Make Way for Thanksgiving Day

We have new plans for Thanksgiving Day. Alex is still coughing... the ugly cough that makes people fidget and the cougher suffer... it's best we stay home and not share our bio-hazards. So, we miss out on family time with aunts and cousins, grandma, uncles. Sigh.

Forward! Let us not reflect on disappointment, or my still sensitive thumb from last year's cranberry calamity. Once I realized we were playing by a new game plan, I hustled over to our local market and picked up fixin's. Turkey. Dressing mix. Cranberries. Apples. Heavy cream. Whole wheat flour. 2 lemons. Evaporated milk. Celery. And more... all the staples, all of the classics and traditional flavors, all of the wholesome ingredients and some of the bizarre yet necessary things, like cranberry sauce in a can and a can of Easy Cheeze. Yes, Easy Cheeze. For the celery. Yes, crappy, cheap cheese from a can squirted out unto celery sticks.



Thanksgiving is a personal holiday. It is a holiday with a long, and often misunderstood history. I was about to launch into one of my favorite history lessons, told with my Native sensibilities, but I really don't have time. Suffice it to say: Thanksgiving is a personal holiday. Everyone likes it the way they like it and no one should have to give up their favorite version of cranberry sauce or whatever. Which is why I hope someone gets her egg rolls, and Calamity Kim doesn't go crazy trying to serve 5 different "favorite" main courses!


What was I saying? Oh yes, I don't have time. I should be preparing pies and making that ridiculous cranberry sauce that I love so much. And, of course, there's a lot of cleaning that could be done. Even as I prepare to embark on this cooking-cleaning-baking triathlon, I am full of gratitude... we've got the essentials, like shelter and food, warmth, good shoes, a safe car, supportive bras, and plenty of toilet paper and hand soap, and we have the intangibles... laughter, respect, kindness, love, curiosity, patience, resilience, hope. I pray for peace and healing for all, for light and reflection in every home, in every heart.

About Last Night

This is no Hollywood treatment of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." The monster William dressed as is inspired straight from the book. And, when he painted on the last stitch, and Alex finished helping his friend Mitchell in to his costume, then everyone was ready to go out in to the night in search of treats.


Alex, the Dragon Wizard, Mitchell, a video game warrior, William,the creature, Max, the straw bale, and Maria the metamorphic Princess Mary Pumpkin. We don't often enjoy cool temperatures on Halloween, but last night was pleasant and cool enough to be comfortable in dragon scales and princess layers. Since Geoff had to work, we turned out the house lights and I brought Maria along to watch the trick-or-treaters in action, but after the first stop, she had to play too. The big guys were patient as can be, waiting for Maria to walk up to every door and take her place among the candy hunters, then they all called out in unison: Trick or Treat!

Max had a special delivery... at every stop he crouched down into his bale and waited for the person at the door to notice the bale of hay sitting on the ground and then Max would give them a surprise by rising up for the reveal... good laughs ensued and he was delighted with the happy results.

All the kids got positive feedback for their homemade costumes and creativity.


Maria embraced the whole scene... saying "Trick or treap" and always remembering to say either "Thane-you" or "Happy Hawnween!" She loved the lights and carved pumpkins, walking from house to house and waiting for the front doors to open. And candy? People handing over candy, filling her pumpkin? She was astounded. When we got home Alex showed her how to lay out all the candies on the floor and they made a candy rainbow with the all the colorful packages forming a confectionary arc. Then they made trades and swaps, remarking on favorites, past & present. Whenever Maria asked to try a candy, we opened it for her, showed her how to lick it, with dramatic relish and then she would do the same. She gave a lick to about 4 different candies, but only actually ate one piece of chocolate.

We probably covered about three blocks worth of houses, and of course not everyone was home. Max plans to make his candy last as long as possible. They all agree that some candy is good, but mostly they wanted to enjoy the hunt and the fun of showing their costumes. And speaking of costumes, we have some cute cousins who sent us email greetings for Halloween...


Dread Pirate Dominic, pumpkin slayer and heartbreaker... well, he makes my heart melt anyway.


Jordan the Bee, a cutie bug for sure.


And Griffin... oh, I mean Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ready for serious fun.

HaPpY HaLLoWeEn!

Alex the Dragon Wizard is roaming the halls of academia. Much like last year, when he was the invisible man, his costume is home-grown, creative and a family project that should have been started 6 months ago. Trouble-shooting and design challenges aside, he looks pretty cool in his dragon head and with his apocathry belt laden with potions and salves.

Maria is wearing anything with tulle... a thrift shop dress and a tutu and yellow ribbons in her hair. She says she is a princess fairy. I love that she made it herself, picking what passed for her vision and adamantly declining anything did not fit in her plan.

I will have to post in increments today. Max is, unfortunately sick... some post-fire cough, a little fever, sore throat and a mix of too much school party anxiety. He is not really sorry about the prospect of missing the parade and festivities. He is worried about missing school work. He's in our bed doing school assignments. I am looking forward to sharing his very Max costume... stay tuned!

William and I are going to juggle today, wearing many hats as volunteers, doing his school work, keeping Max company and finishing William's costume. I think I will be Eeyore... it just fits.

After School Update

What the hay! Never underestimate the complexity of a simple idea.


And never give-up just because it's tough, or you might miss out on something that, in the end, works surprisingly well.


Somehow, Max as a bale of straw... an unassuming, camouflaged costume with a built-in escape hatch... just fits. He loves it. He likes that he can disappear...


and make a showing whenever he feels like it.


Maria's princess-fairy costume evolved throughout the morning, until she finally made her debut in her princess dress, with fairy tutu, Jack' o lantern shell and "Mary Poppins'" hat. Smashing! Dazzling! Original!

Finishing October

I ought to have a separate label called "Shocked" and under its heading would be all the posts that express my amazement about the lateness of the month, or week or day... seems I am always caught off guard by the passage of time. It's Later Than You Think could be my theme song. So, anyway, I am taken aback, surprised, turned around... October is nearly through? Oh my.

OKay. Who needs a costume? William asked for a black dress shirt that will be suitable for Frankenstein's Monster; something in keeping with the literary description of the creepy fellow. Alex's costume is nearly complete, I think... wait, I seem to recall a strip of elastic I need to attach to his head dragon's head. And for Max, I need to get to a feed store and buy a flake of straw. Maria... she says she wants to be a "Cutie Bug!" I think that can be open to interpretation, so I hope she is happy with whatever I can manage in the next 24 hours! Pictures, yes. I will take lots of pictures.

