Top things I learned in September

Politics is still pumping in my veins

I grew up in a fairly politically active family. My grandfather was the mayor of a city for many years of my childhood. When I was born I had the key to the city, I would go door-to-door campaigning with him, I would address and lick envelopes during election season, I would hold my Precious Moments Bible under his hand as he was sworn in, he would take me along to Washington, D.C. for national conventions and I would even light up the Christmas tree with him each year. For an elementary student, I was involved on a surface level. As I grew up and he became less involved, so did I. I would still vote and be a vocal citizen, but I wasn’t as intimately involved.

This month kicked off with the RNC in my neighbor city. Somewhere between the protestors and the delegates I rediscovered the excitement I had each time I would do things with my g-pa.

Politics, to some degree, is in me. The excitement it brings and conversation it stirs thrills me.

It’s true: old friends are gold

After leaving some college friends about a year and a half ago I went back across the river into Hudson for a friend’s birthday. Seeing them and being back on our old turf after limited contact could have been awkward, luckily for us, it was no big deal.

After dinner we went to the small-town bar frequented and did some more catching up. Just like old times.

I’m a diva

A friend and her mother were hosting a private party at a purse shop in Anoka. It promised “designer-influenced” bags, spa treatments and some wine. Count me in!

A small group of us browsed the small shop for nearly two hours trying to find the “perfect” bag, and more … Wallets, scarves, sunglasses, accessories – the works. We were in diva heaven!Divas

Two of us settled on the same bag – I know a fashion sin, but we both just “had to have it.”

After a glass of wine, new handbags and silky-smooth hands we left the party – content.

I (still) hate being dirty

As long as we went down nostalgia row, we’ll stay in the area.

When I was very young I had an unusually strong aversion to being dirty. I didn’t like playing in mud, having sand stuck between my fingers, having baby food on my face, much less having a dirty diaper (I was potty trained by 9 months.)

Now, 23 years later, it’s no different! I went to a food fight at a church where there was chocolate slip-n-slide and a food fight complete with eggs, flour, expired food, as well as mud and water balloons. It was also dark out, so in my attempts to get some good photos of the event, I had to get close. I left with pudding all over my pants caked on by flour, wet pant legs from water balloons and smelling of rotten food. Oh I was mad! To make it worse, when I got home I got the look a mother gives a child who comes in the house with muddy feet – the get-your-dirty-feet-off-my-just-mopped-floor look, know the one?

The potential of me becoming a snow bird is very high

The weather, as you know, has been very temperate, especially for this time of year. And I love it! Warm sunshine in the afternoon on my drive home, comfortable in ¾ length sleeves and pants, it’s awesome. Then October started and I’m freezing. I’m already ready for the warming weather spring will bring. A friend talks about her boyfriend heading down to Arizona for the winter to work a golf course, I’m thinking of asking her to take a road trip down there for her to visit him and me to visit the sunshine.