Why Attack the Messenger?

I see the signs.  My Occupy Wall Street posts on Facebook have less and less “Likes.”  I stopped clicking “Share.”  But my position didn’t change.

I’ve been reading a lot from people who oppose the Occupy Wall Street position.  Instead of giving thumbnail sound-byte type information, I’ve come up with a few thoughts of my own.

I still applaud those who “took to the streets” when their voice was not being heard. They rose from the ashes of apathy and in spite of being ignored for weeks, or worse, pressed on.  And now, as temperatures drop, they continue to stand.  This simple act of OWNING their country, and not throwing up their hands in disgust and resignation, makes me smile. It gives me hope.

And then I read more about their situation. My hope starts to fade.  I think about my kids' futures. I think about the Oakland police, ill-equipped to deal appropriately with peaceful protestors. I think about how quickly America is to support underdogs in oppressive regimes in OTHER countries, but maybe not when it happens at home. Focusing on these issues doesn't really solve the larger problem facing us all.

So I read some more.

The Wall Street Journal (Nov.7, 2011) wrote “GenerationJobless:  For Those Under 24, A Portrait in Crisis.”

Though workers of all ages face economic headwinds, teens and adults under the age of 24, especially those with little or no college education, are faring the worst, economists say. The 16.7% unemployment rate among Americans in that group is more than twice the rate for workers 25 and older.

And if you want to see Labor Statistics about how the young adults are faring, look at this:

“The Kids Are Not Alright” from the Economic Policy Institute.

In the past 4 recessions, young adults are experiencing a significantly higher rate of unemployment AND it’s gone on for more weeks than ever seen before.

If the middle-aged employed people could stop focusing on themselves and look at the bigger picture, we might actually find a solution. But instead, they say “Stop railing against those of us who have done well!” Why do the entrepreneurs who HAVE done well, voice their concerns against these protestors?  Why not side with them and say, “Yes, corporations are completely out of control and something must be done to stop them.” Instead they get self-focused, fearing their slice of the pie might get a little smaller.   Shouldn’t  ALL Americans be horrified that banks got bailouts and didn’t let any of it trickle down?  Shouldn’t everyone be enraged when corporations take over of our political system and congressional choices are being bought and sold by lobbyists?

When people want less government intervention for big businesses, I’m struck by the thought that that’s exactly what happened.  No one was watching them and they ran amuck.  It was the lack of government intervention that exacerbated the problem and took Americans to the brink of disaster. The temporary tax cuts were supposed to be just that…temporary. But everyone got comfortable with paying less taxes and…surprise, surprise!... our country has less money!  I’d love to say that businesses took that opportunity of tax relief and found a way to make their business more stable. But that’s not what they did. They took the money and banked it. They set up systems to move the jobs overseas. They fretted that the government might want more from them so they hunkered down and didn’t do anything that would help the American economy.

Facts are facts, too many people are unemployed.  And our unemployment numbers aren’t even accurate because if a person stops looking for a job in their chosen field, they’re not even included in the numbers any longer. Then there are those who are patching together jobs at Starbucks and McDonalds, just to keep their head above water. This is not what our young adults envisioned their life would look like. It’s not what we told them it would look like. They’ve entered their early adult years with debt and no safety net. We sat by and let Big Corporations steamroll our economy….and no, I am not talking about your small business on Main Street.  I don’t know whether it’s because we (adults 35-55) were so busy trying to stay afloat ourselves that we didn’t look into it, if we counted on the Anderson Coopers of the world to keep everyone honest, or we were intimidated when CEOs implied we were not savvy enough to understand. But  maybe we just liked aligning ourselves with The Successful People.   

 

And so when unemployment rises, and people are saying, “we believed you, but you lied,” the response is, “Now, now, you just don’t understand.”  “Trust us, we know what’s best.” Or “What are all these ignorant ragamuffins doing protesting on Wall Street? They just want a free handout.”    

