Blogapooloza - Halloween is Right Around the Corner

There are pumpkins in these photos - at least two of them. Vampire Mickey - is a pumpkin head, we decorated this guy for a pumpkin carving contest. He blends Disney and Horror in one pumpkin head.









It's been a long time since my kids went trick-or-treating. But here are a couple of my favorite photos from way back when. Jacob was only 3 and he wanted to be a mean dinosaur. When we told him he was soooo cute - that really made him mad. Luke has always loved Wolverine and Kara never wanted to be an angel.

Jacob always says if acting and/or art don't work out for him, he might go back to school and try medicine. A Mom can only hope. . .

I want to encourage all of you to do two things:
1. Visit lots of other blogs and make comments.
2. Enter the drawing on Angela Nickerson's blog for one of three fabulous goodie bags just click on the Blogapalooza below.

NOW ON TO MY BLOGAPALOOZA POST:

"You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twillight Zone!" Narrated by Rod Serling

Well, almost . . .

We were driving to Reno.

Imagine a station wagon filled with nine kids, heading off on a 13 hour drive – or an eternity of “Are we there – yet?”s.

Dad didn’t like to stop. Finally, when everyone’s bladder was about to burst, we pulled into a gas station to refuel and unload some human liquid. Mom and I rushed to the women’s door but just as we were about to go in, a little girl pushed her way ahead of us and ran in. We waited and waited . . . and waited some more. Finally, Mom started knocking on the door, saying, “Are you all right?”

I was the one who wasn’t all right, my bladder was literally about to explode. Finally, Mom tried the doorknob and the little girl was gone. She’d disappeared. We looked around and couldn’t find her anywhere. I still HAD to go. So Mom stood directly in front of me, watching me go, and even kept the door slightly open – just in case some alternate dimension opened up and tried to swallow me down into the toilet.

We never did find out what happened to that little girl. And Mom always said, “We’d entered the Twilight Zone.”

Senior Year Photo - OMG - Now that's Scary!!!

It's truth or dare, "blog dare".

Fellow bloggers are daring us cyber-buddies to bare it all - well in regards to the past and present and how we've aged over the years. I picked up this post-dare from Kelly Polark but she's much younger than me - obviously. So how scary is it when it's only been about 10 years since you graduated, or I'll even give you 20???

ANSWER: Not nearly as scary as 30!!!

It has been 30 years since I was in high school - almost. I graduated in the spring of 1979 - so maybe a couple months shy of 30. But the point is still the same - it's been a heck of a long time since feathered hair was in style. Just look how much the photo has faded - kind of like my hair ;-)

I went to UofO that fall. I was only 17. That's where I met my wonderful husband and we've been together ever since.

Now, the scary part - this is my Halloween link - like I said, it's been 30'ish years - so don't look too close:

Lines, touch-ups and I'm not going bare - oh my!!!

And wait, I must have forgotten how to play because I did the truth and the dare :(

Oh and I just popped over to Brenda's page and found her senior photo :) too. And Rena's. Bloggers are a bunch of good sports.

LAMENT by Maggie Stiefvater

LAMENT
By Maggie Stiefvater
Published by: Flux Books

Okay, to be honest, when I first read it was a story of homicidal faeries, I wondered . . . how scary can little leprechaun-like lads and lassies really be?

But don’t let my foolish folly ruin this story for you, because I was way off course. This isn’t your typical kid’s fairytale that takes you on a journey to another world. Lament takes place in our world with modern-day settings. And, this story is filled with romance, suspense, and mystery, with just a slight touch of magic. And, if that’s not enough reason to read Maggie Stiefvater’s debut novel, let me give you three more reasons:

1) She’s an amazing storyteller;
2) The book is full of music and mayhem; and best of all
3) Did I mention the romance???

I like stories that are dark and sinister but realistic too. It has to seem possible and believable no matter what the characters may be. I grew up reading Poe and King and, as far as I’m concerned, Maggie is following in these giant’s footsteps. She makes the impossible . . . possible and the Celtic folklore read like legacies more than legends.

I loved the Twilight series and Maggie has managed to commingle her story and love-triangle in much the same way as Stephanie Meyer wrote of Bella, Jacob and Edward.

Maggie has taken Deirdre, Luke and James and woven the same type of wicked web we readers are looking (and hoping) to get snared into.

