I am....

i am

glad to be home finally after driving north to some rural area(got lost a little, too) to cheer on R at the cross-country race (very hilly course which was tough for all the runners, including my daughter), and then waiting by the roadside for an hour and fifteen minutes for AAA roadside service after my sister's tire got a flat. At least we had a good sisterly chat(with my sister doing most of the chatting, of course) during the drive up and back and then standing outside in the windy(and thankfully warm) fresh air.

i feel

a little foggy and and "out of it" but otherwise relaxed(if a little grungy and in need of a shower--see "I want" below) and ready for this evening's trick-or-treaters. I dumped out all the candy into two large bowls and even though I always think I didn't buy enough, it now looks like we may get stuck with too many left-over Nerds and Sweet Tarts.

i eat

a "naked" gingerbread man (never did decorate them)

i want

to take a shower soon and do a little pampering--maybe paint my toenails and slather on some nice scented lotion(something a little strong and spicy and Halloween-ish?). I feel a little grungy from being outside all that time, with the wind swirling the leaves and surely some roadside dirt around. Want to feel all comfy, clean and yes, a little sexy this Halloween Eve.

i need

to drink some water--have a slight headache and think I am a little dehydrated. A few whiskey and cokes last night out for cocktails with Mr. F, and then drinking too much coffee all day so far is probably why....

i watch

I think we'll watch "Murder By Death"--that old Neil Simon murder mystery spoof movie from the 1976(got it from Netflix this week in the mail). I remember going to see this in the cinema way back...then. ;-) And I have never seen again it since. Thought it would be a good, safely non-scary flick for tonight(I don't do horror movies, usually)

i listen

Loreena McKennit. Her music is so appropriate for this time of year, and I love the way she and the other musicians blend Celtic and Middle Eastern music.

