RANDOMNESS #1 - First and foremost, I want to say ALDI has arrived in a town near ME! I couldn't wait until the Grand Opening Wednesday, September 4. I joined the multitudes of people who came out to welcome this new store to our area.
And guess what?
ALDI had a huge pumpkin display.
And guess what else?
The pumpkins are ginormous...
And they only cost $3.99 apiece...
And they should cost $10.99 apiece because of their ginormous size...
And I'm going back and purchasing two of them today.
And if all ALDI had to offer was ginormous pumpkins, this Chick would still be extremely supportive and happy the store has come to town.
I've posted my pumpkin pics from last year's trip to a beautiful Mountain Brook Nursery.
My pumpkin pics for 2013 will be taken at Pepper Place Farmer's Market. I am bound and determined to go there within the next three weeks.
Bound and determined, I tell you!
RANDOMNESS #2 - People don't ask me how Mikie is... or how the kids are doing... or if I've been to the hospital with an anxiety attack recently.
Nope.
People now come up and ask me, "Do you know where your dog is?"
I no longer answer with a very confident, "Yes. Of course I know where my dog is. What kind of dog owner do you think I am?"
I answer with a weak, barely audible, "Why? Have you heard something?"
I took pictures of Copper/Houdini one minute 32 seconds ago.
I didn't say he was animated and engaged.
I just said, "He is here."
At this actual moment in time, I DO know where my dog is!
RANDOMNESS #3 - Devotions from the Pumpkin Patch - I am honored to have been asked to teach a Pinterest class Sunday, September 15 at my church in the evening (6:00 p.m.).
I am calling it Devotions from the Pumpkin Patch, and instead of making one craft, I'll be highlighting 13 or 14 Pinterest pumpkins, fall snacks, fall games, etc.
I will go over the "how-to" part, show you the finished product AND give you an age-appropriate family devotion to share with your kiddos while working on your Pinterest Pumpkin Project together.
There will be snacks, door prizes and more, and I'm really excited to be a part of such a fun opportunity.
It's definitely for women (moms and/or grandmothers) who have little ones (around 2 to 6 years of age).
There's a sign-up sheet in the lobby of our church, and Sheila Keedy, our beloved leader, will be able to help you out with any questions, etc., you may have.
Monthly Tradition (www.birmingham365.org)
On the first day of every month, go to www.birmingham365.org and browse through the website for information about festivals, concerts, walks/runs, opportunities, etc. which are listed for that particular month.
Be sure to scroll down to the very bottom of the page because the list goes on and on... and sometimes on to the next page.
At this particular time in our lives, our September traditions are pretty much set in stone...
The Faulkner Five First Fun Fall Drive
Roxie's Birthday Celebration
Football Games (High School and/or College)
Senior Day at Grandmother's Church
More Football Games (Television and/or Personally Attend)
Farmer Market Visits
Birthday Celebration with Monica
Birthday Planning for Josh's Celebration
Faulkner Family Movie
Faulkner Family Game Night
However, looking at the September list, these are some of the things I might add if I had a younger family... and not quite so many "set-in-stone" traditions already.
Balloon Bonanza - Presented by Hoover Public Library at Hoover Public Library on September 17, 2013 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Bring your whole family for a round of stories accompanied by the magic of balloon art. All ages are welcome. The event is FREE.
Cahaba River Fry-Down - Presented by Cahaba River Society at Trussville Springs - The best amateur catfish fryers in Alabama will square off for the 4th Annual Cahaba River Society Fry-Down, a competitive catfish cooking contest and riverfront festival to celebrate the beauty and significance of the Cahaba River. A fundraiser for the Cahaba River Society, the Fry-Down is Sunday, September 29, 12 noon until 4:00 p.m., at Trussville Springs, along the banks of the Cahaba in Trussville, Alabama.
The Fry-Down is like a BBQ or chili cook-off, but with catfish and hushpuppies. Local teams of enthusiastic chefs will prepare catfish and fixings for a panel of celebrity judges. Fest-goers can sample their efforts and learn about the diversity of the Cahaba River and the role it plays as a source of drinking water and recreation for Alabama.
A donation of $20 gets admission to the event.
The Small Fry area will feature games and hands-on activities for children in and beside the river, led by talented environmental educators. There will also be games and a photo contest for teens.
