Halloween.
Sly does it. Tiptoe catspaws. Slide and creep.
But why? What for? How? Who? When! Where did it all begin?
"You don't know, do you?" asks Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud climbing out of the pile of leaves under the Halloween Tree. "You don't really know!"
"Well." answers Tom the Skeleton, "er-no."
Was it-

In Egypt four thousand years ago, on the anniversary of the big death of the sun?
Or a million years before that, by the night fires of the cavemen?
Or in Druid Britain at the Ssssswooommmm of Samhain's scythe?
Or among the witches, all across Europe-multitudes of hags, crones, magicians, demons, devils?
Or high above Paris, where strange creatures froze to stone and lit the gargoyles of Notre Dame?
Or in Mexico, in the cemeteries full of candlelight and tiny candy people on El Dia de los Muertos-the Day of the Dead?
Or where?

A thousand pumpkin smiles look down from the Halloween Tree, and twice-times-a-thousand fresh cut eyes glare and wink and blink, as Moundshroud leads the eight trick-or-treaters-no, nine, But where is Pipkin?-on a leaf-tossed, kite-flying, gliding, broomstick-riding trip to learn the secret of All Hallows' Eve.
And they do.
"Well," asks Moundshroud at journey's end. "which was it? Trick or a Treat?"
"Both!" all agree.
And so will you.


[That, my friends and fam, is the intro to Ray Bradbury's bookThe Halloween Tree. Thanks Wes and Anne! I think I'm going to love it.]

[And so much for my series of Halloween in Edgebrook photos. TWICE did I take off for a walk, a different camera each time, BOTH with dead batteries. I think I need to become a better photographer who knows about crazy things like undead batteries before I go tryin' a hoity-toity photo series). (Sigh.)]

(Okay this is not Edgebrook. It's Pilsen. Today we got to see the ofrendas of the Day of the Dead exhibit at the Mexican Museum of Art. Loved it.)

Halloween in Edgebrook: A Photo Series

(Halloween is big here! Which is utter and total confirmation that we landed in the right neighborhood.)

I'm flipping through old pictures on the PC because a.) I'm supposed to be studying and b.)I didn't take my camera with me anywhere today and c.) it's keeping me from scouring craigslist for treasures in need of a new home.

But I found this fantastic photo of Tom and Chris after running the Shamrock Shuffle. I don't think I've ever seen this before. And I have no idea who took it (though surrounding digital photos point to me). There's nothing like finding a classic photo you never knew was a classic. I post it here today as a monument to procrastination, lack of original ideas, and heroic sportsmanship.

The way we like to look at it is that no news is good news. But the Edgebrook neighborhood paper is markedly different than the Rogers Park neighborhood paper. This pole stump has made front page headlines two weeks in a row.

We got to take part in Huskermania today. Up close and in person. Turned out to be Huskerpainia. Alas.

Someone learned the right way to peel an orange today. I won't say whether it was me or Noah.

9 hours of singing in the rain. And at last the Ford Focus has landed in Firth, Nebraska.

Road Trip!

The Amazing Technicolor Dream Yard

Kale and Cilantro Salad

Yum! Sarah L. shared this fine recipe with me and I must say it's so very tasty that I had to pass it on. I know what you're thinking. Kale? Isn't that the stuff people plant in their yards to feed the rabbits? Isn't that the stuff southerners eat when they run out of red beans and rice? (and NO that's collard greens!). Isn't that the dark green leaf you can use to scrub rust off your car?

But trust me. This is a fresh, flavorful feast.

Mix these things to taste:

Bunch of Kale
1 cup Cilantro
Agave
Salt
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Minced Garlic

Chop kale and cilantro into fine pieces. Mix greens with dressing of agave, salt, sesame seeds, and garlic.

Oh deer!

Talk Derby to Me

Okay forget the Go Huskers below. And let's go with Go Windy City Rollers! Last night, thanks to the good idea of Ms. Erin, I became a fan of roller derby. It was a lively mix of fun music, colorful roller skates, shiny gold pants, and a fast paced game that I could really dig (and almost fully understand) (which is good for me when it comes to sports). Me thinks that the very best part, though, was the punny, nick-namy ways the girls chose to be identified. Megan Formor. Malice with Chains. Georgia on Yer Behind. Or how about Carnage Wilson? "She'll gastronomically bypass your ass" Dee Monica? "She'll swallow your soul." Or Sonia Mouthshut? Oh...my. The fun never ends. I'm still getting a kick the next morning.

Go Huskers!

After teaching my memoir class at the retirement village today, I was approached by one of my students named Jean (I have two). She grabbed my arm and said, "I love you."

Best job in existence.


(Mara! Cool find on the turn-your-photo-into-a-polaroid website.)

Garfield Park Conservatory

It's like Jurassic Park and a warm happy place you'd love to curl up in with a book (but not in the cactus room!) ...all wrapped in one.

My friend Sarah took me to the Garfield Park Conservatory today. It was such a therapeutic walk with horticulture as I'm gearing up for the cold (and bracing myself). I got lots of cool photos and I think I'll share them with you soon, but when I got home and flipped through all the pics, it was clear right away who stole the show. The plants were stunning, but cute is cute.

The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

Max is either suggesting that he wants to go as a ghost for halloween or that he wants to join a convent. Either way, he's on his own. And he knows it.

Today we had the great pleasure of seeing our friend Mitch on stage at Second City (you know, the place where all our heros got their start?). There were some good laughs for sure. High fives to class level C.

Just wondering...

Does Halloween get much cuter than this?

This is an artistic rendition of the chili I made for chow tonight. I put raisins in it. Eric didn't notice until the end. But he found one and gave me the evil eye.

Some nights call for Glimores and salt.

Cool!

This guy is an artist who paints himself into the landscape (um...literally). Supposedly no photoshopping here. (Thanks Lynda!)

I think there should be a drinking game where you listen to a Spanish music station and have to take a shot every time you hear the words "te amo" or "corazon."

So, we had to get something notarized. And just noticed how the dude filled in the "day" part. Good lord.

Menards

It's become our Sunday hangout. There's even a secret road that pretty much goes directly from our front door to the front door of Menards. "What did you do this weekend?" "Oh, you know, I saved big money." Does anyone remember when we used to be cool? (It's okay if you don't. It may have just been in our heads.)

The lovely Allison pointed out the website and recipes of Ani Phyo to me recently and tonight I tried out my very first raw food concoction. A good sign of raw desert food success is that I instantly look forward to having the leftovers for breakfast. And I will be having mango sorbet for breakfast.

Bill and Lynda (devout readers), this is what you ate tonight.

Mango Sorbet-Macaroon Tartlets

Crust

2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup agave syrup

Mango Sorbet

2 cups chopped frozen mangoes
1 cup filtered water
1/3 cup agave syrup

For the rest of the process get a good blender and check out the site.

The most fun I've had at a movie in ages! A little spooky, pretty funny, and chalk full of good natured gore and well intentioned violence.

I miss Calvin and Hobbes! The ones where Calvin is picking on his dad always make me laugh the hardest. My own dad would probably have a comment or two about that.