Bfth's Boring Blog

It's finally here!  The day of ghosts, witches and goblins.  Of children running around in costumes, over excited and over sugared.  A day of much chaos! But what wonderful chaos it is!  After 2 year of ruined Halloweens due to weather, I will take the chaos of the day and embrace it. I am excited to see all the children in my son's school dressed up in their most creative costumes as they parade in the morning. I will be patient as he fusses when there is homework to do before the fun. I will be happily exhausted as I walk with my son and his friends house to house in the evening. I will be tolerant and let him eat and enjoy more candy than he probably should have. Tomorrow November will be upon us.  But for now, I will celebrate Halloween with childlike glee.

Today marks a year...can it really be that long ago?  It seems like yesterday and it also seems like it just happened. All East Coasters will know that I am talking about Sandy.  For us the word "Sandy" no longer conjures up Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band or John Travolta crooning/whining out a song.  Sandy was THE storm.  A "Super" storm because it defied definition.  Not a hurricane.  Not a tropical storm.  A Super Storm that changed our world. I was naive. I was uneducated.  I thought storms came and went.  You cleaned up and went on.  In our fast paced world, that's what it's all about. But I was wrong.  I didn't learn from images of other disasters that faced "other people."  Now my family WAS the "other people." There was little to no communication to the Barrier Island.  (Before last year I didn't even know that's what it was called.  I'd been going to the shore all my life.  I'd driven Ro...

Anticipation is at a fever pitch in our household.  Which means my son can barely contain himself because Halloween is just a week and a half away.  (That is if nature allows us to have one this year).  In reality, Halloween starts next Sunday when he is allowed to wear his costume to church and the Sunday School has a Halloween party after services.  (For anyone who says Halloween is not for church, I say nuts to you.  With all of the crazy weather we've had over the past two years, the only place my son has truly been able to celebrate the holiday with other kids is at the church.  I am so grateful that our Christian Education team have taken the time and initiative to make it special for all the kids of all ages.  Of course the adults love it too...where else can you see little kids whacking a mummy pinata and NOT being able to get it open???). The leaves in NJ are turning beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red.  It makes it a pleasure to...

Recently a group on Facebook that talks about "the good old days" in my home town, has been discussing a teacher that I had in third grade.  The discussion has been very insightful for me as while I realized that I was probably not the only person who loved Mrs. Williams, I had no idea that she once taught sixth grade!  (How could that have been possible???) Third grade was a long time ago (longer than I care to admit), but despite all the years, I still remember Mrs. Williams vividly which just goes to show how much of an impact she had on me (and I'm sure a bevy of other children who passed through the town school system). I remember her full name, Mrs. Gladys Williams.  (I don't remember the full names of all of my teachers, but those who made a lasting impact I do.  If you had Mrs. Williams she made an impact!).  I don't know if there was a Mr. Williams by the time I got to her third grade class.  In retrospect, I realize that she was an older woman...

If you've read my blog before you probably know that I don't care what side of the fence you are on when it comes to politics.  I've got plenty of friends on the left and plenty on the right.  I even have some in the middle.  And while none of us agree on much of anything politically, I think we'd all agree that this nonsense in Washington (no blaming, no pointing fingers) has gone on way too long. But have no fear...I have a solution. We recall EVERYONE in the Senate and the House.  You've had your turn.  You've failed.  You're out. Then one person from each state in the US is randomly chosen to represent their state in Washington.  It's kind of like getting picked for jury duty.  Anyone from let's say 18-100 has a chance to get picked.  50 people randomly pulled from the pool.  Doesn't matter if you're black or white, male or female, gay or straight, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Atheist...well you get the idea.  Because it's r...

...always bring me down. Well, maybe not always.  But today is Monday and this weather is definitely bringing me down. It's hot...when I do housework and run around. It's cold...when I sit at my computer and type. It's damp...everything in my house feels sticky and icky. The sun is out...for the next 30 seconds. It's raining...but now it's stopped. It's windy...yes, there goes another one of my Halloween decorations.  (I've already taken down two and much to my son's chagrin, have not put up the new ones he talked my father into buy over the weekend.) There are tropical storm and hurricane warnings in the south of the country...but up here we have a tornado warning. It's really not all that much to complain about.  But it being a Monday and all...I'm giving myself (and anyone crazy enough to read this) the chance to bitch and moan.  For just this rainy day and Monday.

My husband is not a gambling man.  We've been to Atlantic City only once in our 17+ year relationship and while I enjoyed playing the quarter slots, I can't remember if he did ANY gambling at all while we were down there.  (Not that we were there for that long.)  As far as I know he's never been to Las Vegas (I've only been twice...and in the same year and although I would like to go back and visit again, it's  not on the top of my list of things to do).  So I guess you can say we are not a big gambling family. But just a couple of weeks ago I was pulling my husband away from a potential new "addiction" as he was saying he needed just wanted "one more". What did he want one more of?  Where were we?  We were apple picking at Riamede Farms. ( http://www.riamede.com/index.shtml ).  With all the trees and searching for the "just right" ones, it was tempting for "just one more."  As a matter of fact, this family of three came h...

Not a big mistake in the scheme of things.  After all is pretty much infallible.   He/She created the earth and called it good right?  (No religious or theological arguments here...thank you very much).  However I do have a small bone to pick.  And it's a smelly one. Yes, I think God made a mistake when he/she created (or allowed the creation of) stinkbugs. Ok, so this is not a very serious topic.  And perhaps it wasn't even a mistake that God made.  Maybe there is some wonderful reason why stinkbugs exist in the world.  As a mere mortal, I just can't figure out why. It's that time of the year when they come creeping out and are suddenly in my house.  I used to get the house treated...although the pest company made no guarantees.  This year finances are a little tight, so I had to forgo it.  I really don't know if there are more or less than usual, but they are out and about.  But most importantly, they creep me out! Th...

October has arrived on our doorstep.  Even though it might not feel like it here in the northeast (it is supposed to be in the low 80s for the next few days!), autumn is here and the season of transitions is upon us. October to me is truly the month that exemplifies autumn.  The trees are brilliant with color.  It's a subtle change that starts in September and comes into full glory in October.  By the end of the month they will be mostly gone; and November will bring us the beginnings of the chill of winter.  (A season, which I must confess, is my least favorite.) My son embraces the month.  I think it is perhaps his favorite.  The anticipation of Halloween is upon him.  It's not just about the day, but about the decorations that keep popping up.  Every day brings new sights to see as more and more neighbors put up spooky skeletons and fat  jack-o'-lantern .     There are scarecrows, mums and cornstalks alongside the piles ...