We had a great family visit, although very short. I always love having people here and of course, eating is the main focus! That is why I am not going to Curves and having my fat measured! You are brave!! Lots of women do Curves here. I think it is great that you and your daughter are doing something fun and healthy together. Just do it to help yourself be healthier and stronger!
We had our first official frost last night....sigh....guess we knew it would come eventually! Pretty chilly here today too. I put on a extra layer plus a fleece to go out and mow. Last time cleaning up stuff in the yard...the leaves on our maple trees haven't even turned yet let alone fall off the trees. We'll probably be raking in November! Unless it snows first. Have a good weekend everybody. Happy Thoughts...

Your food always sounds so good, Kathi. Lasagna and apple crisp. Mmmm.

Karen, I think they did do a fitness analysis on us--you mean when they tell you how much body fat you have? That was pretty discouraging. It can be excellent, good, fair, or poor, and I came out fair. But so did my daughter, and she's really thin. Maybe that instrument they used didn't work. You're lucky you're strong enough to do "tough love." It's hard to be tough when things aren't clear. My kids always had a good reason why a "no" should be a "yes," and when I really thought about it, I agreed with them most of the time. So it was hard to scream, "I said no!" and really mean it. Oh well, they turned out okay anyway.

Hi Everybody.
There is nothing overly exciting happening here right now. Sometimes I don't want to bore you with 5 year old stuff and that is as exciting as it gets lately. We went to Wellwood Orchard yesterday...had a tractor ride, picked some apples, watched the animals and ran around trying not to touch all the pumpkins laying around to tease little children. Luckily it didn't rain because we were going rain or shine. There is talk about SNOW in the higher elevations tonight.....last weekend it was high 70s....not ready for snowsuits...which is another story.
My elderly relatives are coming to visit this afternoon (my Aunt from Denver and my Uncle from Brattleboro, they are my father's remaining siblings). I am making lasagna and apple crisp. It will be nice to visit with them at my house where their parents once lived.
Oh, and the cat woke me up at 4:00 to go outside....got the dishes done (that I was too tired to do last night) and the lasagna put together...now I just have to vaccumn through and I'll be all set for company.....and need a nap before they come!
Happy Friday and have a good weekend....hope for no snow, please!
Happy Thoughts.......................................................

I don't think it's your posts Richard, thought provoking though they are. I think sometimes we just get involved in our day to day and have to step back from the computer. I know I do. Sometimes, I don't think there's anything worth sharing. I think it would be fun to sit in a quite corner with you and talk. You have such a great way of telling us what's going on and what you're thinking about. Do you have that same gift in the face to face? I'll bet you do.

the blog has a way of being dead from time to time, but i feel like it always goes dead for at least a few days after i post.

i am thankful for friends- y'all included. my mother kissed the school bus when it took me away to school for my first day. how did i fashion any social life from origins like that? karen, you have just been a busy mom who has been on the move and that makes it more difficult. and, by the way, having friends doesn't mean that you have to suffer fools gladly. i'm guessing that even marion morrison (john wayne) had some friends, but maybe not very many. his "don't apologize—it's a sign of weakness" attitude was probably a deal breaker. i'm also guessing that he didn't have any african american friends. different subject, but what was up with all his latin wives- pananama, mexico, and peru? anyway, i'm just saying that your "up against the wall" attitude could work for more than arranging furniture. get some friends and slap them into shape.

Yes, those little glances and touches make a big difference. Sounds like you're doing well in your new situation, Patti.

Did I mention that my daughter and I have been trying out Curves? Do they have that on the east coast? The gym for fat old women! Well, maybe that's not the right way to say it. All I know is I feel comfortable there and actually like it--which I can't say about regular gyms.

Dave and I just enjoyed a nice weekend at the campground for our final weekend of camping and especially for our 28th anniversary. It was long on the campground part and short on the anniversary part but with such great surroundings and good friends how could we go wrong. It was really odd to have such temperatures (80's) on the 6th of Oct.

Dave's in his 3rd week of travel now and we're starting to get a pattern set for our new way of life. So far so good. We've always done fairly well living apart as has so often been the case with his work.

It's been interesting reading to find when I got home. I find myself seeing all the points of view and agreeing with them all as well. Spending time alone I often long for the touch of my lover even if it's just to say good night. On the other hand, I also enjoy the meaningful glances or just plain comfy-ness of companionship that comes with the day to day. Depends on my psychy at the moment.

I'm sorry I'll be missing you this fall Lori. We'll keep trying though.

Richard, I don't think I've written that poem yet! If I do, I'll let you know. Right now I'm really stuck in my writing and will probably tell my poetry group today that I need to take a break. I need to slow down the pace and can't come up with something new every 2 weeks. Karen, you should have an advice column in the newspaper. I love the way you put things.

By the way, after changing my mind about 50 times about whether or not I'm going to Vermont, I did finally buy tickets. My daughter is coming with me this time. Her husband is busy with work, and it's a busy time at Avi's business, so it will just be the 2 of us (Oct. 18-22). I won't make it down to Springfield this time, and I realize it won't work out to have the mini-reunion we were talking about, but if anyone does have time to meet in Burlington, I could fit that in. We'll be busy with my parents and my brother and his family most of the time. Patti, I'm still hoping to get there sometime when you're in the area.

i like what you guys are saying. lori, i did see that you were talking about a special kind of communication and i think that your poem is beautiful for that. that is one of a few reasons why i like it. it was fun to exchange some messages cuz of recent experiences for me and what you had written in "signals." i also really enjoyed what you wrote, karen, and i was waiting to hear you weigh in. i agree with your perspective of no news is good news. some calm moments are okay and i do hope (like you) that my next connection thinks that she is lucky. i guess we better both feel that way or i will probably just hang tight with my bowling team. some of my perspective was just being offered cuz i am not in quiet moments with that person that has the comfort of an old shoe. probably, some of both is nice. i could say- don't underestimate the specialness of a great and unexpected kiss, but hey, who do i think i am talking to here, anyway? now, lori, this is where i don't actually need to know specifics, but i would enjoy reading any poems that you have written on the topic of a great and unexpected kiss. love (like the appropriate kind that you can have for one of your high school buds), richard

Yes, you're right, but maybe that's what follows after the intention is clear. But I think I was talking more about communication in that poem--not the usual way of communicating, but something coming across from the other person's presence.

hi lori. i like your poem. it only leaves me wondering about ignition sources. i see potentail fuel in the intentions of he and she and i see some oxygen in the fact that they are together. in this picture i do not see openness to ignition. i do not see he and she being the headline together. i see a disturbing lack of eye contact (line- head to head) and a man that fears real connection with his lover as he uses the paper as a prophylactic measure and as his veil of connection to the real world. that is the impact for me and probably not what you intended. you asked me, "isn't the impact there when you're aware of the intent?" i say, no. it is like the difference between potential and kinetic energy. how different is it to have the awareness that your lover probably wants good things for you and having the skin of his lips pressing against yours? how different is it when the real world is looking deeply into your eyes, smiling, and telling you that it loves you with passion? i think these are different.