AM~Erica's Future Self Has Screwed Up the Entirety of Time

So anyway...

Today is just one of those days. It just is. You know the ones where you go to do something & it turns out you already did it, but had no idea...then it messes with your head & forget why you did other things & it screws up an entire planned out schedule you really need to follow...and somehow it all still turns out OK, but you have no idea how? You haven't? Oh...well, it happens to me.

Don't act shocked either...cuz I know you are just being facetious.

Not sure if you remember, but MY FUTURE SELF DID IT TO ME BEFORE, and my future self struck again!!

*sigh*

It started out when I woke up, unexpectedly, just before 4:30 this morning. I hate it when that happens! But it does...but I knew I had just an hour more before my SET alarm was to go off. And I know it was set because my future self beat me to it last night...which I realized when I tried to set it again & it was already on.

Figures.

Well then, I woke up unexpected again. Ugh...but I looked at the clock...and...MY ALARM WAS OFF!!! WHAT??? And not only did I get in the extra hour...but another half hour on top of that! Grrrrr....

Darn you, future self!!! You set my alarm AND turn it off? I'm so mean to myself!

Well, that put me behind in getting 2 high schoolers around. Yeah...that sounds like it should go well...

But I woke them up & explained we were a few minutes behind & to start getting ready while I threw breakfast together for them. I went as fast as I could (since my future self apparently didn't see it necessary to go ahead with that part of the morning's schedule) to get food out for them to make sure they consumed something! So, I went to tell them that breakfast was ready & they had 20 minutes to finish up to get out the door...and neither had attempted to get up! D'oh!

Hubby offered to take them to school...but I wanted to show up my arch nemesis = My Future Self.

After poking & prodding & nagging...they got around & actually got out the door to catch the bus...ON TIME! WHAT? Take that, Future Self! HA!

Now since Future Self threw me all off...I forgot why I didn't have Lil Guy get cleaned up last night...beyond just timing. I was behind in making sure he had clean underwear. D'oh! So I did that last night so I could get him around a little earlier this morning to get cleaned up. But I was so thrown off by My Future Self's shenanigans, I went back into "typical morning scheduling."

I went to get Lil Guy up & figure out his breakfast...that I realized...he needed to get clean! (Trust me...he's a little boy...and needs to be cleaned!) So I hurriedly reminded him he needed a shower, but only after I had gotten his breakfast ready! D'oh! 

He got up & got all cleaned, got dressed, ate and was ready to walk out the door for the bus...ON TIME! WHAT??? That's right...take that, again, Future Self! HA! In-yo-face! (Which is in MY face...but whatever...)

Like I said, with My Future Self (now an arch nemesis) and my unknown shenanigans I pull before I even know it...I realize I have incredible powers in a parallel universe...

Remember this guy? And I always seem to relate to this particular commercial.
The one where his future self beat him to the punch...yeah...it's like that...

Today is also the 1st day of Spring! Winter is officially over!!! Or is it??

Remember? There is CRAZY MIDWEST WEATHER to keep in mind... We are still planning for more snow in the next few days. WHAT??? What is this craziness???

So I have come to the conclusion that the mix up of weather & global warming could only come from one thing: the time bending of My Future Self! Whenever My Future Self messes with me, it screws up all space & time for everyone else!

For that...I apologize. But I seem to be having trouble containing & controlling My Future Self...

I WILL GET YOU, MY FUTURE SELF! YOU JUST WAIT!!! 

(as I seem to be yelling to myself...hmmm...)

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Should be a Bear

So anyway...

I need to be a bear. Trust me & let me explain...

I'm not sure if you know...but we are quickly approaching the middle of November.

Where has this year gone?? And, with it being November, it's bringing on some very different & transitional things...

I've talked about it PREVIOUSLY IN A POST about decorating a Christmas tree right after Halloween. We jump right from October straight to December. However, we get some serious transition during this month.

