Halloween 2011 and other News

With the help of my mother-in-law Ben and I got to go grocery shopping by ourselves yesterday.  It felt like a hot date.  In fact, Ben bought me flowers... an orchid that I was admiring.  Its blooms are spidery and cool.  Here is is sitting in my window.  LOVE IT!

This is Gwen ready for our church's trunk or treat.  She is Cinderella of course. 

Who is that crazy person with t-shirts clipped together?  Oh... that would be me going as a nun.

Don't hate me because I'm fabulous in my fur coat my Grandma got me.

The whole wacky bunch.

It's not every day you see a monk holding superman.

Quote

This is a quote that was framed on the wall in my parent's house.

"our lives are a rich tapestry of things we've done and said with memories of those we love outlined in golden thread." Alarie Tennille

Does anyone know anything about this Tennille character? Captain and Tennille? Hum... I have to look into that.

Thought Provoking

Here is a quote from an article I read last night in a magazine. I thought it put into words really well what I feel. Let me know what you think.

"Growing up isn't about reaching some final destination, but about negotiating all the twists and turns in the road, pausing here and there to listen to the soul's quiet direction, and learning to trust the signposts that point the way to our own deeper callings."

"As I sit at my desk in this silent house, in a small town just a few miles from where I was raised, I marvel at just how long it's taken, both in years and experiences, for me to come full circle and to reclaim the voice that has been mine all along. Becoming a mother, raising two sons, living to a slower, simpler rhythm in the country, I finally found both my calling and my subject: the grace and beauty of ordinary, everyday life. The lessons, of course, have been revealed not by arriving here at last, but from the journey itself, a journey that has led me from ambition to meaning, from the fast track to a one-lane rural road, from a desire to succeed to the realization that true success doesn't have much at all to do with accomplishment and almost everything to do with creating a life that feels like a fit with who I really am."

Strange Sightings and Kids

This is another Halloween display that I thought was note worthy. I never am short of topics to discuss when I am in Alabama.

Today I went to Mike's Merchandise and I got some books and found a Monk's costume for $3 for Ben. Love it! I thought the vending machine in Mike's spoke volumes. On the left is chopped pecans, in the middle is a mixture of mints and on the right are cashews. Would anyone like to guess how old these nuts are? Not me...

We went to the mall today also. Here are the kids in front of a fountain.

Eating watermelon at Grandma's.

In the field at Wheeler Wildlife Preserve.

Wheeler Wildlife Preserve

We took a walk today at the Wheeler Wildlife Preserve and it was lovely.  They have a bamboo forest and also lots of bald cyprus trees.

Welcome to Bama

Well, I made it to Alabama with the kids on the plane. It took many many oyster crackers and books and water and juice to do it, but I did. I told my mom I didn't care if I had to feed them dum dums all the way here... we'd make it.

Mom's neighbor really decorates for Halloween. It always mystifies me and disturbs me and amuses me all at the same time. Here is this year's display.

I got some toys out for the kids tonight and ran across this beauty. What in the world happened to THIS Barbie??

After half the day in a plane we decided to take them to a park. This is Zeke and Gwen in the monkey face hole.

Pictures in the Leaves and Trees

Zeke is warming up for being 2 years old. :)

Here's gorgeous being grumpy.

Here's little toot being grumpy.

Pics

A picture of the Kansas City Chorale in front of the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts here in Kansas City. I'm on the right.


This is a sea creature called a ctenophore. It's sort of like a jelly fish, but (sigh) isn't it lovely??

Chant

This song is among many that my choir sings in our latest concerts. I feel like a nun singing this one. Beautiful.

Ghostly Garland

I got this idea off of pinterest, and I really had fun making it. My pumpkins were moved... so my kitchen is full of decorations made of construction paper and I love it.

Bugs, Books and Buy My Stuff

This is a preying mantas we found the other day.  

The kids and I got a big kick out of it so I thought you might too. 

Today I tried to sell my soap, dishwashing detergent, vanilla extract, silhouettes and trail mix.  I sold one bar of soap, no dishwashing detergent, 5 bottles of vanilla, no silhouettes and about 3 bags of trail mix.  I was a little disappointed, but Christmas is coming and I will just have hostess and regular gifts on hand to give away.  This is me at my table.

This is my brand new friend, Piper.  She is a really amazing person and has a blog of her own.  Check it out here.  I met her at a church leadership training and we exchanged blog addresses and when I got home and looked at her blog I thought we were destined to be friends.

 

I was looking at some children's books someone was consigning and I came across a book about Rosa Parks and I thumbed through it.  I thought this picture of the KKK was scarey and so I walked around as a joke and kept asking people if they were ready for their "Alabamian bedtime story."

All in all, it was a good day and someone gave me two fondue sets.  So now it is my mission to have a fondue party and bring all of our fondue sets out of the basement and have some fun.  I'll let all you adoring fans (hi mom and Stephanie) know how that ends up.  Do you have a fondue set?  Ever have a fondue party? 

My New Favorite Song

My New Hero

The Man

Bubble Wrap Painting

Yesterday was a rainy day... and I've been saving this idea for such an occasion. I got this idea from this site. We had large bubbles and small bubble wrap thanks to a friend from church giving some to us. I chose Halloween colors to do.

This first one is Gwen's with the big bubble wrap. It's smeared a little cause she moved it a little upon application. The idea is that you cut the bubble wrap to fit the pan you have the different colors of paint on and you put the bubble wrap on and then lift off and place onto a paper to print and carefully pull off.

This was my example one to show the kids what to do. I used small and large bubble wrap.

Zeke used little bubble wrap and I really like how his turned out. I think it looks like a honeycomb. I still have more bubble wrap and we'll do it again another rainy day.

The jelly roll pan I used to place my paint. No, I didn't mean for it to look like a swastika.

Applesauce Making and Meal Plan

My friend's mom brought a bushel of apples yesterday and we went straight to work.  We had such a good time peeling apples and the kids helped crank the peelers.  I put red hots in some of the applesauce (yes, I know where red dye comes from and don't say it) and then kept some of it natural for me.  I'm not quite sure how many quarts I got, but it is all resting in my freezer for a later date.  :)

Here is my meal plan for the week:

split pea soup with ham
lasagna, salad
cheesy beef bake, broccoli
black beans, rice
tacos
curry chicken pot pie
BBQ chicken sandwiches, carrot sticks

*Made a pumpkin pie yesterday and thankfully I had enough people here to knock it out in one day... so I got one very satisfying piece.  Pumpkin pie might be one of my top five desserts of all time.

Vanilla Extract Bottling

We bottled an entire gallon of vanilla extract today.  I have another 1/2 gallon for my own personal use and giving to friends.  What I bottled up today I will sell next weekend.  This is how I bottle it.  I put nice paper towels (one of the few times I buy a roll) down in a strainer and have a large pan sitting in the sink to catch the extract.  I strain it through the paper towels to take out all the little specks of vanilla bean.

Here's what a gallon of vanilla extract looks like. :)

I have 8 oz bottles too, but I decided that these 4 oz bottles would sell better so I just did 4 oz bottles this time. 

Here is my vanilla extract helper.  She has helped me through the whole process.  I hope one day she does this with her son or daughter.  She insisted that I take a picture of her holding one bottle and then two bottles.  Love her!

Gwen spread out the vanilla beans to dry.  They will be turned into vanilla sugar which I make cookies out of and put in coffee and Amish bread starter.

A gallon filled up 24 bottles.  I think I will sell out, but that's ok.  If I don't I can give it as gifts.  I really like my labels this time.