Thoughts Of Autumn.......

(***Note: "This photo is NOT how it looks in South Louisiana!***")

Silly me......I missed it.
The Day "Autumn" arrived that is.
It's not like me....to miss something that I love that much.

But I did miss it's coming and the only way I can explain it is the remind myself that my days have been crazy and hazy this month.

Two hurricanes.....#1 Son home for a visit....#2 Son moving back home this past weekend....#3 Son.....well...he's just fine....and Miss Priss..Child #4...preparing along with my husband and I for our trip to "New York City" this weekend.

It's just all been too much.
And so I missed the "Grand Entrance" of my most FAVORITE season.

Yet, I'm fortunate to even know what day it is today today.
Is is Tuesday isn't it?

When you consider where I live.....the "Entrance of Autumn" isn't so "Grand" actually.
I wish it were though. You know we really don't have many trees that "turn colors" down here. It just doesn't get cold enough here to do that.

I really do miss seeing how the earth changes and begins to embrace dying and then becoming dormant.

Oh we have certain "signs" of Autumn here....it does become a tad cooler. Like for example....it's only 87 degrees here today :~)...and less humid. Hummmm.
My favorite two things.......
And it rains....and it rains.
That's normal....it rains here alot no matter what season it is.

And of course it begins to get darker earlier in the evening as well....

However with all that stated....one of best signs that Autumn has arrived is
of course......
"College Football" has started nation wide.

And boy has it ever begun here in Baton Rouge and so far, we are off to one fine "Season." I hope it keeps up... "GEAUX TIGERS!"

"Happy Fall Y'ALL....."

Gabe's "New Ride"

Gabe and his new car.
Gabe flew into New Orleans from up north last week and bought a new car. It's not totally brand new...it's a 2003 but he has ALWAYS wanted this kind of car. So he is thrilled.

We visited with him for several days.
Now he's on his way back to his home far, far, away in a distant land called Connecticut.
Some where I have never been. Sigh.

He loves it up there....for many reasons. But one being it is so much cooler than here. Gabe has always liked a cooler climate.

We checked in with the "Connecticut Yankee" last night and after driving 17 hours straight, and going through a "scary and weird experience in Mobile Alabama at 3:30 in the morning."

I knew my husband and I had both woke up praying for him in the night several times for a good reason. I called him at 5:00am to check in on him to make sure he was still awake after driving all night.

He had finally made it to Virginia yesterday evening where he was staying the next two days with a friend and attending some business seminars for work before driving the rest of the way home.

I am a bit concerned though.

About his car that is.
I wonder how they are going to like his car up there in "U-Conn" territory...Especially since he put that LSU plate on the front has added that huge LSU sticker on the back windshield..umm....not counting the one on the front windshield. Yikes!

You would think that boy liked LSU or something......

Wow LSU.....you did good!

I'm not one to gloat over things and won't.....because we have friends all over the nation and in Ohio. But we are SO GLAD this game is over and that LSU won the BCS Championship Bowl Game last night.....!!!

This is a super important "moral booster" for our state.

When you've been at the bottom of the "Food Chain" for so long and in so many areas..it's a bit refreshing and nice to be "on top" of something good for once.We took this photo back in November in Iowa.....on the same day that Arkansas played LSU and won..in triple "overtime."
We were having a special "after Thanksgiving Day Lunch" at some of our family's home in Nebraska and had to watch the game there. Ugh!

Can you imagine what we had to endure that day? HA! HA!Ouch!
It was painful I will tell you that.
Hummmm....Funny how those things all turn out.

This year is a NEW year for everyone.....now we move onward.
Football is FUN but it isn't crucial to our souls.

Shocking Fever Outbreak......

There is a fever that has hit my city.
It's shocking actually.
I haven't seen anything like it here...not like this.
I have seen small outbreaks of it from time to time but nothing of this magnitude.

The store shelves are stripped, people are dazed and walking around not much unlike those with "Dingue fever."

The traffic has been horrendous too. I didn't expect or for see this happening but here it is and it's amazing what has happened to our city and the surrounding areas. But I am now understanding what is going on. And it is amazing.

Yesterday, Miss Priss and I made a "quick run" (right) to a store to pick up a few groceries and other items. We drove to a store that we normally don't go to because it's a tad further away than our neighborhood stores which I always try to support but I needed to look at a few things that they don't carry.
Important and crucial "life" things like...."glitter and ribbons and such."
Hummm.

Off we went down the little Highway....it's not far actually from us....I just don't like going there for other reasons so I haven't been in months. However it's just over our Parish (they call "Counties" Parishes here) boarder and just outside of the city limits. Maybe 8-10 miles from our house.

I was shocked at the traffic. Which I wasn't expecting at 3:30 in the afternoon. But....whatever. Once we got to the store..it was overwhelmed by people. Again....shocking.