Besides just the stores & commercials showing winter holiday stuff, the coats, scarves, gloves, hats, boots, sweaters, etc. are out in the fullest of forces. I love it! Except I'm not fond of "too cold." I love, Love, LOVE weather with lows in the 40's, highs in the 50's & 60's. Anything lower than that? BURRRRRRRRRRR!!! Too. Cold. For. Me.

Yesterday, here in KC, the highs were in the 70's, people...like, almost 80 degrees. That's so not right! But...only in the midwest...can the temp change so fast, it can make your head spin & throw your body into shock! There's a saying around here: "If you don't like the weather, hang on for 5 minutes..."

Because it's true.

And, with that said...today started out in the 60's early this morning. It rained & rained (that's good...we needed it because of the drought & Sandy wasn't in the mood to help out ISAAC around here), and the temps dropped so fast! By the time it was around 10 AM, it was in the 30's. Seriously. When we left church just after noon, there was sleet & ice on the windows. Seriously.

With temps that can be that low, it also calls for some different foods coming our way, too. And it's bracing for holiday foods coming our way, too.

Lately, we have been eating some new & different comfort foods. It's nice to change up menu stuff...but I'm already starting to feel it.

I'm putting on my layers: sweaters, scarves, jeans, tights, sweatshirts...fat layers...*face palm*

Maybe I should be like a bear. OK...sometimes my hubby (and other family members) might already agree with that...all year round...but if I'm putting on my fat layers, my fur substitute, shaving less, this should mean I can hibernate more now, right? RIGHT??

There is something that's been floating around on the interwebs for years about how I wish I was a bear:

If you're a bear, you get to hibernate.

You do nothing but sleep for six months.

I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself into a stupor.

I could deal with that, too.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business.

You swat anyone who bothers your cubs.

If your cubs get out of line, you swat them, too. 

Your husband expects you to growl when you wake up. 

He expects you to have hairy legs and excess body fat. 

I wish I was a bear.

With all of the stuff we've been doing, eating & experiencing lately...I'm on the right track!

* Eating yourself into a stupor? CHECK!

* Swatting others who mess with my kiddos? I wish, but I've come close...year round...

* Swatting my kiddos when they are out of line? If I gotta...CHECK!

* Growling when I wake up? CHECK! Hubby expects it? Probably...but not a good thing...

* Hairy legs? OK...sometimes CHECK! But hubby isn't impressed with my "stabbin' stubblies"...

* Excess body fat? I'm apparently working on it. I'm eating a lot of substancy food stuffs. Hubby impressed? With the food, not the fat. D'oh!

* Hibernation? I so wish... With the changing of seasons, the more the kiddos are involved with & I gotta be the mommy taxi. So...this one shall remain a wish.

So I will give you my warning: every time something I wear or consume becomes thicker...I am that much closer to becoming a bear!

You've been warned. I guess I need a really, Really, REALLY long nap! Happy Holidays... (a girl can dream, right?)

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Celebrates the Fall of Isaac

So anyway...

The midwest had a brutal summer. We are technically still in a drought & desperately behind in moisture. And it has been so dry that the colors of autumn were being threatened.

That's where I draw the line, buddy!

I have brought up before how much I LOVE FALL. I can't say it enough. Ever. So the thought of having one of my favorite parts taken away is totally unacceptable.

There were so many people watering their lawns, and then there were limits set on that from different cities around the KC metro (and other areas) due to supply & demand. And we were trying so hard get our apples going.

Then there was a weather event at the end of July that looked to be changing things: Hurricane Isaac.

Now, don't get me wrong...Isaac was a meany-head when he got done swimming in the ocean. He did quite a bit of damage in the NOLA area (New Orleans). However, he worked on his journey northward...and sauntered into the midwest. The south was not so hospitable to their hostile guest...and that is understandable. The south needed Isaac to leave! But having him chill out & mosey on into our territory worked out really well. He behaved by the time he got here. He cooled down the 100 degree air & stayed for a good, long visit. I think I figured it was a calm, peaceful & delightful 31-hour stay.

