My FIRST Trick or Treater?

This is what I woke up to this morning.
I'm not even sure why I saw her so early.
It was a little bit after 5 AM and as I stepped out onto my front porch to get something, I saw "someone" outside, in the leaves, on  my steps next to the mailbox.
I slowly opened the storm door and ran back in to get my camera.

Then I brought HER? IT? inside to take a better photo.

When I was finished I stood there, looking down at it in my hand....

and hurried and put it back outside on my porch.
I don't want the THING in my house.
Yep....It's a two-way street.

IT'S A SISTER THING

http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com

So this whole thing about clowns got me to thinking about my sister. She hates CLOWNS. Not much really scares her but she hates clowns and mannequins.  I really think that you have to have a sister to really understand the bizarre relationship that they can share. They are the only person in the Universe that can drive you completely insane and yet you love with all your heart.
My sister is the only one that was actually THERE during our childhood and understands.
She's the only one that gets the inside jokes.
I remember once trying to play Pictionary with her and a couple of other friends and one of them got mad and said to "just forget it!" and wanted to stop playing. The reason was that I would draw a few lines and my sister would shout out the answer. This friend couldn't understand how some squiggles could be interpreted into a complicated answer.
A sister can be the only person on this earth who you can have ESP with and yet at the same time you can be polar opposites.
At least that is how I am with my sister.
And while I think that we are meant to be here to comfort and support each other, I also think we are here to torment each other. That is one of our missions in life. To push their "button" with GLEE.
I'm not sure why or where her fear of clowns started but I do remember the "mannequin incident".
She was a small girl and we were with our parents shopping in a huge old furniture department store. I remember it being mostly deserted and silent. No music played.
A big bore... following my parents room to room, looking at groupings of furniture. Of course my sister wasn't following.
She was running through the rooms, crawling under tables and hiding behind dressers. She didn't understand that she could be STOLEN even though I had warned her so many times. But I was walking behind my Mom looking back to see where my sibling had gone off to. Worrying.
The store was a stuffy old store and had oddities set all around. One of these odd things was a mannequin dressed as an older woman and sitting on a sofa. As we were getting ready to leave and walking towards the entrance I saw my sister sitting next to the mannequin.

http://christopherwalkingdead.blogspot.com/2010/06/tourist-trap.html

I could see her dark little head bobbing side to side. She was probably talking to the "woman" and then she looked up and realized she wasn't real at all and screamed!
That weird mannequin totally freaked her out.
Like I have mentioned before, she is and has always been fearless. So fast forward many years when she's in high school and I am just out of school. She was working that night at her part-time job and I was at a friend's home helping her clean out the attic and what do we find?
A mannequin!
I was delighted!
We packed up the mannequin, drove over to my Dad's house for my sister's spare car keys and then drove to her workplace. In the dark, we put the mannequin in the passenger seat of her car.

If you don't have a sister, you probably just don't understand why.    

If you do have one, you probably completely understand.

Now fast forward to present day. I will sometimes see little clown figurines at Goodwill or whatever and if they are particularly freaky, I have to get them. Then every once in a while I will "plant" them someplace around my sister's flowers and yard. But I haven't done it for months.
I like the element of surprise and also I've been trying to be very frugal and I'm still sorting through things and clearing out.
It's a LESS is MORE kind of thing.
So I found these two in my cupboard. I had forgotten about them!
I was just going to set them on my steps next to the pumpkins...

but my sister works 3rd shift and I think they would be a nice Halloween surprise for her!

OK, if HE"S back there, I AM scared!

Last post I mentioned that I was kind of scared of what COULD be behind my fence.
Yeah, this is sort of what I was worried about.

I'M NOT SCARED.

I went out to dinner tonight. A friend invited me, her treat! How could I refuse?!
I had taken both Blue and Jimmy with me to work and since I worked all day... I decided to just leave them at the kennel.
I mean, why drag them home just to leave again and then come back and go to bed and then off we would go to work again.
Tomorrow I have to do both the morning and the evening shift so I won't want to leave them at home so it makes sense to just leave them...right?
Anyway.
I had a very nice dinner and good conversation and then I came home.
I realize that I am not out at night by myself much anymore. When I was younger, life didn't seem to happen until after dark. But now, well I'm kinda the early to bed, early to rise type of girl.
So I came home and as I unlocked the front door I felt glad that I live where there are people so close by.  Glancing around me, I felt comforted by the TV lights flickering through the neighbors curtains.
I walked through the house and shooed my little tiny dogs outside. I stood outside in the backyard and pulled out my cell phone. I called my sister to say I was home and told her a bit about the evening. Then I hung up and called to the "gang" to go inside. I used the glow of the phone to see my way back in.
It's funny how we fall into a routine and I missed the big nose nudging my hand to rub his head. Blue always goes about his busy outside and then comes back to me and leans HARD against me. Sometimes if I don't have my footing, he even makes me stumble. But not tonight.
Why does it seems so dark?

I go inside and fill up the water bowl and the little ones play as I get on the Internet to research how to make a toilet stop running. I go upstairs and jiggle and pull some stuff inside the toilet tank and eventually it stops. I have no idea why. But I am happy.
Now all the dogs want outside again.
I go to the backdoor, the weather is still warm, high 60's, maybe even still low 70's. The last of Indian summer. In weather like this, I usually leave the back door open. I let everyone out and then look outside and close the door and lock it.  After a short while I open the door and call to the little ones to come in.

Is that really my voice?
Suddenly I sound like such a "girl".
Yep, a girl. Not a brave strong woman.
Where is Griffin? He's my old old dog. I'm not really sure how old but at least 13. Officially he's a Shih-Tzu but I know that he's really a raccoon in disguise. He can get groomed all soft and fluffy and the next thing he's out in the dirt. Or pulling over the garbage or eating dog poop.
Yeah, I know it's GROSS but I have actually chased him around the yard trying to get him to drop a piece and he will get a BIG burst of energy and sprint under some lawn furniture, out of reach, where he lies in leisure and savors his "treat". His teeth look like Hell. I've tried the gels, spray, special bones and such and he still has NASTY teeth. But why shouldn't he? When he eats shit for dessert. I have spent so much cash on "dental's" for that dog but I won't be doing anymore. The last dental he had, he "died" on the table for a scary moment or two. Doc brought him back to the living, but it took some work.
So I digress.
Everyone has come in but Griffin. Dang that dog! I shut the door and lock it. I'll check back later.
I look out the door window. I've been working on enclosing my patio with fencing. It's not done, but it has created a semi-enclosed area within an enclosed area.
That should make me feel better. Double enclosure. Someone would have to go through quite a bit of work to get in my backyard right now....
so for now, I have created a "space"... a kind of walkway behind the new fence and the old fence. It's just a space, I mean WHAT would be back there?

Finally I open the door and YELL -"Griffin!"
I'm thinking if I sound mad and forceful maybe whatever WOULD be behind the fence, would decide against coming around it. Why would it want to come out from back there and scurry across the patio towards the house.

Talk about scurrying... Griffin the little dirt-bag comes running out of the darkness and up the steps into the house. I don't EVEN want to be smelling THAT breath!
Everyone is inside now and we are locked in tight.
I'm on the computer and I hear something in the kitchen.
I switch on the light

and Griffin runs out of the room. He's pulled open a cabinet door and has spilled Malt-O-Meal on the floor. I had forgotten I even had Malt-O-Meal.
I clean it up and come back to write a post. To get my mind off of being in a house full of dogs but the biggest one being only 18 lbs. 
I miss my Blue.

I FORGOT TO SERVE THE CHEESE

at my WHINE party!

Sorry about that.
ALL BETTER.

I had a store credit at Menards, the hardware store. I'm not a big fan of the place since no one ever helps me. In fact some times I actually feel ignored. I usually go to Lowes but I had the credit.
I had seen that they had some of their light fixtures on sale. I need some light fixtures to replace 2 ceiling fans. One in the kitchen and one in the living room. I actually might just switch out the kitchen fan and put it into the living room after I "refurbish" it. I have a plan but if I describe it, it will sound TACKY. I need to do it and then SHOW it. Anyway, I had this credit burning a hole in my pocket. Never mind that the kitchen isn't painted yet and that I haven't decided what to do about tile and I haven't painted the furniture that I have collected. But I was obsessed with using this credit for a light fixture.
I had seen and wanted this:

but I bought this instead

because the glass part looks like my ceiling fan light and I could "refurbish" it TOO. To make it match. I got it home and this morning I unwrapped it and looked at it.
Too Matchy-Matchy.
I was wrapping it back up as my sister pulled into the driveway to take me to go and get my van.
After giving the van repair guy my carefully counted out bills, I drove home and got the light to return it. I was going to go back and get the one I originally wanted before the sale is over tomorrow.
I did like this one too:

but it's too thin, narrow, small, actually it's too LONG.
I have low ceilings.
I also debated over this one:

this is actually for use in a BARN, but I liked it. Very Industrial looking. I love that look.
I could spray paint it. But it was double the price so I went back to get the original one.
I stood there, staring at the  store ceiling for a very long time.
I walked over to the other side, by the ceiling fans and looked at them and then I squinted across the ceiling, back at the pendant lights. I picked up the fixture and carried the box around. I walked around some more. I went back and got a different light. They don't even have this light on their website to show you. But it looks like the first one up on top that I originally liked and the bottom looks like the bottom of this one:

Now, when I get the room done, I will have my light at the ready.

Later in the day I worked outside. I don't rake leaves in the Fall.

I consider them "mulch" to protect my plants.
I will rake in the Spring.
The other day I carried most of my blooming flower containers into the house. Temps were dropping at night and I couldn't just leave them outside to die. Last year I actually wintered over several annuals, so who knows how this group will do! The only draw back is that the house is looking like a garden nursery. I might try to hang them in the laundry room so that the cats can't get to them.