Maybe they don’t understand a lot of the intricacies – I know I don’t.  But they know they are unemployed. They know that large corporations are doing remarkably well in this economy that is crushing them.   When opponents to Occupy Wall Street shout, “What do you want? Socialism?” Why weren’t they yelling when the government went the socialism route to bail out banks or loaned billions to automobile giants? Have you seen Detroit? That money never made it to the blue-collared workers.

Instead of writing against the protestors, what if we simply helped young adults find a way out of this dark hole?  What if we stopped with partisan finger-pointing  and took time to see how to get our country back?  Prolonged unemployment has serious ramifications on any society.  We need to look at the real problems and not get carried away with picking at the messengers of Occupy Wall Street. Does anyone else hear Big Business Corporations chuckling to each other about how the masses are turning on each other and ignoring what they’re doing?

Exploring Your Interests WILL Take You Places!

So what do you want to be when you grow up?

How often do kids hear this? I know I heard it, my kids heard it. And it did have an impact. From an early age we start thinking about what kind of occupation we want for our Grown Up Life.   We show an interest in the way the body works, our grandma says we should be a doctor. We want to visit the pet store, our aunt thinks we should become a vet. We like little kids, maybe a teacher.  But if we show an interest in drawing, odds are, our dad will tell us, "You can't really make a living at that." If we want to play a lot of video games, our mom reminds us that "You can't do that for the rest of your life."

So we're pushed and we're pulled and all the while, we're just curious. We find things that make us happy and we want to do them.

Michael & Tomohiro

My son Michael, knew he was interested in travel. He especially liked to learn about other cultures. We had an exchange student from Japan when he was 12, and that was clearly the jumping off place. At 16, he went to Japan himself for 2 months as an exchange student. In college, he took a semester and studied anthropology and archaeology in Belize. He graduated with a degree in Journalism and a plan to become a Travel Writer. He's currently in the Peace Corps and working with high school students in Nicaragua.

Katie in CATS

My daughter Katie wanted to be on a stage from the very beginning. She'd sit on the counter in the bathroom and watch herself belt out songs from Fievel Goes West. She had an enormous ability to memorize lines. She performed in the living room along with shows on TV, moved into skits in our backyard with friends, then on to community theatre. Her interest in acting and singing continued to grow and she did more shows, took more lessons, landed some commercials, and even films. Because her desires didn't waver, she now is studying at the New York Film Academy and living her dream.

Alyssa applying Zombie Make-up

Alyssa was the one who was most interested in pop culture and the fashion/make-up world. She taped pictures of movie stars with their beautiful hair and make up all over her room. Her interest continued.  At a farmer's market in Austin, I spoke with a woman who was making her own natural make-up. I noticed that she did classes for younger teens. I was immediately drawn to that because i was secretly hoping Alyssa would curb her heavy eyeliner obsession. We signed up for the class and the woman offered Alyssa an internship in her shop. Alyssa learned how to make the make-up, how to apply it on models. She worked with photographers, learned about lighting,  and worked backstage at fashion shows. She had found her niche.  It was a natural step for her to go to a local cosmetology school and learn more. So when she found a Vidal Sassoon school nearby, she signed up and started classes.

Alyssa & her guinea pig 

Just to be clear though, each them explored all kinds of different paths before choosing the one they are on.  They took other classes, got jobs, joined teams, but over time, their interest in these particular areas continued to rise to the top, while the others fell away. A great example of this is Alyssa's love of animals. From an early age, she spent hours playing with pets. She read books about them, she cut out pictures of them... if there were animals, she wanted to see them! Later, she discovered horses and wanted to be around them all the time. Because people often told her, "You should be a vet," she started to tell people that's what she wanted to do. But she really didn't know what vets did…until we moved to a ranch in Texas. Her horse had turned his head into a Mesquite tree thorn. The vet had to come out to the house.  I will spare you the gruesome details, but after watching the vet remove the thorn, Alyssa decided she did NOT want to be a vet. She would continue her love of animals, but dealing with sick or injured animals was not her thing. Good to know before we spent thousands of dollars at Texas A & M for vet school!

