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| Christmas Is Almost Here |
I like the home office decorations from last year (pictured). It's almost that time again! I think today is the day, assuming that nothing goes wrong, that I'll install my Christmas tree and decorations. As always, I may be absent from the blog, especially during the week of Christmas. Merry Christmas to all!
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| Winter Solstice - Author's Picture |
"The first day of winter 2025 is on Sunday, December 21, 2025. This date marks the winter solstice, which occurs at 10:03 A.M. (EST) in the Northern Hemisphere. The solstice is the shortest day of the year."
"The winter solstice is one of the oldest pagan holidays celebrated by people all around the world. The date varies with location, but it always falls before or after December 21st each year. The Sabbats are pagan holidays that honor the turning of the seasons based on the sun." Source: Tea and Rosemary.com.
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| Ham Ready To Go |
I had this ham up and cooking yesterday before noon. It only took maybe a couple of hours before it was done. Same deal with the turkey. As usual, everyone enjoyed it. I didn't overcook it or dry it out, like I've sometimes done in the past. I thought the ham was exceptionally good.
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| Ham and Turkey |
I laid out the turkey and the ham yesterday. In our house, I'm always the one who cooks the meat. We have other "traditional" dishes too, like dressing, but my wife cooks it. We have other side dishes, which my daughter prepares, and of course, we have random foods like cranberry sauce and rolls. This year, we've done away with "homemade" desserts. Instead, we have a couple of bought pies, pumpkin and pecan. I'm not sure whether Mom will come to the house for lunch. If not, I'll take her a plate. Or plates, probably.
The weather may be bad on Thanksgiving Day. I've seen reports of rain. I'm still annoyed by grocery shopping around Black Friday. I hope we can go late in the evening when the traffic is minimal. I've heard some people say (funny) that they get road rage in Walmart.
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| Happy Thanksgiving! |
1. The United States is not the only country that observes the Thanksgiving holiday. Canada does as well, and even some countries outside of North America observe it.
2. 1619 marked the first known celebration of Thanksgiving in what is now the United States. Specifically, in what is now known as Virginia.
3. It is recorded that one pound of turkey per person is the needed amount for a Thanksgiving meal.
4. According to the USDA, more than 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving Day.
5. 67 million cans of cranberry sauce are sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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| Christmas Decorations |
I got my office Christmas tree put up yesterday. It's half-completed in the picture. I worked on straightening out the branches a little later.
Here's a picture of all of my decorations. The ones on the left are a floral Santa boot, two toy soldiers, and a metal decorative Christmas tree. I bought most of those things at the Dollar Store's after-Christmas sale last year. However, I've had the boot for a long time. I've got some glitter-decorated pinecones that I'll add to the display later. Right now, I don't know where they are.
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| Wreath 2025 |
Well, we ended up going to Walmart this past Sunday. We got the kids some Christmas gifts. We'll have to do it one more time, at least. It'll probably take place after Black Friday. Nothing spectacular happened during our trip.
On that same morning, I cut the bottom out of a plastic barrel that will serve as a dog's house. It'll keep the rain off the dog whose current house is in disrepair. I had to use a drill to make a hole for the saw blade. Then, using a jigsaw, I cut the barrel according to the marks that had been drawn on the lid. It took about 30 minutes to do it.
The picture shows a newly updated wreath that my wife has at her office. It looks much nicer, she said, than the one that was previously there. The new wreath actually fell off of the door, but we found a wreath hanger today that will be installed tomorrow.
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| Happy Halloween! |
Tomorrow is that time of year when goblins, ghouls, and divers other spooks roam the land for one night! Whether you're doing trunk-or-treat at your church or trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, be safe! Check out the following safety tips from The Pioneer Woman.
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| Halloween Artwork |
"The house is alive with Halloween magic tonight. Join the party...if you dare" (OP). I found another nice piece of Halloween artwork. Halloween is almost here.
Image Source: Meta via Halloween Lovers Zone.
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| Halloween Art |
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| Halloween Artwork |
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| Halloween |
The Halloween image depicts what I associated with the event when I was young. I'll be posting several Halloween pictures between now and the 31st. I've been seeing some captivating artwork.
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| Good Evening |
The artwork in this picture has serious Washington Irving Sleepy Hollow vibes. I'm guessing the "Good Evening" words in the art are a reference to Dracula's classic line. Good evening.
Image Source: Meta via Dracula's House of Halloween. "Dracula's House of Halloween is all about the vampire Count, old Horror films and the love of Hallow [sic]."
I've been seeing some nice Halloween artwork because, I imagine, it's that time of the year. The credits attached to this picture are Halloween2009 by Guy Romano. It includes just about every spooky thing that you can think of. Maybe it needs a ghost or a witch? Regardless, it's a very nice image.
Source: Meta via Soul of Halloween.
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| Pumpkins |
I cooked dinner tonight, chicken enchiladas. Good news: My daughter turned 27 today! Thursday, I have to go see my dermatologist. That visit will take up most of the day, as it's a long drive. Today the AC and everything else in our car stopped blowing. Sigh. We'll need to have it fixed. Friday, I'll have to pay my credit card bill, which is something I do online, and it is annoying. Life always throws me into troublesome situations. It's going to be a busy week, and I don't like being busy. Being bipolar does not help at all.
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| Happy Halloween Month! |
"Halloween is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It is at the beginning of the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the Christian liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. In popular culture, Halloween has become a celebration of horror and is associated with the macabre and the supernatural." Source: Wikipedia.
So, I'm happy and I don't mind being randomly visit! Plus, Don't see anything wrong with free candy or giving out free candy. Kiddos love it. So do I, now that I think about it. Be safe out there, as the time comes nearer. I don't really "observe" Halloween, but I make it a point to watch a few movies during October, just to get in the spirit, I guess. Right now, I'm watching the silent version of The Call of Cthulhu. As of right now, it's available on Tubi TV.
See a comprehensive article on Wikipedia.
Image Source: Meta via Halloween (All Hallows Eve).
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| Fall Is Not Nigh, It's Here! |
It's that time of the year! It's time (for me) to think about watching some classic horror movies. I do it every Fall, starting now until around Halloween. By classic, I mean 1930s and 1940s horror movies; the ones that aren't really scary. I don't like the modern slasher, zombie, or gory movies. They make me jumpy. I think I'll try to include a movie or two that has been inspired by H.P. Lovecraft (again, as long as it's relatively tame). Happy Fall! Oh, and Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Image Source: Meta via H.P. Lovecraft Appreciation Group
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| Author's Picture |
The image was taken outside of Building 2 at the VA Clinic I visit. The flags are flags of different branches of the armed forces. I couldn't get a really good picture.
September 22 is the date when Earth experiences equal day and night, known as the autumnal equinox. It's the first day of Fall, and of course, Fall is followed by winter. I dread the winter.
Today I went into a Goodwill in Bonham, Texas. I like to look through their books and "whatnots." I was surprised at how expensive their merchandise is. You may as well buy it new somewhere else.
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| Halloween Candy Dish |
I bought a Halloween candy dish today at a dollar store, for four dollars. It's August, and stores are already putting out Halloween merchandise. I think that's strange, but I guess that's how it is.
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| Halloween Candy Dish |
I didn't have any traditional Halloween candy to put in my dish, so I filled it with Little Debbie brownies and fudge rounds. They probably won't last long since they're in plain view.
After having thought about it for a while, I think I'll go ahead and put out Halloween decorations in my home office. I'll have to look for my decorations, but eventually I'll find them, and I'll post a picture of the arrangement.
