REMEMBERING HALLOWEEN

I am waiting for all the little costumed ghosts and goblins to come to my door tomorrow evening for "Trick or Treat" night...I'm ready with all kinds of candy and goodies for them. I'm not much into the Halloween thing but I do enjoy seeing the kids and their parents having a good time going door to door for their treats.





One time when I was a girl, we were living in farm country and we would walk up the long lanes to the houses for "Trick or Treat." We didn't always get candy as some of the folks didn't remember it was Halloween or weren't ready for us. One time I remember we surprised the homeowner and he surprised us by pouring pennies, nickles and dimes into our treat bags! That is something I will always remember! Another time, the homeowners were new to our country and didn't know about Halloween until we explained the custom to them. They gave us a whole cake - it was probably the only treat they had in the house that they could give us! They didn't want to be "tricked!" Ha!

Then parents didn't have to worry about sending their kids out into the night going from door to door! We knew most of our neighbors and we knew we'd be safe. I can't imagine anyone doing that now - times have certainly changed from those carefree days. Whatever you are doing this year, whether it's a house party or going door to door, make sure you follow good safety rules and stay safe out there!

MS.DAISY'S (NOT SO) EXCELLENT ADVENTURE AND TALES FROM THE CRIB

Picture courtesy of Gannett NJ Photo/Ben Merritt


Ms. Daisy was having a wonderful train ride to see BeBe when suddenly, she felt a jolt - but as the train sometimes jerks and jolts anyway, she thought nothing of it. When our train slowed down and stopped we were told we had hit a car that was trying to "beat" the train across the tracks! The gates were down, the lights were flashing and the bells were clanging, but a man in a Toyota Camry thought he could bypass the gates and beat the train across the tracks. What was he thinking? As you can see in the picture at the left, the train hit on the driver's side of the car. He is in serious condition with head trauma and internal injuries. According to the articles I've read since, he is recovering in a local hospital. Thank goodness we had just stopped three blocks back to pick up passengers at the station and had not really picked up speed when the car turned in front of us.

What is the old saying about speaking too soon? Well, in my last post I was going on and on about how wonderful train travel is...yes, it is except when people stop using common sense as they approach train tracks. Our conductor (conductress?) shook her head and said, "The front of this train is very unforgiving and those who don't yield to the train are going to wish they had"...very wise words indeed.



Okay, so now I am at Jillian's of Jillian's Pages and enjoying being with my children and Dear BeBe. BeBe has gained weight (she is over 6 lbs. now) and her tiny cheeks have filled out and she is even gaining some baby weight in her arms and legs! WooHoo! She is still on the every two hour feeding schedule (or "on demand" as ordered by her doctor) so we took shifts during the night in order that Jillian and Dear SIL got some sleep. I got the easy shift...I would relieve Jillian at 4:30am (or 6:30am.) My Dear SIL usually had the 10:00pm to 4:00am
(or sometimes 2:00am) and Jillian took over at 2:00am until 4:30am. This varied from night to night but usually worked out well.

Soon BeBe will be on a more normal baby schedule as she gains weight and sleeps more during the night - it is such a short time, really, in the big scheme of things that we tend to forget when we're in the middle of it all. You might want to click on over to Jillian's Pages and read her post on "Circle of Life."

I now have a picture of me (Gramma) and BeBe,,,thanks to Jillian. I will get the hang of this picture thing soon, though, and then you'll say, "whoa, there Ms. Daisy enough already!" HA!

Return to BeBe

I will be going back to see my sweet BeBe again tomorrow. I'll take the train...it is easier on me and the car not to mention the gas and tolls over and back.
I love train travel - - it's almost like going back a half century when you board and take your seat. I love looking out the window at the scenery or reading or just listening to the conversations of the other passengers! :)

I was surprised when I first began taking the train several years ago to notice that from the train you see the backyards of homes. Of course, now it makes perfect sense, that the homes would be built with their fronts facing the street but at first it was a very strange feeling! If you haven't been on a train in a long time or if you've never tried train travel, you owe it to yourself to book a train trip "and leave the driving to the engineer!" Bon Voyage!

Visiting "Mon BeBe Doux"

I took a train to see "Mon BeBe Doux," French for "My Sweet Baby" (that is from a sign that is hanging in the baby's nursery painted by Jillian.) She was born on a Tuesday (September 23rd) even though she wasn't due until mid October! To say we were all surprised would be an understatement! Even her parents were not prepared (are we ever really prepared for a newborn?) for this blessed event happening so early. However, we are just thrilled no matter when she arrived! When I got to my daughter and son-in-law's home, I couldn't wait to see that precious, pink bundle. She is soooo tiny, I wasn't expecting that. I knew that she was a lightweight, weighing 5 lbs. 14 oz. and was 19 inches long, but she is very, very petite in the bargain! That is me Gramma/Jean aka Ms. Daisy in the picture above - note the size of the bottle I'm feeding her with - it looks like a doll's bottle! My babies were 7 lbs. 7 oz. (first baby) and 7 lbs. 13 oz. (second baby) and they were each born a week before their due dates but I don't remember them being small! I think they grew so fast it was easy to forget! Ha!

It was quite an experience, being in the house with a newborn again...it has been a few years since THAT occurred! Everything revolves around a certain schedule (hers!) and as I got used to it, I felt such pride - for my daughter and SIL. They have stepped up to the plate and become quite efficient at juggling (we all remember those days, don't we?) their previous lives around BeBe's needs! I guess those of you who know Jillian of Jillian's Pages know that Jillian and I are related - we are mother and daughter.
I love them all so much and I miss BeBe (as she will be referred to in this blog) very much already! I can hardly wait to be with them all again - and soon!