A "Boo"-tiful Hallowe'en Night

What do you get when you combine a daytime temperature of 70 degrees with the early evening of Hallowe'en? A beautiful night to go trick-or-treating...

...and two very hot "kitties."

Still, our two black cats -- dubbed "Cool Cat" and "Pretty Kitty" -- had a marvelous time going door-to-door tonight, saying "trick or treat" and "thank you" in unison.

It's amazing how fun it is to watch the faces of those they are visiting. They definitely enjoy it as much as the little Hallowe'eners do.

I think it becomes a treat for all involved!

Now, time to go calculate the "candy tax"....[insert wicked laugh here].

Thoughts on the Eve of All Hallow's Eve

Halloween 2003

Well, the kids are officially e-x-c-i-t-e-d about Hallowe'en tomorrow....and I can honestly say I'm quite the opposite.

I'm probably the "scrooge" of this particular holiday. I just think it's such a hassle trying to figure out what costumes will work this year. We rarely ever buy the pre-made ones...instead piecing together our own...which end up costing 4X as much.

So this year they're going as cats. Both of them. Two black cats...deja vu. (Just watched The Matrix.)

Edward insists he won't wear the bow-tie that came with the cute kitty ears and tail. And we can't paint his face. We insist that he'll get twice as much candy from the older ladies who think he's "such a darling." He won't like that part. He thinks he's a "cool cat." But, unfortunately, his candy-bargaining power is directly related to his cuteness factor.

Emily will be an adorable cat. Adorableness goes naturally with being a girl...and somehow girls never mind it -- all the way into womanhood. But she's already worried that I'll eat all of her candy. She says I always do...

Hmmm....maybe there is something I like about Hallowe'en afterall.

Water You Do?

Found yet another label from GLACEAU vitaminwater, nutrient enhanced water beverage:

rescue
green tea (b+chamomile)

operator: 911
caller: i...need...help.
operator: what seems to be the problem?
caller: feel sluggish. kids...work...bills...ugh.
operator: open the bottle, sir...open the bottle, and don't worry, sir...it's a twist off.

vitamins + water = all you need

one sip, swig or gulp may result in boycott of other beverages.

for best results, stick in the fridge.
the inside is natural. the outside is plastic. RECYCLE.

Still loving the way this company thinks.

A Scientific Hmmmm.....

Ponderingly thinking a "scientific" hmmmm.....

I've come up with another reason that we, as humans, cannot possibly be classified as "animals." I mean, apart from the obvious physical appearance stuff (you know, we're upright and have no tail, etc...) and the fact that more than half of the human couples in the world cannot "mate for life," I think my findings are quite scientific.

When a baby animal grows up, it leaves the nest. In many instances, the parental beasties push it out...shoo it away...in other words, tell it to scram. I've seen this over and over with my rabbits, and you can view it on any nature show on PBS or Animal Planet.

Humans, on the other hand, seem to want their little progeny to leave but have a hard time actually letting go. We tell our kids to grow up, start making their own decisions, and then we challenge those decisions or, worse, give advice. (Not that advice is in and of itself a bad thing...but it's merely an opinion based on our own experiences...) Hmmm....not actually "letting go," really.

We celebrate their first independence: talking, walking, running, reading. Then we try to control where they go and what they do, say, look at. Now, I'm not talking about when the little darlings are still living under their parents' roof, in the "nest." That's when it is the duty of the parental figures to show the little people the correct manner in which to conduct themselves.

I'm thinking more of when the sweet "little ones" have left, made a nest of their own, had their own little spawnlings to raise.

Seems to me that animals are much less interferring in this process.

Which goes to prove why we cannot possibly be animals.

They actually know what they're doing.

Still, Still, Still...etc. More from Hell-ish Kitchens

(In case you're confused by the title of this entry, look here for a brief explanation. Therein afterwards without further adieu I use "Hellish Kitchens" in the entry's title for any recipe I post. Exciting, huh? Welcome to my world.)

Enjoy a recipe I discovered for too-too simple breakfast burritos:

Breakfast Burritos

A great protein breakfast for people on the run.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground sausage
1 dozen eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup salsa
15 To 20 tortilla shells

Preparation:
Fry up sausage and drain. Scramble eggs with one cup of the cheddar cheese. Combine the sausage, eggs, other cup of cheese, and salsa in a large bowl and mix well. Place 1/4 cup egg mixture in center of tortilla and roll burrito style. Place on cookie sheet. When all have been rolled up put cookie sheet in the freezer to freeze. When frozen place in a zipper freezer bag. Warm in the microwave for a minute and a half at 80% power.

Recipe Detail:
Total Preparation Time : 15 to 30 minutes
Actual Cooking Time: less than 15 minutes
Number of Servings: 10 or more
Make Ahead

Gotta love easy recipes!! I substituted diced pre-cooked "lite" sausage links to save a bit of time and ease up on the number of calories/fat. Delicioso!

