December Daily 2010 - Day 23

Journaling:
A tradition every time I visit Vegas is a visit to the Bellagio botanical gardens to marvel at the seasonal creations. Loved this winter/holiday theme - a gigantic tree, reindeer flying into the air, huge rocking horses, toy soldiers, lots of penguins and polar bears frolicking. There is almost too much to take in all at once. I find myself in awe of the creative talent on display.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 22

Journaling:
Waiting for Santa ... I love how kids really believe in the magic of Santa. I mean really believe, deep down in their very bones. These are precious magical years. When anything is possible if you only believe - and are nice. I am lucky to be able to share this time with my nieces. I hope you can keep the magic alive as you grow up little ones.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 21

Journaling:
Rainy Days ... Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. Good thing that we have so many games we can play indoors - including Scrabble, Monopoly and Chess. Waiting for the sun.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 20

Journaling:
It was an auspicious day. A total lunar eclipse on the winter solstice - the first time in four centuries. I got the girls all spun up about it, and we spent the day keeping our fingers crossed that the rain would stop - we are in a desert after all. We stayed up past bedtime, but though the rain had stopped, the heavy cloud cover prevented us from being able to see the magical event in the sky. Such a bummer. We went online the next morning to see what we missed. It sure was a good show.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 19

Journaling:
The girls loved their journals and did not swap them - so I picked right. We spent several hours making our mark in the journals using paints,pens and markers. Love how they looked at my travel journal and decided that they wanted to create painted pages to write on too. We read the prompts aloud and answered some of them together. Interesting what you learn when you create a space where kids can be messy and have fun.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 18

Journaling:
Flying ... Even though I understand the physics of it all, to me flying feels like a magic trick. I love that instant when the engines rev, the plane rushes forward, and I get thrust back into my seat. There is this moment of doubt that this behemoth can actually fly, then the sheer incredulity of lift off. Love it every time. Travel time to visit my nieces in Las Vegas is sure faster by plane than by wagon, yet I always seem to pack enough snacks for the latter!­
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 17

Journaling:
New Worlds ... I cannot remember an age when I did not love books. Everything about them - the texture of the paper, the smell of ink, the font styles, the heft of the book, the cover art, and the worlds they have opened up for me. This year I made the leap to e-readers with my nook. Such a different reading experience, and I love it too.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 16

Journaling:
I love that our tree ornaments are connected to memories. One of our travel traditions is to find an ornament to add to our collection. On this page, the center one belonged to Susan’s mom. The one of Henry VIII on the top right is from one of our London trips, and the one on the bottom right is from New Orleans. I love that every time we trim the tree it is a fun trip down memory lane.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 15

Journaling:
My nephew Jonah turns six next week, and since I’m going to be out of town, we decided to celebrate today. He was absolutely delighted with his present from the treasure box - Scaredy Squirrel - a story that both boys have loved. Luke immediately grabbed it and starting reading it to him. Love that. After we got homework out of the way, it was time for an impromptu game of charades. Dinner by request of the birthday boy was cheese pizza and an apple berry pie. So love the funny, smart boy he is growing up to be. I hope you never cease to ask questions and wonder at the marvels around you little one.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 14

Journaling:
I Remember ... When I was a kid in Mombasa, our family Christmas celebrations revolved around faith, family and food. We read Bible passages about the birth of Jesus. We attended midnight mass. We put up a tree and had friends or family around for tasty food that Mom prepared. There was no shopping frenzy. It was not about stuff. I remember the simple pleasure of a new dress each year. Lovely.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 13

Journaling:
@ Home...I love how the house transforms over the holidays - there are things that only come out this time of year. These are some of the items on the mantel. The brass reindeer and tree are stocking hangers - so fun.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 12

Journaling:
I’ve been emeshed in the Alcott world ever since my visit to Fruitlands last month. I had no idea that Fruitlands had an Alcott connection, and was delighted to learn more about the family. The docent recommended the book Eden’s Outcasts, a book I have loved reading these past several weeks. Louisa May Alcott’s book Little Women is one that so influenced me as a kid. Jo March was my role model - a girl who ignored social norms and went her own way. So loved that. Feel so indebted to the author, and was delighted to visit her home in Concord many years ago. And here I was at the doorstep of another chapter of her life. Have so loved this foray into her world.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

Recent Reads

1. Zeitoun
My book club selection for the month is one I did not enjoy at all. As a matter of fact the only reason I finished it was for the book club. It is so poorly written. How the heck does one take a story like this and make it boring? And boring it was. Almost seemed like it was a direct transcription of a conversation - no color, no prose, no nothing. And again, one of my pet peeves, this bestseller is not written for an adult audience in my opinion. Why all the stars in reviews? I don't get it.