What if we, as adults, stopped the conversations about what someone is going to be. And instead, just enjoy the moment. Play with the puppies. Find some cool drawing books. Learn to play the video game with your child.  Eliminate any pressures. No big plans. Just stay with it until it either branches into something else, or continues to go deeper. Because life works itself out. And without a lot of nudging in various directions, kids really WILL know what they like to do by the time they're in their late teens. They will have had an opportunity to really get to know themselves and their true interests. 

Sometimes, when you read about kids going off to college, you hear parents say, "How do they know what they want to be at 18?"  But kids who've been given the opportunity to freely explore what they like to do in their younger years, OFTEN know what they want to try for a career - or at least where they want to start. They just needed  that time and space to listen to their own inclinations without a heavy influence on what might be a successful career move.

Here we are at Olive Garden, Summer 2011
Michael is about to leave for the Peace Corps
Katie is going to an NYC film school
Alyssa is starting in a Vidal Sasoon cosmetology school

Ladies Who Lunch

Today several of my friends met for lunch at a Junior Forum fundraiser, Christmas at the Caswell House.  I brought my mom, who loves these kinds of events, and so did several of my friends. I'm reminded of the  "Mommy and Me" Events we used to have for Girl Scouts, only the "girl" at the event, was 40-50ish and the mom...well, they'd prefer I just say "older" or "mature." OK. So it struck me as funny when I'd lose track of my mom on one of the floors. I had this urge to say, "I've lost my Mommy!" But I think it would have only been funny to me.  So I tried to refrain. 

The Caswell House is in the center of Austin. It's all decked out in Christmas, inside and out. Each room has all kinds of decorations for us to buy - all part of the fundraiser. They had 2 really cool trees, my pictures didn't turn out, so I'll explain. One was an "Upside Down Tree." Now they have huge 12 foot ceilings at this house. And all the ornaments hang down from the branches, with the widest part happening up at the ceiling and then it tapers down to the point lower into the room. It's just such a great way to show off all the ornaments - they don't get lost in the tree! 

The other tree I loved was a Snowfall Tree. It had TINY little pieces of styrofoam balls - smaller than BB's. The tree continuously sprays them out the top and down over the branches. Then it's all caught in a kind of elastic saucer that spans the bottom of the tree. The styrofoam is then vacuumed up the trunk and shot up against a small upside down saucer that makes it look like snow is falling of the branches. I just loved it!!!

So we shopped for a while and then went upstairs for lunch. It's funny to me how life changes. For years, I went to luncheons like this with the military. Every time we moved, I'd get involved in the Officers' Wives' Club because it was a fast way to meet people. It was just a way of life. Once we moved to Texas, I didn't really do that anymore. Mainly because my kids were a little older and I was really involved in their stuff, carting them from place to place, and I made friends with homeschooling moms more than military moms. 

My mom, on the other hand, really preferred that I do more of this. She LOVED hearing about my going to these luncheons. I think she was always holding out hope that I'd be more "refined" than I apparently am!   So she was thrilled that my friends and I were interested in going to this event - and even MORE thrilled that I invited her to come.  

Clouds rolled in, and even though it was in 70's and quite muggy, at least it was STARTING to look like winter around here.  Christmas at the Caswell House just nudged it along. 

Camping In Autumn

Ron's the camper in our family. In Alaska, he went on expeditions in below zero weather. Las Spring, he took Michael and Kelly Berg to the Big Bend. This is particularly sweet because we used to camp with the Berg family when the kids were little. And Dave, Kelly's dad, went on that winter camping expedition with Ron. Dave's ashes were spread at Big Bend fairly recently, and Ron and Michael took Kelly back there to visit.

Camping always seemed to strengthen bonds - within our family as well as with our friends.

Katie 1997

Because we moved so often with the military, our family campouts were scattered all over the country. We camped on the beach outside Santa Barbara with literally hundreds of homeschoolers. We've watched black bears poke around for food in neighboring campsites at Denali State Park. We've camped on the Blue Ridge Parkway, on the banks of the Eagle River, on Homer Spit, Bodega Bay, and Yellowstone - to name a few! Our kids grew up making s'mores, playing in the campfire smoke, and finding constellations in the nighttime sky. It's a fairly inexpensive way to spend a lot of time together with your family.

