Select Page
Three Thoughts for Thursday

Three Thoughts for Thursday

Unusual color combinations, seeding grass, and monsoon autumn rains in this week's 3 thoughts.

  1. An unusual combination: Brightly colored autumn leaves landing on spring green grass. That’s what happens when September in Iowa includes monsoon rain one day and chilly temperatures the next.
  2. A reason to be thankful: All the recent rain means the grass seed planted two weeks ago is coming up without much extra watering.
  3. A reason to cheer: The monsoon moisture has stayed in the ground and out of the basement. Which means the Man of Steel’s basement project is a success. (Insert crowd cheering noises here.)

What are you thankful for this week? Leave a comment.

Three Thoughts for Thursday

Three Thoughts for Thursday

NASA's concept of a bargain basement, a new vision of magic words, and the beauty of autumn in this week's 3 thoughts.

  1. In an interview, a aerospace engineer suggested the US explore Mars with a satellite for the bargain basement price of 75 million dollars. That was, perhaps, the first time the phrases “bargain basement price” and “75 million dollars” were used in the same sentence.
  2. My 3-year-old grandson is learning to use magic words like “please” and “thank you.” But because he’s only 3, he calls them “maggot words.” Such a word picture.
  3. Sometimes, the beauty that is October brings tears to my eyes. What brings tears to your eyes in October?
Top Ten Things About the End of Daylight Savings Time

Top Ten Things About the End of Daylight Savings Time

daylight savings time breakfast for supper

10. It’s the closest thing to time travel most of us will ever get.

9.  There’s more time to turn the lights down low for a romantic evening and not notice the need to dust the furniture.

8.  When it’s dark by suppertime, jammies are perfectly acceptable dining attire.

7.  Once everyone’s wearing jammies to the table, serving breakfast for supper is also perfectly acceptable.

6.   So is going to bed early after meal clean up. Which is incredibly easy when cereal bowls and spoons are the only things that need washing.

5.  School children who wear jammies to the table, eat breakfast for supper, and wake up early because they went to bed early the night before no longer have to wait for the bus in the dark on school days.

4.  Writers and bloggers who wear jammies to the table, eat breakfast for supper, and wake up early because they went to bed early no longer have to take their morning walk in the dark either.

3.  On evenings when people don’t hit the hay immediately after wearing jammies to the table and eating breakfast for supper, it’s too dark to do anything but binge watch the Modern Family Season 5 DVD, which you have on loan from the library for 1 short week after waiting months for your turn to check it out.

2.  Fall back in the fall means an extra hour of sleep this weekend. Heavenly!

1.  The end of Daylight Savings Time means only 4 short months until March 9 when it and spring make their glorious re-appearance.

What would you add to the list? Leave a comment!

Top Ten Reasons to Take a Fall Road Trip

Top Ten Reasons to Take a Fall Road Trip

fall colors

10.  Gas prices are hovering around the $3.00 mark.

9.   The weather’s comfortable during the day and not too cool at night, so you can turn off both the AC and heat while you’re gone.

8.   You’ll be gone on those warm fall days when the Asian soy beetles and box elder bugs swarm the south side of the house. That means you won’t be letting critters in whenever you go in and out.

7.   Pumpkin spice lattes are available at every pit stop.

6.   You can sleep with the windows open when you arrive at your night time digs.

5.   Watching farmers bring in the harvest makes for an captivating drive.

4.   So does viewing the fall colors along the way, especially along the Mississippi River valley.

3.   Good weather makes it possible to stop and walk around a prairie lake that’s too windy, too cold, or too hot most of the year.

2.  You might be present when a two-year-old is enthralled by the first fuzzy-wuzzy caterpillar he’s ever seen.

1.   Driving west on your way home, watching a magnificent sunset can move you to tears.

What do you love about fall road trips? Leave a comment.

Top Ten Reasons to Appreciate Shrinking Daylight Hours

Top Ten Reasons to Appreciate Shrinking Daylight Hours

Shrinking daylight hoursThe September equinox left the building two days ago. That means shrinking daylight hours and increasing hours of darkness for the next several months. Not my favorite time of year. But in an effort to think positive, I came up with ten things to appreciate this season of darkness.

10.  Unemployment will go down as work hours expand for burglars and peeping toms.

9.   It gets dark soon enough to take kids outside to play with sparklers before bedtime. Yes, toes and fingers and bums will freeze. But we are thinking positive, remember?

8.  Burned out lightbulbs are more obvious and therefore are replaced sooner.

7.  Sunscreen bills go way, way down. No need to mention that heat and lighting bills go up because that wouldn’t be positive. At. All.

6.  Less daylight means people won’t notice dirt in the corners of my car/bathroom/kitchen/closets. You get the idea.

5.  Those who wait to binge watch TV series on DVDs and Netflix don’t have to wait so long.

4.  Putting on jammies right after supper is perfectly acceptable when it’s dark outside.

3.  Long, cozy, dark nights + reading lamp = more hours to read!

2.  Long, dark nights + cold + nasty weather = a perfect reason to stay home and write.

1.  Once each day’s minutes of darkness overtake the minutes of daylight, only three months remain until the December solstice when daylight hours start increasing again!