We left the doors open to enjoy Isaac's visit. We rejoiced in the fact that we were catching up on major moisture we so desperately needed. I'm sure Isaac is very sorry for the tantrum he threw down south. But we enjoyed his visit here. He really helped us out! And we truly enjoyed him coming.

After that, the rest of August was much calmer. What should have been the "dog days of summer" being so hot & awful, it became much more mild than expected. But we were concerned about the damage that had already set in. There were leaves changing color & singeing even in July. We also believed that autumn would be much more muted in hues due to the drought.

As the new season of autumn came upon us, the weather became just as it needed to be. I have been loving wearing my scarves, boots, leg warmers & sweaters. And, also, my hubby & I have been noticing a change in color of the leaves. The hues seem to be deep, rich, and much more vibrant than the color was believed to be.

This. Makes. Me. Happy.

We owe Isaac so much. He's given our area the gift of a beautiful fall. We are still behind in ground liquid, but Isaac did more than you could possibly imagine. Hurricanes & their damage make me sad. Isaac learned his lesson by the time he got here & used his powers for good.

So we celebrate this "Fall of Isaac"! I'm sure many will join us in our sentiment.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

** UPDATE**
Due to me not having my camera during most of October, I didn't get a lot of the beautiful color that came from the autumn leaves. However, we do have a little still in November. This is due to the long visit we had from Isaac back in the summer, as of today, November 7th, 2012:

Beautiful, right? Thanks, again, Isaac!

AM~Erica is Faking Fall

So anyway...

You should already know that fall is my favorite season. If not, you can learn how much I love it by reading & looking at my Pinterest boards & Facebook updates.

The midwest has gone thru a horrible drought this year. It's sad. Even though there hasn't had to be lawns to mow...the lawns are straw. And it's not looking good for vibrant color this autumn. That makes me so sad. Because I am more than ready for the upcoming season after all the miserable triple-digit temperature days we have been surviving.

It's now mid August. We are in the "dog days of summer", a time we usually brace for serious heat! But there has been a break in the major heat. This break has also brought on some beautiful morning lows of temps in the 60's. And with Pinterest pinners pinning beautiful autumn inspired pins (i.e. nature, fashion, recipes, Halloween & Thanksgiving, colors, etc.), it makes me crave it even more.

I have been enjoying mornings with the back door open, chilling (literally & figuritively) on the deck with my cup of hot coffee in the morning or a glass of wine in the cool evening, Glade autumn scent of maple pumpkin, cardigans, sweaters, and boots. It makes gazing upon our APPLE TREE even better!

(a view of some of our apples & "straw" from the deck thru other foliage - figured out they may be Golden Delicious)

I've been eating apple-y things, wanting pumpkin-y things, gawking over autumn-y fashion, enjoying the chill-y mornings (see what I did there?)...

My hubby has been delighting in this with me, too. It also makes us long for the fall season now is that it's preseason of NFL football. GO CHIEFS! We went & checked out Chiefs training camp while it was in St. Joe, MO, and we are going to take in one of the preseason games! Can't wait to partake in some famous KC tailgating! 

Another sign of the season change is the fact that school has begun. More of a routine is being set, and it's a weird one for me. Since Teen Girl & Teen Boy are BOTH in high school, it's very strange to not have to keep going in a cycle of get-a-kid-out-the-door-and-begin-the-next-kid thing. I have down time between the older 2 leaving & Lil Guy getting up.

We have been so busy this summer, even our vacation was all about going-going-going, that it is great to have those moments of just relaxing & enjoying. We don't get to do it very often, so this is a fabulous change of pace. And a needed one. It really does help us deal with the hustle & bustle better.

Last year was too busy. We were going in 8 directions at the same time, so it made us grumpy & resentful of the seasons. You know something is wrong if I don't put up fall decor in the summertime. And I didn't. We only put up one Christmas tree last year when I usually have about 5. One got thrown up last minute, and one got put up, but undecorated, a couple of days before Christmas. That one is still up. D'oh! But we didn't enjoy our favorite times of the year last year. It was awful.

