Out and About

My younger sister, who lives in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas (about 70 miles southwest of here), was not able to join us for the family Christmas gathering. So, today I travelled to her home for lunch, a visit, and exchange of Christmas gifts.

We had a simple lunch (soup and sandwich) but an extra-special dessert, something I haven't had in a long, long time: homemade, vanilla custard-filled cream puffs! I had to get a photo, of course! Don't these look yummy? They definitely were delicious.

When we lived in New Mexico, our mother used to make custard-filled cream puffs quite often. I think she, herself, was fond of them, and they were one of our favorite treats. I can't remember that she made cream puffs after we moved to Arkansas, and I've missed them. I got all misty-eyed when these were brought to the table.

After lunch, I helped my sister create her own blog, Nutmeg. When she has a few posts up, I'll share the link so you can, if you're interested, see what she's doing.

It was an absolutely lovely day for my visit. Temperatures were in the mid-60's with a gentle breeze. To stretch our legs after the blog creation, we headed to nearby Cortez Lake (there are several lakes within the Village) to see if we might find some photo opportunities. We did.

At this particular site, there are a number of xeriscape areas . At one end of a now mostly barren bed, there is a large holly tree, glossy leaves shining in the sun and absolutely laden with berries. I don't believe I've ever before seen as many berries on a holly tree. I may use this image (or one of the several others I took) for some of my 2009 Christmas cards.

Among the dried plants close to the lake shore, I found one I've not seen before, and have no idea what it is. I found the curl of the dried stems very attractive.

Incorporated into the flower beds, and in groupings closer to the lake, there are a number of unusual rocks. I believe the one pictured below to be granite laced with quartz, a mineral which is plentiful in the Hot Springs area. (I'm open to correction from anyone more geologically knowledgeable.)

Cortez Lake stretches for some distance, with a number of beautiful homes built on its shores.


All in all, it was a wonderful day. I enjoyed visiting with my sister and her husband, and the time spent taking photographs at the lake. I got back home before dark, refreshed, relaxed and ready for the last day of the year.

Watching the Sky, but not Sky Watch Friday

When I arose this morning, the temperature was already at almost 70 degrees. Definitely not a good thing for December 27 in Arkansas! When I checked the weather report, it was as I suspected; we are under severe storm warnings. I stepped outside the front door a few minutes ago to see what, if anything, was going on in the heavens, and found only heavy gray clouds. They were being pushed by a strong southwesterly wind and really scudding across the sky. You'll have to imagine the movement, since while I have the capacity to make a short video on my camera, I don't have the know-how to get it into the blog (yet).

The storm warnings (actually tornado warnings) are to expire shortly. I'm hoping that they are not reissued. I don't wish for history to repeat itself; the Little Rock area was hit by a bad tornado during Christmas week a few years ago. That's not nice, Mother Nature!

Sky Watch - The Morning and the Evening

Christmas Day Morning

The skies were full of contrails; the ethereal reminders of aircraft coming and going. In my imagination, each plane was filled with happy travelers, making a last minute journey in hopes of being at home with their loved ones on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day Evening

Skies overcast with a tiny bit of the soon-to-be-setting sun coloring the undersides of the clouds with the barest hint of gold. A peaceful end to a special day.

Sky Watch was created by Dot and expanded upon by our retired friend Tom. This weekly theme post is brought to you by Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

The Wish is Old, But the Wish is True...

... a Merry Christmas, my friends, to you!

Oh, my Darlin' Clementines

I am extremely fond of Clementines and bought a box of them when I was at the grocery on Friday afternoon. I've eaten 5 or 6 already, directly from the box, but thought I'd put them in a bowl to place on the table. Whilst looking for a suitable container, I suddenly thought that they'd make a nice Christmas decoration if placed around a candle. So, that's what I did. I rounded up a few pieces of artificial greenery and pinecones (it's entirely too cold for me to go roaming around outside looking for real holly) and tucked them here and there. My heretofore decoration-barren home now has a decorative centerpiece. And... I can eat it! Well, at least the Clementines! No telling what this will look like by Christmas Day!