Warm Peach Fuzzies and Family Fun

We have to say this was probably the most exciting trip our kids have had in quite some time. They love going to Nags Head, N.C., every year, and our trips to England have been tons of fun, too. But this was the first trip we've ever made as just our little family. Staying in a hotel, renting a car, and eating out....it was almost more than they could handle.

The kids enjoyed the ride since it went through some beautiful scenery. They were model travelers really and kept entertained for most of the long trip. We did our traditional countdown through each state's border (that comes from a tradition my family started when I was a child). But when we finally saw "Atlanta" on the signs, we knew we were making progress. Then we passed into the last state: The Land of Giant Peaches.

On Sunday, after a worship service -- led by none other than Michael W. Smith -- and Bible time on Psalm 139, we headed to Zoo Atlanta. (It was interesting to chat with the kids about that Psalm, in particular, verses 17 & 18, which talk about God's thoughts for us. We'd just been to visit New York City and had stopped by at Ground Zero on our way in and out on the PATH train. We talked about God's thoughts for those people, too.)

We really enjoyed Zoo Atlanta, which currently boasts of a brandnew Giant Panda baby -- quite a significant feat in captivity. The animals were entertaining to watch, and each display had questions about the particular animal we were viewing.

Our favorite part was the Children's Zoo. The goats and sheep were very friendly. We got to comb their fur/wool, and Edward enjoyed driving a tractor.

We ended on the Carousel of Endangered Animals. That was a real highlight, especially for Emily who rode on her favorite: a cheetah!

We headed back from the Zoo and showed the kids the place where the concert was held the night before. Then we went back to the hotel for a much-needed nap. After dinner, we walked into Atlanta and visited the Olympic Centennial Park. It was gorgeous! The kids loved looking at the fountains and all the different flags. We stopped by Hard Rock Cafe on our way back.

We got on the road the next morning by 6:30 and enjoyed reminiscing about the trip on the way home.

Quite an adventure! It left us with lots of warm, fuzzy feelings....and lots of memories of family fun!

Just Peachy

A "We are actually here!" photo!

Well, we did it!

After 28+ hours (roundtrip) in the car, we made it to Atlanta, Georgia, and back. And what an adventure!!

What a band!! We agree with Kiefer that Rocco Deluca and the Burden are definitely worth seeing live! He (and Jude Cole -- though we never saw him) came along to help with the promotion. You can't help but catch Kiefer's enthusiasm!

And, no...I didn't take this photo. (I wish!) We never got that close.

Stuart and I were really really glad that we did go. Not just because of the excitement of having a roadtrip, but because this band is truly very talented!

We left for Atlanta on Saturday at 2 a.m. We figured it might be easier to start during the dark hours so that the kids could sleep. (Hahaha!) We rented a very cool Toyota Matrix -- which we nicknamed "Zippy."

The drive took us through another part of the Appalachian Mountains (we live near the upper end of this chain), down through the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge. FANTASTIC! Especially this time of year. The scenery was exploding with color! And I felt powerless to capture it with my camera.

We arrived in Atlanta around 3:30 p.m. and headed to the Plaza Atlanta theatre to get tickets for the rockumentary. The owner had promised to set some aside for us since we were coming from so far away. (Gotta love that Southern hospitality!!)

The rockumentary and concert were sponsored by 99X, a local Atlanta radio station, to promote its new morning show.

The inside of the Plaza was a bit dark, so I couldn't really get a good photo of Kiefer and Manu Boyer, the director of the film, during the Q & A, but the atmosphere was cool! The theatre dates back to 1939 and has been restored by its current owner. A cool tidbit we learned from Kiefer about the band's debut album title: The name of the album is "I Trust You to Kill Me" which stemmed from a conversation between Kiefer and Rocco. Kiefer joked that they'd better make it with this album, or he'd "kill him." To which Rocco replied, "I trust you to kill me!" And, oddly enough, the album doesn't include the title song (apparently that's not unusual so we'll look for it on another album).

Afterwards, we headed over to Smith's Olde Bar for the concert at midnight. We're not usually "night owls" but both of us were going strong on excitement and adrenalin.

When we finally got to the room and the band came out, it was electrifying (no pun intended)!! You could feel Rocco's passion for his music. And his guitar and dobro playing!!! All I can say is: WOW!

I'm not a rock music fan, per se, but I'm a definite fan of this music! It was so cool to see the group in the film, then go and watch them LIVE! Stuart and I found ourselves pinching each other again.

The band's mascot, and a photo of Kiefer as he was "fleeing" the throngs.

You could tell he really didn't want to overshadow Rocco and the band.

We left at the end of the show, tired but exhilarated. It made you want to learn to play a guitar or bass or drum....

Stay tuned for another new rock band? Right....

More about the rest of the trip tomorrow.

Georgia on My Mind

"You know, sometimes you have to go through something to find out why you did it...If everybody ends up not liking you because of it, well, they weren't gonna like you for real anyways."
~Kiefer Sutherland, on being tour manager for Rocco Deluca and the Burden during their first European tour.

