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 hoping for a most wonderful time of the year!  

     I found an inexpensive slender tree we can tuck into a tiny corner.  we changed the batteries on all the other lighted items.  and Craig spent four hours placing the exterior holiday decorations.  

     and at the first holiday party of the month - with my pink survivor warrior sisters - I won the coveted pink boxing gloves at our ornament exchange.  

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always full of Thanksgiving

...and... as John Adams says in "1776" - Vote dammit!

     despite the fact that I still felt like I'd been beaten to a pulp - every bone in my body aches from the Zometa - I dragged myself out to drop my ballot at the local polling location for our mid-term elections.  sometimes we just have to make sacrifices for the good of all the people! 

     I wish I could have attended, but again, couldn't drag myself that far ... the support sisters were meeting an hour away at a winery for wine tasting and another potluck.  but I love the theme:

be Thankful, Grateful & Blessed!

     my Disneyland Rose is still blessing me with blossoms. 

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 I always look forward to Birthday Month!

     Joyce and I have been looking at wedding dress ideas - mom's dream come true!  hopefully I will get to be the one to create it. 

     on the first day of the month, at work they hold an annual car show made up of employees' unique cars.  there was also a band, and some lawn games.  a pink golf cart showed up to give us all free ice cream!   

     I had an opportunity to go see Ledisi - an exquisite R&B performer - perform an homage to Dinah Washington at the big performing arts center at Davis.  again I drove down early to have dinner at the Chinese restaurant again, and to get a primo parking spot in the garage.  once inside and trying to find my seat, I found that I had picked the worst possible seat for someone with bad knees.  I had to navigate two flights of stairs because the elevator is only available on one side of the facility.  

     we went out for my birthday dinner the night before, since C was golfing that day so it worked better for his schedule.  whatever.  I had a coupon for a free appetizer, so we went to Texas Roadhouse, where we got excellent sweet chili shrimps for apps, then I got my fave chicken fried steak ... mmmm!  we shared warm apple pie with ice cream and caramel sauce.  the server encouraged me to "ride the saddle" for my birthday - they wheel out a saddle you sit on and they sing to you!  and yes, there's video, so it did happen!  they had a big pink tree in the lobby, in honor of the Month. 

 

     I had a brain-flash one night and thought of a fun thing I could easily crochet for Janet, and mail to her when I forwarded some mail she had delivered to our address.  yes, she is one of the people in the world who love these sweet treats! 

     the next day I had to work part of it - first time I've worked on my birthday in over 30 years! - since I had to attend a 7:30 (7:30?!?!) meeting.  I triaged my email, then went to my favorite nail salon where the ladies took excellent care of this birthday girl, and pampered all 20 of my nails, plus my legs and arms.  

     Joyce gave me The Best Present by face-timing with my little man Finn!  at first he heard my voice, which he recognized, then he saw my face and he beamed such a happy smile at me!   we talked around him for close to half an hour.  it was just so wonderful! 

     Joyce showed off the lawn decorations they have for Halloween - the three Sanderson Sisters from one of her fave kid movies, Hocus Pocus, - so I decided I needed to make Finn a Binx costume to go with it.  I bought a black sleep outfit with long sleeves and feet, and a giant men's t-shirt - to make the hood.  then I embroidered the face on the hood, and the BINX across the chest.  I made the hood so Joyce could detach it when she uses it for sleepwear.  you know this crafty grandma wasn't going to let his first costume opportunity go by without fanfare! 

     I had my six-month office check-in with my onco, and she didn't have any concerns with what she observed.  while there, I also got my flu shot, since I'll be traveling at the end of the month, and need to start getting all my shots as I'm getting older.  

     my band director let me know that the band was performing at the local harvest festival, and costumes were welcome.  I dressed in my Dia de los Muertos costume from last year and enjoyed the festivities!  besides the concert, there was a dog costume contest, a faire with food and crafts booths, and a car show!  trunk or treat style!! 

     other halloween decorations around town and at work ...