Last week, when we came home from our very exclusive evacuation center, we were greeted by 2 parcels. One from Hawaii and one from Oregon. Seems the grandmas were in sync and they both had Halloween on their minds. I cannot describe the pleasure we derived from those care packages... it was as good as a party and a wonderful distraction from our fears and anxieties about the fires.


My mom sent Maria little tulle tutus, and Tutu sent her a bracelet and a necklace. We also received gag gifts, like a fake cigar and a chewed wad of gum prop, Halloween pencils, paper plates and a tea towel with a pumpkin cookie cutter. Tutu added her traditional chocolate covered marshmallow treats, which the boys jokingly say can only be found in Hawaii. Thank you grandmas and grandpas! We love our treats.

Interesting crossroads... I am struggling with a decision about what is appropriate and what is inappropriate to discuss in a blog. I know that very personal or emotionally charged subjects are considered taboo for some, especially in a family blog or when read by people not as comfortable with the whole blog genre in the first place. Yet some people would actually find it remiss of me not to mention an important, or significant event or passage... maybe it would seem indifferent of me or insensitive of me to not acknowledge sad news. And lately I have left quite a bit unsaid, preferring to respect privacy, and perhaps I should continue in this mode. However, I make this blog a chronicle of our lives and a means to connect with family and friends.

And so I must mark this day, quietly, though publicly, and extend my deepest sympathy to my cousins. My tio passed away last night... it is my cousins I am thinking of, their loss, and I am sad too... once again caught off guard by the passage time, and full of memories of our times together as children, playing under the watchful, loving eyes of our parents. I pray for their comfort, that they may feel the warm embrace and loving kindness of family and friends, near and far.

Disaster Relativity

Geoff watching "Charlie and Lola" with Isabella and Maria. He did spend some time with us, when he wasn't defending the homestead.

"It's all relative" goes the expression. We are safe, relatively. We were much safer thanks to relatives. And we have not suffered, relative to those families still evacuated and learning the sad fate of their homes, possessions and pets. So, I can't complain... but I will anyway... ha-ha! OKay, not so much complain, but assess the anxiety and recount the details, because it's too stressful to keep it all bottled up in my head.

Last night the voluntary evacuation for our community was lifted, and we returned to Garage Mahal about 9 p.m. It stinks bad, but the air is surprisingly clear (again, that's relative!.) We are keeping a watchful eye on the Witch-Poomacha Fire. That's two fires that merged early this morning, for a jumbo fire that has burned 220,000+ acres and is still uncontained. I-5 was closed for many hours this morning, due to 3 uncontained fires at Camp Pendleton... unsettling to lose that escape route, but it's recently reopened.

Let's see... other than having our nerves rattled and still feeling alert and on edge, I think we are okay. Of course we're okay, right? Pets are here, house is standing, friends we've heard from are safe... check, check and check.


How to Be a Good Parent in a Disaster: Let your children feel empowered, even if it means filling the tub with Lego bricks covered by soaked towels.

Everyone is hearing about the Santa Ana Winds that are finally calming and they report that as good news... Santa Anas are powerful, hot winds and gusts that come from the east when there is an area of high pressure over the Great Basin in Utah. Relatively, it is good news, but, and you knew there had to be a big but here, the off-shore breeze blows back all of the smoke that was moving across the Pacific as far west as Hawaii. Off-shore winds are also less predictable than the Santa Anas and make it much tougher on the fire fighters as they try to anticipate where the fire will move... + the Santa Anas are not gone, just turned down, so those poor fire fighters are dealing with multiple wind directions. Another issue is that the new wind direction, means the fire is switching directions, going back over areas that were in peril and heading to all new areas. Julian, the mountain community we were visiting last week has lost power and phone connections and they are under mandatory evacuation.

This is a very recent update on the overall situation.

Well, I have had enough of wild fires, evacuations, fretting, stinky air and feeling heart-broken watching displaced families looking at ash piles and rubble, and from plenty of past experience, I know we are a long way from back to normal. I remember after the 2003 fires for a few months we could smell ash-smoke-fire stench every time the wind blew... it took quite a few rains to wash away that smell and it took even longer for me not to feel a moment of panic when the smell of fire was in the air.


Last Friday I paid to have the carpets cleaned lol, and we spent Sunday sprucing and scrubbing the yard... it looked awesome. We are blessed. A sooty, smelly, disheveled rental palace is still a home and we are happy to have it. Thank you to everyone who has called, emailed and left comments. Your thoughts, prayers and kindness have kept me sane, distracted and happy... it really is wonderful to feel connected. I hear helicopters... I see blue in the sky... I smell soot... I feel tired. I am going to cook the dinner I had planned for Mom's Night Out, which I was supposed to host last night. Soup anyone?

Synchronized Insomniacs


Last night we left our still damp carpet and went out in to the world in search of food and amusement. Friday night is Family Night, and we usually spend a large part of it debating what to do. Fortunately Maria made a decisive and clearly stated plan: "Pumpkin patch. I like a go pumpkin patch." Yes! We have a destination! A plan! Willing participants! Friday night turned out to be an awesome night to go to the neighborhood corner, where there were lights and straw bales and inflated jumpy houses. No crowds. No sulky-cranky pumpkin patch slaves. We owned. Alex and Max jumped to their hearts' content, which was a blast to watch. Maria bounced to her heart's content, which meant she did not bounce much at all. We even managed to get away with only purchasing one over priced squash orb. Alex has big plans for his pumpkin. Plans that include a Dremmel tool. We will share photos.


The pumpkin patch is home to two golden retrievers who were the kind of dogs that make me want to be a dog owner... they were that good! They never left the lot, they never barked or made inappropriate sniffing maneuvers, and they happily played with anyone willing to toss their dog toy. Awesome dogs.

I took a lot more pictures, but my nighttime photo skills need some help. The flash is way too bright and the pictures taken with flash look... uh... look really, really, really bright. No flash can sometimes look arty, but most times just look blurred. More to learn. It's cool.