Bonfires dot the rolling hillside

Figures dance around and around

To drums that pulse out the echoes of darkness

Moving to the ancient sound

Somewhere in a distant memory

Images float before my eyes

Of fragrant nights of straw and of bonfires

And dancing until the next sunrise

**********

I can see the lights in the distance

Trembling in the dark cloak of night

Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing

A waltz on All Souls Night

***********

Figures of cornstalks bend in the shadows

Held up tall as the flames leap high

The green knight holds the holly bush

To mark where the old year passes by

********

Bonfires dot the rolling hillside

Figures dance around and around

To drums that pulse out the echoes of darkness

Moving to the ancient sound

*********

Standing on the bridge that crosses

The river that flows out to sea

The wind is full of a thousand voices

They pass by the bridge and me

~~~" All Souls Night"

Loreena McKennitt

Beware of Vampire Cats in Boxes...

Just about to head out for an all day cross-country finals race event somewhere in the north of the state(where I never venture), but still wanted to share this fantastic fanged photo for the morning of Halloween Eve!!!!!

Owl O' Lantern

This is what my daughter and I were up to last night.
An owl--that kind of also looks like a panda mixed with a Pikachu-- made out of a white pumpkin and sunflower seeds(around eyes and for tufts and little talons).
No, I did not think this up on my own--we saw this in a Family Circle magazine.
Too cute, huh??
Got out the glue gun and pumpkin carving tools, spent a little time together that was like it always was before this teenage thing. So that was really nice.
She even gave up Facebook and Glee for the night to do this.

Tonight, we finally toasted the seeds from the pumpkin and I forgot just how delicious warm and toasted-straight from the oven-pumpkins seeds are.

I am getting a little more excited for Halloween and enjoying this time of year. It's been appropriately darkly spooky and blustery out lately. Leaves swirling through the air and all over the ground. And when I went outside this evening, it smelled like Halloween with that cold, dried leaves-on-the-ground scent and some one's wood stove going in the neighborhood.

I just hope it'll be like that on Halloween itself, and not freakishly warm and almost tropical like it has been on a few recent Halloweens around here. Now that's scary--a Global Warming Halloween. (I remember two years ago on a mild Halloween night, we found people sitting outside in lawn chairs like it was a summer evening, handing out the candy.)
And now...for a little pumpkin-ish Blogthang:

You Are a Yellow Pumpkin

You are funky, fun loving, and outgoing. You embrace your weirdness, and others truly appreciate your quirks. You believe that life's too short to be insecure. You're comfortable in your own flawed skin, and you encourage others to be the same way. You are always noticing the fun little details in life that everyone else ignores. Even if you aren't an artist, you have an artist's eye. You have a flair for finding hidden gems. You always have a new restaurant, band, or movie to suggest to your friends.

What Color Pumpkin Are You?

(**This result fits me..somewhat, but I am definitely not outgoing.)

I want... on a Wednesday

Pull up a chair, for something new on a Wednesday!
I came across a new meme (well, new to me) for Wednesdays and thought I would try it.

"I Want ....Wednesday"

Which doesn't have to be as greedy and consumerist as it sounds(but..it can be and that could be fun, too).

Each week there is a question(or two?) asked about "wanting" something.

This weeks question is:

What do you want to accomplish in November?

Hmmmm...it would be nice to have all Christmas gifts purchased or made by the beginning of December. A do-able goal, I think, since we are keeping it simple this year and already have some plans and some gifts, even. Yeah, that's what I want.

What do you want this week? Share it all.

What do I want THIS week? I want to be able to somehow erase all memory of the transaction/conversation/situation I had today with this creepy, mean and downright scary customer of our's at the shop. I have had a nightmare, even, inspired by this man. I get so rattled by him, that it affects me for a day or so after. I just don't want to think about it. Why, oh why does he keep coming back to do with business with us--can't he go somewhere else?! Ooops...thinking about it--must stop NOW.

The Halloween Way Back Machine

You know you have reached certain maturity when

a. you find yourself reminiscing wistfully often about things and moments from your past,

and

b. noting how different your response to holidays is now, compared to when you were an impressionable fresh faced kid.

If only I could relive those excited feelings experienced on Halloween Eve back when I was a child!

