Everyone sing along with me now.... "Let's do the Time Warp again..." I mean, haven't you seen Rocky Horror Picture Show? Don't you know all the words? The dance moves? When to throw your toast?
2015
Battling the Empire with the help of Yoda...
I suppose I'll love the little stinker...even if he is a bad guy....
Lost in the corn maze perhaps?
The Capitol Columns at the US National Arboretum
So happy to call Virginia home & so happy to call Katie my friend!
The gorgeous Autumn colors in Shenandoah National Park.
This Year: Wow, October was just like September and I was all over the place! The month was supposed to start in DC but actually ended there (sort of) and I was also surprised with a birthday tea with my sweet friends. I celebrated not only my birthday but Jimmy's, scoured the pumpkin patch with Danielle and Meridith to find the perfect carving pumpkin, introduced Katie to DC and rounded out the month taking in the fall colors in the national park. Tired yet? Whew!
2014
Am I really already 30???
Gorgeous gingko trees at the VA Arboretum.
Happy Halloween from Rocket Raccoon, a pumpkin & Merida...& of course, me!
The pumpkin/frog just couldn't hang with the rest of us party animals!
One Year Ago: October of last year seems like such a short time ago! I rang in my 30th birthday with close friends and some candle help from Jimmy and Emily. The Arboretum offered some truly gorgeous fall colors to take in, which was nice since the mountains didn't have much color to offer...some years are great, others are not. The month ended with Trunk or Treat at the church with a cast of wild characters.
2013
The last year of the 20's...
Apple picking at Marker Miller Orchard...this picture makes me miss my long hair...
Air Force vs. Navy at Annapolis
Posing with my pumpkin on my porch!
The homecoming dance(r) & her big "sister".
Two Years Ago: My last October in Mississippi...and to think, I had no clue how much my life would change in my 29th year! I celebrated my 29th with an impromptu trip to Virginia for a long weekend where we celebrated, picked apples at the nearby farmer's market and (tried) to cheer Air Force to a victory over Navy in Annapolis. In Mississippi I carved myself a fine jack o'lantern and helped my "little sister" McKenna get all fixed up for her homecoming dance!
2012
A birthday weekend with friends!
Celebrating turning 28 with some good food & good friends.
Jack Skellington - I thought I did pretty well.
A pirate with her treasure cave...ha-ha.
Three Years Ago: Wow...this seems like ages ago and somehow it seems like it was just yesterday! I turned 28 and celebrated with a weekend in Jackson with my friends, who treated me to all kinds of wonderful things! I really got involved with my pumpkin carving and made myself a Jack Skellington that I was quite proud of and at the end of the month I hastily threw together a "pirate's cave" for the churches Trunk or Treat and handed out candy to all the little goblins and ghouls!
2011
One of the most amazing cakes I've ever had...
The first pumpkin at my first home!
My sweet little bee who buzzed around our "garden" all night long.
Four Years Ago: I turned 27...and that seems so young now, ha-ha! My Mom was still living in Mississippi and it was my first Halloween in my new home, so I made sure to decorate things up good and creepy! We carved pumpkins together to decorate my sweet little porch and I couldn't have been more proud! We turned my Mom's trunk into a garden for Trunk or Treat and let Watson buzz all around the garden and greet the kiddos!
2010
Happy 26th Birthday - wow.
Acting silly with Kristen & Bart...I think we were excited about Smallville, ha-ha!
An afternoon at the Clinton Old Town Market with friends.
Having brunch with friends in Clinton.
Five Years Ago: I'm realizing now that I seem to have spent a lot of time in Clinton, ha-ha! I guess you go where your friends are, right? 26 was the last birthday I would celebrate in our house (little tear) before our lives all changed and we moved (one at a time) to Virginia. The only pictures I managed to find from October of this year were from a weekend I spent in Clinton with friends...which involved watching Smallville, shopping at the Old Town Clinton Market and having brunch with friends on Sunday!
2009
The big 2-5 with a cake from C'est La Vie
A family reunion picture with Jodi & Riley, the only cousins that attended that year.
Cheering on Southern Miss with Kayla & Stephanie...& a photo bomber...
Lisa, Stephanie & I smiling at the game.
Kristen & I pre-game!
