An Evening Cup

Settling in for the evening with a nice cup of Spiced Tea.

The house still smells like simmering turkey soup and fresh baked bread...and the cat is curled beneath the piano snoring. The after effect of way too many turkey scraps and more than his fair share of whipped cream. And yes, he really is that spoiled :)

The outside Fall decor down...and planning to have the halls "Decked" before Lennon's arrival!

Oh...and here is that Homemade Turkey Vegetable Soup Recipe


In a large stockpot placed leftover turkey carcass...including wings.
Break carcass into smaller pieces if necessary.
Add enough water to cover bones completely and simmer for several hours.

Retain liquid (stock) and small bits of meat.
Discard the rest.

Add to the stock green beans, cut celery, cut carrots, cubed green bell peppers, and onion      (cabbage or corn if desired)

Season with coarse ground black pepper, sea salt, dried leaf sage,three bay leaves.

Simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.

Remove Bay Leaves before serving.

Best hot with thick chunk of fresh bread and real butter.
Add a side salad and you've got a meal.

For a heartier version add noodles.


The book of the week: Black Dahlia/White Rose.  A very dark collection of short stories by Joyce Carol Oates. Stephen King has absolutely nothing on the first story in THIS collection. A fictional account of the very real Black Dahlia murder. And (since the late 40's were decidedly before my time) after finishing the short story I googled the actual murder...@@...Remember the people who always told you that you can NEVER unsee something on the Internet. Well. It's true. Believe them. Don't EVER search it...trust me on this one!

 Eighteen dark tales expertly written in Oates definitive style. If you are a JCO fan you will love this! Excellent read.

Picked up the last book in the Hunger Games series Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins for next week...and no...not bothering to see the latest Twilight Adventure...face it girls, Edward is no LeStat.
 Sparkling or not.

Best left for teenagers.

A Post-Holiday Cup

Thanksgiving spanning two days this week...enjoying time with the kids and "grands" and friends :)  It was wonderful!

Sipping hot coffee and a piece of leftover pumpkin pie, both dolloped with whipped cream. Soon to strip the Turkey carcass and simmer it with veggies for homemade Turkey Vegetable Soup and bake a round of homemade bread for later.

Opted out of Black Friday, yesterday.

Only in America could people celebrate the birth of their "Prince of Peace" by Rabid Consumerism and Unbridled Rage. A day after professing their Gratitude for everything they already have (and stuffing themselves to the point of uncomfortable) spent buying more useless crap that nobody needs.       

                                          There...I've said it.

If it all sounds a bit Grinch-like...you haven't read this morning's head-lines yet...peppered with stories of several fist fights over the newest Black-Ops Game...A woman trampled as she attempted to shove her way into a morning sale...a stabbing over a doll and some guy pulling a gun over a disputed parking space.

It's ridiculous.

And sad.

One of the most prosperous Nations on the planet...many of whose people have lost the ability to distinguish between a want and a need.

And no matter how much you may WANT a ginormous flat-screened TV. It will never be a NEED.  M'kay?

Moving on.

 Fall slipping away quickly, now. Replaced by stiff winds...cold air...and possibly snow by sunset. Clearing away the trappings and pulling out the old glass...the tangled lights...the tinsel. Making The List and writing the Holiday cards. And no...referring to them in that manner is not a nod to political correctness or some "War on Christmas"...it is because some of my friends celebrate Christmas...some celebrate Hanukkah...some celebrate Kwanzaa...some The Solstice and some don't celebrate at all...but I still send a year end "Thinking of You" note.

It isn't PC~ it is realizing that (as a group) we really aren't homogenized. We are decidedly different. And that is okay. I wouldn't any more send a Jewish friend a Christmas Card than I would send a Christian friend a Hanukkah card or gift. And yes...if I really am not sure...Happy Holidays covers everything until January 2nd.

Already have the "granddaughters" Christmas Wishes...and it is shaping up to be a Barbie-Doll Pink Christmas, it appears.

~laughing~

   

                                              Grandma-Art for the fridge!

A shaky cease-fire between the Israelis and Palestinians today...after rockets have exchanged for the past week. 

And here in The States...our own war within as a small segment of GOP...Red States and Tea-Partiers threatening to secede from the Union post-election. Among these...Texas. I am sure it could happen...it has certainly happened in the past...but before you pack up your toys and leave...you might consider this:

Once you leave...you are also walking away from Social Security, Medicare, and any saftey net the US has to offer. (And no...the $$$ you paid into these programs isn't refundable...)

