Happy Halloween!!!

a beautiful end to a beautiful day! it's after dark now and still in the 60's with a balmy breeze! about 26 trick-or-treaters thus far!

not much else doing today! did 6 loads of laundry and watched the halloween movies all day on amc, my mom came over for a while... got my mom watching halloween 1 and 2!!!


gorgeous sunset tonight!


this is out of order, but, here's my booper again w/her witch hat on!





i started to get a bit upset when all the little girl trick-or-treaters started coming to the door in their adorable costumes ~ wondering what my daughter would've been dressed as this year ~ but, it was a brief moment of wistfullness & i've been ok since. (though my husband's a bit of halloween grinch & i'm trying not to let it ruin my spirit!)

Mischief Night!

today's the 6 year anniversary of our cat, mr., (mr. man to be exact!) finding me! yes, he was a stray and he definately found me!!! ya know how ya call to a "stray" and they run in the opposite direction from you?! not this guy!!! he made a bee line right to me!


here's mr looking his usual adorable self! from 09/06


and this is from earlier this evening ~ guess he'd had enough celebrating 'til next year!

well, i've lined our "property" (our part of the complex) with salt ~ old wives' tale way of protecting everything inside the outline (your property & selves) from mischief, both from human and other-worldly nuisances. a good thing for a night like tonight!!!

and i've set out 4 mugs on the table - 1 w/coffee for my nana, 2 w/hot cocoa - 1 for my grandma and 1 for my daughter - and 1 w/tea for my husband's mother ~ all of whom have passed on. i've also set out a treat bag and a mini halloween beanie baby for my daughter next to her mug, along with mini juice boxes. around 11:30p, i'll boil the water and pour it into all the mugs.

i've been doing this a number of years now, but i usually only do this halloween night ~ tonight i decided to do both nights. before i knew my husband, i included my ex(boyfriend)'s mother and for some reason i've only recently included my daughter - i never thought to before, at least i don't remember doing so.

i read about doing it in a book about halloween around 2001. it's never appeared that any of the mugs were sipped from, but, who knows what the future holds?! my irish ancestors have done this for centuries - either leaving an extra meal setting at the table during the harvest dinner or leaving something out that the deceased enjoyed, either way, for them to have on their way back to the spirit world from ours. i rather liked the idea after reading it.

(in case you haven't noticed be reading through previous posts since august, halloween's my favorite!!!)

isn't she sweet?!

this is one of our 2 grand neices born since this august! today was 'one month' picture day!!!

been fiddling with our new camera (as you can see!), changed the background on this here blog (which you can also see!) and baked my very first ever home made pumpkin pie (this afternoon!)!!! (hey, it's the small things in life, right?!) and now i'm baking a chicken for dinner ~ the house smells delicious!!!

i've also been working on a story idea that seems promising!!!

and this thursday afternoon, we leave for millsboro deleware for the annual punkin' chunkin' contest this coming weekend!!! i can't wait ~ not just because we've never been, but because we haven't been away from the complex since march and it's a cheap weekend! it should be a blast!


fall leaves, on the corner of the property, wk of 10/25.


that's my booper! itsn't she the cutest thing?! wk of 10/25.


fall sky, view from front porch, wk of 10/25.
(this camera takes some gorgeous pics!!!)

ain't done squat today!

that's not entirely true ~ i did spend more than a few hours trying to figure out what the BLEEP is wrong with the cd-rw rom drive - it's toast and it'll cost at least $89 to replace (probably more) and we just don't have any extra $ at the moment (heck - at any moment) and it's my freakin' fault for leaving the software disc for our new digital camera (that my mother bought for us) in the damn drive for a few hours because my husband called & told me to get ready to go for drinks at the american legion & he was only 5 minutes from home so i rushed to get ready & thought it'd be ok to leave it in there.

i should've done laundry - i should've taken a shower - i should've finished cleaning the kitchen and the bathroom - i shouldn've scooped out the litter boxes - i should've taken a walk...

i'm in a total "F it" mood!

