The Ghost Of Chocolate's Past

 

“Memories warm you up from the inside.

 But they also tear you apart.” 

 
~Haruki Murakami,

  Kafka on the Shore

 

Finally, the spare room is finished! To celebrate it actually being livable, and the last reminder of that god awful move behind us, we decorated it for Christmas, and went to Ghiradelli in Lathrop for some chocolate, a bottle of sea salt caramel topping and bag of peppermint baking chips. I wish I had been at Ghiradelli in San Francisco, because as I remember, they had a lot more choices of products, like my hubby's favorite, chocolate covered coffee beans, and the chunks of chocolate in a barrel, and it's San Francisco! My dad used to buy me the big chunks of chocolate whenever he visited the city. I was thinking about him the other day, he loved to grab a sundae there. All it took was a big Hot Fudge Sundae to put a smile on his face. Ghiradelli's chocolate is very distinctive. The Hot Fudge is amazing but our favorite sundae was the Hot Peanut Butter. They don't have it anymore... darn it!

 

Funny, it isn't even my memory, and yet I can see him sitting at one of their little tables enjoying the view, and devouring that delicious sundae. That was dad. Gosh, I sure am missing him right now. I think he would have enjoyed the Sugar Cooking chocolate squares I bought this year. Oh my... anyway, as chocolate goes, I enjoy it but by no means am I a chocolate fiend or anything, but there are definitely some memories around it. Like the memory of my sister always having a BIG box of See's candy on the table for Christmas eve. I did love so the Milk Bordeaux, and I don't know if I ever told her how awesome it was that she did that. Smooth, sweet the candy melted in your mouth. I haven't had one of those in ages. She and I were never close, and after a certain point we never spoke again, but she is gone now too, and I am thinking about her this Christmas too. Oh boy... sigh... I think I see another post about chocolate, and family dynamics, coming! 

Lathrop sure isn't San Francisco.

 

Halloween Facts And Trivia

 "Did you know that at one time trick-or-treating was stopped? It's true. During World War II children were not allowed to trick-or-treat because there was a sugar shortage."

~Linda Bozzo

Kooky Halloween Jokes To Tickle Your Funny Bone

Just to be fun I thought I might try something different and do a post about trivia surrounding Halloween. See if you knew these facts.

1. Halloween goes back more than 2,000 years.

It was originally the pre-Christian Celtic festival called Samhain, which means 'summer's end."

2. Americans spend about 86.27 on Halloween every year.

3.  Illinois produces up to five time more pumpkins than any other state.

4. Fear of Halloween is called, "Samhainophobia".

5. Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy.

6. The movie, Halloween, was made in only 21 days.

7. The first Jack O' Lanterns were actually made from turnips.

8. "Souling" is a medieval Christian precursor to modern day trick-or-treating. On Hallowmas (Nov 1st) the poor would go door to door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes. 

9. Harry Houdini died October 31st 1926.

10. A child born on Halloween is said to have the ability to take to spirits.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #16

~Carly

October 7th 2020

Stockton, California

 

Practical Magic

"You ever put your arms out and spin really, really fast? Well, that's what love is like. It makes your heart race.
 It turns the world upside down.
 But if you're not careful, if you don't keep your eyes on something still, you can lose your balance.
 You can't see what's happening to the people around you.
 You can't see you are about to fall."

~Alice Hoffman

Practical Magic

Practical Magic is one of my favorite movies, but before that, it was one of my favorite books. The two are very different, stand alone stories. The book is very dark. A magical cautionary tale, mostly about being careful what you wish for, while the movie embraces woman-power, magic, and of course, love. Love of family and life, and the love that celebrates finding someone..."a love, that will make time itself lie down and be still".  The movie also has one of the most beautiful pieces of music, ever in film. To me, it is the sound of autumn, and Halloween in particular.

Amas Veritas

 "Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender for luck. Fall in love whenever you can."

Sally Owens

~Practical Magic

#38 Leaf Of The Day

October 30th 2019

Grass Valley, California

Nikon

~Mood: Quiet

~Me 

Big Scary Berkeley Spider

"I excel at pulling strings." said Arachne  "I am a spider!"

~Rick Riordan

The Mark Of Athena

#24 Leaf Of The Day

October 16th 2019

Placerville, Ca

Nikon

~Mood: Happy

~Me   :)

Different Worlds Are Sometimes The Same Worlds

"Ghosts have a way of misleading you; they can make your thoughts as heavy as branches after a storm."

~Rebecca Maizel

Infinite Days

 Isn't she lovely? She is the new girl in town, and apparently the lady friend of the ghoul I introduced to you last year! She lives right down the road, and I guess she spends her days asleep, like I do, and does her chores at night! I've been a night person my whole life, so I can definitely relate. Once a pattern of behavior is set, good look changing it, especially when you've been doing it forever! She and I have a lot in common. We both haunt the places we love, we are both crazy in love with our favorite person, and we both seem to wait all year for autumn, and especially Halloween, which if you look on the calendar, is the exact halfway point of the season! She and I live in different worlds, but isn't it strange just how much we share? Until she tells me otherwise, I think I'll call her Lucille!

