In honor of the season....

Fun Facts about Halloween:

Provided by the National Confectioners Association

Historical Happenings

The celebration of Halloween started in the United States as an autumn harvest festival. In pioneer days, some Americans celebrated Halloween with com-popping parties, taffy pulls and hayrides.

In the late nineteenth century, with the large influx of Irish immigrants into the U.S., Halloween became associated with ghosts, goblins and witches.

Jack-o-lanterns are an Irish tradition. In Ireland, oversized rutabagas, turnips and potatoes were hollowed-out, carved into faces and illuminated with candles to be used as lanterns during Halloween celebrations.

The word "witch" comes from the Old Saxon word "wica", meaning "wise one." The earliest witches were respected dealers in charms and medicinal herbs and tellers of fortunes.

The pumpkin originated in Mexico about 9,000 years ago. It is one of America's oldest known vegetables. Pumpkins generally weigh from 15-to-30 pounds, although some weigh as much as 200 pounds. The majority of pumpkins are orange, but they also can be white or yellow. They are rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene and potassium, and their seeds provide protein and iron.

According to legend, the jack-o'-lantern began with a fellow named Jack, who was too stingy to be allowed into Heaven and too mischievous to join the Devil in hell. As consolation, the Devil threw Jack a lighted coal, which Jack placed inside a turnip he was eating. It is said that Jack continues to use the coal to light his path as he searches for a final resting place.

YOU GOTTA LOVE ARNOLD!

...and I would not recommend messing with him.
True story. I saw this on MSN. He vetoed a bill proposed by some person in the California legislature that he disliked. He sent the man a hidden message in his veto letter. Look at what you get if you take the first letter of each sentence in the two paragraphs below....

Coincidence? I think not!

USELESS INFO TUESDAY

~ A scallop has a total of thirty-five eyes, all of which are blue

~ Professional hockey players skate at average speeds of twenty to twenty-five miles per hour.

~ Xenophobia is the fear of strangers or foreigners.

~ A tea in China called white tea is simply boiled water.

~ Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was the most famous editor at Doubleday & Co.

HAPPY TUESDAY

3RD ANNUAL PUMPKIN CARVING

A great time was had by all in attendance of the 3rd Annual Pumpkin Carving at Webb Tree Farms (aka WTF). It was so good to be around friends old and new celebrating the colder weather and the fun time of year that it is. Here are some glances into the craziness that was yesterday....

Kadie Bug made this real cute Frankenstein cake. She did it all by herself, and look, she even signed it!
Here is the barbecue area...boy some good meat came out of this! It was delicious!

Carvers serious at work! There's Btut in the white t-shirt.

Polly, Lois and Daina busy carving and eating!

Pumpkin Carving Rule #1...the most important...YOU GOTTA GETTA GUTTER! Lisa TutB is our number one gutter. My goodness, she has gutted mine (and most everyone elses) for the past 3 years. Thanks Lisa TutB - Love!

Jenfer (sitting next to Lisa Tutb in the light blue shirt) gutted a lot this year too! Thanks Jenfer! And her sausage balls were yummy! If anyone took a picture of the food, please send it to me. It would probably had to have been panoramic, there was so much! YUMYUM.

The end result....time for the judging. I don't have a good picture of the winner, but it was done by Kristen and Blake and it was an intricate pattern of wolves howling at the moon! Love the Pyrotechnics on the two burning one....boys will be boys!

BTUT, SAY IT AIN'T SO!

BTUT (Beth), please tell me it is not true! You are not going to miss the 3rd Annual Pumpkin Carving Party at Webb Tree Farm in order to attend Gail Busby's Retirement Dinner at the Turner-Surles Community Center? I hope I heard wrong!

If you see your mom, tell her I asked how she was doing....(you know what I mean)

DECATUR BE SO GANGSTA'

This is so embarrassing, but it is soooo funny too! Boy, we can sure pick them in Decatur for our City Council! I heard the throw down is going to be behind City Hall at midnight tonight!