Oh ya... the insomnia. Sometimes Geoff and I both have insomnia and we stay up talking and expounding on all of our brilliant theories. While I loathe insomnia, Synchronized Insomnia is kind of nice. We reconnect, solve problems, make plans, come up with designs, and philosophies and we cuddle. My brain was running a mile a minute with all kinds of deep thoughts and insights. I designed 3 major features of my dream house, I resolved to accept my thrift-shop domestic style, and I made a fantastic, if completely late, retort to the principal's take on 'parents and teenagers should not mingle at the school party' speech (bottom line: She's totally wrong.) Geoff summarized where all of these economic turns are taking us... the dollar plummets, China cuts their ties to the dollar, no more cheap imports, so Americans reboot their manufacturing and we become the exporters, which doesn't really help the environment, because it's still all about buying stuff. From 2 a.m. until around 4:45 a.m. we were geniuses, eloquent and articulate. Yes!

Now I am off to save the world!
And later, a nap, because I need sleep real bad.

Glitter, Paint and a Bonnet


Is it too soon for glitter? Of course not. I scrounged around in my ample supply of crafty goodness and dug out some little ornament frames. Then we managed to find the sandpaper, so we were on our way to doing a very professional job of making these early Christmas decorations. Max, Maria and I sat outside (in the part of the yard that isn't flooded) and we sanded the rough edges of our ornaments.


Our smoothed canvases were ready for something glorious... paint, glue, glitter, feathers, wiggly eyes, sequins... the possibilities seemed limitless! We chose acrylic paints and a bit of glitter. Red, green and silver sparkles to enhance our artistic efforts.


All kidding aside, I love the earnest thought and care that children apply to their creations. Max painted his stocking with stripes and stars, and he carefully added glitter to each blue star. He talked about the grain of the wood and the paint's thickness and how it looked with more or less water. Maria was no less careful or vested in her project. She took her time, delighting in every brush stroke and carefully mixing her colors for just the right effect. She knew exactly in what order to add the glitter and were to apply it.

The next day it was my turn to play, because a pattern from "Angry Chicken" arrived. I could not resist jumping right in and making this adorable bonnet, and the real incentive was that I actually had suitable fabric on hand!


I left off the brim, which will look cute for sunny, Spring weather, and I went with this Winter-cheery red corduroy. It's an easy pattern, or at least I figured it all out eventually. I think the next one will be the easy one. The results are so worthwhile... it comes out cute, charming, comforting and a nice chill blocker.


Maria loves wearing her new hat.


I love that I found a worthy use for this precious flannel print I picked-up in Oregon. There were only 2 fat quarters of this fabric left and I was eager to use it for something special. Now it is lining her bonnet, making it soft and warm inside. I love it. I wish I had enough to line a coat. I wish I knew how to make a coat! Maybe I should pick-up Amy Karol's book!


Do you think the boys would agree to dress as Wampanoag and Pilgrims, and pose with their sister for a sepia toned Thanksgiving photograph? What? It could happen.

The Road Taken


It's not a long drive to get out in to the country, to the foothills, up around local mountains. It's not a long drive, but it does get you a long way from the usual sights, which is just what I needed. Sadly, everything is much drier than I had hoped for. The ground looks thirsty, the trees parched. Those trees that do change color seem to be withering more than transforming. The scars of the deadly fires of '03 are still evident, and I recall the fear and anxiety of that terrible time.



And still, Julian hold her charms. We walked all over town, taking in shop windows and anticipating our pie. It's apple season and a number of places claim to make the best pies. We have our longtime favorite.


It was very cold and windy this morning, and in the buildings we could hear the whistling eerie sound of wind that wants to get in. We say it's the miners, calling from their haunted mines, and the only way to keep them from haunting you all the way home is to eat pie. Don't you love a happy ending?

We stopped at the used bookstore and paid Coco a visit. She only comes inside in the mornings and that's when she likes to be pet too. The rest of the time Coco is a mountain cat, living by her wits and mousing in the pioneer cemetery.


She is the exact color of powdered cocoa; a color I've never seen in a cat.


I've been coming to Julian for many years, and though it's changed a lot, I can't help being sentimental about what I remember, what I believe. Some of my best bed-time stories for my children come from those times when my brothers and I were little kids, running around, finding treasures, making fun.


So, we got chilled, and we enjoyed small town walks and bird-watching. We got our pie: Apple Boysenberry Crumb! We stopped in the hardware store, and we tried to find an apple orchard that wasn't completely picked-out, but no luck... something for next time. I just love next time.

Making Autumn Leaves



Lady Harvatine gets double credit for inspiring my most recent quilt. I used her zipped pattern to make use of my Moda charms from Oregon, and when I finished the top and was looking for a nice quilting pattern, I realized that leaves would look good, scattered down the center.



It's a small quilt, a lap quilt, I guess. I wanted it to cover our bed, but I couldn't find any more fall fabrics that looked good and I really wanted to resist driving everywhere for more fabric. Too bad; a third zipper would have looked good. I have yet to make a quilt that was planned in advance or came from a kit. I like the creative process, which is also an excuse to avoid reading instructions or trying to decipher patterns.



So many bloggers are posting warm, fuzzy images of the new season, and describing their hearty stews and home baked breads. I've seen many Fall crafts, and beautiful scenes with farm animals, pumpkin patches... I can practically smell pies baking and cider simmering. Inhale and sigh. Is it any wonder I feel homesick? So, where do I go when I am longing for familiar sights and fulfillment of nostalgic fantasies? I go to the places my mother took us when we were children. I go where my younger brother taught me to drive... we wound around country roads in our '64 Mercury Comet, looking for the best apple pie and stopping to replace the fuses every 30 minutes. I go where there are apple orchards and horse drawn carriages, gold mines and red cabins, memories and pines.

I've mentioned before that my Mommy should have a blog. She writes well and she makes amazing jewelry, she's a photographer, an artist. Actually, she's probably too busy to keep a blog. She should just continue being a productive, traveling, dreaming, cooking, playing, creating woman and I will blog for her... She wrote to me this morning, and without her permission I present BogBeads, Deep Thoughts and Other Musings, From My Mommy:

"Beautiful leaves on chickenblog!  If you had a scanner, you could scan the leaves and print them out on your fabric transfer and put them into your quilts!  Just a thought.  I know you have nothing else to do.