Once you leave don't look for Federal funds for your police/firemen/highways/parks/libraries/or any of the other things the lot of you take for granted on a daily basis. This isn't "I hate you...will you drive me to the Mall?"
This is "You want to be on your own...fine." 
 Good luck with that.

Once you leave remember you are no longer under the protection of the US Military...in the case of Texas this means that your newly secede "Country" would soon be just a part of Mexico again. Yes...this is one time you might really want to remember the Alamo...it will save a ridiculous amount on that border fencing project, though. And all those illegals will soon be your legal neighbors. Here is hoping that they choose to forgive and forget the vitriol you've spewed for years.

Natural Disasters?  Also not our problem anymore. You will have to figure it out on your own. Face it...even Gov. "Good-Hair" Perry stood like Oliver Twist for Federal Funding after the Texas fires.

and the list goes on and on. 

Still...it is a Free Country...and if losing an election makes staying in America absolutely untenable in your eyes...there is always an open door.  And for everyone who threatened to move to Canada...well...you wouldn't much like it there...they have had legal abortion/gay marriage and Universal Healthcare for years. 

Now...off to plunder the remains of the turkey...

Art...Affairs...and Twinkies (oh my)

Friday...

Enjoying an evening cup and reflecting on the week.


Who would have thought the headlines of the Obama crowd (both pro and anti) and the recent year-long affair of one of the Top General's-CIA in the United States or the e-mail wistfulness of another four star general in the FBI...could be casually tossed aside this morning by the demise of a well known snack cake?

Hostess who has been flirting with bankruptcy for some time now is announcing the closure of its bakeries...and layoff of 18,000 workers...and the end of Twinkies as we know them. Already people have begun posting their favorite twink-oid recipes and admittedly it seems premature since recreational pot is now legal in two more States. But there you have it. Twinkies, Ho-Ho's, Hostess Cupcakes, Ding-Dongs...and several other American Icons consisting chiefly of sugar and grease wrapped in cellophane...extinct.

And like the GOP who are still standing in ragged clumps around the water-cooler trying to figure out what the hell happened on Election Day...many are voicing

"After 75 years...HOW could they STOP making Twinkies?"

Here is my theory...and that Little Debbie kid should take note as well...

Just like ~the times, they are a changin'~ attitude in politics. Our eating habits have morphed, as well. We are healthier, more informed consumers. No longer the 60's with a Twinkie in your lunch-box. A double pack containing all of the calories you would typically consume in a large meal. And no nutritional value.

Haven't had a Hostess or Little Debbie snack since my best (and sometimes synchronized calorie counting) friend dubbed them:

  "Fat-Cakes".

A re-name that will make you sit the package back on the shelf every time. 

So...a tough week for Generals, too, it seems. And the women who love them...or tolerate them. General Petraeus...a real life action hero...apparently the only man on the planet EVER to engage in a long term affair outside marriage. And not to be bested by the CIA...the FBI offered up another four-star General for his wistful and possibly inappropriate e-mails. (...their motto: hey we could have an affair too...if we wanted to...if she would let us...)

Get a grip, people.

It would be easy to take a broad swipe at Holly...who does in fact look a bit like Karl Rove cross-dressing ( complete with a bad wig).

Or conjure up images of that Linda Tripp woman from days of Clinton...I told ya to hang onto that blue dress, honey. When realizing that this mess was blown up after the affair was over by a woman who was not only NOT involved...but so distraught by e-mails she apparently forgot there was a delete/send to trash on her e-mail account.

And perhaps the largest problem is that we tend to forget that people are human. Like it or not...these things happen. and it isn't the end of the world, unless we make it the end of our world.  Kudos to Petraeus for not trying to lie his way out of the affair. For owning his part of the mess. In the long run it will probably save his marriage. Unlike John Edwards who denied it (and his child) until it became impossible to do so.

(...and back to omg...there aren't going to be anymore Twinkies...EVER...)

in a Nation with an ADHD attention span.

Which brings us to Art. Finished the Acrylic Abstract this weekend. Influenced by Kandinsky and Pollack  (Kanned Pollack?) Hungarian fishy treat?

 J'présente 

                               (details)
 
                                                     "Leftover Tubes"

With the actual tubes/caps and brush incorporated into the piece. 

