see anything kinda weird...

.... my early November gladiola?? see the bright red-fall changed Japanese Maple in the background?

weird, huh!

El dia de los muertos en mi clase de espanol

... these are some of the decorations that are used in this holiday ... calaveras (skulls), calacas (skeletons), velas (candles), clay figures and flowers ... In Mexico, celebrations in honor of their dead take place over 2 days, on November 1 and 2 ... our class met on Monday, Nov 2nd and so we naturally had a party to learn more about the culture of Spanish-Catholic Mexico. The colorful lady (and gent) is a very famous lady in Mexico know for her lavish, colorful, expensive clothing and life-style in the middle of poverty ... it is a friendly mocking of her ... it is normal and acceptable in this culture and this celebration to do this ... skulls are completely sugar and frosting and edible, if you'd like =-)
This lady in the middle is my tables' skeleton offering to the party ... skeletons and skulls are created to honor -- and mock in a friendly way -- the natural el ciclo de la vida (cycle of life) that we all experience ...
... These skeletons and skulls can be of people who have died, but also of famous or well loved living people ... this is Michael Jackson ...
... this table was being silly and made Spiderman ...
...another silly pretend-person, Superman ... this is not a 'silly' or 'creepy, scary' time ... skulls and skeletons are not frightening things ... they are natural ...
... tombs and houses are decorated with papel picado (paper cut-outs), favorite foods (especially pan de muertos -- sweet bread), drinks, pictures of loved ones, flowers and other decorations to honor their dead ... it is a very special & serious time, but also a time of great joy & celebration ... and many keep a night-long vigil until dawn, when their departed's spirits go back to the spirit world, until next year ...
... my table's 'ode to Autumn'
... 5pm sunset this night ... pretty

Here's some updates...

Me and Evey Heilmann with kitties on Halloween night - they came to visit for a few minutes before they went to 'trunk or treat'
fall spider on my siding - on halloween
me in my "el dia de los muertos" jammies
dahlias from Lynnette
Mommy and Norah on Halloween
Daddy and Norah
Letter from Julian and Tristan in a homemade envelope - it is wonderful - I saved it!

"surprise" thank you

I forgot to say that I couldn't have gotten my garage cleaned out without Sarah's help!! We worked hard this summer at bringing stuff inside and putting it away, consolidating and exchanging duplicates of everything, and moving the emergency storage over to the side ... it was a lot of work ... We did it!!! I got my car in the garage =-) Sarah, Liv and Tim helped me get to that point, even if just in spirit =-) thanks, everyone!

The only things that the ARC didn't take were the dresser, that funny card thing, the rowing machine, the 'tubes' and the wire card spin rack ... i'm sure they'll be irritated at some of the junk, but honestly, there was a lot of really good stuff in there ... good towels, blankets, sheets, clothes, kitchen and dinner ware, sewing machines, and a whole lot of other very useful and 'in good repair' things.

I'm so excited =-p

Surprise!!

The ARC came today and took away all the junk in the garage ...
...so now I can park my car in it ... just in time for all the rainy weather =-) ahhh

Well, OK, not ALL the junk ... but plenty enough to give me room for my little car =-)