Thanks 2008!

Hard to believe that it's the last day of 2008 and yet another year is over. I spent the afternoon at the beach with a friend of mine and her dog. Here is my artistic representation of the year being washed out to sea...

As I watched the water move in and out I thought of how the years just keep coming in and going out. I was reminded of a time when my son was 5 years old and I took him to the beach. He sat on the sand next to me and just watched the waves. When I asked him when he was going to go play in the water with his sister, he replied, "I'm waiting for the waves to stop." I laughed and told him that they don't stop. He thought another minute and then asked, "What about at night?" I laughed again and told him that they didn't even stop at night, they just kept going. He stared another half-minute and then said, "OK," and ran into the waves.

I think sometimes I want time to just stop for a minute so I can catch my breath. But it doesn't. And so like my son I just go jump in the water and see what happens.

Here's a great picture of the lighthouse near the beach. I could wax profound about lighthouses too, but I will refrain. (Save that for another post maybe :-)

Here's my friend and her cute dog Emma. She was so funny running around the sand and in the waves (I guess dogs know the waves don't stop.)

And me... still smiling at the end of another year... and looking forward to what 2009 will bring!

Happy 2008!

Bold

I got tagged by my sister Megan. Here is my BOLD list. (Everything I've done will be in BOLD.)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6.Given more than you can afford to charity (what’s more than I can afford?)
7.Been to Disneyland
8.Climbed a mountain
9.Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (how about from a lake?)
14.Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20.Slept on an overnight train
21.Had a pillow fight
22.Hitch hiked
23.Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24.Built a snow fort
25.Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (England, way back when)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (remembering it is another story…)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung Karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (1997)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (Senior year in high school)
47. Had your portrait painted (Thanks Sarah!)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (Can’t, I’ll pass out!)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (saw the guards, just not the change)
77. Broken a bone (Rib – age 2 – fell off a stage – go figure)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (how about a short story?)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (I was in a magazine once too)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Michael Crawford)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

If you haven't already been tagged - be BOLD - post your own list. :-)

Down on the Gingerbread Farm

We have a fun family tradition (going back to my childhood family) of making gingerbread houses (and other things) at Christmas. This year, my kids and I decided to make a gingerbread farm.

My son made the cow looking out the window out of fondant (all the animals are fondant.)


There's a cow, sheep, duck, penguin, polar bear, and giraffe on this farm!

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!

Festival of Lights

In honor of Winter Solstice, my kids and I wanted to do something (you may remember we got up early and watched the sunrise on Summer Solstice on Oahu).

Unfortunately, our sky is under a constant blanket of clouds this week as we get doused with rain (which we desperately need - and at least it's not snow!)

So, without the sun, we decided to gather up all the candles in the house and light them all on the dining room table. We wanted to celebrate with light the fact that every day is getting longer now!


Happy Winter Solstice! Let there be light!

Wish You Were Here

I love spending holidays with family and friends.... Wish you were here and we could sit by the tree and drink hot chocolate and laugh about Christmas memories.

We could sit by the "fireplace" my son made and imagine that we were warm and that I had central heating.

We could frost cookies or make a gingerbread house at my table. This year we're going to attempt a gingerbread farm.

Just close your eyes and imagine. And have yourself a merry little Christmas.

It's a Wonderful Life

I had never seen, "It's a Wonderful Life"... until last night.

I know, it's a crime! A Christmas classic film and I went 35 years without watching it. I'm not sure why I never saw it. Too busy watching Charlie Brown's Christmas or something.

In any case, when I got home last night from a holiday party, I plopped down on the floor in front of the TV to get all my presents wrapped and I turned to a random channel. I landed at the very beginning of, "It's a Wonderful Life" and since it seemed appropriate for present-wrapping, I stayed there.

Well, my presents were completely wrapped in about 30 minutes, but I was hooked on this classic movie. I didn't know that it was so funny for one thing! And beside that, there was a part of my soul that was really tuned into the message.