The use of only the primary colors to create the Cityscape feel of verticals and the layering. Representing conformity and oppression. Conversely, the freedom from the urban tedium that the Pollack like swirls and drips at the top represent...giving one a sense of art making one free. As well, the tools of the trade rising above the structured existence.  Kunst Macht Sie Frei!

 The truth of the matter much more banal, I'm afraid. 

  The primary colors (along with white and black) were the only tubes left from this year's experiment in Canvas and Acrylic.  The verticals giving me much more appreciating for Kandinsky's technique and the blending entirely more difficult that one would imagine. The drips and swirls...pure joy. Jackson must have been the happiest artist in his day. Truly requiring absolutely no talent. And the placement of the tubes and paintbrush...not as random as it would appear- as my Tucker-Cat (perhaps channeling the spirit of Henri) attempted to critique the piece while it was still quite wet and each tube (and the brush) hides his kitty "review" of my damp piece.

 ~laughing~

 C'est la vie.

No stranger than what actually happened in the Art World this week as a signed

Salvador Dali print was discovered in a bin at Goodwill!!! @@ And all I ever find there are Velvet Elvi.  ~sigh~



Settling in for a relaxing weekend with the latest Joyce Carol Oates novel! 

                             (...great...now I want a Twinkie...)













 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

Kindle!

Everywhere you go. 

Sipping French Vanilla coffee and catching up with e-mail.

And this year promises to be "The Year of The Kindle" for my bunch as well. For Lennon and Angie's Birthdays and accessories/e-books for Christmas...and have it on good authority that Santa is slipping one in my stocking (via Chris) as well preloaded with one of my favorite classics:

 Steinbeck's: The Grapes of Wrath.

Of course, it will never replace books, for me. Or libraries with their heavy oak tables and leaded glass windows...and contemplative silence. It is no competition for my favorite used book store with rows and rows and the smell of leather and foxed paper and a ceramic mug of coffee...dreaming away an afternoon.  And it will certainly not replace my small personal library at home...the Vonneguts...The Hunter S. Thompsons...The Prisigs...The Moores...

...still...

It will allow me to slip a virtual library in my purse to read- anywhere. It will be wonderful for travel...no more heavy books in the ruck-sack! So here I go...slipping further and further into the 21st Century.

 And I am quite looking forward to it!

Completed the Acrylic Abstract last night. A subtle blend of Kandinsky and Jackson Pollack...vindicating Andy Warhol. A Kanned-Pollack. Which sounds a lot like a Hungarian Treat or something you might feed a penguin. Waiting for it to dry.  It has been a lot of fun.

This morning's breakfast brought to you by Pintrest...the recipe of the week! Saw it...had all the ingredients on hand...tried it...amazed!

Not your parent's Potato Pancakes!  


Amazing Potato Pancakes

These are a meal in themselves...

Mix 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes...and yes...instant is fine...with 2 eggs...1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper, 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 teaspoon dried minced onion, 3 slices crumbled bacon (pre-cooked) and a dash of salt and coarse ground pepper. and shape into patties.

Butter a non-stick skillet and fry until lightly brown turning once.

(...to make them even extra amazing drizzle with cheddar cheese sauce and sprinkle top with bacon crumbles to serve...can also dollop with sour cream and chives... )

Great with fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and juice.

Enjoy!












 

The First Snowfall

Woke to the geese honking their way across a lead-coloured sky...followed shortly by a burst of fluffy snow. The roof-tops, yard and firs are now frosted in white and I'm enjoying a mug of hot cocoa with Tucker-cat curled asleep on the sofa.

I always look forward to the first real "snow" of the year. 

Indiana is so unpredictable. Yesterday I was in a tee-shirt and jeans tidying the flowerbeds. Buttoning down. And it was 70 degrees. Today it is in the 20's and snow is blanketing the spent mums...the fall decorations and pumpkins...the curled autumn leaves tucked over the sleeping bulbs.

The cold and snow changing the day plans as well. Bringing on that primal nesting feeling. Tidying the house...baking some homemade bread...making a stockpot of soup. Work on some writing/editing or photography. Maybe finish out that Acrylic Abstract: "Leftover Tubes" which has taken on a (hilarious) life of its own. Based on a quote from Andy Warhol:

and influenced heavily by Kandinsky's: Mme. Kupka Among Verticals

and Pollack's: Number 28

ok...just kidding...folks...actually that is Pollack's Number 34.

