This has become a major feast day rather than the eve of a major feast day as was originally the case.  That began to happen for me when I became a mother in 1970 and created my very first homemade costume.  (To see some of the others, click on the October 2012 post.)

A pre-ambulatory pumpkin:

What an agreeable child to laugh as her proud mother stuffed her into an orange felt ball and crammed it full of newspaper!  Then, her father pulled her around the neighborhood while I stayed home to greet the dozens of tricksters who came down our street in those days — and for whom I had made dozens of caramel apples from our tree. (I am sooo over it!)

Not hard to believe that with her beautiful smile and winning personality (Her brilliant mind and managerial acumen were not yet apparent to anyone but her parents.) she is now the CAO of a large medical practice in SF.  I’m definitely not over being pretty proud.

Most weekends, my neighbors go out-of-town to watch the Wyoming Cowboys play football.  I bring their mail and newspapers home with me until they get back. I generally read their Time Magazine.  This week’s issue has a little test of just a few questions which supposedly reveals how open, conscientious, extroverted, agreeable, and neurotic one is, and, thereby tells you which of the United States best suits your temperament. Wisconsin is the most ebbulient.  West Virginia, the most neurotic. Mine turned out to be Utah, which, as it happens, is listed as the most agreeable state.  I had to remind myself that there is a lot more to Utah than Salt Lake City.  I think I lean more toward the Moab area.  You can go to time.com/moodmap and find out if you belong in relaxed, creative Oregon.  I do and I don’t care what Time Magazine has to say about that.

Sometimes Susan and I notice each other’s birthdays.  Sometimes not.  I had the perfect card for her on my desk all week and forgot to mail it.  Then I lost the envelope, so I emailed her to ask if we could go out to lunch today.  She suggested instead that we take the dogs and hike up to Shellberg Falls.  Perfect plan!  The Valley was socked in, but it was all sunshine up there.

The Little Falls

Susan brought treats.

Saw lots of mushrooms.

Shellberg Falls

Stopped off on the way home at Macleay Country Inn.

And shared the world’s best cheeseburger and fries.

Happy birthday, Susan.  Another perfect day.

.  .  .  posting pictures of leaves.  The big-leaf maples at The Minto fell last night.

I love the change of seasons.  I like weather in general so long as it is anything but boring.  This is presently the view I wake up to from my bed looking out my front window.

I feel pretty much the same way about people — I can enjoy pretty much everyone — except boring.