The one where I lose a tooth in a pumpkin carving accident...

Relax folks, it wasn't my tooth, but more on that later. First, let me apologize for my absence. I owe a special apology to my Kindle readers (you're still there, right guys?) because they actually pay to read this blog. Sorry. I wish I could say I had good reason for being absent. But I didn't really. It was just some strange lassitude that seems to have crept into my soul with the turning of the leaves. I'm not sure where it's coming from, generally this is my favorite time of year. I love fall. I love the month of October when I can DVR enough scary movies to last me through the winter. But this year, I'm lacking that special "oomph" and I'm not sure where it's gone. So if someone finds it, please send it back, I mean, after all, it is MY "oomph" and No One Else's. And besides, I NEED it. Like desperately.

Things are going well in the household. My trip to Ohio with my folks was actually way more fun than I thought it would be. And I got a haunted house fix. I will blog about that later in the week. My knee is healing finally. I still have a lot of trouble with stairs (thank goodness Lu does the laundry for me). And I'm not sure when I'll be able to squat. Seriously, you don't realize how often you squat until you can't. I squatted down to get on eye level with my niece and you could barely here my whimpering over the grinding protest my knee made. Yeah, not doing that again for awhile. But I can walk almost normally. And I can gingerly get down on the floor and back up again on my own. So it's probably functioning at a 70% level. I can handle that for now.

Mike has been super busy the last several weekends. This weekend should be the last big camping event, but since they started putting a new roof on the dining hall he'll still be tied up for awhile. At least he's feeling well. His stamina and brute strength still aren't what they were but he's doing remarkably well, considering. And the shoulder is still a thorn in his side but we see the doctor soon.

The kids are good. All working full time now, which gives me an empty house for most of the day. (Score!) And when they are home it's bustling chaotic confusion, but mostly in a good way. The freelance writing is going well. As those of you who are with me on FaceBook know, my boss emailed me the other day to tell me that one of my articles got picked up and linked to by a popular Hungarian newsite. I went to check it out, but it was all in Hungarian. Lol. Anyway, I was happy. I am currently looking for more editing work, so if anyone has written something they need edited or proofread...give me a shout. And I have several pieces out on submission. But as anyone who writes knows...that's just a waiting game.

So, now that you're caught up...on to pumpkin carving...

Luke had gotten us pumpkins over the weekend and CJ was home for a visit, so Monday night we went on the deck to carve our pumpkins. I sat down to do CJ's for him. Lu was diligently (if a little scarily) working on cutting off the top of hers with a really really big knife. Luke was sorting through pumpkin guts for the seeds (so he could roast them) and I was scooping out the inside of mine. Sean had taken CJ for a golf cart ride. Time passed, it started to get dark, CJ was back and ready to go inside and freakin mosquitoes (yes, mosquitoes in October, how effed up is that?) were eating me alive, so I was trying to carve my face quickly. Recipe for disaster. I'd drawn a pretty standard Jack O'Lantern face; two triangle eyes, upside down triangle nose and grinning mouth with three teeth. I carved and carved and was busy pushing out the carved bits. I noticed it was taking some effort, this pumpkin was thick. When I got to pushing out the mouth bit, I was really struggling, my hand deep inside the pumpkin, pushing outward. Finally I felt it give way. The mouth popped out of that pumpkin with enough force to go sailing through the air and hit Luke upside the head (totally accidental I assure you or do I?)!

Said simultaneously:

Me: Oh! I lost a tooth!(putting my hand to my mouth, don't ask why)

Luke: Did you just throw pumpkin at me?!

Then:

Lulu: What? You lost a tooth?! Omigosh! Let me see!

Me: Not me silly. My pumpkin! It came out of there so fast, it ripped one of the teeth out.

Luke: So you didn't throw it at me on purpose.

Me: No, I have no desire to start an all out pumpkin war because I know who would end up cleaning that up!!

Sean: So you almost lost a tooth in a pumpkin carving accident?

Me: For real.

And so the pumpkins were carved. And they were cute. I really do love October.

Have a fabulous weekend,
♥Spot