Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Moose Costume

There's a reason you will never see a beagle modeling dog costumes.

I went to snap a pic of our 10-month-old puppy, Lupine, wearing moose antlers. I figured three of us working together could wrangle her into the cute headpiece.



One kid held her still, while another slipped the costume onto her head. So far, so good.





Right as I clicked my camera, the dog whipped around, so I captured a crystal clear image of her back. Okay. Not ideal, but I'll call her name and she'll turn around, right?




She turned around all right. She proceeded to run as fast as she could in a tight little circle, shaking her head so hard I thought it might fly off.

A beagle in moose antlers is almost as ridiculous as a real moose.



Dinner last night: oven-baked parmesan chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn

Exactly four years ago:







Monday, October 22, 2012

Fall Decor

I love the colors of autumn and the various motifs associated with harvest—leaves, pumpkins, scarecrows, and such—and try to use those in my fall decorations, rather than emphasizing the gory and supernatural elements of Halloween.

That said, . . .































Dinner last night: tuna melts, tomato soup

Exactly two years ago:

Exactly four years ago:



Friday, October 19, 2012

My Kryptonite

My youngest daughter has been getting away with a lot lately. She knows I can't resist a smiling child who's missing her two front teeth.

Every time I start to grouch at her about her unmade bed or dirty plate left on the table, she flashes me a toothless grin.


Growing . . . weaker . . . by the . . . second . . . 



Dinner last night: cheese pizza

Exactly one year ago:

Exactly two years ago:

Exactly three years ago:

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Changing of the Seasons

Autumn is rapidly being replaced by winter, but those are not the changing seasons that affect my daughter. She plays volleyball, and her team's final game takes place exactly one week from today. Yay! She'll finally get to hang out around the house and take it easy.


No more daily practices . . . no more weekend tournaments . . . no more returning home at 10:00 on a school night after a road trip . . .

until basketball season starts in a few weeks.



Dinner last night: barbecue salmon, rice, corn

Exactly two years ago:




Wednesday, October 17, 2012

October Sunset

Every year about this time, when the air cools and the snow begins dusting the mountaintops, we are treated to the most spectacular skies. We've witnessed so many gorgeous sunrises and sunsets this month. And the Northern Lights! You haven't lived until you've stood outside in the cold, dark silence under a dancing sky of blues and greens and reds.



I'm not sure which amazes me more: the colors of the sunset captured in this photo, or the fact that it was snapped on my husband's CELL PHONE.



Dinner last night: chili, rice, and cheese

Exactly four years ago: