Happy Halloween!

The Army Wives' Deployment Truth, Plain and Simple

New military spouses (I'm really addressing wives here), someday, probably sooner than you hope, you're going to have to deal with the ins and outs of a deployment.  Scary stuff, morbidity, and t.v. schlock aside, know this:  you get to deal with everything while your husband is gone.  

Everything.

E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

Mortgage/rent.  Insurance.  Crank calls.  Allergies.  Flooding.  Fires.  Bills.  Drama-filled neighbors/friends/fellow spouses... injuries, flat tires, sports practice, home appliance failures, work, teen angst...  tornadoes, growth spurts, car accidents, pet injuries, check ups, phone solicitors, cancellations, midnight vomit fests, power outages, record snowfalls, snakes and mice.  Parent-teacher conferences, birthday parties, grocery shopping and vehicle maintenance, you get to do it all.

As supportive as your FRG might be, you're still going to have to handle these things without anyone holding your hand, and without sobbing your eyes out on social networking sites or over the phone to your already worried and stressed out soldier.

You're not just stronger and more capable than you know, you're stronger and more capable than you want to be, and that's the real kicker, isn't it?  

Ask for help when you need it, but give it the ol' college try on your own first.  Help others, but don't coddle anyone, and don't insist on being babied yourself.  You're a soldier too now, so suck it up and do a good job.  It might not always be fun, and it certainly won't be easy, but you and your spouse signed up for this, and now you get to deliver.  

Have a good cry when the kids are asleep (blame it on a chick-flick if you like), set your boundaries, make your schedule, and let others know you're going to stick to them.  You're not going to make everyone happy, though some of them might accuse you of slacking- some might even gossip or try to lay a guilt trip on you.  The "coping skills" that they've chosen not only for themselves but insist upon inflicting upon others don't have to be yours.

Don't cave.  Do right by your children, do right by your spouse, do right by yourself.  If you must lean on someone occasionally, choose someone reliable, discreet, calm, with a great sense of humor.  Don't compete, don't parade, don't gloat, don't whine.

Endure.  Make good decisions.  Love your husband.  Respect yourself and others.  

You'll get through this.

*****

... and another personal suggestion?

Get a good mouser:

(Dear Daughter caught the uninvited visitor in the plasticware after Anni-Cat was done playing with the little furball.  Just another day down in our own family's deployment adventure!)

You *KNOW* You're a Military Family...

... when the members of the medical team tending to your child's (first, I'm sure) stitches are all dressed in camouflage:




That's the doctor, sewing the boy up, with a nurse at his shoulder while another nurse, not pictured, types up the procedure notes.

A few weeks ago, four stitches were required to close the chin gash our boy received thanks to gravity and some playground equipment.  No tears, no hysterics, no drama, possibly because everyone attending him was dressed just like Daddy!

He was so proud of his "whiskers:"

The boy was officially welcomed into the "Chin Scar" Club by his doctor, who got his scar from crashing into a piano bench as a young boy, nurse #1, who obtained his scar from combat training (he was kicked), and nurse #2 who received his scar falling down steps leading up to a slide on a playground.  A rite of passage apparently.

He has healed nicely, with only a crooked pink line remaining.  The story the nurses coached him to use?

"I was wrestling a bear..."

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Don't forget to enter my giveaway (below) before next Friday!

Saying Thanks to the Men and Women of Our Armed Forces

Dear Orion...

Dear Orion,

Your father had a talent for making people around him ~react~.

As a child he could tell a joke with the just the right amount of lip and attitude that listeners would be more entertained than shocked when they heard him deliver the occasionally crude punchline. His busy and often interruptive assertions were always made boldly and without apology, and his smile and laughter worked *~magic~* every single time they presented themselves, causing even the grumpiest person to smirk and guffaw with a twinkle in his or her eyes.

As a teen, he was still naturally inclined to not only ask little girls to dance with him at weddings (girls LOVE to twirl and dance), but to let them stand on top of his feet so they could move more gracefully and "dance like grown ups:"



He knew how to dress up:



... but don't let the tennis shoes fool you- he'd actually worn the shoes from his ROTC uniform for the ceremony earlier:



Can you see why he switched into more comfortable footwear after the serious stuff was over? He was certainly not going to be accused of dancing like he had two RIGHT feet! While hurrying out of the house to come and DJ our wedding (ceremony and reception), he accidentally grabbed two right shoes. Thankfully, your Grandma Karen saved the day and even took pictures so we'd have lovely memories whenever Dear Husband and I wanted to look back and remember our special day. In 2003, when these photos were taken, your Daddy was still too young and unable to clearly imagine his future good fortune: meeting your beautiful and sweet Mommy and bringing you both into the family of some of my best friends.

