It's as easy as making predictions, right? Anyone can forecast what is to come. But that is where the right gets lost in the context. I can tell you what we need, what we want, what we will strive for... but how it all turns out in the end may not be just exactly how we envisioned it, and THAT is okay, right?
So far, so good. I picked out a non-traditional pumpkin that we didn't brave the patch for, and I am okay with that, I guess. The month of October was pretty cold, a bit wet, and sweater weather is here to stay. Indoor activities are more promising, unless you are willing to pull out the warm hats and gloves.
With a prayer for a nice Indian Summer day or two, we will move on to recipes, plenty of holiday planning, and no telling what else will be upon us before we know it.
Aly and I were the only spirited ones to carve out poor, old Jack. And for however many visions of scariness I had in mind, Aly's hand and my lack of skill with a sharp knife never hit reality. And that's okay, too.It was a sweet Sunday evening, and one of the more relaxed ones we've had in a while. I laid the harvested seeds out to dry in preparation for a good roasting. We roasted up poor, old Jack's innards with some brown sugar and cinnamon; just enough to make them crunch sweetly in our mouths. Here's the recipe I have always used:
- Spread the seeds in a single layer in a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; stir and return to oven for 15 minutes more; remove from oven and sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the seeds; stir to coat.
- Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes before removing again to sprinkle with remaining sugar and stirring. Bake another 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool before serving. Store leftover seeds in an
airtight container.And with that, Jack moved from the kitchen counter to the front porch, where the occasional passer-by would throw random candy wrappers in his mouth. Poor Jack. Never any candy, just the wrappers.
And with that, the Halloween season was set to commence...
And of all the odd costumes, Brandan out did himself this year. We still have yet to deem a name for this get-up. I said Jolly Green Giant or the One Man Green Man Group, but most little kids addressed him as Mr. Green Person or Green Guy. He looked like somone had dipped Spiderman into a bucket of paint! Well, it kept him warm enough for our chilly low 50* temps. And he sure got enough turned heads anywhere he went or knocked on a door. The label on the costume said "See thru, Breathe thru, and DRINK thru" - we didn't test that last one. He was okay with that, which I am super surprised about.
Miss Aly was in search of a bright, florescent monster like costume with bushy legwarmers and hoodie. They were all sold out in the one she wanted. :( But she ended up very content with this little lion outfit (ala little red riding hood sort of design). Her paws were covered and her tail wagged behind her. And she was happy with the perfect combination of sweet, yet ferocious. She was okay with that.All in all, this was the first Halloween where the kids guided the direction. They treated for a bit, answered the door for a bit, but for the first time...they did not combine their candy. A clear line was drawn between Yours and Mine. Of course, there were a few I'll trade you this for that conversations, but having TWO bowls of candy in this house was a tad overwhelming for the rest of the craving members of this family. And, it was against my thinking, but I was okay with that.
Thankfully OR Sadly, (which ever one you choose to start the sentence) the candy is now gone. And thus, another October is in the books. With no choice in the matter or ability to pause time, I'm thankful for another beautiful autumn month --that, I am okay with.
On November 2nd, Eddie and Claudia were married...
...and our Prado clan is so content to grow larger.
It is a blessing to be apart of something just like this, and we are thankful to have Claudia join into this crazy mix of us all.
Baby Noah is getting so big - 8 months old mid November. He is stretching out and trying to grab hold of all of his siblings and cousins to get up and get going.
With a tad bit of help from Aly, of all people, we encouraged Chato and Brandan along with Sami, Andy, Lupita, and Allison to head downtown to AMC River East 21, the only theater releasing LINCOLN this weekend. Aly's role reversal with her brother's affection for the 16th president was as eager to see the movie as I was.
We grabbed a spot on the afternoon train into the city and enjoyed a walk from the Orange line loop, across the Michigan Avenue bridge, and behind the Wrigley building to the theater. Gorgeous weather accompanied by our famous windy city breezes, guided us on a nice walk. It's days like this that I truly enjoy my city and its urban paths.
As for the movie: It's a tough one. If you have no affection for the entertainment of history and an American timeline, then Lincoln is not your movie. Me, on the other hand LOVED every bit of it. The characters brought to life wonderful words and speeches that I imagined were true form. TO watch it again, and I pray to, I'd definitely have a pencil in hand to record all of the eloquent expressions that fell off Daniel Day-Lewis' tongue. So, "Are we fitted to the times we are born into?" I'd surely hope so. It may not sit alone on predictions and forecasts. We cannot foresee what is to come, nor make it happen just so. My intent is there. I can't speak for others. And that's okay with me.
This past weekend, my father lost his only surviving sibling. And though the path of life did not have fine stitching, my daddy will stand as the last of his generation. We played out our past few weeks, enjoying these events as they arrived, just as we will continue to do in the days, weeks...all those ahead. Our future is arriving one moment in time at a time. I don't know what is next, and I'm okay with that. Today, we have all that we need + quite a few good reflections and smiles.
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