I send cards and notes all the time, via snail-mail just because it’s almost a lost art. Also, it’s nice to get something in the mail that’s not an ad or a bill. I like adding a quote that fits the occasion to my personal text.

In celebration of International Women’s Day (I thought that was everyday!) here’s some inspirational quotes from women:

– Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.  Ella Fitzgerald

– God made man and then said ‘I can do better than that’ and made woman.  Adela Rogers St. Johns

– Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but also raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.  Mia Hamm

–  Whoever established the high road and how high it should be, should be fired. Sandra Bullock

– Grief is the price we pay for love. Queen Elizabeth II

– I used my imagination to make the grass whatever color I wanted it to be.  Whoopi Goldberg

– People fail forward to success.  Mary Kay Ash

– In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different. Coco Chanel

– I don’t want my wrinkles taken away – I don’t want to look like everyone else.  Jane Fonda

– If you judge people, you have no time to love them.  Mother Teresa

– My idea of a superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors.  Bette Midler

– Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ‘I’m with you kid. Let’s go’  Maya Angelou

– The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.  Julia Child

– God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I’ve ever met.  Farrah Fawcett

– Beauty comes from a life well lived. If you’ve lived well, your smile lines are in the right places and your frown lines aren’t too bad.  Jennifer Garner

– It is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.  Agatha Christie

– I have witnessed the softening of the hardest of hearts by a simple smile.  Goldie Hawn

– You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.  Mae West

– How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.  Anne Frank

– The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.  Audrey Hepburn

– Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain. Vivian Greene

I do believe in ghosts – good ones, like an angel watching over us but not the scary kind. No siree. Don’t wanna look at them at all. I don’t like uncovered windows after dark – there might be someone looking in and I’ll see their reflection. Keep the sound of rattling chains away from me too– that’s spooky.

But this time of year it’s all over the place. I read that the amount of Halloween decorations are second only to Christmas. Driving through my son’s neighborhood on the west side – I can believe it! Makes my little jack-o-lantern w/electric light look bad.

I only took my kids & grand-kids to the un-spooky hours for the Children’s Museum Haunted House.  But when they got older they all went to the ‘real’ ones in Greenwood and Beech Grove. Having some guy chase me around the parking lot with a chain saw is not my idea of fun.

We used to do a haunted house for the younger kids at Sunday School (pretty lame by today’s standards I’m sure). The older kids got a kick out of scaring their siblings. And I did dress up in a witch’s outfit and play spooky music one year giving out Treats. My costumes are usually the kind you have to think about, a play on words; like the year I went as the tv show ‘Lost’ with pieces of maps and a compass attached to my shirt.

You’d think kids would learn by now how to get away with the pranks too. But a group of boys were stopped in a Walmart when security cameras saw them purchasing large amounts of toilet paper- they were not arrested, just didn’t get to buy it.  We stored it up for months just waiting for October 31.  I only did the TP thing a couple of times; once at my English teacher’s house – but he turned the porch light on so we had to lay in a cold, damp ditch for a long time. Then once at my Uncle’s house in Kentucky. They’d never heard of TPing so I showed my cousins how to do it.  Well, my Uncle was not amused and made us go out and take it all off the trees before we left for church. So much for my hooligan days!

Happy Halloween!

Yes, I celebrated a birthday recently and am still celebrating! My boss said he’s never seen anyone stretch out a birthday as long as I can. But, hey – it only comes once a year so I enjoy it to the max.  I was going to wax eloquent about the passing of another year but decided to keep it simple.

It’s been an interesting year – ups and downs as usual but nothing earth shattering until March & April. That’s when I found out several co-workers were being severanced (we don’t use down-sized anymore).  I’ve been at the same company for 30+ years and this happens as it does everywhere in corporate America. But maybe because I’m older and looking at the autumn of my life, this time is different.

I’ve worked with most of the folks for six years and made some lasting friendships. Some were long distance since we’re a global company but nonetheless, we became fast friends. We had meetings twice a year or so and they’d travel to Indy so we got to meet face-to-face and spend time together. Several work in the same building and we shared lunchtimes, discussing life problems and last nights DWTS results. I know their birthdays, kid’s names, favorite foods and drinks. We’d do things outside of work too: Girls Night Out, concerts, movies, holiday parties and volunteer events. Another difficult aspect is that I have to process their ‘termination’ (off-boarding in corporate speak) so yes, it’s hard on those staying behind.

