Frenetic Friday

I just HAD to use a big word today...bloggers try to use catchy titles and Sparky is no exception! (E. says, it's hard to live with a teacher sometimes!) Thank you, honey, for saying SOMETIMES!. It wasn't really frenetic--hectic, in a hurry, a high state of busyness--but we were busy today...Eldy is researching tires...Man, does he do a great job of checking EVERYTHING out before making a purchase decision. I would have bought my tires in a heartbeat yesterday at Discount Tire, which has served me very well over many years of living in this area. Give me three choices, tell me my tires are down to 2/32 on two of them and I'm buying tires on the spot. BUT--budget didn't allow for immediate purchase, so I had to hold off for the moment.

Eldy wanted to be absolutely SURE what would be the best deal and the best service, since we are fulltiming on the road. He is leaning towards buying a quality tire at Walmart, because the supercenters are all over the country...or maybe Sears, or my personal favorite--Discount Tire....at any rate, he's still checking...The road noise coming off the tires is REALLY loud, and I worry about a blowout on two tires with very low tread. Eldy, on the other hand, doesn't worry as much as I do...he put 80,000 miles on his car tires before knuckling under and purchasing new ones....YIKES! But as this is my car that came into the relationship, which is now OUR car, he feels my pain and worry, so he's looking for new tires.....

Laundry today while Eldy checks for tire deals and runs to the post office for me....then time to grocery shop for BBQ Blowout and Sparky's Pumpkin Carving fest on Saturday with Eldy's two kids, three grandkids and three extra little friends. I started to decorate the site and get excited about putting up Halloween decorations.

I did this every holiday for my kids...if it was Valentines Day, we always had Valentines paper plates, red fruit punch to drink, some kind of red and pink edible treats, table decorations and sometime extra little friends over to celebrate. St. Patrick's Day, it was green paper plates, special tablecloth and foods...for Halloween, I went all out and of course, decorated the OUTSIDE of the house...even climbed up the ladder and put "Gutter Spooks"--foamboard clip ons in the gutters and tombstones in the yard. I wasn't documenting my days with photos as much as  like I to do now, so I don't have any photos of those old days as a single parent, raising my kids, or the old prints have disappeared in many moves. I also used to make their Halloween costumes every year....I remember sewing a Pink Panther costume, Bugs Bunny, Garfield, a shark, and Strawberry Shortcake. One year I sewed Crayola crayon outfits for the girls. About the last year the girls were interested in dressing up for Halloween, I was just plain tired and worn out, struggling as a single parent, and I got desperate to come up with something for them. So I made one of the girls into a Christmas tree, and her sister was the skirt underneath the tree. Everybody thought she was the present! It's kind of funny now, but looking back, I know I disappointed them that year......What matters is they know I loved them and I tried my best. Those were really tough years for us, but we made it through....Those were CHARACTER building years, and I have two beautiful, smart daughters who made it through with me....They work very hard, are kind, caring, and loving adults....

So here's our site for Halloween---not a lot going on, I could have easily gone and done more as I was REALLY starting to get into it, but where are we going to put all the stuff if I go overboard for Halloween? Eldo wants to know that, too!  So we kept it small......

Spiderwebs on the street post, skeletal hand on the table--it lights up! (Sparky's favorite)...purple and orange little light string suspended on shepard's hooks, a tombstone in the yard...wish I had a BUNCH of them...(Oh, geez....hope this doesn't get too tacky! worries E.) Naw.....we'll keep it simple.....heh, heh, heh.....

It sure brings back memories of decorating for the holidays---ALL of them!  :-)  See you Saturday for the pumpkin carving fest at the Elkhart Campground! Site 90, that's where all the action is gonna be! (And the noise! adds E.) It's gonna be FUN and hopefully, the weather will straighten out...It's WINDY today.....gusts up to 40 mph....batten down the hatches, Eldo!