Of course like I mentioned yesterday it was WARM here...we got up to about 83 degrees so everyone had on flip flops and shorts and Capri pants...they were on motorcycles like a normal summer or spring or WINTER day here in LA.

Then I noticed what was in their carts and how people were dressed. Massive amounts of "Purple, White and Gold" clothing was being worn by everyone. Well...in fact....I had on a brand new "Purple Shirt" myself I had gotten for Christmas.
Which while shopping I received MANY compliments on. HA! Funny.

But the shopping carts were FILLED with snacks of all sorts and MASSIVE amounts of MEAT! Wow.

Once we got into the store...we started to notice entire aisles that were STRIPPED of all the "Chips" and the "Salas were out" and the "SODA was gone" you could just forget buying a "store brand" 2 Lt. we had to buy canned sodas.

The store looked as if .....there was a "Hurricane coming".....I'm not joking. I've seen these things before so I know how it operates. Right before a "storm" everything gets "wiped out."

But I know we don't have any hurricanes in the Gulf right now so it had to be something else going on.

Later I had to run with my son Luke to Target for a dresser he wanted that they had on sale for his room.....and there too, the SAME exact thing was happening. People everywhere...plus the traffic situation was WORSE...this was nearly 7:30 on a Sunday night. Amazing.

On our way home.....we had to make another grocery store stop to drop off some movies in the "RED BOX" that we had rented. That store was over run too. I went inside and bought a special "Cake."

I mean if there is a "fever outbreak"......we had better have cake to eat....that's what I am saying. Hot Tea and Cake always help fevers.....don't they?

Well..Hot Tea maybe. Ooops.....we aren't even having "Hot Tea".....ummm.....we are going to be drinking the classic drink of the South tonight....."SWEET TEA!"Ummmm.....!

Not sure on the cake bit regarding fevers...but it sounded right for the moment.
It was that "Feed a Fever, starve a Cold thing"....Plus this one was a prettily decorated one.....in "Purple and Gold" with some lettering on it. Interesting.

I have now learned the name of this outbreak.....it's the
"Tiger Fever!" Which is possibly similar to "Cat Scratch Fever" in many ways.
This "Tiger Fever" though.....has hit this state in a big way and our town has got it some BAD!!!

Which is okay. We need some "positive" things to happen after so many years of some bad things happening. Our state has been in a SLOW process of "recovery" for a few years now...even before the two hurricanes.

People need good things to keep them going from time to time.
It helps them to refocus at times and I realize the great importance to everyone in this fever matter.....

It's not every year that your town's State University goes to the "National Championship" Bowl Game.

I don't want to say alot about this because I am not wanting to sound or even to be "prideful" about this game....but I am happy for our University and our Football team which has many good and fine young men on it. They have worked hard this year to get to where they are at.

There is a sense of "unity" that is taking place in the city and the state.....everyone is on the "same page" for a cause that isn't evil or dark....it's just for fun.
And everyone is anxious and excited and feverish.

My family has the FEVER too.....and has all season.
I know it seems silly. I think it's totally silly as well but it's like you can't stop it....it overtakes you.
Like a rash. This crazy fever....It IS "Contagious!" Really it is.

This year our Christmas photo was of my kids....in the SNOW.....while we were in the Midwest for Thanksgiving.....wearing all LSU garb. It's cute actually and everyone has loved it. Well pretty much. Not all our family. HA!

That's because their teams didn't do so well this year.
Oh well. There's always next year...besides you all are getting one of our coaches from here to take over your entire TEAM so calm down okay??? :~)
Again....it's just a game.
Besides...your people had their chances in the past and one year you all WON their National Championship.

This LSU team never has...well they won a few years ago under another coach but not this team under this coach.... and I LOVE it when the underdog gets an oppertunity to win.....no matter what team they are. Hence....MISSOURI and KANSAS!!!
There have been some GREAT bowl games this year!

I know that other cities have had it before.....and I know it will reside.....after tonight. Ugh! IF we can just make it through the evening without suffering heart attacks and fever relapses.

I must get started on that "Velveeta Dip" my husband loves and thaw out about 500 "Chicken Wings" and begin to "prep" other such "delicacies" that one eats when they have the "Tiger Fever."

There are a few errands I need to run today but....I may wait until tomorrow because of the rampant fever outbreak out there....

Plus I need to check my temperature and see how I'm doing as well. My husband just called a bit ago to check on me...and the "Chicken wings"..making sure all was "well" with them. I mean me.

I'm feeling a bit "clamy".....I may need to go lay back down for awhile.
I think it's going to be a LONG and stressful night. Ugh.

For now...I'm going to join in with "Scarlett O'Hara" in thinking....
"I won't think of it now. I can't STAND IT NOW. I'll think of it later. "GEAUX TIGERS!!!