This year...we have plans, hopes & aspirations of great seasons. The drought may have spoiled the vibrant colors for the year, but it hasn't dried out our vibrant spirit of how to handle this year. We are actually excited about making plans.

We are beautifully faking fall until it shows up. I can't wait to give it a warm & cozy welcome!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Witnesses Apple Tree Homage

So anyway...

It's July. I know. And I'm not about wishing time away, really. My kids are growing so fast, it's almost unbelievable. However, I hate summer. I know it's one of the seasons & I love having seasons, and God created the seasons, but it's just TOO HOT!!! At least for me.

The midwest is really good for having seasons. Cuz we get SEASONS. Winter is what you'd imagine winter to be, spring is the same, as well as this nasty hotness of summer. We also get to revel in the fall season. Not sure if you can tell or not, but it's my favorite! I LOVE ME SOME AUTUMN!!

You know what I really love about Fall? ALL OF IT! I'm not kidding. The crops (pumpkin, apple, etc.), the weather, the color, the holidays, the sports (*ahem* Football). Ah...I can't wait.

The weather & weather conditions have been crazy all over the U.S. the past several months. A lot of rain in some areas, crazy fires in others, and then we have been having drought-like conditions here...so envious of those getting the rain. The several days of triple-digit temps is ridiculous. Luckily we are no where near the number of days this has happened like back in 1936. 50+ days of triple digits temps? NO THANK YOU!

Lately (the last few days), we have had a break from the 100+ temps & it's only been in the 90's. OK, still...YUCK! However, it has brought on low temps in the 60's & 70's. YEA! My kind of temps, people!

Just to hold a cup of hot coffee while standing on the deck feeling those low temps that I was wishing were the high temps. I love some crispness in the air. And we do have some leaves in the backyard that lends to the fall-like feel. OK...just a few, but I'll take what I can get. Then I can gaze upon our lone backyard tree that has become apple bearing...and that helps me focus on the upcoming fall season, too.

This tree is something interesting. We moved into this house 2 years ago. It was exciting that there were 2 trees side-by-side in the back corner of the yard. One of them was apple-bearing. And I cannot exaggerate that enough. I truly believe there were more apples than leaves on that tree. I was SO excited! It made me think of growing up at my grandmother's when she lived in her house with one big tree in the backyard, plus 3 apple trees. I loved those apple trees. They were easy to climb (so cool for an 80's prodigy kid), and they bore apples! One of the great memories from my childhood.

Oh, let's skip back to my backyard and the trees: people figured I would be making a lot of apple pies by the time September rolled around. But it wasn't to be. *sigh* about 2 weeks after we moved in, we had a big storm come thru. The trees were fine, just a few branches down. About a week later, another storm hit...and the roots of our very heavy apple tree were very shallow. That second storm took that tree...it tipped over. We lost the tree I was so excited about. I was so sad. But we had the other tree that now stood alone.

Last year, I noticed something about that tree...on the side that faced where the other tree once stood...a single apple grew. I was shocked to see this fruitless tree carrying an apple on a single branch.

Here it is, another year later...and here is that single tree that was fruitless 2 years ago:

Do you see what is on there? Those green polka dots are apples. They are everywhere on the tree!

Smack dab in the middle of this pic is where the single apple grew last year. Look at it now!

Look at how the fruit is growing. Abundantly!

I can't help but feel like this tree has taken on the legacy of the other tree. Like paying homage to a fallen friend. Weird? Maybe...but I keep saying my brain works in odd & interesting ways. And seeing this...*deep sigh* I can't help it.

Fall is coming, y'all. And there is beauty all around to show it. Like the homage of an apple tree.

Until then, I will deal with the icky heat & pray for rain. I got to stand outside in a light rain shower...and it was refreshing.

A hot mug of cider, the air being about 50-60 degrees, a crispness in the air & a snuggle by a fire would be quite refreshing, too...

Tick-tick...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica