Good Reads, Halloween, and Hair

Hi Everyone! Thank you for the warm welcome back! I want to tell you about all the books I read while relaxing away in Oahu.
I have mentioned how much I love Anne Tyler. Still adore floating through her stories, getting all attached to her unique characters.

This is a fascinating story about modern day church. I don't want to say too much, but if you read it I'd love to discuss!

Jane Brocket is a really smart writer. This book is a warm jump back to your childhood literary loves. It'll make you want to reread Little Women, The Little Princess, Pippi Longstocking, and many more classics and then . . . you can do what the characters do and eat what the characters eat! It's a gem! (Applause!)

I kept reading about this book. Wow. I am astounded that Elizabeth Strout could invite me to take so many different looks at this character. I couldn't put it down. LOVED it.

Here is one of my hippie bracelets.

And the other. Sorry about the skin that looks in great need of nourishment.

We went over to Kelli's house for trick or treating, so I thought I'd take a few pretty pictures of pretty things there.

The girls were so proud of their jack-o-lanterns! Birdie said, "It was A LOT of work!"

Here is little Sam the skeleton with her fairy wings!

Wilbur is growing fatter.

Roasted pumpkin seeds! YUM!

Bug and her pumpkin!

Kelli's house all glowing!

trick or treaters!

Sleeping Beauty is thrilled with her bucket of sweets!

Finally, the hair. I'm still not used to it. Sorry about the cheesy smiles.

Well, I'm very happy to see you! Thank you for coming by. Bye bye, October and hello November! The weather here is unseasonably warm and the trees and skies are incredible. This is a happy fall.
I wish you a happy Monday. I have a sneaking suspicion that my Monday in the classroom may be a little shaky. Kids have had a whole week off and a Halloween of late night candy gathering. Mondays are always a bit iffy anyway. I'll let you know how it goes. Guess what? I didn't get the stories graded. YIKES! Bye bye! We'll talk again soon.

Home is Good

Hello there! I'm back and happy. I missed my daily jaunts over to my blog spots and I can't wait to wander around this evening. I have just a few photos to share. I am afraid we are extremely boring vacationers. Water. Sand. Way too much food.

We had a lovely view of the "fancy pink hotel" from our balcony. I liked sitting out there in the wee hours of the morning, soaking up the water view and the busy doings of the city.

The first few mornings, we ate vacation breakfasts. We couldn't keep up that pace. Jet lag. Four hour time difference. Laying around in the sand. One meal had to go. I liked these colorful dishes.

Our beach mattresses. Aren't they pretty?

The "wowie zowie" bedspread. We had such relaxing sleeps.

A bird for Betty

Pretty night strolls

Last call for a cheese burger in paradise


And home for Jenny's birthday! I groggily joined Kelli and Jenny and the sweetie pie girls for lunch. I can't sleep on planes and it was an all night flight. I am so happy to see these sweet cheeked girls. I wish I could soar up to Ft. Collins and go "trick or treating" with CB, Finn, and Aria, too.

The sweet faced mamas. Love them.

Jenny and Scott are blessed with a new home. They've been busy moving and are getting settled in their sweet house. So thankful!

I did some delicious reading while we were in Hawaii and I'll share about three good books soon. I have to say I found all the glitzy stores and merchandising exhausting. I just had my backpack, stuffed with serviceable clothes to get me through the week. I realized that I have no heart for fancy stuff and if we go to Hawaii again, I want to stay far away from the label stores. Ugh. I really hated my swim suit by the end of it. Don't really like my Birks that served me all summer anymore. Bill said they are ugly and I kind of agree. I did buy two hippie bracelets. They are fun to look at. Oh, I wanted to show you my new haircut, didn't I?

What do you think?

I am so glad to be home to my peanut butter toast and English Breakfast tea. So happy to have a few days to rest and mark papers. I like home best. I like the smell of our house and our lack of mirrors. Good grief. There are way too many mirrors in hotels. I kept thinking, "Oh it's you again. Stand up straighter," when I'd look at myself. Enough already.
So, I'm going over to pop in on you guys, see what I missed in Blog Land.
Thank you for stopping in to say hello!
Sunday, we'll go over to Kelli's and trick or treat with two Sleeping Beauties and a chicken. Cute photos to come.
Sending BIG and REAL love your way and saying prayers of "thank you" for a safe getaway and a happy homecoming. (HUG!)

To the Beach

The short stories written by my brilliant students await. I can't take them on the plane, all the way to Honolulu. They'll get wrinkled. I might have to. They ARE entertaining with fine rising action and interesting climaxes. Themes? Sort of. Honestly, the noisy students never tire of . . . their own noise. I will welcome a few naps in the sand, some pink drinks, floats in the blue water, and deep reads. I wish you could come, too. I'm leaving my computer behind. I'll post pictures (not too many, I promise) and tell you a bit about it all when I return. I'll miss you!

I thought you might like a bunch of mums. Aren't they an unspeakable shade of rust? Don't you just want to bury your face in their autumn loveliness? Do!

This is Pom Pom LAST year. I visited my favorite hair stylist this week and he did as I asked him - snip, snip, snip. YIKES! My hair is VERY short and I get a little shiver when I look in the mirror. I haven't had short, short hair for five years or more. Jeff said, "You look like a pixie." I'm not ready to show you. I need some time to adjust. Note: when I draw myself I take the liberty of making myself substantially thinner than I really am. Smile.

Do you have the mini-oranges at your grocery store yet? YUM! They taste like Christmas. I want to smell like that! Soon the big oranges will be good, too. Oranges are such a treat. And Honey Crisp apples DO NOT disappoint. I just want to clap for all my favorite tastes. I've been having a cup of tea or coffee at lunch when I dine with the teachers in the teacher lounge. I like peering over my coffee mug, elbows on the table, having a bit of a break from the noise and teenager exuberance. It feels very good.

I can't wait to look at this at night (and in the morning!) and I am looking forward to spending days and nights with my sweet best friend and comrade, Bill. I will miss you and I look forward to catching up when I return. Thank you for popping by to check on me and thank you so much for leaving the sweetest comments. I savor them. I savor my connection with YOU. If you come by and read, but don't leave a comment, I thank you for visiting me and peeking into my little world. That's very nice.

Aloha.

Fall Photos

Here we go into another autumn week. We had a pink party over the weekend to celebrate Millie Rose and her mother. It was an intimate gathering of Kelli's supporters. Smile. Ten women around a dinner table looked happy to me.

That's Macy, Kelli's best babysitter, sitting to Kelli's left.

Nice people nibbling on cheesecake. Hooray!

Let me bring you a cup of tea. Sit down right here, and I'll show you what's outside my window.

Fall is in her glory around here.
Don't you feel loved when you look around? All that free beauty given to you - it's sort of awe inspiring, isn't it?
Who is right under your nose, waiting for you to love them more?
I know my students soak up love like sponges.
I like loving Bill. He's very good. Right now, he's up in the office watching Muppet Christmas Carol while he works. It's a favorite holiday movie. So cute.
I love The LOVE Supplier a whole bunch. I'm feeling His love in this very moment.
Off to say my prayers.