30 November 2008

Holiday Presence :: Day Six

The Holiday Light Parade :: Prescott Arizona :: November 29, 2008


The Prescott World's Oldest Rodeo Frontier Queen and her court


The Yavapai Prescott Native Youth Float (look at that wonderful eagle!!)


The Grinch...posing as King Kong...going after Santa's sleigh
(apparently someone hasn't read The Grinch Who Stole Christmas)


The Prescott Unified School District bus...
full of happy and educated children...


And...the big man himself...

Santa.

Our little light parade has grown up. I think it was almost an entire hour long...and the perfect way to kick off the holiday season for me.

As for Sunday?

I have been running around cleaning. I've been on my step stool cleaning the tops of all the window and door moldings and wiping down the iron curtain rods, washing the inside of the windows and their sills, dusting the ceiling fan, the baseboards...looking for errant spiderwebs to attack. And the vacuuming?!?! (including under all the furniture and in every corner) Throwing away piles of things, and cleaning surfaces...culling part of my bowl collection in the kitchen...clearing off the mantle for the impending Christmas decorating and finally setting up the tree, hanging the greenery around the doorways, hanging the mistletoe...and then some of the outside lights.

And all this before noon.

I am mightily impressed with myself.

It's now a blank slate around here. Rather than hurrying to put everything up, I am determined to enjoy the dragging out and unpacking all of the ornaments and decorations this year.

I am also determined to clean and organize and cull the entirety of this house...starting one room at a time. It feels so good so far...

29 November 2008

Holiday Presence :: Day Five


Looking for light.

Saturday Night:

Cilantro Garlic Fries and Pumpkin Fried Ice Cream with a good friend after work...

Gathering with more friends to watch the Holiday Light Parade...

Another show at the Ian Russell Gallery of Fine Art...a chance to see my sweetie, and buy some holiday gifts for friends and family...

Jumping into bed, knowing that I can laze around and look forward to two whole days off...

Finding the Light.

28 November 2008

Holiday Presence :: Day Four




I decided to join in on Black Friday this year. After owning Snap Snap for almost 14 years, I don't have any illusions that the day after Thanksgiving will put my shop in the black for the year...that's why I'm open the other 360+ days...but, after being met at the door last year by eager shoppers waiting for me and further coupled with the flailing economy, I thought I would try to give a little back to my community this year. I'm probably not as popular as the large Big Box stores in the world (and I am confused to hear that there are families camped out at one such store here in town starting Wednesday night...with their 2 kids. In the rain and hail...and they don't even know what's on sale yet because the papers hadn't come out on Wednesday night...which means no hot Thanksgiving dinner, I would assume...and really? There's nothing that outstanding on sale this year. Plus? I think this consumerism is a little out of control...This is, actually, the first year I didn't wake myself from my slumber early to brave the crowds as there's only one thing I thought would be neat, as a gift for someone else) but I know I offer an important service to a lot of people in our town...and I am grateful for their continued support over the years. So, I thought I'd offer some savings in the form of a certain percentage off your entire purchase...It's not tons, but I think it will help save some money.

I will be showing up a little earlier than normal to open the doors...

My sale will last 2 hours, although I might run it longer because it sounds so fun...

The signs announcing the sale have been posted for a week...

Wish me luck.

27 November 2008

Holiday Presence :: Day Three






Two Thanksgivings in one day...with my favorite people and my favorite foods. The things in life that I am truly thankful to be blessed with.

I'm a little amazed that I'm feeling slightly hungry...

Happy Thanksgiving

26 November 2008

Holiday Presence :: Day Two





I've been sitting on my hands over here...giddy with excitement to share today's pictures with you.

You see, I made a pie for tomorrows festivities.