Six Years Ago: Man, the time I spent in college generates quite a few pictures! I celebrated the big 2-5 with a delicious cake from C'est La Vie, an authentic French bakery right up the street from my apartment in Hattiesburg - it was divine! The rest of the month was filled with cheering on the Eagles at football games with friends and spending time with family at our annual reunion!
2008
A very creepy start to October in Hattiesburg.
Birthday cupcakes!
24th Birthday Dinner with Megan, Dee, Melissa, Kristen & Lisa!
Cheering for the Eagles at The Rock!
One of the littlest Eagle fans cheering along with me.
About to turn this pumpkin into a masterpiece!
Blending in with the locals in New Orleans!
Seven Years Ago: 24 seems like such a long time ago...and yet sometimes it seems like just yesterday! I had a wonderful 24th birthday celebration; I remember coming home from eating out with a group of friends to discover another group of friends (how lucky am I to be able to mention I had two groups of friends?!?) had decorated the whole house! My family even came into town for the day to celebrate with me! I did other fun things throughout October, carving pumpkins with my roomie Kristen, cheering on the USM Eagles to victory and spending the day in NOLA with Dee!
2007
How am I already 23?
Celebrating with these sweet grandparents - boy do I miss them.
I'm sure my Nanny would be thrilled to know her picture is on the internet, ha-ha!
A little celebration with friends - blowing out those candles!
Kristen & Megan - two people I spent a lot of time with while at USM.
The Watson grandchildren and great-grandchild.
I'm pretty sure this was one of the first Eagles games I ever went to...
Catching the breeze at the air show....
Eight Years Ago: As I mentioned, the college years really yielded so many pictures...I can't believe it! I turned 23 my first semester at USM and I celebrated at home with both family and friends. The rest of the month was spent the way any good Autumn is...watching football with friends, spending time with family and ending the month on a high note - an air show with the Thunderbirds in New Orleans!
2006
Nickolee & I posing with Bully pre-game.
A one time hang out with new friends...
Nine Years Ago: I can't find hardly any pictures from my time at MSU; perhaps I didn't take many because it was a somewhat low point in my life? I know, I just took things down a notch...I'm sorry. I spent a semester nine years ago at MSU and ultimately decided it just wasn't the place for me. I turned 22 that year and I can't find any pictures from the celebration...so who knows?
2005
Am I seriously 21 already?
Loving on my cousin's baby before an MSU game...
Alumni cheering on the Knights at a West Lauderdale football game.
Ten Years Ago: I was just an innocent little twenty-one year old who couldn't even imagine what life had in store for me. I celebrated my birthday at home, with friends and family...I was attending community college at the time so I was supporting MSU on the weekends with weekend trips to Starkville to cheer on the Bulldogs and ever so often I would spend my Friday nights at my old high school cheering on the Knights.
2004
The Big 20...finally out of my teens.
Trick or Treat from the Summerlins!
Eleven Years Ago: I'm getting pretty far back here...I feel old even saying I turned twenty eleven years ago! Where has the time gone? I couldn't find much from this year; I was living at home and attending community college and of course, representing for MSU on the weekends. Sounds a lot like twenty-one did, huh? Ha-ha!
2003
Twelve Years Ago: I've got nothing, ha-ha!
2002
One of the coolest cakes ever...
The good ol deer in the headlights look, ha!
Thirteen Years Ago: Wow...eighteen years old. I was still in high school. I'll go ahead and be honest; I don't remember much of what I was up to when I was eighteen besides going to school (high school...wow) and hanging out with my best friend Nickolee on the weekends. I do remember that I thoroughly enjoyed my Senior year, so it must have been a good time in my life, ha-ha!
2001
I'm fairly certain we thought we were really cool....
Something must have been funny....
Cleopatra...yea!
Fourteen Years Ago: And this is as far back as I could go...almost half my life, backtracked in pictures. I don't remember much about my 17th birthday besides celebrating with friends at the house and having an awesome cake...but I do remember the Halloween party I went to at my friend Dee's house. I remember it well because I absolutely LOVED my costume and I'm pretty sure I thought I was awesome, ha-ha!
So - I warped it back to fourteen years ago. Who knows, maybe one of these months I'll take it all the way back?