So I worked on my fence some more. I am unscrewing every picket that I put up on the old fence and screwing them onto the new fence if they are in good enough condition.

All this "work" must have released endorphins because I feel much better. I guess doing physical activity does help...
that and the Chocolate Chip Cookies that I made!

I GOT NUTHIN'....

It's been a horrible week. Every night I just come home, take care of my critters and go to bed.
Even reading my Fav Blogs isn't helping. I can't think of a thing to say....
So, I reading but not really commenting.
Yesterday I decided to leave work on my lunch hour and treat myself to a Frutista Freeze from Taco Bell.
I thought maybe getting out and driving around a little bit as I sipped on a Freeze might pull me out of my funk. A block away from the drive-through my engine started making a loud whining sound, sort of like a siren. I pulled into the parking lot and it seemed to be not as loud.
I got my Freeze and I drove back to work. Everyone said it was probably a "belt".
I took the van in this morning. It's not a "belt", it's an "alternator".

OH SHUT UP! Terry Prince!
I think someone is "peeing" on my flowers.

TWINKLE'S GREAT BIG PILLOW

MY LAST ADDICTION

PINTEREST!
I have ALWAYS been addicted to magazines and then I can't bear to get rid of them.
I NEED them to refer back to.
So I have stacks of them.
I HAVE to save them so that I have all the pictures of rooms and houses and pets and art ideas and recipes.....yes, I said recipes! (OK, I've never actually MADE one of the recipes but I saved the magazines anyway)
AND NOW I CAN GET RID OF THEM!!!!!
I can "PIN" an image and put it into the appropriate category and have it all in a nice tidy place.
No more STACKS.
PINTEREST has broken my addiction to magazines!
but now has created a NEW one....

oh well, at least this one doesn't take up any space in my house.
(and I can Google any recipes I might someday never need).

HUNTING

YES! I AM ON VACATION!
but I have so much going on in my head as I clean and sort and well.....
This is the only kind of deer that you would find on my wall -

frenchbydesign.blogspot.com

Another woman at work also took time off for vacation starting last weekend.

But she's going HUNTING.

We basically get along, as well as you could expect I suppose, given that she LOVES to hunt and fish.

We both pulled tendons in our arms recently. Hers was from a combination of "casting" as she fished. (?) and BOW-HUNTING.
Mine, I'm not really sure what I did. I'm always moving stuff and carrying stuff around at home and it's the arm I use to hold the leashes of large rowdy dogs at work.....
Just before we each left for vacation, I asked her to help me move this huge heavy plastic thing and as we were tugging it into the other room, she said not to mess up her arm again as it was almost healed.
I said, yeah- that it was my MASTER PLAN. to ruin her hunting weekend.
She started trying to explain again why she hunts.
There were others around at this point listening to us.
She said that she hunts for food. That her sister and HER family once were so poor that they depended on it to survive. I told her that I understand THAT.
I said I am a HUGE hypocrite. That I let others do my killing for me and hand it to me through a drive-up window, (although I don't eat pork and try to limit my meat intake to chicken.)
But I told her that what bothered me was the JOY and the EXCITED ANTICIPATION of the ACT.
I said that I felt that it should be done with GREAT SADNESS and REVERENCE to the SACRIFICE of LIFE. 
As I walked away I felt like the others were looking after me and thinking me odd.
Oh well...
I just don't understand how you can CARE for animals all week and then KILL them on the weekends.
But then, there is SO MUCH that I don't understand.

PUMPKINS

Yesterday I helped my sister with some gardening and then she asked me if I wanted to go get some pumpkins. She had already gone with her family the weekend before and she said that she need a few more and also wanted me to see the place. So off we went to Happy Hollow.

I always say that I'd like to live in a cul-de-sac in a Mid-Century Modern home but then I see places out in the country and I want to live there too.

I was so excited to see goats and then when we got out, we were greeted by kittens.

I was secretly worried about that. My sister's cat just passed away last Friday. They have several cats but Cecil was HER cat. He always had teeth problems, inflamed gums and things. Last Friday he went in to get his last two teeth pulled and while the dental itself went well, something happened afterwards. He had bloodwork done but it didn't detect that he had a problem with his lungs and he passed away. So I was hoping that these kittens wouldn't pull on her heart too badly.

I couldn't believe ALL the pumpkins!

Everywhere you looked. 

We went up and down the rows trying to find the "perfect" ones. 
We were way out in the pumpkin patch when I turned around and saw him.

Oh no.

My sister looked back too and said "Aw" and kept walking.

and he kept following.

My sister said I couldn't put her photo on my blog.

We were both kinda raggedy from doing gardening work...
Finally she stopped the cart and picked him up.

She hugged him and he rubbed his little face on her neck.
She looked at him and told him it was just too soon.

A bittersweet day.