2. Eden's Outcasts
In contrast to the book above, this was a fantastic read. Talk about serendipity - was at my first ever visit to Fruitlands last month and the docent recommended this book, and I have been having such a wonderful time immersing myself into the lives of Bronson and Louisa May Alcott. A sublime read.

3. Print and Stamp Lab
A good basic introduction to stamping.

4. Travel Writing
A well written book for people who like to travel and write about their experiences. While geared for people who want to get their work published, this is also a great book to stimulate thought about what you see and experience and ways to best capture mood.

December Daily 2010 - Day 11

Journaling:
I remember the excitement of my very first diary with a lock and key. Such a thrill. This year decided that my nieces, Bella (8), Sophia (7) and Maya (7), are all old enough for their first diary with a lock and key. Just like I did with the one I gave Luke, these have prompts pasted inside to serve to jump start their journaling. Who gets what? The fairy one is for Bella, the pink butterfly one is for Sophia and the pirate one is for Maya. I picked them based on their personalities. Of course, they might always swap them. Will see if I picked right.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 10

The concert did not allow camera use, so got a couple of photos from the web to use on my page.

Journaling:

Vienna Boys Choir… I could not believe that the Vienna Boys Choir was to perform at the Lowell Auditorium, so of course we got tickets. I did not realize that the hundred boy choir is split into five traveling groups, so while it was lovely, there was much lost in not having the magnitude of voices. Loved the clear bell-like quality of their voices - not an alto among them. Beautiful.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 9

Journaling:

Birds do it. Wildebeest do it. And at our house dishes do it. Migrate that is. This tradition goes back at least three generations in Susan’s family and is also a tradition at our house. It’s like we have new dishes each season. Love that. The holiday dish migration is complete. Mostly Spode, but also some fun things picked up over the years.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 8

Journaling:

My nephew Luke turned eight this past weekend. Eight! Where did the years go? I still remember seeing him right after he was born. That impossibly tiny baby is now eight. His present from the treasure box was a pirate journal with a lock and key - something he has wanted since he first read about it in The Diary of the Wimpy Kid series that he has devoured this past month. He loved it and immediately wrote his name and started writing his secret thoughts. Love that. Birthday dinner included his current faves – mac&cheese with wild boar, “leaves”, red peppers and an apple pie for dessert. I hope all your wishes come true little one.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 7

Journaling:

Treasure Box Magic...The story goes that this treasure box was given to me by a pirate I saved when his ship sank at Treasure Island in Las Vegas as a sign of his gratitude. And the magic part? You get points for every book you read - the points are determined by difficulty - and when you have 50 points, a cool key magically appears. When you open the box you find a note with a riddle you have to solve in order to find your prize. While you are solving the clues, the key magically disappears. The boys have been so motivated to read or be read to, and have vibrated with anticipation ever since the box appeared about a year ago. My favorite part is that Luke is now a proficient reader and Jonah is starting to read on his own. Love that!

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 6

Journaling:

Virus Attack…I’ve been surfing many new sites lately and picked up a virus somewhere along the way. Yup, had forgotten to turn on my virus scan and suddenly my C drive was gone! Full blown panic set in. Thank goodness for the calm head of Susan, my personal bug blaster, who got rid of it and has me back up and running with no loss of data. Phew!

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 5

Journaling:
Time for Tea…I loved tea time as a kid, though did not actually drink tea in those days. These days barely a day goes by when I do not make time for tea. Slows me down. Centers me. Especially love when the holiday mugs are in circulation - so festive. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 4

Journaling:

Art Journaling is one of my many passions. I love everything about it - the texture of the paper, the color of the paint, the smell of ink. I’ve kept a written journal for as long as I can remember, and have had fun experimenting with these journals. I’ve loved binding my own books and have spent countless hours playing with paint. I have connected with people locally and globally who share the same passion. Love that I’ve gotten my n’s into journaling as well. Something we can do together.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 3

Journaling:

Best of Boston. We visited the Museum of Fine Arts in the morning and enjoyed a concert at the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the afternoon. The new wing of Art in the Americas at the MFA exceeded my wildest expectations. Move over Prado. Rush tickets at the BSO are the best kept secret in town. I’ve never seen anyone who had to conduct from a chair due to an injury. Talk about dancing feet.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 2