Nine or ten years old when I first met him, your Daddy was eager, exuberant and yes, occasionally exasperating. He lived with loyalty, love and laughter, and I enjoyed watching him grow into a fine young man, husband and father. He served this nation as a soldier with strength and honor. You'll never have to ask your grandparents or your extended family for stories about your Daddy, because there are *so many* and we all want you to know about the man whose life we were so fortunate to have shared... you're going to have awesome listening ears!

Enjoy the stories. We'll be celebrating his life as we tell them to you.




*****

Orion's father will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in April.

Enjoying R&R with Dear Husband...

Dear Husband is back for his two weeks' R & R, so there's no telling when I'll be posting.... maybe yes, maybe no, but check back in because I *promise* I won't be gone for too terribly long!

Have a *FANTASTIC* spring break everyone~

For now, the kids, Daddy and I are (insert cheesy video here):

"How Do You Do it All?"

                          
               (Wonder Woman "doodle" by Beck Kramer)


It's a question friends, family, colleagues, and fellow Army wives ask me, and my response is always the same:

I don't.

As busy as I stay, I don't get everything done that needs to be done.  I don't begin, try or explore everything I want, and yes, there are occasions when I come home, order pizza online and crawl into jammies, staying awake only long enough to eat with my children, bathe the pre-schooler, and kiss Dear Daughter goodnight before I head to bed to get as much sleep as I can.

It's been six months since Dear Husband left, and with him gone, I am the sole parent to a four year old and fifteen year old.  I teach full time, and this year my class includes five ADHD students, one non-English speaker, and one student with spina bifida.    Several of my students' fathers are also serving overseas this year, which means that busy and emotional stress is a palpable undercurrent for not only teacher, but students and their families as well.  We share hugs, look for ways to generate extra laughter, and I make sure to remind myself of my students' intentions before I react to their mischief, mistakes and moodiness.


Chocolate helps.  Regularly shaking our sillies out and dancing certainly lifts the spirits.  Coffee warms me up and gives me a boost.  Working in my craft nook playing with paper while the kids cuddle under blankies watching movies on the futon in front of my craft table has made snow days both fun and relaxing.  Participating in OWOH and the Heart to Heart Swap provided me the chance to make new crafty friends and refuel my creative inspiration.  Making sure I use every moment I spend at work being as productive and efficient as possible frees up my afternoons, evenings and weekends for my children.  My attitude and belief about my responsibilities and opportunities during Dear Husband's extended absence keep me from becoming a wife that wallows in loneliness, numbing her fear and stress with inappropriate behaviors and exploits.

My attempt at discipline and balance didn't impress Mother Nature however. At a recent doctor's visit, my blood pressure was abnormally high.  High enough that two nurses and my doctor asked if something was wrong.  I've cut back on the caffeine (shudder), made sure to drink more water, and have had our school nurse check my blood pressure daily.  It's gotten better, but when each Monday morning rolls around, I feel *it* in my chest, the pressure, the expectations, the responsibilities, the chores, the job, and the need to get it right.

Unreasonable?

Tomorrow is Monday.

Lesson plans are done.  My coffeepot will brew one teaspoon of regular coffee with two teaspoons of decaf.  I'll wear comfortable clothes and shoes.  I'll drink lots of water, enjoy laughter with my aide, creative constructions with my Super Stars, wrestle with the pre-schooler, help Dear Daughter with her homework...

... and let a pizza place make dinner.

******
"Cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity."  Joseph Addison

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."  Winston Churchill

"Happiness is an attitude.  We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.  The amount of work is the same."  Francesca Reigler

"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."  Hugh Downs

*****

Heart to Heart Swap: Valentine Goodies!

One of my New Year's resolutions was to participate in a crafty swap... nothing ~teacher related~, but something sweet, creative and fun to help keep me busy while Dear Husband is deployed.

