Spend All Hallows Eve at Moondollars Cafe

Hey fellow Oak Ridgers- at the Moondollar Cafe tonight they are featuring tarot readings by Victoria and you can settle in and watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show! I stopped by today, and got a sneak peek of tonight's menu and it looks fabulous! My stomach is growling just thinking of pumpkin sweet potato soup... it sounds so good! All hail all things pumpkin!

Speaking of pumpkins, my husband's carving skills will be on display outside in the form of a carved beauty he donated to Moondollars today. It's our favorite one that he's done this year. It's a scene he did from the animated Hayao Miyazaki movie "Our Neighbor Totoro." Go on down and see it in the flesh- or check out his new blog The Psycho Carver for more wicked pumpkin carving masterpieces!

In the Beginning, There Was A Pumpkin...

Did my husband out-do himself this year or what? I told you we take Halloween seriously in this household! In this line up you can see a dragon, Pinhead from Hellraiser, and Jack Skellington! He usually does one pumpkin for each member of the family... the kids really like picking out the pictures they want him to do. I believe the dragon came from one of those pumpkin carving kits you can buy at Target that comes with all the little tools. The patterns for Pinhead and Jack Skellington were found on The Pumpkin Wizard although my husband adapted them to suit his own pumpkin carving strategy.

This one is really this year's masterpiece... For all of you Hayao Miyazaki fans, this one's for you! It's from My Neighbor Totoro and this is our all-time favorite so far! My husband actually drew this by hand looking at a scene from the movie and adapting it to create his own pattern. Isn't it adorable! If you haven't seen a Miyazaki movie, you should really be bonked on the head. No, really, all of his movies are absolutely wonderful, stunning illustrations, great story lines, your kids will LOVE these movies! Although I recommend his movies, be aware that not all of his movies are appropriate for all age groups. Even though these are animated features, some of the movies have content that is not appropriate for young viewers. This is especially true for one called Graveyard of the Fireflies... it deals with really sad subject matter, and after watching this my hubby and I were glum for days. Make sure to screen it, or ask someone before you show it to the kiddies! I recommend Totoro and Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service would be a fun one for Halloween, but Howl's Moving Castle is my favorite.

Here's A Little Reminder- PumpkinFest 2008 is going on this Saturday at Grove Center from 11am-5pm. Here is info. from their Facebook page.

Have a Tiki... or Two

I told you folks I that I am absolutely crazy MAD about Halloween! I hope you enjoy my little Halloween tikis design I've been working on... and yes, the flowers are supposed to be made of candy corn! In case you don't already know, I also like Hawaiiana. My 3 year old is a big fan of the surprised one. She was totally hovering over my shoulder while I was draw-ring them. I am still tinkering around with them, I can't stop myself! I have a whole page of this design that I am considering posting as Halloween wallpaper... wha-da-ya-think- trick or treat?!

"You didn't tell me you were going to KILL it!"

Well, Folks, I have been up to no good this week- learning new stuff, doing school stuff, just all kinds of stuff involving parental and kid things... So my post will be short and sweet- forget the presidential debates- ARE YOU READY FOR HALLOWEEN? The nostalgic in me needs to get in tune with my childhood and dig up my copy of "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown," so that I can force my kids to watch it as some sort of parent-child bonding ritual. Here's a little treat for all you Linuses out there!



Speaking of killing the pumpkin- here is a pic of last year's Great Pumpkin courtesy of my husband's mad carving skills... We'll see if he can out-do himself this year!

Getting in the Mood...

If you aren't already in the Halloween spirit- check out these cute... er cool, skeletal coffee mugs from skeletaldropkick. When I got too old for trick or treating, my mum actually used to 'surprise' us with our own little candy stash in a decorative mug... Too bad these little beauties weren't around at the time! For your own skeletal coffee mug, or perhaps a festive set of ceramic horns, I really recommend checking out the stuff for sale in her etsy shop. I really dig the squid teapot myself and the wee mummy bowl. If you really want a mind-blowing moment, watch her create one of her wild scuptures on this video, my 3 year old got a really big kick out of this one.

Oak Ridge in October...

Oct. 4th – Secret City Head Race - www.ORRA.org

Oct. 4-5 - The Velveteen Rabbit @ Oak Ridge Playhouse- www.orplayhouse.com

Oct. 9-11 – St. Mary's Fall Festival - 457-3552

Oct 9-12 - Secret City Film Festival tickets - www.SecretCityFilmFestival.com

Oct. 9-12- 29th Annual Tennessee Fall Homecoming @ Museum of Appalacchia - www.museumofappalachia.org

Oct. 11th – Anderson County Toy Run - www.andersoncountytoyrun.org

Oct. 18 - 19 - Street Painting Festival - RSCC Campus - http://rotaryor.org/streetpaintingfestival

Oct. 23rd – 26th Annual Children's Halloween Party at the Civic Center @ 5:30 p.m. - www.orrecparks.org

Oct. 25 - Pumpkin Fest from 11am to 5pm, Grove Center

Senior Moments at American Museum of Science & Energy Events - http://www.amse.org

Catch the Secret City Excursion Train for first glimpse of the beautiful East Tennessee countryside during the most scenic time of year. Sit back and relax while viewing some of the most spectacular Fall colors in the region. Every Sat & Sun 11am, 1pm and 3pm in October. http://www.techscribes.com/sarm/srm_scs.htm
Call 865-241-2140 for tickets.

A Word About the VP Hopefuls...

Hey Folks-

I don't usually like to post about political jibber jabber in my blogging life, but I found this article on MSN Money regarding the VP candidates' finances, actually it's pretty interesting. In light of tonight's much anticipated debates, I thought I'd give you some brain food to get you in the mood... How many of you Oak Ridgers are planning to watch the Palin-Biden debate tonight? If I can get the kiddies settled, I think I am definitely going to tune in to the excitement.

I have to admit, this is really the first time that I am amazingly stoked about the presidential elections. It is so amazing to be living in a moment in time where minorities are actually being seriously considered and may have a real chance at achieving the greatest and most respected positions in public office!

I know that I might get a lot of guff from my friends and relatives on saying so, but I really admire Governor Palin. I am coming from the perspective of being blessed to be a mother of three beautiful little girls, my youngest having some special needs, and even though I may not agree with everything Palin has to say politically, I can point to this woman and tell my daughters the following:

1. Hey, look- you can have your cake and eat it too!
2. You can be beautiful, have a large family, and still have a successful career
3. Everybody has family issues [who among us doesn't], deal with them as best you can as a family and everything will work itself out.
4. All children, including those with special needs are precious gifts, and present us with challenges that not only make us better parents, but also better human beings.
5. You don't have to be a follower, you don't have to be a crowd pleaser, please just be your own person.
6. There are no prescribed paths to leading a successful life, just the basics- know your values and stick to your goals... and your guns!

Whichever candidates are privileged to have your vote- always remember what a wonderful and exciting time it is to be a voter!