Like the first day of school and Christmas, this day found me with butterflies in my stomach and tingling with anticipation. And it wasn't just the candy I knew I would be accumulating in my bag--it was the thrill of being out in the dark neighborhood, kicking through the piles of the dry fallen leaves underfoot, trying hard to see through my mask(and usually my upper lip sweating underneath it). It was the belief that, yes, maybe a witch or werewolf was hiding behind a tree. My imagination ran wild and half expected something to jump out at me at any time.

One of the earliest Halloweens I can remember was the year I was five years old which is when the photo above was taken.

Maine, Halloween 1967.

Halloween must have fallen on a Saturday one of those years(back then, growing up in Maine, everyone ate Boston Baked Beans on a Saturday for supper) because I vividly remember having to try eating a supper of Baked Beans -with brown bread, the kind that came out of the can, of course. Or else this was just an easy meal for my mother to put on the table on that night.

But, with an already churning stomach and being so keyed up for Halloween, can you imagine trying to eat something heavy like beans in a thick molasses sauce?? I could barely get two forkfuls down, and then my mother finally let my sister and I leave the table to go and get into our costumes.

Early on, my sister(that's her in the clown mask)and I always wore those boxed ready-made costumes (Ben Cooper) you found just before Halloween in the "dime" stores(my father actually ran one at the time), and I only vaguely remember the princess costume I am wearing in the photo. They were pretty cheap and cheesy--a plastic mask you secured around your head with this thin elastic strap, and some kind of jump suit or cape to go with it-often a popular cartoon character. A year or so later after my Princess costume Halloween, I do remember getting a Penelope Pitstop costume. And my sister had a tiger costume that she wore for years, too. It wasn't until we were older that we got into creative, homemade costumes.

Accompanied, probably, by my mother(although it wasn't long before it was always only my sister and I, because parents weren't afraid for their children being out alone like they are now) we went door-to-door in our neighborhood, getting our bags filled with Clark Bars, Pixie Stix, Sugar Daddys, Charms Pops, Bubblegum Cigars, Oh Henry bars, Chuckles, Tootsie Rolls, Bit O Honey(always hated those, though), bubble gum card packs (one year I was frightened by a Planet Of The Apes card pack!) and of course, candy corn. There was always someone who thought they were being the healthy treat giver and handed out those miniature boxes of Sun Maid raisins. Those always remained at the very bottom of my bag and were one of the last things to be eaten. And really, those sticky raisins were just as bad for the teeth as any candy, right?
Often, since I remember Halloween nights being cold, we were invited in by strangers, to have hot chocolate or homemade cookies or popcorn balls in their kitchen, too.

I live in a neighborhood now, where trick-or-treating is a pretty big event(we go through bag after bag of candy because we get so many children coming to our door), so I guess I can only try to remember now how absolutely exciting it was for me, and view Halloween as more of a spectator event now. That's the wistful part.

Ghostly Gingerbread

Last year at this time , I made these skeleton gingerbread cookies (with a few ghosties).
This year, for a Halloween party, I decided to make them again. But when I went to make them on Saturday...I could not find my gingerbreadman (person?) cookie cutter. I have a feeling it fell behind the fridge or stove or something....so I decided on deliciously spooky ghosts--loaded heavily with icing.
In the meantime, Mr. F did buy me a new gingerbread PERSON cutter--so....the plan is to make some more gingerbread cookies. The dough(left over from Saturday) is ready in the fridge...now I just need to feel more motivated to get going in the kitchen. It makes such a mess, though.
Or maybe I'll just get my Halloween sweets fix early by raiding the stash of Halloween candy I bought for the trick-or-treaters (those little mini packets of Gummi Bears are calling me).

More Sketchiness

"sketchy-ness"? Is that even a real word?
From cat ladies to "hat" ladies--some more doodles from my tiny sketch book.
First one turned out to be kind of Tim Burton-esque(would love to wear something like this on Halloween), the second--more prim and proper Edwardian lady with some kind of psychedelic explosion/hat on her head.

Wordless Wednesday-Sketchy Edition

An unfinished pencil sketch(sorry about the fuzzy quality of the quickly taken and downloaded photo of it) from my smallest art journal --3 3/4" x 5 3/4" page size.

This is a public service announcement...

...WITH GUITAR!!!! No, sorry, that's not it...
(I can never not add the part about "with guitar..!!" because I automatically think of
that Clash song when I hear the "this is a public service announcement" phrase).
This a public service announcement with...a hot cup of tea, instead..

