Halloween scares me

Halloween scares me.

I guess that's what it's supposed to do. I know many people who consider halloween their most favorite holiday.

But call me silly. I just have a huge problem with being in a large group of people all wearing masks and are unidentifiable. Watching a bloodied masked person carrying a gun or a machete around isn't my idea of fun or of feeling safe.

Even still, I wouldn't miss going over to my brother's house tonight for anything. It makes for such a fun holiday for even squeamish people like me! He lives in a historical neighborhood of stately homes. Thousands of people show up on that street every Halloween. Busses load up trick-or-treaters from out of town and take them to this street. Long lines form around the block waiting for a mini candy bar and sour tarts and tootsie rolls to fill their bags. The entire neighborhood seems to participate. Froom putting on horror theater shows in front lawns to transforming their homes into haunted house tours, it becomes a spectacular amusement park of sorts.

This is the same neighborhood I lived in as a child walking up and down the same steps of each porch with my brown paper bag every Halloween night. The large tree root still puckers up the sidewalk in front of the McDonald Mansion where I once tripped and fell; my bag of candy scattering in every direction into the dark. Now it is my friend's and brother's children that are walking up and down those same tree-lined streets.

I am wishing everyone a fun and safe Halloween. Drive carefully.

Picture of me and my best friend Terry at our home on Spring Street.

A Raincoat For a Rainy Day

It was just a year and a half ago when I quietly made a wish to design fabric. And as the story goes . . . just two days later . . . I received that magical call from a fabric company asking me to design the line of Dick and Jane fabric.

From time to time I get to see fun pieces made with the fabric. This raincoat was made by Susan up in the Northwest.

Sure Fire Perfect 5-Minute Egg

So Claudia sent me her recipe for the perfect 5-minute egg and I couldn't wait to try it out. Here they are sitting in a cool bowl of water before I ate them for breakfast.

Isn't it lovely?


Sure-Fire Perfect 5 Minute Egg

1) Take the egg out the refrigerator.

2) Put the egg under warm water so the egg is not so cold.

3) Start water to boil in pan

4) After water boils place the egg into the boiling water, gently.

5) Set timer for 5 minutes.

6) After 5 minutes remove the egg from the boiling water.

7) Run cold water over the egg for at least a minute.

8) Peel your perfect egg

The season of change

Last April, I planted a few trees in my yard.

They are looking so beautiful this time of year. I am a proud mama. They were just little kid trees when I planted them. And now look at them! Looking so dapper and mature in their brand new colors.

Fall is a season of change. So it isn't surprising that I am feeling the longing for change, too.

I want to live clutter-free.

I have this huge need to clean and purge out all those things I don't need or use or even want anymore. I want to be more of a minimalist. I want to walk into my home and feel as though I've walked into a vacation home. Free of distractions.

So tomorrow, while my car is off at the dealership getting spiffed up for it's 80,000 mile tune-up, I hope to tackle my garage. Perhaps I can hammer up shelves to place belongings up and off the cement floor. I want to assign a specific spot for the garden supplies and for tools and firewood and boxes filled with the things I'm not quite able to let go of. And who knows. Maybe this weekend, I can learn to let go of those things, too.

After all, the weather is changing. And I want that, too.

Sunday: that's my fun day

Isn't this a pretty place?

I'm beginning to feel the weather change here in the Sonoma Valley so I wanted to get out and spend it outside with friends.

And I did. We spent the day yesterday at Cornerstone. It's in a park setting with quite a few unique garden displays. From outdoor dressing rooms to a peewee golf course to a tomato garden to a maze of sticks... these gardens were designed to make one feel connected to earth and draw each person inward toward peace and tranquility.

I couldn't help but notice the gardens had been neglected for some time. They looked considerably different than the photos shown on their website. And no matter how hard I tried, I didn't feel they were lulling me into peace and tranquility.

And, infact, instead caused me to focus on the wear and tear and the neglect.

But! It was still fun. And it still brought a laugh or two (or a dozen) along the journey.

I am so enjoying my weekends spent with friends.