Journaling:
Kitchen Projects....Susan had the dishwasher fixed before the boys came over, but the water filter replacement project was still underway. The strange light under the sink was like a magnet for the boys. I love how these photos capture their sense of exploration into worlds unknown. They got a crash course in plumbing and were fascinated. Susan told them that she plans to rip out all the counters and cabinets and redo the kitchen. Jonah's response: "Then why fix this now?" Good question.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 1

Journaling:
Auntie Bliss....I love, love, love being an aunt. And I am one five times over! Was I ever delighted that the boys were over on this first day of my first ever December Daily project. Made the decision not to move so as to be close to Luke (7) and Jonah (5), and have so loved time with them over the years. This was a typical school night - snacks, homework, reading, a fire, dinner, catching up, stories, hugs and laughs. Making fun memories one day at a time.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

Reading with kids

Jonah came over for a solo overnight last week and we got in some serious reading. He is reading the Biscuit books by himself with a little help. So proud of him.

1. Biscuit Meets the Class Pet
The silly puppy has fun with a bunny.

2. Biscuit's Birthday
A party with friends, balloons, gifts and pals. What could be better?

3. Meet Biscuit
A new puppy is such fun. Now what to name him?

4. Scaredy-Cat Splat!
A cute Halloween story that I read and we discussed.

5. Horton Hatches the Egg
I read this at bed time as we snuggled under the covers. One of my fave books and I love that he loves it too.

Journal pages

Love how this turned out. I have this fab switch plate in my study and cannot recall where I bought it. Every time I turn on the light it makes me smile. My walls are almost that color when the afternoon light comes streaming in.

Here is a story about going along with "mistakes" and seeing what happens. I had no intention of adding any texture to the background color then I went and painted the next page and got that puddle on the top right page. See it? Well, decided that it was telling me that the page needed to be textured and voila! here is the end result. Love when that happens.

Owls

I love calendars - there is something about all those months hanging out together. Especially love non-commercial calendars, so imagine my delight when I was perusing Cynthia's blog and saw this link. Already made me one. So cool.

December Daily 2010

This is my cover for the project.

I've been intrigued by this project for a couple of years and have decided to take the plunge. Am inspired by Ali and love her style. I've decided to create my 12x12 pages digitally, and am using the template that Jessica created for Holidays in Hand - a free online class last year. I will not be listing every source for my pages, but if you have a specific question I'd be happy to answer it.

So looking forward to this!

Journal pages

Was thinking about connections and networks after attending a party.

I find it interesting to learn how people know each other.

Sometimes they surprise you.

Local Attractions

The photo Theme of the Month is Local Attractions. These are pics from Fruitlands and the fabulous Japanese Maple in our back yard.

Journal pages

Yup, I've got a thing for sock monkeys. I cannot quite explain it - there is something cute about them. Love the idea of making them from socks that have lost their mate. I've got several of those lying around.

Journal pages

A fun creative outlet for me is to hang out in book stores and draw some of the people around me. I get to practice my drawing skills and charge my batts at the same time.

Happy Thanksgiving

We are celebrating Thanksgiving day in this part of the world.

For me this is a holiday that celebrates family, community, connection and gratitude. I find the sales and marketing frenzy to be annoying. The constant message that you are not enough. That you need to buy X so you can be enough. Be cool. So sad really. It is not about stuff. It has never been about stuff.

On this day, if only on this day, take the time to reflect on what you are thankful for. Focus on what you have instead of what you want.

I am thankful for so much. Here is the start of my long list: Health. Love. Family. Friends. Enough food. Enough money. Choices.......

What are you thankful for today?

Breeches Buoy

Luke has been working on his plans for building a breeches buoy. What is that you ask? He is devising a rope-based way to transfer himself from one tree to another in our yard. See design plans he drew in his journal on left.

He has already run the pulley up the tree and the project this day was to create steps to enable him to climb up the tree to a platform - see diagram.



Photos of this phase of the project can be seen here.

Recent Reads

1. Flight
My book club selection for this month has gotten rave reviews and I for one do not get it. In my opinion the book was written for a YA audience - even though that is not how the publisher marketed it. I felt like I was exposed to lots of violence for no reason at all. Unlike Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the author here does not add anything to my level of understanding. An interesting discussion at my book club revolved around the question: is violence ever justified?
Not a book I'd recommend.

