Hint taken

Yesterday I got a not-so-subtle message from the Neighborhood Home Owners Association
(in the form of an urban raccoon)
that it was time to take the pumpkins off the porch.

May your days be merry and bright

A few weeks ago we made our annual trek here:

With our friends Rod and Anna to ride the festive bus driven by cheerful Official Santa's Helper Ernie:

Out into the field to find the perfect tree:

Which we cut down, dragged back to the lodge and loaded into that machine that shakes all the loose needles off and wraps it up in twine:

(Oh, and we also saw Santa) The trees were loaded onto the cars and we pulled out of the parking lot just as it started sleeting.
This time of year it's easy to believe that that may have possibly been a tiny Christmas Miracle.

Elf-ish

My friend Denise has a darling daughter, Riley. Yesterday, they had the funniest conversation in the car:

Elvis singing on the radio: "Here comes Santa Claus
Here comes Santa Claus
Right down Santa Claus way."
Radio Announcer: "That was Elvis singing 'Here Comes Santa Claus'"
Riley: "What kind of elf is he? He has an awfully deep voice."

Right about then, Denise laughed coffee through her nose.

Just couldn't resist

Thanks for the idea, Mary!

The world would be a better place...

...if everyone had their own Turkey Leg Crown to wear on Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone had a cozy and warm, bountiful and blessed, loving and wonderful Thanksgiving.

(cue the Christmas music)

Thanksgiving Garland

Though this craft does not involve a sweet treat, I love it! What a great twist on the Christmas paper chain. I only wish I had seen it earlier, it would have been a nice activity for the month of November- next year for sure! Click here for the super simple tutorial on Tangled and True.

The Glee is back in my life

Something unexpected that happened while I was on maternity leave was that I watched a lot more TV than usual. It seemed ultimately indulgent to curl up in a comfy chair and nurse and cuddle and nap with Soren and watch Judge Judy or whatever was on the History Channel or maybe a Made-For-TV Movie on the Lifetime Network. Delicious.
I happened to catch the season premier of 'gLee' and I was hooked. The Glee was missing from my life for several weeks while baseball was on, but last night 'gLee' was back.

Top 7 Favorite Things I Like About This Show:

1- It is set in Ohio. Lima, Ohio to be exact. I'm not sure where that is, but every time they mention that they are in Ohio, it feels like when you're at the concert of a really cool band and the lead singer announces how great it is to be in (insert the name of your town) and the whole crowd screams "Woohoooo".

2- The characters attend William McKinley High School. William McKinley was my grandmother's cousin. Another "WooHoooo" moment.

3- My favorite character is Sue Sylvester the cheerleading coach. She's wicked crazy.

4- My second favorite character is Emma Pillsbury, the obsessive/compulsive, germ-phobic guidance counselor.

5- My third favorite character is Principal Figgins. Hysterical Pakistani guy.

6- The "cool" couple is Quinn Fabray and Finn Hudson. Quinn and Finn. Hee hee.

7- Though I am typically not a fan of musicals ('The Wizard of Oz' and 'The Sound of Music' being notable exceptions) the singing fits naturally into the story line because... well, it's about a Glee Club.

*Disclaimer: There are some dubious moral messages in the show. For instance, in this week's episode they are having a bake sale to raise money to charter a 'handicapable' bus so the whole club can ride to a competition together, including Artie who is in a wheelchair. The bake sale is a flop until they make cupcakes laced with marijuana and that seems to be passed off as okay. Maybe that's why it comes on late at night... Whew- these days 9 o'clock is past my bedtime.