Gallivanting~Originally Posted 2008

One of the things that use to drive me batty about my mom when she was around my age was that she would just jump in the car and go what I called 'gallivanting'. She use to run to Longs, go home and then run out to the bank and come to our house for awhile, then go home...it was just plain weird to me. I use to wonder how she could stand not having tons of things to do that were worthwhile to keep herself sane. In my mind worthwhile translated to doing, doing, doing for everyone else within a ten mile radius.

Because I was in the summer of my life, I had no concept of what autumn would be like. I was so busy with family and kids, carpooling, housework, working outside our home, etc. that it never even occurred to me there could be choices in my life someday about how I would choose to live my days.

Back then there were no real choices....I just kept at it 24/7. Oh, I could change up my routine but why, really? The laundry, carpooling, Church stuff, cooking and cleaning still had to be done. There was always that blanket of exhaustion, and rarely time to do anything for yourself.

I loved that time in my life, don't get me wrong. I know I was engaged in the most important work I would ever do. And there was lots of joy, lots and lots. I am just saying the routine didn't have many options in those days.

The opposite of all that is true of the autumn of your life. You do have a chance finally to do the things you love and are interested in and still keep a home and family in tact. You can still serve a lot and the best part of that is, you say when and how. Personal enrichment is something you get to do, and again it's when and how you want to do it. It is a time of wonderful freedom and opportunity and I love it.

I know I am so much happier now that I was 10 years ago. You still have lots to do and those to do lists never end, but the beauty is you can just do it another day if you wake up and see that it is a beautiful day and you should take some time and get outside and capture it on your digital point and shoot. So that is what I did today and the carpets can wait until Monday. You won't care, will you?

I totally get what mom was doing now and I wish I'd have understood it better then. She was just taking her time and doing her own thing~what a novel idea! She was enjoying her life and relaxing for the first time ever. I sure miss her and what I could learn now that I know what to ask her.

So here are my pumpkin patch photos. Maybe when you are in the autumn of your life you can go take some for someone else to enjoy while they are busy doing the mommy thing!

Mums the word!

Gourds galore!

Love the tiny ones!

White Pumpkins for Bella

This is for Lee!
The bats, not the witches!

Lovin' the sunflowers

A real Pomegranate Tree! It has been years
literally since I have seen one of these.

This guy got a little carried away with him pumpkin purchase!
As I was walking by I heard him counting
them...78, 79, 80, 81. OK then!

He has the exact same van we do, by the way so my first thought was to play a trick on Jim and show him the photo and ask him to empty the car for me. But he has a different sense of humor than I do so he'd probably just say, huh? He's so (painfully) analytical.

So I am sure Jim will be thrilled that I only came home
today with one pumpkin! He is so far behind on reading my blog
that he probably won't even know about it until Christmas!
Love having it right here on my computer desk!
Jen, look familiar? I Love it!