December: Currently...

Hello December!  Hello my favourite month of the year!!

I have so much Christmassy stuff I want to talk about, but first, a quick post on what's up with me currently, in my favourite month of the year!!

Listening to...  Take a wild guess.  Of COURSE I'm listening to Christmas music!!  All of my old favourites are out: Bieber's Under the Mistletoe, Wayne Rostadt's Christmas in the Valley, Elvis Christmas, Pentatonix, and so on.  One of the items on my Christmas Bucket List was to download a new Christmas album this year, and I haven't yet, but I'm eyeing Gwen Stefani's You Make It Feel Like Christmas.  I just may make a move on it tonight.

Eating... Strangely enough, I'm eating semi healthy right now.  Only because of the Goodfood box I got last week.  I still have two recipes I haven't made yet, but it has introduced some vegetables into my home, and that's a good thing.  I also was proud of myself for not sampling too many of the Christmas cookies I made over the weekend.  Most of them went straight to the freezer.  Woo hoo!

Drinking... The usual - water.  I haven't really got into my "hot drinks" yet which I usually do this time of year.  Maybe I'll make a hot chocolate tonight.  I'm also looking forward to rum & egg nog.  I'm an egg nog fan, but I usually wait and buy it super close to Christmas.

Feeling...  Despite it being my favourite time of year, there has been a lot of sadness in our community lately, and that is definitely weighing on me.  Feeling more blue than I normally would this close to Christmas, but unfortunately, there are things in this world we cannot control, and we can't make them go away. My heart is with those who are hurting, and I am hurting for them.

Reading... Did I say Harry Potter last month?  I think I did.  I thought I'd be done it by now.  It's not that I'm not enjoying it.   There's just been too much going on to really spend quality time with my book.  Any free evening I have is spent working on my crocheting (still one gift to finish), baking, watching Christmas movies and specials, and trying to squeeze in some New Girl since it's leaving Netflix later in December.  By the time my head hits the pillow, it's lights out and fast asleep.  I always struggle to get reading done this time of year.

Watching... As I just said, I've been working through as many Christmas movies and specials as I can!  So far, I've watched Little Women, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, A Christmas Carol (Disney Jim Carrey version), Four Christmases, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, A Nightmare Before Christmas.  Last night I was super stoked to discover A Muppet Family Christmas on YouTube and watched it, as well as an old Max Fleishman cartoon I remember from when I was a kid called "Christmas Comes But Once a Year".  I also watched a bit of the SNL Christmas special.  Still lots to go!! And as I also said, I'm trying to squeeze in a few episodes of New Girl each night too.  The show is leaving Netflix (boooo!!) later in December and I'm on the last season.  So frustrating to have to rush!!

Wanting... SNOW!!!  We got snow early this year, but we had a mild spell last week and most of it melted away with several days of rain.  There isn't a lot in the long-range forecast, and some more mild days predicted too.  It's officially the time of year when I start panicking it might be a green Christmas.  I HATE green Christmases. :(

Needing... My last few Christmas gifts to arrive.  The darn postal strike has added extra stress to the online shopping this year.  And of course, I never learn, I order from Shutterfly every year, and every year have a hassle with delivery.  I have Friday booked off to do my last little odds and ends and stocking stuffers, and once they're done and my parcels arrive (knock on wood), I'll be completely DONE!  I need to have this done so I can truly breathe and enjoy the Christmas season.

Missing... loved ones who aren't here anymore.  As much as it's a joyful time of year, it can be bittersweet as you think of the ones who have passed away.  It's inevitable that we miss them just a little bit more this time of year.

Enjoying... the Lynndonne shenanigans again this year!  Last year, I decided to do silly Elf on the Shelf scenarios with my giant elf, Lynndonne, and while it might seem crazy to put that much work into it - especially when I don't have kids! - I had enough people tell me they hoped he'd be back this year that it made it worthwhile to bring him alive again this Christmas.  We're 5 days in, and it really does bring me joy to post what Lynndonne is up to each morning.  I hope he ( and his new, beer-drinkin' pal Tucker) are making a few people smile each day. :)

Happy December, friends. :)