The albondiga soup and salsa sound very delicious.  Yesterday I unfroze one of the putanesca sauces I froze before I left.  I sliced up some zukes and portobella mushroom, arranged the slices on parchment covered baking sheets, sprinkled with olive oil and Mrs dash and roasted them.  I added them straight out of the oven into my rice pasta with homemade putanesca sauce and of course, parmesan cheese - great big yummmmm.

I downloaded some recipes for green and regular tomatoes.  I have quite a bit of both from the garden.  I plucked them off the vine because the nights are getting very chilly - didn't want to loose them to the frost.  I bought some small pumpkins and yammies to make some pie - yes, autumn is pulling at the tummy strings and it's at this time I wish I would win the lottery so I could travel to be with everyone of my  kid's home and take in the family life essence. 

Actually, I think I would buy a lot of acreage somewhere around Monterey and let everyone design and build their own dwelling in the family compound.  It would certainly be large enough for farming, an orchard, your chickens, some milking goats and maybe one or two milk cows.  There would be beautiful common barn with a red roof for Geoff's tractor or tractors and of course the trucks and atvs to get around the compound.  The common garage would be large enough for the boat, the kayaks and canoes and have a bike shop corner and a spacious tool room and equally spacious area for the farm equipment.  Of course, we would have a nice home for the family of the competent, honest, trustworthy, industrious hired hand.

Well, back to reality - it's already 9:30 and I'm in my power suit.  I did feed Roamer early this morning and I did go through deleting my daily dozen+ junk mail and handled the regular emails.  I did take care of some BAAA business - so I guess I'm not too much of a duh.

Sorry to hear about Alex's cold.  Hope he keeps it to himself and not for long.  Be well.  I love you and miss you and the kids.  two days is NOT enough!"


I am going to bring my Fall Zipped quilt to the mountains and do more quilting between apple picking, hiking, exploring and gazing up at trees. We really wish it would snow... not going to happen. It would be great if it would rain... also not likely. It's sure to be just a bit cooler, and I know we will see rolling hills, oak trees, cows, and barns. I think I'll send my Mommy a little lotto seed money... I'd love to see her dreams come true.

Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away?



I may be breaking my own record... Earliest Playing of Christmas Tunes. I like to say I am strictly a post-Thanksgiving Christmas music player, but I know I have stuffed a few turkeys, while singing along with Mitch. But before Halloween? "Silver Bells," "Sleigh Ride," "Christmas Island?" In October?

It started innocently enough, I think. I was assembling an autumn playlist... tunes to groove to when I want to evoke the gentle mood of cool evenings, reflection, anticipation and thankfulness. Naturally this calls for some Nat King Cole: "Autumn Leaves" and even "Mona Lisa." I love "Robin and Marian" a Nickel Creek tune. There is something warm and seasonal about "The Muffin Man" when sung by Ella Fitzgerald. I added some Stevie Wonder, then Elizabeth Mitchell, Bob Marley; all upbeat, homey, cheering, and I was really loving the idea of reveling in all of this happy music, when I realized that in the midst of autumnal gratitude and anticipation there is one thing I will be anticipating above all...

"Over The River and Through The Woods" will get you to grandma's and through Thanksgiving, but an early snow can bring a "Sleigh Ride"... giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up let's go! Then you want to "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!", which is what led me to singing along with Amy Grant, "Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away."



I am laughing out loud... lay down a little snow and autumn is a slippery slope to a "Winter Wonderland!" Now I want to Hark the Herald, and Wonder as I Wander. Gloria!

Ahem.

Well, if music and anticipation, reflection and gratitude are the best of this season, then I am in luck, because there are plenty of days left to enjoy all of these! Merry Christmas to all, and 3 months to sing along!

Here We Are and It's October, Again


Maria has been redecorating. She's going with a monkey look. Three monkeys sit together, overseeing a mess only a monkey could make. A monkey or a 2 year old girl with energy to spare and a very active imagination.


If you are like us, in So Cal, and the change of season is barely discernible, you may want to visit Lady Harvatine. She has sewn-up a crafty way to bring Fall inside. I have been on the lookout for a maple tree, where I can sit beneath and look up and imagine I am in a forest of Autumn and seasonal beauty. The air is crisp, I can smell the earth and a faint wisp of smoke from logs crackling in someone's fireplace. A breeze stirs the fallen leaves. Branches rustle. A crow calls, and meets others. Far above, clouds are gathering, swirling in a sky so deeply blue it looks infinite.


Autumn touches my senses, or my imagination at least.

Happy Autumnal Equinox Day!

I love this time of year. Love, love, love, love love. Love it. Yesterday I saw a leaf fading from green, taking on a merlot cloak, and it made me giddy.


We won't see many of the classic signs of Fall... no frost, no gold and crimson forests. There won't be many leaves falling in our yard. Around here, the clues that the season is changing are more subtle, or overtly commercial. No falling leaves, but gifts and tokens of kindness are falling all over. Blogger friends can take the chill out of any day. I was certainly warmed to the core when I found a little package from "Nikkipolani," a blog where gardens, photography and good cooking come together for inspiration and gratitude. Out of the blue... two books and scrumptious, healing lip balm were delivered to me. Surprise!

I wasn't going to share this, but the lip balm could not have come in a more timely fashion, because my lip needs healing. I was multi-tasking, and having only two hands, I employed my lips to hold the package of 3M Clear Mounting Squares I was using to hang a picture. When my hands were free I reached for the little pack of stickies and found that my lip was sticking to the package's own adhesive seal. No problem... I tugged slightly and YOW! my lip was stripped! The seal came away with a line of skin from my lower lip, and left it swollen and bleeding. It hurt, but I was still laughing, because it was so dorky.

Thank you so much for sharing these cheering and warm gifts with me. I think I will post some of the "Quilting" quotes. The little books are dear, and my coconut cream lip balm is making my lip, and ego, feel much better.


Tracy sent me a pair of earrings she made, and they make me happy to wear... I just love feeling like Norway is a little closer, and that I have a friend there too. Tracy you are a gem. Your craftsmanship and creativity deserve a standing ovation, and then you add your generosity and those kind words and hugs you send to everyone, and I feel amazed, grateful to know you, inspired to spread hugs too. How did I get so lucky to know you? And when I am overwhelmed with joyful tears I will reach for one of the tissues you sent, all hugged in the quilted holder... it's pretty, warm and thoughtful, just like you.


