I read a comment not too long ago, perhaps here, perhaps at Stella’s place, about why we spend so much more time with family in the fall. Speculation was that we turn more to each other as we leave warm weather behind and come inside for the cold season to come. Whatever our reasons, we do seem to spend more family time together this time of year.
Thanksgiving will be here soon. It’s our family’s epic culinary adventure. We usually have a gathering of 40-50 people, extended family, some friends, occasionally someone brings an acquaintance who is away from home for the holiday.
We have the dinner at my brother’s and sister’s  in law house out in the country. They have a large lot, and the past few years my SIL has had a bouncy house set up for the kids, which is great fun for them, and great for the adults too, as it really keeps them occupied while we are still in food stupor.
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Sharing these words from our friend lovely who really hit the ball out of the park with this one, and thanks to Stella for putting it into a post. You must go read the whole thing.

Back in July, at the request of some of our regular Treepers, we did a post on healthy recipe favorites. You can find that post here, if you are interested. Many people were happy to contribute, and I think a lot of us found some new favorite recipes to try, and perhaps a little assistance and motivation to improve our health.
Today I am starting a thread for information on supplements, and favorite nutrition tips. What vitamins and supplements do you take, if any, and for what medical conditions? It would be especially helpful to share sources, especially if you have found quality products at a good price.
There is a lot of confusion as to what to take and where to buy it. I remain skeptical of cheap drugstore brands.
I recently had this site recommended to me as a research tool.  Perhaps you guys have other sources for good information out there.
Later, if there is interest in it, we may do a post on exercise, and favorite products or types of physical activity. Any tips or ideas for future posts will be welcome in the comments.
Thanks for pitching in, and we look forward to educating ourselves.

Bretagne was the last of the 9/11 search and rescue dogs to be laid to rest. The above video show the honor given her by the officers (video says it is Houston firefighters) as she takes her final steps. There were many American heroes in the aftermath of 9/11. These dogs were among them. The rest of this post is the first one I wrote about the dogs on the anniversary of the attack. 
We have all heard that heroes come in all shapes and sizes; sometimes the most unassuming person rises to the occasion and meets the challenge. And sometimes it is a very special type of animal, a rescue dog. In the aftermath of 9/11 bombings, the world’s largest deployment of rescue dogs were used to search for survivors, working tirelessly with their handlers, searching  the ruins, and according to witnesses, giving great comfort to the workers. Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas has published a book called Retrieved, featuring the surviving dogs in their final years. Read more and check out the pictures of these wonderful dogs here in this Daily Mail article. (more…)

More excellent advice from Stella as we get ready for the eclipse. Be prepared, be safe. Please take time to read her post for some excellent tips .

Thanks to Stella for posting this again. This is something we all need to be aware of, something we need to work at. Please take a moment to check out the post and educate yourself about protecting our children. If you have knowledge to add, we appreciate your contribution.

Be safe during the upcoming eclipse. A very good post from Stella on the topic. Take a moment to be sure you understand the danger possible, especially for children.

We moved into our dream home, a small log cabin nestled in the woods on the side of a Georgia ridge in December of 2001, my husband and I. This period was one of the darkest days of our lives, and we were at a low point that still hurts to think about. It was a very tough and challenging time for me professionally, and our family was getting hit with multiple major crises.

I’ve never been a take a walk in the rain kind of gal, but for some reason, I always wanted to be. I guess because we all know about those rose colored glasses I can’t seem to break, even after almost 60 years on this earth. I am a romantic, among many other things.

Shortly after moving in to the cabin, my feelings about the rain started to change. I had always hated rainy days, but here in the woods on the steep side of the ridge, the rain sounds beautiful falling through the leaves, and it almost always brings fog that surrounds the cabin. The backside of the cabin faces the down slope and you can sit on the porch and be in the middle of the soft grey blue cloud. It’s one of the most peaceful experiences I have ever had.

The forest is so dense you can’t see the road, let alone a sunset, during the summer, unless you stand at the top of the driveway for just a glimpse. My husband and I used to bundle up that December and sit out on the porch to watch the spectacular sunsets, almost every night. We would be out at the store, and one of us would look at the time and we would rush home. If guests were over, we insisted they put their coats on to look at “our” sunset.

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I am bringing this back for a third time, due to what I consider to be an assault on men in America today. How is this relevant?
Your sons are obviously going to have to be well prepared young men to deal with the increased threat from lunatic feminists who think destroying men is how you handle your objections to the politics of the day. I may later write an update, specifically addressing today’s problems. I hope this helps and encourages some of you.
Originally published in 2014. I thought it worth a re-do, in honor of more grandsons being born and joining the family. This comment was from the last update. 
Lately on Facebook, several versions of what it means to be a little boy’s mama have been circulating. They are touching, and bring a smile to your face, a touch of nostalgia, and perhaps even a tear to your eye. You are exhorted to have lots of energy, be ready to put up with bloody noses and reptiles in the house, see movies you don’t like, and various other true things.
We mamas of little boys have a tough job. We deserve a little smile as we ponder our muddy offspring. As I type this, my just recently de-mudded grandson is graciously allowing me a few minutes to recoup from a busy day of swimming, mud bogging, dump trucking, and hugging stinky dogs. His sister hung right in there with him. So, yes, we even need these moments that tell our hearts that our efforts are special moments that will unfold in a story book life for our beloved sons.
However, we also need some harder truths, and now is a good time to take a look at that. So, here’s my version, for what it’s worth.
You might think, because I write this, that I am an expert and my sons are jet setting billionaires who are in a third world country fixing the unfixable problems. Nope, they are just normal guys, who have normal lives with some really wonderful successes like those grandkids temporarily being angels, and great jobs, fun hobbies, or devotion to family and friends. Being there when family needs help, rooting for the right football team (Go Irish!), sitting by hospital beds, listening to troubles. They have tried and failed, tried and succeeded, fallen and got back up too many times to count. (more…)