CHALLENGE.......the great outdoors

due to technical diffic...blah...blah...... Wednesday will be "Thankful Monday" this week. I will also be posting the infamous salsa recipe too. (finally!)

Hour after hour yesterday, I twiddled my thumbs as I watched the clock waiting for the phone to ring. The wonderful people at the cable company had given me a "window" of time to await the internet repair man. My window of time? Between 8 am and 5 p.m.
Nice window. Not that I had anywhere to be, because I didn't, but since I couldn't, I wanted to. That makes perfect sense right?
So, at 5:01, after no call, I loaded the kids in the stroller, baby in the pack, and even included our very-neglected dog for a little fresh air. Have I mentioned that I love fall? Because, I really, really do. I need to get out more. Literally.

We made for quite the sight. Me, wrangling the double stroller and pulling the dog leash with all of my might. Meanwhile, my baby discovered the greatest new thing in the trampoline world, also known as: my back. About a mile down the corn-field lined road, things settled: the dog walked, the baby relaxed and the kids laughed. We searched for snake grass and cat tails. (countrified terms for ditch-bank weeds)
It was lovely.
I even finally broke in the new "cross-trainer" shoes I got for my birthday (in August). I know! August. They are so pretty and white though, I just couldn't bare to see them scuffed.
It was perfectly perfect. I might just venture out of the confines of my home/car/grocery store tomorrow too. And, maybe the next day after that.

CHALLENGE.....the great outdoors

Don't just go outside. Be outside. Lay in the grass. Breathe in the air- really, I mean it; big can't-get-enough of it gulps of fresh autumn air. I am quite biased towards fall, but you cannot, cannot get better weather, surroundings, color, smells, foods, etc. than in the fall.

It might reach even 90 degrees here today! 90! Yet, it still is cool & crisp this morning and will be this evening. I love it. I like it, I love it. I want some more of it. I tried so hard.....

For some reason, I have had odd songs going through my mind all day today. Like Bette Midler's Wind Beneath My Wings and well....I don't know the names or artists or any of the others, so I can't tell you. But weird songs I tell you. Weird.

Right at the end of our walk, my cell phone rang and wouldn't you know it, the repair man was almost to my house. I was all about opening up that 8-5 window for extended hours.
We arrived at the driveway simultaneously, and I led him into the toy-strewn family room, past the dishes laden table, and stepping over the booby-trap the kids had lovingly (not so much) set for the awaited "computer guy." It was complete with crepe paper fencing and NOT ALLOWED signs.
The best part? I was in such a great mood from spending some time outside that I didn't even care. I didn't care that he was late. I didn't care that the house wasn't in an orderly fashion. I didn't even care that my daughter called the nice repair man a poopy-head. Oh, and then she called a visitor that stopped by a while later a poopy-head too. Nope, still didn't care. Because, by then, we were back outside and loving it.

So, are you in? WAIT! Hold the phone! I love cheesy one-liners (It is a family trait, I can't help it! Blame my older brother):
Are you out?

Oh- and, does anyone know who sings that "I like it, I love it..." song? What is it called? What song is stuck in your head?