A Colorful Halloween Time at Disney

Orange-you glad to see the bright crisp colors of fall? Yes, I know Halloween also has its dark side with witch blacks, monster purples, and beast browns but I much prefer the bright yellows and oranges of smiling Jack O' Lanterns and fall foliage. Frank and I took Alex to Disneyland last week. This was the first time we have been there during this season of the year. Disney decorates right! This Halloween Day post is a pictorial tribute to the sites and colors of Disneyland at Halloween. Yes, we rode lots of attractions (the topic for another post about this trip), but even if we did not, the trip was worth it for the sights alone.

Once inside The Magic Kingdom is a huge pumpkin Mickey greeted the guests.
Frank, Alex and I posed for the professional photographer, who, by the way,
was also very agreeable to snapping us a few shots with our own cell phone.

Above the entrance gates to the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland, huge Jack O' Lantern carvings of the core Disney characters watch over the guests filing in. Hmmm... I wonder where Disney stores those heads the rest of the year...

Goofy sports his classic green hat, formed from green gourds, of course.

The Mickey Mouse Jack O'Lantern is perched center stage.
Each iconic ear is made from a pumpkin.

Donald Duck wears a pumpkin hat with the ribbons made of pumpkin vines.
His orange and yellow bill is formed of pumpkin side sections.

The buildings along Main Street, USA were festooned with candy-corn colored buntings.

Here is the Main Street Train Station viewed from within the park. 

City Hall had several rows of buntings at varying heights.

The Emporium at the corner of Main Street was decked out with buntings and pumpkins.

Buntings along the eaves and railing, pumpkins on the balconies, and banners on the lamp posts in front of the stores all created a festive fall atmosphere.

Scores of grinning pumpkins peer down at you from above the doorways into the stores.

Since this store was the Mad Hatter, the Jack O' Lanterns above it all wear jaunty hats.

At the train station end of Main Street we waited for a horse drawn carriage to take us to the castle end. Even the horse's tail was decked out in orange. Alex held his Disney-themed Visitor's Guide tightly throughout most of the trip. I think he really liked the pumpkin Mickey on the cover - orange, of course.

Alex waits for the horse drawn carriage to arrive.
He is ready to start his day. Have guide, will travel!

I love that even the horse's mane and tail are decorated.

At the far end of MainStreet, just in front of the Sleeping Beauty's Castle, the lamp posts were draped in broad streamers of soft orange and golden yellow and the mini-park area had more planted and hanging flowers.

Autumnal colored leaves at the top of these posts
let even Californians enjoy fall foliage.

The park bench area was just a pleasant place to sit.

 A ring of Jack O' Lanterns encircled the bronze statue of Walt Disney one for each land of the Magic Kingdom. There was Winnie the Pooh for Critter Country, Woody from Toy Story for Frontierland, Jack Skellington from the Nightmare Before Christmas for New Orleans Square, Tarzan for Adventureland, Buss Lightyear from Toy Story for Tomorrowland, Roger Rabbit for Toontown, and Tinker Bell for Fantasyland.

I took close-up pictures of every one of these intricately carved pumpkins.
They lit up with a soft warm yellow glow at night.

Winnie the Pooh was my favorite.

Although The Nightmare Before Christmas is not one of my favorites,
I could not omit Jack Skellington at Halloween time!

We visited all seven of these lands during our three days at the Disney parks. Here are Frank and Alex on their way into Toontown.

The train bridge spanning the entrance to Toontown was festooned with buntings.

The hearse outside the Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square was also bedecked for Halloween.

There are glowing Jack O' Lanterns within this horseless drawn hearse.

I loved our time at the parks. Little details would bring a smile to my face as I delighted in them. Who else but Disney has seasonally decorated disposable popcorn boxes?

It is a very grey afternoon here in Livermore as I write this. The rain is gently but steadily coming down and we really need it with this drought. That is OK. I am getting my color dose from these pictures.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

These lush chrysanthemums (see, I can spell it) decorated Main Street.

Alex and Vivian

This past week Wednesday October 22nd through Monday October 27th we spent in Southern California combining a trip for Vivian's baptism with a Disney outing for Alex. Wednesday evening, Dan, Carrie, and Vivian met up with Frank, Alex, and me for dinner in Downtown Disney at Naples restaurant. The weather was balmy and very pleasant and we ate outdoors.