By the time the movie was over (3 hours later) I had gone through half a box of kleenex and I knew why I had waited 35 years to watch the movie. I understood... I needed to wait until now to truly understand.

As I watched George move through his life, not reaching his dreams, feeling stuck in his town, finding himself in a job he would not have chosen... I understood. Been there, done that, George.

But then, as he finds out that his life touches others in ways that are irreplaceable... well, that's when I had to get the kleenex box out. Because I finally figured something out about my own life (and apparently it took me 35 years). The path I'm on is the path I was meant to be on. I didn't screw up, miss the boat, get stuck, or otherwise ruin my life. My life is exactly what it was meant to be. And all the people that I've connected with on this path were meant to connect with me.

I've never believed in coincidence. Now I understand so much better than I ever have how very important every person is that I meet. Whether it's for a minute or a millenium. That is what this holiday is going to be about for me. My connectedness in other people's lives and their influence in mine.

So thank you, all of you reading this. You have been an irreplaceable part of my path. And I'm so very grateful that I have had the gift of being a part of yours.

It is a wonderful life.

Thankful for Books

Ha! You thought my thankfulness was over! Never!

Actually that just sounded like a good title for my post about the books I read in November. Besides, I think you already know I'm thankful for books!

So here are the ones I'm thankful I had the chance to read last month:

Bewitching Season - Marissa Doyle - This was another Jane Austen meets Harry Potter book. Combo of nineteenth century London and a bit of magic. A very fun read.

Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson Book #4 - As marvelous as the first three and the added fun of the fact that Percy is getting older and the relationships are getting more fun. My son loves this series so much he wants them all for Christmas. I, of course, am happy to oblige.

Stardust - Neil Gaiman - If you've seen the movie and LOVED it like I did, do not read the book! The book (which was written first) positively pales in comparison to the marvelously constructed screenplay. Kudos to the author for coming up with the idea, but seriously, just see the movie on this one.

Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman - A very interesting read. Rightly billed as "an adult Alice in Wonderland." Takes place in both London Above and London Below. I'll never ride the Tube or hear "Mind the Gap" the same again!

The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks - E Lockhart - At first glance it looks like another fun romp through boarding school shenanigans. But what really put this book over the top for me is the social commentary by the leading lady. She has some very interesting perceptions about the idea of the Panopticon among other things.

That was it for November. I finally got my hands on Brisingr and that big, thick, heavy book is going to take me a chunk of December, I can feel it. That's OK with me!

As always, please share what you're reading. I'm always looking for recommendations.

Thankful

The day has come. And today I'm thankful for a day to celebrate being thankful.

And I'm grateful that I survived cooking the 20 pound turkey my kids' dad gave us. Even though I haven't cooked a full turkey in 13 years. And even though I had to stand on the bathroom scale with it to find out how much it weighed so I'd know how long to cook it.

I'm grateful that I was able to supply a table full of food for my family. And that I am able to do that every day (just not quite as much!) I am well aware of what a blessing that is.

Hope your day was full of thanks too.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Singin' and Dancin' in the Rain

I know I already blogged about this recently, but I was reminded again today how grateful I am for singing and dancing.

I took the day off work today (yay!) because my kids didn't have school and we made our first foray into Christmas shopping. It was also pouring rain today!

As we dodged raindrops running into Target we all started singing, "Singing in the Rain" and I started dancing up and down the curb the way Gene Kelly does in the movie. Unfortunately, I wasn't very good at it. The kids tried to do it too and we all erupted into giggles. When I mentioned that Gene was much better at curb dancing than I was, my daughter mentioned that he was better looking too! I countered that I was taller, so I win! We were laughing so hard by the time we tumbled, dripping into Target, the security guard was raising eyebrows at us.

But much like Mr. Kelly to the policeman... we didn't mind. We just smiled!

And for an extra smile... take a look at this video mix of Singing in the Rain and Star Wars HERE.