The Fry-Down will also feature a cooking demonstration by George Sarris of The Fish Market Restaurant, along with live music and a chance to try out a canoe or kayak on the river, courtesy of the Birmingham Canoe Club.
The Enchanting Belinda says - Those are only two events which caught my eye. There were many, many more.
Make it a "family" tradition to check this website once a month. You can use the events as a parent/kid date, a family date, a spouse date, etc., etc.
The possibilities are endless!
Weekend Happenings
1. Austin will again leave mid-day to travel to Anniston. He will do the play-by-play for the Donoho Falcons (on WVOK) tonight. He will love every minute of it!
NOTE - Last week, I told you Donoho won it's first football game. I was wrong. Donoho did not win, but because I was half listening to Austin Saturday as he was coming home from the JSU game... and he sounded so, so happy... I turned "We lost Friday night," into "We won Friday night and Saturday night!"
But this week will be different, I think. I will predict here and now that Auburn, Samford, Donoho, JSU, Troy, UAB and The Gardendale Rockets will ALL be victorious this weekend.
Feel free to call your local bookie.
I'm not a gambler, so I have no idea if that is the correct "wording."
Also, as a 52 year-old mother of three and Christian wife, I really shouldn't be encouraging anyone to call a bookie... or whatever they are called nowadays.
Please consider the above a joke.
Except for the "all of my teams winning" part.
2. Josh has an interesting and busy weekend. He's going to work at the Columbiana Fred's Store today, spend the night with us tonight, take his new mattress back to his apartment with Mikie Saturday and watch the Auburn game at the apartment Saturday evening. (He gets the game in Hanceville. We do not get the game in Gardendale.) And then he'll come home Sunday morning because The Faulkner Five have an important event to attend. (More on that as I go along.)
3. Roxie will be doing the high school football thing tonight and tomorrow I hope we get to go shopping for a little while. The Chick is exhausted and needs some major "relaxing" in her weekend. I want her to sleep until she wakes up Saturday morning, and then we'll shop and eat pretzels until she's ready to come home and sleep some more. (That formula always makes her happy, happy, happy.)
4. Mike and I have a Sunday School Social Saturday evening (which is the only reason Mikie will not be staying in Hanceville with Josh to watch the Auburn game).
And if for some reason his car "breaks down," and he cannot get home Saturday night (until after the game when his car will miraculously be fixed), I will understand and attend the Sunday School Social solo.
5. Sunday is Senior Day at my Mom's church, and The Faulkner Five and The Lovely Melia (I think and hope) are all going to attend church at Southside in Trussville and partake of dinner-on-the-grounds.
One of the best things about living in the South and being a Southern Baptist in the South is dinner-on-the-grounds.
Here are a few pics from last year's event...
Roxie and Katie. Katie had to leave right after the dinner (which she didn't eat) because she was feeling poorly.
And being the very concerned and nurturing Aunt I have always been, I made her pose for a picture before she went home and crawled into her bed.
Abbie and MamMa. All nine of MamMa's great-grandchildren were present for Senior Day... and she was so proud.
Roxie and MamMa.
Roxie and Monica. Senior Day marks the beginning of the "Season of Roxie and Monica." Between January and September, the Chicks see each other one, two or three times, but it's difficult since we live at least 45 minutes away from each other AND Roxie plays sports AND Monica is in the Marching Band.
But in September, something wonderful begins.
We kick it off with Senior Day.
Then the girls get together to celebrate their birthdays (they were born a couple of weeks apart almost 17 years ago).
We all spend the night at the Wynfrey on Black Friday (moms and cousins) and spend the day shopping, eating and watching movies.
We have our Palisades Christmas get-together where we play games and eat and start our holiday season the right way.
And the girls never miss a beat. They pick up where they last left off, make new memories and they don't let little things like "distance" and "time apart" get in the way of their friendship.
I love that about them.
Melia and Roxie. I know they are mine, but do we not have the most beautiful chicks in our family? (Melia, Roxie, Katie, Abbie, Monica AND Stephanie.) I may start my own modeling agency.
Believe it or not, the guys didn't plan the shirt color for the day (and neither did the Moms). Brad, Austin, Josh, Zac, Roxie and Grandmother. (Remember... Katie had already gone home feeling sickly.)
I hope y'all have a family-friendly, football-winnin', church-attendin' kind of weekend. Stay safe, and I'll talk to you Monday morning.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
No comments:
Post a Comment