Catching up.... still.

.... it's the middle of September and I feel like I'm still catching up with myself.  What on earth happened to August?

I haven't started to read "War and Peace" yet, but I'm working my way down to that part of the pile of books-to-be-read.  I've started reading Irving Stone's book about Vincent Van Gogh.... wonderful story.  When my husband and I were in Amsterdam years ago, we went to a museum filled with Van Gogh's paintings.  So many museums there to choose from, and we saw quite a few, but the Van Gogh exhibit was worth every minute.

This particular volume of "Lust for Life" is filled with pages of Van Gogh's artwork.  It's a beautiful vintage copy and I found it in the thrift store the week after I found Irving Stone's "The Agony and The Ecstasy," his book about Michelangelo.   Honestly, every book in the state of Texas eventually finds it way to that thrift store.

Speaking of books........... the carpenter tells us that we're on his list for the beginning of October. I will believe it when I see him out on the porch with his bag of tools.  I'm sure he'll be here... he has always been as good as his word. 

We've had a lot of rain since last I typed.  Pouring-down soaking rain that lasted for hours and hours. Still not enough to fill up the ponds, but surely enough to wet down all the pastures and everything is green and thriving again. (And needs to be mowed again.)

I've had a battle of wits with the local post office this past week...... a package that I sent to one of my cousins in NY somehow got side-tracked and was sent to Beaumont, Texas.  How do I know that? Because the tracking confirmation number on the package listed its status as being delivered in Beaumont.  Of course, I was on the phone to our post office, and filling out on-line lost-package forms.                                                                                                                                            

Wonder of wonders, the USPS people called me up and told me that they were checking high and low in Beaumont for that package.   Three days later, my cousin called to tell me that she received the package.... I called the post office to tell them just that.... and the postmaster told me "Well now, she couldn't possibly have that package because my computer is telling me that it was delivered in Beaumont five days ago."

The postmaster didn't believe me and my cousin......... she believed what her computer was telling her. (Talk about being a slave to technology.) I suggested that maybe the tracking sticker came off of my cousin's package and got re-stuck on a package that was indeed headed for Beaumont.  After a few seconds of silence, she agreed that that could have happened.  I thanked the woman for her help, agreed to fill out an on-line survey about my postal experience, and then thanked the Postal-Powers-That-Be for getting that package to NY after its short delay in Beaumont.

The intense 100-degree heat is now just a memory.  The afternoon temperatures have been hovering at or just below 90 degrees.... with nice breezes and very low humidity.  The cats are enjoying the balmy air out in the kitty-coop during the day, watching frogs and lizards and hummingbirds..... and listening to 1,873 crows as they sit in the pecan trees waiting for the pods to release the nuts.  My husband takes an air-horn out on the porch and blasts it in the direction of the pecan trees..... the crows clearly do not like such a disturbance, and off they go, flying to the neighbors' pecan trees, no doubt.

I've started to write out the invitations for our Halloween party..... it already looks like a party on the first floor of the house.  Black cats and smiling witches, happy pumpkins all over the place, and the little corner by the fireplace in the living room is piling up with party gifts and costume prizes.  Halloween will be here before you know it..... so BOO! to you all......!