Happy Halloween!

Scary Scary Halloween!

Halloween is one of my very favorite Holidays. It's a time to let your imagination take flight and your inner child shine. The crunchy leaves under foot and pumpkins all aglow...a fabulous passage into the holiday season.

Every Halloween I pick a new book title to add to our collection. This book, Scary Scary Halloween, by Eve Bunting and illustrated by the lovely Jan Brett, was the pick for this year. I'm a huge sucker for Jan Brett, so it was kind of a no-brainer when I spied this book among the others. Such wonderful pictures and rhyming.

Are you all set for Halloween? Do you have a costume and a Festive Fall Frolic to attend?

Zia's Tale of Ichabod Crane...

The book report due this month in Kaziah's classroom was to be a fairytale or folklore. She chose Sleepy Hollow. 'Tis the season of flaming pumpkins and scary stories, so I thought I would share it with you...

Sleepy Hollow
By Kaziah

My book report is about Ichabod Crane. He is a teacher that teaches in an old cottage which he lives in, but he has to go to other people's houses to eat dinner. They tell stories about the Headless Horseman. The Headless Horseman is a guy with no head but has a pumpkin that is on fire. He is trying to find his head so he kills people. The setting of the story is in the olden days.

After hearing the stories of the Headless Horseman, Ichabod Crane goes into the forest to go home. He meets the Headless Horseman and the Headless Horseman chases and tries to kill Ichabod Crane. The Headless Horseman kills Ichabod Crane so he can put on Ichabod's head. They sent investigators out to find Ichabod. All they find is his hat.

The conflict is that the Headless Horseman needs a head so he can see and talk. The theme is that Ichabod believed that the stories they told were real, and so it became real to him. Don't believe everything that you hear.

That's right folks...don't believe everything you hear...


More of the story and photo here.....

Halloween Five Years Ago...

Princess and the pea(s) and the "Fire Maiden"...

Said It Before...

I've said it before, Everyone forgets...except you. And I am still there...finding my way through the sad/happy reminders that are so very close to home. You can't just "Get over it" or take comfort in "Mother Natures selection of the fittest"...tell that to a Mama who still dreams of babies. Yes, everyone around you forgets -except you. I pray my time will come again soon, very soon. And for those who are on the other end of this situation, I ask for Grace and Compassion...even if you may not understand.

Asparagus Fruit?

Asparagus Fruit? *Apparently so... I never knew until I was walking around the property the other day and spied some little red berries hanging out on our asparagus plants. Gonna have to research this berry a bit more, I am curious to the uses it may have...

Dig This!

 

My last two weeks in photos...

To the Pumpkin Patch!

Before I share any updates on my surprise remodel or Lance's home-coming, I want to share our pumpkin patch photos.....

I love fall, always have. I love the leaves, the wet weather, the holidays right around the corner and the coziness that comes with this time of year. Visiting the pumpkin patch represents an opening of this time for me.

Some friends of ours work a garden plot in the community garden in town, so our pumpkin picking is a simple drive across town. You will notice from the photos that Roxie is always around to pose, something I still get to enjoy with her age. It seems the older they get the more I have to pry a picture out of them. But Roxie is always ready to pose for Mama.

Have you visited the pumpkin patch yet?

A Birthday Wish...

Today is my Birthday. Happy Day to me! Go on over to Craft-Crazy to see how I am celebrating and what I've been up to.....

Snow in October...

Last weekend we woke to snow on the farm. A first for us. Somewhat of a major bummer, as Lance wasn't home to enjoy it too. Poor guy has been gone for work 16 days now, and I don't expect him home for another 7. A long trip this time around. A long one indeed.

I do love the first snow, it makes everything so bright and clean looking...covers those weeds that are still hangin' around and makes me think of the winter to come. Definitely motivates me to get done with the main chores I have at hand so I can fully enjoy the cold weather to come. Which for me means yummy things cooking in the kitchen, a humming sewing machine and a networking computer. Go ahead and throw a fireplace in the mix too.

The snow came down like a fine powder sugar dusting at first, but then it just kept snowing. The wet weather calmed my allergies and gave a slight relief to popping Claritin 24/7. Although by now, the snow is gone and the desert wind is back, bringing with it the many joys of allergies.

Snow in October...a sign it'll be a wet one?

Shovels and Birthdays...Making it a Memorable One.

Yesterday morning was fun...no really, I love waking to a parkway flooded with mysterious water gurgling up from between the concrete pads. Nothing says "Good Morning" like a broken underground water pipe. After getting the girls to school, we determined the break must be the main water pipe from the farmhouse to our rental unit. Figuring the break was under the concrete pads, but not knowing where the pipe actually was, we got to digging.

I should also share that anytime anything goes wrong, like emergency trips to the hospital or broken water pipes, Lance is out of town.

So, with shovels in hand, we started our morning. Our renter, who has proven himself very useful, grabbed a shovel as well. Once we dug enough and found where the pipe entered under the concrete, we offered our renter a sum of money and he set to work breaking up and removing a large portion of concrete driveway. So many hours later, the problem was located...Thank goodness for helpful renters!




Did I mention it was also my Moms birthday? Happy Birthday Mom! -Grab a shovel.

No worries though, we ended the day with a lovely take-out dinner (talk about creating unnecessary landfill waste) and delicious cheesecake. You can never go wrong with cheesecake, especially when it is topped with fresh raspberries and a finely chopped Kit-Kat bar. Yum.

While I was busy in the kitchen, I asked Roxie to draw Mimi, my Mom, a birthday picture. I didn't see the drawing until after my Mom opened her gift - and I just have to share it with you.



She said, "See Mimi, we're in our Birthday suits! I thought it was funny!"

Yup Roxie, you clever little monkey, it is funny...and Oh SO Cute that my 5 yr old thought of and drew it herself.

Funny Huh?

The Diva Cup...

I have been in love with my Diva Cup for over two years now. Every month I am reminded of this love and the freedom it brings me. All this praise for a little menstrual cup? YES!

A Diva Cup frees you up to live the duration of your cycle with no worries. From longer stretches of time in which you literally forget you are cycling (it's that comfortable!) to swimming with no worries of the dreaded "String" making an appearance.

Freedom in a Cup...and rightly so.



After my D & C procedure early September, I was told not to use anything other than traditional pads to absorb my bleeding. During this time I was reminded and blown away at how wasteful *women's toiletries are! Yes, I knew the waste created by women's products before this, but with the use of my Diva Cup, I tend to forget that there are still women who are slaves to their cycle...and in turn creating a huge portion of landfill waste needlessly.

Why is this? Do women think a traditional pad or tampon is more convenient? It's not. Believe me. There is nothing more convenient than a Diva Cup. Are women so uncomfortable with their own bodies they feel they have no other choice? None of these excuses work for me. I would love to see women* take control of their cycle and the industry that controls them. Once you try a Diva Cup, or any like product, you will never go back. I have friends who have taken this advice to heart and are now in the same boat I am...preaching the Diva Cup like there's no tomorrow. And If we continue to act oblivious about our everyday choices and the impact they have on the world around us, there may not be a tomorrow.

Do you use a Diva Cup?

(Landfill photo credit)