A few years ago, my Mom bought herself this Halloween decoration and the following year gave it to me. To be honest, I never really liked it-I thought it ugly and almost gave it to Goodwill. But this year I noticed that when she gave it to me, she also taped a note to the bottom. "I want to go live at Michele's house-Okay Good Bye and--Don't come back. Mom" and dated it Nov, 8, 2002. She wrote it as if the pumpkin face wanted to move out and come to my house. This was so typical of her---when I was growing up she would leave notes to me taped to my Raggedy Ann doll and sign them "Raggy". Needless to say---I think this Halloween face is the most special thing in the world this season.

He's fun to walk, very lovable, acts like a big, long puppy and snores. He still has some "toileting issues", likes to unravel my knitting projects, stays constantly underfoot and snores.

Does he stay or does he go? He has a new bed, new collar and new kennel for the car so I think he is going to be around for awhile. But he needs a name. Any and all suggestions will be welcome.

What a Face!

This face was peering through my patio door on Sunday morning. I let him in and a shivering,frightened Bassett Hound jumped in my lap. I thought for sure someone was missing him but if they are, they are strangely silent. He snores and has some anxiety issues but after work I took him to the Park and we both loved it. I tried to load him in my Tahoe but he got stuck between the seats so we walked to the park, around and back and were both better off for the experience. Tomorrow I am getting a haircut and shampoo at 2:30 and he is getting a shampoo and pedicure at 3pm.

A Glorious Day for a Race

I am scooping Matt by writing about his race. We all got up at the crack of dawn to go see Matt and Kellie run their 5k at Lourdes College. And I am proud to say they did great. Matt took 3rd in his age group--not bad for his first race and Kellie set her pesonal best record. It was fun to watch--we ran into friends and coworkers. The weather was sunny---but chilly and windy. Congratulations Matt and Kellie. You read it here first.

Life is slowly returning to "normal" so I got on the scale this morning---and then promptly got on my bike! And look what Mother Nature offered and it is practically in my backyard---Pearson Park is a mile away and has a great bike trail. Weather was nippy, the air smelled like leaves and Gaelic Storm was on my Ipod. And it only gets better---Adam and Jonelle are on their way for a weekend visit and Matt is coming over to join us. The Buckeyes will be on TV and the beer is on ice.

Another New Blog!!!!!!!!!!

There's another New Blog on the Block. Matt has started one and it can be found at Matthewmgross.blogspot.com. So Matt has a new claim to fame now. Pictured is his last moment in the spotlight. We were at the World Series 2 years ago and Matt and Adam were on national TV while watching the game. We didn't know it until their cell phones started ringing and we could hear them saying "yes I am at the World Series, HEYYY WE ARE ON TV"

No Cooking Tonite

Cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping! Who feels like cooking so we went out to eat. Here is a picture of Dan in front of the restaurant. Oh----Dan is the one on the right.

It Isn't a Pretty Picture

My geraniums were quite pretty this year---forgive me for bragging. A gorgeous Fuschia color that glowed in the twilight with nice flat leaves that didn't curl. I loved them so much I am going to try a technique to save them. I pulled them out of the pots, shook the dirt off the roots and placed them upside down in a cardboard box--all 18 of them and they will go in the cool dark basement(and no watering or tending). No, I haven't lost my mind! I did this many years ago after reading about it-----and it worked! In March I will bring them out of the basement where they will look withered and dead. I'll plant them indoors in pots and start watering and hopefully, they will come back to life. I will let you know how it goes.

There's a New Blog in Town

Well-not exactly in town--but in Warsaw Indiana and created by Jonelle!! Great concept too--food, pics and recipes--I am all about that! My blog neighborhood is growing but there is always room for new neighbors if anyone is thinking of starting one. Here is her link and it is also listed to the side. JonelleBrinkman.blogspot.com

I am posting 2 posts today because I want to show what a great group of Kinsey cousins I have. And also because I know my cousin Mariska reads this in Arizona and I want her to know we missed her and spoke lovingly of her.

The first pic is what it looks like outside---note the frost in the shade. The second pic is what it looks like inside my kitchen. And the last pic is what it smells like inside my kitchen. Baked and ready to go to a family reunion. Here is my easy recipe.
Apple Pie
9 or 10 inch baked pie shell
8 cups apples. I always like Granny Smith but since the local apples are in-I used a combination with Jonagolds being the main fruit
2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 Tbl cinnamon
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Mix flour, sugar and spices. Layer 1/2 apples in pan and pour over 1/2 dry ingredients. Repeat.
Dot with 1/2 stick butter. Cover with pie crust. Pierce top to vent steam. I paint with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse white sugar. Bake 45 mins at 350 degrees.