This is Number 28.

(...yes...of course you could tell immediately...what a faux pas...)

Perhaps Jackson also ran out of yellow and red enamel.


 "Leftover Tubes" will be a multi-medium acrylic abstract piece, composite of the above-mentioned three. Along with a tongue-in-cheek essay written to accompany it.

Can't wait to share it!

The end of my Experiments in Acrylics of 2012...because ma cherie...we have run out of paint, of course.

 Thank Heavens!

PostScript: The sun came out...quickly melting our flash flurry...only patchy remains in the shaded areas. Still, it was nice to see a glimpse of winter-to-come.

I'm ready :)

The Last Burst Of Warmth

                          Photocredit: "Idgy"  Our Sunflowers :)


Happy Friday!


Expecting the last burst of autumnal 'warm up" this weekend. A couple extra days to finish those last minute outdoor projects/buttoning down before the cold settles in to stay.  Going to heel in my spent Mums for rejuvenation next year. Clear out the remainer of spent foliage and snug in a few more Spring bulbs. Found some blue Muscari that are going to be perfect scattered around the rocks outside the "Frog Spa" when it reopens next year.

Finished Jo Nesbo's latest novel Phantom.  Nesbo being a huge find this year, for me. Excellent crime detective drama. Fully engaging. Writer of The Snowman and The Leopard...once again we follow his detective Harry throughout Oslo this time through the Norwegian drug trade and political scandals. A hard-to-put-down book.  An enthusiastically recommended read.

Getting my ducks in a row for Lennon's 24th birthday soon...the upcoming Thanksgiving and an early Christmas with all of the boys before he has to return to Tampa.  For everyone who is losing their minds because Christmas is 46 days away...I feel your pain...lol...mine is roughly 21 days away! Got it under control. No worries.

 For the first time EVER going to decorate for Christmas before Deceember 1st.

Reminiscent of Pollack's Number 28...creativity continues with a blank canvas and the leftover acrylics (from this year's acrylic experimentation) and my first ever abstract attempt.  Photos soon. I am calling it "Leftover Tubes"  

~laughing~

  Inspired by Idgy!

And have a huge slab of damp red clay...can't wait to see what is hiding inside!


Have a wonderful and creative weekend!

love (and lots of coffee)

Carla







  

An Afternoon Cup

Okay...this is so my Life...

An Afternoon Cup with an old friend...mentor...long past lover and once-upon-a-time-Republican. Having coffee after the election was NOT a scheduling coincidence (...for either of us...) 

~laughing~

So after all these years we sit in a local tea-room sharing life, pictures of children...grandchildren...and doing what we do best...discussing politics and the recent election. A bit stiffer. A tad grayer. Both on the same page after over 25 years.  

A minor miracle.

The political shift, that is.

And I must admit missing the dynamics of

How the hell could you believe/trust/think like THAT"

 or

"You voted for WHO????"
followed closely by a heavy sigh.

The truth of the matter that both the far left and the far right have swung so far out there that somehow we have found ourselves huddled in the middle wondering what the hell has happened to the government (our politicians) that no longer work "for the people" but instead work only to further their political careers.

Both agreeing that something must give...that the bickering/walk outs/ obstruction/ willful gridlock must end. That the fiscal cliff is a reality and that concessions must/will be made on both sides in fairly short order to avoid the disaster that years of tax cuts/financial spending and borrowing has created. 

So we watch...and wait...and hope for saner heads to prevail.

On a local level I am effuse with praise for our Mayor of Greencastle whom I contacted in February of the year about a safe crossing issue.

 Years ago, I dealt with INDOT. It was a campaign worthy of "Shawshank Redemption". Objective...to secure a stoplight at an impossible to cross in rush hour traffic intersection. Eventually, I did get the stoplight (with a protected left) in place. It took 3 years and so many letters that I literally could not put a number to it. Somewhere over 100. Sometimes, I have to think Joe just gave me the damn light so the letters would stop.

After moving here in November, I immediately noticed that crossing over to the rambling People Pathway through our college town was (for me...and several of my neighbors) a dangerous and nearly impossible prospect. I e-mailed our Mayor.  The very next day I received a well-thought out and personal response in the affirmative. Within a month the traffic study was complete and plans were being drawn up. Throughout the process I received several additional updates on the progress/funding of my crosswalk and safety pedestrian (crossing) lights. At the end of October the actual crosswalk was painted and now they are beginning the pedestrian safety (walk) lights. In INDOT time this has all been earth-shatteringly fast. I thank our local politicians for that.

