Sunday Salon, Dia de Muertos and Halloween week-end

Happy Halloween/ Dia de Muertos, the Day of the Dead weekend!

Weather: Overcast and cool. The leaves are falling at a frantic pace. It won't be long before they will be bare.

Two hummingbird feeder: I recently learned that some hummingbirds no longer migrate during the winter from the Pacific Northwest. However, there really isn't enough food for them so they rely on feeders to survive. We now have two hummingbirds that are almost constantly at the feeder.  One just sits and guards it, the other swoops in for a quick feed and then flits away. Yesterday when I was changing the sugar water, I was buzzed by both of them as if they were saying, "Hurry up. We are cold and need the calories right now."

Carly greeted trick-or-treaters in her Jessie outfit.

Halloween: Carly got home from her new, temporary job at REI in time to dress up as Jessie, from Toy Story 2. She became the official door greeter. She'd say, "Howdy partners!", and most kids would answer back, "Hi, Jessie!" It was so cute. We handed out over 200 pieces of candy and still had to turn the lights out early. Our candy bowl was empty.

Day of the Dead Bride and Groom Candles

Wedding update: Last week I reported from Eugene where we were for the wedding of my nephew Jeffrey to Alyssa.  The decorations were appropriately targeted at the time of the year. They even had Day of the Dead skulls and other such colorful trinkets around.  My favorite decorations were the Dia de Muertos bride and groom tapers. Now the new couple are off in Hawaii now for their honeymoon, apparently having the time of their lives. The other photo is of my sister and Jeffrey dancing to Over the Rainbow, the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version. Both Jeff and Kathy are singing while they danced. I love this moment, luckily caught on film.

Mother/Son dance

Honor Society Induction ceremony: This week we inducted 60 new Honor Society members. Preparing for the ceremony was nearly a full-time job these past few weeks. Goodness, I am glad it is over! Ever feel that way? You are excited for an event but can hardly wait until it is over.  We did it right, however.  We had the JROTC Color guard present the colors, an orchestra quartet played the gathering music, and the select choir sang the National Anthem. Quite a lot of pomp and circumstance.

Books finished this week:

• Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon--- a spooky, atmospheric gothic novel set in Barcelona. Perfect for this week. Audiobook.
• Otherbound by Corrine Duyvis--- a Mock Printz selection. I've been working on this book intermittently for six weeks. I like the ending a lot.

Currently reading:

• A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. We listened to this audiobook on the way home from Eugene when, oddly, the other audiobook we were listening to on the way down disappeared off my iPod. Poof, it was gone. Luckily, we had this one ready to go.  It is an upcoming book club selection. I am enjoying it a lot.
• Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer---I am only 5 pages in, so I don't really have an idea about the quality of this book, yet.

Our porch pumpkins, 2014. We go for cute, not scary.