Happy Halloweenies

Here is the troop seconds before the descended upon the neighborhood in search of piles, loads, pounds and gallons of candy.

What? Yes, there is an extra in the photo, our nephew. He was a zombie skeleton or a skelton zombie, I'm too old to remember which it is supposed to be and apparently the order is very important. Rikard, of course is his favorite Seattle's Mariner, The Midget is a Care Bear and Tatum is in her Hannah Montana get-up.

Woops! Tatum wasn't in her complete costume. Apparently you are only a diva without the wig. Now she is a true imitation of HM. It took me just a couple hours to stitch up the little sequinned dress and, you can't see it in the picture, but the boots are patent leather purple - apparently very HM.

All through the neighborhood the decorations were ghostly and ghastly. However, we all agree this was the best, most unique jack-o-lantern of the entire evening. The cyclops was watching over an unattended candy bowl a few blocks from home.
I was fairly impressed with the skill and creativity that went into decorations around the neighborhood this year. The picture window in one nearby house had several suspended ghosts illuminated with black lights and some dry ice pouring "smoke" around the display. I sometimes wish I wanted to decorate for the holidays. This year we didn't even have uncarved pumpkins on the front step. I can be such a fuddy-duddy.

The best costume seen along our trick-or-treating adventure was the Hound Dog King. This full-sized poodle was sporting a sequinned satin jacket and trick-or-treating along with her people. We also saw a pair of great danes walking their master and a corgie named Music, but they weren't dressed for the holiday.

Rick and I are off to rifle through the candy bags and eat all the Reese's Peanut Butter cups now that the kids are in bed.

Leaves

How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the groundTo lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below

To wait, like children, for the snow.

poem by Elsie Brady

photos by Kate' Lyons-Holestine

Jacks and turkey crafts

Nana Linda popped over for a weekend visit. It was her first trip to the new house in the big city. She brought bags and bags of crafty projects to entertain the kids. They glued, colored, cut and arranged all day. They were making the hanging decorations for a really nice jack-o-lantern tree here.

Then, after the store-bought crafts ran out, they went on a nature hike. Seeing this as our chance, Rick and I left the kids with Nana and went away for a couple of hours without kids - a luxury we haven't had since moving.

Bags of pinecones, pine needles acorns, grass, chestnuts, leaves and even rocks returned home from the park. When combined with glue, crayons and some toothpicks, they grew into these realistic looking holiday turkeys to decorate the dining room table. We will treasure them always.

we believe

In memory of Audie on her 11th birthday. When I hear this song, I can imagine being with her again. Happy Birthday baby!

Every now and then, soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you come back again and it’s like
You haven’t been gone a moment from my side
Like the tears were never cried
Like the hands of time are holding you and me

And with all my heart I’m sure, we’re closer than we ever were
I don’t have to hear or see, I’ve got all the proof I need
There are more than angels watching over me
I believe, oh I believe

Now when you die, your life goes on
it doesn’t end here when you’re gone
Every soul has found a flight, it never ends if I’m right
Our love can even reach across eternity
I believe, oh I believe

Forever you’re a part of me
forever in the heart of me
I will hold you even longer if I can

Oh the people who don’t see the most
See that I believe in ghosts.
If that makes me crazy then I am
Cuz I believe, oh I believe

There are more than angels watching over me.
I believe, oh I believe

Every now and then soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you come back again
And I believe

lyrics © Diamond Rio

Introducing Tabitha, celebrating Papa

Tabitha, the newest addition to the family, came to visit. She slept nearly the entire visit and everyone (who wanted to) got their fair share of holding, snuggling and kissing her. Keeli, our littlest diva, was a bit standoffish at first, but warmed up by the end of the day and wanted to "love the baby."
It was a special gathering. Brett, Tami, Madison, Michael & Charlie, Kelly, Bailey & Tabitha, Jim & Joyce, and our brood all gathered to celebrate Papa's birthday. So of course there was a ambush serenade of sorts, then we all enjoyed some pie.
It is difficult to gather everyone, as some live half-way across the country. So, the photo below shows all the cousins in attendance. Missing are the Moores, Ashlie, Jessie, Myranda and Christopher.

Nesting Instincts

As the weather turns cooler (much cooler, much cooler than we are used to) and the days grow shorter the kids are finding new ways to entertain themselves. Over the weekend they built what appeared to be a nest of pine needles.

Little did we adults know it was really a form for the snow to fall on to make an instant igloo for snowball fights!
After all the fun was had, 11 large leaf bags of the needles were carted off to the composter.

While the kids were outside, I whipped up another pot of butternut squash soup. This is quick and simple, has great flavor and low calories.

Just halve, clean and peel the squash. Set to simmer in small chunks with one chopped medium to large onion and white pepper. Black pepper is fine, but it leaves dark flecks in the soup and some little people at this house don't like these.

Simmer until squash is the consistency of potatoes ready for mashing. Blend all ingredients together including the water. Add a 1/2 cup of cream, mix well and heat through. Serve. Yummy!

3,000 visitors

Nearly 3,000 people have visited us here. We never dreamed we could be this popular or interesting to others. We started the blog to be able to share our "everyday" with our family and friends, many who lived far away from us. We are logging visitors from all over the globe and from right here near home. Thanks everyone!

How about a little give-away to commemorate this milestone? Just drop us a comment and we will design a crafty, yet scientific and fair way to choose a winner.

Farewell Moses Lake

It is official: these 5 residents no longer call Moses Lake home.

After about 15 years in the Columbia Basin, we moved. Although that was nearly a month ago, we have been tied to Moses Lake by the ownership of a house and the caretaking of the herd. The house is in the process of being sold and the goats have foster caretakers for a few months until we find a permanent place to settle (thanks Lance and Andrew!).

We miss the space outdoors for the kids to roam, explore, learn and grow. It just isn't the same living in the city. We miss the familiarity of friends and neighbors.

We went to visit the homestead last weekend and found gallons of grapes along the garden fence. We picked three boxes full and are busily making them into raisins. Next time we will plant seedless grapes.

We also brough home pounds of fresh plums (thanks Sue!) and a bucket of apples. All from our garden and the neighbors' trees. The apples were gi-normous and consensus here was to make a pie or two ... or just eat them off the tree.