Halloween 2009 . . .

Saturday night was a beautiful night to trick~or~treat.

This is what the little goblins saw when they rang the doorbell.

Our favorite visitors were
50s Housewife (Kari),
Charlie Brown (Ethan),
&
Rocker Dude (Bobby).
(for the record, Bobby's arms are not covered with real tattoos)

Some friendly faces.
OSU fan with huge cowboy hat
& cute tiger.


Stylish chicks!


A fancy butterfly.



We didn't have very many trick~or ~treaters.
Note to self . . . buy less candy next year!

Trick Or Treat, Smell My Feet . . .

It's time to put on your costume &

get your trick~or~treat bag ready.

Well, I don't dress up for Halloween,

but I do like to wear a cute t-shirt or sweatshirt.

I've got several left over from my teaching years.

Have a fun & safe Halloween everyone.

I'll be back with pictures on Sunday!

The WWW. . .

I'd like to introduce you to the

'Wonderful Waitress Wanda'!

We met Wanda several years ago at

our favorite cafe where we like

to eat breakfast & lunch sometimes.

If they were open for dinner

I'm sure we'd eat there!

Wanda is wonderful for many reasons.

She is a waitress who knows what her

customers want. It's like she can read your mind!

She moves fast, you'd never guess she's the oldest

waitress in the establishment.

During holiday times she adorns her shirt with

a variety of pins. Here you see just a few of

her many Halloween pins.

While we were eating breakfast this morning

a sweet little lady gave Wanda this life

like spider. Wanda said she'd fix it up with

a pin so she could wear it!

The Perfect Combo . . .

Ever since I saw Stacey's (http://poofingthepillows.blogspot.com/ )

post about this sweet & salty combo

I've had a longing to make my own!

Help yourself to the wonderful goodness of this perfect Halloween treat!

Close Encounters Of The Pumpkin Kind . . .

Ethan had his first encounter with some jack~o~lanterns last night.

He enjoyed the bright light & happy faces.

"I'm ready to go night~night now."

Pumpkin Parable . . .

I love children's books. I taught reading for many years & always enjoyed finding & purchasing great books at garage sales & stores for my classroom. Recently I saw a wonderful book, The Pumpkin Patch Parable, being recommended on Elena's blog (http://elenasgarden.blogspot.com/).

Yesterday I bought the book at Mardel,http://www.mardel.com/,

a Christian & education store where my son works.

Last night I read the book & was so delighted with the content. It's a great book! I encourage you to purchase it for your child or grandchild.

I'm giving this to Ethan to add to his library.

This is what's written on the back of the book.

This charming story for children illustrates how a loving farmer can turn a simple pumpkin into a simply glorious sight. In the same way, God's transforming love can fill each of our hearts with joy and light.

Liz Curtis Higgs created The Pumpkin Patch Parable as a way to share the Good News with her own children each harvest season, never imagining her story would one day encourage children all around the world.

Fall Decor . . .

I'm so glad you stopped by to take

a look at our Fall decor!

This month has just whizzed by!

kitchen window. . .

paper pumpkins . . .

Grandma Ruby's salt & pepper shakers. . .

a sweet little trick~or~treater. . .

this is one spider I can like . . .

we've got spirit, yes we do . . .

perfect spot for casual dining . . .

scarecrow trio. . .

the big guy . . .

an interesting little house . . .

It's cool & rainy today, I feel the need to bake some oatmeal cookies.

Don't Miss It . . .

Howdy folks!

Be sure you come back tomorrow

to see the

'Tour Of Fabulous Fall Decor'

here at our house.

You'll see lots of pumpkins, jack~o~lanterns,

and much more!

Sunday Thoughts . . .

He does great things

beyond our understanding

Job 37:5

Wishing each of you a

wonderful Sunday!

How To Celebrate A Birthday . . .

Well, today I'm celebrating another birthday!

If someone was brave enough to put

57 candles on my cake

I'm sure it would require a fire extinguisher

to put out the blaze.
Yikes!

Can you guess what I'm doing today to celebrate my birthday?

