Happy Halloween Festivities

 It was a crazy weekend.  I finally had a few minutes to sit down and relax this morning instead of going for a walk.  I understand when Robb used to say.  "After a vacation, it's good to go back to the office because then I can sit down."

Friday afternoon, I was too busy with work to run pick up Leon from his mom's and Ryan was available so he did it.  We had our church game night where the kids could wear costumes if they wanted.

So much fun! 

Leon was dressed as a plague doctor and two other kids like Alice in Wonderland characters with Leon photobombing them.

We all played various board games at several tables set up around the sanctuary.  I learned a couple new games!  and Leon played his "Happy Little Dinosaurs" game where he makes up the rules.  He confused several people on that and I won't play it anymore due to the ongoing adjustments.  But he played other games too.

Maddy wasn't able to stay after all, so she headed home that night.  

Saturday, what on earth did I do then?...  oh yeah.  I cleaned house and canned chocolate cake.  

I started two loaves of bread and had planned to bake them into rolls and also can some, but when I went to the bread machines to get them, realized I'd only put 3 cups of flour into each instead of 4.  Yikes!  And they'd already "sort of" risen.  But I tossed in another cup in each machine and restarted them, letting them just cook as loaves because I had plans that afternoon.

At noon, Meri and I loaded up my wagon and her Victorian loveseat and lots of pumpkins.  She had a maternity photo shoot for one of her close friends and asked me to assist.  We went to four different locations and used the loveseat at two of them.  It's heavy.  

I had my old good digital camera ready for the job but had popped in a new memory card and we didn't notice until we got to the first place that it may have been the wrong type of card.  Sigh.  Apparently the tiny memory cards that I use for the security cameras are NOT interchangable with cameras.  So we were panicking.  Meri's phone had about 2% power on it and mine had 35%.  She used mine for the pictures on a bridge and between locations, slowly charged it in the car.  I think she figured that when it ran out, we'd be done.  

She took pictures from 12:30 - 3 and took a few hundred shots!  I need to download them onto a flashdrive today so she can get some edited.

Late Saturday afternoon, I worked on getting the outside of our house cleaned up a bit.  That morning, before he left, Leon helped me spread more spiderweb stuff around and we found last years spiders to rule them.  I dug out a trouble light to high light one of them and then dragged the firepit to the middle of the driveway again.  Had trouble lighting it but knew that Meri and Ryan were coming over soon.  I happened to mention it to a friend who came by with her grandkids.  Another person with HIS grandkids was there at that time and said, "I could do it!"  So he let his wife move to the next house with the grandkids and stuck around to get the fire going.  He gave me some tips and left. Whew!  I had to baby it for another 20 minutes but the wood finally started going on it's own.

We typically have about 100 kids on a Halloween night but since some neighboring towns were having their beggars night on a different night, we got more than twice that!  I had to ask Meri to bring some of her candy over and we gave away all but 9 little candy bars.  Ryan claimed them.

This barrel was full.  This is a photo from probably 30 minutes from the end.

We had a lot of fun sitting around the fire and admiring kid's creativity and talking.  The neighbor was giving out Fireball alcohol in little bottles to the parents, so we went over and "trick or treated" there.  I don't like it so I gave mine to Ryan.  

Meri and bf Ryan were all dressed up for a couple Halloween parties that night.  I can't tell you what they are dressed up as, but it's very hip.  and a show that I don't watch.

Sunday, after church, my MIL was going to come for lunch, but at the last minute, Meri wasn't able to go get her.  Maddy and Matthew agreed to and when they were more than half way (she lives an hour away now) they happened to call her and she wasn't feeling up to coming after all. darn.  Sunday was the anniversary of her husband's passing 27ish years ago.  We had even gotten new flowers for his stone, next to Robb's.  She hadn't been to the cemetery since the summer of 2021.  

I made Robb's twice baked potato soup and leftover chili from Halloween night for lunch along with the extremely dense bread that had risen twice.  I toasted it. Maddy, Matthew, Meri, bf Ryan and myself played a couple board games after lunch.  If you ever get the chance to play LINKEEs, plan for a lot of time.  It's very fun but when you get competitive can last a good long time!

I got over to see my bestie, Ada and then headed to the big city to get Leon.  

Since I'd needed to go pick up Leon that night, I'd been planning on taking my MIL out to supper before taking her back.  Leon's mom is in a different part off the same city so it would be on my way.  Oh well.  Still had to get Leon.

He was out trick of treating with his mom and siblings.  I met up with them and we all trick or treated together.  Nova walked with me and her trick was to sing Twinkle Twindle Little Star.  She's really good at it at her age!  She and her brother had stayed with me last fall so I'm kind of like a grandma to her.  Actually the only one she has.  

Leon ran ahead and tripped on someone's yard edging, sprawling his candy everywhere and skinning up his knee.  So instead of his little sister hanging onto my hand between houses, Leon clung to my waist. He stuck it out for another block or two and after most of the houses turned off their porch lights, we headed out. His knee was still pretty bad by the time we got home but we got it bandaged up and he was feeling better.  

So today, instead of a walk, Meri and I sat on the couch with our capuccinos and talked.  My shoulder is out again and I haven't figured out yet how to get it back in on my own.  I will NOT go spend another $55 to get a chiropractor to do it so I'll figure it out.  Youtube is my substitute chiropractor.  

Tonight, I was going to Maddy's to help hand out candy there and hang with them.  Leon and his dad are headed to a different town to trick or treat so he can wear his costume that his dad gave him.  But Ada tested positive for Covid today so I've been exposed.  Shoot.  It kind of puts a crimp in plans.  Meri and Ryan haven't been so they may still go.

As soon as Halloween is completely over, I'll get the decor down and pull out the freaky pilgrim people.  Not sure how Zola and Daisy will react to them.  But I can tuck them around the corner when they come to visit.

Oh and BOO!