A Place To Lay My Head

I am grateful for my bed. I'm exhausted tonight. This single working mom cannot wait to crawl under the covers and crash. And my bed is soft and warm and a pretty shade of turquoise and has a polar bear on top. I am fully aware that there are many, many people that are not as lucky (especially about the polar bear). So I'm going to climb in, pull the covers way up to my chin, and be grateful.

Life-Long Learner

Quite frankly, I think the phrase "life-long learner" is severely over used. However, the idea it stands for is something that I am very grateful for.

I'm grateful that I live in a country where I had the opportunity to go to public school. I'm grateful for my parents' support of my higher education. And I'm grateful for every opportunity to learn something new.

I've had the chance to learn astronomy, fencing (the kind with swords), piano, meteorology, accounting, tap dancing, yoga, basic plumbing, and more!

The library is my absolute favorite place. I'm so lucky that my city has an amazing library with books, magazines, videos, CDs, DVDs, databases, etc. Not to mention the classes and events there too (you know I want to work there!)

And the Internet is simply astounding. The near-instant access to information all over the world never ceases to amaze me. How did I look things up BI (before Internet)? I learn so much every day just by moving my fingers and my eyeballs. Weird. But cool.

I want to learn until I can't stuff one more thing in my brain (which, understanding the nature and percent of our brains we use, will be a while from now).

After all, that's all you take with you.

I am grateful for these people...

And these people...

And these people...

And these people...
And many more not pictured here.

These are the people I call family... who bring so much love and joy into my life!

I am grateful for this...
And this...

And this...

And this...

And this...

I am surrounded by such beauty. And it gives me such joy.

Just Imagine...

I am grateful for imagination. What a bonus to our existence as human beings to have minds capable of creating things beyond what we take in through our senses. My imagination is usually in overdrive... especially early in the morning or late at night. Or during staff meetings.

I am amazed by the imaginations of the humans around me. Especially as displayed in books and films. Have you guessed by now that I went to see "Twilight" today? Several of my co-workers and I took an extended lunch and in fact did no eating but merely drank in the creative canvas of this book-turned-movie. Way cool. I won't say more than that for you few that haven't seen it yet. By the way, I'm going again tomorrow (gotta take the kids!)

But I digress. The point of this post was not to mention that Carlisle Cullen is absolutely dreamy, but to celebrate the imagination that created him. And all the other books and films that take us a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Or to seek out new life and new civilizations. Or to any of the other amazing places I've imagined in my mind.

I can't imagine life with out it.

Let There Be Light

I'm grateful for light. Especially this time of the year when it's dark by 5 pm! I hate that. I am one of those people who are really affected by light. When it's sunny and warm I'm happy. When it's dark and cold I'm cousin to Oscar the Grouch.

I love sunrise. I love that the sun came back for one more day. I love that my big bedroom window faces west and that the sun shines directly on my bed in the afternoon. That's my favorite spot - curled up in the sunshine on my bed like a cat - and probably reading a book.

And when the sun is casting its lovely glow over the other side of the world... I'm grateful for lights. It never ceases to amaze me that I can flip a switch with one finger and have light. It never gets old. I remember seeing the shacks set up haphazardly in Africa and thinking, "They don't have lights." That was so sad to me. I felt too rich.

Then when I don't want to think about my electricity bill or I want my house to smell good, I'm grateful for candles. They're such tiny lights, but when everything else is dark, they light up so much more than you'd think. Their little tiny glow seems to make something in me glow too. Especially candles on dinner tables or on holidays. Bonus points if they smell like gardenias, cinnamon, or honeysuckle.

Let there be light!

Giving Thanks All Week

Today I decided that since we celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, why not celebrate the 7 days of Thanksgiving? (I know I'm always looking for an excuse to celebrate more!) So the next week, or so, I'm going to be blogging about thankful things.

