Darth Vader Vs Piano Recital

Lorrie, my piano teacher/daughter-in law, helps organize a piano recital each Halloween. The kids perform in costume and that relaxes them so they aren't overcome with performance jitters.

Did I mention that Miss Elise is a ham? She is also the daughter of said music teacher and appears in my blogs from time to time.

When it was her turn to perform, out marched Darth Vader to the piano, ditched the mask and managed to ace her performance.

Her friend apparently didn't find the need to be evil.

I brought her cousin the Princess along to observe; she has a different teacher and her recital is next month. This is what an evil Dracula looks like, althugh she assures me she'll do better when her mom applies the makeup.

It's a Good Thing?

I am a task- oriented person. I don't consider this to be a great thing, but that's just the way it is.

My old system worked nicely; I had dozens of little slips of paper on my desk with a task written on each one and the day I intended to accomplish it.

Then along came my son Steve, breezing in from Thailand and Calgary (don't ask) and he carried a planner at all times. Probably takes it to bed with him but I didn't check.

Next thing I know my little slips of paper are gone and everything is written neatly in my very own planner and I wasn't allowed to buy one at the thrift store either.

Now It's all there in one place and for a task-oriented soul it's torture. You think I can take the day off, sip tea and simply read a book in one sitting? Not any more.

There are blank pages waiting to be filled.

At least with the little slips of paper system, some of them were used as library book marks and that was the end of them but this way, nothing gets away from the evil planner.

It's like a narcotic--I've got to have my planning fix every day or I'll start to twitch.

Here is today's list.


there is one redeeming factor--you can draw in a horizontal arrow and that means it can be done tomorrow.

I love Steve dearly but I privately thought he looked a little dorky marching around town with that little book under his arm and now I am another dork.

I can hardly wait to see what I am doing tomorrow.

A Clean Slate

I was so proud.

I sat down before the mounds of paper on my desk and dealt with every scrap. No more A,B and C piles, just a bare desk and everything up to date.

I rushed for my camera to record this important event, but I was too late.
As far as Harry is concerned, it's just another napping place.

Going, going--

And almost gone.The trees are having their last hurrah and my morning walk was cold. soon I'll have use the indoor track.


I met these toadstools on the front lawn this morning. the triplets appear to have faces; are they shunning their pal to the left?

How Did This Happen?

Okay now, we've been coasting along nicely into fall and whammo--today there was frost on the ground. Frost.


The leaves on my favorite trail actually crunch now.


The sky doesn't have that summery sheen to it.


The pond is winterized and the fish are hunkering in.


This is as far as I got this year turning the garden into a mini paradise. A rough path leads to the archway where the cow is on guard and that's that.


Until next year.

Cute tushie

There's a chipmunk out there taunting Max; the poor fella is itching to make it a fair fight but he isn't too clear about what that hard, invible stuff is separating him from the outdoors.


He gets all tuckered out trying to crash through the glass so he figures no one will see his shame if his back is turned.


I'll close my eyes and I'm invisible, right? No one can step on me, right?

Mini Harvest

I brought in the second-to last of the tomatoes and green peppers today.


These are slated to become salsa.

This was my first summer with this garden and while I was figuring it out,I planted only two tomato bushes and one pepper in a spot where the builders had dumped their left-over sand. The veggies couldn't contain their joy and flourished with wild abandon.

The orchids are staying in the kitchen until they stop blooming; I keep plugging away with these exotic blooms and sometimes they behave brilliantly. I'd love to take credit but I think they're just good sports.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving weekend is a ritual around here.

Mike and Lorrie get away for the weekend to celebrate their anniversary and I move in with the three kids.

This is view of their back yard. Yes, it's really a park and they have at their doorstep access to the baseball diamond, soccer pitches, the playground and cross country skiing.


Since these things are always available we went further afield; we went to Herley's, a perfect place to work off energy and there is plenty of opportunity to chase girls through the corn maize and visa versa.




Then off to the dollar Store to see how creative one can be with two bucks each to spend.They were up for the challenge.


I don't do lunches so it was a round of hamburgers at Wendy's.Why is it that picky eaters can consume the equivalent of six meals in one when it's fast food?


They got in some miniature golf and Elise managed a hole in one.


At home,they don't have cable and this is a grandmother who thinks Cable Rocks, so they made up this petition to plead for mercy.


I'm back home now and today they come over for the festive dinner.

It's been a fine weekend.

The Last Of The Fall Colors

The fiery leaves are almost at an end; they'll turn to burnt toast soon.


This is a nature trail in miniature; the path is carved between two streets of houses, with sufficient bushes that you don't get more than a glimpse of rootop anywhere.


On my way through I found this lone mushroom, nestled in with a strip of green plastic.


This is a beautiful time of year and we've had a longer summer than most. I'll be sorry to see it go.

Ghosts

Max thinks he's seeing ghosts. He spends his waking moments trying to catch at least one one and there's no talking him out of it.
To humans, he's seeing reflections on the wall from passing cars but he figures he knows better.


In the warming pan Max? I doubt they would hang out there.


For diversion, he stations himself beside his tent to warn away stray ghosts and his brother.


Then when I have my desk work spread out this is more entertaining. Harry's head is resting on a paper weight.


I could try hiring Max out as a Ghostbuster; I'd get more work done and the ghosts would be delighted to play with him, I'm sure.

You've Come A Long Way Baby

In my other life when Hal was alive, I loved Toronto, the theater, wonderful restaurants and outdoor markets.

Now I live in an anything-but-cosmopolitan city and one of my favorite places is the landfill site. Okay, sometimes we call it The Dump.

This place is a joy to behold; enormous bins designated for household waste, cardboard, and yes, even toilets.

I suppose the only downside is that I live close by and there is the occasional day when the air does not smell fresh. I put that very kindly.

Along this row, you toss your things down below and you can see a truck about to switch one of the dumpsters.


This was the original entrance and it still looks bucolic.
There's an eighteen-hole golf course at the left which proves to me that golfers are seriously addicted to their game, not fazed by their proximity to the landfill on the right.


This is simply housekeeping on a giant scale and a thing of beauty.

Long may it reign.