I know someone that I exchange favors with, who has become a friend, a very generous friend. Our sons go to school together, so we can help each other quite often. She and her son took (better) care of our cats while we were away. I think the cats must miss the lavish attention they get when we leave! Somedays I give her son rides to and from school. I am happy to help her, and I cannot convince her that it's not a problem. She adds gifts to her thanks, like a gas card and flowers from her garden and homemade jam. Homemade strawberry jam! Now, we've brought them thank you gifts too, because it's such a relief to know our kitties are happy and safe while we are traveling, but I don't know if our gifts can compare with the sweetness of strawberry jam. Julie, you are too sweet!

I think we are simply exhausted.

I bought groceries and made lunches, but I left out perishables... There's so much to do, just to catch up and I only seem to manage to fall further and further behind. I haven't communicated with Cristina, Holly or Jola, or confirmed plans for Thanksgiving. I never reached Grandma before she left for Colorado. It's time to take down the few Halloween decorations we put up, and make some attempt to assemble our bed. Geoff estimates that if we unpack 10 boxes a day, then we will be unpacked in 2 weeks... please don't do the math and call to tell us we have too much stuff. Even up to yesterday we had a moving truck. Have I ever mentioned we have a 700 lb "Discs of Tron" Arcade game, circa 1981? Oh, I guess that only fuels speculation that we might have too much stuff. Never mind.

Okay, allow me one little sort of pity party. Actually it's more regret than pity. Back at the Treehouse, Bob's new victims, er I mean tenants, have already painted most of the interior and thrown out all the ugly and tacky things that I chose to overlook. The new tenant "hated" the pink master suite, so he painted it a hip green. The downstairs is midnight blue and the entry is a sophiticated rum raisin red. Hey!! I hated the pink master suite first! I hated the ancient, faded, gross carpets too. 3 years ago when we moved in to the Treehouse it was totally a temporary situation, so I was not going to bother with the waste of painting or making it our own. And I lived with ugly walls and I missed ever having a decorated nursery or unscary carpets. I chose to endure yuck and 6 months became a year and two years slipped in to three years. So, have I learned anything? Can my frustration and regret evolve in to a life lesson? Does paint matter? Do drapes and functioning mini-blinds make a happier home? I am having deep thoughts on all of this. I know I can't fix the past and I really, really need to do better in the present. Garage Mahal may only be temporary, but this is my life.

Alright. Time to shut up and find a box to unpack. And if it seems like I have neglected you, my friend, I am sorry. And if you have suggestions for painting the mint green rag-painted wall in the living room please share with me.

Okay, okay. I'll skip all my drama about last minute hauling and doing the final walk through with Bob the landlord, but if you want to hear the full story please call me. I have plenty left to whine about.

Now, let us move forward with the rest of our lives. Did everyone have a fun Halloween? We got our stuff together and enjoyed a full day of tricks and treats. There was a carnival and parade at school, and Alex's friend Mitchel came here to trick-or-treat. Geoff even managed to hang black lights. Max was a stealthy Ninja. Alex was an invisible man. William was a skull faced teenager, and Maria of Oz helped her daddy pass out candy.


So sweet. Maria sometimes cries when we drop off Alex and Max at school. She loves her brothers a lot, and they love her too.

Here they are, ready to meet the neighbors!

Right now my very awesome repairman is fixing the washer and dryer. Both machines went on strike when they were moved in to their new, smaller, darker laundry room. Can you blame them?

What else? Oh, we lost two very small little dooditties from our 11 year old Ikea bedframe. Last night I made the trip to Ikea and asked if they could spare me some dooditties. They cannot. Apparently 11 years is ancient and those tiny, little, seemingly insignificant, yet highly necessary parts are no longer made. Uuhh, so now what? Geoff is thinking he can drill some holes and slap the whole thing back together with screws.

Repairman left. All is well and I can now clean clothes at home again. It's been a long month without my cleaning machines.

Have I let you all know our new address? Didn't think so. I gotta get on that. There's lots to do...

Maria loves her new home. She loves the empty rooms and the padded floors. She loves the echo. She loves her stuffed bumbo (pumpkin.) She loves to laugh and roll and run and climb and scream and growl and say "boo!"

It took some time to recover from my shame, but I must admit our local librarians were cool and reasonable (I think it helps to grovel while holding an exceptionally cute baby.) So, they suggested we extend our lending time, so we could look for the book. But guess what? Sometimes no amount of searching is going to recover a missing item...

We made a spontaneous visit to Aunt Becky's. Uncle Dan, Julie and Grandma, Aunt Becky, Fiona and Molly gave us the red carpet treatment over the weekend. We squeezed in a movie, and another carousel ride, this time at the big mall. We rode bicycles. We found denim shorts for Max, also at the big mall. When we weren't running around having fun, we were at the dining table being fed. Well fed. Alex and Max played with Julie's Legos. William and Alex did some drawing... just like last time... and just like last time they used large books like a clipboard under their paper... Guess which book they used and presumably left in Pasadena during our last visit... Yup! I SPY Treasure Hunt has been hanging out with the periodicals on the coffee table at Aunt Becky's. JOY! Relief. Redemption. It was a very good weekend.


Alex caught a tiger.


Maria rode the zebra.


Max, on a seahorse, followed Julie on her horse.

Today I will send our Pasadena family a thank you card for their exceptional hospitality. I will go to the library and return the missing/recovered book, and thank them for their patience. And finally I will pause and acknowledge that perhaps I have become a better library patron. Maybe I have matured, somewhat. The thing is, while I was fine tuning my life skills, we introduced four new lives to the world and they create a whole new set of variables. Ah, life. Except when I can't find my keys, the check book or my sanity, life is really, really good.


Uncle Dan brought out his motorized scooter... "Scooter" is now on at least 2 Christmas lists now!

When we got home we noticed our Autumn tree had really begun to drop leaves. Alex and Max love to rake the leaves. They learned the joy of raking with their Aunt Laura in Wisconsin. One tree, once a year leaves time and room to appreciate the job.




Fallen leaves can be appreciated on many levels.

Out of order. We really have been busy this week. Before Halloween, and costume contests, we had friends over for some pumpkin carving fun. Lots of fun. So even though the order is mixed, I think I should share some highlights and the awesome skills these children possess.


Tamsyn and Gene up to their elbows in pumpkin guts.... eewww!


Max's Specialty: 1 pumpkin, many faces.