As the kids have grown, family camping trips have dwindled in numbers. Occasionally, Ron would take Michael or Alyssa off on a weekend, one at a time. Schedules are just tougher when kids go off to school or work. It's not unusual for Ron to go off on a solo camping trip these days. He packs his motorcycle with the bare necessities - that's all he needs - and he's off to the Great Outdoors.

Katie Alyssa Michael - 1999

 But this trip was different. Texas record heat was finally behind us. Ron, Alyssa, Josh (Alyssa's boyfriend) and I were all talking about camping. The weather was cooler and the leaves were falling. Definitely our kind of camping weather.  So I gave Ron my schedule for weekends in November, and he to a reservation at Mother Neff State Park, just north of Temple, Texas.  Katie and Michael are off in New York and Nicaragua, so they obviously weren't going to be joining us.  After the date was set, Alyssa reminded us that she had a special class to take that Sunday. She'd have to bail and join us next time.

Ok, then.

Just Ron and me, no kids at all. The last time we camped without kids was probably 1986 - nearly 25 years ago!  But after all this time, I'm used to changes in plans. But, for me, this felt really different.

Campsite Antics of Yesteryear!

Ron left Friday night to get a good campsite. The tens were really cold, I wimped out and decided to join him the next morning. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. The smell of the campfires, rustling of the leaves, the creaking of the trees rubbing against each other in the wind - fabulous! We couldn't help but notice that all the campsites around us were full of families with children. Babies cried, dogs barked, kids skateboarded and played catch all around us.


Ron's been camping a lot without it being a whole family experience. I have not. So we reminisced about past campouts and our children's crazy antics over the years. We were relieved we didn't have to calm any babies, watch over the pyro tendencies of our children, or make sure someone wasn't falling into the river. We took pictures of nature itself - instead of pictures with kids as the focal point and nature as just a prop. I texted the kids to say goodnight and sent them this picture of our campfire. It was peaceful and relaxing... yet definitely a melancholy moment for me.  The sun set and I sat by the crackling campfire writing while Ron hit the hay.

Yes, it feels like Autumn.

Pay Attention!

 Consider these scenarios...

When I was little, I was one of those children who talked a lot and LOUDLY. I can remember my cousin actually turning to my dad saying, "Does she have a volume button?" Obviously, I did not. Nor did I forget the comment. I tell you this because I want you to know that I get it. My mom, who had an exhausting job, would have to come home to this high energy kid who wanted to talk and talk and talk.  I can remember sitting on the floor while she read the paper or a book and just nodded along at me. I'd ask her, "Are you listening?" "Mhm," would be her reply. Nothing more. I knew she was not listening.

When my kids were little, I was trying to juggle a variety of things at once. My kids were around all the time, since we homeschooled. They were ESPECIALLY around if I was on the phone with someone. Which was often. The internet was just taking off and I was thrilled about talking with other moms from around the country.  My kids would ask me questions and bring something to show me. They'd ask me, "Are you listening?" "Mhm," would be my reply. Nothing more. I wasn't listening to them.

Skip forward another decade and shoe is on the other foot. My teens are sitting with me in the car. I'm asking them something about their day. They're texting on their phone. From the moment they walked out the door, then there was a brief moment of "calling shotgun" for the front seat, then back to non-stop texting.  I'd ask, "Are you listening to me?" "Mhm," would be their reply. Nothing more. They weren't listening.

I give all three of these scenarios because I think you'll be able to relate to at least one of them. No one was doing anything malicious in any of these situations.  People were just caught up in the moment.  Everyone has probably been the victim and the ignorer at some point in their lives. Probably at multiple points in their lives.

But I think as parents who want to do better - as PEOPLE who want to do better - we need to adjust ourselves.  Life flies by quickly. At 50, I'm well aware of that fact.  The people who are in our lives are there because we value them.  They deserve our attention. Real attention. That attention we give indicates to them how much we love them, how we appreciate them, how they MATTER in our lives.

It's a habit of laziness really, a lack of thoughtfulness.  It's not being fully conscious about the every day life decisions we are making. I really want to be present for the people that are in my everyday life. And I want them to be present with me.

