Halloween

For our Halloween handouts, I knew I was going to do something that blinked again this year, because the kids like them. I also like giving them out for safety and for the child who maybe can't have candy, chocolates or nuts, but still want enjoy Halloween. 

I was drawing a blank this year in the treat category. That is until a little gent name Ike helped me out. His mom, Suann is the talent behind Simplesong blog, she finds the coolest things and at times share her amazing stories about her adorable son, Ike.  I asked Suann if she would do me a favor and ask Ike what he would like for a treat. His response was a bag of Reese's peanut butter cups or pizza! She wasn't sure if he was serious, so she asked him again the following morning, his response was the same, so my goblins will not get pizza, but a bag full of Reese's peanut butter cups. Thanks Ike and I hope you enjoy your pail of Reese's peanut butter cups!

By the way, if you live in or near Old Town Alexandria, Virginia make sure to stop by Suann’s paper good shop, called Fifteen Eleven, you won't be disappointed.

Our Halloween treats are wrapped and the eyes are lit

Thanks to Donna at Flashing Blinky Lights I was able to get these cool rings, they blink for fun, great for safety, so the kids can be seen on the dark streets and they even feel gooey and soft like an eyeball!

 All I have to do is wait for the little goblins to ring the bell.

Have "Boo"tiful Halloween!

Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Eat, drink and be scary.

~Author Unknown~

Corner View: Exotic

I'm sure, if I think hard enough I could find more exotic things around me, but this exotic flower has my attention. I love the deep shades of orange that fits perfectly for our Autumn season and yet it let's my imaginations think of warmer weather, sandy beaches and fruity drinks with umbrellas.

I bet some of you, even have these flowers growing in your backyards. To visit more exotic places and things visit Francesca's corner. Thank you Elsa for this week's topic!


Thank you for stopping by!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

I’m an ocean, because I’m really deep. If you search deep enough you can find rare exotic treasures

~Christina Aguilera~

Corner View: Whatever Tickles Your Fancy

Warning: This week's post is a bit monotonous. Right, now the only thing that tickles my fancy are these cherry cough drops and a chance to catch up on magazine reading.

Hop on over to Francesca's corner to see more of others, "what tickles your fancy". Thank you, Ninja for this week's topic!

Have a great day my friends.
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Those who tickle themselves may laugh when they please

~ German Proverb~

A Season Of Harvest

Last weekend while we went apple and pumpkin picking, we also stopped at a corn maze. The place has a picnic area, so everyone brought a dish to pass.

With Autumn being a harvest season, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate, but with a batch of homemade pumpkin empanadas. I didn’t want to worry about bringing a dish or basket back home, so I took a small cardboard box, covered it with Kraft paper, lined it with a sheet of parchment paper and tied a tag and twine around the outside.  Afterwards I simply tossed the empty box away. Yes, empty everyone loved the empanadas! 

You can find the recipe HERE. I love the recipes Yvette, Vangie, and Veronica share on their blog, they are three generations sharing their down home Mexican comfort foods. I can’t wait till their cookbook comes out next year!

May your day be filled with happiness!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Biting into a pumpkin empanada is like tasting Autumn's harvest on your lips
~joyce gallagher~

A Forgotten Childhood Dream

As a small child, I used to dream about growing up someday to be a missionary or teaching art to the children on a Indian Reservation.

I haven’t thought about this dream in long time, that is until I happened to walk into the living room at the right time, to see Good Morning America . Diane Sawyer (a favorite of mine) his doing a special tonight on 20/20, called Children of the Plains. The memories resurfaced. I don’t want to miss the episode tonight, so I will record the show, so I can make sure to take it all in.  Did you have dreams as a child and over the years forgot about them?  

Wishing you a weekend full of dreams to come true!
Hugs,

Joyce

xo

Grown men can learn from very little children

for the hearts of the little children are pure.

Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them

many things which older people miss.

~Black Elk~

Corner View: October

October reminds of a month that lingers and prepares. It tries to hold onto some of the warm sunny days of the past summer, while it prepares the wealth of golden harvest for the cold months ahead.
Some of you have asked about my plans of my little potatoes harvest here. I did find a few more in the soil, but I have to be honest they are so darn cute I don't know if I can bring myself to use them.

With our weather being extra beautiful this past weekend, we went apple and pumpkin picking on Saturday and to a corn maze.  We filled a large bag full of apples and picked a pumpkin for each one of us.

On Sunday we went to the forest preserve, while Gary played ball with Bo, I took photos and met a senior gent by the name of Rich and his dog Patch. Just like the month of October lingers, so do my thoughts of Rich and Patch hoping they are having a golden day.

To view more of October visit Francesca's corner. Thank you, Kari for a great topic this week!

My dear friends, I'm still having trouble leaving comments on some of your blogs, so bear with me if you don't see a note from me. I hope the blog fairy will appear soon.


Enjoy your October day!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

October is a symphony of permanence and change.
~Bonaro W. Overstreet~

Skiing In October

We have been having beautiful weather this week. Last weekend we went to the Norge Ski Club event.



It was amazing to see the jumps without any snow!

Don't it look like green straws?

The skiers did awesome!

Just looking up the slopes made me dizzy.

It was a perfect day to spend with friends in the Autumn sun.

Thank you for stopping by this week. I greatly appreciate it! 

I have been having trouble the last couple of weeks leaving comments on some of my favorite blogs, I am still trying to figure this out and hopefully will soon. If anyone has words of wisdom, I'm open for suggestions.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Skiing is a dance, and the mountain always leads

~Author Unknown~

Corner View: The Last Thing I Learned

I find learning comes in all shapes and sizes big and small, it is there every day I just have to listen and/or look.

Last week’s learning highlight was attending my first Webinar with Focus on Rescue (thanks Suzanne if it wasn’t for you, I would have missed this experience). It was about photographing dogs and/or cats in rescue and working with rescue groups. 

Teresa Berg, is a talented Dallas, Texas photographer, who is bringing awareness and increasing adoption rates with her photography. There are no cages or bars between her camera lens and the animals only their personalities. She is reaching out to other photographers (professionals and hobbyists) to get involve and volunteer their time to rescue groups.

This pup’s face cracks me up every time I see it.

The images of the dogs above are not rescues, but dogs having the pleasure of having dinner on a deck with their owners. Docks bar and grill opened their deck to our pups for the month of September. Every Tuesday night for dinner the dogs had the pleasure of hanging and enjoying the view (scent) with their love ones, along with a big bowl of either chicken and rice or beef and rice.

I couldn't post all these adorable pups and not include Mr. Bojangles. Here he is waiting for the train to bring "his" Zach (my nephew) home from a day at school.

To see what others have recently learned, stop and visit Francesca's corner. Thank you Sophie this week’s topic!

Find your treasure of the day!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn

 ~Latin Proverb~

Farmer's Daughter I'm Not

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Ours was nice and of course went to fast. The weekend started with a beautiful walk with Bo and ended with a movie. I hope to share some photos later this week.

I couldn't wait anymore, to see how my first time at potato growing went. Ummm.... let me just say, if we need to live on my crop this winter, we will be very thin next spring. 

I put a quarter next to the two potatoes, so you could see how small they are. OK, so I might not have a cellar full of potatoes, but don't you think these guys are too cute to eat?!

Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field.

~Dwight D. Eisenhower~