the "Pumpkin Pile" -p.s. scroll down for newly added pics

Strange thing happened this fall---somehow, some pumpkin vines began growing in the middle of a pile of brush south of Mom and Dad's house. Eric had to climb up the brush pile to pick pumpkins from the top. Dad had at least 15 good-sized pumpkins---couldn't have grown any better if he'd planned it!

A few weeks ago I was having many of the one-sided conversations I have with my mom. You know...."yada, yada, yada, you know what I mean?" And Mom said, "jellybean." It made me laugh. I gave her a kiss and said, "Well, you ARE listening a little bit, aren't you? I thought I was being ignored." She smiled.

Last weekend I put her to bed and laid down beside her for a while. She smiled at me. Her eyes were crystal clear. I felt like, "You're in there and you know what's going on, don't you?" Maybe it was wishful thinking, but sometimes she looks completely spaced out and other times, her eyes are perfect. Anyway, I choose to believe we had a moment.

Some things Mom likes best are sweaters or jackets---must be a security thing. She wears one no matter how hot it is. She also enjoys little packages of food or drinks like little juice bottles, applesauce cups, little cups of vegetables---things she can just open and eat all by herself. She wants to put things in her mouth constantly, and as long as it's not constant Twinkies I don't mind. She likes little bags of Cheerios and I bet she would like some of those itty-bitty cereal boxes she could just open and eat dry. She can't have hard things like nuts because she may choke, but if you're coming down and thinking, "What could I bring that she would like?" any of this sort of thing is a good bet. She enjoyed the books that she has received from folks, too. Dad thinks she likes the pajamas I bought her for her birthday. They are soft capri pants and a t-shirt thing and very cozy. She did turn around so we could all admire. It may be that HE likes them, mostly. They're lavender. If Daddy could clothe the women of the world, we'd all be in purple--with Jackie Onassis-style hats. He said about Mom, "She looks good in purple, but she looks like Helen Brown." hardy-har