Do you remember when Oprah came out with her Gratitude Journal idea? It was 1997, I remember because I thought it was kinda cool, so I started to write in my journal every day about something that I was grateful for. I had only been doing it a little while when I wrote an entry that I still remember (you'll see why).

I wrote that I was thankful for vacuum cleaners. Because we had set up the Christmas tree that night... it was a little one that we put on top of a little table, inside the play pen... because my son was 10 months old (no explanation needed there)... we had just decorated it when my husband at the time tripped, caught the play pen, knocked the tree over, and shattered about a gazillion glass ornaments. Hence my gratitude for vacuum cleaners. And wire. Which we then used to anchor the tree to the ceiling and wall once we got it back up on the table and in the play pen again.

Do you see why I remember this?

Anyway, today I remember my gratitude for vacuum cleaners. I'm still grateful. They're really quite handy. Along with dishwashers, dryers, microwaves, cuisinarts. Long live household appliances that make my life easier. I'm grateful.

Spreading Joy

A good friend of mine sent me a link to a fantastic minute movie.

Click here and feel the JOY: http://www.thejoymovie.com/

There is Something About a Sailor

What is it about sailors.... There is something about sailors that really floats my boat. Seriously, I'll about stop traffic when I'm in San Fran driving on the Embarcadero and I see one of these uniforms.

Maybe it goes back to the fact that I did, "Dames at Sea" and "South Pacific" my freshman year in high school. You can only sing, "The Sailor of My Dreams" so many times without it affecting you.

But it's more than that. It's more than the really great uniform. It's the courage of that person inside the uniform. I'm prouder than I have words for the fact that my grandfathers served on the seas in WWII. I feel that pride, and gratitude, and amazement every time I see a sailor.

This photo is from the US Navy website. There are pages of pictures of sailors. (I know, I looked.) And today especially I just wanted to say, "Thank you."

Because there is just something about a sailor...

Breaking Randomly Into Song and Dance

I remember having a conversation with a boy when I was in high school or college. He was complaining that he didn't like Musicals because they were so fake. Trying to make his point, he said, "In real life people don't randomly break into song and dance." With a dead-serious face I looked him in the eye and said, "In mine they do."

It's true. I randomly break into song and dance when so moved. I am often joined by friends, family members, and occasionally a co-worker. Rain storms are the perfect time to sing and dance. Cleaning corner to corner is the perfect time to sing and dance. Finding a new red hat is the perfect time to sing and dance.

I taught this fact of life to my children very early. We have staged our own versions of Stomp using couch cushions and Tupperware. They regularly join me in random bursts of song and dance and are getting quite good at instigating such bursts themselves. My daugher informed me Friday night as we left the theater after watching High School Musical 3 that the man she someday marries has to be the kind that will randomly burst into song and dance with her. Good girl.

After all, what would REAL life be like without a little song and dance?

A Little Pocket Money

I've been working full time hours for two months now and that means I finally have a little bit of pocket money at the end of the month. I spoiled myself just a teeny bit with these:

No, not all of them! Just one! I got my own yoga mat (I chose Forest Green - it felt earthy). I think I may have to name it. You can get your own HERE.


This next one I have no excuse for. It called my name. I answered. I've had vintage hat envy ever since I saw one like this on Stephanie Nielsen. I'm wearing mine for Christmas.

I'll have to post a picture of it actually on my head at some point. My daughter is already eyeing this. She said it's calling her name. She may be getting one for Christmas too. I bet my son would wear a pinstripe Fedora... hmm... You can find a hat of your own HERE.

History

It's just kind of cool when you live through a day you know is going to show up in the history books.

Books Books Books

Well, I'm a few days into the next month already, but there was all that fun holiday stuff this weekend. :-) So here are the books of September...

The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan - Book 2 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Just as good as the first. Lots of action. Very funny dialog!

Seeing Redd - Frank Beddor - 2nd book in the Wonderland Wars. Not as good as the first one. But then again, this is the middle of the trilogy where everything that can possibly go wrong, does.