Actually, this is just some plain good advice about trying to avoid the dreaded Swine Flu virus(or any flu virus). Some of which I already knew and some of which I hadn't thought of as important(drinking warm liquids, for example) which was sent to me by a friend and I thought I would pass this on here, as well as forwarding to many in my e-mail address book. So, read on, please.....and stay healthy out there, folks!

Prevention...good advice
Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital ,Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata ,Memorial etc..
Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W). The following message given by him makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is. While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

****

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

****

2. "Hands-off-the-face"approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (except to eat or bathe).

****

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

****

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot to clean nasal cavities, but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

****

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

****

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
Pass this on to everyone you know, if possible. You never know who might pay attention to it - and STAY ALIVE because of it.

Bagpipes On The Brain

"I understand the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired

when he saw a man carrying an indignant, asthmatic pig under his arm.

Unfortunately, the manmade sound never equalled

the purity of the sound achieved by the pig."

- Alfred Hitchcock

Ever since I read about an odd bagpipes experience over at only a movie earlier this week, I keep thinking about bagpipes. Which I find sort of thrilling(especially combined with the drums) when I hear them, actually. Makes me want to be proudly Scottish or some such. And I am not Scottish(that I know of--French Canadian, Greek, German is what I am...that I know of...).

Anyway, I scoured YouTube for some bagpipe action and I am going to share two good ones today.

The first is some footage from 1976(!)of AC/DC on an Australian show. Sure, the singing and bagpipe playing(by a very young looking Bon Scott--R.I.P.)is probably lip-synced(pipe-synced?)but it's great and ....so are the disco dresses on the dancing ladies in the background.

Second video is of a Scottish pipes and Brazilian Samba drums playing outfit called MacUmba. The quality of the video is kind of shoddy-but the sound quality is good.

Wet & Wild Friday

It's dark out still at 6:30 AM, it's howling wind rattling the window panes, it's wet and cold and downright crappy out but,

at least it's Friday and time once again for a Friday Fill-in(go here if you want to do it, too)

1. So are we going _____to be picking up fallen wet leaves and tree branches all weekend after this storm has passed?

2. Birthday cake(for me) and Halloween-ery___________ is what's up ahead.

3. I love to ___________laugh, and I laughed(loudly)all last night--first Jim Gaffigan(he was brilliant), then back home for taped "The Office", "30 Rock" and Conan.

4. On a cold, wet and windy night, I like a hot coffee drink ___________ of some sort(please add some Jameson's, Bailey's, a little whipped cream on top).

5. I walk a ___________thin line between adult and juvenile sometimes.

6. Laughter ___________ is the true elixir of life!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____book club night at my house, tomorrow my plans include _____work(drat!) and Sunday, I want to _____sleep late(which means 7:30 AM to me, and that will be lovely to sleep in just that little bit more)!

You'll Laffigan with.....

Mr. F surprised me last night with tickets to see Jim Gaffigan (a comedian possibly paler even than Conan) tonight.
Kind of our oh-so-romantic(!) way of celebrating our 17th anniversary together(since our anniversary is on Saturday and I am working all day).

Teri, A 13th Tale and a Blogthing

You Are a Pumpkin Latte

You are a total homebody. You love the fall because it gives you an excuse to stay home a little more often and be cozy. Fall is your favorite time to cook a pie, read a good book, or watch your favorite movie. You're the type who prefers handing out candy at Halloween and hosting Thanksgiving at your place. You have a lot of different autumn activities, and they all take place inside the comfort of your home.

What Autumn Drink Are You?

I have been in blah-blogging mode the last few days and will eventually come around and visit my favorite blogs again. In the meantime, a Blogthing(of course). I could really go for a pumpkin latte instead of this old(brewed at 6:15 this morning) coffee I am sipping now.

And, yes, I have been a homebody pretty much since the weekend--have been doing some more domestic stuff around the house, some recreational shopping (ended up, however, buying stuff for R mostly), and getting completely wrapped up in this book-- Diane Setterfield's "The Thirteenth Tale" which is the chosen book for discussion when my book club meets this Friday. It took me a while to get started on it. Mostly because I was at first torn between reading it and diving into the Teri Garr memoir from 2005(which I picked up for 3 bucks at Walden's when I went to buy the Setterfield novel) called "Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood"(love her, miss her, actually in today's movies, and the memoir is laced throughout with her quirky humor).