Adam and his new friend.


I am loving William's happy pumpkin series.


Okay, Jacob borrowed a pumpkin.


Alex recreated his award winning scorpion design.


Tamsyn with her *white is the new orange* creation.


Holly and Nicholas together, carving a ginormous pumpkin. Gee, is it just me, or is Holly glowing like an expectant mother? Looks like a little Pumpkin's coming soon.

Bloomin'

Tonight I am the Mom's Night Out hostess, which means I have time only for cooking and cleaning. I don't have enough time for cooking and cleaning... but there are also a lot of great pictures to post and interesting things to share.

Okay... we really like Halloween around here, and this year I wanted the boys to put creative effort in to their costumes. We were experimenting with paper mache and Alex made himself armor. He then painted scorpions on each shoulder plate. He drew and cutout a scorpion stencil for his shirt, which he painted red. The costume was LEGO themed in honor of the Shadow Knight. Max gathered all the black and skeletal details he could find to be a fearsome skeleton. He was quite scary. Maria made a fetching flower...



Alex wanted to be at Legoland for their annual Halloween Contest and after the effort he put in to his costume we thought we should oblige him... so yesterday two scary boys and one little flower got up on a stage with about 100 other enthusiastic children and posed before a panel of judges. There were a lot of good and creative costumes, but there could only be 5 winners. "Funniest" was a little girl with an old lady wig and cowgirl boots, a witch's hat and huge glasses. She was cute and original. Most "Imaginative" went to the Lord of the Rings Elf; he was complete with arrows and ears. There was a prize for the boy that came as a LEGO brick, and the overall best costume was for a girl dressed as a candy vending machine. Her costume was quite original. Alex and Max made a very scary duo, and Alex was voted most scary of all! Alex is still beaming with pride. We all feel like winners; Lego gave very generous prizes.


Funny and charming.


Alex was surprised to hear his name called.


Pride. He earned his prize.


3 winners.


... there's more to share, but I better get back in the kitchen.

Trick or Treat!
Maria will be a flower for Halloween.

I had a little coffee, a little lunch, a little nap. I feel a little better.

Hey.
This quick talk is working.
Too little time to devote to elaborate sentences.
Zoo today.
The Wild one.
Stopping for sandwiches at Major Market.
Our favorite market.
Max is carving a second pumpkin.
We are full of roasted seeds.
Talk of going to Renaissance Faire.
What about grilled chicken and hot tortillas for Mom's Night Out?
Max has, so far, carved four faces on his pumpkin. "But there's still plenty of room. You just gotta make 'em really close to each other."
I could grill the chicken ahead of time.
I love hot tortillas.

Balancing Act


Alex, resident engineer, never runs out of ideas for keeping Maria happy. He arranged Max's Max Books and filled the spaces with some of Maria's stuffed friends. When Max's books aren't artfuly stacked, Max reads his books to his sister.

Yesterday we carved pumpkins. No, we don't expect our Jack-o' lanterns to last until the Big Night. We simply cannot resist the opportunity to express ourselves with carving knives. And we love fresh roasted pumpkin seeds. Delicious! William's pumpkin has a full and winning smile; an infectious smile. Alex's pumpkin is complete with eyebrows and a toothy grin. Max had only one pumpkin to work with, but he had a lot to express. Rotate Max's pumpkin to find 4 different Jacks: Happy Jack, Toothy Jack, Big Mouth Jack and Ghost faced Jack.

After pumpkin class we moved the Treehouse Academy to the papier-mache room. William and I are making gargoyles, Alex and Max are making bat lanterns. We are using balloons, toilet paper card board rolls, masking tape, and lots of flour with water. It's a bit messy. Fortunately we are able to enjoy this project out in the yard. It's warm and our projects are drying fast. We need to add a few more layers of paste and paper, then we will begin painting.

We left our creations drying in the sun and went back to the kitchen to bake a dessert for the BIONICLE 3 movie premiere. We baked pumpkin muffins with grated carrots and rolled oats, and served them with sparkling blueberry juice. Adam and Jacob came over to watch the latest DVD from Lego. This is the third movie based on the BIONICLE Lego toy series, and thus our third premiere party, which for the boys means fun and for me it means time is zipping by. If William were writing this little summary he would have emphasized the lack of motion blur in the animation...


William and Maria, Jacob, Adam, Alex and Max

We have been here, in the Treehouse, for 2 years. Sigh. It's interesting to think of what we thought we'd be doing compared with what we are doing. Its also important to appreciate that we have met some special people while living here, and enjoyed the proximity of friends like Adam and Jacob, Dave and Anne. Three beds in the dining room may be awkward, and poor insulation is frustrating during hot or cold spells, but we are sheltered and safe. We have a small orchard and a laundry room. We have two owls living high in the rubber tree... it's good here.

Today: Math, science, reading, writing
Tomorrow: Miramar Air Show

Fresh from working in the fields... or did we get him at Target?

Yup, I am a sucker for Fall. Fall and Halloween, and Autumn color and pumpkin carving, plastic vampire teeth, hot soups, frosty mornings, change of season, cheese and cheesy decor. The pura, entera enchilada.

We will go to at least one pumpkin patch, and we will buy many pumpkins. We will certainly carve pumpkins throughout the month, because it is fun and I love to eat roasted pumpkin seeds. And another thing: I don't go for the extra scary stuff. No trickling blood or screeching axe weilding, Hollywood conceived beasts of terror. I like black cats, bats, hot apple cider, dry ice in a caldron, straw bales and corn stalks, candle light, homemade costumes and old oak trees.

I should have written about Fall. I should have praised the fog and cool mornings, chilly evenings, and landscaping trees turning a deep aubergine shade. Autumn, when the heat has passed, the swelter, the too hot brilliance of morning sun. Autumn when we think of pumpkins on vines and in soup, sweaters and frost... I should have written about all of this. But it's hot again. It's the dry, dusty, windblown Autumn that taunts us and teases, and we don't know when it will ever be cool again.

Nates,
Nates,
Nates!
We're going to Nates!

Our annual trip to Bates Nut Farm is in the works. We are going with Holly and Nicholas. The boys are very excited about the prospect of choosing the perfect pumpkins, feeding the goats, seeing the country sights, and the whole Autumn scene.

