As promised---here is the winner of the Pumpkin decorating contest at the hospital where I work. It was our maternity department and they always have a pumpkin that is reflective on what they do----deliver babies! This year it was Siamese Twins!!!!

More pumpkins from the Pumpkin decorating contest at work! So creative and such a fun time of year. You never know when a halloween costume will pop up. There was a Disney princess at Mass tonite and a pumpkin riding in a cart at the grocery store. Tomorrow I will post the winner of the contest.

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It's that time of year--our annual pumpkin carving contest at the hospital where I work. I am always AMAZED at the creative ideas different departments come up with. I will take my camera tomorrow and post some individual entries!!

Last nite,we were told to expect the "storm of the decade" today with winds of 70-90 miles per hour. Before we went to bed we pulled in all our autumn pumpkins and lawn furniture-----anything that could go airborne. My immediate area was relatively lucky----it blew in around noon accompanied by tornado warnings, sideways rain and high winds and then was gone. But just a little further south, there was tornado damage. I was saddened to come home and find my mums----sagging.Just a few days ago these mums were GORGEOUS----and my husband got a few frowns when there were a few broken stems after he moved some lawn furniture around. He swore he didn't touch them---and now I wonder if he was right and they are really sensitive to wind!

I've often wondered if these oranges really work. Rumor has it that a few strategicaly placed orbs will keep mice and spiders out of your house! The autumn spiders are particularly nasty looking so I think I will give it a try. Don't be alarmed at the picture---if you look closely the spider is a glittery decoration!

What a bunch of clowns at the Farmer's Market yesterday----literally. The vendors and entertainers were all in cosutme and the stalls were still full of peppers, pumpkins, squash, brussel sprouts and more. I tried a soy based locally made candle and I don't think I will ever buy one of those pricey colonial named candles again(you know which ones I am talking about--the ones named after a NY basebal team). The last one I bought(only because I had a coupon) did not live up to it's scent. These soy candles burn cleaner and longer and the scent is wonderful!!

Snickerdoodles! What is not to love. Just the name brings a smile--and they smell up the house soooooo good. And not to mention they taste good too!

Smashed pumpkins already! And we are still 2 weeks away from Halloween. I always hated the sight of smashed pumpkins---even when I was a kid. Someone went through the trouble to buy and decorate their home with pumpkins and someone else finds pleasure in destroying them. DON'T SMASH THE PUMPKINS-COME SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE A CANNED PUMPKIN SHORTAGE!!!!!!

Today my oldest son turned 32 and that makes me feel----well, old! It was a nice evening--low key and relaxing. My Mother-in-law joined us for dinner at a local seafood restaurant--the kind of place that has great food and when you walk in you know half the people in the place! Here is a pic of the boy/man of the day on his Dad's lap--wasn't that just yesterday? And then the requisite pic of the blowing out of the candles!!

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Went grocery shopping for a few necessities and these JUMPED into my cart! Bad caramel apples-but they sure taste good this time of year-or any time of year for that matter!

Chuck Ealey was THE greatest football play to ever play for the University of Toledo and his 35-0 quarterbacking record still stands. I still remember the excitement he created for this area. He ended up in the Canadian Football League and sadly, was never inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. CHUCH EALEY DESERVES TO BE IN THE HALL OF FAME. Anyway--I was at a function at the University several years ago and found myself seated next to---CHUCK EALEY!!!!!!! Friday we were at a high school football game at UT and noticed the stadium was revamped and there was a huge picture of Chuck Ealey.

Yogi Berra is always good for a smile! The Red's stadium has baseball quotes across the top of the suites. This one made all of us smile---it's one of those Yogi-isms that make you scratch your head and say "whaaat". One of the most poignant was "I would walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball" by Pete Rose. Say what you will about Pete Rose, he loved the game of baseball like no other player. I don't think it was about the money for him(for money, he gambled!) but rather he loved the game.

I go nowhere without my knitting--seriously. And it has it's own little travel stuff sack to attach to purse, or bike or backpack. Traffic jam--no problem. Long line at bank---ditto. Adam's college graduation--got the pictures to prove it! Red's game---Dan demanded a pic! Okay--i put the needles away when the 30-something men sat down near us. They just wouldn't understand and I didn't want to be associated with a granny!

In our quest to visit as many ballparks as we can, I realized-------duh! Cincinnati is almost in our backyard(well, 3 hours away) and we have never been there! So Dan was in charge of getting tickets(and came through in a spectacular way) and we headed South(and Adam and Jonelle headed east) and had a wonderful visit to the Great American Ballpark. Cincinnati hit one out of the ballpark(pardon the pun) when they picked Great American Insurance as it's corporate sponser because that is the best name for a ballpark possible. So much better than "5th 3rd Field" or even Comerica park. Even the rain didn't damper our good time and the Reds even gave us a win. Kind of anti-climactic because they clinched the title of NL Central champs a few days earlier.