I finally finished "The Thirteenth Tale " last night. Now, that was one thumping good read!

From Amazon:

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness -- featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess,a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

Sounds good, doesn''t it? It was totally my kind of book--full of secrets, an isolated house on the Yorkshire moors, a ghost(?), madness, books ...I was completely enthralled by the story once I got into it a few chapters in.
But now, I can get back to Speedbumps. And maybe rereading Gene Wilder's memoir...and maybe a close-to-Halloween re-viewing(for what? the 12th time?!) of Young Frankenstein.

Meet Isabel

My newest acquisition--a handmade felt crow on a metal pedestal/final type stand.
I saw her in a shop window and had to have her. Very Edward Gorey, no?

I have been moving her around in the living room. Not sure where to display her just yet, but she is a nice addition to the fall and Halloween themed decorations I now have arranged around the room.
I pottered around yesterday-setting out the few Halloween things I have and added some bouquets of the last flowers from my garden(and some wildflowers from a walk with Jewel).

So...today's plan is to make some chicken soup with rice(there is a sorry looking carcass of a chicken in my fridge) and some bread (gotta lug out the bread machine) and maybe...some brownies. I am feeling so domesticated this weekend, it's scary!

Freebies

Not that I even need any more books to add to my "to-be-read" pile, but....every time I go to the dump, I have to check out the dump "library" (have written about this place before) . To be honest, the possibility of getting some new(free) books and mags is what makes me want to go to the dump!

This week, when I stopped in after dropping off my recyclables, I took home the following books(in addition to a few recent issues of The New Yorker mag--perfect for having in the car with me , so I can read something while I wait for R to be finished with cross-country practice):

The first book, maybe a little outdated but I think maybe still worth reading,
"A Russian Princess Remembers" (hardcover edition,1989)
From the book jacket:
"Among the remarkable stories of human fortitude that Gorbachev's glasnost policy has brought into the open, none is more engaging and dramatic than that of Ekaterina Meshcherskaya. Now eighty-five and living in Moscow in three cramped rooms, surrounded by the few photographs and icons left to her, the princess has written a memoir that bridges the Soviet present and the Russian past and makes both come alive."

Even though I have heard of her name before, I have yet to read a Joanna Trollope(an ancestor of Anthony Trollope?)novel. So, I'll likely start with "A Spanish Lover"(1993), deemed "A Hugely Enjoyable Book" by one Miranda Seymour of the Sunday Times right on the front of the paperback cover. Hmmm...um, okay. We shall see.

Then, I found the classic "A Room Of One's Own" by Virgina Woolf.
The 70's Seymour Chwast-like(actually it's John Alcorn) illustration of the front cover is what drew me in and I figured since I have never read this seminal book, I should give this slim paperback edition a try sometime. From the book's back cover,
"Future historians will place Mrs. Woolf's little book beside Mary Wollstonecraft's The Rights Of Women and John Stuart Mill's The Subjection Of Women. It does for the intellectual and spiritual liberation of women what those works did for the political emancipation. But a A Room of One's Own outshines them both in genius."














And, finally, a book I just never got around to reading, even though a few years back this book was everywhere.
"The Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya- Sisterhood" by Rebecca Wells.
If I don't get around to reading it, I can always pass it along to R to read.
Here's one the many slightly dippy, overly effusive review blurbs from the back cover:
"One heck of a rollicking good read...You'll laugh. You'll cry. But you'll mostly laugh and want to offer Wells a hearty merci."
Wow...I can't believe someone actually used that old "you'll laugh, you'll cry..." line!

So, not a bad lot, considering they were all in good condition and interesting sounding books I haven't yet read...and they were completely free and for the taking. And I can always return them to the dump "library" and pass them on to anyone else who might be interested afterwards.

Perfect

"Everyone must take time

to sit and watch the leaves turn."

~Elizabeth Lawrence

A sunny day in October is my definition of perfection.

It's perfection to sit outdoors in a sunny spot in a long sleeved black velvet top and feel completely comfortable. Warm-- warm enough to make me a little drowsy. Like sitting in a bubble bath that never cools down.