Naples is in Downtown Disney and specializes in pizza and Italian food.

I brought along the Counting Monkey cloth book I'd sewn for Vivian, inserting crinkly paper within the pages. She was really into it and also loved the monkey I'd bought to go with it.

Vivian absolutely loves those infant toys that make a crinkly sound
so she was a real live wire reaching for and turning the pages of her new book.

Vivian is loving her new monkey. Alex is loving Vivian. I am a happy bystander.

We reintroduced Alex to Vivian. He had paid minimal attention to her this past June when she visited at two months old and again in August when she visited us at four months old. At dinner tonight at six months when she was very lively he showed more interest and attention and gave her "loves".

Alex reaches to hug his niece, Vivian.

Alex is content with a nose to nose kiss.

On Saturday we reunited with our southern California clan for Vivian's baptism. Carrie's mom, dad, and brother had flown out from Ohio, too.

I love the scrolls and tiny pink cross on Vivian's baptismal announcement.

Vivian was as good as gold during her christening. She was quite interested in the deacon's prayer book and the candle absorbed her gaze. She flashed the deacon a huge smile several times during the ceremony and actually seemed interested in tasting the holy oil on her lips. She made not a whimper when the water was scooped up and dribbled over her head.

Vivian is reaching for the prayer book.

Hmmm. I wonder what if this is what they mean by
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."

Not one peep out of Vivian... and that holy water from the baptismal font was cold!

Alex on the other hand was not quite as cooperative. There were several minor skirmishes where we needed to intervene so he did not blow out the small hand held candle or the tall church pillar candle. After the ceremony the deacon kindly took the tall candle from its stand and lowered it to Alex's eye level. He patiently held it while we all counted "One, two, three...", and Alex gleefully blew hard.

Dan, Carrie, and Vivian pose near the infamous candle that Alex repeatedly tried to blow out.
Vivian is wearing the same christening gown that her father wore
when he was baptized over three decades ago!

Carrie, Dan, Vivian, me, Alex, and Frank gather for a post-christening family photo.

Alex was quite happy to hold Vivian on his lap. Vivian seems to be OK with it all, also.

Afterwards we gathered for a celebratory brunch at the Sapphire Laguna Restaurant on its patio with a view of the ocean. It was a gorgeous, balmy, day and the food was great! It felt good to be with family on such a happy occasion.

Yes, that is a view of the ocean straight ahead beyond the palm trees.

Robin's Weekend Visit

Robin spent Friday Sept 26th afternoon until Tuesday September 30th morning with us  last month. We had a great mother-daughter crafty bonding weekend and I did share a bit of her time with Frank. Our busy schedule consisting of a craft festival where Robin and I both bought fabric of course, a tree sweater installation where I also received a certificate of appreciation, a quilt show where I'd entered my Grinch Quilt, bowling with Alex, and shopping at Gymboree.

Mother-daughter bonding. I share sentiments with Tony the Tiger. It's Grrrreat!

But why is this post three weeks after her visit you ask? First her birthday two days ago reminded me I had never published it. Second, since a lot of her activities were quilt related I'd already written in detail about them in my other blog DianeLoves2Quilt. Here are those links below along with a pictorial summary of a few activities and photos not included in those quilting posts.

Friday
noon – arrival at airport
afternoon – Pleasanton Craft show Oct 1, 2104 post of DianeLoves2Quilt

• We drove directly from the airport to the craft festival. We did not pass go. We did not collect $200. Rather we spent it.

Saturday
morning – Sweater Tree installation Oct 2, 2014 post of DianeLoves2Quilt

• We spent a pleasant morning not only sewing my sweater onto its tree but touring the other tree sweaters along First Street. For photos of other tree sweaters see this Dropbox link. 

Robin and I peek out from behind a tree in downtown Livermore. She has just finished helping me install the tree sweater I knitted for the fiber art display.

Frank and I pose behind the clothed tree. What a way to spend our 39th wedding anniversary!
Note the stitch holder hanging from my necklace and the crochet hook in my hand. Be prepared!

Here is my certificate of appreciation presented to me by the mayor.

Saturday

afternoon – Alden Lane quilt show Oct 3, 2014 post of DianeLoves2Quilt

• Frank, Robin, and I strolled around the nursery looking at all the quilts hung on clothes line among the tree branches.