Are you kidding me - how is it November? Also, is the time change messing with y'all? Don't get me wrong, I love the "extra" hour of sleep and all that jazz but I will think it's midnight when it is not even 6 PM for the next six months. I'm serious - I'm fretting about getting to bed at a decent time (yes, I'm an old grandma stuck in the body of a thirty-something) for the next six months. I'll adjust to all this right about the time Spring arrives...and then what?
A completely lazy bum on Monday morning - what a life!
This picture of the fog was really supposed to be much more dramatic...
I can't for the life of me remember much worth remembering happening on Monday and Tuesday. There was some walking and eating supper and watching episodes of Scandal on DVD...but as you can see, it really isn't much to write home about. It doesn't make for riveting blog material. I joined my Mom on Wednesday night for her ladies' Bible study group's fellowship night; we stuffed bags with Halloween candy for the neighborhood kids, made sandwiches for a local homeless outreach program and had some good snacks. My friend Jen's little girl discovered what a Twix was - I helped her open and eat it; her first candy bar, and she decided that a chocolate coma was just about the best thing ever. I'd have to agree with her.
Experiencing her first chocolate coma...
Isn't this a pretty tree? With a less pretty stormy sky behind it...
The best package arrived in the mail on Thursday - London & Hogwarts, here we come!
The rest of the week was pretty unmemorable as well - just life, you know? We did get quite the exciting package in the mail on Thursday. The packet was marked "Royal Mail" and well, that certainly lets you know that package came straight from good ol London Town! We will be ringing in the New Year at the Making of Harry Potter Tour in London and our tickets had arrived, looking appropriately fancy and magical. The HP Tour is one of my Christmas "gifts" to my family this year, so the mail was addressed to me and I get perhaps a wee bit too excited about getting "post" from London, ha-ha!
Call me Winifred...these are my sisters.
I made faces at my camera all day long...oh me.
Friday - y'all, what a day! A little backstory on this Halloween costume: When I interviewed for my job way back in February of this year, on my second interview our HR girl (who is now also my friend) Danielle mentioned that she and Meridith had been hoping to hire someone who would dress up in costume with them at Halloween...and they'd always wanted to be the Sanderson Sisters! I said I'd definitely be down for that and well, I'm sure that's just one of the many reasons I was hired, right? We worked on piecing together our costumes for almost three months in advance of the Friday before Halloween and we were pretty impressed with our efforts. I will say, I couldn't believe how many people mentioned that I might look like Bette Midler - it kind of cracked me up! I guess I did a pretty good job portraying my character, right?
Ha-ha! Halloween hijinks at Hunter's Head Tavern.
Just some sights & sounds from around the tavern....
We had some rocky luck as far as costume contests go - we were sure we'd find one we could win! We noticed early on Friday morning that an office down the sidewalk from us was holding a Halloween costume contest until 5 PM and so around 4:30 we made our way down to the office with all our props in tow. We just knew we'd be the clear winners...but all the people in the office did was make small talk with us and give us each a piece of candy - what a letdown! We thought maybe we'd win our prize today...but it's closing in on 5 PM and no such luck!
We ended the work day by going (still in costume) to Hunter's Head Tavern - they'd advertised a People and Pets Costume Contest(s) and we assumed that meant they'd award prizes for best costume on a pet and on people. Boy were we wrong; they only awarded prizes for costumes that coordinated with pets - you had to have your animal and you had to match them! We thought since the advertisement mentioned the give aways would be t-shirts and gift cards, surely that meant a human would be winning a prize...but not so much. The food was good, as always but the costume contest was a letdown for sure...we felt a little silly being there without an animal and we certainly didn't win anything, giving our efforts an 0/2 score. While one woman had a fit when we arrived and asked to photograph us because she loved "the Sanderson Sisters" as we left another woman told us to come back next year because our "little witchy girl" costumes were precious. Hmph! Yea right lady!
I think we might have gotten just a few groceries on Saturday...
Harper's Ferry on Halloween as we cruised across the Potomac!
Na na na na na na na - BAT DOG!
A "frappula" frappucino with my little vampire bat!