Sarah over at Makin' Projiks hosted her fourth annual Heart to Heart Swap, giving me the opportunity to place a check mark next to that particular resolution.  My offering?  Bitty banners of course!



I received my box of valentines yesterday morning, and loved decorating my twiggy branches with them (the vintage-y valentine cards interspersed on the branches are the same designs featured on cards *I* gave out as an elementary student years ago!):



Sarah's valentine was the beaded forget-me-not flower posie with beaded bee!  Cute!

Here are some more photos of lovey-dovey-ness found around the house:









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The kids and I also had the opportunity to have our portrait done as a valentine gift for Dear Husband.  Our photographer Peter was funny, helpful, and oh-so-patient with us as he worked to take the perfect picture:

Happy Valentine's Day to all of our friends and family, especially those unable to spend this cuddly day together while their loved ones serve our great nation.

*****

My One World One Heart winners will be announced tomorrow, and another checkmark will go next to another resolution!

Valentine Cards for My Super Stars

Between doing loads of laundry, ironing clothes for the week, cleaning house and watching Mother Nature change her mind between rain and snow repeatedly today (presently I'm thinking she's decided to make it snain, or row- nothing nearly as fast or urgent as *sleet*), I had fun making valentine cards for my Super Stars!

I used cardboard colored cardstock (pre-cut to postcard size), two sheets of scrapbooking paper printed with valentine illustrations and sentiments, pinking shears, scrap paper hole-punched into heart shapes, hot glue, and white buttons:

Easy, peasy, 1, 2, 3sy!

I'll sign each card and tape a valentine pencil to the back before delivering to my Stars' valentine mailboxes this week!

(Teacher Tip: Kindergarten students love deckle scissors and hole punches too- they're perfect for making valentine cards or other craftsy items!)

*****

~ Heart shaped cookies, pastries, mini cakes, candies, panini sandwiches and even potato chip how-to's can be found at Celebrate Creativity in All Its Forms...

~ Little Birdie Secrets shares a crochet heart pattern...

~ Room Mothers (or Fathers!) will love Make and Takes' chocolate dipped and decorated heart treats for upcoming valentine parties...

~ The Crafts Dept. at Martha Stewart offers valentine wrapping ideas for candy-giving...

~ ... and The Long Thread shares a valentine treat idea adapting a crayon-making-tutorial originally shared at Make and Takes...

*****

Valentine, I ♡ you!

The Truth About Dinosaur Extinction

It's a snow day here in Oz!



The kids and I enjoyed sleeping in, and woke up to a relatively quiet neighborhood... though the spinning tires of our neighbors' cars as non-teachers attempted to get out of their driveways reminded me that I need to give props to Dear Husband again for buying me my Jeep~

Thank you Dear!

Hot oatmeal and crispy bagels for breakfast, coffee for me, hot chocolate for the kids...

Flipping mattresses, washing bedclothes, and baking cookies kept us busy until the urge to cuddle on the couch and watch cartoons overtook us.  As lunchtime rolled around, cornbread, bourbon baked beans and sausage appealed, and naptime afforded us the opportunity to clean up the trail of Lego creations, blankies, and stuffed animals that the pre-schooler had deposited down the hallway and into the living room.

Which is when we found this:



I'm certain you'll agree that this puts any and all debate regarding "why dinosaurs became extinct" to rest.

It's obvious they died off because they couldn't manage walking in Spiderman slippers.

Thank You Veterans

... and gratitude to you, Dear Husband, as you spend this day so far away.

We miss and love you.  Stay safe.

Happy Birthday Dear Husband

Happy Birthday Dear Husband- though I couldn't get the pre-schooler to sing the "Happy Birthday Song" on camera, I did catch him singing about purple dragons and spiders as he looked through a book about animals:

Our High School Graduate

Congratulations Boy, you *did it*!

I am so very proud of my son, and so grateful for his friends and family who supported and guided him when Uncle Sam decided it was time for us to live an unconventional family life, relocation after relocation. Many thanks to his teachers, several of whom I attended either high school or college with in my younger years. While I appreciate your praise for my son, graduation marks the time for us all to plant our sized 9-12 bunny boots firmly into his backside aiming toward a college campus! All together now!

On to your next great adventure Boy- don't forget to ask for help, say "thank you," and be the type of person YOU always hope to encounter.

Hooah!

