Sweet Kind of Spookiness!

Tiger Jack

After two weeks of traveling, it sure was nice to see these kids again. We picked them up at school on Friday. Jack came around the corner to greet us, a combination of Darth Vader and Tiger!

Kate and Jack at their Fall Trunk or Treat. Mom and Dad decorated the van as Bat mobile. Kate got to help Daddy hand out candy.

Bat Girl

Amy (far right) and co-workers also dressed up.

I thought she was a teen with an attitude, but turns out it had something to do with the totally 90's grunge, full of angst, think Nirvana, Pearl Jam, STP, etc ;-). I don't know anything about those groups. I guess I really am getting a little old.

Bat Girl and Darth Vader came to stay the night with us. It was pajama day at school, so Kate didn't actually wear her costume, but Jack's Star Wars pjs were his costume!

We had our usual good times in spite of the fact that it was raining cats and dogs all evening and night. It was fun watching the lightning out the window while playing inside ... nice and dry.

 Where are those pancakes, anyway?

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of Texas, our other grandsons, Brady and Noah were getting their trick or treating on with their cousins.

 Brady and Noah on the right

My Halloween Memories

They are few. First Halloween ever that I recall dressing up and trick or treating was at seven years and my sister five. Mom made our costumes. I was a witch, my sister was a fairy. I still remember that yellow fabric she used to make both of our costumes.

In the years following, our "custom costume" dress was usually old clothes, something tacky, since no money was spent on costumes, although we did buy a mask of some kind. We had a paper sack to tote from door to door and collect candy. I remember bringing it all home, then staying up with a light under the covers, eating candy and reading a book. We always got a popcorn ball and an apple from our neighbors, and sometimes such sweet treats as homemade cookies or brownies! That doesn't fly these days! Well, if you didn't know who made them, they would fly -- straight to the trash!

One year our youth group had a party in someone's barn. It was quite spooky and, in looking back, I'm a little surprised our church even held such a party. I'm sure it must have been called a fall festival or something.

Before my husband and I married, the apartments where he lived had always held a big costume party. He went to elaborate lengths to make pirate costumes for us to wear. (Truly I tell you, being the introvert I am, I wasn't looking forward to attending a party with a bunch of strangers, let alone wearing that outfit) but I complied ... being the fairly compliant and submissive person that I was. Would you believe that when we arrived at the party, EVERYBODY else was dressed in regular street clothes. No costumes. Oh, the utter humiliation of trying to play a good game of pool wearing that silly pirate costume.

For several years, one of my girlfriends from work had costume parties each Halloween. We had a lot of fun and there were some very interesting ... and some embarrassing costumes we wore. 

circa 1983 or so

No, this is not me.

I'm glad to say Halloween days are behind me and these days, trunk or treat events and our grandchildren entertain us with their cuteness at this time of year.

Crystal and Hunter
with some unknown creature.

More sweetness! My cousin, her grandson, and daughter.

And another cousin's grand kids,
Audrey Hepburn, Piggy and Rubik's Cube!

Silence is Golden

Are you ready for some Hodgepodge?

It's that time again! Join in the fun with your answers to her questions and link back to From This Side of the Pond. Thank you, Joyce!

1. Are you comfortable with silence? Yes, I am quite comfortable with silence.

If you're home alone, do you like silence or do you need regular background noise? Silence is golden.

Do you seek out times and places to be silent? Early morning. I can also do quiet afternoons or evenings.

What's your favorite place to find silence/be silent? My favorite chair with a cup of coffee and my Bible or other book.

2. October 28th is National Chocolate Day. Can't let that go by without a mention now, can we? Will you celebrate? How? Let's say you can have one of the following right this very minute... a cup of hot chocolate, a strawberry dipped in chocolate, a bowl of plain chocolate ice cream, or a slice of chocolate pie...what's your pleasure?

With the choices you listed, a slice of chocolate pie sounds really good right now. Outside of your list, a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, or a couple of squares of my favorite Ghiradelli sea salt and almond dark chocolate!

No meringue, please.

3. How do you feel about blue jeans? Favorite thing in the world to wear or nope, don't own a single pair? How often do you wear blue jeans in a typical week? Do you own a blue jean jacket?

I like blue jeans if they are a good fit with a little stretch in them. I probably wear jeans three times a week. I don't know why, but I do not have a blue jean jacket. Well, really I do know why ... jackets bother me and make me feel confined. 

4. Are you superstitious? No, but ...

If so, in what way? My mom always told us not to tell our dream before breakfast because it might come true. Truth is, if I wait until after breakfast, I can't remember what I dreamt! (Is it hard for anybody else to use that word? I usually rearrange my sentence when needing to use the word dreamt!)

5. If you had to come up with a costume using only things you have on hand right now, what could you come up with?

I could put on my tackiest pj's and go as a Wal-Mart person. Or my Spider-Man shirt with some black leggings - that's the best I could do. Either could be pretty scary.