There isn't a reservation at the spa for me, or

a shopping spree planned at the mall.

We're having some of our carpeting

cleaned by Sears!

In the five years we've lived here the carpets

have not be professionally cleaned.

I have cleaned them several times with

my Hoover steam cleaner, but it's

time for a deep cleaning by the pros.

The Pumpkin Patch . . .

Ethan visited the Pumpkin Patch

Sunday afternoon.

This pumpkin is just my size!

It sure is fun to ride on Daddy's shoulders!


I love my Mommy & Daddy so much!

I had lots of fun seeing pumpkins for the 1st time!

Sunday Thoughts . . .

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose

under heaven: a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Are you the kind of person who insists on having a little fun every day? You may be thinking, Who me? I have too much to do and too little time to do it? If so, you may be surprised to learn how fun and laughter can help you get it all done.

Look at it this way. Laughter stimulates your breathing and your blood flow. A little spontaneous fun gives your brain and your body a chance to relax their rigid, busy stance and be renewed. Most people find that they go back to work with fresh energy and interest.

Laughter should be a normal part of your daily experience. Try it and you'll be glad you did.

People rarely succeed unless

they have fun in what they are doing.

Dale Carnegie

Taken from: God's Daily Answer

To~pi~ar~y. . .

I got busy Thursday afternoon making

a topiary for our front door stoop.

I found some great faux pumpkins & berry garlands

at Michael's on Wednesday.

I already had the basket, Spanish moss, & some leaves.

My trusty glue gun is antique.

I bought it at Sears decades ago.

I cut a hole in the bottom of the

middle & top pumpkins so they could

be glued over the stem of the other

pumpkins. The basket was placed

in an old pot I had in the garage.

Next, I painted black stripes on the pot.

I think the project turned out great!

I'm not sure if I'll make another one

to put on the other side of the door.

It will be a little crowded if I do.

I'll let you know what I decide. . .

Unexpected Wonders . . .

This beautiful sight caught my

eye Thursday morning

outside our front door.

You never know what unexpected wonders

you'll find each day if you take the time

to observe your surroundings.

Good Grief . . .

Charlie Brown!

After taking this picture of Ethan

Tuesday afternoon I realized he looked

a lot like Charlie Brown!

Good grief little man, you are so cute in your striped shirt!

Birthday Wishes . . .

to my sister, Susan!

Hope your day is filled with
all the things you enjoy!

We love you!

Mission Accomplished . . .

Sunday afternoon my mission to buy a new

Christmas tree was accomplished.

Not only did I buy this 9 ft tree at Sam's I also bought a 'fatter' 7.5 ft tree.

They're stored in our garage until holiday decorating begins.

Now I'm ready for my next mission.

I have always wanted to make pumpkin topiaries for our front door entrance.

My plan is to make them with faux pumpkins.

I think I'll stop by Hobby Lobby and Michael's today to see what's available.

I've thought about using the real thing, but that

would probably be a little pricey.

Besides, with the faux pumpkins I'll be able to use them again.

Hope you all have a marvelous Monday.

Back With Details . . .

Patsy & April, you were correct!

We had a garage sale today.

The weather was perfect. Bright sunshine &

43 degrees when we opened the door at 8:00.

Kari & her sister, Kim, brought their treasures to

add to all my stuff.

We worked late last night getting everything priced & in order.



Here's Kim showing off two of her old formals.
The one on the left is her senior prom dress &
the other is a bride's maid dress.
The dresses didn't sell so . . .

they were loaded in her husband, Matt's pickup
along with the other unsold treasures, and
taken to Goodwill.

We sure had a lot of fun & laughs. We were pleased with our earnings. I made more than enough to buy a new Christmas tree I have my eye on at Sam's.

Can You Guess . . .

what's going on here. . .

and here?

Come back tomorrow to get the details!

Welcome October . . .

September seemed to fly by so quickly!

Now we welcome October.

Before we know it we will be celebrating Thanksgiving.

By the way, did you realize there are only 85 days until December 25th?

In the mean time I'm going to enjoy October.