I adore making pies. I am very good at it, and my pies are beautiful (I think) Making pies is like a sort of meditation for me. I love finding the perfect seasonal apron from my vintage apron stash, getting down the perfect mixing bowls (I get my love of mixing bowls from my mother, because she had the most amazing mixing bowls when I was growing up...and there's nothing quite like the feel of a perfect bowl) for the filling and rummaging around for my canape cutters...rolling out the pie dough, and cutting little extra shapes and applying each piece to the pie crust...leaves in this case. I cut each leaf out, and then score the top with a knife to make it look like the veins...and then carefully set it atop the crust. My mother kindly even bought me some pie crust covers so that I can bake each special pie without burning all the pretties (sometimes this happens and they worked perfect...browning the leaves just beautifully instead of burning them)

I am looking forward to joining both my family in the morning when we'll be dining at noon...and my mother requested that I make the pie and my vegan potatoes au gratin to join her tomato mincemeat tarts, dressing (our families recipe) and all sorts of goodies...and then I will be joining Rich at 3:00 for his famous meat pie, my vegan potatoes au gratin (they're getting a lot of play this holiday) and more goodies...

Last year, I spent Thanksgiving with Rich only...and since he has a nutty work schedule, I thought I could go to my families as well. I don't usually spend Thanksgiving with my family, kind of a habit that I got into when I was married, but they never mind if I swing by...Rich and I also went hiking last year, and this year it is gearing up to be quite blustery rainy and possibly snowy weather this year, so that is certainly out. We'll snuggle, eat and watch a movie instead...Rich also doesn't like pumpkin pie, so I didn't make one last year. I thought it would be too dangerous to have a whole pie just innocently sitting around my house...just for me.

Too much of a temptation indeed.

But, after tonight, I realize that dangerous or not, this is a tradition that I need to do for myself to make me truly happy this time of year...

25 November 2008

Holiday Presence :: Day One


The mantle is decorated, as it has been...for some time now. But, I love these vintage Gurley candles the best, yes...even over anything I actually made with my own two hands. They remind me of my childhood. Since my mother collected them since she was little...I was always so excited she wanted to share them with us. I loved helping her get them out and arranging them all around (In fact, I was just at her house last week...and I saw her little Pilgrims in a bag and I almost slipped them in my pocket...I may have done it if it was the Indians, but I think they would have noticed.) I have been studying these candles more and more lately...there are so many for the different holidays...and I look forward to getting my little collection out every year. They make my heart skip a happy beat. I currently have all the Pilgrims in different sizes, but not any of the Indians...or actually the dark blue set of pilgrims...and if you look closely, you'll see that my large Pilgrim man is in a gray outfit and my large Pilgrim woman is in a brown outfit...perhaps I will remedy all of that soon (sometimes it's hard when you're relying on thrift stores for your finds though) Until then, I have collections of candles I will never burn...which is a bit ironic as there seems to be a burn going on somewhere around here...hazy skies and a house that smells of woodsmoke...

24 November 2008

Project...

It's Monday and I am working today...my gal is off in Disneyland having a grand ole' time. I would assume anyway...seeing as it's the worlds happiest place...or something like that, right? I was wondering how I was possibly going to make it through until my next 2 days off...and then I realized that I have Thursday off this week.

Because it's Thanksgiving.

Yes...I realized last week that the holidays are fast approaching. I also noticed that some people around town have their trees up in their homes...and a lot of the stores have their decorations up as well. I am wondering if it's the flailing economy that is pushing people into the holidays even earlier, or are people feeling like me, "this was an ultimately butt-kicking fall...maybe there's something else out there that I could possibly look forward to?" Then again, perhaps living in Arizona's Christmas City does that to a community...makes it hang the decorations early.

There are a lot of decorations and celebrations around here this time of year...it takes a slew of time to set it all up if you're an official sort of place (and even longer to dismantle it)

I decided las
t week when I realized that it's time for the holidays yet again...that I usually run around like a maniac trying to squeeze everything in, and not taking a minute to breathe or enjoy myself. I remembered this from years past and I decided that rather than rush through this season, that I want to take time this year to find the magic again. This of course comes on the heels of interesting self-discovery, so maybe it's high time? I was sitting here thinking to myself that I always feel so overstressed this time of year, and it's almost like I've forgotten how to find the magic because things tend to get crammed in to every second. I know this may not be the perfect time of year to be assigning myself something else since I just documented the fact that things tend to get wack-a-do...but I am committing myself to something different. I am tired of the holidays becoming a whirlwind of activity, confusion and frustration...I want to rediscover the magic of this time of year aside from some of the craziness that accompanies it...