If your child wants to talk with you, appreciate them. Give them your full attention. They are mentally noting how you interact with them.  It's telling them their worth and your interest in them. And think of how that translates for later in their life...if a mother is not interested in them, who would be? These are big messages we are conveying and so often, we don't even realize it's happening.

Make an agreement that there will be actual conversation with the person in front of you - your child, your partner, your friend. Put down the texting, stop reading your email, don't glance at your Facebook newsfeed. Let people know that they DO matter to you. Look them in the eyes and really listen to them.

Holding onto the Side of the Pool

When I was little, I took a lot of swimming lessons. My dad was a great swimmer and I loved the water.  Still, like lots of kids, I lacked confidence. I would have serious doubts about my abilities to do things. 

So when I had to swim from the shallow end to the lifeguard stand as the "graduation" from Intermediate classes, I was nervous. My dad was a football coach, so he understood about breaking it into smaller steps and practice, practice, practice. Every night, we'd go to the pool. He'd have me swim along near the edgel while he'd walk along beside me, cigarette lodged in the side of his mouth. It was the 60's and everyone smoked - everywhere!  

At first, he'd offer encouragement, "You can do it Susie!" "Keep going!" "Push!" …things like that. But then he started to notice that when he did offer his cheers from the side, I'd grab the side of the pool and say, "What?" I was simply taking the opportunity to rest.  It wasn't long before he stopped trying to say things to me while I swam. Still, I could see his murky outline on deck as I turned to catch a breath. I'd stop and hold the side, "Did you say something?". 

"No! Keep swimming." He had figured me out.  I was probably 6 or 7  and, truth be told, he probably figured it out long before I realized he was onto me!  

Still, I would use this technique to try to interrupt my swimming workout, time and time again. He would continue to walk with me, shaking his head to indicate he was NOT speaking to me at this point.  His disappointment was palpable, even though unspoken. I really WAS trying to "cheat" on the swim. 

Years passed and he and I continued to use that phrase as a metaphor.  If I was taking the easy road, not challenging myself, he'd say, "Are you holding onto the side of the pool again?"  He and I knew exactly what that meant. He spent many a day telling me how I could do anything I put my mind to, and how some things are worth working for.  I was a true Daddy's Girl.  But he knew I had a tendency to go the easy way, or see if someone or something could rescue me from the obstacle I was facing. Less challenging might feel good at the moment, but overall, it's so unsatisfying.  Stagnating, even. And worse, it chips away at me. It only exacerbates any kind of low confidence moments I'm having. It's a negative cheerleader. It's the one saying, "Give up. It's too hard." "You can't do it anyway. Stop now." "How embarrassing."  

I don't know how I acquired it, but for most of my teen years I had a little decoupage plaque that hung on my wall. It was a picture of a setting sun with a small sailboat going out. It said, 

" A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for."

My dad has been dead for over 20 years, and I still have all these mental connections to water. When you're swimming and you turn your face to get a breath, if your eyes are open, you can sort of see through the pool water.  I can still see his blurry image as he walked along the side of the pool with me as if it were yesterday. Still I can hear his voice asking, "SusieQ, are you holding on to the side of the pool?" 

Every day brings some sort of challenge, small or large. And every night I can look back and see how I did with it.  I try hard to do my best. Well, sometimes I try hard. Sometimes I procrastinate.  And it's really just another way of holding onto the side of the pool, I guess.

Lists! Lists! Lists!

Sometimes I feel like my To Do List is simply too huge. Other times, I get this feeling of accomplishment simply by creating the ToDo List.  What's that about? It's not like I completed anything on the list. But there I go blithely skipping through my day - accomplishing nothing really.

That's not altogether true.  I just don't get around to the things on my list.  How could a person be so good at procrastinating? YEARS of practice!  I don't even realize I'm doing it. Until about 4:30, when others are about to come home and I'm still in PJ's!  So. Now you know.

Perhaps I should do two lists. (Can you tell making lists simply makes me happy?)

So my Big To-Do List includes:
1.) Finish cleaning my room and move the furniture to the better location
2.) Gather the stuff for the Salvation Army pick up
3.) Get the measurements and replace the drapes in the upstairs game room
4.) Poke around fabric stores and get ideas for drapes in the living room
5.) Figure out a way to get more homeschooled teens to complete my survey for my book
6.) Clean out my closet and put clothes that don't fit in Rubbermaid tubs.
7.) Clean out from under the stairway closet

8.) Scan the Christmas pictures for the video I want to make
9.) Build the greenhouse for the backyard
10) Gather up the huge acorns from my front yard to make some beautiful Fall arrangement

My more realistic, less monumental List:
1.) Make soup for dinner (simmering on the stove now - I love putting things on the list that are already done. Does it count though?)
2.) Run a load of laundry (waiting on the bathroom floor now)
3.) Go to water aerobics (trying to think of reasons not to go)
4.) Blog something wildly interesting and engaging (yeahh right. If only that was my style!)
5.) Help Cydney with her bio (she is such a good writer, why she needs me I have no idea!)
6.) Take Alyssa to get her hair cut by Matt on 6th Street (Yes, she goes to Cosmetology school but really doesn't trust her classmates with her OWN hair)
7.) Get the plants into the ground that were purchased LAST weekend before they dry out. (Really I should water the WHOLE yard. Just because temps have dropped doesn't mean we're not still in a drought here! Just look at my drying up plants!)
8.) Talk to Pam about our projects (NHEN, Learning International, coming here for a board meeting, future books)
9.) Chat with friends (Facebook walls, in email messages, on the phone - that takes up a LOT of time)
10.) Read the blogs at the November BlogRoll on Blogher.com (I really love that website and haven't gotten a chance to look at everything yet! Did you see that I'm #1470 on the blogroll? Of course you didn't, but I'm still soo excited to see it there!)

I didn't add Oprah's Life Class on my list, but I probably should have. Even though it's on the DVR, I seem to be adding it into my daily "routine." I love her new shows.

Then again, looking for cool stuff on Pinterest is calling me!

Why Write?

The prompt for Day 2 of National Blog Posting Month, is

"What is your favorite part about Writing?"

 

...which, for me, translates into "Why do you like to write?"

 

I write for a variety of reasons.  First, I've always loved words. From Dr. Seuss to the Dalai Lama, words have fascinated me. They can evoke so many emotions and thoughts in the reader. That's really powerful! I love to read what others have to say, and I often find myself with some kind of rebuttal or additional comment in my head. So the natural thing for me to do is write it down. 

I can remember living in Alaska (we were in the military, so we moved often), and I was taking a shower. I had been reading an interesting commentary about homeschooling and I just felt compelled to write! So I reached over to some of the packing paper from the top of the box and just started scribbling out my thoughts.  It must have been a strange sight, this middle-aged woman in a towel, sitting on the edge of a bed loaded with unpacked knick-knacks, trying not to drip on my thoughts being poured onto a piece of paper.  Maybe, I'm just all too aware of how forgetful I am. And if I don't write it down, it's probably going to be lost! haha!

Anyway, I'm rambling...

I like writing because I like to be inspired and I like to inspire. I really think we are put here for a reason, and our job is to figure out what that reason is.  Even at 50, I'm not 100% sure what my Purpose is. I've raised wonderful children, out having adventures of their own. And I love documenting what's going on with our family. That's what I've used my blog for primarily. But now I'm in this "Second Half" of Life. And I have this inkling that I'm on the verge of something amazing. Maybe it will show up in my writing.

National Blog Posting Month - NaBloPoMo!

I've been a fan of National NOVEL Writing Month for years. The kids have done it. I've even attempted it myself! But life got in the way and the 50,000 word goal slipped through my fingers. I was completely unaware that under the radar (or at least MY radar), for the past 5 years, people have taken the NaNoWriMo concept and created NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month, a much more do-able spinoff for me. One blog post per day for the entire month of November.  Holidays, weekends, no exceptions.

So, why oh why am I doing this, you ask? Simple. I want to get better at blogging and writing. And there's truth in the idea that the more you do it, the better you get.  The BlogHer website has all kinds of links and helpful tutorials.

