My girlfriend Elysa bestowed this little happy on my blog the other day! Isn't that sweet? I thought so! I was so moved I decided to remove my Ms. South Carolina video, because making fun of people is not nice. As my husband pointed out, Ms. South Carolina's mother would never have awarded me the Nice Matters award. So, in the spirit of niceness, say good bye to Ms. South Carloina. I don't want anyone to send me the "What a Jerk!" award. That wouldn't be nice at all.
Thanks Elysa!
Lately, my husband has been teaching the children a few phrases in Latin. One of these phrases is "Aqua Vitae" or "water of life". According to the book my husband is teaching from, this phrase often refers to whiskey or brandy. Sad. But, I can honestly say that I've never thought of either of those two drinks as water of life. Which brings me to the question: What is my water of life?Hmmmmm....well those of you who know me are no doubt saying, "Coffee!" and yes, I must admit that I LOVE my coffee. There have been times in my life when I would have gladly taken my coffee through an IV if it had been possible. Late nights with sick children, new baby who is a night owl, times like that. Another "water of life" for me is Gatorade. Yep. Ever tried drinking water when you are sick to your stomach? Well, it's not fun. If you're trying to keep hydrated while dealing with a stomach virus, drinking water can be counter-productive. Gatorade is where it's at. What else?? What about things other than liquids. Naps, for example. Fresh air. Freon!!! Summer in the south = freon. All those things are great, but are really just creature comforts. What's my real "water of life"? Prozac! No, just kidding...it's Jesus. Don't believe me? Check it out...it's in John 4 :14. Jesus says, "whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life." There it is. Are you thirsty? Try some Aqua Vitae.
Burning leaves * orange * flannel shirts* quail calling to one another * pumpkin pies *football games*cinnamon & nutmeg *scarecrows* pinecones * crunching leaves * candy corn * s'mores *hot apple cider * spider lilies * hayrides * Canadian geese * Wyatt's chili *cranberry nut bread * Monarch butterflies * denim jackets* crows* Thanksgiving Dinner * harvest festivals * State fairs * sweaters* homemade apple pies* vanilla candles* campfires* walks in the woods
My friends, today is one of my VERY favorite days of the year...the first day of Fall. Autumn Equinox. The day when I think, "YES! I have survived yet another summer in the South! GO me!" Of course I realize that the threat of hot days still exists. I remember my first Autumn in Texas. I went to a UT football game, and not only did I wear shorts, but I came home with a 
sunburn. I still feel that was very wrong... it simply should not have happened. In my New England memories, football games at the end of October mean thick socks, hot chocolate and a warm
sweater. Not sunblock. Anyway, it is slightly cooler here in Florence, MS than Austin, TX. I won't be donning any woolens till much later in the year, but I may get a chance in the next few weeks to wear my favorite faded blue jeans with my sandals. My feet won't be cold and my legs won't be hot. It's great. I'll be able to drink my morning coffee on the back 
porch without sweating. And, my children will be bringing me armloads of these very cool looking flowers that grow all over my lawn at the beginning of each fall. They're Spider lillies. I don't know what their scientific name is. Maybe Lillyus Spiderosa. In any case, before I moved here I had never seen them. Now I wait for them every September.
And today, on the first day of Fall, I saw and picked my first Spider Lily. Happy days are here again!
The goldenrod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orhcards
With fruit are bending down.
The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
And dusty pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.
The sedges flaunt their harvest
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook.
From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterfiles.
By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather
And autumn's best of cheer.
Knowing that today will be chock full of outdoor activites since the temperature is below 85 degrees, I'm assuming I won't have much time for blogging. I did, however, take some time this morning to stop by my girlfriend Elysa's most awesome blogspot. Check it out, she's got some great stuff up. She's a true blog artist, a homeschool mom and she has 7 (that's SEVEN, y'all!) children. Rock on, Elsya!
My son Sam has a virus that isn't measels. He had a fever that came and went, and then he woke up covered with red spots. Unlike my other children he has not had his measels immunization. Abigail also has had a fever and appears to be getting these "measel-like" spots. She is not due to get her immunization until next month. Apparently, this virus that is not measels is contagious, but only to other children who haven't been immunized. My children who have had the measels immunization have not gotten this virus.
I'm also to keep my children with "not measels" home, lest they spread it to other non-immunized children. But it's "not the measels".
If anyone wants to know the difference between boys and girls, look here. This is what happend when I told my children to go play outside. Apparently, the boys heard something entirely different than the girl.
What is this life if, full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep and cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass
When squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