I'd just finished quilting this in July so I entered into the Alden Lane quilt displays.

There is my name, No. 7, on the same program as the featured artists Diana McClun and Laura Nownes.
The very first book I bought on quilting was by these two famous quilters.

Here is Frank horsing around the buxom beauties on this sign.
They are named Penny Cushion, Bernina A. Biasbottom, and Longarm Lucy.

Robin is noting that fabric and chocolate can both be habit forming.

Sunday

morning – Alex bowling

• Frank picked up Alex and met Robin and me at the bowling alley. We bowled a few games, girls vs. guys, and had lunch there. Frank took Alex back to St. Denis while Robin and I went on to Gymboree to shop. 

Robin, Frank, and Alex are captured during a pause in the bowling action
 at Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl.

Sunday

afternoon – Gymboree shopping

• At Gymboree Robin and I got down to serious shopping. I had $125 in Gymbucks to spend on my two granddaughters and the outlet had a 40% off sale. Combining discounts was allowed!

These are some clothes bought for California granddaughter Vivian.

Monday

daytime – quilt class at Alden Lane Oct 4, 2014 post of DianeLoves2Quilt

evening – toy sorting in attic

• After a full day of learning "intuitive quilting" Robin rolled up her sleeves and tackled those boxes of toys kept for decades in the attic for grandkids one day. She texted photos back and forth with brother Dan and got some choices settled. After she left we shipped two small boxes out to Oklahoma and have a few more to go. I am still unsure if we have a net reduction. We are now storing a pack 'n play, a bouncy chair, a car seat, a car seat base, and a changing table foam form that we did not have before. Oh, and we have breast milk in our freezer. It is all worth it!

Tuesday

 morning – departure

• Robin missed Autumn and Jeremy. Jeremy was very glad to have her return after he'd been in charge of their 2-yr old for just over a week. Robin had been in Los Angeles area for her job Monday through Thursday before the weekend she visited us. Autumn had been sick and out of daycare too, so Jeremy really got a workout single-parenting it during Robin's absence. Robin felt very much wanted both places. We managed to keep her exhausted both places too!

Ponder Post: It Was Not My Fault!

A couple weeks ago I received two credit cards for Frank and me to replace those that were at risk of being compromised due to a security leak at Home Depot. I had not asked for these cards. I had not requested an account number change that I now have to promulgate to any vendor, website, and automated billing for which I had used this card.

To add insult to injury, one card came bent so I had to request a new one. The accompanying letter said "If you have any questions, please call us at the phone number on the back of our card." Well there were no answers at that number, only many, many questions. The automated phone tree had enough branches to be a 100 year old heritage oak!

Imagine a phone tree with this many branches.

I never did speak to anyone but was able to work my way through the maze to press the correct digits to set in motion some automated process that I hope will send me a new card. It kind of bugged me. Someone, somewhere, might think I was careless and wrecked or lost my card when in truth it came that way and it was not my fault. I never got to explain that to anyone. Never. It should not bug me, but it does. I do not understand why, but it bugs me. 

It was not my fault! Truly!

Maybe nobody cares, but I do.

UPDATE:

I'd written the previous portion of this post about two weeks ago when I received the bent card. Writing it helped me vent. But it sat in my list of drafts and I never published it because no one wants to read complaints and negativity. My replacement card had still not arrived. I physically went to the bank to find out the status and learned that it had shipped but was delayed a bit due to the Columbus Day holiday. It will probably arrive today or tomorrow. I got to tell my "Private Client Banker" that it was not my fault. It is silly I know but...

There, I feel much better!

Ponder Post: O-W-L

This morning when I awoke and opened my eyes, I blearily saw one of Frank's shirts draped over his clothes horse at the side of the bed.  I read the letters OWL and puzzled,  "What shirt does Frank have with an owl on it?".

Does Frank even own a shirt with an owl on it?

Then I realized that the way the shirt was folded, I was only seeing part of the word. This was Frank's football shirt and I was focusing on the tail end of the phrase Super Bowl. That got me thinking. What other word could it have been? There is fowl and jowl and howl and yowl and even cowl. But they all rhyme? Why is bowl pronounced differently?

Fowl ... Jowl ... Howl or Yowl ... even Cowl

Then I understood. No one could get so excited over a game called the Super Bowel, no matter how you spelled it!