 

     the support group sisters had a gathering where we made pot luck dishes and did a little crafting!  I brought my take on boring cheese balls, and made "nutty bacon ranch cheese pops" with gouda and gruyere, with pretzel sticks for the pop handles.  this was my craft item that I need to finish at home!

     the very next day we had another gathering, taking advantage of the 10% support of breast cancer research with every purchase.  we had a raffle and I won a cute wall hanging.  these are my support sisters!  <3  

     I had to make a trip to the bay area for work, so I worked in a little theater too.  first I went to see a friend performing in Crazy Quilt Club at the little theater where I first performed in Flaming Idiots!  I checked in at the hotel, then drove downtown to see the next show, the final performance of the Broadway touring company of Some Like It Hot!  the rain held off ... until it was time for me to trudge from the parking garage across a main thoroughfare and down half a block to get to the Performing Arts Center entrance.  luckily I pack for weather and had my poncho or I'd have been a drowned rat!  a few minutes after I was inside, they beckoned me back outside to see the beautiful rainbow!  I have loved this movie all my life, and have seen the other musical version, Sugar, but this is truly my favorite!  glorious music, an updated story line,  gorgeous costumes and outstanding dancing. 

 

     at work the next day, our major activity was an offsite lunch and cooking competition where we baked a chocolate cake, individual sized.  besides our delicious lunch with wine pairings, we were judged by our host and my team lost ... too much nutmeg (which I didn't want to include anyway :-/ )  

 

     I stayed an extra day to attend a "vision lab" - - at the request of the lab's host no less!  he invited me and another admin to get our specific perspective.  what an honor, and something my manager fully supported.  my fellow admin then invited me to join her and some other team members and we all had a long enjoyable dinner at Pedro's, the favorite destination "around the corner" from the office.  it was 9pm before we were dragging ourselves back to our hotels!  what an fabulous time.  two more meetings the next day and I hit the road for home, making good time since I travel during lunch hour before the commute lane limitations begin at 3pm.  

     on Halloween Day my onco team scheduled me for my second Zometa infusion ... lucky me.  last time I had one it knocked me out for three weeks!  guess I'm not handing out candy this year. 

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Fall is just around the corner ...

     ... but I feel like winter has struck.  thankfully not while we were with Finn, but probably from the flight home, I came down with RSV, and felt miserable for the rest of my sabbatical.  not the way I wanted to finish up what is probably my last sabbatical from work. 

     we have a new product in the garden ... a watermelon!  over time nine have emerged!  we watched the largest one grow throughout the month. 

     I'm not the only one enjoying the gardenias and the roses. 

     I got a new cookbook with recipes of African Americans throughout history.  the first one I created was my version of Charred Peach and Jalapeno Chutney, made with some nectarines that had seen better days. 

our sunflowers have been attacked, but the chocolate ones are still hanging in there.

we watched our second rosa bianca eggplant emerge and mature!

gardenias are still blooming and one last purple lysianthus needed to grace the dining table

     given that my 65th birthday is a month away, I had to make sure my driver license - which expires this birthday - was renewed, and I made a trip to the SSA local office to sort our my name questions and that I haven't been able to log into their website recently.  I was able to find out what their "my name" is, and schedule an appointment to talk to someone about medicare and benefits.  

     when I went to see Hunchback I texted with the music director who said he would also be MD'ing Sunset Boulevard next.  since this is a bucket list role, I try to see every production.  I went early enough to avoid traffic hazards, and had dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.  Kyle's music was tremendous, and most of the players were excellent in their roles.  Kyle came out to meet me afterward, and we had a lovely time catching up!  

     at the end of the month I went to my second hair styling appointment at the salon school.  Anabel was again my stylist, and she remembered so much about my last visit!  I mentioned I crocheted, and she said she would love for me to crochet cherries for her, since her friend said she would but never did.  I made them that night!  I have to keep my hairdresser happy :-) 

     that evening, I spent a little time in the garden and a little more time in the kitchen and made about a quart of fresh basil oil, for dipping or salad dressings.