Random Thursday Ramblings

• It's been kind of a rough week.  I feel like I got all rattled on Monday with that electrical situation going down at my house, and even though it was fixed quickly, it kind of started my whole week off on the wrong foot.  Each evening, I find myself scrambling around, and plans just haven't gone as I expected.  Nothing is really WRONG, I just don't feel RIGHT, if you know what I mean?
• One thing that has been very apparent to me is that my mother is my super-hero.  She has swooped in to save me several times this week, and when she does, I just take a deep breath of relief.  Don't know what I'd do without her.
• Part of my feeling of discontent this week is that the month of December is looming, and I feel like it is TOO FULL.  I know.  This happens every year.  Christmas season is busy, yo.  And there's the side of me that relishes it - the parties and the fun activities, the hustle and the bustle.  But there's also the side of me that just wants to hunker down, watch Christmas movies by the glow of the tree, sit in silence by myself.  As the days and weeks fill up, I'm panicking that there will be no time to hunker.  I need time to hunker.
• Another part of my fretting was that, up until last night, I had not baked ONE Christmas cookie yet.  I'm ahead of the game in decorating and shopping, but wayyyy behind in the baking.  My mom keeps telling me to relax, there's lots of time, but is there?  IS THERE??  It doesn't feel like it.  In any case, I whipped up a batch of Grinch cookies last night (just my regular chocolate chip cookies with green food colouring, and red & green M&M's instead of the chips), and it soothed my soul a bit.
• It's at times like these that I really feel bewildered as to how women who have other people to care for - husbands and children - handle all of this.  I mean, I'm in a fluster, and it's just me!  How do you guys survive the holidays?!  Blows my mind.
• I keep pausing and reminding myself that this is my favourite time of year.  Soak it up and enjoy it.  Don't let the stressful parts overshadow the joyful parts.  I have most of the day Saturday to bake, and I will take advantage. Once I get a few kinds in the freezer, I'll feel a million times better.  
• So... moving on from that little Christmas vent session.  Last night I finally finished listening to season 1 of the podcast "Someone Knows Something".  I'm a little disappointed that, it seems, no one really does know anything.  I was really hoping that the digging into the past that they did would result in something concrete, to give that family some peace. Still, I found it very interesting and intriguing, and I'm so glad it was my first podcast experience.  I'm excited to try out more.  It's been great to listen to while I crochet.
• You want to know something weird that's stressing me out?  It's so dumb.  But I saw a list of what's coming and going from Netflix Canada in the month of December, and one of the shows "going" is New Girl.  The show I'm currently watching.  I usually take a break from "normal tv" this time of year to ensure I get all of my Christmas movies and specials in, but now I have no choice but to rush to finish New Girl by December 20th.  I'm just starting Season 6, so there are 20+ episodes to go.  I don't like that pressure that Netflix has put on me!  Not fair!!
• So, recently a friend of mine gave me a coupon to try out a meal delivery service called Goodfood.  I live alone and usually come up with meals on the fly, just depending on what I feel like that day, not a lot of planning or thought put into it.  Honestly, I turned down the coupon at first, then thought, "why not?  It's $78 in free food.  Might as well give it a whirl!"  I have heard great things about this company, and while I don't expect I'll become a regular customer, it doesn't hurt to try something new, and eat some healthy food for a change. (Vegetables... they are my enemies...)  I don't like to judge too harshly, but so far, my experience has been less than stellar.  A) The email I received said the box would be delivered on Tuesday by 8 pm.  Mine didn't arrive until 6 pm on Wednesday.  The box is refrigerated and kept cold with big ice packs, and the meat was all packed on the bottom, so still good and cold, but the bagged items on top of produce, spices, etc. were no longer cool.  Still very edible, so again, not a huge deal, but the delay in delivery was disappointing.  I received an email asking me to rate my Goodfood experience before the box of food even arrived.  B) Because the box arrived late, I scrambled to make my first meal last night. They recommend using the fish first and the salmon dish was my least favourite out of the ones I chose, so I made it first to get it out of the way.  BLEH.  I'm not a huge fish fan to begin with, so that's not really their fault, but nothing about the meal wowed me.  I took all the leftovers to my mom, and told her I won't be sad if she chucks it.  Just not my cup of tea.
• What I DID like about the Goodfood box: the packaging and the portions, and the fact that they provide you with literally EVERYTHING other than oil, salt & pepper.  One of my dishes has a cream sauce, and there's a whole pint of cream included in the bag for that dish.  Each bag is well-labelled, filled with exactly the food items needed to make that dish, and there is a nice, colourful, clear recipe card for each dish with step-by-step instructions.  Also, I had been warned that the portions were on the small side, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The pieces of salmon last night were big and I wouldn't have eaten a whole piece, even if I did like it.  The salad was huge.  The potato-pea mash was also huge.  It would have fed 2 people easily, with leftovers.  So I have pro's and con's.  Tonight I'm trying a pasta dish that should be more up my alley.  So far, I'm pretty sure I won't be ordering again, but I wouldn't discourage someone else from trying it. 
• I'm looking ahead to the weekend and thinking it should be a nice mix of busy and quiet.  Tonight we curl late, which kind of sucks, but I'll just come home right after the game so I  can hopefully get to bed in decent time.  Tomorrow is the MVT Christmas luncheon, and while I plan on having fun, I'm also planning to semi-behave.  I don't want to feel crappy on Saturday, so I need to take it easy and get home in good time.  Saturday, as I said, shall be a baking day, and I also want to go to Shawville to a tea with my mom, and pick up a few little things I need at the store and pharmacy.  Hoping for a quiet couch & Christmas movie night.  Sunday is going to be a little helter-skelter - church, choir practice, a meeting, getting things ready for the house tour, and I told my mom I'd help start her decorating that day if she wanted me to.  Oh, and a dinner that night at the Legion.  Eeep.  Sunday is a little scary.  And then Monday is the House Tour!  Fingers crossed that all goes off without a hitch!!

How are you handling the pre-holiday hub-bub?  Are you feeling as stressed out as I am?  Maybe more so? I hope we can all take a collective deep breath and get a handle on things!  I know I need to!!

The First Christmassy Weekend of the Season (And other weekend stuff.)

This past weekend was my first Christmas party of the season, so I finally had permission to let my holiday freak flag fly!  And it felt GREAT!!

Curling started up again for the season last Thursday, and that always ends up feeling like the start of the weekend (even though I'm still working Fridays until Christmas).  It took me a few ends to get comfortable playing again, but by the second half of the game I made some decent shots and felt like it was coming back to me a bit.  I like my team and I think we'll have a great year!  It was bitterly cold that night and I had picked up groceries before the game, so I didn't stick around long after in case things were freezing in my car.  I was home early enough, but I'm always wound up after curling and didn't fall asleep til after midnight.

It has become ever-apparent to me that I don't handle it well when I don't get my full night's sleep.  I literally feel hungover the next day.  And that's how I felt on Friday.  I had one drink at curling, so it wasn't a real hang-over, but man did it feel like one.  I was tired and achey and just wanted to lie down.  I plugged through the day, though, and got home a bit early, as usual on Fridays.  I did a few little things around the house before I couldn't take it anymore; I HAD to lie down.  I napped for two hours, and woke up feeling groggier than ever.  Naps hardly ever help me, I always wake up more tired and cranky than before.  But I had stuff that needed to get done, so I soldiered on.  I made my snacks for the Christmas party the next day before returning to the couch.  I watched the movie Hidden Figures on Netflix.  I'd been wanting to read the book first but hadn't got around to it yet, and the movie is leaving Netflix in December so I squeezed it in.  It was so good! Such an inspiring story.  I recommend it if you haven't seen it already.  Catch it before it's gone!

Saturday morning, I was up early and enjoyed my coffee while watching Jimmy Fallon, as per my usual Saturday morning ritual.  But I didn't laze about for long.  I got busy tidying up the house and getting things ready for the party later in the day.  Once all my work was done, I showered and got ready, did some crocheting while listening to more of the "Someone Knows Something" podcast, went for a drive with my mom to find evergreen boughs for her Christmas planter, and did some last minute prep before the girls arrived.  By late afternoon, I had poured myself a drink and was ready for the festivities to begin!

This gang of girlfriends and I have been having a Christmas potluck party for as long as I can remember, and it's one of my favourite holiday parties.  The ladies started arriving around 4, and everyone brought a snack of some sort to share.  The food table would have made you drool.  Everything was sooooo good.  After visiting and eating for a while, we moved into the living room to do our gift exchange.  I came up with a Christmas version of "Never Have I Ever" to play, and in the end, we each had a new Christmas decoration or ornament of some sort to add to our holiday decor.  We hung out well into the evening, with Stacy giving massages and Sharon doing hair. LOL  It was definitely a multi-faceted party!! I had a great time chatting and laughing with the ladies and felt very much in the Christmas spirit. :) 

Sunday morning, I was up for church and then we went to a baby shower for a family friend who is expecting her first child in December.  But remember that tired, hungover feeling I talked about earlier?  Well, it was back again.  Another night up past midnight means another day of feeling yucky.  *sigh*  At least this time I did have more than one drink to cause the feeling, but I really don't think that's why I felt crappy.  Regardless, I sucked it up.  We had some snacks, visited, and watched the mommy-to-be open her gifts before I headed home to my couch again.  I passed out right away and slept for a couple of hours.  I had a supper of leftover snacks from the night before and watched the Grey Cup game.  I had high hopes for our hometown Ottawa Redblacks, but it just wasn't their year as they lost 27-16 to the Calgary Stampeders.  No Grey Cup party this year, just little ol' me, but I just wasn't in the mood for it.

