Scenes from Halloween

I don't even know what to say about this costume.

It's unique. It's colorful.

This was what Lucy put together for her Halloween Piano Recital.

Interesting.

Miss Cholita, our dress-up queen, lives Halloween every day. On October 31st she just gets more candy. She chose to be Dorothy this year, an excellent choice since we had both a Dorothy costume and the red shoes. But then she saw the sparkly red shoes at Target and she hugged them to her chest and pleaded and begged until I gave in. I don't know another living soul who gets more pleasure out of shoes.

But on Halloween night, she surprised me by opting for saddle shoes instead of sparkles. If people asked, she said she was a "poodle girl".

Lucy decided against her "crazy alien" costume and joined Cholita in the poodle girl club. And now that I look at the picture, Cholita wasn't in the poodle girl club anyway. She was a black cat girl. Regardless, it was a bit of a nostalgic moment for me. I wore the poodle skirt years ago for a school Fifties night and little pre-schooler Lucy wore the black cat skirt. Sigh. As if it would make me feel better, Lucy pointed out that she did have to pin in the waist on her skirt several inches. No, it didn't make me feel better at all. It just made me want to do more Pilate's.

Rose was Glinda. Or "Guh" Linda, with a "Guh", I'm not sure which. or Witch.

Anyway, she was lovely.

Evidently, "pink" was the theme for Halloween 2009. Bruder has refused to dress up since he was about 12. Lucy's now a teenager, so I doubt that she has many more trick or treating years left. That makes me sigh even more than the poodle skirt.

Mr. October

In many ways, our dog Olaf is a serious mess. He's got bad hips, very little stamina, and enough phobias to keep a canine psychologist busy for many long hours. To top it all off, he's a groomer's nightmare--a 120 pound lint catching, twig collecting, mud-caked mountain of fur. When he was a puppy, a local pet store had a special grooming price for all dogs under 1 year old--the whole shebang for $9.99. We took full advantage of the deal, proudly presenting our 100 pound puppy (and required birth certificate) for his day of beauty. I believe that store has now changed their policy.

Anyway, it costs far more to get him groomed these days, and so a spa trip is a rare and special occassion for Olaf and he knows it.


Here he was yesterday morning, pre-grooming session, not even making eye contact, knowing he wasn't presentable. When I opened the door and urged him into the car, he wagged for all he was worth and squeezed himself into the minivan. I think if they could put his hair in rollers and paint his nails, he'd be thrilled.

And now for the big reveal.....

I give you Mr. October,

happily posing for his photo shoot.

He's expecting a call from Westminster.

Glowing with pride, he strikes a regal pose on our hill.

"Hey baby."

Someone knows he's lookin' good.

Run, Baby, Run

Have I mentioned lately how much I adore Rose?

She's such a unique, feisty, lovable character.

Rose frequently gets a far-off look in her eye, stops whatever she's doing, and runs outside to do a few laps around the house. We sit inside and watch her as she passes the windows.

Around and Around and Around.....

Sometimes she runs quietly, sometimes she sings, sometimes she talks to herself.

She doesn't need running apparel (obviously), and if the weather is breezy, or rainy, or cloudy, even better. She says she must go.

She returns winded,
but always happier and more focused.

Who needs therapy and self-help books?

Rose just goes for a run.

Beware

Beware the plethora of porch pumpkins

Beware, I've been doing crafts

Beware the black bear dog who will sit in your lap for snuggle time

Beware, Lucy's been crafting too

Beware the spiders on the door

Beware the haunted library

Beware the cobwebs (artificial and otherwise)

Beware Lyle's spooky portrait

And oh yeah, Happy Halloween!

I Blinked and it was Autumn

We've only been gone for five days, but the difference in our landscape is stunning. At breakfast this morning, Rose gasped and yelled, "Mom, look at our tree!" It was green a week ago, it really was, but look at it now.

We bought two Japanese Maples this summer and I was told that Acer Palmatums each do their own thing as far as Fall color. I was really hoping this pair would coordinate a bit since they'll be planted next to each other, but we've got Big Red and his brother, Mr. Brown.

Doesn't the red look great against the white and black house? I love Autumn time.