It's Fall Happenings

I don't know about you but when fall arrives every year I get silly. I carry around this stupid grin that gets bigger whenever a cool breeze hits it. I drive with the windows down and hang one arm out. I start listening to Sufjan Stevens, The National, Band of Horses, Death Cab for Cutie, and One Winter - For Patrick from The Perks of Being a Wallflower on repeat. I turn off the air and open windows. I curl up and read long books in two days. I craft more than normal.

Another phenomenon I experience is an unbelievable urge to go to a pumpkin patch. Patty and I did just that. Maybe it wasn't a pumpkin patch so much as a nursery that had a lot of pumpkins. Close enough. I was drawn to a white one and Patty spent her time looking for the perfect JackOLatern pumpkin. Once we were satisfied, we brought our own little patch home.

After making some hot cocoa, and some planning and agreements on strategy, we began carving. Patty would begin by doing the initial ground work and then I would swoop in with the steady hand for the tedious stuff. While carving them up we talked about how dark pumpkin carving can be. Stabbing, pulling out the innards, carving, and throwing away the remains. Yikes. I even took a drill to some of them. It felt wrong and therapeutic at the same time. I think maybe we've been watching too much Dexter.

We thought that we might try to make some pumpkin seeds to eat. Admittedly, we both had never really enjoyed eating pumpkin seeds before. They seem to have the same curse as popcorn kernels. They get stuck in your teeth and the back of your throat for days. I've never been able to figure out if it's worth it or not. Patty had higher hopes. She jumped on the computer and looked up "good pumpkin seed recipes." Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds is what we settled on. Patty did all the work and they turned out fantastic. I mean, you can't really go wrong with Martha Stewart. She always pulls through. Just last month she taught me how to fold a fitted bed sheet. Thanks, Martha.

Of course we couldn't have just any run of the mill pumpkin. Patty and I are pretty much always set on being original. Even if it takes some extra work. And you know, a few extra hours. In the end we were happy with the result.

Before we knew it, Halloween was here. And so began the costume conundrum. What am I going to be? How can I be original? How can I spend no money? Patty decided on being a 20s flapper girl. She was going to look great per usual. Now, I had my heart set on being Daria for the past four years and have never been able to pull it off for one reason or another. Again, this year Daria was a no go. Should I be pollution again? No, although the trash bag is equally flattering on all body types, it just doesn't breathe well. Finally it came to me. Eeyore. Over my lifetime I have been called Eeyore more than I'd like to admit. I think it's my lack of excitability, or my dry humor, or maybe my passive face. Either way, I thought I'd take the chance to poke a little fun atmyself. With a little yarn, fabric, ribbon, and strategically placed velcro, I had crafted my Eeyore ensemble. Or grensemble, as my sister likes to call it. (A grey ensemble). Halloween turned out to be a pretty good night.

In other news, November is Rilo's birthday month. She's been interrogating Patty about why she hasn't received any presents yet. Happy 3rd Birthday, HoverCat.

This has been Ashley, and it's fall happenings.