BOO!

Hubby and I are hoping we get a few trick or treaters tonight.  We should not be left alone with the candy.

Still Rearranging, It's All Good

 You may be wondering, what is the significance of an empty landing?  Well, for a few months I have been moving things around, changing things up, as it were, which resulted in a huge mess on the landing.  Max had a narrow path to get to his bedroom.  It was an eyesore, a hazard and it made my blood pressure peak every time I went upstairs.  This week Hubby used one of his days off to create more storage space in the attic, I consolidated, purged and downsized until the landing was empty.  I'm kinda proud of us.

Then we switched some beds around, mopped and waxed the upstairs, and created a comfy sitting area in Max's room.  Max now has a queen sized bed, an easy chair and sofa for easy TV viewing and gaming and wants his mini fridge back in his room.  The only downside is that it may be so comfy, Max may never leave home.  I'm still crafting for the guest room.  Oh, and some more painting to do for that room.

Last night Hubby had a board meeting and I went with a friend to the Haggen's Fall Festival of Food and Wine.  Max texted me that we "got ghosted".  The little lighted ghost was in a treat filled bag from our favorite little ghosts, Ethan and Evan.  It's so cute to hear them giggling while hiding in the bushes, I was sorry I wasn't home.  I'm loving the way the ghost changes color.

This weekend, a party, cozy time by the wood stove, lots of baking and time on the sofa.  Oh, and I'm working on the guest bedroom. Have a good one!

Ginger Cookies

Ginger Snaps
3/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. molasses
1 egg
2 c. flour
1 T. ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix the dry ingredients and set aside.  Cream shortening and sugar until light.  Beat in the egg and molasses.  Add the dry ingredients and mix.  Roll in balls the size of walnuts, roll in sugar* and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Unless you want crunchy cookies, then bake longer.
*I used regular white sugar and big crystal sugar.
This cookie recipe comes from my Mom.  No matter how many times I bake them my guys always tell me that my cookies are not as good as Grandma's ginger cookies.  She makes them for the grandkids if they're sick, she puts them in college and military care packages, she makes them for son-in-laws when they clean the gutters.  They are a treat!  Enjoy!

Senior Moments, Max's, Not Mine

On Saturday Max had his senior shoot with the Snapsisters.  BIL Bill was the assistant shooter.  He runs around checking the light, changing cameras and replaces the memory card.  It's pretty much a thankless job. So, I just wanted to say, "thanks Uncle Bill."  I took a few pics of Max with his photographers.  I think this one was where Aunt Jodi used the word, "adorbs", slang for adorable.  That went over real well.  It was a lot of fun watching the Snapsister that is my sister work with a diva.

 Max and Kassie went to Stoney Ridge, carved pumpkins and then had dinner with Hubby, myself and Tyler. Hubby grilled flank steaks.  I made roasted potatoes, cauliflower with cheese sauce and salad. A delicous fall dinner with great kids.

I'd like to clarify that Kassie's feet are not that big, she borrowed slippers for the picture.

After dinner I mentioned that we could play games.  Those teens scattered like leaves on a windy fall night.

Hubby and I hit the couch and love seat for some serious relaxing.  Which is what we wanted all along.

A Perfect Autumn Moment and a Drapery Question

We have some projects going on at the Stone House.  We are sprucing up the living room.  The first step is cleaning, mopping and waxing.  Hubby takes care of our floors.  Isn't it shiny?

We found new furniture, which Max came to the furniture store, laid on it and pronounced it to be comfortable. After that hurdle we were closer to the new furniture than we've been in three years.  Men loved our old sofa.  It was amazingly comfortable but it was 15 years old, survived three moves, and three boys.  There was a list of guys that wanted our old sofa a mile long.  Max ended up moving it up to his bedroom.  Curt wants to move in but Tyler already has moved in and has taken over the sofa.  

So, in the middle of redoing the living room we had to go up to Max's room, take out the futon, clean, clean some more and move everything.  When Hubby and Max went to pick up the sofa they bought Max a new bed frame, so that had to be switched out.  He did have a really squeaky bed.  It felt as though the entire house was torn up at that point.

Why is it that one project always leads to another?

I've found ideas for drapes, but am a little overwhelmed with all the ideas and choices and decisions.

Would it be weird to have the drapes just cover the windows and the trim, but not go to the floor?

That is the HuGe question I am facing this morning.

Of course, while I'm trying to decorate the living room I find fabric and accessories to finish the master bedroom.  Well, maybe not finish... we still need crown moulding, back splash, more artwork...  But I think I found fabric for the chairs

 Thankfully I had a break from cleaning and decorating yesterday at Stoney Ridge Farm.  Sheryl and I hadn't been there in years.  Our kiddies got too old and cool to go with us.  We've been at ball games for years.  We wanted to get back to Stoney Ridge.  It is the cutest, best punkin patch in the world.  Bar none.  

We mention we are going and suddenly Michelle is coming with(I'm happy cuz I feel like we need a kid to go with us) and Max is miffed that Michelle gets to go and he doesn't... It's rainy and windy, Michelle gets a better offer and we are back on our own again.  We had a quick look around and ran to the shed for hot apple cider and hot cider mini donuts, enjoyed by the fire in the wood stove.  

It was a perfect autumn break in the midst of a mess.

I'd like to move in at Stoney Ridge Farm.  On Saturdays  they make pumpkin donuts, however; I can't go back today.  I have a mess here at the Stone House.  I have painting projects. A guest room to finish,with a bunch of crafting involved.  A living room to put together even though some pieces are still missing.  A master bedroom to  finish.  Many, many unfinished projects.  

And the perfect rainy day to stay in a get them finished.

Well, maybe not finished...
maybe just a running start.

Who Hogs the Shower at Your House?

When Sam lived at home he never got out of the shower without being told.  Ever.  When we lived on Cherry Street we had to run upstairs to tell him to get out of the shower.  He would hear us coming, and just as we were about to bang on the bathroom door and commence yelling, he'd turn off the water. Okay, that is irritating.  I've gotten mad, I've stopped whatever I was working on in the kitchen, I've argued with Hubby about whose turn it is to run upstairs, I've run upstairs, and all for naught.  I want to let him have it!
I have to admit that I took an evil delight in thinking about Sam in the army at basic training getting a 10  second shower.  {insert evil Mom laugh here}
Now Max has taken over the hot water.  It's a new thing for him.  Now I have to stop what I'm doing, go bang on the bathroom door and then I really get him... I call him Sam.  Brothers hate that.  Then the difference between Sam and Max follows.  Max has to come out of the bathroom and argue about how long his shower took and how he is entitled, that he got up at 7:33, walked downstairs and now its 7:50 and it was only an eight minute shower and blah, blah, blah.
Hubby says to enjoy this Max phase as it's his last year before college at home, however; it's difficult to enjoy while I'm taking a cold shower.
There are things a Mom misses as her chicks leave the nest and there are somethings that she does not miss.  I'm just sayin'.