sore throat. I've had it since 6 after 10 this morning."
2. "I want to go home so what do I say to you so you'll call my mom?"
3. "I threw up a little in my mouth, but I swallowed it. What should I do now?"

~~~~

Good Bye & God Bless

~~~

xoabb

Ah-HA!! Thursday's are to be My Clean-Up Day!

I've decided that on most Thursday's here on the old Tombstone Chronicler blog, it's gonna be a loose-ends, clean-up kind of day. There could possibly be little snippets of info, maybe a WW update (good or bad), some questions answered (if there ever are any). I've also decided to include several of the things I've been told that kids say when explaining why they're visiting the school Nurse's Office each week. That about covers it. Oh wait, whatever else I may think of just might be included as well! Tra-la!

~~~

WW Clean-Up:

I actually could have used the title from yesterday's post for my WW week as I had so wished to be able to do. I actually lost 2, count 'em 2 pounds. Of course, since I started WW, I've actually lost 5 pounds, actually regained 4 pounds and actually lost 3 of the pounds....again. I think this is called a yo-yo kind of way to lose weight. That's not good....not good at all! Uh-oh, just think!! This could be nothing more that water weight gained/lost....DAMN! I plan on doing better in the coming week......of course I always plan on doing better. It seems my execution skills need some work. (Of course, it has nothing to do with my self-discipline ;-)

~~~

Snippets from the Nurse's Office:

Do you remember having a Nurse's Office in your grade school? (This question is mostly directed at my generation, we ~Baby Boomers~.) I don't. I remember the one or two times I got sick in school, I was sent to the principal's office and he/she called my mom. The same if we fell and hurt ourselves - to the principal we were sent where bandaid was affixed to boo-boo. End of story. Today the story is quite different. Just about every school has a Nurse's Office.....and they are very well used! The bumps, tummy aches, paper cuts, etc. are never ever ever-ending! Below, behold some elementary school snippets.

#1 same kid each time:
10:00am "I just know I have a fever." "Your temperature is 98.6"

11:00am "I just know I have a fever." "Your temperature is 98.6"

1:30pm "I just know I have a fever." "Your temperature is 98.6"

3:15pm "I just know I have a fever." "Give it up already! It's time for the bus - outta here, bud!"

#2 "What's your name, lovey?" "Esmerelda." "What's your last name, Miss Esmerelda?" "I do not know what my last name is. My mommy hasn't told me yet."

#3 (Said by a student who transferred from Spain...English is not her first language...)

"I have, what do you say it? Oh yes! I have a head hurting."

~~~

Other business Clean-Up:

Hmmmm.....there isn't any, oh wait! Yes there is! I was tagged once again by that Mental friend of mine for another meme. This one is different - it involves a book. Read below the rules and my book response.

1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the 5th sentence.
4. Post the next 3 sentences.
5. Tag no one or 21,000 people, whatever floats your boat (or as my great-aunt used to say, "whatever blows your skirt" Never did understand that one.)

So here I go. I picked the nearest book in my bookcase, that's located downstairs in our family room, which I really loved, and then decided I liked page 51 MUCH better than page 123, so I'm doing the 3 sentence thingy from page 51. Don't like me bending the rules?? Tough nuggies, my friends, tough nuggies!

P. S. - This is from Bill Bryson's most excellent book, A Walk in the Woods

Here it is from page 51:

"She was from Florida, and she was, as Katz forever after termed her in a special tone of awe, a piece of work. She talked nonstop, except when she was clearing out her eustachian tubes (which she did frequently) by pinching her nose and blowing out with a series of violent and alarming snorts of a sort that would make a dog leave a sofa and get under a table in the next room. I have long known that it is part of God's plan for me to spend a little time with each of the most stupid people on earth, and Mary Ellen was proof that even in the Appalalchian woods I would not be spared."

Same book. Here it is from page 50:

"We seemed to be looking out for each other. It was very nice. I can put it no other way."

Actually, those above three sentences and their sentiment are just exactly, perfectly right. That's how I feel about my best........

~~~
xoabb