I am committing myself to being Present.

Present to the moments of the season.
Present to the holidays themselves.
Present to myself.
Present to my past.
Present to the magic...

I offer you: Holiday Presence.

Between now and The New Year, I will be documenting something every day that is helping me stay Present and rediscover the magic of the season for me. Perhaps I will include a story, or perhaps it will be pictures...You'll have to tune in and see...

If you want to join me, please do...let me know though so we can journey with you as well...

21 November 2008

100 Percent...

What does that feel like?

100 Percent?

My therapist asked me this week...and how long have you been feeling this way? As I sat on a chair uncomfortably shifting back and forth, crossing and uncrossing my arms...my eyes darting around the office looking for someone to help me other than me.

Probably about 10 minutes...But, it feels like forever.

Then the dam burst...and the uncovering of a long past issue in my life has left me feeling not quite here. I know I am here (because someone is going to Snap Snap every day...and someone has also ripped it apart to install a new shelf courtesy of the recent gallery boys project clean out the room we print and frame in...so I eagerly raised my hand when the offer of a set of shelves came along. Which were delivered to me today and were so close to fitting in the space I intended...it was like mere millimeters, which left me to put my back against the wall, muster up a lot of anger and frustration and move the counter 2 inches forward...using only my feet, because lifting weights 3 times a week for almost a year doesn't quite cut it when you need to move heavy furniture, apparently...So, there's a mess that someone needs to clean up tomorrow morning...I also think I hurt my shoulder or upper back...or it could be from tension, but even yoga tonight didn't work out the knots)

Um. Yeah. Where was I?

See? How easy it is to get distracted when dealing with this that has come up? I just don't know if I feel up to discussing it. I've crumpled into tears at my therapists office and then here at Fooleswoode...the tears linger behind my eyes and threaten to spill into other carefully constructed parts of my days. I've tried to make sense of why I am still so sad about this part of my past...why it feels so fresh. I am embarrassed to be dealing with this yet again. Then again, perhaps I haven't dealt with it at all...I remember sitting in the chair at her office, innocuously discussing something else, and then out of nowhere, I was blindsighted.

Again.

Only this time, between all the tears, there was a new dawning of understanding. I literally sat on the chair at her office and flashed on a slide show of my actions neatly lined up in a row in my head...and I could see the way I have been living my life through these colored glasses because of this particular part of my past...I could see it winding it's way throughout each action and reaction...Then it was if I saw the thread of this pattern retract and unwind and let it's hold on everything go...because I finally saw it and recognized it, and then it could leave. Which was amazing (although these feelings and realizations have left me drained) It happened in an instant and left me saying...ahhhh.

I can't help but wonder if I will deal with things or see things differenlty from now on...mabye not react the same way because the pattern was called up...seen and now can go? I felt calm after this huge realization that wasn't a secret necessarily, but feels more like a key that has unlocked a door to why I do the things I do (sometimes...) but I find that I am now scared. Scared that when it comes down to it, I will react from that same wounded place.

I was also left with this part of me that finally understands why it's so important to take care of yourself and not just try to make sure that life is perfect for everyone around you...Not to suggest that you take care of only yourself exclusively at the exception of everyone...but that it's OK to put me first (for instance...in this example...) because if I am not taking care of myself, then I'm slower to be happy, and then the relationships that I do have will certainly suffer...because I can't run around doing what I've been doing and expect things to be different.

I don't think.

Or maybe I do.

Too much.

Oh, that elusive 100%...I wonder if it will come back to me? Or if I ever had it in the first place?

How do you finally get through things? How do you move past? Do you ever really know?

20 November 2008

Closed for Remodeling...

On Monday, we went to Sedona to hike in West Fork and take in the fall colors...we got all the way there (it's at the end of the drive in Oak Creek Canyon...which usually means that you're stuck behind someone who refuses to go the speed limit, is swerving all over the road and pointing out the window) and found that the trail was closed due to maintenance. Yes. A public land was closed for remodeling...and the wonderfully wide sides of the road had No Parking signs all over them, so we couldn't even get out and walk around...







