Halloween!

So far, we have had a few Trick or Treaters come to the door. It seems that every year there are a few less than the year before. I think that parents are too paranoid to let the kids have ordinary fun like we did when I was young.(I date myself, huh?) I remember going all over our neighborhood for blocks and blocks, collecting candy in a pillow slip, coming home to dump it out and split it with my little brothers who were too scared to go out themselves. There are stories now on the news about obesity in children, yet we were encouraged to walk or ride our bikes to schools. It was rare for a parent to take their child to school. Is our world actually more dangerous now or are we just more frightened? Kids no longer have the kind of freedom to explore their world, and that strikes me as sad.

Ever since I was told to put the Texan into a nursing home because he was going to die (three years ago), I have leaned heavily on God, prayers, and my friends to get me through all the incredible ups and downs that Tex has gone through. One of the most important gifts of Grace has been learning to live in the present instead of dwelling in the past and future. The Texan has gotten better instead of worse, and has been back home for 15 months now! His health has kind of hit a plateau but it is one we both can live with and still find joy in each other's company. Grace wins out over Tricks every time!