When I was a kid it was a big deal to go to the school sponsored Halloween party. My mom always worked very hard at making all of my costumes, and I always hoped I would win the prize for best one. Though I never did, I still had fun. They always did the thing where they blindfolded you then made you feel things like spaghetti and called it brains, or grapes and said they were eyeballs. We don't do anything like this at my school. The Kindergarten students are allowed to dress up at the end of the day and have a parade. That's it. We have to many students whose parents have very strong feelings against Halloween. So the only stories I can read students when they come into the library are pumpkin stories. In the meantime Halloween and Ghost stories are the number one books checked out throughout the school year. Kids can't get enough of them. So this year I decided I am going to read whatever I want, and if some student can't listen to it then they can sit in the lower level of my library. They can look at books while the other students listen to Skippyjon Jones and the Mummy.

JEAN....I had the same thing happen to me just now! I had replied to all of you and hit 'preview' and then it froze up then went blank. I couldn't retrieve what I wrote so I had to start all over. Frustrating. Anyhow, yes those are sunflowers in that barn scene. I thought they looked so pretty with the fall foliage. DEBRA....it was above freezing today and sunny so the snow is doing some melting. In the shady areas there is still about a foot but at least it's shrinking. All my plants are flattened out like pancakes from the heavy, wet snow. LINDA....I still have no clue what happened to Lily. When I found her outside sleeping under a rosebush she couldn't get up, like her hind feet were paralyzed. She walks fine now and is eating and acting normal other than she just wants to sleep a LOT. She doesn't even go to the door to be let out and she always hated to stay inside before. GINNY...you are probably right. I think Lily is getting near the end...she is really slowing up and has gotten so skinny. I feel comforted to know she has had a great life with us. We saved her as a flea-infested kitten that nobody wanted 13 yrs. ago. FLOWERGIRL...I went in to check on Lily who was sleeping on my mom's bed all day. When I looked around the room there she was up on the toy shelf between the stuffed lions. I had to take a picture because it was so cute! As sick as she was she made me smile. PAM...Thank you! AVEDON...The stones in that graveyard are from the late 1700's to mid-1800's so yes, they are very old. Some are so old you can barely make out the names and dates. KAY...Larissa still looks the same today as she did when I took the photo of her last week. You could never tell she went through a snowstorm or that it gets down into the teens and twenties at night. Leaves are still bright green and buds are slowly unfurling. This is a hard rose to find...I ordered mine from Palatine Roses in Canada. It's one of my toughest, prettiest and healthiest roses, and has the longest bloom cycle. Sharon....I was glad to hear from someone in the same situation as me, caring for Mom. She is 88. She has advanced Alzheimers, is legally blind and has had both hips replaced. I hope you visit this forum more often! Rita...I'm so glad you didn't get dumped on in the storm. There are still folks here in parts of NH that still don't have power. It is much too cold at night to be without power so I feel badly for them. I have heard that it will warm up here too so we are looking forward to that to melt what's left of the snow. Celeste

from wikipedia (fwiw): "The term "pumpkin" as it applies to winter squash has different meanings depending on variety and vernacular. In many areas, including North America and the United Kingdom, "pumpkin" traditionally refers to only certain round, orange varieties of winter squash, predominantly derived from Cucurbita pepo, while in Australian English, "pumpkin" can refer to winter squash of any appearance." I was shocked to learn that pumpkins are fruits. Colleen, are you still in western Aus? When I was going thru my bookmarks, I found yours. :) I keep waiting for someone from Australia to weigh in on the Light Between Oceans. :)

I have never dressed up for halloween as an adult. When we were little we had a huge cardboard box full of costumes. Every single year my mother made me dress up as a bride. Every year. We did not go trick or treating usually but attended our schools fall festival which was pretty fun but my friends would tease me that I would come up with all these wonderful ideas for halloween costumes(which they STOLE i might add) and every year i would show up in that bride costume. I have no idea why my mother insisted on it, my older siblings were allowed to choose whatever costume they wanted. Me, I was always a little bride. She still has not explained herself to this day. I get the last laugh though, as always. When she asks me why me and SO have not gotten married after being together for 12 years now, I blame my sinful living situation(her view of it,not mine) on that bride costume. 😉 She is NOT amused when I do but I was not amused to be running around in a too small bride costume for 5 years sooooo... All October long I dress in halloween themed things. For work I have lots of nice enough for work tops with halloween prints, earrings, hats,etc. For everyday I have quite a few t-shirts to wear. My favorite are my "Great Pumpkin Believer" shirt and my "I got a ROCK!" shirt. My coworker dressed up as me for halloween last year. It was weird and she looked foolish. A PALE SUBSTITUTE!!!!