Did I Expect Angels? - Kathryn Maughan - A heart-tugging drama with some well written humor. I actually met the author in San Francisco in August and when she described her book to me it sounded like something I would really enjoy. I really did.

The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan - Book 3 in the Percy Jackson series. By far the best and funniest one yet! I listened to this one in the car on DVD and almost had to pull over once or twice because I was laughing so hard.

Extras - Scott Westerfeld - I read the first 3 books in the series last year (Uglies, Pretties, Specials). I finally got around to reading the last one and loved it! This whole series is not to be missed. It's an exceptionally well done social commentary series. Good stuff!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick - Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal - It's a comination of novel and beautiful charcoal drawings. The story is captivating and I found myself wanting to Google all the historical references. Well done.

The Amulet of Samarkand - Bartimaeus Trilogy Book One - Jonathan Stroud - The humor in this one is phenomenal! Bartimaeus is a 5000 year old djinni with some serious attitude. The story is well written and you just can't help but crack up over each of Bartimaeus' footnotes.

It's cold and rainy here tonight and I've got a really good book I'm reading now. However, it's also my yoga night... Do you suppose I could read and do downward-facing dog? Hmmm probably not recommended. My book will just have to wait a little longer.

Creative Carving

Whoever invented pumpkin carving is my hero. I mean, "let's gut a squash and turn it into food art!" That's my kind of person!

Here we are creating this year's masterpieces. My daughter carved a pretty good likeness of Tinkerbell with the words, "Got Pixie Dust?"


My son, who happens to enjoy math the way I do a bar of dark chocolate, decided to go for a math-faced pumpkin.

Can you tell what I am waiting for this year? About twilight tomorrow, I'll be looking for a "good" vampire...

Here they all are in a row. I tried to take pictures with them all lit up in the dark, but my candles were weak and all I got was blackness. Maybe I'll put glow sticks in them tomorrow!

Happy carving!!

A Promise Fulfilled

This tres chic Twinkie cake has been a long time coming. It made its debut at my sister's Open House, held at our parent's home this weekend for all of our family and friends who couldn't make it out of state for the wedding two weeks ago.

The sign behind the culinary masterpiece tells the story... and I'll explain it here.

Many years ago when my sister was a pre-teen, she and my youngest sister and our mom were looking at wedding magazines. (This happened often in our home since our mom regularly did flowers for weddings.) Our youngest sister was listing all the plans she had for flowers, dress, and reception for her future wedding. But this -> sister, took one look at all the pictures and said, "When I get married, just put out some Twinkies and Kool-Aid in Dixie cups."

And so, I've promised her for years that when she got married, I was going to make her a Twinkie cake. (Yes, in case you were wondering, there was a divine chocolate wedding cake as welll!) But the Twinkie cake had a place of honor. And my promise is fulfilled.

By the way, it was an absolutely marvelous party!!

Midsummer in Midwinter

This Midwinter, we'll be having a Midsummer Night's Dream! The kids' school play is this Shakespearean favorite and I can't wait. They found out today what roles they will play... my daughter will be Titania - Queen of the Fairies and my son will be Demetrius - love-potioned suitor.

My son's first reaction was, "Mom, listen to this stuff I have to say, 'To what my love shall I compare mine eye?'!" To an 11 year old this is pure mortification. But I wisely counseled him, "Son, you learn that Shakespearean love poetry now and I guarantee, when you're 23 or so, if you quote that to a young woman, you'll have her attention!" He looked thoughtful for a moment... and then made a gagging motion. :-) But he did think for a moment...

What can I say. If someone spouts sonnet 116, I'm a puddle on the floor.

A Classical Tradition

All my memories of being at my maternal grandparent's home have a soundtrack. That's because anytime I was in their home, classical music was playing. Sometimes it was a record (remember those?) but more often it was the San Francisco classical music station. I loved hearing that music when I was there.