Reminder: October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month

please see my previous posts on this topic, October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month Parts 1, 2 & 3.

i've been contacted by a local internet newspaper to become a volunteer reporter/writer for them. i've rec'd answers via email with respect to all my questions except 1: will they run a piece on october also being domestic violence awareness month & not stick it in the opinions or letters section where people may not think to look to see what's there?

i've told them until they answer me on this, one way or another, i will not accept or reject their offer.

that was early last week. there's only 2 full weeks left in the month. if i do not get an rsvp about this & i will gladly update this post with the paper's name.

the original halloween back in theatres?!?!

go to www.halloweenmovies.com and click on get tickets, then look to the left side of the page that brings you to and click on theatre locations to check for one near you! (10/30 & 10/31)

i'm not digging the 2 towns the theatres are in here in nj, but, if tickets are available & my husband or a friend will go with me, i'm there!

i've always wanted to see this movie in the theatre & it was only re-released in ca for the 25th anniversary & i was so disappointed!

links!

very noteworthy blogs! (hope i copied these down correctly!)

http://ofcheeriosandqueens.blogspot.com
www.seeking-serenity.blogspot.com

pics

monarch butterfly, 10/12/06


monarch butterfly, 10/12/06


mr. buff 2006! (he's been working out since last halloween!!!)


this little hosta didn't bloom in spring or summer! but, this past sunday, it began to open it's flowers, pretty much a new one every day this week so far!

just in time for the cold! buffalo ny got 2 feet of snow last night! we've got the frost warnings all over the tv now ~ here comes the cold! i tucked the perrenials in this morning underneath blankets of dried leaves & said 'see ya next year!'

just because i say you don't understand does not mean i'm playing victim or making excuses!

i can't seem to get my husband or my shrink to understand that!

maybe, just maybe you can sympathize, but, i doubt you can empathize much less understand any of the following unless you've been there yourself:

the utter inability to get out of bed or off the couch ~ having the living shit beatin' out of you physically & emotionally for years by more than 1 person ~ the untimely passing of your baby ~ the daily struggle to not lose control and maintain what's left of your sanity ~ total lack of motivation or desire to do anything with your life because that daily struggle saps every ounce of your energy ~ or how being sick day in & day out w/colds, tonsilitis, bronchitis, etc. week after week, year after year also saps every ounce of energy out of you physically & emotionally to the point you can't think strait...

again, maybe, just maybe you can sympathize, but you sure as hell can't empathize or begin to understand unless you've felt it all too. (sorry, i just don't see how you can).

(frustrated w/my therapy session w/my husband tonight)

and when i point out to my husband that some things are different for him becuase he's a 6'3", 230 pound former marine, i mean that most people aren't going to intimidate him, abuse him, use him or take advantage of him the way i have been ~ not that everything in general is easier for him than me just because he's a 6'3" 230 pound former marine! (freakin' duh! but that's how he put it to the shrink - since we were @ the end of the session, i couldn't correct this).

Oct is also Domestic Violence Awareness month ~ Part 3

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, call for immediate assistance, toll free 24-hour hotlines for domestic violence at 1-888-843-9262 or 732-264-4111 and for sexual assault 1-888-264-RAPE or 732-264-RAPE. Youth can reach out to 180nj . org's confidential resource, the 2ND FLOOR youth helpline, at 888-222-2228. You can also go to www.180nj.org or www.2ndfloor.org for more information.

(NOTE: when i tried to access www.180nj.org online, numerous times, it said the website could not be found, so try the 800 # instead!)

overflowing produce!

if you still have an abundance of fresh produce left over, even after making all sorts of delicious things, consider donating your fresh produce left overs to a local soup kitchen and/or foodbank!

this is in keeping with the "plant a row for the hungry" campaign which encourages gardeners to plant an extra row of veggies in their gardens and donate the harvest from that row, as well as any of their own extra harvest, to local soup kitchens and foodbanks.

most of us grow & harvest more than we can eat each season, so why not pass along some of our fortunes to others who are less fortunate?! imagine what a difference can be made if every gardener in the country did this each season!