One of them has been a friend for over 30 years – we’ve been through a lot together: divorces, re-marriages, re-locations, kids, grand-kids, health issues (human and animal) but always there when needed even from a distance.

It’s going to be a change knowing they’re not here every day. Yes, I know we can communicate through all kinds of technology, but not being able to see them every day will be different. So, I’ll take a deep breath and put those friendships in another category. It will be an effort but I’ll certainly try to keep in touch ’cause I want to be able to celebrate next year’s birthday with them!

Ah, cooler weather – haven’t we all been waiting for this? Perfect temps to get out and enjoy Indy and nearby locations.  Hopefully something will catch your eye:

• Sept. 13  The Jackie Look – film & conversation at IMA
• Sept. 15  Speedway Spectacular with a Parade!  Also Sister Cities International Festival at City Market
• Sept. 19-22 Sullivan Corn Festival w/The Wright Brothers band
• Sept. 21  Oktoberfest Downtown on Circle 4:00 – 11:00 with Polkaboy
• Sept. 28-29  Avon Community Festival at Washington Twp. Park with a Parade!
• Sept. 28 – thru Oct: Kelsay Dairy Farm tours in Whiteland
• Oct. 5-7 Bloomfield Apple Festival with a Parade!  Danvile has a film festival and it’s the Popcorn Festival in Brazil
• Oct. 6-7  Cataract Bean Dinner Festival
• Oct. 11-14  Martinsville Fall Festival with a Parade!
• Oct. 13  Highland Scottish Games at Garfield Park
• Oct. 19  Reschedule America We Remember Concert at Garfield Park
• Oct. 21-27 Irvington Halloween Festival with a Parade!
• Oct. 27 Fall Harvest Festival at Bradford Woods

Add in all the local football & soccer games and the calendar is full.  Then before you know it – it’s Halloween! Heard a stat the other day that almost as many Halloween decorations are sold as Christmas decorations.  Scary thought, huh?

What was that? A falling star? No – just ‘folks’ up and at it before dawn with flashlights and head lamps looking under tarps and checking out the lay of the land. Sunday is the big buyer day – and they arrive early!  We roll out of camp, get the coffee started and start taking the tarps off so we’re ready to SELL!

Most people walk around but some do the drive-by gawking in trucks, golf carts, scooters, bicycles and ATV’s; pulling/pushing kids/dogs in a buggy or wagon. One man even sells “flea market wagons” with sideboards, umbrella, money and cup holders for $125.

This is the day for people watching. This place puts that ‘seen at Wal-Mart’ web site to shame. Just add ‘obese’ as an adjective for most of my descriptions – it’s a good motivator to put down that donut!. Mostly there’s too little clothing to cover up body parts. And when did spaghetti straps become a fashionable decision for Sr. Citizens? Some of the standouts:

• couple on cycle, her in a purple sundress (I only saw them from the back, others said the front view was worse)
• guy with l-o-n-g hair matted and woven into his beard
• woman with jungle print, see-thru, short-short one piece outfit
• family with children carrying live chickens, dad had the big soup pot and mom had the propane cooker – what’s for dinner tonight?
• man with very hairy arms and solid tattoos all over them
• young woman with tube top, Daisy-Duke shorts and cowboy boots WITH spurs
• a couple that takes dolls and remakes them into horror flick characters (complete with giant spiders and cages) alongside their sparkly hair ribbons
• and there’s no helicopter parenting here – punishment is swift and solid with a loud “I TOLD YOU NO!”
• man in the golf cart with a Great Dane seat-belted next to him that was bigger than the cart!

Some will stop, ask the price and say, I’ll think on it. Some will haggle over the price, some will have their money out as soon as they walk up. Most will stop and chat or tell you the story about when they owned that certain item. You’re probably gonna run into someone you know or their relative so don’t say anything bad about anyone.

For $3 you’ll never get a better example of Midwest Americana – join us sometime.