Inexcessable?

So, Hallowe'en proper has finally come round, and we've been out trick or treating again. This time we joined up with friends who live some distance away and trawled their neighbourhood for candy. The friends' mom had explained in advance that we really didn't get American Hallowe'en at all if we didn't embrace the excess of it. The neighbourhood turned out to be bigger than I'd realised - we were out for about an hour, and the Boy in his trusty ghost outfit was virtually on his knees by the time we got back to base, both because of the distance and number of houses covered and the weight of sweeties in his swag bag.

The Girl and Boy were invited by other friends to move on to trick or treating on our own street, but they opted out because they felt they 'already had enough candy.' Bless 'em - everything in moderation, how English they still are. Just like last year, they had at least as much fun handing out lollies at the front door.

Bright and breezy

It was a bright sunny day so I went out to rake leaves in the backyard this morning. I soon gave it up as a bad job, though, because it was so windy, and the wind was so cold.

Raking season will be over pretty soon, anyway. Most of the trees round our house are practically bare already. For many months of the year this is such a leafy part of the world, and it all looks quite different (and much less attractive) once the leaves have gone.

Ah well, no doubt we'll be walking in a winter wonderland before we know it - with all that lovely snow shovelling to look forward to.

The Governator

I've been out this evening at the Five Rivers Fall Festival debriefing. As the event was such a resounding success we devoted some time to patting ourselves on the back, but also discussed ways to make the festival even better next year. Just the kind of meeting I enjoy!

On the theme of positive thinking, I was very impressed by Arnold Schwarzenegger (of all people) who was on the radio this afternoon talking about California's environmental policies. California is way ahead of the rest of the States in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, promote Green energy etc. What so impressed me about Arnie was his grasp of the subject and his enthusiasm for tackling the challenges of global warming. He really seems to be bringing people along with him and making them want to be part of the solution - exactly what a person like him with political clout (he is Governor of California, as I'm sure you know) should be doing. If only the Presidential candidates were talking like him. If only more Republicans, and Democrats for that matter, were as right-on and liberal as he seems to be.

The Man can't understand me suddenly gushing over Arnie like this and suggests I go and have a little lie down.

Say it isn't snow...

The first winter storm of the season has been passing through all day. Wind and rain and even a bit of snow, and tonight freezing temperatures and the threat of more snow. Not much will fall round here, and it won't last, but it's a little taste of what's to come. But I gather parts of the UK have been having a winter preview today, too.

Due to the awful weather the kids didn't have any outdoor recess today, which became very apparent this evening as they couldn't stop leaping on the furniture. I'm coming down with a cold, so my tolerance threshold for bouncing, giggling children has been low - I've had a rather irritable time of it with them.

More positive aspects of the day: Exile #2 dropped by for coffee this morning, bringing the daily-more-delightful and fully toddling E5N1 with her. Then later I replaced the canvas on a director's chair which one of our summer guests had had a hand (well, not so much a hand) in destroying.

Knock knock

Anyone there?

A pot-luck supper up at school was the main event of the day. Other than that, just chores and such.

The children have been making up jokes. The Boy is particularly hopeless at it. Please send in your best jokes (knock knock or otherwise) asap.

Scaredy ghosts

We were visited in the night by the Candy Ghoul! Apparently this is a neighbourhood tradition. Someone, unknown, leaves a small bag of sweets on your doorstep after dark, with instructions for you to do the same for three other neighbours. The bag also contains a drawing of a ghost to tape by your front door to show that you have already been visited.

Needless to say, the kids were thrilled, and just as excited to be the Candy Ghoul themselves. But when it came down to it, one of the houses they chose to visit was just too spooky to get close to after dusk, so they ended up throwing the sweets onto the drive and running home as fast as they could.

Generally speaking these days, if the kids aren't at school they are at a Hallowe'en fancy-dress party. But when by chance they find themselves at home they like to devote time to the domestic arts. The Girl continues to cook with enthusiasm (though she's still not at all interested in food), and serves up cups of tea given the least bit of encouragement.

Meanwhile the Boy has taken up sewing in a big way and is proving very adept at cross-stitch embroidery. He has spent hours working on a sampler today - here's a sneak preview of his work-in-progress. Apart from needle-threading and knotting he gets on by himself, and we sit together with our sewing like a couple of nice old ladies - except that from time to time my companion breaks into songs about toilets, which most of the nice old ladies I know tend not to do.

'Twas a dark and stormy night...

...and still is, as I write. Just the night for a Hallowe'en party at a Victorian house on top of a hill in Troy, which is where we were earlier. Nice party, but a nasty drive home through the lashing rain.

Fortunately the Man had arrived home safely last night - it's good to have him back. While he was out on a shopping mission with the Boy this afternoon I suddenly came over all hippy and created this: Albaniana's Patented Peace Pumpkin! I took it as a gift to our hosts this evening.

Speaking of gifts, yesterday the bus driver awarded the Girl with the promised prize for brushing her hair. It's a packaway hairbrush, and a small cuddly squirrel. But if the hair doesn't stay brushed, the driver is going to take the squirrel back. So the Girl is going to keep brushing! I'm speechless. If only I'd known before how easily she could be bought.