Octoberfest

Mmmm, October! My favorite month. First, it's fun to say - October - what are the words that look like they sound? Pow, Bang, smack...I feel like I should be drawing a Batman cartoon.

Second, beer! However, Oktoberfest is not actually my preference. What truly makes me happy about October is Pumpkin beer. Pumpkin beer is spicer, less hoppy and I think far tastier than Oktoberfest. And until recently was not very prevalent. There has been Harvest Moon of course, but most seasonal brews tend toward the Oktoberfest. Imagine my delight on a recent trip to my friendly neighborhood liquor mart when I discovered that there are many Pumpkin beers to be had! There is O'Fallon's Pumpkin, Jack's Pumpkin from American Brewery, even Micholob has a pumpkin! Of course I immediately snatched up 4 different 6 packs of pumpkin brew - now if only I could order when dining out!

Third, are pumpkins themselves. And Squash!! I love squash. I love to eat squash and look at all the funny shapes. And the colors are awesome - dark green and orange, my favorites. One of my neighborhood plant stores has racks and racks of Heirloom squash...I think that's what they are called - fuuuuugly! They are that pale peachy color and they are covered in warts - ick! But totally cool too. I love squash and pumpkin soups and pumpkin frappucinos and pumpkin chai lattes. I have two whole cookbooks dedicated to cooking solely with pumpkins and squash. (However, to my dismay, someone - my assistant Janis I think - told me that there is a pumpkin shortage this year. Although Illinois is the highest producer of pumpkins in the U.S. the rest of the pumpkin growers had very low yields this year. I am disturbed. What kind of October would it be without pumpkin squares and lemon glaze, or pumpkin pancakes??) At least we still have Pumpkinfest!

One of the things I love most about October is the changing weather and the fall colors. Unfortunately, my plants seem to hang onto their green far longer than most other trees and plants in the neighborhood. Last year, my tree out front froze and was covered in snow before it turned color or even lost all it's leaves. I hope it moves a little more quickly this year. My favorites are the vibrant reds and oranges. I've never really been a yellow girl. Things are just starting to change here...one more week and we should be in full fall color. And then.....

HALLOWEEN!! I love Halloween. I've been listening to the soundtrack to The Nightmare Before Christmas for a couple of weeks now. Pumpkin carving is a rite of passage each October and it's the season of the witch. Even Taco Bell has a black taco. Nothing is cuter, by the way than the hordes of kids that come to storytime dressed in their costumes - one little girl came dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz the last week of September - I'm pretty sure she won't take it off until Halloween. Of course, I start thinking about my costume in August, but somehow manage to leave it to the last minute to decide what I am going to be. It always seems to work out - I am creative and resourceful afterall. The boys are planning a big horror blowout with skulls and tombstones and chili and gumbo and haunted house proportions of thrills and chills. I'll have to bartend, but I'll go over early just to see the big show. The best part of Halloween is that it officially kicks off what I call the Holiday Season. October through New Year's - holiday parties, celebrations, crisp fall weather, the first snow of the season, decorating, socializing, holiday music and drinks. What other month in the year has books and gifts for Halloween and Thanksgiving AND Christmas nestled side by side on the shelves? This is absolutely my favorite time of year!

So, if you want to complain about the weather or the crowds or whatever else ails ya, I suggest instead you pop open a Pumpkin Ale, carve yourself a smiling pumpkin, throw some candy in a bucket by your door and dive in with zeal. Once October ends, it's 12 long months until we see it again.

J & J! Not the in-laws, the French Cooking Masters

I am currently reading Julie & Julia. (I know, it's been out forever, is already in paperback and the movie will be on DVD any minute now, so I'm behind.) Whatever. I have to say, having finally discovered it for myself, I can finally see why everyone thought it was so great a couple of years ago.

It's greatness is due to two things:

1. Julie Powell is a delightful, irreverent, hilarious, totally fabulous literary voice. She reminds me of reading Jen Lancaster or Caprice Crane. I have actually stopped reading more than once to re-read a passage to whomever happens to be nearby. It's laugh out loud entertaining.

2. She intersperses her own MtAoFC adventures not with anecdotes by Julia Child, but instead with excerpts from letters written by Paul Child. Brilliant.

Since my reading of late has tended toward the Teen Fiction supernatural genre because it's decidedly well-written, fresh and very NOW. (And also so easy to plow through quickly.) I have to say that I am surprised and thoroughly delighted (I keep using that word) to have discovered this book. I feel vaguely adult again. I'm definitely smiling on the inside.