The mornings have been very foggy, the nights cool, the days breezy. It's comfortable weather and has us in good spirits for the new season. We hope that our colds are the worst we have to endure, so that we can enjoy all future plans without tissues and quarantines. I am especially aware that these shorter days are more than just less hours of sunlight; I need to get some things in order before Papaya arrives. We have ideas, like a pumpkin carving party, and traditions, like making gingerbread houses, and hopes, like having guests for Christmas, and needs, like making space and a place for the baby... lots to accomplish, but days are rolling by. It can take me twenty short of breath minutes just to make my bed, and I once fell asleep between spreading the sheets and laying the quilt (literally.)

Yes, so anyway. Since there are so many responsibilities and important issues to tend to, I am really looking forward to going to Nates!

I am still trying to get comfortable with the new system for posting images. There are more steps to go through, and I am obliged to learn codes!


Check out this cloud looming in the east county, August 17. We get these great formations, but still no rain. At least now the weather is cooling. Yesterday a crisp, brown leaf rolled across the pavement, and I was overcome with great emotion for Fall.

Autumn. Love the new seasons, and the suggestion of possible change (remember, this is written in So. Cal, so we don't get real head thumping seasonal transitions.) As much as I want to immerse myself in apple crisp and pumpkin carving, Fall foliage and harvesting good feelings, I find myself feeling the weight and sorrow of the Big World. There is a great deal of bad sh*t going on. I don't have to be particularly well read to know about the Chechen school children, genocide in Sudan, or beheadings in Iraq. I am not trying to ignore the big issues, the campaign, the war, pollution, high fructose corn syrup, the bad smell coming from the mystery leak on the carpeting. But I am trying to cope. It's not always clear what the answers are. And the truth is that most of the time I do want to tune out the big bad world. I want to know the good guys from the bad guys, and impose reason on the confused ones...

I am in a writing stall. In spite of my intention to write an informed and academic condemnation of evil and pacifists that behave militantly, and show off my brilliant ability to sort through all the players and their games, and propose working solutions that resolve conflicts 1,000's of years old, I am instead watching my swelling abdomen roll and rise, and feeling with some amusement and discomfort my daughter's uterine dance. How will I ever explain this world to her?

Okay. I know that there is serious stuff going on, and that it is of great consequence. Still stalling. What can I say that makes a feeling, concerned and activist transition statement between the Big World, and my self-incapsulated, selfish little world? I could spend the whole day watching Papaya, thinking of names for her, dreaming of the ideal crib bumper and matching quilt. I can't wait to go find pumpkins with the boys and host a potluck and pumpkin carving party. We are anticipating the release of Elf on DVD, so we can laugh all over again and make gingerbread houses while sharing the movie with friends. I wish we were living in our own house, a big one, with nice features and conveniences. I would settle for knowing where we might live.

I still don't have a solution for the world's problems, but thinking of my blessings, dreaming of beautiful possibilities, and enjoying the changing leaves on the big tree in yard makes it easier to keep trying, and hoping.

Always charming, Julian in the Fall.


There is evidence of the fires, from the ravaged hills and valleys, to the relief center at Town Hall, from the conversations between shop keepers, and the signs posted everywhere: "Thank you fire fighters. We love you." And there are signs of healing too. Soft green grasses are coming up from the charred, black earth. It's a small indication of nature's cycle, but very impressive. And there were a lot of visitors in town. They were shopping and strolling, enjoying the sights. People were perceptively warmer, gentle, soft spoken; like friendly acquaintances visiting someone recovering from a bad accident.

Max and Alex left toys, clothes and money at the relief center. We had lunch at the Miner's Diner, then stopped at some of our favorite shops. We were Christmas shopping for family and friends. We found great stuff at the Wandering Sage. We skipped the pie at Mom's this time, but we did enjoy some hot apple cider.


William put his arm around my shoulders and asked to hear the stories he knows I like to share. We went to find Handsome Eddie and Eileen's home, and I held my breath until I saw it there at the end of the winding road. Still cabin-red, with manzanitas growing along the ditch and the stone steps climbing to the front porch, where Eileen used to wave us in from the cold. I stopped to listen for Asco, the black lab, and to recall the smell of the garden, the cellar, the pines. Faintly, I could hear Eddie laughing and hear his jovial and stern voice, telling us of miners and their lost treasures. He expected us to be good children and he praised us sincerely, with love. Eileen's voice is in my head and guiding my aspirations, feeding my soul to do good, be nurturing, make life welcome and celebrated. I put my hand on the railing and looked at the house, quiet and alone,


but too full of memories to ever be a lonesome place for me.

No one was stung, but the yellow jackets were the decided winners. Our picnic was cut short by one, then two, then three persistent invaders. We've been stung before, and so we lost all courage. We hustled the kids back in to the mini van and finished our Easy Cheesy picnic with the windows rolled up, the fan blasting and (here goes my pride) Peter Pan playing on the DVD. Yes, it was humiliating, and it looked nothing like Martha's tailgate picnic in her October issue; no homemade tomato soup, no wool blankets across fall leaves, no wicker baskets with frittatas.

Out in the pumpkin fields neither man nor beast interfered with our mission: To find the tallest, or roundest, or most interesting pumpkins. We had many to choose from. At first Max and Nicholas were more interested in standing on the pumpkins or rolling them, but once we had a wheel barrow they were quick to fill it. Holly found a good tall pumpkin, which I know she will carve to blue ribbon quality. Max traded pumpkins several times before settling on an orange and round one with a stem. Really, they all look good and making a final decision is daunting. We did manage to find one very unique specimen for Geoff. It is somewhat flattened, and star spangled with green all over the orange.

Besides pumpkins, there were gourds and corn stalks, squash, sunflowers, chocolate coins (those are *grown* in the fun store at Bate's.) May I say, there were a lot of gourd and squash formations resembling anatomical features. Holly and I were giggling rather Beavisly. The banana squash were particularly huge, and fleshy colored. We refrained from identifying its resemblance, but the two year old, cute little girl declared, "Daddy, that looks like a penis." Large crowd, articulate child, very funny.

We had fun. It was a bit of a rough start. Alex still hopes to enjoy a genuine picnic, so we'll try that again. Maybe if we set out on our country day with an art director, location manager, film crew, a make-up artist and stunt doubles, we can achieve a Martha moment. Never mind. I'll take spontaneity, a little chaos, some tears and laughter. The wealth of joy from life's fullness; it's a good thing.