2. The Island
After reading my book club selection was looking for a light book and stumbled across this chick-lit book. A little too light for my tastes - read more like a romance novel with one-dimensional characters. Found myself saying puh-lease out loud throughout the book. Sigh.

Owl Cookies

In my house these cookies create quite the stir. Susan's mom, Jane, makes these and ships them to us in time for Halloween. Umm, granted I do most of the eating. A very tasty tradition indeed. All gone now. Waiting for next year....

Reading with kids

1. Biscuit Takes a Walk
Five, almost six, year old Jonah is motivated to read. His vocabulary and spellings skills have greatly improved. With a little help, he read this one all by himself. A proud day.

2. Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2)
Seven, almost eight, year old Luke has discovered and loves this series. We discuss books all the time, and this is the first book he has ever given to me to read so we can talk about it. Love that.

Backgrounds

An example of backgrounds created with tube watercolors and plastic wrap. Love the texture.

Playing with backgrounds reminds of the backgrounds/backdrops of our lives. We live in a layered way - adding, subtracting, revising parts of the backdrops of our lives. And while we might make mistakes or go down the wrong road, if we take the time to reflect and synthesize these experiences we just might end up with a deeply textured background to our own lives. Something beautiful and meaningful.

Journal pages

After last night's rain and wind, there are not many leaves clinging on to the almost bare trees. I love the colors, light and smell of fall. I love going for walks and hearing the crunch of leaves underfoot. Love looking up and watching the leaves let go and swirl and float their way down. Beautiful.

Hands

Trying to draw hands makes me appreciate the old masters.

Played with contour and blind contour drawing and like the results - somehow captures the essence better I think. Don't think I'd really seen the connection of thumb to forefinger before. I mean take a moment and really look at your hand. Incredible no?

I've never understood how people get bored. Shows a lack of imagination I think.

Journal pages

A Picasso inspired page. Since getting the clutter out of my study have been on a creative ride - so fun.

We continue to have a beautiful fall out in these parts. It was almost 70 degrees on Sat! Incredible for this time of year when it could just as easily snow. Well, am sure there is some of that headed our way as well.


Here is quote to ponder:
A perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life.

Recent Reads

1. Faithful Place
This book got great reviews and I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. A murder mystery of sorts, set in Dublin. While I enjoyed the ambiance, and story idea, the characters were all dysfunctional in their own ways. I stuck with it primarily for the local color. The writing itself was not compelling.

2. House Rules
I know the bar for the author has been set unreasonably high by this book, so was not surprised that I did not love this one. The author has a predictable formula at this point - the story is told from multiple voices, there is a medical condition, there is a court case. What I enjoyed was learning more about Autism and Aspergers - have taught students with both and after reading this book have a little better understanding of those conditions. Not a rush out and buy book.

3. Sketchbook
Interesting to see the ideas behind the final product and how people use their sketchbooks to work things out.

4. Journal Junkies Workshop
A good starter book for anyone who'd like to keep a visual journal. Some interesting ideas.

5. The Concord Life
I have a soft spot for self-published books. This one describes some of the sights in the nearby town of Concord.

6. And the Pursuit of Happiness
Was so excited when this little piece of eye candy showed up. Loved it, as I've loved all her work. A little history, a little sightseeing, lots of paintings. Loved it.

Sketch crawl

A sketch crawl is the artistic/visual version of the classic pub crawl - walk and sample. Took myself on one in Charlestown earlier this fall. I walk this route regularly, but I see more when I slow down and actually look at what my eyes see.

Journal pages

My art journal group met last weekend. The prompt I assigned was inspired by Carla Sonheim - go to your local library or bookstore. Flip through magazines and draw what captures you. The goal being to draw.

Love how this page turned out. I've already posted other pages based on this prompt here and here.

The group discussed various topics including how to get unstuck, how to push past resistance and how art helps us heal.

Dad's Birthday

Here is a pic of the two of us from many moons ago. Not sure what I'm doing with that jug of Kallu (Palm wine) which my Dad is sampling - guess the drinking age was different in those days.

Happy birthday Dad.

Journal pages

Hands. Wouldn't be my journal without hands. Love the details I get with my new technical pen.

It has been raining for days - feels like weeks. I miss the sun. While I wait for it am loving my life with Susan, playing with my adorable nephews and catching up with my sis who is visiting.

Life is good.

Page One

I've written before about how hard it is for me to make a mark on the first page of an art journal. I usually get to it after I've already made friends with the book. This new journal was different. Took a deep breath and plunged in - started on the first page. Pushing past the critical voices and resistance. Here is what I ended up with. I like it.

