Excuses and More

I apologize to the readers of The Daily Mom who may have noticed that it hasn't been too "daily" lately. Maybe I should change the name! I have been a slacker I admit, but like any lazy bum I do have a lot of excuses!!
--We've had the best weather of the summer the past two weeks here. Sunny and in the upper 70s-low 80s every day. I have to take advantage of it while it lasts!
--Walking the dogs through the woods as the trees turn brilliant colors is something I look forward to every day now. I don't think there is anything more beautiful in nature than the fall colors, and Wisconsin has some of the best! They almost make it worth enduring the winter that follows.
--I've done a lot of running around lately--Elk Mound to Madison and back, plus regular weekly errands and chores. I walk with my friend Cindy once a week, followed by a stop for something to drink and maybe a bakery treat and chatting. Yakking takes less time than thinking of a topic and writing about it!
--Fred had a couple nights this week when he couldn't sleep--which meant I was awake a lot, too. He confessed to having coffee at an evening meeting one of the nights as we lay awake at 2:30. He asked for suggestions on how to get to sleep, and I said that a pillow pushed down on his face would probably work. He didn't like that idea. Katie recommended that we have separate "Grandma and Grandpa" bedrooms. He didn't like that one, either.
--I've been contemplating the impending 50th birthday--and eating a lot of chocolate. We are riding over to the Amberg Hilton on the Harley Saturday and celebrating it with some friends there. We'll visit the Peshtigo Fire Museum Sunday and be back in time for the Packers-Bears game that night.

So the next time I write here, I'll be 50 (but I can't promise more maturity!) I'm not going to be bummed about it when my dad and brother didn't even get to reach this decade. Kenny Chesney has a new song out called "I'm Alive" that expresses a good attitude about life, one I will try to adopt. It goes like this:

"So damn easy to say that life's so hard. Everybody's got their share of battle scars . As for me I'd like to thank my lucky stars that I'm alive and well.
It'd be easy to add up all the pain, and all the dreams you've sat and watch go up in flames. Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain...But not me... I'm alive.
And today you know that's good enough for me. Breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see?Today's the first day of the rest of my life, and I'm alive and well...I'm alive and well.
Stars are dancin' on the water here tonight. It's good for the soul when there's not a soul in sight. This motor's caught its wind and brought me back to life--now I'm alive and well.
And today you know that's good enough for me. Breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see?Today's the first day of the rest of my life...Now I'm alive and well. Yeah I'm alive and well...
Happy birthday to me! :)