In my parent's home when I was growing up we always had classical music playing on Sundays. I have memories of eating a marvelous dinner to the tune of Bach, Mozart, and Gershwin.

I've continued that tradition in my home. Every Sunday I turn on the classical music station. The really neat thing is... it's the same station my grandparents used to listen to. I still love the way the music creates a tangible atmosphere in my house. Hopefully my kids are soaking it up.

I've even taken to listening to classical music in the mornings while I get ready for work. I've always had my alarm clock set the classical music station - it just seems like the most humane way to greet the pre-dawn hours. Lately I've taken to leaving it on. There's something about classical music that both calms and energizes at the same time. And you're not left with lyrics that go round and round in your head all day.

I've mentioned before on this blog that my favorite music is movie soundtracks. My two favorites right now are "Pride and Prejudice" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" depending on my mood. :-) There's just something about this music that reaches way inside of me and connects me to humanity through a universal language.

It's a marvelous tradition to have inherited and it's one definitely worth passing on.

A White Wedding

Hooray! My sister and her marvelous man Jeff got married! It was a splendid day. Even the weather decided to go with the white theme... it snowed! Yes, snow in October! It flurried a bit on Saturday morning but gratefully stopped around noon. Didn't stick to the ground either, but boy was it COLD.

Here are the newlyweds looking blissful in spite of the weather.

The reception was beautiful and the cake was divine! Chocolate is perfect for a fall wedding.

I was a happy bridesmaid. Here I am hanging out before the reception. You wouldn't guess it was about 45 degrees out! Oh well, it was so much fun!

Wisdom of the Ages

I was at the grocery store last night. I finished up at the register and put my wallet back into my purse, preparing to pick up my bags of groceries.

The cashier yelled out, "Whoa there goes a dollar! Is that yours?"

The bagger and I looked at a dollar bill that had just fluttered to the floor at my feet.

"No," I responded. "I paid with my debit card."

We all looked up and saw a woman almost to the doors who was stuffing money back into her wallet. The bagger yelled, "Wait!"

The woman turned around while the bagger retrieved the dollar and asked if it was hers. It was.

Just then the cutest, littlest, oldest lady in all of California came shuffling by, holding on to her grocery cart. Her chin barely cleared the handle but she had clearly watched what had just happened. With a gleam in her eye, she said in her ancient-wise voice, "It's a good thing she found somebody honest."

And she kept rolling on by.

When the final straw is chopsticks

You know it's been one of those days when...

In the midst of eating a delicious dinner of teriyaki stir-fry over rice you find yourself thoroughly annoyed at how long it's taking you to eat and you march to the kitchen to get a spoon.

When your son asks why you're no longer using your chopsticks, you announce, "I don't need stress from my eating utensils!"

And then you think about what you just said.

And you know it's been one of those days.

Our October Fest

It actually got a tiny bit cloudy today! And my son and I found one tree with leaves that were definitely yellowish. All this and it's now OCTOBER. So we decided to have an October Festival.

Recipe for an October Festival:

1. One large pot of apple cider (one jug of cider, two cinnamon sticks, 8 whole cloves - hot!)
2. Three maple glazed donuts.
3. One origami session (taught by daughter) on crafting black bats and orange pumpkins (cool!)
4. Thirty minutes of watching "Garfield's Halloween" - classic.

Results - toasty, sweet, silly October fun!

What Happened to the September Books?

I can't believe I only read 4 books this month. Then again... school started, soccer started, I began working full time, I got a memory foam mattress top (puts me right to sleep!) So maybe that explains why I only read FOUR books. Here they are:

1. Peak - Roland Smith - This was one of my son's books and I hadn't read it yet because it looked too "boy" for my mood. But it was great! Basic story is, a teen boy climbs Mt. Everest. I was fascinated by the climbing stuff. Wouldn't ever do it - but loved reading about it.

2. The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan - Thank you to all my siblings who recommended this book (and the series). It's modern day boy meets Greek Myths (or are they myths?) Very funny writing style too.

