Titanic

Is it me or is there an uncanny resemblance going on here...

Some old, some new, some things I love...

There are a few things in life that just never get old to me: 

• A hot shower when blankets, thermal underwear and sitting in front of a fire fails to thaw my innards.
• Riding a bike after a year or more hiatus.
• Driving through the neighborhood I grew up in.
• Summer thunderstorms.
• Finding out friends are pregnant.
• Watching Kennedy and Wynnie grow up together.

• Pigtails and big brown eyes.

• Traditions, both old and new.

• Road trips.

• Hangin' with friends. 

• Bubble baths.

  

• Black and whites.

•  People who make me laugh.

• Sweets.

• Cleaning my ears.  I sometimes clean them two, three times a day.
• The changing of seasons.
• Running at night with Marley.
• Being called Mom.
• Clean sheets.
• An unexpected box of chocolate covered strawberries showing up at my door.
• A fresh coat of Vitamin E on my lips.
• Opening the mailbox and finding a Christmas card hiding inside.
• A random compliment.

And

• This gang.

What's been keeping us ABSENT...

Arts and crafts:

Big dogs named Apollo:

Six stitches (instead of showing you pics of the newest war wound and go into the story that still gets my heart a pumpin', let's keep it short because that's how long the pigtails are and that's also the duration of time she keeps them in):

Enjoying family time:

New hobby of coloring on her face (by the time I took this pic and grabbed the pen from her, she had successfully scribbled all over her chin):

Train ride on the Polar Express to see Santa:

Aloha November

In some states, people are starting to
slip into parkas and sip on hot cider. 

And in others, people are still wearing tanks

and fancying themselves with flowers.

Halloween

There was a great debate between two 10-year-old girls that tagged along in our trick-or-treating troop.  In between chants of  "trick-or-treat" and sprinting to the next sugar-giving house they quarreled back and forth.  The hot topic: Was the cute little girl dressed as a tomato or was she a strawberry? 

They didn't know I was listening. 

The clown was sure she was picked right off a tomato vine.  Yet, the geisha girl was positive she was a member of the fruit family.

Before I jump into this sparring match and announce a winner, let's back up.

When our friends invited us over to partake in their neighborhood pre-Halloween party, I jumped at the invite.  It's always better to have a dress rehearsal before the big show.  You just never know if there's going to be a wardrobe malfunction or if the costume itself is going to be irresistible to the palate.

Although the script for the big show only painted scenes of running from house to house in pursuit of delicious goods and a haunted house in someone's garage before intermission, we decided a pony ride during dress rehearsal would help show the costume's versatility and the main character's willingness to do things whilst in costume.

And I gotta say, costume + pony = A cushiony success.

The dress rehearsal went off without a hitch.

No one got dirty, hat stayed on, there weren't any definite bite marks left on the foliage, tights went to bed that night snagless and, most importantly, the main character seemed tickled by all the attention her audience gave her.  She was a hit.

Day of the big show. 

The lights are dimming as the show is getting ready to begin.  The audience has taken their seats behind closed doors, waiting anxiously to applaud as the characters appear yelling out "Trick-or-treat!!"  Giddiness and a fever to go, go, go runs rampant through the veins of those who are in character. 

There's also a state of confusion for the newest members of the Halloween production.  They know little of what is to come once the curtains are drawn and the show begins, but they gather that the theme of the night is CANDY.

And then, just like that, the show has begun. 

And the littlest of the littles takes off with the rest of the chorus line and plays her part with the utmost perfection.

Standing ovation from some. 

Oohs and Awws from most. 

A star to say the least.

And now back to the great debate between the geisha and clown.  

You say tomato. 

I say berry cute strawberry.

Or should I say starberry.