Excerpt from the Decatur Daily:

Decatur Council President Greg Reeves has accused District 1 counterpart Billy Jackson of threatening him.
The accusation, which Reeves posted on his blog Monday evening, alleges Jackson threatened Reeves during an argument that followed a contentious council meeting that morning.
It includes Reeves' account of the conversation:

He kept saying, "I will meet you anywhere, 24/7, anyplace, you name it," at which I said "OK."
And he kept repeating himself.
Finally, I said, "I will meet you , too," holding on to some faint hope that he wanted discussion and not a fight. But Billy continued this, over and over saying "24/7, anywhere, you name it," and again I said "OK."
His tone turned when he said, "I can back it up, I can back it up," about 4 or 5 times in a row to me. Finally I asked, "Are you threatening me?"
"Take it any way you want to take it, " he said, pointing his finger at me...
"Quit threatening me," I said as I walked away.



Makes you proud doesn't it?

I WAS SCART!

Rachel seemed to be calling and texting me a lot yesterday. Once to say she was leaving for school, then when she arrived, then she was bored, then she wanted me to buy her a movie, then she needed a book called "The Jungle."

I was car shopping with my mom (no stress there) and she called me again. I was a little agitatied. Here is the conversation:

R: Hey
LL: Hey, I am carshopping with G-ma, what do you need.
R: We have to talk about something (partents hate to hear this!)
LL: What is it?
R: Remember the Chemistry test I had last Wednesday...
LL: Yes...(thinking OH SHIT!)
R: Well the class average was a 63...
LL: (depressed)
R: So, you can guess how I did....
LL: How? (thinking the worst)
R: I MADE AN 84!
LL: I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!

She really had me going! She shouldn't do that to me. My heart can't take it. We celebrated with Steak Out when she got home!

I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE....

...really two confessions to make.

I was getting ready to go to Target on Saturday, and I noticed that the screw on the right side of my eyeglasses was really loose. I have to tighten this screw at least every week and a half. I made a mental note to do this before I left.

Well, I forgot. As I parked at Target I looked in my purse to use the little screw driver that I carry. I had changed purses, and had not transferred that into the purse I was using. I entered Target and started looking at the check out for a little screw driver like these, that cost about $1.00
To my surprise, Target did not have these for sale. The checkout lady told me the only kits they had would be by the reading glasses. So I made my way over to the reading glasses section of the pharmacy. No simple little kits there, of course. But they did have a deluxe kit similar to the one below...

...for $5.99! OK, so here is my confession. The kits were shut with velcro like the eyeglass cases. Well, I spied the little tool I needed, so I just opened the kit, tightened the screw in my glasses, replaced the screwdriver, refastened the kit and hung it back up! I know, I know, I am going to hell! But I saved 6 bucks!

My second confession is: I am wearing brown pants and brown shoes to work, and I wore a black jacket and I am carrying a green leather purse. Please, please, please, no one tell Jimmy!

USELESS INFO TUESDAY

~ A cockroach's favorite food is the glue on the back of stamps.

~ Ancient tomb robbers believed that knocking off Egyption sarcophagi's noses would stall curses.

~ Male monkeys lose the hair on their heads in the same manner human males do.

~ In ancient Greece, women counted their age from the date they were married.

~ Mr. Spock was second in command of the Starship Enterprise. His blood type was T-negative.

Happy Tuesday

I am so greatful....

....that I was born and raised in the Deep South!


"Growing up Southern is a privilege, really. It's more than where you're born, it's an idea and state of mind that seems imparted at birth. It's more than loving fried chicken, sweet tea, football, and country music. It's being hospitable, devoted to front porches, magnolias, moon pies and coca-cola... and each other. We don't become Southern - we're born that way." - Unknown

"In the South, the breeze blows softer...neighbors are friendlier, nosier, and more talkative. (By contrast with the Yankee, the Southerner never uses one word when ten or twenty will do)...This is a different place. Our way of thinking is different, as are our ways of seeing, laughing, singing, eating, meeting and parting. Our walk is different, as the old song goes, our talk and our names. Nothing about us is quite the same as in the country to the north and west. What we carry in our memories is different too, and that may explain everything else."
--Charles Kuralt in "Southerners: Portrait of a People"

RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD...

I love the movie "My Cousin Vinny." The first time I watched it I laughed my ass off! There is a scene that keeps popping into my head today, so I thought I would share. It is the Yutes scene!

Have a great weekend.

Vinny Gambini: It is possible that the two yutes...