As it were...
there was a whole colorful fall playground surrounding us, which led us to stop and park in a couple of places and run out to enjoy the colors and smells (well, that and we both had to use the bathroom, and there are usually bathrooms at the picnic areas...we did not enjoy the smell of the bathroom, however...) I have been wanting to go to Sedona for a few years to enjoy the colors...and I finally found myself totally immersed in the beauty of fall. Fall has been drawn out this year into a long tail of summer...it's been mostly in the 70's during the day here (30's at night) so the colors are slow (in my mind...of course, it could just be my mind) to turn this year...so standing close to the running water, in the gentle dappled light of the fall...smelling the leaves helped me feel so serene and comfortable.

Like coming home (which probably is due for a bit of a remodel...I wonder if the trail crew in Sedona could be convinced to swing by here?)

18 November 2008

Another Year Older...

Again...


A very Happy Birthday to two of the most important men in my life today. My father and Rich share the same birthday (insert appropriate Freudian joke here) I also feel incredibly lucky to have both of these amazing men in my life...I smile every day about it in fact. They are both expert story tellers, comfortable around many people...and often make friends wherever they go, which is wonderful in my opinion, because you never know who you're going to meet...they are quick to smile and laugh, they have wonderful senses of humor...big beautiful blue eyes (which is where I get my blue eyes in fact...that would be my father, not Rich...I'm sure you figured that out though, you're kind of smart like that) they are both kind and loving as well...each in their own different ways...incredibly smart and have sharp tongues and wit. I also think you can talk to a Scorpio about almost anything...they can be very thoughtful and are darned good gift givers to boot.

I am lucky enough to be spending Rich's birthday with him, including a special Airstream dinner (he's cooking a coveted family recipe tonight...we won't actually be eating the Airstream, I'm not to sure how special that would be) and enjoying of a lovely gift to celebrate (if I may say so myself. Of course, I picked it out, so I think I shall say so myself...thankyouverymuch) Both my father and Rich can hardly stand it when you try to surprise them (Scorpios don't like hidden things...even if they are good things) and are often so intuitive, it's impossible to surprise them as well...I gave Rich his gift early yesterday and he was quite surprised...My father has a silly card on the way (although it may be there already) with some fun gift cards enclosed...and I will be calling him today since I can't be there in person.

If you would like to help me in wishing Rich a Happy Birthday, you can pop over here to his blog and leave him a comment...If you would like to wish my father a Happy Birthday it will have to be here...like me.

Happy Birthday JohnDad!

Happy Birthday Rich!

16 November 2008

Got Any Cat Snacks?

Saturday morning at approximately 9 am...I was stunned as I was sitting in my living room when I happened to casually glance out the window only to see a coyote running through my front yard.

You have to understand that I live about 10 minutes (by foot) from downtown...I often hear the music from the bars at night...I am that close...I know it's Northern Arizona, but on the other hand, it's hardly wild kingdom up here.








I have to say,
the coyote was beautiful...a shiny coat and looked well fed.

Perhaps on neighborhood pets as snacks?

Meena slept through the whole thing, which was hard for me to believe, as I was practically balanced on her head while taking pictures through the windows...Coyote's are a little sketchy, so I didn't necessarily want to hop out into the yard to get the perfect shot...and Meena had actually just been outside a little while before quite prossibly posing as cat on a stick...

I guess you never know what is lurking around the corner, eh?

Maybe this is a sign that I need to enjoy life fully because I just might end up as a snack for a predator.

I suppose that would be one way of solving the holiday season dilemmas this year...

(Sorry, The Grinch is on TV at the moment, and I'm a little confused seeing as we haven't had Thanksgiving yet...I often wonder what Dr. Seuss would think about that?!)

14 November 2008

Got Milk?




"Listen Pal! I hope they use Jersey Milk where you're taking me!"


Courtesy of The Malone Dairy in Malone NY...

Also courtesy of a local thrift foray. It does make me wonder about the promotion of breast feeding in Malone NY when this particular milk bottle was made however...