What was I in in the mood for?  Well... lying under the Christmas tree, actually.  See, in an early season of Grey's Anatomy, there's an episode where Meredith, George and Izzy all lie under the Christmas tree and I always thought it looked so magical.  Well, guess what.  It's not.  I couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous I must have looked and the tree looks much more magical from my couch than from underneath it.  So much for that experiment! LOL!!

Yesterday was back to work, but as the winter work season is now in full swing, it was a peaceful, quiet day in the office.  This should be the norm for the next couple of months, and I'm so grateful for these quiet days.  The busy season will be upon us again in no time, and I daydream about these days during that time!

My evening, though?  Not so peaceful. ughhh.... My friend Lindsay was gone to visit family for the weekend with the baby, leaving her hubby Ryan and Sam at home.  With snow in the forecast, Ryan had to go in to work last night and asked if I'd come stay with Sam.  No problem, I said!  I got home and was rushing to get laundry done before I had to go for my sleepover.  All of a sudden, something REALLY weird happened in my house.  It was like half the house had a power surge.  Some lights flickered, some dimmed, some went out completely, but some were fine. Some appliances went off, others were fine.  (Thankfully, my washer and dryer were not effected!)  It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen.  I called my cousin who is an electrician, but by then the lights were all coming back up and appliances were working again.  He told me he didn't think it was anything to worry much about, but that if it happened again, I'd probably have to call Hydro.  It was definitely one of those moments when I wished I had a man so he could deal with it, because I had no clue what the hell was going on!!

Thankfully, my mom always comes to my rescue.  I don't know what I'd do without her.  When the same thing happened again 10 minutes later, I was feeling very flustered and upset.  I ran over to the church (she was there for our church's weekly Spirit Cafe) and asked for her help.  She called one of my landlords for me, explained the situation, and he told her he'd figure something out.  Meanwhile, she and I loaded up everything in my fridge and freezer to take over to the church fridge, since my fridge wasn't working.  Shortly after, my landlord called me back to say he was on his way with an electrician.  I had to leave, but he assured me he'd let me know what they discovered.

Needless to say, I was rattled.  It was a little disconcerting leaving my home when I didn't know what the heck was going on with the electricity, and I was worried.  I was convinced I wouldn't sleep a wink last night.  But thankfully, my landlord called again about an hour later to tell me they had solved the problem (he explained it, but I don't really understand that stuff. LOL!  Something about two big fuses and one had blown. Which is why only half the house was having problems.  Once they replaced it, everything was fine again.)  Phewf!!!  I was able to sleep well after that!!

So today is a new day, and I'm leaving all of that mess behind me.  I got big early-morning hugs from Sammy, and that was a great way to start the day. Snow is gently falling, and the office is once again nice and peaceful.  Hallelujah!! This week I hope to get a start on my Christmas baking, and I'm gearing up for our company Christmas party on Friday, as well as the Christmas House Tour next Monday. Another busy but fun week in store!!

Happy Tuesday friends!! :)

Whatever Happened to Adrien?

When it comes to tech stuff, I tend to be late arriving to the party.  I lived without Internet & Netflix in my home until several years ago, I didn't get a PVR until years after everyone else had one, and most people had cell phones a decade before I eventually got one.

So...no surprise that I'd never listened to a podcast until this week, right?  I've heard about podcasts forever, but I had no idea what they were, how to "get" them, how to listen to them... I decided this week to figure it out, because I thought it might be nice to sit and crochet and listen, without having to keep an eye on the TV like I do with my shows.  And there was a podcast I've heard about over the past few years that really interested me:  the CBC's "Someone Knows Something".  In particular, the first season, which focused on the disappearance of a little boy from Arnprior, Ontario, a town just across the river from mine, forty-some odd years ago.

Adrien McNaughton was five years old on that day in June of 1972, when he went out fishing with his father, brothers, sister, and a family friend on Holmes Lake near Calabogie.  Tired of fishing, Adrien was playing up on some rocks, not far from the rest of the group, when his father turned around after a few minutes and discovered his son was no longer there.

Adrien vanished without a trace that day.  His father, his father's friend, and Adrien's older siblings, all called for him, searched for him, as the evening stretched towards night.  Eventually they called the police and a search party began.  Over the course of two weeks, 9,000 volunteers from across the Ottawa Valley and troops from CFB Petawawa combed the woods surrounding Holmes Lake, and divers searched the deep waters of the lake itself, looking for a little boy who seemed to have disappeared into thin air.  No remains, no clothing, nothing was ever found.

In 2016, over 40 years after Adrien's disappearance, documentarian David Ridgen, who grew up in Arnprior and is about the same age as Adrien would be now, decided to return to his former hometown and see if it was worth digging a little deeper into this cold case that hit a little too close to home, so long ago.

I have listened to 6 episodes over the course of 2 evenings as Ridgen investigates the tragedy that happened not very far from where I live, and yet I don't think I'd ever heard about it until this podcast came to light.  I feel totally immersed and gripped by this story.  I try to wrap my head around it.  What would it have been like to be at the lake that day when Adrien's family realized he was gone?  How would it have felt to be his parents sitting by that lake keeping vigil as the search party went out day after day, turning up nothing?  How would I feel as the days went on and life started to return to normal for everyone else, but my little boy - my son or my brother - was still missing?  How would it feel to be the McNaughtons now, over 40 years later, ripping the bandage off an old wound they hadn't expected to be opened back up again?

Of course, as I listen to David Ridgen's interviews and his findings, I can't help but become an armchair detective.  In the first episode, he touches on how people in the area talked, as they are so apt to do in small towns (don't I know it).  Rumours went around at the time.  Some of his interviews have me suspicious of some of the people he has spoken to that were there that day, and some of the situations surrounding Adrien's disappearance.  I don't like to say anything "out loud" on this blog; because what do I know?  Armchair detectives aren't usually worth a grain of salt, I can admit that, and I'm not going to start pointing fingers.  But I've developed some theories of my own, and I just have to wonder

I still have a few episodes to go in the first season, and I've already snooped ahead and read some of the updates that came after the podcast aired.  I know they are leading us towards the assumption that Adrien drowned in the lake.  Yet, I can't help hearing his dad saying, "But how can that be? I would have heard him. There would have been splashing and cries for help."  Valid point, right? I think so...