With maybe a slight breeze that ruffles your hair a little, and tickles your cheek when a wisp of loose blown hair brushes against it. Other than that(and even that feels good)--pure comfort. Not too cold-not too hot. Mellow and relaxing.

October weather around here(when it isn't raining or a late season hurricane blowing off the coast, that is) is like a happy medium --between cool and hot.

That is what I did yesterday when I returned home from work(only a few hours in the morning to get caught up-otherwise Tuesdays are my day during the week).

Just sat outside and attempted to read a book.

But never got too far with the book --Jane and Michael Stern's "Two For The Road; Our Love Affair With American Food" ,which had me laughing out loud in spots when describing some scummy motels they have stayed in, and I liked simply for the fact that they actually focus a lot on the wee state of Rhode Island and it's singular style of food.

I kept saying to myself, that I better get inside and get some things taken care of. But then kept giving myself "five more minutes" to sit under that golden autumn sun.

Five minutes turned to ten

and ten minutes turned into fifteen.

And I never did get much "done" in the house. But that's okay. It's good just to sit sometimes.

Daily life(especially during the work week) has been so regimented lately and with me constantly thinking of five different things in my head at the same time, that I really think it was a healthy thing to be able to just sit there.

So, yeah, yesterday was a good day. Only a few hours at work. Got my hair cut and it looks great, with a little flip at the ends and my stylist got it to stay straight. That won't last, though. After the first shampoo here at home I'll never get it to look like that again.

And, driving by the ocean and seawall(again) in the afternoon, I noticed people looked connected and engaged, compared to the sad and isolated feeling I felt when I saw scattered people there a few weeks ago(blogged a little about it here in another Randoms entry). Most people were paired up--in deep conversation facing each other on the wall, or gazing out at the ocean together.

Tuesday Randoms

Thought I would "officially" link up to the Random Tuesday Thoughts lady, since I have plenty of random thoughts for today.

Some very all-over-the-place random thoughts, in fact,

ruminations and a few jokes.

Let's start with the jokes, first(so I can have an excuse to use the laughing seal photo).

My grandmother was a very tough woman. She buried three husbands and two of them were just napping.
-Rita Rudner
****************
My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle. -Henny Youngman


A little more seriously now......

What does it say about a country when there is more of an outcry over a plan to insure universal health care to every citizen in a "supposedly" wealthy, First World country than when a it was decided to invade another country?

More thoughts....

Thelonious Monk. Such an awesome name. Too bad I can't listen to his music. Tried the other night. Had to turn it off, since it was making me feel anxious and jumpy.

I kind of feel the same way about veggie burgers. Great sounding idea--burgers without meat! But even though I have experimented with a few recipes--some with chick peas like a falafel(which I love), some with quinoa, some brown rice or a combination of these), they never come out tasting..fantastic. If anyone has a really good veggie burger recipe, please let me know!

I saw the trailer for the movie version of Where The Wild Things Are. Depressing. One of the "monsters" was talking like Tony Soprano. That book is as old as I am, and I have known that book all my life. The monsters don't talk--not to me, anyway(except maybe for that "Let the wild rumpus begin!" line), and I would never have thought if one of them did speak it would sound like a freakin' Soprano. I know...artistic license and all, but why did it have to be turned into a movie? Why???? How did Maurice Sendak allow this?

I have always wanted a pair of these:

Since the 80's, I have wanted these shoes(I used to have two pairs of plain black Doc Martens). So...out of curiosity the other day, I decided to see if I could find these black and white wingtip brogues online. Of course, I could! There they were--still being made by the Dr. Marten shoe/boot people. Maybe I will finally get me a pair for my big 50th birthday--it's either that or a greyhound. I always envisioned myself wearing these with somewhat baggy pinstriped trousers. Even better, maybe when I am 50, I'll be wearing these shoes and strutting down the street with a greyhound and a smaller dog named Jewel.

I just realized that I must have a thing for the combination of simple black and white. Two-tone shoes. White on black polka dots. Black and white stripes. Old black and white movies. And I love drawing with black ink on white paper.

A book I really want to get my hands on and read is David Byrne's "Bicycle Diaries".

From the David Byrne website:
