Saturday Snippets on this Rainy Fall Day
The leaves are changing here friends, it’s looking more and more like fall each day. The night comes earlier, and the sun rises later. The temperatures this next week are in the 60’s and 70’s. I think we’ve officially surrendered to fall in the Pacific Northwest.
Before I go any further, I need to acknowledge that today is September 11th. And I want to take a moment to honor those affected by this tragedy 20 years ago.
I vividly remember where I was when it happened.
It was fair season, and I had qualified with my horse Sweetheart to participate in the Puyallup Fair for western gaming. It was a huge honor to be chosen, and something I had worked very hard to achieve.
The Puyallup Fair is the 10th largest fair in all of the United States.
It sees over 1 million attendees each year and brings in over $30,000,000 in revenue. It’s pretty darn big. So, to be a part of that, was this teenager’s dream.
All in all, I went three times.
That fateful morning, I was rushing to get ready to head to the fair. My family was staying at my grandpa and grandma’s house, my dad’s parents. The house smelled like pancakes and bacon, my grandma always made the best meals. She was making sure we were full and happy before sending us off for a full day of competition and barn duties.
I remember walking into the living room, and my whole family was standing around the TV, steaming cups of coffee in their hands. Everyone was quiet. I scooted beside my dad and stared at one of the Twin Towers smoking on the television. Being a small-town farm girl, I really didn’t grasp the implications of what this all meant at first. And then we watched the second plane hit the other tower and all our eyes widened in shock. Had we really just watched that happen?
I had to feed and tend my horse, so off we went to the fairgrounds.
For the first few hours, the fair board wasn’t even sure they would open that day. They had no idea what would happen next as far as more terrorist attacks. It was a huge fair and could be a possible target they thought. After more debate, they finally decided to open.
But it was eerie that day.
There was a hush over the whole 169 acres of fairgrounds. Guest attendance was down, and whispers of worry and shock were passed throughout the horse barns.
After that, I took much more of an interest in what was happening all over the world. I think all our little bubbles of safety and blissful ignorance were popped that day. From then on out, I cared a lot more about current events. I think it was the same for millions of teenagers and kids my age. We all grew up a bit on September 11th.
So to all those whose lives were cut short too soon, who were tragically injured, and to those who helped, rescued, and responded to the unthinkable, we honor you today and always.
We will, truly, never forget.
In other Saturday news:
I did two easy fall crafts this week! Since we’re spending so much time in the homeschool room, I started there.
First, we changed out the books for many of our fall and Halloween favorites. Do you rotate your children’s books? I highly recommend it. The kids get so excited when we bring out each season’s books. It’s like saying hi to old friends. Find our favorite fall and Halloween books here.
After that, the kids and I made this super simple beaded fall garland.
And the next day, I decided we needed a sign above the newly decorated fall book nook. I really wanted to place a poem I found up on the wall, and after a little research, figured out a way to make a DIY Wooden Sign with Script.
Now that I know how to make my own stencil from a word document and chalk, I’ve got a ton more signs I want to make. So stay tuned! Find the full tutorial here.
Favorites from the Internet this week
You guys, my friend Marieza shared how to make a flower press this week and it was a blast from the past. My dad made my sister and I flower presses when we were young, and I remember having so much fun pressing all the flowers. If you want to make your own, check out Marieza’s great tutorial on how to make your own! What a great homemade Christmas gift idea!