At Wikipedia (don't you love Wikipedia?) I found the following information: "Clementines, usually grown in Morocco and Spain, have been available in Europe for many years. A market for them in the United States was created recently, when the harsh 1997 winter in Florida devastated domestic orange production, increasing prices and decreasing availability. California clementines are available from mid-November through January; this availability has them referred to in some areas as "Christmas Oranges"."

My cats are very interested in this intrusion to their stomping grounds. I'll have to watch them when the candle is lit; they don't need frizzled whiskers.

Sky Watch

Scudding across the sky, driven by a bitterly cold north wind, the gathering clouds announce that Winter is here, even though the official date for the season is a couple of days away. Don't let those glimpses of blue sky fool you; there was an impending ice storm in those clouds.

Sky Watch was created by Dot and expanded upon by our retired friend Tom. This weekly theme post is brought to you by Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

More Bits of This and That

Image copyright Thomas Kinkade.

Bit 1: I'm dragging my feet about Christmas cards, and that's not a good thing. Time is getting away... fast! I send only handmade cards, these days; I have to justify my insanely large collection of Christmas-themed rubber stamps. I rationalize my procrastination by reminding myself that there are 12 days of Christmas, so if my cards arrive any time before Epiphany (Jan. 6) I have still sent timely cards. Can I get by with that? A scan of my first efforts is above. It's really nicer "in real life" as the base card has a metallic sheen to it and the color blends better with the image.

Bit 2: I finished the last of the soup, and the remaining meatloaf made a tasty sandwich for supper last night. This one-two, usually sure-fire, knock out combination didn't work; I still have a plethora of cold symptoms! Bah! Humbug! I feel like I am single-handedly keeping the Puffs people in business.

Wait! I forgot the macaroni and cheese! I think that might be lunch today. I am inexplicably fond of a boxed product, the maker of which refers to it as "the cheesiest." My good friend who specializes in yummy, made-from-scratch mac and cheese is appalled at my taste. I don't care. I like it; it's quick to fix and requires only one saucepan.

Bit 3: My youngest daughter, who is a Chief Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, currently stationed on the island of Okinawa, Japan, has been in the States on leave since just before Thanksgiving. She and her husband have been looking for a place to retire. Her husband is already retired from the military, and she has only one more year before completing 30 years of service. It will be nice to have all my children (and grandchildren) residing on U.S. soil again. Daughter's older son has just finished Air Force boot camp, and she was able to attend his graduation ceremony in San Antonio, TX this past Friday. It made him very happy to see his mother, of course, and the feelings were mutual, I'm sure. The three of them will be back here tonight. Their remaining time stateside will be short as they have to leave again on Dec. 17. While I wish they could still be here at Christmas, their being here at all, when I didn't expect to see them until year end 2009, has been a wonderful gift.

Bit 4: The same cannot be said about gifts, which, for persons who will not be present at the family Christmas gathering, really are expected to have arrived at their homes before Christmas Day. I don't do a whole lot in the way of gift-giving these days, but try always to send something to my sisters and brothers-in-law. Baby sister lives in Virginia, the other (but still younger than I) lives about 75 miles from me. This year, their gifts will be my own photographs, suitably framed. I will leave the packing to the UPS Store. To me, it's worth the extra cost not to have to accumulate all the stuff necessary to adequately protect whatever I'm sending.

Bit 5: Local daughter Jean assisted a friend with friend's annual open house/food frenzy yesterday. I took my box of Puffs and my crochet bag to her house and played baby-sitter for my 4 year old granddaughter. We watched The Last Unicorn, read a couple of books, made strange creatures with Play-Doh, colored in the color book, drew pictures of other very strange creatures (she's very fond of goblins at present, but will tell you that she has nightmares because she watches too much TV --very likely true) and otherwise had a good time. I was ready to come home when her mama returned.

