5 thing Friday - Halloween, Dia display, Adelberts, moving furniture, Christmas tree

Facebook reminded me of this Halloween scene from 23 years ago: 

I think I've posted this pic once before...

Darth Maul (in charge of the trick-or-treating safety flashlight), a Ninja, The Devil, a worried baby, and Creepy Guy (a hunter? Camper? I can't remember now).  I sent this as a group text and it was interesting to read my peeps memories about it.  Your kids absorb so many more details about growing up than you realize. (I think next year I will decorate for it a little and invite them to come over and pass out candy with me...)

The Dia de los Muertos display at work.  Soon they will tear down our breakroom to expand the Cath Lab at our hospital.  So we will lose this big window that looks out over a green space.  We should be mourning that, too.  But for now, our breakroom is inspiring us to set up things like this and I love that.  We also had a Halloween potluck - lots of good food and fun for everyone.

On Halloween, after work, I went to Adelberts one last time and had a pint.

They are closed for good now - the second brewery in this area in less than a year.  A victim of Austin's expansive growth, developer greed, and change that never seems to let up.  Bye bye, fun neighborhood place that Mark and I enjoyed "sitting and playing cards and eating delicious trailer food with our beer" place.

 

I decided to move one of those black and white chairs out of the bedroom - goodbye makeshift chaise.  I ordered a cube-style footrest from Amazon and I will just read in here.  Also watch TV.  I ordered myself some new bedlinens, too.  I like how the window isn't blocked by chairs.  And don't think I'm not very tempted to buy a Christmas tree for in here - still mulling it.  

After all, a tree is just a giant potted plant until you trim it for Christmas, amiright?  By the way, I finally got one of those collars for the tree in the front room and I love it so much more than a fussy tree skirt.  And now, I will just let the Christmas tree quietly wait here while we wait for Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday!

Gina

Weekend re-cap: Empty Nest Halloween, 12 Fox, Rising Sun

It was a very different Halloween {Scout's birthday}.

I wanted to stay a little closer to Rustown this past weekend, but around lunchtime on Saturday we decided to head over to 12 Fox in Dripping Springs for lunch.

The crispy pork tenderloin tacos (schnitzel!!) were the bomb.  We might also have eaten a warm cheese-topped soft pretzel too quickly for me to snap a pic of it.

And their pumpkin dark beer was so good.  The weather was perfect and the place was busy but quiet and just an all-around pleasant place to be.

We only stayed a couple of hours and we made a note to come back soon. We enjoyed a firepit and a bottle of wine at Rustown, then watched Nightmare Before Christmas.  What a weird Halloween.

The next day I worked on a few putsey things around the house.  I am deep into holiday planning!  I want to have Christmas gifts purchased and made and wrapped by the end of November. In the afternoon we headed over to Rising Sun Vineyards in McDade.

The weather was just as perfect as the day before.  We enjoyed their first estate wine - a sparkling rose -  and Hubby bought a couple of cigars to enjoy.  They had live music, wood-fired pizza, and are generally the friendliest people ever - they remembered me from writing an article about them for the Texas Wine Lover website and we chatted them up for a bit.  We will definitely return later in the fall.  Back at home I fixed dinner and POOF the weekend disappeared like it always does.  But this coming weekend we will leave for Highlands on Friday and hopefully it won't be full of to-do lists and chores - just relaxing.  

Gina

5 thing Friday - firepit, breakfast, doe, Halloween, cookie jar

Last weekend Hubby and I crossed another "to do" off our list for Highlands - ordering the sign.  We inherited a really beautiful cast iron sign from my mother.  All it needed was a new plate underneath that says "Highlands".  It will also feature a triquetra on either side of the name.  I will post a pic of it when we get it installed!  We will take the bit that says "Parry's Pond" back to my mother and maybe hang it on her garage - it has great sentimental value.

Meanwhile, we are eyeballing the giant firepit you see in the middle of the above photo at the same place we are getting the sign done.  Large enough for the whole Cannary clan to sit around - and then some.

 

 Weekend breakfasts don't have to be fancy - sometimes they are leftovers, topped with a fried egg, a fritter from a favorite donut place in Bertram, and eaten off a paper plate, in the barn.

