Halloween Scam?

Halloween night. No sense getting interested in something on TV as we don't have a DVR and we have to be ready at a moment's notice for the doorbell. It doesn't matter, if you are not into sports, all the other channels have pulled out all stops for gory, ghostly, spooky and scary movies. Don't interest me. Yes, I'm chicken.

It's been an interesting night. The first visitors were neighbors and the parents kindly asked if I knew these other neighbors (yes, I did) and that one of their kids was sick with the flu and therefore, they were collecting candy for him. How sweet. Then I saw the mother had this container of candy and she told me that since their driveway was so long and they were not home, they were delivering candy to the houses of kids in the neighborhood as they went trick or treating. How nice!

Well, less than half an hour later, the sick kid with the flu shows up with his brother! I feel sure that it was a misunderstanding and that the other neighbor did not know the kid would either make a miraculous recovery or would drag himself out of his sickbed (what kid wouldn't on Halloween?). I would be the type of mother to let them do it too--just a few houses. How can you miss a Halloween?

As the night progressed, an interesting trend occurred..."Can I have an extra one for so and so?" This happened four more times. Hmmm.... is this a new kind of Halloween scam? Or is the town under siege with the flu? Whichever, I don't care. We don't get many trick or treaters and we have plenty of candy. We all know I don't need it. Why did I buy my favorites? (Well, you know why!)

I did settle down with a VCR recorded "Monk" from the previous night--that way I could start and stop it as necessary. If you know the show, it was quite out of character when Monk takes in a dog and as dogs do, she stole his heart and was a wonderful companion. This is on the day that my dear friend has to put down her 14 year old companion. Not only was I sad for her but remembering our dear Patches.

Well, at the end of Monk, the dog puts his paw on Monk's knee in a touching moment and Monk takes off his glove to touch the dog's paw--if you know the show, you know how special this is as he is a germ-o-phobic. Okay, so I start to cry. "Ding dong."
Great, here I am "Happy Halloween!" with tears in my eyes. Yikes, I don't know what the girl and mother were thinking. Now I don't know all the people who come but I told myself they looked familiar. It was after they left that I remembered that was the little girl who a few years ago came to our door at Halloween and it was a mild night and I had the inside door open with the glass door shut. She was only about 3 years old and as I went to the door, Patches beat me there. He was on one side and this cute little girl was on the other side of the glass and she excitedly said, "Doggy!" She seemed more excited with him than the candy. I always fondly remembered her squeal of delight. Here was that little girl a few years older that came at that time when dogs were on my mind. Coincidences--I heard someone call these God winks. Been having a few of them lately. I love them.

Hartland Halloween House

 
 
 

These pictures don't do it justice, but this house in East Hartland will be a wonderful treat for the trick or treaters tonight! It's on Rt. 179--I could not get all the inflatables in the pictures--there's a stage coach, a pumpkin, Winnie the Pooh, gravestones and more. Click on each picture to enlarge it and then hit the back button. They really got into it at that house. I'm sure the kids will love it.

Leave for work early and be pleasantly surprised (from the blog)

 

I left for work today extra early knowing that I had a harder day than usual ahead of me, however, a couple of miles from work, I was detoured by this. As I glanced to my right, I saw this spectacular sunrise. I pulled over and I reached for my camera which I try to carry with me most times. I wish I had gotten the shot a minute earlier, but it still was the best way to start a day--A time to start with reflection on what really matters, another reminder that God exists, a cleansing of the soul and a smile on my face. Maybe it wasn't meant for me to leave early to get to work rather a chance to enjoy a sunrise.

This is the same spot that I always make time to view the sunrises in late December when once again the timing coincides with my work schedule. How much we take for granted the rising and the setting of the sun everyday. Like the old cliche--stop and smell the roses, stop and see the sunrise.

Autumn/Winter Wonderland? (from the blog post)

 

This picture was taken in the back of my post office--a rare sight, red, yellow leaves clinging to the trees and snow on the ground. I should have taken a picture of my husband's truck. It's white and there was some snow on it and yellow leaves. Being a food junkie, I automatically thought it looked like giant frosted flakes in milk. Most of us in New England are praying that this is not a sign of the winter to come.
My mother-in-law used to say that you take the date of the first snowfall and that's how many snow storms you will have--15 ugh!!
I do remember driving in snow on a Columbus Day once before. I didn't have snow tires yet and it was pretty frightening.
As soon as the snow falls everyone starts speculating what kind of winter we will have. There are so many theories from the number of acorns, to the stripes of a woolly bear, to the Farmer's Almanac. I haven't found any that I can count on. We have to go day by day. It's probably better that way because if we knew the next day was going to be more snow and the next and the next, we'd be depressed and overwhelmed. I, personally, can handle it better not knowing how bad the future will be. Just like life, it would not be good to know our future. This snowfall was easier to take knowing the 60 degree temperatures will be back later next week, that is after more snow this weekend. :(
October snow, what will they think of next?--how about 70 degree January--turn about is fair play! Well, one can dream.

Wait Winter

Wait Winter
I'm not ready.
Today you gave me a taste of what's to come...
find the scraper,
scrape the windows.
scraper not working well.
(you should be able to test them out before you buy.)
Hurry,
going to be late for work.
I know it's going to get worse...
shoveling snow or chopping ice, cold hands, wet feet...
Winter, stop teasing me,
Just go away or at least wait to come...
Maybe February would be good and then you can leave
about March.
I am not a hardy New Englander any more.

Cape Cod--East Sandwich

 
 
 
Back from a wonderful weekend in East Sandwich, Cape Cod, MA. Saturday was not a complete washout and we were able to walk on the beach. Then Sunday was moody--cloudy and sunny, but it didn't rain. These are some neat artwork that we found on the beach. We appreciate the time and effort people put into these, so thought I'd share them here. It was fun to be walking along the beach and to come across these surprises. I would never have the patience to make the towers.
I found a piece of green sea glass and a white one and a real rarity--red in the shape of a crescent moon. They go into my glass jar I reserve for my sea glass treasures.