From what I've heard so far, the family seems to really lean on the hope that Adrien wandered away, back to the road, and was picked up by a person or a couple who were desperate for a child.  Kidnapped, but into a good family who loved him and raised him well.  I suppose, if put in the same position, I might hope for the same thing; pray for it, even.  But what are the odds, really?  What are the chances Adrien was whisked away, given a new name and a new home and new parents who raised him as their own?  It seems like a long reach to me, no matter how much you might wish for it.

A drowning.  An animal attack.  Death due to the elements.  A kidnapping.  An accident.  All are possibilities when it comes to what happened to Adrien McNaughton when he disappeared at Holmes Lake that day.  And over 40 years later, people are still asking questions.  Wondering what happened.  An unsolved mystery that has riveted me this week, and really makes me wish someone did know something, so that his family could finally have some peace, and we could finally know what happened to the little boy who vanished into thin air.

I highly recommend this podcast "Someone Knows Something", and I'm looking forward to future seasons as David Ridgen explores other cold cases he's come across during his time as a documentarian and filmmaker.

And I look forward to hopefully more updates on Adrien, because I don't see myself forgetting this case anytime soon.  I can't tell you the number of times I've thought of his mother's voice, saying, "A few weeks after the search ended, Murray was sleeping on the couch.  Taking a nap.  And he got up and said he was going back to the lake to look, because he dreamed of Adrien.  And he was saying, 'Come get me, Daddy.  I'm still here.'"

Just the thought of it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

It's beginning to feel a lot like...

As I sit here this morning, a beautiful snow-globe snow falling outside my window, sipping a rich and steamy mug of hot chocolate, it just feels like it.  Like you-know-what.

Christmas.

And yet, it's still only November 20th.  Still several days away from American Thanksgiving.  Still over a week away from the Mountainview Christmas Party, which is usually considered my official "I'm allowed to go Christmas Crazy!" day.

But it feels like it.  Oh, it feels like it SO MUCH!!!

I know part of my reason for being in the spirit extra-early this year is the snow.  Snow = Christmas for me.  And there have been other years where we're still cutting sod at this time of year.  The snow has come earlier than usual.  And for a snow-lovin' girl like me, it's absolute bliss.

But I also now have two Christmas-prep weekends under my belt, and that has definitely added to it as well.  I'm feeling more ready than ever at this stage of the game.   My house is now completely decorated, and  I have only a few gifts and stocking stuffers left to buy.  I got a great start on everything last weekend, and then tidied up loose ends this past weekend.  I took advantage of what will likely be the last quiet, low-key weekend before the holiday season is in full swing, and got some serious checks on the to-do list.

Last Thursday evening, my friend Sharon had invited me to join her at the Indigo Chapters After-Hours event being held at the Pinecrest location, where almost everything in the store was marked down 30%.  I enjoyed my first holiday cup of Starbucks joy of the season and was able to pick up a few more gifts and stocking stuffers while we were there.  However, for some reason, I had dressed for the tundra, and I was so hot and sweaty as we rambled around the store, that when Sharon said, "I think I'm done" I was just like, "yep me too."  The crowds had gotten crazy so we peaced out.  We got home just as the snow was starting to fall, and I was so wound up when I got home that I lay awake reading for much longer than I normally would have.  I think I was probably asleep by 1 AM. 

So, the next day was a snowy day, as the weatherman had predicted.  The snow that had started overnight had accumulated, and continued to fall all day.  Our first "real" snow fall of the season.  My heart was happy, even though the rest of me was very tired! haha!  But I took advantage of the first really quiet day in the office to cut out my snowflakes, and when I got home from work, I put them up on the door.  That was one of my to-do's for the weekend, so it was nice to have it done right away!  Then I curled up on the couch, put on one of those cheesy Christmas movies on Netflix, and checked out for a few hours.When I woke up, I got up and ready and headed to girls night at my friend Vicky's,  We snacked and chatted for a few hours, and I enjoyed the evening out.

The next morning, I was up fairly early, but had nothing major to do but a few odd jobs around home, so I took it easy.  A leisurely cup of coffee while I caught up on Jimmy Fallon and Grey's Anatomy, washed my bedding, and worked on the crocheted dish cloths I was making for our church's fundraiser Harvest Basket.  Then I got busy knocking some more things off my list:  I put away laundry, did dishes, put the garland on the banister, made pumpkin bread (also part of my contribution to the Harvest Basket), put up the snowflakes on the ceiling in my living room, changed one of the outdoor lights that had burnt out at my house, finished my dish cloths, repaired one of my broken Christmas decorations, and tidied up the house.  It felt good to get so many little odd jobs done, things I had been putting off all week.  I joined my mom for supper and spent some time at her place before coming home and enjoying a quiet evening at home, watching The Nightmare Before Christmas (usually one of my first Christmas movies I watch because it ties in Halloween and Christmas) and episodes of New Girl, doing more crocheting, and reading Harry Potter.  It was also the first time I "lit up" my living room fully - the tree, all my light-up decorations, candles - anything that "glows" was on!  I just love how magical it looks and feels!!

Sunday morning I watched SNL on the PVR and worked on a crocheted Christmas gift until I ran out of the yarn I needed.  I got ready and headed over to church, where we had a really nice service, I put Baby Finn to sleep in my arms which was a wonderful feeling, and we did the draw for our Harvest fundraiser.  After church, we headed down to my sisters for brunch, and the whole fam-jam gathered.  We stayed there just chatting and visiting until late afternoon.  My mom and I headed into Hull so I could pick up a few more of my "Christmas Prep" necessities.  I got my gift for a decoration exchange this weekend, and also got all the baking essentials I needed at Wal-Mart and the Bulk Barn so that I can begin my Christmas baking.  Yet another huge CHECK!!

Once we were done shopping, we went to the movie theatre where my sister's family met us and we all went to see the new Grinch movie.  It was super-cute and we really enjoyed it, of course just adding to my festive mood!  I just LOVE going to the movies, and when it's a Christmas movie... even better!!