 Never let anyone make you believe that you can't change things.

The only people that do change things or make a difference are the people who believe they can.

Which brings me back to my old friend.


Today, I took the time over our yearly brunch to thank him. For making such a huge difference in my life. He was the person to inspire me to go to college. To help me believe I could make a Difference in Life. Who took the time to believe in me...at a time when I had difficulty believing in myself.  I owe him a lifetime of gratitude.

 I graduated from Nursing School...Passed my State Boards...and spent the next 15 years "making a difference" in other's lives and my own. Because we may not be able to change the world individually...but we can change our little corner of it.


 ...together...

We CAN change the World!

The Morning After

WOW!

Can it STILL be your morning cup when you are sipping it at NOON?

Sat down last night before the first poll closed with the Electoral College Map and worked out possible scenarios. Did the math. Romney's chances were slim before the night started...slim...but possible.

As he lost every State he personally had ties with...including Massachusetts...they became smaller by the hour. 

When he lost Pennsylvania, it was game over...even if he wasn't going to acknowledge it.

When Ohio went Blue they called it...and Florida became irrelevent. For the record, it went Blue as well.

And President Obama? LeBron wishes he had game like this.

 What did we learn last night?

1. That "We The People" wield far more power than any Super-PAC ever hopes to have. And that is a good thing.

2. That a political party can't disenfranchise...insult...disregard: Woman/Gays/Latinos/Blacks/The Poor/Anybody who disagrees with them/The Elderly...and then expect to win a General Election.

3. That unless they evolve the GOP is going by the way of the Dinosaur. And maybe that isn't a bad thing.

4. That we have got to start working with each other. Our next grassroots event should center around keeping all of their feet to the flame on this one including the President (GITMO anyone?)...and using the midterm election to thin the herd of obstruction/blockage if necessary.

5. We need to get back to the Government working for all of US.

So...that is my 5-point plan.

But for now...coffee. Who the hell does their Concession/Acceptance speech at 2 AM. anyway?

Today the GOP is whirling like a dervish trying to blame everything and everyone...here is an angle you might have missed:

You just can't alienate 75% of the citizens of the USA and expect to win the election.


And what happen to Barack and Michelle last night?  Walking out to celebrate the winning of a second term hand in hand with their daughters...individually...instead of each other. In fact with the exception of a last minute hand round the waist...his...not hers...and decidedly nonreciprocating. The couple known for their endearing PDA's was completely hugless and kissless to each other through the entire festivity.

It was...odd to say the least.

Today, however, it is over.  The sun still rose the same way it has done regularly. "Nervous Nellies" have dipped the stock market today...but the Opportunists among us know that now is an optimal time to buy low...because knee-jerk burps like this are short lived.

And as Robert Frost tells us about life

                                            "It goes on."

A Pre-Elective Cup

Sipping an evening cup and thinking (a lot) about tomorrow's election.

The first Presidential Election in years without my "comrade in arms", my husband-person, Bill...who died late in 2010. He took the political process to a whole different level. It was foreplay. It was battle. It was orgasm. It was basking in the afterglow toasting the winners (...and in some bizarre cases the defeated...) with a bottle of champagne and a clink of glass. Together we were a force to be reckoned with on Election Day!

 "We'll throw the bastards out...oh...we'll throw the bastards out."

Tomorrow, I will continue le bon combat...for both of us. 

So much has changed these days.  Remembering ten individual Presidents during my lifetime.  The first, a vague memory of the day President Kennedy was assassinated. President Johnson, President Nixon,  President Ford, President Carter, President Reagan,  President Bush,  President Clinton,  President Bush II, and President Obama.  In the past ten years I have seen the nomination of the first women presidential candidates and the first black candidates. I have seen openly gay politicians and a Man of Color hold the highest office in the land. POTUS. I can remember a time when you could disagree with a person's political alignment and still hold a civil conversation. A time when our political representatives actually represented EVERYONE...not just their chosen political party. A time when we actually got things done to better the Country. And we were ALL Americans. Not Democrats and Republicans. Not Conservatives and Liberals. Just Americans.

Heady stuff for a politiphile.

So, here we are. The Eve of the Election.

