Weekly Winners: Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Peek-a-boo from up high

Look-a-likes

I came thisclose to smooshing this guy

My first jack-lantern pictures...

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Sage Advice

I never talk about my fish anymore. Not since I realized how not interesting it is to read about them. They are still swimming. (Well, two out of the three.)

I'm really enjoying my history class this year. Which is sort of a first for me. It's actually Constitutional and Criminal Law. In other words, I'm learning about things that actually affect me-directly.

I hate cold sores.

We have milk in our fridge that supposedly expires December 17. I dont'believe it. My mom suggested I save some until then to see if it's right. I think I'll be okay knowing I'm right, sans proof.

You know the characters in books that exist solely to give sage advice to the main characters? Well, there's a  character from The Truth About Forever who isn't exactly that, but close enough.

The other day was not going so great, and I remembered her saying, "We know where we stand. Now things can only get better."

I thought about it. It helped.

Unfortunately, now that I've shared it, the magic is probably gone. Oh, well. I'll just have to keep reading books with wise characters full of sage advice.

Weekly Winners: Colors

Birthday Happy

In a sea of yellow

Red on red

Looking up

Pure colors

Yet there's still new growth

Blue

Into the sun

We call this the Great Horned Owl Look

I Am Grateful

I am grateful for:

My family

My friends

My house

The privileged life I was born into

The things I take for granted

My health

Yes, my health. While I have dealt deal with something incomprehensible to many people, something many people will never have to experience every day, my life has never been threatened. Sure, my way of life was threatened, and my illness certainly followed through on those threats, but the life within me, the things that keep my heart pumping and my brain thinking have always been intact. And for that I am grateful.

It feels like such a small word to express my feelings of gratitude for everything I have and the sorrow for those who can't add health, or family, or a house to their lists.

But I will say it. Because that small word seems the best one to describe it.

I am grateful.

End of October

This year, my mom is the one who gets the extended birthday. Dinner and cards last night. Presents on the weekend. Dinner out with my dad next weekend. Lucky!

I may have been a little over-ambitious with my menu planning: MuShu Vegetables, Sweet Potato Pot Stickers, and Apple Crisp. It was good, and nothing major blew up or spilled, but man, that was a lot of cooking.

To anyone (everyone) out there who does this with more frequency than I -wow. I'm impressed. I have a new appreciation for people who cook. (Notice I don't say chefs...)

Halloween is coming up. When I was younger, and had big birthday parties, October would knock us (my mom) flat.

My birthday, my mom's birthday, Halloween.

Boom boom boom.

I was never over-the-top into Halloween. Dressing up was fun, but the candy was better. I loved it, but it didn't make me crazy.

Our neighborhood is quite sad on the trick-or-treating front. This meant we would have to pack the car up with hot drinks and five extra coats and relocate to a neighborhood more friendly to kids knocking on doors and asking for sugar.

I would usually do some afternoon rounds in town, where all the shops handed out candy. As I got older, friends and I would go out and hit the houses known for handing out hand-fulls of good-quality candy.

I don't really remember when I stopped going. It was several years ago. I had lost interest in dressing up-my brain couldn't take that much creativity.

The appeal of trekking around in the dark to get small pieces of sugar had worn off. Half my friends weren't going. So I stopped. I don't miss it. I do wish we had more kids coming to our house, though, because I've always thought it would be fun to be the hander-outer of candy. Seeing the costumes and how hyper the kids were.

So no plans this year. We have pumpkins. To be carved this weekend. I only want to take off the top and get the seeds to roast. That is one Halloween tradition I'm not ready to give up.

But we always buy a big bag of candy-just in case.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly

I watched the weirdest, strangest movie last night. I’m still not sure what it was about, or if there even was a point.

I’m sick of talking and thinking about standardized testing. Suffice it to say I sort of agreed with someone I overheard during a break saying, “Standardized testing will be the death of me".

I’m sixteen. No exclamation points. I don’t feel different; I stopped expecting to feel a change after I hit double digits.

Although it was cool hearing from my cousins and friends all over the world that I don't hear from often. The presents and chocolate cake didn't hurt, either.

The whole family has a cold. Even the cat has been sneezing.

My Spanish teacher had us translate “There Was an Old Woman” (who swallowed a fly). Ever since I’ve had a messed up Spanish/English version stuck in my head.

Sometimes hearing about other people hurts is reassuring, knowing I’m not alone. Sometimes it’s just depressing.

Go get random and un-depressed with The Un Mom.

Weekly Winners

Through and through

Rear view

These are orange-er in real life

All the way fall

Tall and leggy