Okay, we're crazy. Certifiably so.

But the above quotation definitely applies to me. (I've always been the "safe" one...the one who looks and then decides NOT to leap...just in case.)

We're heading to Atlanta, Georgia, today to see Rocco Deluca and the Burden in concert after watching the movie again in an old restored movie theatre, the Plaza Atlanta, and seeing a Q & A with Kiefer and Manu Boyer. Driving 11.5 hours to see this small, independent band play in Smith's Olde Bar.

Most people have never even heard of them, but Stuart and I liked their music after seeing their rockumentary in New York City last month. We knew then that we wanted to see them "live."

Okay, okay. Yes, they'll probably be coming to a venue somewhere closer, but I don't know....somehow I've got Georgia on my mind....

Call me crazy...my whole family thinks I am. (Though last time I checked I just turned 36...or twice-18.) LOL!

But sometimes you do have to do the crazy stuff (within reason, of course) at least once in your life to figure out other stuff about yourself.

Well, that's the theory at this point...

I'll let you know when we get back.

1-0-0!

Well, I've made it to the big 1-0-0 on my trusty li'l blog. I've been moving towards that number of entries and 1,000 visitors. And I made it to both!

When I started blogging back in March (on another site), I never realized much fun it would be! It doesn't matter that I have a very small following (but I love ya!). I've just enjoyed getting back into the habit of writing...something I hadn't done since having children.

So break out the champagne and caviar! Throw confetti and blow the trumpets! Release the balloons and start the fireworks....

Okay, a simple "hooray, or similar!" will have to suffice. LOL!

Quite the Gamer

Things you're not sure, as a parent, you ever want to hear from your son:

"I'm a little lady!" and "I've got a little tiara on a shelf."

Hmmmm.....

But then our son -- Edward -- explained he was playing his sister's Disney Princess Leapster game and had made it to the next level.

Ah, that explains it....doesn't it?

A New Favorite

I have a new "favorite" man in my life....and lest you think I mean a new favorite man to love in my life, no, I haven't traded in my hubby.... *grin*

Every week I change the video on my blog to something appropriately linked to how I'm feeling or what I'm writing about.

This week, when I was writing about Ground Zero in NYC, I wanted something to go along with the idea of remembering...and discovered Josh Groban.

I'd heard some of his music before being a faithful car-radio-listener of Delilah. But the song "Remember" haunted me like none other and seemed to go so well with the idea of 9/11. (I know. The video is from the movie Troy.)

He has a fantastic voice! What a range! I especially like his version of "The Prayer" with Charlotte Church (another of my favorites).

Truly beautiful!

Truly worth remembering!

Truly a favorite!

Kindred Spirits

Have you ever met someone away from home that you just wanted to get to know better?

When we visited the playground in Central Park on Monday, I met such a person.

*sigh*

I met a woman about my age with two little sons. She is moving to Queens from Vermont. Her husband's job brought them to NYC for a year. She'd been apartment shopping with her older son, a 3 1/2-year-old, and had promised to take him to the playground when they finished. So there we all were...playing. She was originally from a rural area in Vermont but had spent a lot of time in Boston, a city she adores. They're supposed to transfer back there in a year's time.

She was lovely to talk with. Her son was adorable.

And afterwards, as I walked away, I had that familiar regret of not having exchanged at least e-mail addresses with her. I wished suddenly that I had some form of calling card because I'd really like to meet up again one day.

Oh, well. Perhaps our paths will cross again.

*sigh*

One of those kindred spirits passing by through my life...leaving a warm and fuzzy remembrance.

Traipsing Along

So yesterday we went on our "birthday adventure" to none other than New York City. We had decided to surprise Emily (and Edward) by taking her to the Central Park Children's Zoo. (We tried to make it there when we visited NYC five years ago, but it was too far and too cold...and we simply ran out of time and energy.)

We didn't give her any clues except to tell her to watch the road signs and look in our mapbook. She figured out part of the trip (the going to NYC part) but didn't get the Children's Zoo part until Stuart suggested that clues can sometimes be "tasty." (I'd made animal cookies to bring along as a snack.)

It was lots of fun to take the PATH train under the Hudson River and the subway to 59th Street to walk through Central Park to the zoo. When all was said and done, we agreed it's our favorite zoo at the moment. (We're hoping to catch the Atlanta Zoo on our next adventure.) And it's amazing that the moment you enter the park, you feel like you've been transported somewhere else. It's SO peaceful.

New York City...straight ahead!



On the PATH train


Stuart and the kids found
a GAI-tronics phone...and
it worked!


Outside a fountain near
Central Park


The clock tower and gate at the Children's Zoo


The polar bear -- swimming in glory


He was SO happy!

Lots of stuff to climb around in and pretend to be:







Feeding the alpacas and sheep:






Crossing the lily pads and the spider's web.


The Carousel -- my favorite-most ride in the world!


And finishing off at the playground.

A great day was had by all...and, in the end, we felt tired...but very happy!