So it was a super-productive yet quiet and relaxing weekend all at the same time, and I just LOVE those kinds of weekends!  This week, I'm gearing up and getting myself ready, as I am hosting a Christmas potluck for a group of my friends on Saturday.  It's the first Christmas party of the season, and I can't wait!  Let the hollying and jollying commence!!  For REAL!! :)

November To-Do's: Coming along nicely...

Is it really already the middle of November??  HOW did that happen??  WHEN did that happen?!?  

Despite the month flying by like crazy, I have to say, I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm at at this stage of "Christmas Prep Month".  I'm definitely ahead of the game in regards to getting ready for my favourite holiday of the year, at least compared to where I'm usually at on November 14th.

Here is what I've got done so far:

• I DECORATED.  This was a big one for me.  I was always a late-November decorator, until the year I participated in the Christmas House Tour.  Decorating early that year was a necessity, as the tour falls on the first Monday of December.  I LOVED having my house decorated early, I wasn't sick of it by Christmas, and I've continued to do so every year since. I assembled the tree on Friday afternoon when I got home from work, and then Danica helped me decorate it on Saturday.  We also brought out all the decorations for the living room, my bedroom, and the bathrooms.  I did the dining room and kitchen on Sunday.  I still have a few things left to do, and I decided not to put up the dining room tree this year which saved me quite a chunk of work, but it feels good to be mostly done that task.  I just LOVE my house when it's decorated for Christmas!!
  
  
  
  
• I've shopped.  On-line.  Probably a little too much.  Usually I wait until Black Friday to the bulk of my online shopping, but I've seen some screamin' deals already on my favourite websites, and jumped on them.  My immediate family is mostly taken care of now, I just need stocking stuffers, and a few other gifts I'm holding out for Black Friday.  My credit card is suffering, big time, but I have the rest of November and all of December to chip away at it.  If all goes well, I should be completely done by end of November, which feels great.  Now I just need the parcels to start arriving.  Stupid Canada Post strike has been driving me nuts when I check on a status of delivery and it says: "Delayed due to disruption in postal service". Grrr...
• I ordered Christmas cards.  This was a first for me!!  As a single girl with no sweet engagement photos, wedding photos, maternity photos, or cute kid photos to share, I've always felt a little depressed sending out my generic old Christmas cards.  Boring!!!  But this year, an idea struck me for something original, and I went with it.  The cards arrived yesterday, and I'm so excited!!!
• I took my car in for a tune-up.  My car will be 6 years old this coming January, and aside from oil changes and tire changes, I have done absolutely nothing to it.  There's an issue with my model of car with the transmission - I've received several letters from the company regarding warranty on the issue, and what to do if they car started acting up- and I was noticing a definitely problem with mine, so I wanted to get it checked, plus just a regular maintenance check.  As it turns out, my car is still in pretty great shape!  They checked all the fluids, changed the oil, put my winter tires on for me, and tested the transmission.  They did a computer re-set on the transmission, which they said solved that problem, and I'll need new tires in the spring because my summers are done.  I also need new rotors, but my brake pads are still good, so they're going to re-assess in the spring.  In any case, I expected there could be a LOT wrong that would cost me big money, but I was pleasantly surprised.  That was a big check off my list, because I hate dealing with that kind of thing and it makes me very anxious.  Like, almost ready to sign myself up for a husband just so he can deal with this crap. *sigh*  But I did it, it's done, and it feels good.
• I got my flu shot.  I know, this is a little thing, and apparently in Quebec it's not even recommended for me (my age, health, etc) anymore, but I like the extra protection.  We all had to have flu shots when my dad's health was failing, to protect him, and I've got one ever since.  I've never been seriously ill during flu season.  While I was up in Shawville taking my car in yesterday, I got the flu shot too, killed two birds with one stone. CHECK!
• I'm organized and prepared for the Christmas House Tour, for the most part.  Tickets are ready and I'm distributing them to be sold, I have collected door prizes and already have a great start on the Christmas basket that we sell tickets and have a draw on that night.  All coming together quite nicely!
• I've already watched  some Christmas movies. LOL!  Danica and I watched Little Women and Santa Claus is Coming to Town on Saturday night after our decorating was done.  I have a million more to go, but it was so nice to have the tree lit up and relax and watch movies with her on Saturday night.  I just couldn't stop smiling.
  

Still to do:

• As I mentioned, I want to be done shopping by the end of the month.  Fingers crossed that I can accomplish that, and it's looking good.
• Christmas baking.  I have my list made for the Bulk Barn to get my baking supplies, which I'm hoping to get this weekend.  Then the Christmas baking can begin!
• Go to the movies. There are SO many movies out right now that I want to see.  The Nutcracker, The Grinch, Bohemian Rhapsody... I know I won't likely get to see them all, but I'm hoping to get to the theatre for one this weekend.  It's the last quiet weekend between now and Christmas, so I want to take advantage of it!
  
• Cut out snowflakes.  I said there were a few decorations that haven't been done yet, and one of them is my snowflakes that I cut out every year for the panes of glass in the door in my house.  It's a job I put off because it's tedious and I end up with a blister on my thumb from the scissors, but I like the final look of it. 
• Finish decorating.  Put the garland on the banister, hang the snowflakes from the ceiling, and be done.
• Prepare for our annual girls Christmas Potluck party.  We're having it November 24th at my place.  It's the earliest we've ever had it, but the consensus seemed to be that most wanted to have it before the hustle and bustle of December hits.  I'm OK with that!  My house will be ready, I'll just need to get some snacks prepared and get my gift for the exchange.
• Finish crocheting.  Some of my gifts this year are crocheted items, and I'm ALMOST done.  I just have one blanket to finish, and I'm half-way done it. 
  

That's all I can think of right now, but needless to say, I'm pretty happy with the November progress so far!!  What's on your November To-Do list?  Are you checking things off and feeling good about it?

Happy Wednesday friends!!

November: Currently...

Halloween is OVER!  Christmas is on the HORIZON!  I AM SO HAPPY!!!

Here's a little update on what I'm up to currently...

Listening to... Remember back in early September, when I talked about seeing The Trews perform at the Shawville Fair?  Well, that show kindled a long-standing love affair between them & I.  For several weeks afterwards, I listened to their acoustic album non-stop, and then their new album Civilianaires came out and I absolutely LOVE it.  I can't remember the last time I downloaded an entire album and listened to it over and over and over without getting bored or sick of it.  It is SO. GOOD.  I have had to divide my listening time, though, because I saw A Star Is Born last month and downloaded that soundtrack approximately 2 seconds after getting home from the theatre.  Gaga and Bradley Cooper were pure magic.  So now I bounce back and forth between the two, sometimes going with The Trews, sometimes with Gaga & Bradley.  I can't get enough.