This afternoon I received the Dr. Mary E. Walker Award- what a joy it is to be an Army Wife!

It's not every day you get to pose with a General, Command Sergeant Major, and your very own *personal* Sergeant Major:



Hooah!

2008 Reflection

Couldn't resist.

*****

2008 has been busy, educational, enlightening, germ-filled, history-making... all around a memorable year. While IM'ing with Alice yesterday afternoon, I shared that while I'm not an advocate for adding more hours to the day, I am feeling a bit frustrated that I'm missing out on doing all of the things I'd like to be enjoying. Prioritize, organize, sort, toss, de-clutter, sacrifice...they all work in emergency situations, and I've found them helpful during times in my life when I've felt overwhelmed, without direction, treading water. Shake it up, clean it out, start fresh- all those things many people resolve to do at least once a year. But spending time with my family, teaching kindergartners, crafting, reading, blogging, exploring, keeping up on letter writing/correspondence and enjoying "down time" are all important to me. While I don't ever put aside family or my job, I absolutely feel loss when I push one or more of the other pleasures to the side for a weekend, a month, or a semester. I'm not falling behind, I'm just not getting to do what I want to do. It's my selfishness coming out- or many things simply do matter to me.

*****

Thoughts floating around in my mind for the next year:

~ Listening to political pundits and spin doctors diagnose, mis-diagnose, blow smoke, and generally keep the American public on some terrifying rollercoaster ride once our new President takes office is not something to which I'm looking forward. As an individual, he didn't get us into this mess folks, he's been hired to help get us out of it. And it won't be easy, and it won't be fun, and it won't be quick, so:



(find other colors of this poster at sfgirlbybay's ETSY shop)

~ NCLB continues to have me worried, especially when state/formal assessments for pre-schoolers and beginning kindergartners are being considered, adopted, and inflicted upon young children. It's not that we as teachers don't assess- we do, constantly. I've shared what I'm noticing and what I check for when I meet my students for the first time, and I assess students daily using academic and social/behavioral rubrics throughout the school year. I assess in order to know what each child's strengths, needs, and prior schema are in order to adjust my teaching style so that I can provide an effective and enjoyable kindergarten experience for each of my Stars. I do NOT rate them on a scale from 1-10, with the goal of having each and every student a perfectly matched 10 by the end of the year. One child's handwriting may still appear wobbly while another's is almost freakishly calligraphic. Several students may be comprehending literacy materials several grades above their level, while many classmates will still be building their sounding out and sight word recognition skills in preparation for their future light bulb moment in the first grade.

NCLB doesn't help the varied needs of our diverse student populations- it looks to punish diversity itself. We are not clones, biologically, emotionally, physically, socio-economically or mentally, yet we are all capable of accomplishing in our lives. Forcing students to learn how to pass a single test (because if they do, then gee, that means we've solved society's ills, made everyone equal, and can finally compete in the world market, right?) robs them of the time they need to learn what may be their most important life skill of all: how to find the information they need. Go ahead and teach the basics. Add a bunch extra too, and encourage students to ask questions and to go out and experience the world. Keep them interested- and teach them how to find the answers to what they want and need to know. Guide them as they continue to think, learn and explore for themselves, no matter how much it frightens marketing gurus, religious zealots, and other predators.*

* (Yes, I group them together. If it bothers you, never fear: I'm just a kindergarten teacher.)

~ Dear Husband is likely to deploy for the second time in three years. We've bought December 2009's Christmas cards, and have already signed them and tucked them away. Pre-deployment preparations start early...really early. We'll begin stockpiling flat rate mailing boxes soon too. Hooah!

~ Is anyone willing to share not-so-obvious yet completely-necessary tips with this beginning gardener? Remember, I'm in Oz, have a yard that enjoys a lot of sun during the summer, and like many families enduring our nation's financial fiasco, want to grow our own veggies to see us through. We also have roaming deer in these parts- my guess is they too, will try to enjoy our (hopeful) bounty. Ideas?

~ The movie wasn't as good as the book, which has me a bit worried that seeing any future film installment made of the Twilight series will also be disappointing (come on make up specialists, the vampires are supposed to look ethereally beautiful, not cakey and plastered), but I read all four this year (Dear Daughter is finishing the third and hopes to finish the fourth before the end of January), and enjoyed them enough to hop on the marketing bandwagon to purchase a Twilight pendant. No, no, no, not from Hot Topic or some other teeny-bopper mall shop... I found mine on eBay, and followed the seller's link over to her ETSY shop: OliviaMoon.