12 November 2008

Things To Do When You're So Buisy...

That you should be doing something else...

but hey...

Let's face it.

The tea situation was out of control...

It was.

Seeing as I ran out of decaf coffee for my morning beverage, I needed an alternative, and thought sometime in my sleep last night that I might just have some chai stuffed away somewhere here at Foolsewoode...

A few minutes of searching, and I unearthed a chocolate caramel box of chai...

20 minutes of organizing found:
  • several empty vintage canning jars, which are now full of tea bags (instead of just sitting there with nothing to do)
  • neat stacks of boxes with labels facing out where I can see them
  • a slew of tea I didn't know I had on hand
  • all the tea finally in one place instead of stuffed wherever I could put it
  • a lot of organic chamomile (I guess I think I need to be calmer, eh?)
Now at least I know what I've got for my evening Winter cup of relaxation...

11 November 2008

The Clap...

Can you tell who's in town this week? Someone I got to spend all day with yesterday? The amazing knitter that's in my life?

Kate.

She and the Z girl rolled in on Sunday..just in time for the big storm. Zora said she was going to visit and play in the snow. Kate giggled a little bit...and here was sleet and a bit of snow happening on Sunday.

You know I was going to wash my car, and I'm so very glad that I didn't, since just driving around cleaned off a lot of the dust and tree sap.

Although Monday was also Rich's day off...but since the new printer came in and Rich has been dealing with a horrible stomach flu since last Friday (leaving him incoherent, exhausted and a but puny...poor guy) I kind of figured that he would be playing with the printer on Monday. He said last night, he was waiting for me to call if I wanted to do something, and I was waiting for him to call...which in our speak kind of means we were both totally engrossed and enjoying what we were doing and knew with our standing Monday night date, that we would be seeing each other anyway...so

Kate and I went for early coffee and catch-ups...and then onto the yarn stores. Of course she has yarn stores where she's at, but they don't quite like the same colors she does...our stores are just up her alley. Plus? One of them is going out of business and their whole stock is now 50% off.

Yikes.

I told Kate that
I wasn't knitting. Nope. I was currently embroidering. That's all. No knitting.

Unlike Kate,
once the summer gets here, I put my knitting down until the next winter time, and this year...I wasn't knitting. Then, Kate sneakily make me go look at something in the window of the first yarn shop. A free pattern from Knitty...which is exactly what she did last time she was here when I made the fingerless mitts...when she taught me how to cable knit.

Sneaky isn't she.

Bad Kate.

Making me spend my weekly allowance on yarn...

Here I was with my feet planted, not going to knit, and then I was running around looking for the perfect yarn in which to knit a clapotis. Which is apparently like a large French scarf. When I'm with Kate in a yarn store thinking about a new project...These are the things I say:

Will you sit next to me and help me?
How hard is this pattern?
Can I do this?

And, on and on...All this while running around choosing yarn, then putting it back and choosing again...and then again and again. It's always such a fun adventure. She assured me that since over 8,000 people on Ravelry have knit this particular project, and that she'd been dying to do it as well...we'd be just fine. Luckily the yarn store that is 50% off had the exact yarn she wanted...and I chose a silk olive colored yarn for mine. This is such a beautiful knitted piece, and I can envision knitting it big enough to not only be a scarf, but a shawl and a small personal blanket.

We bought our yarn and started on our project yesterday afternoon. It's not as easy as we thought...lots of tricky stitches (you have to drop stitches at the end which create the stripes...or something as scary...my goal is to be done before Kate leaves so that she can help me do that part) which leaves me totally breathless at the end of each row...where I emit a deep sigh that I got that row done. I feel like it's been a little scary and stressful, which is of course totally nuts...it's going to be just fine. Of course that tiny piece of knitted-ness up there represents probably 2 hours worth of figuring things out...this before we realized we're going to need about 18 stitch markers a piece for this...