Eating...  a lot of little chocolate bars, if I'm being honest.  As usual, I over-estimated what I needed in Halloween candy.  Whoops.

Drinking...  nothing much.  Water.  Coffee in the morning.  The odd Diet Pepsi.  Nothing exciting.

Feeling...  confident and on top of things, actually.  I consider November to be "Christmas Prep Month" and so far, things are going well.  I have a head-start on Christmas gifts, I have a plan for decorating, and I"m eager to get started on the baking.  I also am on top of things in regards to the Christmas House Tour, the fundraiser I organize for our church every year.  I'm sure things will get crazy and overwhelming eventually, but for now, I'm feeling very good about all of it.  It's under control so far.

Reading... You guys won't believe this, but I'm actually finally reading Harry Potter.  Me, the girl who always said she HATED Harry Potter.  I decided to give the little wizard boy a shot.  I started the first book on the weekend, and while I'm still not gripped and riveted, I'm anticipating this will happen sooner or later.  I bought the book for my nephew, and I remember asking him early on if he liked it and he just kind of gave me a "meh" shrug.  By the end of it, he told me he really liked it.  When I gave him the second book for his birthday, I found out he had already read it because he liked the first one so much.  So, I'm waiting for the Harry Potter "magic" to hit me.

Watching...  New Girl, and loving it.  Love the quirky humour of the show, and I so enjoy all of the gang so much.  Especially Nick.  I wish Nick was my boyfriend.
I also have watched a few movies and documentaries lately.  Gaga: Five Foot Two (see: newfound Gaga love since seeing A Star Is Born), a sweet little move starring John Krasinski called The Hollars, and I also watched A Kid Like Jake starring Jim Parsons and Claire Danes.   I enjoyed all of them.

Wanting...  to get my Shutterfly photo gifts ordered ASAP.  I struggle with this.  Last year, I was so disappointed and angry with their delivery service that I swore I'd never deal with them again.  But they have such awesome deals, and the quality of their calendars is superior to any others I've seen.  So I'm hoping if I order them earlier this year, I'll avoid the delivery delay and actually HAVE them for Christmas.  Hoping to get this done by this weekend.

Needing...  to get rolling on the baking!  I have one more order to fill for my Canada Day Committee online auction donations, this time a tray of Christmas baking, along with my own stock for gifts and sharing.  It's not a huge panic, but I'd like to have most of it ready by early December.  I'm thinking I'll finally get on it next week, once the decorating is done.  (Oh, yes, did I mention that?  I'm decorating this weekend.  squeeeee!!)

Missing...  OK, this is going to sound weird, because we all know I'm in the midst of my favourite time of year; that I'm a fall and winter kind of girl.  But I did some long-overdue photo uploading and editing of my summer holidays and our week spent at the camp, and oh, how it made me miss that time.  Hours of bobbing in the water, floating on pool toys, kayaking, reading (and sleeping) in the hammock... my heart just cried "take me back!"

Enjoying...  The Dark.  I know.  Weirdo.  I may be the only person in the world who enjoys this time change, because it gets dark earlier.  My mother tells me it's morbid.  I think it's just the hygge-lover coming out.  When it's dark and cold outside, I'm warm and cozy inside.  I've been enjoying curling up, crocheting, sipping a hot chocolate, watching New Girl, reading.  I LIVE for this time of year, when it's dark early and the hours just stretch ahead of curling up and being cozy. Yes, I am enjoying it.  Absolutely.

What's new with YOU currently??

Burnt Out on the Spooky

Well, here we are, the day before Halloween, and I can honestly say... I've done too much of the spooky stuff.  WAYYYY too much of the spooky stuff. 

I have completely burnt myself out, to the point where last night I settled in to start the new Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and I had to shut it off half an episode in.  I instead opted to watch the animated movie Monster House, and I thought even it was a little too scary.  It could traumatize children! (or 35-year-olds...)

I blame The Visit.  And The Haunting of Hill House.  And Scary Movie Marathon.  And all the other scary movies and shows in between.  I just went too hard this year, tried to watch too much scary stuff throughout the month of October, and I'm so done.  I just want Christmas movies to start so I can sleep without listening for noises and catching sight of shadows out of the corner of my eye.

Don't get me wrong.  I still love Halloween, and I've had a lot of fun gearing up and getting ready for it.  I've had my costume ready and waiting since mid-September, I've been stocking up on Halloween candy for weeks and made up my treat bags on the weekend, I had a fun evening carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds with my mom on Friday, and despite the scary movies, I had a great time with Lindsay, Ryan, Sam & Lainey eating treats and pizza and having a fun day on Saturday.

But it took me a long time to shake off the heebie-jeebies from watching The Visit earlier this month.  And I still don't understand how I got so sucked in to The Haunting of Hill House when it bothered me so much afterwards.  I mean, I'm still worried the Bent Neck Lady is going to appear at the end of my bed every night, and I finished watching the series a week ago.

For Scary Movie Marathon, I picked two movies I'd already seen so that it would be "easier" for me.  I made it through A Quiet Place fine (while it's an hour and a half of anxiety and holding my breath, I still believe it's one of the best, most creative movies I've ever seen), but I struggled with It.  I saw it in theatre over a year ago with a bunch of friends, and maybe that's why my memories weren't so bad?  All the giggles and laughter on the way home erased how traumatizing it was?  I don't know.  But it certainly bothered me on Saturday, to the point where I kept saying to Lindsay, "Do you want to shut it off?  I don't mind if you want to shut it off."  I was almost a little disappointed when she insisted she would be okay.

Too much.  Wayyyyy too much.

So, tonight is Mat Night, and ideally, it's the perfect night to settle in with a big bowl of buttery popcorn, turn the lights out, and watch something scary.  At the moment, I'm undecided.  I have been saving one of my favourites for this night, Halloween: H20, but I honestly don't know if I can handle it.  Even though I've seen it a million times before.  Even though I know exactly when the jump-scares are coming. Even though it features a young and incredibly handsome Josh Hartnett.  I honestly think I might have to ditch it and just watch Casper instead.

Scary movie burn-out.  I didn't know it was a thing, but it's definitely a thing.  And I have it.

I just have to hang in for a few more days.  Christmas movies are in the near future.  I'm ready to leave the ghosts and monsters behind.

Let's go, November.

The Haunting of Jill's House

Can someone please explain to me why in the hell when October rolls around I decide I like scary stuff?? 

Because I SERIOUSLY DO NOT LIKE SCARY STUFF.

