365 Inspirations—304: Halloween

Halloween brings back too many memories to count. I was born on Oct. 28th, but I was taken home from the hospital on Halloween. I was a Halloween baby. My father tells the story of how my parents brought be home on that day and how the kids in the neighborhood were being noisy and were told to be quiet because there was a new baby in the house.

I grew up with birthdays and costume parties rolled into one. Devils, skeletons, witches, goblins, fairies, princesses, ghosts, and angels all showed up at my doorstep for a party.

I loved trick or treating and have fond memories of freely roaming the neighborhood for candy with my friends and getting an entire pillowcase full of it by the end of the evening. Back in the day, kids had a lot more freedom than they do now.

I remember learning this 1969 tune in elementary school. I have a great memory for songs and often remember words to songs even after hearing something for the first time. This song's words have stuck with me since childhood.

Up until my 40th birthday, I held big Halloween parties in my house with a live band and the works. These days, I don't do it anymore and I wonder if I'm losing my zest for Halloween. This is my absolute favorite time of year. Today I hung up some decorations, bought some candy for the THREE kids we will probably have tonight and I still need to carve our pumpkin!

I had breakfast with my best friend this morning. She took me out for a belated birthday meal. She is tied into my many Halloween memories. She has to go to her kids' kindergarden today for a Halloween party and I helped her get stickers and other things for this evening. It was fun. She bought me an artist's portfolio for all the collages I've been making these days.

Tonight maybe my husband and I will watch a movie and eat popcorn. We want to be around for the kids tonight.

Do you have fond memories of Halloween? What are they?

365 Inspirations—207: Foraging Blackberries in Summer

"Late August, given heavy rain and sun
For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot."—Seamus Heaney

When I was young, there were certain things we always did in summer in Washington State. One of them was to always pick wild blackberries and make a cobbler or pie. Another thing I did quite often was to swim in Lake Washington and jump from the diving board or high dive at one of the various swimming holes along the lake. Finally, it was common to buy a popsicle from the popsicle man who frequents beaches and parks in the summer.

We did all three of those things today. My best friend from elementary school tipped us off on a great blackberry foraging spot in Seattle at Magnuson Park. We got a huge container of fresh berries there for free. Blackberries grow all over Washington State and are often considered an evasive plant that has to be cut back or it with take over. It's easy to find great blackberry picking spots in parking lots, parks, behind churches and in back alleys.

We used to have a bunch in our back yard when I was growing up.

This was my husband Yoon's first full container of blackberries,

his first jump off the high dive at Lake Washington,

 and his first fudgesicle from the popsicle man.

It was a day of firsts.

After he headed off to teach his last yoga class for the evening, I got to work and made a blackberry pie!

Mmmmmm....it's delicious and perfect warmed up with vanilla ice cream.

Blackberries go for an expensive price in the grocery store, but who would buy them here in Washington State when there's an abundance of them everywhere!

Are there wild berries or other fruits that you pick in the summer where you live? What are they?

365 Inspirations—141: Do you have the time to rhyme?

"History doesn't repeat itself—at best it sometimes rhymes."—Mark Twain 

 I'm on a rhyming streak and I can't seem to stop! Do you know that there is a guy who ONLY rhymes on his blog.  His name is Pat Hatt and he blogs here. Check him out and try your hand at a rhyme.

Dr. Seuss inspired my poem yesterday, but it reminded me of this guy too, so I had to pay him a visit.

Now this blogger has got me hooked. It's kind of fun to read his blog and the comments. Sometimes  all you really want at the end of the day is something light and fun.

There are so many different kinds of bloggers and writers out there. So many different kinds of people too. Discovering new people and blogs is one of the best things about blogging.

With that,
I'll let you go check out Pat Hatt,
I'm sure he'll make you smile,
And visit for a while,
He's very welcoming on his page,
And he cares very little about your age....

Tonight I will end my rhyming session,
Cause I've got other things to post that are worth a mention.
But one small request before I go:

Would you take the time to write a rhyme?