So, since it's "that time of year" I decorate for Fall. Even though in San Diego there is very little Fall-ish weather and its just miserably hot, and hot, and did I say hot? But maybe it makes me feel better seeing an attempt at making it seem Fall weather in my house.

I don't go overboard with huge amounts of pumpkins (don't ask Jim though) or crafty, homey stuff but what I do create are small areas of "pretty". Even if it's with Fall plates or Halloween plates.

We have a large fireplace in our family room (for Jim, it was the selling point when we bought our house many eons ago) and that has always been loads of fun for decorating, no matter what time of year but especially Fall and Christmastime. So, throughout the house there are "pretty" areas with just enough "stuff" for it to be Fall without people tripping over pumpkins or freaking out about something that is used in decorating.

What you have to understand is, I don't decorate for Halloween unless its something cute and adorable because I'm one of those few people that is not fond of Halloween and so it's not high on my list for decorating. My girls don't really trick or treat, they would both rather give out candy to the trick or treaters (yes, even the 7 year old) then do it because they love seeing the itty-bitties toddle up to
the porch and they squeal (yes, even the 14 year old) about how cute they are. Of course, the rule is, when the hideous teen boys come up then I get the job of handing out candy...ain't I lucky??

So, therefore, my house is cute and adorable for Fall without being ghoulish or scary which is nice since I don't need to frighten myself over decorations when Maverick, the psycho cat, feels like getting me up at 2 a.m. because he is bored. Hello? Maverick? Really??

This is Maverick....say hello. Meow. And thus, the cat. He has huge bunny-sized back feet and slightly bat-ish ears. But he can be lovable at times (mostly when he's in trouble).

 



The other lovely thing about this time of year is FOOTBALL and for Jim, it's College and NFL Football, while for me it's NFL Football and all the teams I love to watch!!! My two girls are fanatics about football which is a glorious thing to watch each year is they learn more about the rules and regulations and teams. In our house we are NOT, nope, never, ever fans EVER of the Oakland Raiders. Being native San Diegans might have a humongous thing to do with it. But my other teams are the Eagles, Redskins (and yes, I have no issue with their name and yes, I am part Blackfoot Indian so let's just not go down that road, m'kay), Falcons and Broncos. And I yes, of course, the Chargers are on the list of teams this house loves. YAY TEAM!!

Only specific creatures give me the willies....

My morning started out with the cat not bothering me continuously before sunrise, which I should have taken as a weird omen that something was going to happen.  And it did. As I open the front door and security door so Jim could leave (hands full) for work I was greeted by a Praying Mantis sitting near the doorway under the porch overhang.

Mind you, the last time I actually saw a praying mantis that close and not in anything relating to science I think I was a teenager, so I took it as a sign. Which sign it was I could not tell you but I have it narrowed down to one of four things:

1. Precursor to insects trying to hide from the approaching El Nino (that's an incorrect "n" for the specification, but Word is crabby right now)  Season and staking claim on prime real estate that's dry. 

 

2. There is a coming apocalypse and he thought my front porch was a safe haven (no, not sure if it was a "he", just going with the flow).

 

3. It got lost.

 

4. It was a stupid bug (refer to #3).

 

 

So, with all that running through my mind, another thought ran through my mind, as well. Our wonderful bug spray super hero was coming by today to spray against bugs that give me the willies (we live near a lake and even though its the "burbs" we have a huge amount of fauna of the insect kind here in San Diego County) and I didn't want it on my shoulders that I didn't rescue a stupid bug (I went with sign #4) and it died from whatever.

 

So after Jim drove off to fight the demons that are San Diego morning traffic, I went inside and grabbed a clear plastic container and thin piece of cardboard that I happened to save from yesterday for some unknown reason (humming "Twilight Zone" music right now), and I headed outside to safely move the mantis to one of our potted plants.

 

And why couldn't this have been easy? Refer to #4 above. I tried scooting him with the cardboard and he just drunkenly walked around the corner of the porch and stopped at the mailbox. Dagnabit! Okay, now to trap the little booger, slid the cardboard underneath and carry him to his new safe zone in one of the potted plants. Picture this, an intelligent, college graduate mom of two arguing with a flailing wing-flapping bug. Trying to explain to this creature he was going somewhere better and I was being nice, while he flapping his wings with the ferocity of a hawk (a tiny green hawk).

 

Did everything turn out great? Why, yes it did. He got dumped on the plant and I feel better knowing I helped one of God's creatures today.

 

Sheesh! And by the way....the ones that give me the willies shall not be named and are EW!