It is Better To Recieve than to Give!

Sometimes it is much better to recieve than to Give!!! I sent a batch of M&M cookies to the Anderson household in Virginia and look what came in the mail yesterday. Thank you's and beautiful artwork. Now being proudly displayed on my refrigerator!!

Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda

I thought I was over this---I thought I was handling this better. But it is October and Tiger fans everywhere SHOULD be in World Series frenzy instead of knowing the Season is over. Actually it has been over since mid season. There's always next year--and the next year-----and the next year. This picture was taken 2 years ago when the Tigers faced StLouis in the World Series---and lost.

Dedicated to Matt

Today is Matthew Michael Gross's 30th Birthday. Thirty years ago today--on a rainy autumn Sunday he came into this world at St. Charles Hospital. He made a lot of people happy----and still does to this day. Here is a great picture of Matt and his grandmother in front of her gorgeous Impatiens.Here's to you, Matt. Your family loves you and is very, very proud of you.

Welcome a New Blog

There is a new Blog in Town and it is wonderful. Full of great photos and commentary. And best of all it was put together by our very own Adam Gross with the help of Jonelle Brinkman. Check it out at Adamdgross.blogspot.com. And be sure to let them know what you think!

Families-Past and Present

Today was a day for re-connecting with family--both past and present. Dan and I and my brother Ed drove to Cleveland to visit with my Mom's brother and his family. We had a great time on a beautiful day. Along the way we stopped at a small cemetary in Lorain Ohio to visit the graves of both sets of our paternal Great Grandparents. Irene and John Zboray was my grandmother's parents and Samuel and Rosa Kigyossy was my grandfather's parents. Interestingly, my brother pointed out that these were the first members of our family to arrive in America and all previous graves would be located in Hungary. My grandfather changed the family name from Kigyossy to Kinsey to Americanize it.

Slippery Elm Trail

Another Friday Nite Bike Ride! This time to Bowling Green along the beautiful Slippery Elm Trail that connects BG to North Baltimore. The weather was gorgeous and the company was great. We went through Rudolph Ohio--the "deerest little village in Wood County and we took a detour through a rural cemetary. I found this Revolutionary War Soldiers grave and a lot of old crumbled early 19th century tombstones. Although the stones had crumbled, they were lovingly propped up. Of course, back in Bowling Green there was a cold beer and dinner waiting for us! Have a Great weekend everyone.

Tribute to Axle

I adored this dog. I found this old pic and it brought back a lot of memories of our short relationship. He belonged to Adam's fraternity house and I was lucky enough to dog sit on occasion. We bonded right from the beginning---I think it was because we had so much in common. We both were older and could stand to lose some weight. Axle had a stroke before we met and he tired easily. You could throw his ball and he would run and catch it---you could throw it again and he would look at you and walk into the house. I know---my kind of dog. I begged to adopt him but the fraternity house wouldn't give him up---and I don't think they fed him a very healthy diet either. He was put to sleep several years ago, but I miss him still. So--what is the purpose of this post. If my family is reading it--I would love a dog for Christmas. A Golden Retriever---and it could be an older dog.

Treasures From The Earth

Yes I always wanted to be an archeologist. So that explains why I spend a lot of time looking down. But look what I have found---an arrowhead in my Mom's strawberry patch, pieces of old crockery in a farmer's field and----a heart shaped rock at----get this----Good Hart Beach in Michigan.

They're Here!!

At last---our local Fall apples are arriving.I honestly wait all year for the Golden Delicious to show up at our local produce stand. Crisp, crunchy, not too sweet, not too tart---Perfect! These aren't your "available all year round grocery store apples-OH no!. And although they are good in sauces, pies, cobblers and crisps---they NEVER make it that far in our house. Eaten out of hand!

Two Monuments to the Battle of Fallen Timbers

It was a gorgeous day so after work we loaded the bikes and went to the Wabash Cannonball Trail. It is a great Rails to Trails path that starts at the Statue of the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Several years ago, it was discovered that this isn't the actual battlesite. Now there is another monument to the battle at the actual battlesite. It is a Mall called The shops at Fallen Timbers. "They took Paradise and they put up a Parking Lot"----Joni Mitchell

Old pictures are fun.

We have been going through old pictures. My brother set up this great website through Ancestor.com and invited various cousins and family members to join. We can each post old pictures and browse through everyone elses shots. This is a wonderful way to both stay in touch with family and also to share pictures. He also set one up for former neighbors of ours and some of the pics of when we were little are a real hoot! I will post some of those later, but I love this picture of myself taken at 16 mos(1 month after my dad died). I am being held by my aunt, Marian Kinsey Berg.