Happy Halloweenie

Three pumpkins carved by three of my favorite people. :)

Yeah, It Had To Happen

Poor Doodle. Oh the indignity! He dodged a bullet with me, as I decided I would not dress him in costume for Halloween this year. Little did we know my sister had the agenda of surprising us both and dressing him as a hotdog and his brother Oscar as a hamburger for the family Halloweenfest. He just kept pleading with me, using that sad little "Why me?" look in his eyes..but he was a good sport. Oscar on the other hand was completely unhappy and hid under the couch for the duration of our Halloween party. Guess he must be allergic to sesame seeds (LOL)

"YES WE CARVE"

Tee Hee! I love this.

Alaska Women Hold Surprise Event for Obama

THIS is the Alaska I know! :) Good Job Girlies!

Today was THE Day

I voted today. It was the day I could coordinate and take two of my neighbors, an elderly woman with mobility problems and a hunky construction worker to help get her around. All three of us on a mission to elect Barack Obama the next president of these United States.

I have never voted early before, and what we encountered at the polling place was definitely a real surprise to me. I live in a town about the size of Wasilla, Alaska: I have voted here before and never even had a line to contend with. But today? Today we waited in a very long line of early voters, it took 40 minutes for all three of us to get through the process. Any time I ever voted here I was generally the youngest person in the room, but not today. Young people, barely out of high school, mamas balancing babies on their hip, some people you know haven't darkened the door of a polling station in years. It struck me so many people were voting from a position of fear, Republicans scared of the bogeyman Obama, Democrats scared of four more years. But everyone was polite, things went smoothly, and now we can only wait and pray for the right outcome for this country.

I will be driving the van on Tuesday to deliver people to the polls for the Democratic Party as I have in the last four elections. I will also be making my famous election day ex-girlfriend chili, you know, the stuff we've drowned our sorrows in for the last two elections. I hope this year's chili will be the celebration kind.

Just saw Obama's infomercial on television. The HOPE gave me goosebumps. I've made my stand, and I choose to stand with him. THAT ONE...the one with the clear vision of what America was and can be again.

Big as Your Head on a Stick

This weekend I found myself, as I sometimes do, at a large outdoor festival with Arty Appetite. I gotta tell you, this particular fair was a real "freak show" of gargantuan Festival food. Oh yes, your standard fair stuff like funnel cakes and the lot, but I mean I was shocked at the new improved variety. I mean, cheesecake on a stick? Whole hunks of cheesecake slathered in chocolate that would feed three for dinner, giant corny dogs that looked like medium baked potatoes in size, lemonade that came in giant bucket cups that couldn't be drunk in an hour. Deep fried Twinkies, huge caramel apples with whole nut coatings, and just about anything you could skewer on a stick walked by.

All the food stalls were covered in giant banners like the old carnival freak shows,with people shouting their various slogans at passersby. It hit me that the old freak shows have become interactive, and consuming big freakish food was now the entertainment. I assure you from my vantage point, nothing is as unattractive as watching people balance their various food items, and attempt to actually eat these giant things.


The worst, and I do mean the worst offering I saw was the new improved fried guacamole on a stick. Being an old Texan, I was curious just how this was accomplished. I questioned the vendor, and was told they make the guacamole and let it sit out unrefrigerated for five days until it "sticks together", then the form it like patties on a stick and drop it into a deep fryer. Anyone with any guacamole experience will tell you, in five days the avocado has turned deep green black and I suspect what was "sticking" this mass together was bacteria holding hands and singing Kumbaya. Just the thought of what guacamole looks like in five days was enough to send me running to find the Port-a-potty. And yet someone was buying and actually eating this.

So I passed on the food freak show, and found a local bakery/bistro that actually served edible portions of food. I then bought my mini hamburger cookies and went home marveling.(LOL)

Ruby Slippers

Considering the expense, let's hope all it takes is three clicks to send their wearer "home" to Alaska.

And who could forget Crystal!

Be afraid, be very afraid if you see this dynamo heading your way on a soccer field. Other people's Moms and Dads actually chant her name when she gets the ball. (LOL) She's going through an "attitudinal" phase right now, but who would love her any less? And the best part, she actually knows what the vice president's job actually is. I'd vote for her in a heartbeat!

So Many Nieces, so little time

Here's Lauren all dressed up and on her way to her first Homecoming dance. Only 15 and already stunning. Her funny boyfriend Alex is adorable, just the right "laid back" to counter her hyper-perfectionist personality. So good to see her smile through her seriousness, never thought I'd live to see that happen. :)

Antipasto Sausage Art: Coveted by my Dog :)

Doodle gives "two paws up" for these Russian Sausage Art reproductions. Incredible that they are actually edible, and viewers frequently do eat them at the end of the art show. Doodle is dreaming of a "Pupperoni" version so he can be all over this new art trend.

What I am Watching: The Fall (2006)

One of my very favorite people gave me this movie for my birthday. In all our years as friends he has never given me a movie, so I knew when I unwrapped it that it must be something special. And oh, how it is!
Set in the Los Angeles of the 20's, a little immigrant girl finds herself in a hospital recovering from a fall harvesting orange trees. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with a bedridden man who captivates her with a whimsical story that removes her far from the bleak confines of the hospital into the exotic landscapes of her imagination. I have never seen a child's eye view so carefully committed to film before, and this is a film as lush and stunningly beautiful as

anything I have ever seen. Filmed in 18 countries over four years, with a child in the cast as realistically childlike as in any film in recent memory. I recommend this movie highly.

Thanks Rogie, you have always known my true heart. :)

Miss Me?

Been on a whirlwind of travel since my birthday. Just spent 12 days working the Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana, and it looks like I'll be working almost every weekend until Christmas. Considering the economy is so bad we've actually been doing well, mainly because we sell an inexpensive luxury product. The biggest trend we've seen so far this season is virtually no credit card sales. Seems everyone spends the cash in their pockets now, which is strange since generally credit card sales are usually at least 20% of our business at shows. My heart goes out to all the people out there struggling so, and I am grateful we actually sell a really great food product so I know they are eating well at the very least.

I have so much updating to do over the next few days, as Doodle has grown ENORMOUS (three full pounds in two months!), I have all kinds of good pictures and arty stuff I've been saving, and of course there are my birthday lamps. You gotta see them to believe them :) Yippeeee!

I want to take this opportunity to say a belated happy birthday to Judith. I was in Indiana for your birthday where there was no cell phone reception, and I thought of you all day on your birthday. Hope you had a good one and knew I was thinking of you in the wilds of Indiana.

So I will get on with updating. Enjoy :)

What I did in the Summer of 2008

After 5000+ jewels, bullion embroidery, and beading for weeks this is Maryssa in the finished Madrigal renaissance gown. She will be wearing her hair up for the actual performances, but preferred it down for her senior formal portraits. Phew, glad to have this finished...and it is as beautiful on her as we kept telling ourselves it would be over those many hours. :)

A Birthday Present from the Universe

Digging around in a box at an auction yesterday and look what I found! Another pixie shoe keychain from the late 50's, but this one is the actual color mine was as a child. Finding this made me happy, and I knew right away this was definitely a tiny gift directly from the Universe to me. I love when that happens.

It's the BIG Day

Thought I'd upload the link for Palin Debate Bingo here for anyone that might be needing a laugh or two during the debate. (Not that there won't be plenty available unintentionally, I am sure.)
Have fun with Palin Debate Bingo