All Hallows Eve 2011 (304/365)

“Nothing beats a haunted moonlit night on All Hallows Eve.... And on this fatal night, at this witching time, the starless sky laments black and unmoving. The somber hues of an ominous, dark forest are suddenly illuminated under the emerging face of the full moon.”

~Kim Elizabeth (Author and Poet of the macabre)

TIME:  6:46 PM
PLACE:  The neighborhood
SUBJECT:  StellaDella

During our trick-or-treat outing tonight, StellaDella told me several times that this was the “Best Halloween ever!”  I think this conclusion was made based on the volume of the candy she obtained - her bag was overflowing - and the number of compliments she received on her costume - at nearly every house we visited the folks said she was the best costume they had seen all night.  Happy Halloween!

Sunday Dryer Nap (303/365)

“Now I thought I would observe how he spent his Sunday. While I and my companion were looking about at the trees and river, he went to sleep. Indeed, he improved every opportunity to get a nap, whatever the day.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. "The Allegash and East Branch" (1864) in The Maine Woods (1864), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 3, p. 223, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  5:51 PM
PLACE:  Basement
SUBJECT:  Tessa, napping on the warm dryer

I spent my Sunday doing laundry.  The cat spent her Sunday napping on the warm dryer.  I think she enjoyed her day more than I did.

Stealthy Chaperoning (302/365)

Dorothy Shaw: …The chaperone's job is to see that nobody else has any fun. Nobody chaperone's the chaperone. That's why I'm so right for this job.

Russell, Jane, perf. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Dir. Howard Hawks. 1953. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporations.

TIME:  8:00 PM
PLACE: Backyard
SUBJECT:  DramaQueen’s teen party

HH and I had a weak moment and agreed to let DQ invite her 8th grade friends over for a party for her birthday.  Outside.  With a bonfire.  Girls and boys.  What were we thinking?  Ah well.  They weren’t too much trouble.  I did have to be stealthy in taking a picture and didn’t get the fire pit in like I wanted because DQ saw me and I got the “Mo-ther!” from her.  We pretty much stayed inside…going out every half-hour or so to check on the food and  the fire or to take out the dog and discreetly do our chaperoning thing.

Impressive Wingspan (301/365)

Rex: Mr. Lightyear, now I'm curious... what does a space ranger actually do?
Woody: He's not a space ran-*ger*! He doesn't fight evil or, or... shoot lasers or fly.
Buzz: Excuse me. [Deploys his wings; all exclaim in excitement]
Hamm: Wow. Impressive wingspan. Very good.

Wallace Shawn, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, & Don Rickles, perf. Toy Story. Dir. John Lasseter. 1995. Pixar Animation Studios.

TIME:  4:59 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  StellaDella as a Dragon

Here it is.  My goal was to spend as little as possible on her Halloween costume this year.  Cause in the past I’ve gone way overboard. 

Here is the breakdown:
Cardboard box – free from grocery store
Duct Tape/Spray Paint/felt – on hand
Google eyes – $1.00
Flashlight – $1.00
Cellophane paper – $3.00
Belt for tail – free from thrift store
Umbrella for wings – on hand (it was broken)
Elastic & bias tape for wings – $3.76
Black turtleneck & leggings – $7.00
Total – $15.76

I succeeded.  And I think it turned out pretty awesome-sauce.
(Oh, and way to go Cards - 2011 World Series Champs!)

In The Beauty Shop Mirror (300/365)

[looking in the mirror with Rapunzel]
Mother Gothel: Look in that mirror. I see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady.
[Rapunzel smiles]
Mother Gothel: Oh look, you're here too.

Murphy, Donna, perf. Tangled. Dir. Nathan Greno & Bryon Howard. 2010. Walt Disney Pictures.

TIME:  4:41 PM
PLACE:  Hairdressers
SUBJECT:  DramaQueen

Well, she made it to fourteen.  At noon, I picked her up from school and took her out for a birthday lunch.  At 3:30, she and SD had hair appointments – SD got a trim and DQ got highlights.  Here she is taking a picture of her birthday coiffure to text to her friends.  I may be biased, but I definitely see a beautiful young lady.  Happy Birthday my lovely daughter!

Pre-Birthday Fun (299/365)

Marge Simpson:Well, if a bully picks on you and Milhouse isn't there to protect you, the best way to deal with him is make him feel good.
Bart Simpson: How do I do that?
Marge Simpson: You could say something nice about him. Try complimenting his glasses.

"Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life." The Simpsons. 14 Nov. 2010. Television.

TIME:  4:13 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  DramaQueen

I bought these glasses to use the eyes on StellaDella’s costume.  Before I disassembled them, DQ tried them on.  Cute, huh?  Does she remind you of anything?  No?  How about this…

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They look so much alike, it’s scary.

In honor of her 14th birthday, a much nicer photo of the DQ will be posted tomorrow, I promise.

Contrails (298/365)

“…Or maybe you're laying back on a lawn chair somewhere watching
Contrails disappear from the sky.”

Richmond Fontaine. "Contrails." Lost Son. Cavity Search Records, Portland, 1999. CD.

TIME:  11:27 AM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  Contrails

A very lovely, breezy, warm fall day with bright blue skies.  I was able to spend some time outside, enjoying the weather as I was spray painting StellaDella’s Halloween costume (it involves cardboard and lots of duct tape…there will definitely be a photo of it in an upcoming post).  I’ve read that if jet contrails are longer and wider than normal, it will rain. Contrails are partly composed of water vapor, and the more moisture there is in the air, the longer and wider the contrails will be.  We are supposed to have rain tomorrow, so it will interesting to see if this holds true.