Pumpkin Patch 2010

The last two years, excursions to the local fields have been less than stellar. Three years ago, before Grandbebe Girl was walking, it was an extraordinary day. The next year, mud. Last year, cold wind and a lousy pumpkin year.

This year was another good one with shirt sleeve temps and some pretty good sunshine. It was a good day to go to the farm.

Earlier in the day, putting away groceries proved to be dangerous for me. The bread basket fell off the top of the fridge and beaned me good.

When we met Youngest and her fam, Grandbebe Girl asked, ‘what happened to your nose, Grandma?’ As I explained, she kept crinkling her own nose. It was very hard to keep my concentration.

Anyway, back to the farm.

Pumpkins were picked.

Of all sizes.

The day was enjoyed by all.

And the scary birds have made their yearly appearance.

Happy Halloween!

Want to know what's hangin' around here?

Wonderful Guy and I are taking another long weekend, but this one is being spent close to home. (I know! It's a five day weekend for me!) It has to be close to home. I am trick or treating with the Grandbebe Girls tonight.

One has priorities.

So we went out to grab some brunch and saw these resulting of our recording setting October. It is record setting both in total amount of snow recieved in any October in 121 years, and also for the most snow in one snowfall, this last one, where we recieved on the west side of town, close to 18 inches.

See that greyish thing there in the middle?

Then, coming home, the snow had melted and fallen from the front tree revealing...something And we both said, "What the heck is that?' I took pictures. I thought it looked alarmingly like a hornets nest I once saw in a museum back in Kentucky, but I didn't think we had hornets way out west.

Research has revealed we probably don't. What we have here is probably one big yellow jackets nest. And it is big! What I have photographed is a ways up in the tree, partially broken down, but still I would guess 18" long?

Who knows. I am not good with dimensions. And there are still, as one can see, dead leaves on my tree, after our record setting snow falling October.

And now, thinking of Dearest Sister, driving her fun little Isetta in the parade WAY out west, I found this of us driving in her fun little Isetta around my neighborhood last year. I had some fun watching it again, and thought I would share it.

Tomorrow we announce the winners our individual contests (and other things!) so until then...

Boo!

And Blogtoberfest is a wrap!

More Costume Sewing

Another thing we Sisters learned from our Mom was how to make things go far.  Really Far.   I mean Really Reeeellllly Fa-a-aar.

Never waste.  Make it do.  Use it up.

Still, when buying fabric for a specific pattern, I can always get by with less that the pattern tells me to get.  Momma taught me how to do that.

Well then.  Back to when the girls were little.  And were in need of Halloween costumes.  And the X was in seminary, we were living in student housing, and with three part time jobs between us, we were poor as the proverbial church mice.

I set out on a mission.  If I remember correctly, and I might not, I had the multisized pattern on hand.  I headed to Teh Evel WalMaster for to find some fabric of appropriate nature of which I could afford.  I found some of clownish nature, of the creepiest feeling fabric EVER (had to be 30% rayon, 30% dacron, 30% nylon, and 10% orlon).  BUT!!!  It was..oh..maybe a quarter a yard on clearance, or some such ridiculous price, and there was about 10 yards of it.  So home it went with me.

And I made clown outfits.  And I made them big!  So these girlies would be able to wear them more than once!

See.  Making these work more than once!  Momma was proud of her frugal, sewing daughter.

Actually, the first year, only two got made.  Notice I found appropriately contrasting yarn to make pompoms from my stash.  Only back then, it wasn't a stash.  It was "leftover acrylic yarn from projects not finished that had to be toted every move".  That was the official name back then.  Seriously.

Next year, all three Offspring were clowns, yet somehow, the make-up took a dive.  The mom-ster must have been busy...told 'em to do their own maybe?

Then I moved into award winning 'Making It Go FAR!' territory.  Year three, same costumes.  Yes, I see some are bit short.  Yes, I see the less than pleasant expressions on the faces of these Tired Clowns.  I am telling them from behind the camera, "It's a different town.  No one has seen you wear these before."

Can you see their thoughts?  "As gawd is our witness, no one else will ever see us wear them again."

And no one did.  Not that the clown posse was destroyed.  Oh no!  There was still life in that 30% rayon, 30% dacron, 30% nylon, and 10% orlon synthetic wonder of a fabric!

The outfits lived to traumatize bring joy to the young sons of some dear family friends.

Not bad return on money and effort.

Not too sure about the effect on the young psyches of the Offspring.

And now for something completely different.  Make sure to check with Dearest Sister tomorrow.  Announcements!  Excitement!  Glory!

Halloween

It has been documented that Halloween is the most decorated holiday after Christmas, and I can believe it.

Wonderful Guy and I don’t go all out, but we do have a few little things we enjoy putting up.

This is Wonderful Guy’s contribution. He is in charge of the stuffing and constructing each year.

I made the ‘scary birds’ a couple years ago. We have green light bulbs in lamps that throw ‘eerie’ light from behind that make them really scary!

My little yo-yo ‘place-mat’ is made of Halloween fabric, and made of penny size yo-yos. I was glad when I ran out of fabric. I was tired of it already.

The wreath joined the family from a festival booth in Kentucky many years ago. A little cheesy but what the heck! It works for the few weeks each year it is hung up.

Beyond a few other little knick knacks sitting around here and there, one or two of which I will forget to collect when it comes time to put it all away, that is the extent of our Halloween spirit.

Until it comes to candy.

I am all about the good stuff. The chocolate stuff.

Wonderful Guy is all about getting his share.