I also can not remember what this project is called, leaving me to wander around the yarn store and my own life saying: Would this be good for the

Cabriolet? (the cute car made by VW a long time ago)
Carpolette? (the feminine version of a fish apparently, and something I've totally made up)
Cupola? (Like a belfry...or a vaulted roof)

We decided to
just call it the Clap...which isn't necessarily something I'd want to wear around my neck...but it beats the heck out a VW...

At least I have something to knit when we go to visit my mother and Rozz tonight...

07 November 2008

The Elephant in the Living Room...



Arizona winters
are usually dry. Cold up here in the North country...and very dry. Which is where a cool mist humidifier usually comes in handy. The one I had died a horrible death last year, for some odd reason. I had a funeral for it though, and didn't think about it until I closed the house up, and we all started to dry out. I found myself at Target yesterday morning before work because they have humidifiers on sale...better yet, they are in the shapes of animals. A frog, penguin, alligator and elephant. My mother actually bought the elephant at a yard sale last year, and not only is it super quiet, it works very well and it is adorable to boot. In fact, these are known at the Adorable Humidifiers...

So, now I have
an elephant in the living room. But unlike the traditional elephant in the living room...we can talk about this one with no hurt feelings or awkwardness on anyone's part. Well, unless you don't count any of the other Adorably shaped humidifiers I passed up in favor of the elephant...they may have hurt feelings.

05 November 2008

Kitchen De-Clutter...


My mother recently took over ownership of an established downtown Antique store...again. I'm very excited for her! She's a wonderful business woman and a great shop owner, the buzz is that the antique people (not just called that because of they're age...) are all quite excited about it.

I went in this Sunday to help out any way I could...we had a busy day. I know she has all sorts of creative tasks for me to help her with, and I am energized and excited to dive right in. But before all that, Rozz and I walked around the shop to check out the goodies.

I found a white kitchen cabinet...with black Bakelite knobs (no less) It is tall and thin, and was a great deal. It has three doors, hiding 6 shelves...and I thought it would fit perfectly into my somewhat thin long rectangular kitchen (honestly, I've said it before and I'll say it again...the rooms in my house are somewhat long in the wrong way...if they were more square, I'd be in better shape...as it is, I am having to be quite creative) and help me get some of the clutter up and off the floor and off the chairs and table and anywhere else I managed to stuff it.

I have a small
cabinet that holds my toaster (which I hardly use because of the wheat/gluten allergy thing) and my coffee maker (which I use daily...gotta have my decaf you know) It also holds my rice cooker and my heart shaped Le Cruset casserole. This was the exact spot I wanted to put the new cupboard...so things needed to be rearranged (as you can see by that picture up there...it was a big mess in the kitchen)

I opted to put the coffee maker on the tiny hoosier (which houses my pots and pans, teas, coffee grinder and other cute decorative things) because I rigged up a power strip when I moved the hoosier in years ago, and I need electricity for the coffee maker...I also need to clean up the top of the fridge...

First things first...Does anyone else have appliances that they need, but not all the time? Things you use every once in a while, so it's worth having them, but then they need to find a place to live? Yeah...I reorganized a cabnet and found a lot more space than I thought I had...and was able to put some other things away! I also got rid of some things that I don't need. I will be passing those on to the right places this week.

I originally thought
that my little white cabinet, but with some quick thinking, I was able to find a better place to use it. Right next to the back hallway...and it will hold a few more things. Also on the door in this hallway is a set of hanging shelves...this is my only pantry option...which is a little nutty. Seeing as my house was built in 1925, there's a huge possibility that the original owners had a lot of free standing storage options, so I'm just slowly replacing them, right?

I moved everything around, cleaned everything off and even found myself crawling around on my hands and knees scrubbing the floors where everything had been sitting (and yes, that includes all the walls as well.) Rich helped me go get the new cabinet and moved it into my house for me (thank you so much Rich!!)

I love the new cupboard (even though either my wall seems to be off or the cupboard does...as it appears to be leaning...it's very sturdy though, don't you worry) I filled it up with all the food goodies that have been strewn all over the kitchen, and made a ton of room on those hanging shelves in the back there, and was even able to keep the LeCruset heart in the forefront of my decorating...

Now...I just need to continue organizing cupboards, drawers, and my bowl collection...