Here's my stand-in, for close ups.

It's brisk and crisp, and I doubt the temperatures will rise higher than 80 degrees. Brrrr. Seriously, it is an overcast morning with a distinct breeze and chill factor, and I am wearing a long sleeved T-shirt. I have on socks. I shut the window before I showered, and I was sing-humming "Let it Snow, Let it snow, Let it Snow!" We take what we can get, and what we got has me ready for full force Fall fun.

Tomorrow we pack the kidlets, break open the piggy banks and drive to Nate's Butt Farm (aka Bate's Nut Farm.) Holly and I are in the mood for pumpkin picking, goat feeding, cider sipping country fun. My guys have been counting down the days for this field trip, and looking forward to the visit with cousin Nicholas. Hopefully we can enjoy the corn field maze, maybe a tractor ride, and lunch under the mulberry trees. We will find the best 4 pumpkins for our biennial Halloween party, and maybe a few more, because we just love pumpkins.

It's good to have a plan. There may be a lot that is unresolved just yet, but tomorrow we will be with family and enjoying a tradition, making new memories, and setting aside worries for a while.

It is foggy this morning at El Rancho. I had many strange dreams last night and some how waking to still and shrouding fog, keeps my mind in a dreamy and misted mood.

We have taken our garage cleaning energy and brought it in to the house. I have vacuumed crevices, emptied deep and cavernous drawers, and opened ancient boxes. We have purged more and more. We had three irons and three staplers. We had three address books, four maps of Orange County, and I can't think what else, because now that it is gone, thrown away or shared, I can barely remember the stuff. Those things which we have packed and carried, stored and sheltered are as foggy to my memory now as the pasture and the valleys.

Holly and Nicholas braved the heat and traffic to spend Sunday evening with us. We chatted our way through several topics. We talked about the trip they are making to Wisconsin. It's hard not to envy that; they'll be seeing Grandma Nancy, Sophie, all the cousins and baby Griffin, aunt Carol, Dad and Lily, Laura and her fiance. They'll get to be on the lookout for fireflies, and enjoying the charming and fun qualities that are infinitely wonderful about "The Poor Family" and Wisconsin. Sigh. We also talked about December travel and the possibility of us joining them in Hawaii. They plan to be there for Christmas, which is a great time of year to go. So, if we can get our act together, maybe we can play too.

What else? Oh, yes, we talked about the every-other-year Halloween party that the boys and I organize. This is the year we are due to invite all our friends and family to our house for a costume party, with food and foolery. We make half the fun in choosing our theme or emphasis, taking care to consider the youngest in the crowd, and decorating and preparing. This year we have a suggestion; Holly feels, strongly, that our focus this year should be on pirates! Yo Ho, and a bottle of rum, scurvy thieves and scalawags out to have some fun. She was bit, and so was Anne, by Pirate Fever after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean. It's not clear whether it was the entire movie that was so engaging or just one particular hunk of seafaring pirate flesh a.k.a. Johnny Depp. I have got to get to the theater and do some investigative research.

There are definitely some very good ideas that come to mind when thinking of Buccaneers and sea captains. Since some guests are reluctant to dress up, or insist they can't think of "anything" to come as, we like to have a long list of inspiring suggestions. Last night we came up with a preliminary sampling, and there are many. There are The Pirates of Penzance and The Major General, Maori Pirates with tattooed faces, corporate pirates, he pirates and she pirates, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the pirates led by Captain Hook, and all the Never-Land characters. There are the futuristic pirates of Treasure Planet, and Robert Louis Stevenson's original Long John Silver and poor Ben Gunn. We can serve treasure, like "pieces of cake." And raise our own Jolly Roger...I wonder whether a chicken skull on black cloth would scare off the Redcoats and other party poopers? Yes, many good options to work with.

It may seem too soon to be planning a party for the end of October, but so much of the fun is in the planning, that we just can't help ourselves. William tells me with a straight face, "Buccaneer comes from the original price pirates charged for piercing ears." Even the pasture, all foggy and forlorn, made it quite clear that it is not too soon to prepare for Fall and all her delights.


These grew voluntarily, in the pasture, above the compost pile.

The boys have released Halloween and all the Fall decorations. Our cranberry sconce candles have been replaced by candy corn candles. There are pumpkins and a scarecrow in the dining room. We hung an autumn wreath by the front door. And in the living room a ceramic haunted barn is glowing and flickering a seasonal light.

I nearly baked a pumpkin pie. Our pantry is very well stocked, but I am short on crust ingredients. It's just as well. We can't have all our fun in one day. I am still delighting in the recollection of the carrot cake Janice brought us on Sunday. We will bake pumpkin pie this Sunday, after our visit to the pumpkin farm with Holly, Rich and Nicholas. If this weather remains until our harvest adventure, cold and drizzly, it will be an ideal day. I wonder when we can squeeze in apple picking.

The boys finished their homework early. They are in the living room debating which is the most appropriate October 1st movie to watch. They are eager to find something to match their Halloween mood; a little bit scary. "Meet Me in St. Louis" has a great Halloween scene with Margaret O' Brien. It captures the suspense of All Hallow's Eve, as well as the freedom children could enjoy in times past. Too bad we don't have it, or an animated Sleepy Hollow, or even a Laurel and Hardy short. William, Alex and Max are trying to choose between "Wallace and Gromit" and "Mary Poppins."

This does not feel like Fall. There is no Autumn out my front door. Out the back door it is even less like a crisp, brisk, golden leaf strewn season. Rather, it is hot. It is a blistery, gasping heat, with little or no breeze. There are no clouds, high or low. There is only the glare of sunlight and the sensation of peering into a toiling furnace when we open a door. It is baked dry, and hung out to dry and all dried up. We couldn't have asked for better weather. The swimming has been fantastic! We swim in the morning. We swim in the afternoon, the evening and at night. This is a very good Fall, though not like Fall at all.

Friends came to play last night. They came with pie. They came with pumpkin pie. They were most especially welcome, and we were most especially thankful. We swam, and played an inaugural game of Marco Polo. James claimed inner city hardship for his ignorance of the game. He caught on quickly. He was a good Marco and a good Polo. Max liked being Marco, and so no matter who was Marco, Max would call "Marco!" We played and swam and sat in the spa until dark. After pi