The front...



...and back:



Photography, books, jewelry, exploring, typography, crafting, teaching, ranting, family, friends, blogging, kindergarten fun... so many things to carry over into 2009! Goodbye 2008, hello NEW YEAR!

So Life is a Dance...

...and while I love music, sometimes I get tripped up and slowed down by the dance steps. I spent most of my time this week at work, humming Christmas melodies as I corrected pencil positions, checked sorted objects (cylinders, cubes, cones, spheres, rectangular prisms), got to know my new teacher aide, and re-arranged desks and two centers in anticipation of two new students starting in my class- one before the holiday break, one after. I read Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa books to the Super Stars, and enjoyed helping students make their menorahs, Kwanzaa necklaces, and ornaments. The upcoming week will be spent working on grade cards, preparing for an international student to leave, and keeping the mood as calm as possible as excitement builds throughout the school. We'll make graham cracker "gingerbread" houses on Thursday with parents which is always a fun activity, and then take down all of the December decor to be sent home, leaving the room a quiet blank slate for a few weeks.

As Dear Husband was called away abruptly by Uncle Sam on Tuesday afternoon, most of my home schedule changed- many more chores, and far less crafting and baking took place despite my best laid plans. Holiday parties were missed, with other obligations taking their place, reminding me how much I'm going to dread the transition for DH's next deployment. The kids and I do well when he's gone, but only after we've created our new schedule, our new routine, which can take up to a month. Our lives require actual choreography, and let me tell you, the dance steps for a pre-schooler are much easier than they are for a teenager!

Chores were tackled yesterday, which gives me the opportunity to finish up on Christmas gifts today- hot glue gun, here I come! Wreaths, banners, quick floral arrangements, with pauses for baking and reading through my favorite blogs thrown in for good measure. Not a quick step, not a fox trot, but certainly not a slow waltz either...

Matt still has the right idea:


*****

My latest Victoria magazine arrived, and reading Alexandra Stoddard's "Celebrating the Holidays in a Nontraditional Manner" has helped immensely. Our traditions of baking, putting up the tree and decorating the house probably won't change anytime soon thanks to having the preschooler, but my husband and I anticipate that there's a strong chance that we won't have an old fashioned "family" Christmas every year after the kids have left our home to live their own lives. Traveling and relocating so often these past five years, our family traditions have been the foundation upon which we build the newest scene, this year's "set," our temporary stage until we move again. Once we're settled for good, new traditions as well as new freedoms will be created. Quoting Stoddard:

A friend told me recently, "You have to grasp at life." If it's time to let go of the traditions of the past, be ready by having some daring adventure in mind. What threatens the human spirit most is allowing ourselves to become stuck in a routine. Traditions that were once wonderful should not evolve into obligations."

Change is inevitable, and so far, I'm thinking change is good.

Thank You Veterans

...and Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Blogging

I fell off the face of Blogland for a whopping two days, but have returned in time to warm up my speed-typing fingers so that I can blog about who won my 400th blog post Giveaway (you still have time to enter, I'll draw a name this evening and post the winner before bed time!) later today.

Two days ago I meant to show you a recent yard sale treasure I'd found:



But I had already filled it full of these by the time I was ready to take the picture (oh yes, the creeping crud required intensive chemical intervention...peanut m-n-m's weren't working their usual magic for some reason):



Something tells me that butter or a garnish of some sort would look more "Thanksgiving-y" in place of the medications.

Yesterday I meant to share the pile of magazines that I was working myself through to pull recipes, ideas, etc. out of for my inspiration binders so that I could buy new magazines that Dear Husband wouldn't have a cow over tidy up the home in preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I ended up buried in said pile to the point that Dear Daughter and the Preschooler had to dig me out so I could make dinner. No, no, they didn't try to save me before that point... apparently I'm expendable until their stomachs start growling.

