Halloween and Home

 Halloween was a busy blast! 

We had some last minute costume prep. My son did an amazing job of creating costumes of some video game characters. My granddaughter is helping him craft a piece of the costume. 

We carved a pumpkin.

My grandson made his with the other grandmother.

I failed to get a picture of the end results - bad me! 

The elementary school (more about it tomorrow) 

has a Halloween parade around the block.

Here comes the parade!

From the littles....

To the adults...

Fun is had by all! 

Then, back to my neighborhood.

It truly is a special haven.

Everybody knows everybody else,

and everyone mostly gets along. 

I am always greeted with a 

"Welcome Home" by more than one resident.

After the costume fun we had a pot luck supper,

Then we took turns going through a haunted house

created by one couple. It was mostly for the enjoyment of the little kids 

but everyone went through and we were all in awe of 

how they transformed their living room into a maze 

formed by huge sheets of black plastic hanging floor to ceiling, 

with narrow spaces and tunnels,  

glowing colors, creepy noises and music, and a smoke machine! 

Following the celebrations I began making 

cinnamon French toast casserole for the next morning, 

I made a special trip to Trader Joes to get a loaf of cinnamon bread.

Yum! 

I was so excited when I came out of TJ's....

I saw Kevin!

I had heard about Kevin, who resides on the street 

near TJ's, but I had never made his acquaintance before.

He didn't have much to say!

(From what I've been told, his voice is less than melodious!)

Morning came.

The family came.

We ate.

I cleaned up, washed the sheets and towels, cleaned out the fridge,

threw out the trash, and packed.

I hung up the new carbon monoxide detector...

(This way I might remember to put it up when I get back the next time!)

As I write this, I am at the airport ready to board the plane and head home.

By the time this posts, I'll be there.

Gifted

I don't do a lot of garment sewing, but I have made a few jackets for the grand kids. 

In 2022 I gifted these jackets.

The kids wore them until the cuffs were almost at their elbows! 

Last year they sent me designs which I digitized and embroidered on sweatshirts I purchased: 

The back of each jacket also had their embroidered designs. 

The kids loved seeing their art work on jackets they could wear.

Almost a year ago I bought fleece to make jackets for the kids again.

Procrastination set in...well, we did move, and renovate a house, and...and...

My bff sent me a pattern for this cute cape - and I knew I wanted to make it 

for my granddaughter.

I haven't hemmed it, as I wasn't sure about the length she would prefer,

but she went off to school in it this morning! 

Kellan loved his 'jacket of many colors' (on the floor just behind Lex's feet)

but he had to get back to his Lego project and wouldn't wait for me to take a pic.

I was able to grab a picture when I walked him to school, 

as he wouldn't pose for a picture.

The back of the jacket has a sleeping dragon whose

tail goes over the shoulder to the front of the jacket.

I'm lucky. So far the kids have enjoyed the items I've made for them.

Some day that may not be the case!

 

'Twas the Eve o' 'Ween

'Twas the eve of 'ween when I went for a walk

Thru the neighboring hood, where I could gawk

At the transformation of this part of town

Into a place where ghoulies and goblins gather 'round.

Where gargantuan webs glisten with gossamer thread,

Where large arachnids tiptoe where I thought to tread. 

And the skeletons were frozen in their skeleton dance,

While others looked on with a vacant glance.

The whistle of wind and skittering leaves, 

And a skeleton fishing above the eaves,

Along with ghoulish grins suspended from trees, 

Made me appreciate comforting classics, like these:

The neighbors appear to go to great lengths

To make Halloween special, with no need for pranks,

To give imaginations a chance to consider 

Macabre sights and unusual critters.

From the wee little mouse, 

To spiders engulfing a house, 

And witches, and covens, and secret spells,

To the homeowner who last year tragically fell.

I don't know about you, but I probably wouldn't

Trick or treat for goodies, I'm thinking I couldn't 

Knock at doors such as these, with that hanging there,

It's surely safer to pass by these to get to the stairs.  

My evening walk has been a special delight,

 I've had enough of spirits to spawn nightmares tonight.

It's time to make my way back to my side of town

And hope that by a local driver, I'm not mowed down!

Chronicling a walk through an Oakland, CA neighborhood

Ch-Chirp

 I love coming to California to visit the family. I flew into to San Francisco Sunday evening. By the time I Ubered to my little condo (my sanctuary), it was almost 9 PM. Ahhhh, so good to be 'home'!  Ch-Chirp. I had just shut the door. I hadn't even gotten my jacket off. My suitcase was only inches inside the door. Ch-Chirp. I am so ready to get in bed, considering it is midnight according to "brain time"! Ch-Chirp.

I don't know about you, but when the smoke detector begins chirping, there is no way I am going to be able to shut the sound and and go to sleep. So...Ch-Chirp, I need to locate the errant smoke detector and change the battery. 

Ah...first, do I have a 9-Volt batteries? The gas station down at the corner would be still be open, but let me check the 'junk drawer'. Ch-Chirp! 

Ah, it is my lucky day. Not only is there a 9-volt, but I have three! Jack pot! Ch-Chirp!

I need to get the little ladder. But first I need to move the bike that is wedged into the 8' x 8' "bedroom", so that I can open the closet door. Then I have to move a folding wagon - hmm, why do we have a folding wagon??!! Ch-Chirp! Then I have to move the shovel. Shovel?? Why?? Ch-Chirp! 

Here's a pic of the bedroom so you see how tiny a room can be! One of the bikes is already out of the space, but you can see it is rather small! 

But, back to the evening before: I Finally got the ladder out, batteries in my pocket, and checked the alarm for a little battery door - like those I was used to. No door. Ch-Chirp! I twisted the detector off it's bracket, only to find this label: 

Doing the math, the built-in battery (no need for the 9-volts in my pocket) should be good for 7 years, 3 months. But, reading the instructions and warnings on the back of the battery indicated they could have false alarms if dirty, and they should be cleaned/vacuumed out annually. Ch-Chirp!

I unearthed the vacuum and, to the best of my ability, vacuumed around all of the openings. Ch-Chirp!

OK...it's a small condo, but maybe there are other detectors. I guess the law requires one in every bedroom, no matter how small. I took down each, vacuumed them, replaced them, Ch-Chirp!

So, I then notice this other little box...hmmm, what could that be? Does it chirp when a battery is low??

I stood on the ladder with my head between both detectors (Carbon monoxide and smoke) and waited. (Why does it take longer for the alert to sound when you are waiting for it?!) Ch-Chirp! AHA! It was the carbon monoxide detector chirping! 

I took that off the wall, still chirping, and stared at it trying to decide what to do with it.

• I could put it outside the door to the condo - but it might disturb other tenants.
• I could go put it in the trash area - but you aren't supposed to put batteries in the trash.
• I could smother the sound - maybe! 

It worked! I could no longer hear the annoying Ch-Chirp!

The next morning I dealt with the offensive gadget, which was still chirping. This unit also had a 10-year battery, which apparently only lasted 9 years, 2 months, according the label. (Do you think I can get warranty coverage for it?!)

There were clear instructions for deactivating the batteries.

I followed the instructions to detach the key, insert the key, turn it about 360 degrees,

and leave the key in it. 

Oops!

I don't think the 'key' was supposed to break off.

Ch-Chirp!

Luckily, I was able to insert jam the end of the key

back in the hole and twist it, 

and silence the device.

Finally!

Peace in my little sanctuary, 

at last!