 I spy with my little eye, a very inquisitive doe as I was finishing up my coffee outside.

Sunday dinners in the dining room are still a thing, to my surprise.  This last one was a celebration for Scout's birthday.  We had turkey chili, cornbread muffins, and an Oreo ice cream cake.  

His birthday is Halloween - it isn't the same at my house without four kids dressed up and pouring their candy in piles on the floor for trades.  These days it's usually just me and Hubby, sitting outside with his guitar entertaining the trick-or-treaters, having a glass of wine and eating pizza. 

This cookie jar has been in my possession since my MIL passed.  I accidentally broke the lid years ago and did a poor job re-gluing it.  Then two weeks ago, Hubby and I stopped at an antiques store in Llano and what did I find at theveryback of the store?  A lid that matches perfectly sitting by itself on a shelf with a $4 price tag, calling my name.  What are the odds?!  Marie is smiling from heaven.

Gina

5 thing Friday - Halloween, friends, front door, chicken, not panicking

Throw back to a not-so-simple time:  With four kids under the age of 10, things here in 1999 was at stress level Britney 2007 (not my joke, but funny!)  Hubby and I sometimes didn't know whether we were coming or going.  But we sure did love our babies.

Darth Maul (9), Creepy Dad, Worried Baby (10 months), Devislishly Cute Girl (8), and a Birthday Boy Ninja (4). 

 Mango flavored cake mix made some colorful and interesting birthday cupcakes!

 

Scout turned 20 on Halloween - only one more teenager left at our house!  We celebrated with pizza and nachos and cupcakes and Dr. Pepper. 

And for fun they listened to very loud music and played Bean Boozled.  Nicest five 20-year-olds you'd ever want to meet. 

Happy Birthday, Dylan Conner!

 

 Bubbie and his GF carved a pumpkin that literally rotted and dissolved in three days.  We had to scrap it from the bricks, then scrub them.  It was a good time to throw out my now-dead mums, too.

I priced crotons at Wally World ($12!), and decided to go check out Home Depot.  Where I found two lovely ones that were just the right size - $2 each.  Into my car they went!  Crotons are lovely Fall-colored plants.  No flowers to die.

I am trying to keep up my good habits, and eat more veggies and protein.  Borrowing a tip from The Girl, I cooked some thin chicken breasts that I can freeze and add to my lunches with a salad or other steamed veggie.

Firstborn has come over a couple of times since moving - no money in his budget for groceries and with his tiny fridge, no where to put them anyway.  I don't mind him eating here, and I can give him a haircut now and again.  And when he told me he is still having heartburn, and found a roach swimming in his toilet, I tried hard not to look like the CWM I feel.  I calmly bought him some Tums and some roach motels, 'cause what else can I do?  
Can we go back to 1999 now?

Gina

Scout's Halloween alter egos

Originally I wanted to write a post about Halloween at Rustown through the years.  We didn't really get started on doing it up big until we moved to our second house.  After Scout arrived, Halloween seemed to take on new meaning - a holiday created just for him!  But going through the photo albums overwhelmed me - 18 years of Halloween and no digital camera left me feeling photo challenged.  I just don't have time to scan them all in.  So instead, here's a little peak at Scout's Halloween birthdays over the years.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Happy Birthday, Dylan Conner! 

We aren't planning on hanging out and handing out candy this year.  With an 18 and almost-15 year old, we plan on different activities.  I know I will miss Halloween at my house, but we have such great memories of some really fun times.

Gina

Scout's 17th Halloween Birthday

Halloween was a lot of fun here. Scout and Miss A practiced their carving skills as soon as they got home from school.

 

 

I set out pumpkin spice cupcakes, goldfish, Muddy Buddies, 

and a honey peanut and candy corn combo.

 

 The main dish was Chili Frito Pies with some Honey BBQ chicken wings on the side. 

  Hubby was up to his usual display tricks for the treaters - the theme here was teen lawn care people, 

teen drivers, and just all-around "Beware of Teens".  I pretty much gave the kids the run of the backyard and patio, but guess where they migrated?  To the driveway where the adults sat giving out candy.

 

It was a nice break in the routine for Scout and friends!

Gina