If you're part of the NaBlo community, leave a comment with your link and I'll follow your blog as well. Anyone just cruising by can cheer us both on!!  And, if you're not participating...why the heck aren't you? It's a good writing exercise! And if you're thinking that you will run out of things to blog about, the BlogHer website is sending out daily writing prompts. The general theme for November is Blogging for Blogging Sake! See? You can work with that! Now, let's do this!


On your mark.
Get set.

Did I mention that there are PRIZES????

Go!!!!

Halloween 2011

For years we've been big Halloween Celebrators.  It was a fun opportunity to decorate and dress up. It didn't take long before it became "Katie's Holiday."  She LOVED it. All year long, she loved it. I'd have to slow her down from decorating the house - she'd want to start pulling everything out in September. Year after year, we'd bargain to get her to hold off on the decorations until October 1st.

But this year, Katie's far away doing her own Halloween. At first, I had such a hard time with it. Nobody there to pull out the decorations with me.  Ron pulled the rubbermaids down off the top shelves in the garage, but it just felt... off.  Still, Halloween presses on, so I'm simplyngoing to rise to the occasion.

So, first we have our pre-party costumes for the dogs...  

But Buddy's shark outfit was too small and we traded it for a pumpkin costume.

At the last minute, Alyssa decided to join the festivities and found a costume to wear to Avenue Five. Hopefully, she won't have to cut anyone's hair wearing this...

Grandma has her lovely headgear. And, she's bringing "a friend" to our house to hand out candy. They live in a Senior citizen apartment complex and kids don't typically trick-or-treat there. So she's bringing her Bulgarian neighbor to see what this is all about!

Then...after a day of shopping and cleaning.... time for more last minute decorating on the patio!

My favorite witch guards yummy snacks

Gracie, the Sheriff

Last minute glitter eyelashes - A MUST!

  And now we're ready! Josh keeps Gracie on her leash. She's trying to get used to being around children. They rush at her and scare her. But that's no problem because Buddy greets everyone! He looks pretty cute in his pumpkin suit, and the kids are quick to offer him to Trick or Treaters who show the slightest interest in him! Most respond that they already have dogs, and they know that trick of trying to palm their dog off on passersby.

Grandma is about an hour late with her friend, Tudor. He is from Bucharest and has a very thick accent. He didn't realize Grandma wasn't going to drive so that was the delay. No worries. They sit on the front patio while the early trick-or-treaters come by.

Sorry so blurry :(

Still getting used to Ron's new camera

Then the Trick-or-Treaters come out in droves. Alyssa commandeers the hand-outs once I realized that Tudor and Grandma were allowing the kids to grab hands full of candy from the basket! I even had to make another run for candy - before it was even dark! Lucky CVS is just up the street! Monster Mash music is pouring out our upstairs windows. Several other houses have competing music. Halloween is now in full swing!

There's still a burn ban going on. Temperatures are cooler but no rain in sight. So that meant we had to ditch our plan to have a small fire on the front patio. Instead, we opted for orange and purple twinkle lights in big jars. That's why Gracie's face is so orange...the glow from the twinkle jars!

I really think I'm going to create a video about Halloween Patterson Style, similar to what we did for Father's Day... obviously not in time for Halloween this year, but VERY soon. While we're still in the mood. There are so many great memories, we'll walk down spooky memory lane together! 

 

Homeschooled Voices

I'm working on a book! 

Homeschooled Voices: 

Listening to the Teens

And I need your help!

I'm trying to find as many teens as possible to share a little about what their experience was homeschooling through the teenage years.  The book will be a simple collection of comments from teens - the real experts on what that was like.  

Feel free to share the link and encourage any homeschooled teen or young adult who was homeschooled as a teenager to participate. You don't have to have composed an opera by 19, sailed around the world, or have started a popular rock band. We want to hear from teens who are busy living their lives - it just happened that they were homeschooled during their teenage years.  

Fill out the easy  Homeschooled Voices Survey and BE IN THE BOOK!

THANK YOU!