"Since the early 1980s, David Byrne has been riding a bike as his principal means of transportation in New York City. Two decades ago, he discovered folding bikes and started taking them on tour. Byrne's choice was made out of convenience rather than political motivation, but the more cities he saw from his bicycle, the more he became hooked on this mode of transport and the sense of liberation it provided. Convinced that urban biking opens one's eyes to the inner workings and rhythms of a city's geography and population, Byrne began keeping a journal of his observations and insights.
An account of what he sees and whom he meets as he pedals through metropoles from Berlin to Buenos Aires, Istanbul to San Francisco, Manila to New York, Bicycle Diaries also records Byrne's thoughts on world music, urban planning, fashion, architecture, cultural dislocation, and much more, all conveyed with a highly personal mixture of humor, curiosity, and humility. Part travelogue, part journal, part photo album, Bicycle Diaries is an eye-opening celebration of seeing the world from the seat of a bike."

Not only does this man sing, write and perform music(Talking Heads and beyond...), he's an artist, keeps an online journal--check out his website to see it all.

I wish I could bicycle around more, as a way of getting places--the store or to work. It seems not feasible with the lifestyle I am living now. Further out from the town where all the stores are and my place of work. A mother of a daughter whom I have to shepherd around quite a bit with all the after school activities. Cross-country practice every day, and having to get her friend/team mate home as well. Chamber singing group Monday evenings back at the school. I feel like I am bringing her EVERYWHERE these days, and I am kind of sick of my car, to be honest.

At the same time, I am so happy my kid is happy in her freshman year in high school. She is totally a "joiner" and really(so far, anyway) into the whole school spirit thing, while I was the complete opposite when I was in high school. I am a little amazed that she is my kid.

Now, if only she didn't have to be interested in a 17 year old boy(and he with her), and having some serious attitude with her parents(lately, it is pretty bad), things would be perfect.

One more random thought , I just thought of:
If I do ever get my greyhound, shall I name him Fenway or Thelonious?

Another Friday, Another Fill-in.....

Friday Fill in time again, folks. Courtesy of Janet-thanks, Janet! I wasn't even going to blog this morning, but these "fill-in's" inspired me to at least write something.

1. I have a history of _____starting exciting new projects/ideas and never finishing them or following through.

2. How to "follow through" on my big ideas and not get bored or forgetful about them___________ is something I wish I knew.

3. I'm eating (or recently ate) ___________a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios.

4. I wish I were___________ on the road, headed up north to the mountains.

5. So that's it, that's ___________another work week, nearly done.

6. Somewhat bland homemade veggie burgers are___________ better than nothing!(tried a new veggie burger recipe for last night's supper--chick peas, ground nuts, carrots, onion, soy sauce--and it was just... okay)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____maybe a DVD movie...I don't know...haven't thought that far ahead to tonight, really...need to get this day done first and see what mood I am in later,
tomorrow my plans include _____probably a few hours at work
and Sunday, I want to _____take a hike(to Black Point?-in photo up top) with the dog and any family member who'll come with me!

October, my kind of month

Listen! the wind is rising,

and the air is wild with leaves,

We have had our summer

evenings,

now for October eves!

-- Humbert Wolfe

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Οκτώβριος

Octobre

Oktober

octubre

Outubro

I like the month of October. The smell of it. The brisk air,

soothing warm sunshine,

and energized feeling most days will leave you with.

The mellow richness of it.

Maybe with just a twinge of sadness in it. But I like melancholy.

The fact that I got married in this month.

The fact that I was born in this month(I love presents and...cake!).

Halloween to top it all off with a freaky, creepy candy-coated flourish.

This first day of October started out pretty nippy, as in "I think I actually should have worn a pair of gloves" nippy. That is what I was thinking as I walked my dog this morning. Totally perfect for the start of this month, I thought.

And when I finally got home this afternoon, I broke down and turned the heat on in the house. It was cold enough. At least I stayed within the "rules" of waiting until at least the first of October to do that(my other rule is no heat on in the house after May 1st).

I find I listen to more music in the months starting in October, when the house is closed in-closed up(windows, doors shut) and there is a whole 'nother environment indoors--a little cozy fortress.

Time to dig out some REM, Nick Drake, Van Morrison, Billie Holiday, and some Eva Cassidy, I think.....