Saturday was fairly low key as far as our normal weekends go - we just drove over to Fort Detrick to get groceries, I made a Starbucks run for their vampire inspired frappucino and we waited for trick or treaters (we only had 6...) while watching Halloween movies. The trip to Fort Detrick was nice enough; I got to have Red Robin for lunch and that's always a huge plus, I love a good hamburger! Watson wore his bat costume all over the house and for a ride in the car and everyone who saw him thought he was adorable (of course, ha-ha). As I said, we only had six trick or treaters and three of the six were our family friends...oh well, maybe next year the whole neighborhood will come...
Wonder Woman & a little Pumpkin...too cute.
So excited about Halloween - I mean, who wouldn't be? Candy!
Equally cute - if a little menacing...
Oh Great Pumpkin - where are you?
Sunday started out looking like it might be a crummy day - the skies were overcast and I woke up with a headache but things turned around just fine. My Mom joined me for church and then we loaded into the car and headed for DC to tour Nationals Park. By the time we'd made it into DC, the sun was out, there was a gorgeous blue sky and a gentle breeze was blowing - it was so lovely you could hardly believe it was the 1st of November! I thoroughly enjoyed my tour of the ballpark but I won't go into too much detail here...because of course that's getting it's own post, you had to know that. Ha-ha! It really was a lovely afternoon and capped off the weekend just perfectly.
My foot is on the field at Nationals Park...
Touring Nationals Park!
Mom - he's a dog, stop feeding him with a spoon!
So - here we are in November - I can't believe we have less than two months left in 2015. And I've got no end of awesome things happening over the next eight weeks. So, until next time...Happy Monday!
The past month has been bewitching and blew past much too quickly - can you believe that we only have 2 months left in 2015? Sixty-one days separate us from a whole new year...ripe with possibility and promise. Granted, 2015 still has two months of possibility and promise to reveal...
Books I Read
So...I did read this month, but as usual...the book that I had listed on my "in the queue" list last month didn't even make the list of the books I actually read. And in completely abnormal fashion, I only read ONE book and it was the book for our November meeting of Book Club. Eek! Who am I??
Huck Finn by Mark Twain - I'll confess, I'd never read this before! And if I'm being honest...I didn't even get all the way through it. I started much too late to actually read all of it, but I did get about 55 pages in and was definitely intrigued. I certainly want to finish it...especially since it's a classic!
Books in the Queue
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - (from Amazon) When New Yorker Rachel agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. What Nick failed to mention was that his childhood home looks like a palace, he grew up riding in private planes and he's considered Singapore's most eligible bachelor. As soon as Rachel steps off the plane, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives and scheming social climbers....Not my normal fare, but it sounds good!
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman - (from Amazon) After four years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey from the coast. To this isolated island where the supply boat comes only once a season, Tome brings his young, blod and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and a stillbirth, grieving Isabel hears a baby's cries on the wind. A boat has washed ashore carrying a dead man and a living baby...Tom wants to report the infant immediately but Isabel insists the baby is a gift from God; the two claim the baby as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded there are other people in the world and their choice has devastated one of them... Sounds interesting, no?
Can't Miss Television
Bones - I cannot believe this show is in it's 11th season! I mean, I know I love it but I feel like it's been about to go for quite a few seasons now and last season's finale seemed very much like a series finale for that very reason. I'm loving watching Booth and Bones navigate life back at the Jeffersonian/FBI while juggling two kids (who'd have thought 11 years ago that Bones would have not 1 but 2 kids??) and still managing to catch the bad guy every time! The cases get weirder each week and a special favorite episode this season (so far) has to be the Bones/Sleepy Hollow crossover.
Sleepy Hollow - Oh how I love this show! I'm so glad I took a chance on it three seasons ago because the adventures of Abbie and Ichabod are endlessly funny to me...with just the right amount of creepy thrown into the mix. Okay, sometimes the creepy is more than a little, but you get the idea! So far Abbie has joined the FBI, discovered a former flame is now her boss and killed her share of bad guys while Ichabod has decided to pursue his American citizenship, learned the wonders of modern medicine and dentistry and is trying to chart the waters of dating. All of which lead to plenty of hilarious moments...and of course, as mentioned above, a particularly wonderful moment: the crossover with Bones!
