I haven’t seen Lil Miss for a couple of weeks what with the mother in law being here and the WWII Naval Reunion and such. Last night the phone rang. It was Lil Miss. After I said hello I heard this little voice chirp “did you miss me”? My face broke out into a grin and I told her that yes I did miss. She then informs me “well you haven’t seen me in a long, long time and I know that makes you sad if you don’t see me everyday, so I’m coming over tomorrow so you can see me.” That’s what I love about that girl, she just takes the bull by the horns and tells it like it is. Or more aptly she takes the granny by the apron, eh? After we laid out our plans on when she was arriving she turned to more important matters such as what we were going to do for the afternoon. She told me she had a special treat for me. I begged “Oh tell me, tell me now” and she complied. The treat is she is going to show me how she can not only ride her two wheeler bike without training wheels but she is also going to be standing up while she rides it! Oh the glory! She also decided that we would make cookies (chocolate chips with sprinkles), put up the Halloween village on the mantle, make her dad a birthday card, listen to music in her room and play Barbie’s. What a busy afternoon. Makes me tired just thinking about it. But I have no doubt that we will do all of those things and more. Just give me one smidgeon of her energy.

You know how my freak magnet was going string yesterday? Well it hit again last night. We went into Sams Club and wouldn’t you know I get stopped at the door by the greeter. She wants to know what I think of my ugly blue croc shoes. She loves the color and wants to know where I purchased them and for what price. I am of course, obliging and tell her everything she wants to know. She then proceeds to tell me about her 2 pairs of crocs and where she purchased them and how she paid $29.99 for the first pair from a Hallmark store but then she went to a local drugstore and got the 2nd pair for $9.99 but they aren’t real crocs but they are just as comfortable if not more comfortable and she wears them as slippers and she just loves them and is thinking about wearing them to work since she has to stand up so much on her feet and do I think she could get away with that and do I think they will be comfortable on her feet the whole day at work or will there not be enough support on the hard concrete floors of Sams Club? And that was just the beginning of the conversation. What is it about me that compels people to tell me their life story? I don’t get it? But I have to admit that I secretly enjoy being the one that people tell their life stories too. I’m just nosy enough to want to know about their life story. Sometimes…

I have a new addiction. My good friend Jules (who is also a blogger) has opened up an online scrapbook store. I thought Jules was supposed to be such a good friend to me, I mean she has been there for me through thick and thin. Why would she do this to my wallet then? Friends shouldn’t let scrapbook addicted friends shop at scrapbook stores and friends should definitely NEVER open a scrapbook store because then you spend your whole paycheck feeding your addiction. Thanks a lot Jules, thanks a hell of a lot! Seriously though, it is a pretty cool online store you should check it out. (That’s called shameless friend promotion from a friend hoping to get a discount from the friend’s online scrapbook store). And this could not have come at a worse time. You see, I am a fall/winter crafter. My craft addictions lay pretty much dormant during the spring and summer. I am just far too busy to indulge during those seasons. But let a little chilly weather hit and out come the many skeins of yarn, and out comes the tons and tons of scrapbooking supplies, not to mention the trays and trays of beads and beading supplies. I am a craft addict. Is there a twelve step program for this? I could sure use one.

So what did I do this morning? I fired up the woodstove and shopped for crafts supplies online. Yes, my first fire of the season. But that’s nothing like the fire that will be in the G-man’s eyes when he sees the checkbook balance (or lack thereof). Isn’t Fall great!