Ta! for now. I'm boiling the water for my mac and cheese. I'm gonna feel better!

A Special Christmas Story

I invite you to visit and read a very special essay by one of my favorite bloggers, David McMahon, of authorblog. The story is not on his own site, but worth the visit here. Enjoy!

December 8, 1941

I realize that yesterday was a special remembrance day for many veterans in our nation, even though it's been 67 years since the event, and "a lot of water has gone under the bridge," as they say. However, I don't remember anything special that happened to me on that day. It's the day afterwards, December 8, about which I now write.

I was a "big girl," having turned 7 years old in the previous September. Our family was living in Las Vegas, NM; at least most of us, Mama and we four kids. Daddy was home only on weekends, his job at the CCC camp in the mountains keeping him away all through the week.

Daddy was granted some leave/vacation time for the second full week in December. On this particular morning, he and Mama headed for Santa Fe for a week of together time, leaving us in the capable hands of "Grandpa and Grandma" Carrington, who owned the house within which we had an apartment. Since there was no radio in the 1937 Chevy, they had also taken Daddy's portable short-wave battery-operated radio .

I had just arrived home from school for lunch (we did that, in those days) when suddenly Mama and Daddy were back at home. What happened? What happened?

What happened was the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. On the way to Santa Fe, they were listening to the radio and heard President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's address to the joint session of Congress: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs Declaration of War against Japan. December 8, 1941 (Wikipedia)

I don't recall much else about the remainder of that day except sitting on the stairs to our apartment, listening to that little radio and hearing a lot of information I didn't fully understand but which I realized, even at 7 years of age, would change our lives.

The upshot was that Daddy had to report back to his CCC camp on the double. I don't remember any of the activity that took place afterwards, but it was only a few days until Daddy had gone to Grand Junction, Colorado, now being a 55-year old civilian employee of the United States Army. He was employed to teach automotive mechanics at the Army facility at Grand Junction. He would later be transferred to Ft. Lewis, Washington to do the same sort of training, and would not be home again except for emergencies (another post) until after VE Day in 1945.

Sky Watch - Ouachita National Forest

( please click to enlarge photo)

I had the pleasure of accompanying my daughter and her husband on a brief trip to eastern Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago. This photo was taken from a Scenic Overlook on Highway 259, where the Talimena Trail crosses from Arkansas into Oklahoma. This part of the country is really beautiful. Enlarging the photo permits you to see some of the color that is still left amidst all the evergreens.

Sky Watch was created by Dot, and expanded upon by Tom, who is retired. This weekly theme post is brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

Bits of This and That

My week, so far:

Monday, December 1 - My granddaughter Juliana's 4th birthday. She had a great time at her birthday party, as did all those in attendance. She helped make and decorate/undecorate her birthday cake. I suspect that the pink frosting was especially tasty; she just couldn't wait.

She is particularly fond of musical cards, so that's what she got from Grandma (this one plays banjo music), along with more Play-Doh than any mother should have to cope with. Sorry, Jean.

Tuesday, December 2 - Mr. Abraham Lincoln (My Birds Blog, etc.) is home from the hospital. I had a nice note from Mrs. Lincoln to let me know. I'm wishing him a speedy recovery and return to blogging, when he feels like it.

This day would have been my 40th wedding anniversary. My husband died of lung cancer in 1989. Our years together were too few.

Wednesday, December 3 - We experienced a thunderstorm with heavy rain and gusty winds. Probably received an inch of rain in an hour or so. Our priest's Wednesday night homily was punctuated with a lot of lightening and thunder, perhaps to go along with the Gospel reading: ("render unto God the things that are God's.)

My husband's only remaining sibling, his sister, Dorothy, age 88, died tonight after a long illness. She always called me "Sister" and I will miss her.