Also, a tiny plate of shrimp occurred on the same day as the J & J discovery. I had been reading a Time magazine article about FDR and what Obama could learn from him and it referenced the WPA all over the place - which is interesting for it's sub-programs that provided jobs for artists and writers, among other things. Anyway, I was looking up books to read for my Genre Study group and I had settled on about 6 of them and I was reading through to whittle it down to 2 when I cam across "The Food of a Younger Land" by Mark Kurlansky - same guy who wrote Salt and Cod. As it turns out, this book is a compilation of essays on regional foods written by WPA writers in the 1930s as part of a government work program. It's fabulous. Talks all about the south and who makes a better mint julep or the northeast and the proper way to make a clam chowder. It's historical and fun and I can't wait to read it next.

Bon Apetit!

Operation Prepare To Move

Oh, you should have seen the boy these last 2 days! (I wish I'd seen him!) While I worked 14 hours yesterday and went back for 8 more today, he tackled the following list of moving preparations items:

He assisted our friend in having her car towed out of our driveway where it has languished for nearly 3 years - I can't even tell you how happy I am it is gone!

He cleaned out his car (which has also languished in our driveway for several years) - AND found the key for it so that we can sell it! (If I were given to religious expletives, I'd shout "Halelujah!!")

Since we were able to move all the boxes of books, etc. that I packed last month to a storage unit on Saturday, he was able to tear down the sagging ceiling in the library. He even cleaned up the bits of cork insulation, salvaged the molding, and did not ruin the remaining books in the process.

He took apart the cracked, crumbling, ghetto plastic lazy susan in the corner cupboard so we can replace it - FINALLY!

He swept the driveway, moved the composting hay, mowed and edged.

I kind of like him as a house husband!

I'm so excited to have all these projects finally in motion!! Of course, now, I'm going to actually have to do some work, like start packing boxes again and going through mountains of paperwork and old files, going through my closet...I think I will start tomorrow!

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"You have bewitched me body and soul." - from Pride & Prejudice.

I can't remember the name of the guy Elizabeth falls in love with - he's the one who utters this line. And by the way, Keira Knightly's big eyebrows and bangs do not create a bewitching vision.

P.S. It sounds so much better if you say it out loud with a British accent.

Social Networking

Hmmm - I have discovered that I love/am addicted to Facebook. It's so terribly easy to keep track of friends, reaquaint with people and generally get to know people/friends. I have found that I almost can't function on a phone call anymore, because it takes too long, I have to pay attention, and I often feel trapped!

Is that wrong? *wink*

Well, that's not exactly true, but it is true that I prefer Facebook most of the time. I can jump on, comment here, post there, catch up with 50 people in under five minutes and hop off. I can check in 3, 4, 100 times a day. For a busy lifestyle, it's brilliant! I suppose one could argue that it isn't real human interaction. But I think technology is re-defining what we call human interaction. People who I might otherwise not see or talk to for years, I can keep up with daily or weekly now - without having to spend hours on the phone or driving across the country. I laugh just as hard at things my friends say online as I do when I see them in person. I get to wish people Happy Birthday without missing the day or forgetting altogether. I can see pictures of events I wasn't able to attend and not feel like I missed out entirely. I suppose if I turned into the character from that movie THE NET, who never left her house, I'd be more worried. But I work 50-60 hours a week with the public and I have at least one physical interaction with friends a week, so I guess I am not the old lady with the computer just yet.

Check back with me once I get an iPhone. I may need an intervention then!

To Move or Not to Move

We have finally come to the conclusion that it is time to think about moving. Although our little town is delightful, picturesque and quaint, it is far from cost effective. And, the thought has occurred to us that if we really want to have the children, we need to stop living like we just graduated from college and start making some plans.

So, operation Prepare To Move has officially started. Today, I made a list of all the things we need to do to fix-up, clean-up and all around make the place presentable to potential buyers. This is not a short list. This is not even a long list - this is a gargantuan list. Seriously - take a look around where you live and imagine it through the eyes of someone that you want money from for it. This is no small endeavor.

Step one: have your favorite realtor over to tell you what you need to do to prep and stage the house. Add this to the long list you have already made for yourself. *sigh deeply*

Step two: stick head in the sand and spend the evening watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, this is the best way to get started.

I may also make a binder and be all OCD about my list, about operation Prepare To Move and perhaps, I'll even get to cross some stuff off that list.

A Christmas Story for people having a bad day:

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum.. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.

The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'


And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

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