...And change that Halloween tablecloth to a Thanksgiving one...I mean, with all the organizing, I may be able to actually sit at the table one day and have a meal...

How novel.

04 November 2008

Ready To Vote...

I always vote on the day of the election.

I always have, ever since I voted in the first election I was legally allowed to. I love the feel of the polling place...the little cramped room, the funny booths they have set up on those rickety metal legs that feel as if they're going to fall over at any moment, the crazy shower curtain material I get to pull around myself protecting me from prying eyes...

That and I live in a small town. My polling places for Presidential elections have always been no more than 2 blocks away from my house. It's so easy for me to get up at the crack of dawn...pull on my mittens and hat and walk over. I feel so expectant and giddy in the light of the dawn...so excited and hopeful. There are usually a lot of elderly persons working at the polls...and I feel connected to them in a way. Like, I'm carrying on the torch of voting...They're usually not that busy either in the wee hours of the mornings, so there's no crazy lines to wait in.

Prescott happened to be the last stopping place on Monday for one of the presidential candidates. It is very close to my house (great parking for me, instead of battling the crowds, as they closed the streets down ahead of time to traffic) Hank Williams Jr. was preforming...but the estimated time of arrival of the candidate (McCain) was midnight...far too late for this gal to stay up, no matter who was here or performing...but I heard all the noise in my slumber (according to the news, thousands of people showed up.)

It's something about extremely loud sounds of helicopters flying over my house constantly all night that made it a little hard to fully relax...

I am a little put out that at his age, McCain can stay up past 9 when I can't. He must be getting much better vitamins than I...

Rich and I wandered down towards the square where they were busily setting up for the big event to snap a few shots the day of...

The town square looked so beautiful and proud all decorated with the flag, and I felt so excited to be an American. I mean, sure I walk around as an American every day of my life...but it's times like these that make me realize I'm part of something bigger here...a whole country exists out there beyond my small town and my polling place...

It's 6 am and I'm off to vote...

Please make time to vote today...

Make your voice heard.

02 November 2008

Halloween Photos...

On Halloween...I joined my mother and Rozzilyn for trick-or-treats. We do it a little differently out here. I'm sure there are some neighborhoods where kids go door to door, but there are a few neighborhoods that really take the bulk of the kids around here. I live next to one of them, which is a small affair compared to the houses on Mt. Vernon.

For years, The Second Hand Man (who deals in antique and resale furniture) decorates his bay window of his stately home with the most fantastic skeletons having tea with each other. The whole window is all decorated for the holiday with the right kind of china and animals...you name it, it's wonderful! They also hand out big candy bars instead of the bite sized ones. But, it's gotten so popular, it's a bit of a mob scene...so we just hang out in this neighborhood instead...it's much more manageable.

There was a great house over here that had a skeleton kayaking down a orange light river, with a skeleton in an inner tube and one that was sitting next to a orange Karman Ghia, who had a guitar and a Hawaiian shirt on...totally cool. The entire scene was all light up with colored lights and everything!

Rozzilyn, as you can see, was Nancy Drew. Didn't she make a cute one?

On Saturday night, I went and hung out with the girls at Megan's mother's home...we ate drank and made merry.

I didn't have very many pictures of my costume taken...so I'm happy that we did these. As you can see, I used my orange crinoline, but didn't really make anything else. I remembered I had that black brocade corset...so, wallah! Add a pointy hat and some black and white striped stockings and you have an instant witch costume...

hubba-hubba!

I am loving this costume, and since I didn't really get to wear it that much, I think I may have to drag it out again another year...what do you think?

As you can also see, Megan is the wonderful Frida Kahlo. She made a fantastic Frida, and said she had all the stuff ready to go in her closet except for the paper flowers, which she just acquired just in time for the holiday. In this second picture the sun was crazy and throwing some strange shadows across my face...hmmmm.

It's probably the last hurrah before it finally gets cold here. It's supposed to be nice and chilly starting this week...

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween...

I totally forgot to crack the bottles of wine.

It's been a little nuts around here lately...so, I'll have to save them for another time...hopefully soon!

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