This morning - Awoke with a sneezing fit, streaming eyes and a slightly sore throat. Oh, no! I'm not ready for a winter cold. I have a big pot of soup on the stove, and I put plenty of hot pepper flakes in it. That ought to cure me. While I was making soup, I put together and baked a meat loaf. That and some mac and cheese are sure-fire comfort foods.

Last night's rain and wind stripped most of the remaining leaves from my Japanese Maple tree. The grayish looking leaves are frost-damaged. It's pure-d pitiful looking. (You've never heard of "pure-d?" My translation: "sure-nuf.")

Update on Old Man Lincoln

Our amazing photographer/blogger friend, Abraham Lincoln (My Birds Blog, Brookville Daily Photo, 720 Pixels and others), is hospitalized with some pretty serious health problems right now. His daughter, Melinda, has posted several updates on her dad, with photos, on her own blog, here.

If you're so inclined, please drop by Melinda's blog and leave a comment. It will please our friend Abe and let him know we haven't forgotten him.

May God bless you, your family, and all your care-givers, Abe, and speed your recovery.

Christmas Spirit?

Lord, have mercy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081128/ap_on_re_us/wal_mart_death

Sky Watch - Thanksgiving Day

From the words of W.E.B. Du Bois:

"Give us thankful hearts...

in this the season of Thy Thanksgiving.

May we be thankful for health and strength,

for sun and rain and peace.

Let us seize the day and the opportunity

and strive for that greatness of spirit

that measures life not by its disappointments

but by its possibilities,

and let us ever remember that true gratitude

and appreciation shows itself neither

in independence nor satisfaction

but passes the gift joyfully on

in larger and better form."

Sky Watch was created by Dot, and expanded upon by Tom, who is retired. This weekly theme post is brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

Today's Flowers - Holiday Cactus

Holiday Cactus

(click on photo to enlarge)

One of my friends called me last week to tell me that her "Thanksgiving Cactus" was in bloom, and asked if I would photograph it. I really like the pink flowers on this one.

The common holiday cacti (Thanksgiving Cactus, Christmas Cactus, Easter Cactus) are composed of several closely related species in the genus Schlumbergera and the species Hatiora gaertneri, (often called "Zygocactus" in older works). They are originally forest cacti, growing as epiphytes at elevations between 1000 and 1700 meters above sea level (3280 to 5575 feet above sea level) in the Organ Mountains north of Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil, South America. They are called "Flor de maio" (May Flower) in Brazil. Many modern holiday cactus cultivars are hybrids between Schlumbergera truncata and Schlumbergera russelliana, first bred about 150 years ago in England. (Source: Wikipedia)



Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.

Sky Watch - Wild Goose, Brother Goose

Our area has quite a few resident geese, but the numbers increase exponentially during migration in spring and fall. These geese flew over at dusk a couple of weeks ago, on their way to a small lake just north of town. I never tire of the beauty of these birds in flight, or of hearing their honking as they traverse the skies.

Sky Watch was created by Dot, and expanded upon by Tom, who is retired. This weekly theme post is brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

Today's Flowers - Post 108

Sedum

We had a hard freeze last night, and there's not a flower to be seen anywhere in my yard. So, I searched my photo archives for a suitable offering for today. This was taken in September, in my daughter's garden. I can't discern any appreciable fragrance in these flowers, but the bees seem to love them.

Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.

Sky Watch - Post 107

Arkansas, Mid-November Sky

Sky Watch was created by Dot and is brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, and Wren, and Louise. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

The "Eyes" Have It - Post 106

I'm babysitting my 4 year old granddaughter for the next few days, while her Mom and Dad take a short vacation. She and I have a wonderful time together but, as I am 70 years older than she, most of my energy reserves are taken up just being around her. I'd like to say "she keeps me young," but I fear that she just makes me feel every day of my age, at least physically.

I know I have a challenge ahead of me just trying to keep up with her ever-growing number of imaginary friends. Heaven forbid that I should happen to sit down on one of them!

It should be an interesting week!

More, later.

Today's Flowers - Late Season Sunflower - Post 105

Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.

