A few good gems

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It's good to be back! I've had a number of pages open on my browser just waiting for 'A Few Good Gems,' so I'm ready and raring to go. Another thing . . . I decorated for Halloween this week. I didn't go all out, but I did pull together a black and white mantel and draped my front door with that crafty mesh stuff (I'm a mesh first-timer) and giant spiders. I sort of forced myself to decorate, figuring that I might "enjoy the moment" more if I worked on celebrating the seasons. You know, doing my "normal" thing. And so far? It makes me happy to see those big, furry spiders every time I pull into the driveway. Try it. You might like it.

The boys are camping tonight, and Becca is going to her high school football game, so that just leaves me and . . . well . . . me. I'm thinking yoga pants, ice cream, and a good book. Or maybe I'll chain watch Criminal Minds on Netflix. Yep, it's all excitement and glamour up in here. Or maybe I'll just mindlessly surf the Internet all the night long. Here are a few good places to start:

I'm still on the fence about the whole craft mesh phase, but if you are interested in trying it out, look here.

While we are on Halloween deco, I also made this wreath. It was sort of fun and sort of torturous. It's like I'm forcing myself to craft against my will.

Have you read "Dear Girls, Life is Too Short for Crappy Friends" ? It's a must read. I love what Thomas writes about friends -- how quality is far more important than quantity. She assures us that people will "spend their last days wishing they spent more time focusing on becoming their best self and giving their gifts to others, rather than worrying if everyone is at Applebee’s laughing hysterically without them." Amen, sista.

The magical kindnesses of J. K. Rowling.

A fascinating article on the first child diagnosed with Autism in the United States. His story is oddly comforting and makes me want to move to small-town Texas and live across the street from the Dairy Queen. (But I'm weird that way.)

What a Middle School Boy Needs Most. Mine seems to need lots of Chickfila.

Caramel Apple Pecan Bars. I NEED these. Stat.

via callmepmc

via callmepmc

I picked up the novel Good Kings Bad Kings this week . . . on a whim at Target. It's about a group of disabled teens living in a residential facility -- pretty interesting so far (but also kind of dark). I'll give a report next week.

That's it folks. Have a beautiful weekend. Sleep in. Eat ice cream. Treat yourself kindly. And we'll be back next week . . .