Halloween in Small Town America

Merchants in downtown Siloam Springs, Arkansas hand out

candy to trick or treaters.

 

 

Gracen as Scooby Doo's Daphne

 

 

Jenna as Mad Dog

 

Marley as Superwoman with her friend Sydney

 

 

Kelly hands out candy in front of the Christian radio

station KLRC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midweek Photos

Our neighbor's grand daughter Sydney and her horse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spending the Night at Grandma's House

Spending the night at Grandma's means

you can work in the yard and not have

to change out of your pajamas.

Friday Night Lights

Tonight we went to the first high school football game  we've seen in years.  Our grand daughter Marley is still in 8th grade but she got to march in the half time program as a flag twirler.  It was 43 degrees and we bundled up and huddled together in the bleachers, but the game was exciting and it was a pleasure to watch Marley.  She was a great example of school spirit and enthusiasm. Not only was she an uninhibited free spirit but she was having a great time.

For a town with a population of only 15,000 Siloam Springs manages to

put together a large band.

 

 

Marley circled.

 

 

Jenna bundled up against the cold.

 

 

 

 

Hiding

Gracen likes to hide in the bushes where no one can

possibly see her.

Midweek Photos

 

 

Northern Sea Oats backlit by the morning sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quote of the Day

The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny

Albert Ellis

Book Report

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan, has a new book out. Antifragile, Things that Gain from Disorder explains how some things not only gain from chaos but need it to survive and flourish. Our bones get stronger when under stress and weaken from sedentary life styles. Those old stone bridges built by the Romans remain today because their own weight is what gives them structural integrity. In this book Taleb talks about “innovation by trial and error, life decisions, politics, urban planning, war, personal finance, economic systems, and medicine“. It’s guide for living in the modern world.

Marley's New Friend

Marley is growing into a lovely young lady.

Quote of the Day

I only study the things I like; I apply my mind only to matters that interest me. They'll be useful—or useless—to me or to others in due course, I'll be given—or not given—the opportunity of benefiting from what I've learned. In any case, I'll have enjoyed the inestimable advantage of doing things I like doing and following my own inclinations."

- Nicolas de Chamfort

Mid-Week Photos

 

 

 

 

 

Using Granpa's Tools

Kids love tools. Rachel and Kelly would "help" me fix the car when they were toddlers and afterward I would have to search the yard to recover my wrenches and sockets. Gracen has inherited her grandma's mechanical ability.  She thought our fence needed repair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gracen sees no need for potty training. She simply

finds a semi-private location and let's gravity have its way.

 

 

 

 

Rainy Saturday

It's Saturday afternoon, rain is pouring down, the grand kids languish on the couch watching TV.  Dorothy goes into town to pick up a few things at the store and meets up with Tara and Gracen. Gracen decides to come home with us. The decibel level in our house is approaching the need for hearing protection like those guys on the ground at the airport.  In fact, I could use some of those things they use to direct airplane traffic. In the middle of this cacophony Dorothy decided to make donuts. 

 

 

Jenna prepares to dive into the pumpkin donuts.

 

Dorothy also made these glazed donuts plus the holes and some

chocolate Long Johns.

 

 

 

Quote of the Day

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.

Joseph Campbell

Another Scary Movie

The grand kids are staying with us tonight so it's time for another scary movie. I thought we would step up the  fear level a notch or two.  Tonight's viewing was the original 1931 version of "Frankenstein".  To protect myself from any legal action that the kids might level against me from the effects of any future emotional scars I had them sign this waiver:

The kids finished the movie relatively unscathed.  Marley, quite the film connoisseur pointed out the inauthenticity of the story line when it was revealed that Dr. Frankenstein had not seen his fiance Elizabeth in four months. Marley believes that no woman would stay engaged to a man who hadn't come to see her in 4 months. Hunter was thought the film was entertaining; especially the part where the town folk pursued the monster with pitch forks, torches, and golf clubs. Jenna kept her face buried in my neck for a good part of the movie.

This portrait of Frankenstein's Monster was painted

by our talented nephew Derek Dunaway.