Camera Critters - Three Little Pigs - Post 104

As seen at The Mean Pig, Cabot, Arkansas

Have I mentioned that I really enjoy barbeque? Over the course of the last 40 years, I've eaten at most of the BBQ places within a 30-mile radius of my home. Some are better than others, of course, but it has to be pretty bad not to be good, if you know what I mean.

I visit The Mean Pig several times a year and always enter and leave with a smile when I see the three little piggies on the wall.

Camera Critters is the creation of Misty Dawn. Check out this week's other critters here.

Sky Watch - Delicate Sunset - Post 103

Sunset November 3, 2008 - Hwy. 5 North, White County, Arkansas

On the way back home from a jaunt earlier this week, the beautiful colors of the sunset caught my eye. The sun had been a blazing ball of brilliant peachy-red, and colored the unclouded sky with the most amazing colors. I think it must have been dust particles that picked up the glorious tints. Within 2 minutes of taking the photo above, all the color was gone. I did no 'doctoring' on this photo; it's as it came straight from the camera, with tiny bit of cropping to eliminate a powerline pole.

Sky Watch was created by Dot and is now brought to you by our friends Klaus, Sandy, Fishing Guy, Ivar, and Wren, and the newest team member, Louise, from Albuquerque. Visit the Sky Watch Friday home page anytime after 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Thursdays to see sky photos from around the world. You'll be glad you did.

Election Day, Present and Past - Post 102

The last thought I had last night before dropping off to sleep was that I needed to be up early today, Election Day, 2008. The thought must have had the desired effect, because I awoke, sans alarm, before the break of dawn. I had plenty of time for a cup of coffee and a quick look at e-mail before heading out the door into the crisp morning air.

I arrived at the appointed voting place 15 minutes before the doors opened. Given the number of people who took advantage of early voting in our community, I was a bit surprised, but pleased, to find 21 folks ahead of me in the line outside the door. By the time I voted (the 29th ballot cast at this precinct), there were probably 50 or 60 persons standing with ballots in hand waiting to vote. We don't have voting machines here, just paper ballots marked with black ball point pens, and run through a machine which, I assume, tallies the votes as they are cast.

The two people behind me in the waiting line were a woman and her daughter who, I learned, was participating in her first presidential election. That reminded me of the first time I voted. I remarked to the mother that today would be the 15th presidential election in which I had voted, the first being on November 4, 1952. She had the gall to say "Wow, that was before I was born!" LOL :) Nothing like a little candor to make me feel my age!

I remember how excited I was, being allowed to participate in an activity that I considered an "adult" thing! Yay! I was an adult! At least as far as the election was concerned, anyway. The poll tax was still in effect in Arkansas at the time, and I had duly paid my $1 (as I recall) to register to vote shortly after my 18th birthday in September that year.

The Democratic candidates for President and Vice President in 1952 were Adlai Stevenson, II and John Sparkman. Republican candidates were Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon. Although Stevenson/Sparkman carried the state of Arkansas, I proudly cast my vote for the Republican ticket. I was a true 'I Like "IKE"' girl, and had a big metal, pin-on badge that said so. I wish I still had it.

I very likely will not stay up to watch the election returns this evening. There's nothing I can do to affect the outcome beyond what I have already done. I'm quite sure that I'll be able to read all about it tomorrow morning. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." - Matthew 6:34

Have YOU voted yet?

A Fall Excursion - Post 101

Lake Barnett, White County, Arkansas

I had a wonderful time this afternoon! I threw caution (about gasoline consumption) to the winds and hit the road. My trip was only a relatively short jaunt away from my regular stomping grounds, but something I haven't done for quite some time. My friend Barbara, always game for an mini-adventure, accompanied me. She rode shotgun; I was on a photographic mission.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm enrolled in a Basic Photography course at a local camera shop. We have homework every week for which we are to use something we've learned in the most recent class. This week (the class meets Thursday evening) we are to submit a photograph of 'Nature;' no buildings or people included. Since I've not had my chosen photograph critiqued as yet, that one is not included here. I'm still on the short end of the learning curve and have a great deal to learn, but I had fun taking the photos I'm sharing here.
 This afternoon, we wandered down several roads that I've never before driven over, all within about 50 miles northeast of my home. Following is a small selection of the photos I took this afternoon.

