News Flash!!

Son likes pomegranates...

Daughter LOVES sweet potatoes...

That is all. Carry on.

Quote of the Week--Tamsen's

I really liked the calming quality of reader Tamsen's quote of Julian of Norwich--so it is the quote of the week this time.

Who was Julian of Norwich? She was an English Christian mystic who spoke of God's love and stressed compassion and joy more than any idea of law and duty (according to this Wikipedia article...)


What is the Julian of Norwich quote shared by Tamsen? Here it is:

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

Isn't that soothing and comforting? I feel reassured by it, although I don't subscribe to almost all of Julian's beliefs. Still, wisdom comes from wherever it comes from. I can take what works and leave the rest.

Here's a song about Julian of Norwich.





Thanks for the beautiful words Tamsen.

Susie had a funny one that I want to share here too. Susie said to live your life so that when your feet hit the floor in the morning Satan says, "Oh shit...she's awake!"

There were other ideas too, but these stand out for me. Thanks for sharing you guys!

Halloween Revisited--the Horror...

I never posted these photos. Around Halloween, I was so excited about the upcoming election and frankly, the view we were greeted with that night...I shudder thinking about it. It was horrific. I've never seen anything like it in my life.

Earlier in the day, we carved pumpkins. Our tradition is that the kids sketch out what they might like, they fiddle around with their designs, and then they draw the final design on their pumpkin and my husband helps them carve them.

Here is my daughter's jack-o-lantern. Pretty scary, no? She did a good job.

The kids dig out the guts, and then the design begins to take form as my husband cuts into the pumpkins. Little did we know the menace that awaited us all...

I took my son to his play and my husband took my daughter to be with some of her friends to go trick-or-treating. We all had no idea what we would see on our front step when we got back. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to photograph it. I still don't know what to make of it.

My son's jack-o-lantern was outside on the front step inviting trick or treaters to take candy. It seems that maybe one took some and never got away. Look for yourself.

OH MY GOD!!!


LOOK!! What IS this?!


Who is this?! What happened?!


It ATE him!!!!


OH MY GOD!!! It ATE him!! What do we do?! Dear GOD!! Why????!!

WHY?!?!?!?!?!?

I think you can all agree that it was quite the nightmare we came home to that night.

You know the funny thing about it all? No one was ever reported missing... No one was ever reported as gone...

I just wish I could get the image out of my mind. It's seared there, forever etched in my brain with all of its horror and gruesome reality--I WISH it had only been a nightmare...

Flour, Salt, Water Creations

Here they are. Here are our two cookie sheets of decorations. Some may be a little spirited, but 'tis the season of good spirits and, um...feisty...OK. My son likes monsters. He's just like Calvin and is very much inspired by him. What are you going to do?

Bundle up--it's cold! Wear your mittens and hat!



Hey, Daughter. How'd you get that fur to look so good on that stocking cap you made?

A garlic press? Wow! Crazy! Let's see a close up...



Mistle toe. Let's smooch...


Or, how about a kiss. Get it?

This one's purple.


That wreath is pretty, but why is that snowman so droopy?


Oh! Why, it's the traditional Christmas Blazing Sun!


Bulb burnt out. Let's put in a yellow one.


Here's holly and a Christmas tree.


How about a bell and a candy cane?




There's another Christmas Tree on this cookie sheet, and this one even has a trunk.



And here is my husband's teeny, tiny bowling ball and pin. Because that's traditional too.



Happy creating with all of your projects whatever they may be.