And I hadn’t even thought about it until now but my sons are Jacob and Luke – but that is only a little bit of the reason I liked these two characters so much. In Twilight, Jacob was the good guy. In Lament, you’ll have to read the story to figure out whether Luke is the good guy or . . . not.

You will have to decide if you are Team Luke or Team James, this time. And, I can assure you, it won’t be any easier.

Deirdre starts the story with kategelophobia, yeah. . . you’ll have to look that one up . . . or read the story to figure it out. But in the end, . . . or wait you’re going to have to read the story. I don’t want to give any spoilers but let me tell you, if you’ve been watching True Blood on HBO, or recently finished the Twilight series, Lament should be the next thing on your list.

TWILIGHT the movie - new trailer - courtesy of Fandango

Check it out here. You have to listen to a short (10 second'ish) ad first - but it's worth the wait.

Okay, and now for the younger kids, here's another fun EZ Halloween project to do:

You will need:

1) Cheesecloth (found in paint sections of stores)
2) Liquid fabric stiffener (most fabric/craft stores)
3) Wiggly eyes (found in craft/fabric stores)
4) Elmer's glue or some tacky glue
5) A tennis ball container or spray paint can

Steps to make ghosts:

1) Dip the cheesecloth in the fabric stiffener
(put a cookie sheet or cutting board underneath the tennis ball container or spray paint can for EZ clean-up)
2) Drape wet cheesecloth over tennis ball container or spray paint can
3) Let dry
4) Glue on wiggly eyes and hang up around the house

Personality Test - Try It - You Might Like It

I took the Harry Potter Personality Test, which I found on Ello's site. I guess I'm a Dumbledore.



Harry Potter Personality Quiz If you want to take the test, click on the Albus Dumbledore square or the underlined words of Harry Potter Personality quiz.

My husband took the test and he came out a Molly:

EARTH FRIENDLY FRIDAY - and Answer to Thought for Thursday

ANSWER TO THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY: Daniel Boone, Paul Revere and Betsy Ross were issued in a Pez U.S. Bicentennial series. This was the only time Pez broke their rule against modeling their dispensers after real people . . . until June of 2007.

Then on June 25th, 2007 Pez released Elvis dispensers and not one but three styles have been made of the King. And then they made a 3-piece set out of the gang at Orange County Choppers. So Pez has not only issued dispensers modeled after three people, but 7, (with Elvis having three styles all to himself). So a total of 9 dispensers have been modeled after real people, as of today's date.

Sorry, my source was out of date - it was printed before 6/25/07. So, I learned something today too.

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Now for EARTH-FRIENDLY FRIDAY


I remember waiting to turn 15 to get my driver's permit and being soooo excited when my sweet sixteen came, 'cause I could get my driver's license and finally be free!!!

But, today, the coolest thing (and cheapest, with the price of gas what it is) is being the person with an undriver's license. Have you ever heard of undriving? This is one way to go totally green and unpollute.

Captain Planet used to say, "By YOUR powers combined, I am Captain Planet."

He'd encourage kids not to pollute but back then I don't think he'd coined the phrase , "unpollute". You've gotta love it and I say, "GO PLANET!"

If you're interested, read more about an undriver's license and undriving here.

THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY

It's almost Halloween, so I thought I'd stick with a candy theme:

QUESTION: Who were the only three real people (before June 2007 - sorry, source was out of date)to have their likenesses featured on Pez candy dispensers?

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My office likes to promote teamwork and fun. Here's one idea they use to spread some Halloween Cheer: Print out this text and use it to start a new tradition in your office:

YOU’VE BEEN GHOSTED

Who did it?. . .a friend. . .a goblin. . .a neighbor?

Here is a small way to spread some Halloween fun throughout the office. The goal is to Ghost as many people as possible before Halloween!

Please Ghost two friends or neighbors. Keep the ghost on your name plate so that everyone knows who’s been Ghosted – be a sport – let’s Ghost everyone!

1) Keep this treat and enjoy;

2) Make 2 copies of this letter and 2 copies of the ghost squares;

3) Leave a new special treat with a copy of this letter and a copy of the ghost squares on two people’s desks or chairs;

4) Tape a ghost square on the name plate of each person you are Ghosting so everyone knows who’s been Ghosted!

5) Shhh. . . it’s a secret!


If you don’t want to participate, pass the treat, letter and ghosts to someone else.








Cut and tape one ghost on the name plate of each person you Ghost.