A gnarled tree.

Not much color, but an interesting shape, I thought.

Immediately across the road from the gnarled tree was a meadow

backed by a colorful hillside. Still a lot of green, but getting there!

Geese swimming on Lake Barnett.

Fall colors reflected on the water

at the far end of the lake.

(The photo at the beginning of this post was taken at the nearest lake access point. The lake itself covers about three miles. More information about this little jewel can be found by clicking the link under the first photo.)

Dried grasses and colorful plants, dappled with light.

I captured a beautiful sunset, too, but I'm saving that photo for this week's Sky Watch.

I came home with lifted spirits after viewing some hitherto unseen, and very beautiful, parts of my home state, well worth the quarter-tank of gas I burned.

I hope your day was lovely, too.

Today's Flowers - Post 100

Rose - "Oklahoma"

(click to enlarge photo)

The year's last rose from this bush in my garden. Not only are the petals beautiful, but the blossoms have a heady rose fragrance; a lovely combination.

Today's Flowers is a weekly Meme created by Luiz Santilli, Jr. and may be found here. Please visit to see others' lovely flower photos. If you have a flower photo of your own to share, please join us.

Broken toes and other stuff - Post 99

Note: this photo of a branch on my maple tree has nothing to do with the text below. I just think it's pretty.

(Click to enlarge)

I try to read Rose Swall's blog, Pics and Pieces, every day. In her most recent post, in addition to showing some beautiful photos of a golden-leaved cottonwood tree, she discussed her husband's broken toe and resulting surgery. My sympathies to her hubby; I've broken the 'little toes' on both feet many times. In an attempt to avoid these painful events, I hardly ever go without hard-toed shoes anymore, inside the house or out.

Her discussion of broken toes reminded me: the last time I broke a toe, I composed a poem (ha ha) to commemorate the event. The words actually have nothing to do with broken toes, it's just what popped into my mind at the time. The poem is SO bad, it reminds me of authorblog's Verse and Worse (you won't believe some of the "rhymes" he constructs.)

Kicked Around (Ode to a Broken Toe)

If we're 'kicked when we're down' we don't have far to go.

A chicken in a breadpan can 'kick up the dough.' *

We can get 'kicked upstairs.' We may 'kick up a fuss.'

As we travel through life, we may 'kick up some dust.'

Kids pay 'kick the can.' We 'kick tires' on our truck; it

Seems we're always kicking --and then we 'kick the bucket.'

* for anyone not familiar with "chicken in the breadpan kicking up dough," it's a square dancing term.

It's a glorious day outside today. I may have to take the camera and go scouting.

Happy Halloween! - Post 98

Decor from the church Hallowe'en Party

I spent the early part of this evening assisting with Trunk of Treats, held in our church parking lot. It was cool, but not cold, which sure helped these old bones. We had a great deal more candy than we had children to give it to, though. During the course of the two hours we were "in business" we probably had 60 visitors. The youngest was a babe in arms; the oldest (I know 'cause I asked him how old he was) was 33. He said he was getting candy for his 5 year old nephew who was sick and couldn't go Trick or Treating. If so, great; if not... we had plenty and anyone who wanted to come by for some candy was welcome!

The more affluent neighborhood about 3/4 of a mile from us must have had hundreds of children on the streets; we laugh about them being "bussed in," but they do seem to come from all over town. This was just our second year to do this in the church parking lot; perhaps the word will get around and we'll have more kids next year.

We got rained out shortly after 7 p.m., so we closed our trunks and came home.

The undistributed candy will go next week to our local Fishnet Ministries, where they will use it to fill Christmas stockings.