HAPPY AUTUMN!

I love autumn! It's my favorite season. Just another month before the NBA season begins, preschool is underway, the good TV shows are on (Chuck, Heroes and especially The Office) the new James Taylor CD is released tomorrow and here come the holidays. I can't wait to go to Disneyland, Oak Glen and the Pumpkin Patch with the grandkids and enjoy all the Autumn decorations. Maybe it will even cool off and I can make some soup. I love all the decorations that are already up in the stores. Plus, I am riveted by the presidential campaigns! Even though it still feels like summer here in Moreno Valley, autumn gives me great hope! I love this quote from Sunset magazine:

"Autumn creeps softly in southern California gardens in November. No startling blaze of golden-red foliage or sudden heavy frosts mark the change of seasons here---just subtly cooler days and nights, perhaps a touch of rain and an occasional Santa Ana wind. . . " November 1992

I loved Janae's post about autumn last week, and I copied the questions down and have them all ready to go and I am looking forward to a quiet moment to answer them in my journal. That's the problem. My quiet moments have become few and far between. Although, there are many blessings that are filling up those formerly quiet times: (this might get wordy)

Mark, Rebecca, Paige and Claire are all settled in upstairs. I've survived the trauma of packing up my beloved sewing room (that I waited 27 years for) and guest room and storing my treasures in a storage unit. Mark and Rebecca have rented their home and most of their worldy possessions are in another storage unit 8 doors down (what were we thinking when we thought we could share one storage unit- they are both overflowing)! I am so glad that they have a little bit of privacy with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom of their own. The plan is that they will be here through "the holidays" but I am on the 6 month plan. You never know what can happen with the building process. It is a special time because we just got the happy news that they are expecting baby #3 in April. Yippee!!! They told us the day after we found out Ben and Jamie's baby #2 is a boy!!! `I think their move to Idaho will be such a good one for their family, but I am in complete and total denial that they will be 20 hours away instead of just 20 minutes. I will wait and deal with that when the time comes, especially since Nick works for the same company Mark does, and he and Renee will also be moving to Idaho. Rats!

In addtion to the fun of having the kids here full time, one of my favorite things is having Paige and Claire come in my room every morning to watch Little Einstein's with me. 15 month old Claire sings and "pats" right along with them, it is so adorable.

We spent this past weekend in Lake Elsinore with 2 1/2 year old Luke and 14 month old Dylan while Greg & Melissa got a fun weekend away. They are such sweet, and adorable little boys, and they were so good. Why are we still tired?

Craig has his shoulder surgery (rotator cuff) scheduled at long last for Thursday, October 2. He is anxious to get on with it and get better and back to his life. It is an outpatient procedure but because it is such an extensive injury they cannot do arthroscopic surgery, so the recuperation will not be easy. I think having the Bryant's here right now will be such a blessing for us in so many ways.

Dear Mr. Obama

I recieved this email link to the perfect political ad. Enjoy and pass it on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

Thank you John McCain!

I stayed up way too late Thursday night getting ready for my preschool open house, and then once I got to bed I could not sleep. My biological clock is so messed up from being sedentary for so long plus staying up late watching those darn Olympics. I finally got up and turned the TV on at about 5:00 a.m., just as they were beginning to close in on Seantor McCain's running mate. It was so exciting to hear the LIVE reports. I had been hoping if McCain didn't select Mitt Romney that he would choose a strong woman and I was thrilled to hear it was Alaska's governor, Sarah Palin. I taped her acceptance speech (I know, I'm a news junkie) and I just bawled. I don't know if it was exhuastion, or relief at having the preschool room done or the fact that this woman could make a difference, or a combination of all of the above. I was so impressed with her in so many ways. The more I learn about her the more impressed I am. For the first time I think the Republicans just might be able to pull this off. Speaking of my news junkie problem, I taped the Democratic National Convention, then fast-forwarded through the speeches and went right to the play-by-play after. I love The FOX News Channel! I must admit I did listen to the entire speeches of both Biden and Obama. It seemed like it was nothing new or different, although Obama is a great speaker. The Hollywood hype seems like it should make the choice even more simple and clear. I hope so. I am way too old for those all nighters! After her speech I had a glorious 4 hour nap. After my nap I ordered McCain/Palin bumper stickers and key chains!

Cuckoo's Nest, Cuckoo's Nest!!!

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S SEPTEMBER!!! I guess it's my turn to update my blog, although I'll warn you ahead of time this might be a long one and could be unsettling. I spent the better part of August recuperating from my fall in the tub. I was really fortunate not to have a more serious injury. It was basically a very bad sprain. I had the gnarliest bruise that was black and purple, the size of a basketball on the back of my thigh. I wasn't woman enough to have a picture taken of it, and now I wish I had! It was huge! As long as I laid on the couch or in bed, I felt fine. Standing and walking were okay, but the worst thing was sitting in a chair or having to turn or reach. So that ruled out scrapbooking, sewing or time at the computer. Driving was impossible for 4 weeks. It is amazing how your body uses all your muscles for the most basic movements as well as balance. I now have a greater understanding of how limiting a leg injury can be. After all, you think it's just a leg, what's the big deal. It's a huge deal and I'll never underestimate anyone with a leg or arm injury because you feel so helpless. The good news is that I am finally feeling back to my old self but the bad news is it took a such huge chunk of time to recuperate that I lost so much momentum and feel stressed out of my gourd.

Hence, this post's title of "cuckoo's nest, cuckoo's nest" (one of our family's favorite quotes from the movie The Wedding Singer) because that's basically my state of mind. After being down for 3 weeks I feel like I am in a constant state of emotion and turmoil. I loved watching the Olympics but between staying up late, and my stress at not accomplishing anything, I found myself reduced to tears more often than not! Now don't get me wrong, I am well aware that I'm more emotional than most people and I have embraced that. But it was getting a bit much even for me. Combined with my injury was the news that Craig will need rotator cuff surgery (it's been 4 weeks and still no date) a visit from my sister from New York, Preschool begins Sept 9 with a new curriculum to plan and on Sept 13 Mark, Rebecca, Paige and Claire are moving in with us for a few months before their move to Idaho. In order to accommodate them, I had planned to spend the month of August gradually packing up the guest room and sewing room and turn that space over to them. Since I had tons of sorting and filing to do, it seemed like the perfect motivation to reduce and simplify.

Last week I finally got the bulk of the packing and sorting done and filled up the storage unit. The tricky part was carefully labeling everything so that I would know where to locate it so I could access it the next few months. And it was a project I alone, had to do, so that I would know where to find stuff. Thanks, Melissa, for saving the day. The preschool room looks adorable and I'm ready for a new year. My sister Dana and niece Katie were here for a modified visit that included a glorious trip to the beach with the kids and grandbabies. (I'm so ready for a beach house or a condo if anyone has any tips or hints on that) Still no surgery date for Craig, but I think it will be a blessing to have Mark and Rebecca here during that time. It will be great to have them here for many reasons, and I just can't think about when they will be 12 hours away instead of just 20 minutes. I'm in denial and proud of it.

THE LANDES GIRLS
Lissa, Dana and Suzy