*****

Today I thought I'd mention a realization that hit me when I was under the magazine pile: my family and I have been here for four months, and we're still not settled. We're moved in- we've BEEN moved in. We're unpacked. We're arranged. We're sorted. But we're not settled. I'm thinking it's a side effect from moving four times in the past five years. We've gotten so good at unpacking, decorating, and going through the motions of school and work routines, knowing in the backs of our minds that we're going to have to pack it all up again, say goodbye, and make a long drive, in eight months, in seven, in six, in five, in four, in three, two, one... always on the go, always preparing to leave and relocate, not really living in the moment because preparations take up too much time.

I'm hoping Uncle Sam lets us stay someplace longer than a year or two. I haven't "done lunch" with friends since last February when Dear Husband let me escape from Texas for a weekend to return to Oz for visits and shopping. In Alaska, the Loud Ladies had breakfast together twice a month, regularly, for years. I'm a social creature when I'm amongst friends. Time to stay someplace long enough to make some.

*****



I picked up the newest edition of Artful Blogging yesterday, and it is as wonderful as I expected it to be. Not a kindergarten teacher in the group, but creative bloggers who can also answer "why do you blog?" with "why not?" The readers who visit me here, and the fellow teachers, moms, and crafters who comment on my posts are not only a part of my personal and professional learning community, they are kindred connections. I may not be a member of an Army Wives group or a Crafters Clique, but no matter how often I move, I belong, and can be found here.

A Table for Fallen Comrades

When my husband and I first starting dating, I had a lot to learn about his job, military jargon and traditions, and what I would find out over time was this nation's larger "military family." The first time I attended a Military Police Ball, I was completely unprepared for the emotions stirred up by the obvious esprit de corps and respect and regard for service and rank. I had merely worried over whether or not my gown was appropriate, and if I would be welcomed into the fold or treated as a civilian outsider.

We had our photos taken, went through the receiving line, and found our table, though we did not sit until invited to do so by the call to dinner. At the beginning of the event, introductory comments were shared, glasses were charged (filled with wine), and toasts were made, including this one:

Perhaps as you entered the hall this evening, you noticed a small table, set for one, in a place of honor. The military caste is filled with symbolism; this table is our way of symbolizing the fact that members of our proud profession are missing from our midst, unable to be with us this evening. It symbolizes those killed or missing in action. We call these soldiers our comrades.

This table, set for one, is small. It symbolizes the face of one of our own and the singular life given in defense of our nation.

The tablecloth is white, symbolizing the purity of our comrade's intentions to respond to our country's call to arms.

The single rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the family and loved ones of our comrade-in-arms who keep the faith, awaiting the return of those who are prisoners of war or missing in action.

The yellow ribbon tied so prominently on the vase, is reminiscent of the yellow ribbon worn upon the lapels and breasts of thousands who bear witness with their unyielding determination to demand a proper accounting of our missing soldiers.

A slice of lemon is on the bread plate, symbolizing our comrade's bitter fate.

There is salt upon the bread plate, symbolic of the tears shed by the comrade's family.

The wine glass is inverted. Our comrade cannot toast with us tonight.

The chair is empty, for our comrade will not be joining us.

Remember our fallen comrades, for surely, they have not forsaken you.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you have not done so, please charge your glasses with water: wine is not a luxury our comrades can enjoy.

Ladies and gentlemen, I propose a toast, to our fallen comrades, prisoners of war, and those missing in action."

At which point glasses were quietly raised toward the table, guests remained silent, and Taps was played.

I have never made it through an MP Ball without crying. I expect I never will.

Glass Slippers and a Dodge Ram Carriage

Apologies for being away Friday and Saturday~

Gown ironing, hair curling, make-up applying, and high-heel teetering was taking place Friday afternoon after school since Dear Husband and I had the MP Ball to attend:



We enjoyed a wonderful meal, sat at a table with funny and friendly soldiers and spouses and even did a little dancing before the clock struck twelve, though we didn't make it out of the ballroom quickly enough before my aching feet demanded to be freed from shoes that *felt* like glass slippers. Ouch.

*****

Though my carriage was a Dodge Ram driven by DH, here are some inspiring pumpkins from BlogLand:

~ Oscar the (Pumpkin) Grouch? See it at Craft and Clutter!

~ Smitten Kitchen makes Pumpkin Swirl Brownies...

~ CakeSpy posts a letter to the editor from the Mellowcreme Pumpkin (TOO funny!)

~ A Storybook Life shares painted pumpkins...

~ Bella Pink Cafe visited a pumpkin patch...

*****



Carriage found here...