What do I need when the days get shorter and the weather colder? A new obsession, of course. In November and December, it will Christmas readying, but in October, it's books. I have started haunting book sales to find little gems, like this cookbook from the 60's. I bought $45.00 worth of books at the Ridgefield book sale and sold 8 books on ebay for over $150.00. CHA-CHING! I'm sold...and a new obsession is born.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
OCTOBER 14th: It's Getting Dark Earlier
Six-thirty and the sun is going down. The autumnal equinox nearly a month behind us and the days are getting shorter and the nights are stretching into the days, licking them away early and making me sleepy. At 6:30 in the summer I remember still swimming, trying to drag the kids out of the lake. At 6:30 in the fall, I am huddled in a down coat in the car, chilly, waiting for the kids to come in off the playground so we can go home. I feel ready for the half-hibernation I will embark on once we fall back, but scared for the slowing of my exercise routine and quieting of my social life. I withdraw. It happens every year. I should be used to it by now.
OCTOBER 11th: Bissell House
There's a new restaurant in town. One weekend, when I had no kiddos, I was actually able to get to church and afterward stopped by Bissel House to get brunch. The golden, autumn sun warmed us as we sat and ate wonderful food. I highly recommend, if you live in the Ridgefield area, partaking of the Bissell House fare!
OCTOBER 8th: Milo
I met a new friend. She has a dog, two of them to be precise. This is Milo, the Italian Greyhound. He loves to stand up at the window stretching his elegant tallness to its fullest. Isn't he gorgeous?
OCTOBER 12th: Halloween Approacheth
When Halloween starts to come into season, scary things crop up. I am not a fan. I am not a fan of dark costumes, deathly themes and the supernatural. I have never been a fan of anything but the creativity of Halloween (oh, and the candy). Anyhow, October 12, we went to eat at the local Mexican restaurant and they had the whole place decked out. Day of the Dead had just passed, so they had a lot of skulls and skeletons around, but they also had this sign.
Liam noticed it about halfway through the meal. He jumped out of his chair and was about run amuck through the restaurant, as he so often does...I'm such a good mother! Anyhow, he saw it and stopped dead in his tracks. The curiosity in his eyes was palpable. Surely, this sign must be announcing that someone had just died on this spot or something horrible. I could almost see the chill run up his spine. He turned to me and asked, "Mommy, WHAT does that sign say and WHY does it wook wike it's written in blood??" Halloween is an enigma if you don't remember ever experiencing it before.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
OCTOBER 13th: Fire Chief's Funeral
It all started when I was driving Liam to school and we got behind a fire truck from about 1930. Odd to see this truck, shined up and driving on the road at 9AM. Odder still to see a fireman, dressed in full regalia with white gloves and a hat on driving it. I felt I had stepped back in time!
I dropped Liam off at school and went for my walk. I saw firemen in their finest hanging about the firestation. I was curious, I asked one of them. He told me that Richard McGlynn, the town's first paid fire chief had died and that they were all coming out to honor him. I continued my walk and got some random shots of clusters of firemen standing by polished rigs:
I walked by St. Mary's Catholic Church as everyone was gathering there with bagpipers and police cars:
I felt I was spying, gawking, at something very sacred, so I walked on and went home.
When I came back with Elena to pick Liam up from school, the funeral was just getting out. Throngs of the firemen were hurrying back to the fire station. I brough the children over and we sat across the way, quietly, and watched stock still. The firemen put out a table with a chief's hat and uniform and all lined up behind it. They stood at ease for some time. 
As the funeral procession left the church and approached the fire station, the chief called out to the ranks to stand at attention...
The hearse approached and they all saluted in unison:
The hearse then pulled in front of the station, led by all the old and glorious machines and paused:
The station blew a three whistle salute and the old chief moved on to his final resting place. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life.
OCTOBER 9th: Photo Hike
One of my favorite things to do when I drop my kiddos off at their dad's, is to stop at Lover's Leap State Park and go for a hike. On this particular hike, I brought my camera and photographed the turning leaves and beginnings of autumn. The best thing about Lover's Leap is that there are still trails I haven't conquered, so I chose one of those this day. I found all kinds of interesting things:
First off, that's a steep cliff down to water that you walk along the whole time you are hiking...I was so grateful I didn't have Master Liam with me!
I found this really neat yellow fungus:
and this weird, almost roiling red fungus:
Cool moss:
Beautful pink quartz: 
Weird blue wood...*what the heck is that?*
And then, a little outbuilding I was especially drawn to:
I poked around outside it:
And inside:
I wanted to hop inside it, but saw that water was running through the little house, and figured I better go around back to investigate. When I tried to peer around the backside, I realized about a third of the house was hanging over the cliff's edge! Good thing I didn't go inside!
OCTOBER 7th: Soccer Walk
On my walk today, I played kick the hickory nuts. I think I must have looked quite uncoordinated, but joyous as I skipped along, alone, kicking nature's balls as if I were Pele. I got some good exercise and was grateful for this time of year and its myriad gifts from the trees!
OCTOBER 6th: Beautiful Sky at Dusk
I love the undulating puffs of clouds. It looks like I am lying underwater, in a river and someone dropped a dump truck load of shipping peanuts on the skin of the water. There is a sense of motion and stillness at the same time. This picture does not do the real thing justice.
OCTOBER 5th: Notice if You Will
Ni Hao Kai Lan is on at 6:30AM. Notice how DARK it is at 6:30? Notice that window in the background that is pitch black? Notice how awake Liam is, he's already dumping cars in piles on the floor (his M.O.)? Yup...he's my morning boy. I don't mind it, as long as I go to bed at nine. So, being a mom really does eat up the entirety of your social life, or at least mine! Anyone for breakfast?
OCTOBER 1st: It's called marketing...
Elena says she's heard that word before. When I asked her what she thought it meant, she said, "Giving stuff away to people" Pretty good! Although, it's giving stuff away to people with the hope that they will return to you to buy something...I guess. Or, it can be just getting your name out.
Anyhow, big work project done. 28 boxes off to the post office.
September 30th - Give Us A Call
Spent the day boxing up stuffed animals for a marketing project. This was the culmination of weeks of work. Each box has a "calling card" an informational card, an invitation to call us, and a stuffed animal (our product). Fun, fun, fun....
I'm a Little Behind!
I am going to do my best to catch up, but my computer has that wonderful problem that computers so often have where the female portion of the power adapter has separated from the motherboard so it cannot be powered up. I hate that our world builds disposability into things, such as laptops. I hate that I have had this happen to several laptops over the years. I hate that I can't take the top off and repair it like I would do with a toaster or toilet. So, I am relegated to stealing time on my daughter's or mother's computer. Can't blog at work, so here I am weeks and weeks behind.
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