Happy Halloween!

Have a spooky, scary day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nI2bVtQ6Kk

The Needle and the Good Done

I love my sewing machine! My parents gave it to me several years ago (the old one stillworks, but not as well). I wish I had an odometer on it. I have been using it quite a lot lately. I sewed the sail that is covering our house for Halloween. The machine is a great one, 'cause that was a heck of a lot of sewing!

I've also made my daughter's Halloween costume, and a pair of black slacks for orchestra. It's also gotten used for the dance costume I'm making. It's coming along, and most of the rest that's left to do is hand sewing, but there is still some work left for it to do. Then it's on to the red skirt that will hopefully work both for dance and Christmas. We shall see if I get it done in time. A tiered skirt will be quite a lot of sewing.

Sewing machines hold the world together. I often go into a material shop, and there are not many ladies in there, and some material shops have closed. But then I go on a Saturday, and the lines are long, and that's a good thing, because that means it's not a dead art. It's sad to think how few still sew or cross stitch or knit. I've tried to learn to knit, and I'm lousy at it. My grandmother knew how to tat. My sister tried to learn from her, but never quite picked it up. I've heard it's reallllly hard. My little sewing machines have made clothes for the kids, clothes for me, dance costumes years ago, and several veils recently. It sews and binds and connects mere pieces of cloth into memories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvb65dCMjZI

Skating Away

Well, busy, busy, busy! We have been busy decorating for Halloween. My daughter's costume is done - Yeah! We still need to do more painting on the props, and the wind blew down a few things, but the gargoyles are up, and after a lightbulb change, look really great!

My little sewing machine has been busy, too. In addition to costumes, I've also been working on a dance costume. I got some of the material today at 60% off - Yeah again! I'm normally not a red person, but this material called to me. I turned away on three different trips to the fabric store, but I couldn't turn it down at such a bargain! I can also use it for Christmas and other fancy occasions.

We keep seeing the yellow parakeet, so it's good to know it's still hangin' in there. The weather has been nippy yesterday, so I hope it continues to do well.

I voted Tuesday. I'm glad I did it, but I'm so tired of the whole thing. I'm ready for it to be over. Almost two years of campaigning, and this is the best we can do?!?!?!

Happy candy corn to all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDosgkws0-c

Nairobi Trio

It's been a busy week. We had lovely rain, which didn't cancel our neighborhood watch picnic. It was nice and cool, better than our usual summer get-together. It was nice not to worry about what to make for dinner. I brought dessert, lemon bars. I like to make desserts, but cooking dinner ain't my cup of tea.

We have more Halloween decorations up. My brother-in-law made an awsome ship for our dead pirates theme. We met some new neighbors down the street while we were at the picnic. We pointed out our house, and they know us now. Still haven't really met our new neighbors. We shall see how long they stay.

I had fun at dance class yesterday. I was able to demonstrate some of the moves with my skirts, which was fun. I had been bringing my zills (finger cymbols) to class ever since I began, but had not had a chance to use them. I was seriously thinking of not bringing them to class, but fortunately I did, and we actually started using them. Yeah for me!

My daughter's pirate costume is almost done. I have to sew the blouse, and it will be done. Yeah for me again! :)

Edie Adams passed away. I don't know why, but this skit of her hubby makes me smile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uw03hS_EMY

Between the Bridge and the River

Yesterday I finished reading Craig Ferguson's book Between the Bridge and the River. First of all, Craig is a crazy Scotsman, and his book reflects that. There are a lot of cuss words, but I think he put so many in because of his frustration with the network censors. I'm still mulling over what I think about it. I thought I had fully appreciated it as I read it, but then at the end he asks several questions for discussion, and I realized I had missed a lot of points he was trying to make. Hmmmm...

We had a great time at Six Flags yesterday. I rode the Tony Hawk roller coaster, which spins as it speeds along the track. My son and daughter said that it spun more than the previous times they had ridden it. Great. I enjoyed it (I think) but I was very dizzy afterwards. I'm not a big fan of roller coasters, but it was nice to say I had survived it.

We also went on the virtual roller coaster, Superstition, which is hosted by Elvira. I enjoyed it, with nice graphics. It's so funny - I closed my eyes on Tony Hawk, while my daughter loved it. She closed her eyes on the virtual roller coaster, because she was afraid of the scary graphics, which weren't that scary. We are often so opposite in our approach to life.

We went through the Skullduggery haunted house, which is pirate themed. We are doing dead pirates in our yard for Halloween this year. We got a few decorating tips, but it wasn't that scary to us, because we pretty much expected what they did. The people in front of us apparently were scared often, because we could hear their screams.

We tried to see the first show in the Southern Palace, but the sound system had a meltdown in the middle of the performance. We were able to catch a later show, and enjoyed it a lot. The Final Freakout was well done, also.

I went to the doctor for a checkup yesterday, and the computer to the X-ray machine crashed. So what else is new? I can crash a computer just by walking past it. I wish I could turn that "talent" into a way to earn a living, because I am so good at it. Several years ago, I was in a store, waiting to check out. The man in front of us had no problem, but when it was our turn, the computer crashed, and they had to go into the back room and reboot the computer. It has happened several times since, not as catastrophically, but often enough to make me wonder...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ_Nf7yGxbc

Melange

Our new neighbors will be in for quite a surprise come Halloween. We have already started decorating, and I wonder how they feel about the lengths we go to. My daughter met the little girl next door. We have several lizards around our house. We love them because they are cute and eat a lot of bugs. The new neighbor girl saw one, and thought it was creepy. Wait until we get the gargoyles mounted on the roof!

We did most of our indoor decorating last night. So happy to have the laughing bat back out. Hee, hee, hee! I have my little graveyard Studio 56 set up on the buffet. I have to get batteries for my musical rodents, and install batteries in the spinning bat. He sings this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMwdAc1Dzfg&feature=related

Had my dance class today. It's always so nice to get out and stretch. I need to practice more at home, but the day zips by. Today was especially busy - dance class, went downtown to pick up a job, home for lunch, then off to pick up my daughter from school, and on to harp lessons. Whew!

Pushing Daisies is on tonight - Yipeeee! It's so quirky. Love it. Uh-huh.

Good Time

It's been a pretty good week. It's been a year since my hip replacement. My dance teacher was surprised to learn that I'd had it replaced. I listed it on the form when I first signed up, but she probably doesn't read them herself.

The weather has been a little cooler, and we are starting to put out a few Halloween decorations. I love Halloween!

The yellow budgie is still on the lam. If he is not caught before winter, it may be hard for him to survive. He is such a pretty, bright, sunny yellow. I hope he makes it.

I got a free bookcase today. I'm not sure where I'll put it, but I'll figure it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs5f8CYyLBo&feature=user

The Ghost and the Revolving Door

Well, the revolving door keeps on a'spinnin'. When we moved into our house, 22 years ago, Nana was our next-door neighbor. Her husband was the one who developed this neighborhood. She was a great neighbor, and everyone called her Nana, even those not related to her.

A few years ago, she was getting old and frail, and had to move to a home. Since then, there seems to be a revolving door to her house. For the first few neighbors, I would make them a cherry cheese cake and welcome them to our block. Now I don't even bother. Today as I pulled into our driveway, I saw the moving van again. I wish I could buy the house myself. We shall see who moves in next, and how long they will last. We think Nana's ghost may be haunting the house, and it will take a special family to move in and make her happy. At least her rose bush is still growing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NxtFHNqq1Y