Reign - Another show I took a chance on three years ago and fell in love with! It's obvious that King Francis isn't long for this world and I'm not sure where the show will turn once his untimely demise occurs, but I certainly see how this gives the show the chance for a breath of new life. Queen Elizabeth has also been brought in as a scheming foe across the channel, plotting and planning at every turn to take Mary's throne from her. Who knows where the story will turn in the coming months? I'm sure whatever course Queen Mary takes, it will be interesting!
Fargo - I got into this last year (mostly because of Martin Freeman) and when I saw that they were making a second season, I decided to check it out. I love Fargo's dark sense of humor and listening to the accents absolutely tickles me. I'm only two episodes in to this season but so far, I'm intrigued... Most of the characters are just barely squeaking by at this point; a body far too easily disposed of will certainly lure certain people into a false calm, and just like that, things will all unfurl and spiral into chaos. I can't wait!
Scandal - Oh my, yes...this show just hooked me completely. I have blazed through almost four seasons in just the span of a month (too much time on my hands or good time management - I'll let you decide) and I'm about to be caught up to the present airings on Thursday nights! I love the show; I still find myself conflicted about several of the characters though, especially Fitz! I love Abby, (Gabby, ha-ha) David and Melly...y'all, I LOVE Mellie. I love Olivia too - I guess you can love them both, right? I'm still not sure about Huck, (he stresses me out so much) Quinn, Cyrus...and Fitz! I can't wait to be caught up with present day episodes and see how things are unfolding...
Movies I Watched
I have watched absolutely no movies this month...none. Unless you count watching Hocus Pocus for character development, ha-ha. I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself!
Music I Listened To
The Light by The Album Leaf - This song is completely instrumental and I stumbled onto it while watching Scandal. Honestly y'all, half of the music I listen to comes from shows I watch...and this is probably a song that anybody who watches Scandal will recognize. I actually bought the whole album and I've really enjoyed the (mostly) instrumental songs...this one is a favorite, of course and you can listen to it below.
Oldies - I have recently been on a quick of listening to some of the classics on Pandora at work. I'm talking, the real deal: Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole...you get what I'm talking about. There is just something about that music that makes you feel good and I thought I'd end up skipping over songs more often than not, but I seem to like every song! I guess that's why they're classics, because each one is just so perfect and timeless.
Yummy in My Tummy
Toasted Graham Latte - I confess; I'm cheating on the PSL. I already cheat on the PSL as it is because my true favorite is the Salted Caramel Mocha (until the Peppermint Mocha comes out and all bets are off) but the Toasted Graham Latte is new and it's delightful! I've had more than a few...ha-ha!
What I'm Looking Forward To (as always, brought to you with sarcasm)
Touring Nationals Park - Oh, a dream come true I tell you! This is a leftover birthday present from October and it will kick November off with a bang! We are headed into the city on the 1st to investigate Nationals Park from top to bottom...and maybe I'll even find a way to take a picture beside (inside) Bryce Harper's locker? Who knows...
Ha-ha....love it. I don't think there is wine on the Nationals tour...
Tea at 2 - The office is headed to tea for our first company outing...and of course, I'm thrilled! Y'all know I love a good "tea party" and our company tea will be at Horse and Coaches Tea Room which is where my surprise birthday tea was and is also a favorite place of my families'. I can't wait to see what delicious soup they're offering for the day...the flavor of scone that's being served...the tray of delectable treats that they bring out! And that's not even mentioning all the wonderful teas I'll get to choose from!
Certainly!
The Saints VS Redskins - Football! I've never been to an NFL game before and when my parents were perusing the Saints schedule for this year and saw that they were coming to RFK Stadium to play the Redskins, well we knew we had to go! A whole group of us are going...unfortunately all the rest of the football fans we're attending with are Redskins fan (Lordy no.) and so we'll be surrounded on all sides by the enemy. The Saints season has been shaky at best so far and our friend Eddie has been throwing around smack talk since May (yes - May), so I'm really hoping the Saints can pull out a win!
This is somewhat accurate.
MS for Thanksgiving - Near the end of the month, we'll all be heading South to spend Thanksgiving with Lindsey in MS. It should be an interesting trip to say the least, since Watson will be joining us on the road. I know he'll do fine but he always adds an extra element to the fun! I can't wait to see Lindsey, spend time with our family and hopefully get to catch up with a friend or two. I can't believe I'm writing about Thanksgiving already....could this year have gone any faster??