(i've heard, though i haven't confirmed, that this was started about 11 years ago by a garden columnist in alaska).

unfortunately, i did not grow any produce this year, but, i did last year and unknowingly participated in the above! (i only found out about this program in february and last year i gave away all my extra tomato's!)

October is also Domestic Violence Awareness month ~ Part 2

For assistance, call:

911 OR the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (or #HOPE on Verizon wireless phones (toll and airtime free), TTY: 1-800-787-3224)

Or go online to:

http://www.njsbf.com/njsbf/publications/domviolence.cfm OR http://www.aardvarc.org/dv/states/njdv.shtml

garden pics! part 2

not sure what happened here ~ blogger's acting up again i guess!


front garden


view of front garden from behind


view of front garden from behind


view of front from side of porch

front garden


front garden ~ closeup


front garden ~ closeup



front garden

garden pics!

it's a rare one today! our second day of at or above 80 degrees! so, i decided to take some pics because it was beautiful outside this morning & wanted to be out in the garden!


corner of front side garden


"looking towards"/looking down on front gardens from porch ~ containers on porch ~ lemon balm & dinathus making a come back!


"looking towards"/looking down on front side garden from porch


resident preying mantis as of 10/1/06. she's spent most of the weekend on this screen in various places & positions ~ i haven't seen her yet today


front side garden

i love my zinnia's! they're still going strong! i'm not sure why they all turned out pink though! i planted a combo of the pink and pale purple zinnia's and so far, only pink have bloomed! no purples!

zinnia


zinnia


zinnia


zinnia


zinnia

Oct is also Domestic Violence Awareness month

it happens every minute of every day to men, children and women, just like you and i. it happened to me. my point in this? be aware. don't let it happen to someone you love. don't stop trying until you've tried everything you can think of and then some! it may be a thankless job, but the rewards are priceless!

this gets pushed aside because october is breast cancer awareness month. i'm not saying there's too much focus on that - i'm saying there should be equal focus on both throughout this month. both can save lives.

i've emailed every person i know with the above today, as well as posting it on my other blogs and emailing the few shows i watch. and i'll continue to do so throughout the month. sometimes people are too afraid to help themselves or don't know how.

i want as many people as possible to see this - maybe others will pass this along as well - maybe it will help someone along the way.

more movies for the season!

i've done some digging and came up with the following:

~abc network: check your listings for "the great pumpkin!" it usually airs the week before and week of halloween!

~scifi network: check your listings for ghost hunters - their new season begins this month and they're live on halloween night.

~e! network: check your listings for their "true hollywood story" series. i just watched their inside the texas chainsaw massacre movies episode last night & last year they ran the exorcist episode. (3 things that always creep me out: leatherface, jason & the original amityville horror movie!)

~nick at night on nickelodeon: check your listings for their roseanne marathons for each holiday. (they've run all the halloween's one night around halloween, all the thanksgivings arouns turkey day - you get the idea!)

~oxygen network: check your listings for their roseanne marathons as well - their's are usually on a saturday.

~tnt network: what lies beneath, 10/21 @ 12:30pm.

~usa network: carrie 1976, 10/31 @ 12pm.

~starz network: going to pieces, the rise & fall of the slasher film, fri 10/13 @ 9pm. (features interviews w/wes craven, rob zombie, etc..) also, the exorcism of emily rose, 10/31 @ 9pm. (i was way disappointed with this movie - didn't realize it was more of a court room drama than anything else, but it wasn't too bad once i adjusted my expectations!)

~encore network: the omen 10/28 @ 8pm and the omen 2 at 10pm. they repeat on 10/31 at 4:14pm and 6:05pm.