And yet, it happens, every year.  The Halloween season hits and I get this strong urge to immerse myself in the scary.  I honestly have no idea why, because I always end up regretting it.

This past year, I thought maybe I was getting better at it.  Last fall, I saw the new It in theatres with friends, and I survived.  I saw A Quiet Place in theatres with my friend Sara last spring, and I actually really enjoyed it.  I watched The Babadook last weekend, a movie that seems to be suggested as one of the scariest ever, and it barely even fizzed me. 

Then, as I mentioned last week, I watched The Visit on Thanksgiving Monday, and for some reason, THAT was the movie that got under my skin.  THAT was the movie that bothered me and kept me up at night.  THAT was the movie I couldn't seem to shake, long after the credits rolled.

I took a break from the scary last week after that.  I watched lots of episodes of New Girl, and steered clear of any more movies from my Halloween Movie Bucket List.  And I sort of started dreading Friday evening, when I had plans to visit The Haunted House on the Hill at the Billings Estate historical site in Ottawa with a group of friends. 

As it turned out?  Friday night was OK.  I mean, we had tons of laughs and fun at dinner, and then we did the Haunted House and it wasn't as bad as I expected.  It helped that the "actors" were not allowed to touch us.  I learned that if I just shrunk myself up in a ball and shouted, "NO! STOP! LEAVE ME ALONE!" they would back off.  It also helped that a few times we got lost and had to ask the "scary people" for directions.  It sure had it's fair share of jumps and screams, but it didn't bother me once I got home.  I was able to sleep without issue.

So there I was, thinking I was OK with the scary again.

And that brings us to last night.  Home from work after suffering with a sinus headache all day, I decided I was going to do nothing last night, aside from my usual Monday night laundry.  I got the laundry going, made supper, and then settled in on the couch with a hot bag on my neck and a dose of Advil to start a series on Netflix that had caught my eye:  The Haunting of Hill House.  

I only planned on watching one episode.  I ended up watching three.  It hooked me.  It really did.  The story had me gripped.  And while it was scary, with lots of moments that made me jump and squeal, I was intrigued by these characters, and wanted to see what would happen to them.

After the third episode, I went upstairs to switch laundry loads, and that's when I seriously began regretting my evening spent in Hill House.  Did I mention it was also a very windy night?  It was a very windy night. And OF COURSE, as I'm up there with no phone or flash light or anything, hanging my clothes on my drying rack in the spare room, the power went off.

"Oh, f*ck.  F*ck f*ck f*ck."

I held my breath and waited for it to come back on.  It did not immediately come back, like it usually does.  I continued to curse as I began bumping frantically out of the room, down the hall, to my own room, hands out touching the walls as I went.  Panic was rising.  All I kept thinking was "get to your bed, get to your bed."  Why do I believe my bed has protective super powers?  I do not know.  But when something goes bump in the night, I burrow deeper beneath my covers and wait it out.  I needed to get to the safe haven of my bed.

But my bed was piled with clean laundry that I had yet to fold and put away.  I hit that mountain as I tried to climb on, and so I then began pushing it wildly off the bed.  In my rush to shove the clothes off the bed, I somehow pitched myself right over the edge too, hitting my headachey head on the floor, and causing another eruption of "F*CK F*CK F*CK"'s.

That's when the lights came back on.

Oh, but it doesn't end there.

I quickly made my way back downstairs, lit candles and grabbed my phone in case the power went off again, took some deep breaths, slowed my heart rate, and spent an hour or so watching New Girl to try and erase the scary Hill House memories.  I thought I had done an effective job of pushing it aside, until my mom called just as I was going to bed to tell me her power was off.  I thought about going up to her place to spend the night and help her if she needed it with her generator (she needs it to keep her sump-pump going), but she insisted she was fine, and I really do prefer my own bed.  But about an hour later, I was wakened to the sound of silence in my room - because now MY power was off.  And it didn't come back on.

And the wind was relentless.  The whole house seemed to creak and groan.  It was SO dark.  I kept hearing bumps and weird noises.  I felt like I spent more time awake than asleep, staring into the darkness, listening to creepy noises, and checking the Hydro app on my phone for updates as to when the power might be back on. (It was useless.  It didn't come back on until well on this morning, long after I'd left for work.)

So.  Needless to say, it was DEFINITELY the wrong night to start watching The Haunting of Hill House.  And now, I might have to be done with that, too.

*sigh*  Bring on Christmas.

Thanksgiving Weekend: A Re-Cap

Thanksgiving weekend was a blast - a perfect mix of lots of fun with family & friends, and also plenty of downtime and relaxation.  I'm so sad that it's already over!  Here's how it all went down:

Friday afternoon, they let me off early around 3 PM, so I scooted my butt home and got to work right away!  I had cookies to bake!  I offered up homemade cookies in the Canada Day Committee's fundraising auction last spring, and one of the winners had called in their cookies for the weekend.  One of the other winners had told me they'd take their cookies anytime, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone, and baked 'em all at once.  Once the cookies were done, I had a little downtime before book club, so I settled in and watched the first movie off my Halloween Movie Bucket List:  Pet Sematary!  One of my all-time Stephen King faves!

Just before 7 PM, I headed to my friend Lolly's, as she was hosting our book club group that night.  We enjoyed delicious snacks, lots of great girl talk, and I got some twin snuggles in.  Oh, and yes, we did talk a bit about the book we read. LOL!  It was The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson, which I read months ago, and while the book was OK and a quick read, it wasn't my favourite one ever.  I think my expectations were too high, because they promoted it as even better than Gone Girl, and I completely disagree with that assessment.  I think books should stop being compared to Gone Girl, it seems to happen way too often and I have yet to hit upon one that causes my jaw to drop like Gone Girl did.  Regardless, it was great to sit and visit with the ladies, I felt like I was long over-due for a girls night.

Saturday morning, I was up fairly early and after sipping a coffee and getting ready for the day, I set to editing the family photos I had taken for my friend Caryl and her family the weekend before.  I wanted to get that session edited before the next one came up.  While I edited, I put on some more scary movies - first, The Conjuring, and then The Amityville Horror (Ryan Reynolds edition).  Before I knew it, the pictures were all done, the cookies had been picked up, and I was packed up and ready to head to my mom's for our Thanksgiving celebration!

Our Thanksgiving started by going up to Shawville to watch my nephew Caden play in his first hockey game of the season.  After they had chalked up their first W of the year, we returned to Mom's for a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and some great family time.  After dinner, we retreated to the living room to watch the Sens game, and enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving Miracle, watching them beat the Leafs. ;)  It was a fabulous day all around!

