Alone too long

Since I am all alone...snif, left to my own devices(that'll teach 'im) I decided to let the imagination wander and thought a lot about who I would like to invite to dinner. The answer came to me in a moment of hungry clarity. Gordon Ramsay. I found out that Sting was busy with some chanting and praying stuff and while flipping the channel during commercials(thanks Roger)I came upon Gordon in Kitchen Nightmares. I absolutely love Gordon Ramsey. I love his concept of what a restaurant should be, his work ethic, his "body as temple" think, and...well, he's just Darn adorable. I plotz when he takes a fork-full of someones awful cooking and says "f--- me, did this come from the waste bin?" Now I know that it's not necessary to use such language, but in this case it really makes me laugh. Soooooo...here's the reason I would like Gordon to come to dinner. He would find my food and my kitchen in a dreadful state and immediately fire me. Some people might be offended but I would love to be fired and I'd tell him what a brilliant move it was. Next he would replace all of my ancient appliances and doodads with shiny new up-to-date serious equipment. Then I could alternately admire my new kitchen(surely Roger would re-hire me later) and Gordon. Maybe he would teach me a bunch of cool things to make in order to redeem myself. Maybe he wouldn't spit my food into the bin. Maybe he would just let me stare at him while he cooked. Any way you figure it-I win.

As the dinner guests for my first Gordon Ramsay educated meal, I would invite John Cleese and Michael Palin-two of my favorite Monty Python members. Doing this ensures laughter and silly walks and dead parrots but opens up the possibility for other frightening occurrences... because........

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION

Change of plans& the neighborhood

I think I've shown this quilt before. It's really the only fall-like piece that I have and was made with 5 inch squares I got from some on-line quilt shop. Not all that big but it seems cosy for the season.

My plans for a get-away have changed. Roger will be going with a co-worker to his meeting near Canada. The other traveler had intended to bring his wife but she had a medical problem and will not be going so the alternative is for me to sit in the hotel and read or sew for one long day. I took a pass. It's a tough trip for Roger and I didn't want him to travel alone for an 8-hour car ride. Now that he is going with the fellow-engineer that's not a factor so I'll hang in here and do my reading and sewing locally.

My crack photography team took some pictures on Saturday while we were getting the effects of an off-shore storm. The wind whipped up the sea froth and that picture above is of the canal that feeds into the salt marsh not far from me.

The shot below is one taken from the apple orchard driveway after the guys purchased another delicious bag of Macouns. Yummy! They don't allow me near the orchard as I have trouble controlling myself when faced with a maze of trees with apples just waiting to be snatched up and scarfed up....sorry but some of you may not be aware of my larcenous tendencies when faced with fruit trees.

Well I must go and do some errands and laundry and all the mundane Monday stuff. Hope your autumn day is as spectacular as mine is starting out to be. Just look at that shot of all those apples laying around uneaten...on the ground....wasting away.............sigh

Dia de los Muertes

Today is the Dia de Los Muertes or Day of the Dead. I've always found this type of celebration to be more interesting than Halloween. It's a celebration of the connection between the spirits and the living. Interestingly enough, these types of celebrations are popular in nearly all cultures but I have to say that the Mexicans and Chinese get a medal for fascinating ways to party it up. In both cultures, people go to the graves of family members and friends and bring gifts, or ofrendas, of favorite treats and they spend the day cleaning and arranging altars with significant items that were a part of that persons life. I really enjoy the colorful and communal aspect to this day. Actually, Day of the Dead is two days of celebrating. Today is about las angelitos, or the little angels, and tomorrow is about the adult remembrances. Day of the Dead provides a spiritual pathway from the living to the Saints and to God. The sugar skulls are a tradition as are a type of marigold called zenpasuchitl that are used to decorate the graves and altars. Most of the traditions surrounding this celebration date from Pre-Columbian times.

I reminds me of the manner in which Asian families have very similar celebrations by going to the graves, cleaning and scrubbing them and decorating them with flowers and favorite foods of the person who has passed on. They also have a lantern festival that is an ancient custom. Putting lighted lanterns into the rivers and streams allows the passage of the spirits to another world. I have only seen pictures of both of these celebrations and done some extensive reading about the cultures and it just seems such a beautiful thing to do. I'm not a deeply religious person but I find, surprisingly, that I am deeply spiritual and the thought of moving on to another world is a pleasant thought that, as I become older, really comforts me.

So, no matter if you're a Celt and they put you in your canoe and fill it with evergreens and light that sucker up and float you out to sea, or you're Egyptian and somebody builds a tomb full of the things that represent who you were in life, the concept is the same. It is a celebration of a life and it pleases me to think of remembrance in whatever form it takes. Just in case something happens to me anytime soon-don't forget to put my rotary cutter and Olfa Ruler in with me! Oh! fabric...don't forget the fabric....and maybe some chocolate. I think I'll go get some just to be safe!