New Journal

It is that time again - time for a new journal. I find myself resisting it. Why? After sitting with that question, this is what I've come up with - a new journal is a stranger. We are not yet intimate or even friendly with each other. I am loathe to leave behind the last journal that feels like a a part of me. An intimate. But I push myself. Cherish the old one, but let it go. Embrace beginnings. Start again. A good life philosophy too. So here is the cover to my new journal - one I bound with colors of the fall.

Fruitlands

You know me you know I am a huge Louisa May Alcott fan. So I loved our little excursion to Fruitlands yesterday. I had no idea that Louisa's father had moved the family out here to Harvard to start an Utopian society that lived off the land and oppress neither people nor animals. The experiment lasted about 7 months and they moved to Concord. The docent was full of fascinating facts and clearly loved the topic. Yes, there were other cool things to explore as well, but I was most fascinated walking in the Alcott house and hearing about this story. Fascinating.

You can see pics of the excursion here.

Quote of the day

Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
-Elie Wiesel

Happy Deepavali

Happy Deepavali/Divali. May you be the light that chases away the darkness.

Taking a time out from cleaning, painting, sorting, etc for a fun play excursion. Details when I return.

This page captures the fun I had reading The Hunger Games trilogy. Dark, dark world, but a fun read.

Snippets of time

Click on image to see larger.

While browsing through 21 Secrets was delighted to find the Get Carded workshop by Dawn DeVries Sokol.

I love scraping paint on pages with credit cards, gift cards, etc. Many of my backgrounds are created in just this way.

I also believe that a little art every day goes a long way. These pages are a good example of what I mean.

• It took about 10 minutes to scrape several shades of acrylic blue paint on the un-prepped pages (no gesso).
  
• A different day I brushed gesso on some leaves I had collected on my walk and stamped the pages - 10 minutes. I love the texture the gesso created.
• I colored the leaves with water soluble oil pastels and wrote the text with a sharpie paint pen - 15 minutes.
  

If I had waited to find time to do the entire layout, I would still be waiting. I snatch a little time when I can, and I find that the process of leaving the page and coming back later changes what I end up doing - different ideas come to me. Instead of waiting for that perfect (read not gonna happen) time to create, why not try creating using little snippets of time?

Journal pages

Here is another page inspired by a magazine I was flipping through. Created just before Halloween using pen, ink and watercolors.

Reading with kids

1. Duck, Duck, Moose
Had Jonah on a solo visit yesterday and after homework we got out books to read. I read him this story and he loved it - a cute story of migration.

2. Alphabeasties
We both loved this book. So cool how kids are introduced to different fonts and the graphics are fab.

Ephemera

Continue to love how these pages capture a place and time.

I am not a witch

Only in Nevada could a candidate use that as the intro to her TV ad and still expect to get elected. Thankfully the good people of Nevada proved her wrong. Incredible!

I love flipping through magazines looking for inspiration - drew this one at the store and added color at home - made it my own.

Hands

Am starting to realize how much hands are a part of my lexicon. They speak volumes without a single word.

This page was created while I was reading The Big Short, and getting mad. Seems to me that the stop the insanity motto holds up just as well today on election day.

Election Day

Am headed out to vote right now. Please vote today.

Random Musings

And just like that it is November. Where the heck does the time go?

• Been hard at work cleaning out and re-arranging my study. Found a changing table - the one used for little ones when they are still in diapers - and guess what? They are an excellent addition to my study. No, no diapers on the horizon - but great storage and the perfect height to create while standing - which I tend to do most of the time. Decided that rather than simply stuff it in, to take this opportunity to clean, re-organize and purge. Has taken me days - but so worth it. Love the new space - much better wa.

• Watched a good football game yesterday between the Vikings and the Patriots. I'm a huge Farve fan - gotta love the guy who plays with a broken ankle AND broken heel. Who does that? Especially at 41. When he got hit and was helped off towards the end of the game, the wind went out of my sails - it is no fun watching games where players get bloodied. Guess stitches are better than a broken jaw and concussion. Wonder if he'll start next week.

• Did not get as many trick-or-treaters as usual. The little ones are so adorable. And they take only one piece of candy. The gangs of older kids are not as fun and are greedy to boot. Well, I'm surprised that there was any candy left for the kids after my candy spree this past week. Asked Susan to hide the rest someplace I cannot get to without a shovel. Stay tuned.