6. What scares you a little? All the stuff we have in our house, attics, sheds and garages. I fear the day will come when I have to handle getting rid of it all myself.

What do you do when you feel scared? Pray.

7. Perhaps today will be the day I begin the task of clearing stuff out of the attic so DH can haul it off somewhere.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am looking forward to getting my hour back this weekend when the clocks are turned back. I always resent moving them forward in the Spring because it messes me up for a week. Now, turning them back may also mess me up, but I still enjoy that "extra" hour early in the morning. Or the night before, I can turn it back and pretend we are actually staying up late like other folks. 

One year, many, many moons ago, my husband and I forgot to "fall back." We were so confused on that Sunday because everything on TV was off schedule and we chalked it up to football games delaying programming. The next morning we stopped at our favorite donut place and were curious as to why nobody else was there. We discovered then, DUH, our boo-boo. So we went on in to work an hour early (without the usual Dallas traffic) and promised ourselves we would turn our clocks back that evening. We forgot, of course!

Next morning was a BIG Election Day, and guess who was there bright and very early? When someone finally showed up, they asked if we were the volunteers to help out. NO! Big DUH! We are here to vote. Sheesh! This time we were close enough to go home, have another cup of coffee, and CHANGE THE CLOCKS before going back to vote.

When Daylight Savings Time and Presidential Election Days coincide!!

Good Times and Birthdays and Family, Oh My!

A long awaited visit with family and especially to see both my nephews whom we hadn't seen for over a year finally happened this past weekend. Our arrival on Thursday was just in time to catch my sister-in-love, Susan, performing with her musical ensemble at a local nursing home. This group of cheerful people played and sang for almost an hour to all the residents' delight. They so enjoyed singing along and many of them knew all the words to all the songs. 

"Oh goodness! Look who just came in!!"

Billy, Crystal and Hunter all the way from Seoul!!

(The above pic is a snap from a video that is absolutely adorable, 

but somehow is now lost in cyber world! Dang!)

Want to cheer up the residents in a nursing home?

Just bring in a baby or a puppy.

They LOVED Hunter and her dancing.

It was heartwarming to watch them clap and reach out for her as she showed off her moves.

 Hunter has been living in Seoul for all her life. 

She just couldn't get enough of some real soul food at a local BBQ - 

gimme those sweet potato fries!

 We got to help Grandma and Grandad babysit

while Mom and Dad enjoyed a night out together ... alone. 

 This girl likes to eat.

Grandma loved feeding her.

Grandad, too!

Saturday

The cafe where we had breakfast Saturday morning displayed a sign I had not seen anywhere before.

I like it!

As we waited our turn to be seated for breakfast, 

this darling little girl's mom consented to my taking a pic of her.

Too cute that she was wearing same outfit as Howie's!

Howie wants to know if he wears his costume as well as that little girl above.

My sweet sister Roberta and her lovely daughter, Robyn.

They love to shop, so we went to the mall for a while.

Just to look.

All the rains in Texas had caused Chase and Julie's flights to be cancelled on Friday, but thankfully, they were able to make it in late Saturday.

At the airport

Saturday night at the House

 My brother Phil and his son, Chase building a fire.

 Being avid football fans, these three were 

trying to find a way they could be outside and watch the game, too.

What do you do in a deal like that?
You bring the TV out to the patio.

 DH is happy inside with TV and a blanket.

Hard at work keeping the home fires burning ...

the fire pit and the grill!

Hunter's First Birthday 

Isn't she the sweetest thing?

Such a happy girl.

That's me (the edge of me) holding a candle 

while everybody sings Happy Birthday,

Hunter, Julie, Crystal and Susan.

Time to open presents.

This OSU Daddy loves his baby girl!

So in keeping with those OSU colors ...

we thought she could use an orange tutu!!

Nothing cuter than a baby in a box.

(Howie isn't used to someone else getting the attention!)

 Everybody wanted a chance to hold this precious girl!

You can see my sister is all smiles loving it!

My "mean" sister would not give her up even for a pic!

See how her smiles turned into that look?

What about this look on Uncle Chase's face?

Is he ready to be a Dad one day?

Aunt Julie keeps Hunter well supplied with bows.

Sitting Pretty

I so wanted to capture some autumnal colors.

Tulsa is such a pretty city with its hills and trees.

As we left, I got the bottom pic.

(The two above it are two from my friend in North Carolina

just because I want some fall colors here!)

I really can't say enough about the loving hospitality while we were in Tulsa. We stayed with my sister and her husband, Don, the entire weekend ... thank you Don and Roberta. We all spent a lot of our time with my brother and Susan. They outdid themselves working so hard to create the warm atmosphere outside and inside and accommodate everybody. The food was FABULOUS!! They were constantly moving here and there to make things just right for everybody present. 

Susan asked me to take a photo for their annual Christmas card!

I think I did all right!

Crazy good times this weekend and wonderful memories.