~bravo network: friday the 13th pt 1, 10/13 @ 8pm and again on 10/20 @ ... (forgot to write down the time! oops!). also on 10/20 @ 9pm: even scarier movie moments part 1 followed by part 2 @ 10pm. on 10/26, beginning @ 9pm: 100 scariest movie moments followed hourly with each continuation at 10p, 11p, 12a and 1am. finally on 10/27 @ 9pm: texas chainsaw massacre 2.

i think i've covered everything as best as i can! feel free to let me know if i've missed anything good!

funny - no matter the holiday, it's always better watching it on tv than from a tape or dvd!

PS! if you think leather face and michael later spawned jason, check out the movie titled "the town that dreaded sun down" 1977. a low budget gem. supposedly this actually happened: it's about a man who killed young people in a texas town in the late 40's/early 50's who was never caught. when you see what this man looked like according to the movie, you'll think you're watching friday the 13th & jason before the hockey mask! seriously!

Oct is also Domestic Violence Awareness month

it happens every minute of every day to men, children and women, just like you and i. it happened to me. my point in this? be aware. don't let it happen to someone you love. don't stop trying until you've tried everything you can think of and then some! it may be a thankless job, but the rewards are priceless!

this gets pushed aside because october is breast cancer awareness month. i'm not saying there's too much focus on that - i'm saying there should be equal focus on both throughout this month. both can save lives.

i've emailed every person i know with the above today, as well as posting it on my other blogs and emailing the few shows i watch. and i'll continue to do so throughout the month. sometimes people are too afraid to help themselves or don't know how.

i want as many people as possible to see this - maybe others will pass this along as well - maybe it will help someone along the way.

movies for the season! amc monsterfest 2006!

i've heard rumblings about this year's monsterfest on amc (american movies classics channel), so i decided to take a look see at the actual schedule on www.amctv.com and i'm iffy with their selections this year! (disappointed there's no friday the 13th part 1!)

the horror fun begins on sunday, october 22nd @ 11:30am (with the fly 1986 ~ sorry, not one of my fav's!) followed by:

1:30 PM/poltergeist 3, 3:30pm/children of the corn, 5:30pm/wolfen, 8pm/halloween, 9:45pm/halloween & 11:45pm/nightmare on elm street.

the following are just my select fav's from their schedule, so check out their site for the complete daily listing!

mon, oct 23rd ~ 6:15am/the invisible man 1933, 8pm/halloween 2, 10pm/halloween3.

tues, oct 24th ~ 2am/the devil's rain (just for shits & giggles!), 3:45am/the house that dripped blood 1970, 8pm/halloween 4, 9:45pm/halloween 5.

wed., oct 25th ~ 6:45am/ghost story 1981, 8pm/halloween 8.

sat, oct 28th ~ 8pm/the exorcist

sun, oct 29th ~ 1am/the exorcist 3, 2:15am/movies that shook the world: the exorcist.

tues, oct 31st ~ 5:45am/backstory: halloween, 6:45am/halloween 2, 8:45am/halloween 3, 10:45am/halloween 4, 12:30pm/halloween, 2:15pm/halloween 2, 4:15pm/halloween 3, 6:15pm/halloween 4, 8pm/halloween 5, 10pm/halloween 8, 11:45pm/halloween.

now, some of this i may tape though i think i have most of what i've listed above already, at least on vhs if not dvd. i've got to check out the other channels to see what they're doing as well!

HAPPY OCTOBER!!! and that pesky pic from yesterday!

this pic goes along w/yesterday's pics and it should be #4. that's the wolf man all the way over to the left. starting with this pic and going from left to right, all the bushes you can see in this pic and the gardens on either side are all lit up with orange lights at night.

this is the pic that wouldn't upload yesterday ~ no matter how many times i tried! is blogger being a real pain to anyone else lately, or is it just me?!