Halloween Is Right Up His Alley! :)

 As you can see from photos I took of Brennan last summer, he loves dressing up and ...

he loves eating candy! :)
Therefore, Halloween is Right Up His Alley!! :)
We just spoke on the phone and he told me he's going to be Thor for Halloween, tonight! :) After I approved enthusiasticly, he asked me what I'm going to be and I told him I wasn't going to dress up because I'm not trick-or-treating. Shocked he asked "WHY!!?" I told him, I'm too old. :) Immediately he started to cry, exclaiming between sobs "That's Sooo Saadd!!" I tried to reassure him that it's okay, that I had many years trick-or-treating! :) He said "I wish you could go trick-or-treating with Me tonight!" I told him I wished I could too, that it would be so much fun! :) I wished him Lots of candy tonight, and he brightened! :)
It's the first time anyone has ever cried over my missing out on trick-or-treats! It makes me feel that I must be missing out!! :)
How I love and adore him and his big heart! :)
Happy Halloween, Brennan! :)
Happy Halloween to Brennan's little brother, Tegan,, and to his Mommy and Daddy, too! :)
Happy Halloween, Everyone!! :) Wishing you all Lots of candy and Halloween fun! :)

A Little Bit Spooky! :)

 October has been a highly unusual month for us, and I don't mind saying, a little bit SPOOKY! :)
Once we got the garden put to bed, it was time to focus on helping our son get moved and set up to start his new job in a city shy of two hrs. away, where everything in his life is new and a little uncertain. I believe we've stressed for him more than he's stressed for himself! :)
And since the weather's changing as we settle into Autumn, I've also moved the cats from the open garage into the shop where they have more protection from the elements and critters! It's been an adjustment for them, but I believe they're getting used to the idea of being closed in at night! :)
My honey bug-bombed the shop prior to my moving the cats, but one evening when I was getting the cats settled in, ...

 I stood to leave and felt a sting on my leg. ... I've been dealing with my first ever spider bite!! It's been an unnerving experience, as it meant a trip to the doctor when a red circular weld developed on my calf, with an outer pink ring around it, totaling the size of a soft ball! It's therefore, also the first time I've even been on steroids, and that's been an experience! :)
So I've been a bit hyped, suffering lack of sleep, loss of appetite, trying to keep on schedule with two new prescriptions, and all this while making a few trips to a new location, moving our son to start a new adventure in his life! ... :)
I've got a soft heart and have been known to move small spiders outside, if they appear in the house, but after being bit, I saw a spider in the bathroom and squished it without any hesitation! :)
I view spiders with greater distaste now, as they have become a little bit spooky to me! :)

 So October has felt frightfully disjointed, like a weird and wild Halloween, where there's a surprise at every turn! :)
The decorations feel spot on to me this year! :)

 Even the last of our grapes look like how I feel, a bit overdone and spent, but still good! :)

 Trials are kind of like Halloween. They can be a trick but they provide a treat if one's willing to have a good attitude and allow it to be a learning experience! :)

 Then it's not quite so spooky! :)

 On the way home from the final move-in run, we stopped at Barnes and Noble Books where I found this new Halloween puzzle! :) I've enjoyed getting lost in it while putting it together! :)

 It seems the older I get the more my fascination with puzzles grows, and I now have a nice collection that I love and add to from time to time! :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful October, and I wish you all a fun-filled Halloween, with just a little bit of spookiness to make it thrilling! :)

We're Ready! :)

 When the first good frost came, quietly in the night, it was the signal that it was time to put the garden to bed.

 I worked hard for a week, getting it all pulled, pruned, and lifted so by the eve' of the first expected rain, I had it ready for my Honey to 'till, and help get the plastic down! :)

 Once 'tilled, we repositioned the green house in a spot against the fence in hopes of keeping it from blowing over this winter.

 I want to see if I can keep the soil within the green house dry enough so, come Spring, I have soil ready to plant the onions in! :)
Since a handful of onions that I planted last Spring decided now was a good time to start growing, I replanted them within the green house to see if they will develop into usable onions by next year! I enjoy a good experiment! :)

 The burn pile is at it's glory, when the garden's put to bed! :)

 The only plant waste items that haven't yet made it to the pile are the sunflowers ...

 That I temporarily tied to a post at the bird station for the birds to enjoy eating through Thanksgiving! :)

 There's something very satisfying about seeing the garden put-to-bed for the winter,

 And closing the gate! :)

 Next year's garden is already being planned out, in my mind, and in only a couple months I'll be pouring over the seed catalogs, placing next year's seed order! :)

We put the garden to bed just in time, yesterday, as the weather forecast was correct, and rain arrived this morning! No worries this year! We're ready! :)

 October has come in feeling like Summer, still, so instead of decorating for Halloween, I decided to decorate the front deck, instead! After buying flowers, I came home and did a couple large basket arrangements to accompany the squash and pumpkins in our front entrance! :)

It lifts my heart every time I use the front deck, now, or glance out the front windows! I love squash, pumpkins, and fresh, live flowers! :) Hope it lifts your heart, too! :)

I suspect the long dry Summer, which is continuing into an equally nice Fall so far, has resulted in the tomatoes being greatly plentiful this year! I have 8 plants growing in the small mesh greenhouse, 1 Sweet 100 cherry tomato; 1 Roma;  1 Juliet; 1 San M'; 1 Moby Grape; 1 Big Beef; 1 Early Girl; and 1 Green Zebra! :)
I filled the garden tub with the biggest ones on the bottom and smallest ones on the top, to avoid crushing them! :) There was still more ripe fruit left on the plants, but I felt this was as much as I could carry! :)

We've discovered our favorite salsa is salsa freshly diced and served! With all the fresh summer flavors exploding in one's mouth, it's as amazing on chicken, or an omelet, as it is with chips or tacos! :)
And it's so easy! All it is, is ...

[Finely chopped tomatoes; green pepper; sweet onion; and cilantro, mixed together! A squeeze of lime juice is optional!] :)

It can last a week or two in the 'fridge but it never lasts more than one or two meals! :)
So next year I plan to grow only 6 plants, and focus on fresh eating! I'll be growing, 1 Sweet 100 cherry; 1 Juliet (for fresh salsa); and 4 Big Beef! :)
Juliet is so productive, one plant can keep us in fresh salsa all summer and fall! :)
The same is true of Sweet 100! We've more sweet cheery fruit to pop in our mouths than we can eat, so one plant is plenty! :)
Big Beef takes a little more time for the fruit to ripen, and is not heavy laden with fruit like Sweet 100 and Juliet! We love the huge, perfect fruit (both taste and appearance), so since I'll have the added space, I'll try growing 4 of them this coming year! They make the Best BLT's! One slice fills a sandwich! :)
If you care to see a photo of Big Beef, you can refer to a previous blog post I did about it. Sorry I can't remember if it was last year or the year before. I've grown Big Beef a few years now! :)
Hope you're enjoying garden bounty, too! :)
Tomatoes Anyone!? :)