3. The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen - This was the right book at the right time for me. About a girl who tries to be "fine" and "perfect" after she loses her father. It's a great "slice of life" story.

4. Levin Thumps & the Gateway to Foo - Obert Skye - This was fun fantasy. Boy and girl find out they have to save life as we know it and battle dark things and win - you know how it goes. :-) But it's well done. There are more in the series I'm going to have to read.

OK - Got to go catch up reading!

Autumn in California

It's been autumn for a whole week now. And this is what our trees look like.

Still as green as can be. It was 90 degrees yesterday. No chill in the air here. Nope, in California, autumn happens just about the time we go trick-or-treating. Then the leaves all fall off the trees the week of Thanksgiving and we're done.

So we like to make our own autumn... indoors!

The kids have a tradition of making their own autumn/Halloween decorations and covering the house with them.
Our stairway (and the door and the television armoire) have the candy corn chicken pox this year.
Lone Pumpkin Man embraces the full moon. And looks incredibly styling in his yellow plaid flannel.

Happy Autumn!

The Mother of Invention

My brother recently shared with me a memory of something our grandmother said to him. He told me that when he was 10 and he mentioned within her hearing that he was bored, she told him, "If you're bored, it's your own fault." He said he was never bored again.

My childhood was blissful in the fact that my mother let us create, invent, and otherwise make a mess. We got to make our own home movies. We got to turn the hide-a-bed into a spaceship. We even got to dig our own "pool" in the backyard. We went as far as lining it with a black tarp to keep it clean - which didn't work of course - and we ended up with a spa mud bath.

I vowed early on to let my own children create, invent, and on occasion make a mess. :-) I encourage activities that don't involve a screen and do involve a great deal of thought. In the midst of all of this, my son has become quite the inventor.

He recently spent hours putting this together:

It's a light and fan (made of balsa wood) that really works! He used a little battery power pack and taped the whole thing up to a piece of cardboard. Then he proceded to tape the whole thing up to the underside of our dining table which then of course had to be made into a secret tent. And they had to sleep there that night.

I went to bed smiling. No wonder my mom let us make the mud pit. This is cool.

Sunshine in Seattle

Sunday I left very early to catch a flight up to Seattle for my grandmother's funeral. I had packed well, prepared for the rainy, cloudy, cold weather that the Olympic Peninsula is well known for. But as I drove around Puget Sound to my grandparent's house, the clouds parted and a beautiful blue sky broke through. And it stayed that way the whole time I was there.

Sunday was a wonderful day spent visiting with so many family members. All of my grandpa's children were there with their spouses, as well as 13 of the 24 grandchildren, and 4 of the 19 great-grandchildren. (Actually there was one more in utero. :-)

Monday was a beautiful day. The graveside service was simple and lovely. The cemetary is beautiful and my favorite part is that my grandmother's grave is right near a hillside of blackberry bushes. Just right. The memorial service at the church was wonderful. My aunt had put together pictures and mementos of my grandmother on tables and also put out her wedding dress and her harp. My dad gave a sweet overview of her life and the other siblings shared memories of her. That night we continued to visit and remember.

Tuesday came all too soon and after a brief visit with my grandfather, I was off to the airport again and heading home. It had been so long since I had been to my grandparent's house - 15 years - that this was a trip I really needed. I got to see family that I just adore, tell my grandpa how much I love him, and celebrate my grandmother's life and Graduation.

And the sun shone through it all. Even in Seattle.

Fall Into Baking

One good thing about this time of the year ('cause of course I'm not happy to leave the warmth of summer) is that when it gets cooler, I can bake more! That's my way of heating up the house.

My kids and I decided to have a baking night. They each got to choose a recipe and make a treat. My son chose Chocolate Zucchini Cake. My daughter chose Eclairs. Mmmmm. Happy tummies and the house was warm. Double treat.

Going quickly!