Sunday morning I slept in a little before getting up and getting ready for church.  The church was decorated beautifully, and it was an uplifting Communion service with lots of people out.  After church we went to Mom's for brunch, and I was suddenly hit by a headache.  It came out of nowhere, and it wasn't pleasant.  Kara put some of her Peppermint Halo stuff on the back of my neck, I took some Advil, and hit the couch.  Danica stayed with me to watch TV, while the rest of them went on a back road fall drive.  My headache had eased up by suppertime, and we had Thanksgiving Dinner Round 2.  Just enough leftovers to have a complete repeat of Saturday night's dinner.  Yum!!  And Mom was happy to get rid of most of the leftovers, so it was a win-win.

Monday started out kind of wonky.  I was up fairly early again and the headache was completely gone, thank gosh, so I lounged around crocheting while I watched the movie The Babadook on Netlfix, sipped coffee, in no rush... I was heading to my friend Sara's to take their family photos at 11 AM, and had nothing to do until then.  UNTIL...I checked my email and had a reminder from my editor at the Equity to send my notes in as usual despite the holiday.  Whoops!!  I had totally forgotten about that!!  So then the scramble was on.  I rushed to write my notes and get them submitted, get myself ready, and get on the road to Sara's on time.  It made for a sweaty, scrambly hour! haha!   I took photos (and it went SO well!) and had a little visit with the Dowes, then headed home for lunch.

I had been thinking wistfully of those cookies I baked on Friday and shipped out for others to enjoy, and decided to make some of my own.  I had the Sens game on and spent the afternoon baking, decorating for Halloween, and just enjoying some downtime. 

Then I made a REALLY big mistake.  I decided to watch another scary movie from my Halloween Movie Bucket List, one I had never seen before : M. Night Shyamalan's The Visit.  BAD IDEA.  I don't know why, but this movie really got under my skin and creeped me right the f*ck out.  Worse than probably any scary movie I've watched in recent memory. It totally gave me the heebie-jeebies, and as dark fell, all I could picture was this grey long-haired old lady running around my house and hiding under my bed.  Ugh.  Needless to say... nightlight on, and not a lot of good quality sleep that night, despite the multiple episodes of New Girl that I filled the evening with in an attempt to squash the memories of The Visit.  *sigh*

So I might be done with the scary movie list for a while.  I mean, I still want to do my Disney Ichabod movie, and of course I'm still excited for Scary Movie Marathon, but I might not bother with the rest.  The Visit might have been enough for me for a while.  *shudder*

Overall - despite regretting that one movie - it was an awesome weekend, and I wish we could just have a do-over because it all went by too fast.  I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful weekend too! :)

Jill's October To-Do's

October is here, and I couldn't be happier!  My favourite time of year has officially BEGUN! :)

A bunch of my blog pals shared their October To Do Lists yesterday, and I'm a day late but I'm going to play along.  October is a jam-packed month, I'm so looking forward to all of the fun!

• Book Club - It is this Friday, and it's an appropriately murdery/creepy book we'll be discussing!  (Although I read it months ago, lol!)  The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson.  Looking forward to chatting with the girls!
  
• Baking cookies - I donated homemade cookies to an online auction this past spring, and one of the winners is cashing in this weekend.  Gotta get my bake on!
• Celebrating Thanksgiving - This Saturday, our family is gathering at my mom's for our dinner, and I can't wait!  I'm craving turkey dinner! Yum!!  
  
• Haunted Houses - I have not one but TWO trips planned to Haunted Houses!  A friend of mine just recently discovered we have one not far from home, just up in Bryson, so we're going to check it out.  Then I have plans to visit the Billings Estate House on Haunted Hill event next Friday.  Ready to get my spook on!
  
• Hair Appointment - I've been trying to grow my hair out longer, and it is a slooooow process.  Next Tuesday, I'll be getting low-lights put in for the fall/winter, but hopefully no cut (unless my hair dresser deems my ends need to be cut).
• Celebrating birthdays!  I have a couple of friends with birthdays this month, and my nephew Caden is turning 13 (WHAT?!?) - so there will be some celebrating going on this month for sure.
• Taking photos - I have a few friends who have asked me to take fall family photos for them.  I have one of them done already, and a couple more to go over the next month or so.  I'm trying to space them out a bit so I can have them all edited in a timely fashion. 
• Watching scary movies - Yup, it's that time of year!  I have that strong desire to immerse myself in all things creepy and spooktacular!  I saw a fellow blogger posted a challenge to watch a horror movie for every day of the month.  I don't think I can accomplish that, but I am going to make a scary movie bucket list and try to watch as many of them as I can.
  
• CAR RALLY!! It's one of my favourite days of the year, and I'm already so looking forward to it.  I love touring the back roads with my friends, answering the questions, searching for clues, and just having a lot of laughs with Stacy, Ricky, Sara & Graham.  It's always SUCH a good day!
  
• Organizing the Christmas House Tour - Well, hopefully, anyway.  I'm struggling to find willing participants this year.  Going to keep trying, though, and hopefully by the end of the month I'll be able to say it's a go!
• Scary Movie Marathon - I know, I already put "watching scary movies" up there.  But this event is a special one, separate from that.  It's become a tradition for me to force my friend Lindsay to watch scary movies with me the Saturday before Halloween.  We eat pizza and chips and candy, sometimes Ryan joins us, and we've incorporated Sam into the marathon too by watching a kid's Halloween movie around supper time.  I believe this year's choices are It (2017 version) and A Quiet Place, with Hotel Transylvania for Sam.  I love Scary Movie Marathon Day!!
  
  
• Enjoying all the pumpkin things - I made a pumpkin loaf a few weeks ago that was to die for, and I'm sure I'll be making more!  Also enjoying Pumpkin Spice Bailey's in my coffee whenever I can.  And buying a pumpkin to carve, and to roast the seeds!  Mmmm... pumpkin... 
  
• Preparing Halloween treat bags - I'll be stocking up on mini chocolate bars and candy soon, then assembling my treat bags towards the end of the month.  It's such a fun task.  
• Celebrating Halloween! Christmas is my favourite, but Halloween isn't far behind.  I so adore this time of year.  Since Halloween lands on work day, we'll likely have our little office party as usual.  We usually have some snacks (I like to bring my pumpkin cheese ball), and I already have my costume.  Then I'll join my mom after work for a special supper (something fun, like bacon bunnies or pizza or macaroni casserole) and greet all of the trick-or-treaters at the door.  YAY FOR HALLOWEEN! :)
  

What's on YOUR October to-do list?