Seasons: Growing and Changing

Been a difficult past few months~~ lost a very dear sweet friend~~ a friendship I've cherished for many, many years~~ I have barely imagined life without her~~ every single day I think of my sweet friend Shirley who had always been there, a phone call away, for me and so many of our 'co-conspirators'! We have grieved, we have laughed and Lord Yes, we have cried so many tears mixed in with the jokes, the remembrances, the stories~~ it's been so terribly, terribly hard to go thru a day without sunshine--because that was what her friendship to all of us was like! Pure Sunshine! Losing my Mama a year and a half ago was so hard--it's taken me this long to get thru a day with out shedding a tear--and now, mourning the loss of the one who stood beside me then, she's not here! Like losing Mama all over again--but the one I cried to then is the one I'm crying after now! I'm working my way through it, in sharing her stories, her laughter and her love that she always shared with each of us. I'm trying to be a better friend to others, like how she was to me and to our mutual friends. I'm trying really hard, Shirley Parker Taylor, in your memory, my sweet friend. Work has been busy, and that's always a good thing. If one keeps the hands and mind busy, you manage to get thru more days a lot easier, I believe. Getting the genealogy and archives room here at work ready for the Harvest Season is always a joy to me--simply because FALL is my Favorite SEASON!! Yes indeed! I love the crisp fall air, the falling leaves, the muted colors, the oranges, browns, golden hues, burnt reds, and muted greens of every living thing. I love the scent of the Sweet Olive in the evening air; the sound and sights of the birds as they hunt for the seed pods and berries drying on the vine; the sights of the squirrels in the pecan trees as they get my green pecans--yes, even then! They chase each other round and round--and sometimes I catch sight of our rare albino tailed squirrel! Listening to the woodpeckers as they drill holes in the hollow trees, looking for grub and laugh out loud when I hear them trying to peck a hole in a metal pole! The fall asters, sunflowers, late lantanas always bring out the late arrivals of hummingbirds and butterflies. Scarecrows and hay bales, and pumpkins begin to appear on doorsteps, entry ways, mailboxes, and porches all around town and even out in the countryside. So much fun to decorate this time of year!

Historic Downtown Evergreen is getting into the decorating mode for the upcoming Annual Sausage Festival! Our guys have gotten really creative with some of the displays and I hope everyone compliments them on these cute displays! Joy Wilson has helped with the decorations, along with Cherrie Gladwell and these ladies' business establishments can really make your shopping list get shorter, because they have some wonderful gift items for anyone on your gift list! So, shop Joy's and Cherrie's in historic downtown Evergreen this Holiday Season!