I have watched both the RNC and the DNC. I have watched every debate. I have gathered just the facts...on where both candidates stand on the issues. I glean these from sites that are non-affliated with the parties. Then I have run those through Factcheck. 

I am an informed voter.  

If you are of the ilk that refers to Governor Romney as Flip Robme or Mitt the Twit- or to President Obama as Odumbo or Ohmammy...I have no time or patience for you. In my opinion, you are a big PART of the problem.

If you do not vote...no offense...but I couldn't give a rat's posterior about your political viewpoints. In an acronym please STFU. (...or at the very least, please find someone else to listen to your misguided/ill informed rant...)

If it sounds like I take all this election business really seriously...well I do.

The decisions we make this week will be decisions that will affect every aspect of our lives...some of them far beyond a four or eight year presidency.  

They will affect the lives of our children...and our grandchildren.

And, believe me, that...is...worth getting serious over.


Now go vote...

Gratitude

Sunday...and taking a break amidst the vacuuming and scrubbing and laundry to have a hot cup of tea with honey...check email...drop in on Facebook for a minute...and perhaps at the unlikeliest of moments (cleaning day) to reflect.


 November: A month dedicated to Gratitude-  and how very very much I have to be grateful for. How even though I may not have everything I ever "want"...I always have more than enough of everything I NEED.

Gratitude foremost for my loving family and amazing friends...most of which are more like extended family. A Circle of Love.  And gratitude for being able to share all my LOVE with all of them, as well.

Gratitude for a warm cozy home...electricity...heat...refrigeration...ample food and water...and yes...even dust bunnies and dirty dishes and tile floors needing to be mopped. Laundry churning clean. As many on the EC could tell you today...these are indeed blessings.

Gratitude for my health and strength and for FRED's shrinkage this year. Gratitude for medical science that continues to strive toward cures and alternative medicine as well.

Even gratitude for adversity...the challenges...for giving me strength...patience...wisdom...empathy...compassion...perspective.  Life Lessons.

In short, I find myself grateful for everything life has to offer.

Now back to mopping the floors!

The Friday Cup

And yes...way past morning coffee.

Another week complete. It's Friday!

Halloween over and Fall inching its way out the door. Those up the EC doing what they do best...picking themselves up...extending a hand to one another...and putting one foot in front of another. Carrying on. Some beautiful stories of man's humanity to man coming from New York and New Jersey this week. Makes you proud to be an American. They've canceled the Marathon which in light of the still severe devastation, is probably a good call.


And a bit magical as Lucy (...the elephant...) who has stood on the Jersey Shore forever...it STILL standing.

Just as amazing Governor Chris Christie's endless compliments of President Obama's handling of Hurricane Sandy and how both Christie and The President have worked together for days to "solve" the problem. Get the cleanup in motion. Christie may well end up being the GOP's best hope (thusfar) in 2016. Say what you will...Christie is a refreshingly straight shooter.

Sandy handing a tough break to Mitt Romney only a week before the election. Especially after comments about doing away with FEMA beforehand...and of course Christie (and Mayor Bloomberg) who have both spoke glowingly of President Obama's handling of the crisis.  And Rush Limbaugh and part of the lunatic fringe who have now started attacking Governor Christie for speaking the truth. Former Mayor Guiliani...joining in the political fray...perhaps to offset the Christie " ...presidential pat on the back..." by calling for The President's resignation over the Libya attack. A shameless move at this point, in my opinion.  New Yorker's?

Personally, this cooperation between parties is what I expect from my elected officials. They are not hired to serve their party. They are hired to serve their citizens...all of them.

It gets things done.

It's good for the Country.

It's the way things used to be. Back when you could disagree with a fellow's politics, but still put political party aside for the good of the Country.

This week's book? Finished a re-read of Bram Stoker's Classic: Dracula. Seemed appropriate. Halloween and all. It had been awhile. Apparently I had forgotten how tedious a read it really was. Excruciating. By the end I wanted to drive the Holly stake through its cover (and possibly sever Mr. Stoker's head...filling his mouth with garlic), although I have to believe my local librarian and friend, Lisa, would have harsh words for me if I followed through. Won't be reading this again in THIS lifetime...or with any luck...the next. Give me Stephen King tales  anytime.

Halloween was wonderful...filled with grands and treats...and way way too much chocolate :)

Looking forward to next week's election with the same gusto that Paula Dean has for butter. Only three more days!

Will catch you after voting...