Judge Chamberlain Haller: ...Ah, the two what? Uh... uh, what was that word?

Vinny Gambini: Uh... what word?

Judge Chamberlain Haller: Two what?

Vinny Gambini: What?

Judge Chamberlain Haller: Uh... did you say 'yutes'?

Vinny Gambini: Yeah, two yutes.

Judge Chamberlain Haller: What is a yute? [beat]

Vinny Gambini: Oh, excuse me, your honor... [exaggerated]

Vinny Gambini: Two YOUTHS.

SCARY SKY

This is what the sky looked like driving back from lunch today! This is looking South, right over Marshal Space Flight Center. Jimmy works there. Wonder if that is only a coincidence? (Can you guess my mood?)

USELESS INFO #245637

~ There are more than fifteen thousand different kinds of rice. Rice is grown on more than 10% of the earth's farmable surface and is the main food for half of the people of the world. (Especially on Survivor!)

~ At the height of its power in 400 BCE, the Greek city of Sparta had 25,000 citizens and 500,000 slaves.

~ In the Middle Ages, everyone believed - as Aristotle had - that the heart was the seat of intelligence.

~ As much as 50 gallons of maple sap are used to make a single gallon of maple syrup.

~ Leif Ericson was the first European to set foot in North America, in 1000 AD, no Columbus.

GETTING LUNCH

Guess where I picked up lunch today?
....and guess what was in front of me? The most softest, pink Cadillac I have ever seen. And what a cute license plate "AIM HYE."

As you can tell by the trunk below, it was a Mary Kay Caddie. But this is what I don't get...It was being driven by a man. I thought, hum, maybe his car broke down and he had to borrow his wife's, or maybe he was driving his wife around in her car, or, just maybe he himself was a $1 million dollar seller of Mary Kay. (Probably no on that last one.)

I can not for the life of me imagine why any man would be caught dead driving this soft pink car! It could be he was like the CEO of Mary Kay - yea - that's it. That's the only reasonable explanation! But, then I guess the people in the Chick-fil-a parking lot were wondering, "Why in the hell is the woman in the Malibu taking pictures in the drive through line?" They will never know!

IT IS ON!

I don't really think Lisa Tutb understood my last post. Rachel and I need a win, not a threat! See email below - Girl, It is on!



LL -
Beth and I would take on you and Rachel anytime - You can't stop the Tutwiler Twosome!!! We were taught at the foot of the Master of all things dirty (board that is) - Just name the date and we will duke it out!! Loving the Blog - keep up the good work - It is the best part of my day here at DOC -
Sending Love and A Dirty Board Challenge,
Lisa Tutb

DIRTYBOARD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE WEEK

(This is not the board from last night)

Last night we had the Partner's Dirty Board Championship for the week of 10/10/2009. Well, it was the Championship for the Week until Josh and Gram beat me and Rachel! Then it just became the Championship for Wednesday! (we play dirty with the championship rules!)

I don't know what happened. Rachel and I were killing them. Then all of a sudden Rachel was all home safe, Gram (somehow) got all home safe, and Josh and I had one man out and we both needed a one to win. Obviously, Josh rolled a one before I did.

It was an extremely exciting but emotional game! Rachel and I are both having a dry spell when it comes to dirty board wins lately. Hell, Tim beat me twice in a row last night before the big game!

WE NEED OUR DIRTY BOARD MOJO BACK!

help!

Tues Use

~ In Minnesota, it is illegal for women to be dressed up as Santa Claus on city streets.

~ Pineapples do not continue to ripen after they have been picked.

~ Americans spend more than $5.4 billion on their pets each year.

~ The Ouija board is named after the French and German words for "yes" - oui and ja.

~ In Turkey, the color of mourning is violet. In most Muslim countries and in China, it is white.

Happy Tuesday!

IT'S MONDAY AGAIN.

Today would have been a perfect day to sleep in. It was cloudy and cold, and I was sleeping REAL good. But, as Mondays go, this has been ok. Got a lot of work done. Get to go home and have the house to myself (of course Bikie and Salad will be there) until about 8:00 when Rachel gets home from school. Hey wait, that actually gives me something to look forward to on Mondays! Just kidding Booboo.

And, in case you missed the wonderful game Saturday night, WAR DAMN EAGLE!