Seasons Change - As Do Habits - Neither Come Easy

Yes - Autumn has arrived here in East Tennessee. The leaves are beginning to turn color - just slightly. Some are beginning to fall a little before their time. Not sure what to think of that. And the spring rains seem to be returning with unfinished business! Looks like we had quite a storm come through last night. I see remains of two small puddles on our back deck porch.

The mowing has slowed - when we get the chance! But the wild onions have returned - something I’m just never anxious to see. They taunt me. That dreaded winter weather is too close into the future - as far as I’m concerned. We’re told November will be the month to watch. The amount of frosts we have will determine how many snows we receive. I think the eeriest of all the mountain folklore has been the claims regarding all the premature falling leaves. Story has it that they forewarn of a very hard winter. I guess that remains to be seen this year. But never call me to be one for ignoring any wisdom of any kind that has lived before me - well, the older I became, anyway! Dwayne and I are working on that list and preparing for worst-case scenario - regardless! We have begun with our trips to Home Depot once each round of days off. This first trip included insulation for a few windows and some R-30 insulation for the basement. We’ll be picking up five rolls of that each trip. With the need for delegating time to other tasks on the list - we figured the time for installing five every round of days off would suffice. Should we finish up the remaining tasks beforehand - well, I guess we’ll just finish off with installing the R-30 insulation! My husband was not a very happy camper after coming through the cashier’s line at the grocery store this week. I thought I may have a problem on my hands at one point - right in the middle of shopping. Pretty bad when the prices can stir up his anger. And then I remembered - he stopped taking the Chantix - and hasn’t had a cigarette - still. Was it all anger? Or - could a bit of lunacy be dancing along with? LOL By the time we had made it home and we were started into putting groceries away - “I don’t care what you think - I’m going out here and having a cigarette!” Well - he went outside - onto the back deck porch - with a cigarette - a lighter - and the dog. After giving him a few minutes I opened the door and stuck my head outside - just to check on him. I wish I’d had my camera. He was standing at the far end of the porch with this beet-red face and slight grin - looking down toward the floor. You know - that look that just reels the words, “Okay - you caught me…” Now - Dwayne is standing almost directly in the very middle of the far end banister. But - the cigarette burns alone with itself - wedged within a space created through time by weatherization between the banister and the corner post. Approximately three feet of space is blanketed by the smoke coming from the cigarette - toward Dwayne. “Dwayne - what are you doing?” “I’m just looking at it.”

It took me twice as long to finish putting away groceries. I was laughing so much that I grabbed paper towels (closest thing to me) to save time by not making a few trips to the bathroom for tissue. The forever ‘thinking ahead’ - ‘doing the math’ - multi-tasking - wife and mother. It never ends.