Dear Reader:

We did it! We waited out summer and got  our reward- fall ! It finally came! Aren’t these flowers beautiful! Mandy’s wonderful mother-in-law Joan and daughter Michele couldn’t have kicked off the fall season in a more exquisite way! Thank you both- it brightens the whole house!

Eva Cate and I have become roomies this past week and homework buddies! When I pick her up from school we plan a little mini- trip each afternoon to celebrate another good, fun school day!

It makes such a difference to stagger the return of small school children back home (I have realized) so everybody gets their own “me” down time.

Being here this week at John and Mandy’s has brought back memories of child-raising with all its challenges off-set by the sweetest moments you just want to freeze.

It has also been a great lesson for the value of family- why family always pulls together and  helps each other as situations arise that require extra attention. It is important for children to observe this and imitate it as adults.

Since yesterday was the first “official” day of fall I decided to ride around Mandy and John’s neighborhood and say good-bye to summer and embrace fall with a few snapshots!

I headed home last night to check on the garden, pick up my mail and grab some more clothes…heading back later this morning to help with getting set up for Jakie’s little party!🎉

I apparently just missed a thunderstorm when I got in around 7:30 last night…I did stop by the Sweet Tea Festival for a few minutes and will put some pictures on tomorrow’s blog. It was fun…festivals make little “cities” feel like little towns again, don’t they?

So the birthday weekend is getting in high gear….Jakie’s, mine, and Rhodes….love to be surrounded by two handsome young men!

So until tomorrow….I am ‘hitting the sack’ and catching some ‘sleep-eye’ before heading back to Mt. Pleasant. Life is never boring! Thank goodness!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* I apologize readers for not responding to your wonderful comments as much this past week…I promise to catch up next week….and any other correspondence I haven’t had a chance to even open. I am ‘belatedly befuddled.’ Thank you for your patience and for those Race for the Cure donations that keep coming in…the best birthday presents ever! Love y’all!