 "For dreams too are ghosts, 

desires, chased in sleep, gone by morning." 

~Libba Bray

Lair Of Dreams

#26 Leaf Of The Day

October 17th, 2018

Ione, California

 ~Mood: Quiet

~Me

Holiday Leftovers

"What happens when you pray for an angel

 and get a vampire instead?"

~R.E. Mullins

I have always loved that quote! It kinda celebrates

 Halloween and Christmas in one shot!

 Tis the season!

Capitol Christmas Tree

Sacramento, California

December 23rd, 2017

New Year's Day is still a few days off, so I think it's okay to finish up the season by showing a few more holiday sights from here in the Central Valley and Sacramento. This is the Capitol Christmas tree, that usually goes up around Thanksgiving, and disappears sometime just after the start of the year, like in most towns I guess.  Sacramento actually has two holiday trees, this one, and one in Old Sacramento, which is traditionally lit on Black Friday! Of the two trees, I think the one in front of the capitol is my favorite! The lights seem more calming and nostalgic to me. Shrug. I guess holiday decorations are in the eyes of the beholder!

Christmas Tree

Old Sacramento

December 23rd, 2017

 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Day After Halloween

"There is October in every November and there is November in ever December! All seasons melted in each other's life."

~Mehmet Murat ildan

November is here. My favorite month, October, has gone to sleep for another year, and I miss it already! But it will be back in less than a year, so I have it to look forward to, so I am okay about that, but when October left, it also took the first part of Autumn with it. Yes, my favorite season is officially half over, and there is only about 6 weeks left to enjoy gathering leaves for my Autumn Leaf Project, and appreciate the slant of light that only shines during this time of year, and the slight chill in the air, on bright sunny days! While I love the colder weather, there is just something perfect about a bright sunny day, with just enough cool in it, to enjoy the warmth of my favorite sweater, and my favorite warm throw. 

I bet you've guessed by now, that I live for this time of year, and it is really the only time I feel alive! It's like the earth has a smile on it's face, as it drifts off into a waking dream state for a year that we will never see again. I was so happy when 2016 finally died, I never want to see another year like it. So many artists passed away, and the 2016 election was... well... nothing short of devastating, but that is all in the past, and in a couple months we will move on to another year, and who knows what that will bring? I have decided to not deal with it right now. I choose to focus on one day at a time, and find beauty wherever it is. Whimsy too. Do I sound optimistic yet? 

The Whimsy Of Halloween 2017

 Punky 2017

Punky Enjoying Dinner Before Duty

 Punky On Duty Scaring Goblins Away!

The Candy 2017

The Beauty Of The Last Week Of October 2017

#1 Leaf Of The Day

November 1st 2017

Quincy, California

Mood: Happy
~Me :)  

In The Midnight Hour

"The house smelled musty and damp, and a little sweet, as if it were haunted by the ghosts of long-dead cookies."

~Neil Gaiman

American Gods

I love a dark spooky ghoul! I love driving late at night, and looking a holiday decorations around the neighborhood! I have seen some pretty great Halloween decorations, but this one got by me. This one was spotted by Alan, a few nights ago, while on his way home. It changes colors from purple to black and white. I photographed both versions, but I think it looked best in black/white! It certainly seems more spooky to me this way!

I grew up watching spooky old black & white movies, like The Innocents, Psycho, and the original Village Of The Damned! Although, I have to admit, I loved the Christopher Reeve color version too! But there is just nothing like those great old Hollywood thrillers and chillers. Vincent Price, John Carradine, and Lon Chaney really brought the chills! Those old movies may not be sophisticated by today's standards, but they will always be a big part of Halloween at our house! 

#17 Leaf Of The Day

October 17th, 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Witch Moon Over Orinda

"Give them pleasure.

 The same pleasure they have

 when they wake up from a nightmare."

~Alfred Hitchcock

We are getting close to Halloween. My favorite holiday! Certainly my favorite holiday of autumn! I love decorating, I love getting the candy ready for the kids. I love picking out costumes with Alan. And I love creating special graphics with original photographs! The photograph above is one I can't take credit for, it's Alan's. I took one similar last year, but he managed one from a slightly different angle, and it's gorgeous, so I thought it would be fun to post one from my talented hubby!

Our vacation officially began last Thursday, which was our 26th wedding anniversary! We went out to lunch, which was awesome, and then we caught a free showing of one of our favorite movies, Halloween. I told you a little about it last week, but I want to show you a few of the photos I didn't include with that post! 

Orinda Photos

Vacation 2016

I just love how creative places

 get with their Halloween celebrations!

Leaf Of The Day

October 22nd 2016

Mood: Happy/Inspired

~Me :) 

Blessings Be On This House

"Blessings be on this house", Granny said, perfunctorily. It was always a good opening remark for a witch. It concentrated people's minds on what other things might be on this house."

~Terry Pratchett

Witches Abroad

Isn't she lovely? That stylish little witch is my very first bit of Halloween decoration for the house this year! She came yesterday, in a box from Amazon.com. I kinda dig her pearls, and that cute purple dress. She has a mind of her own. She's shy. She absolutely refuses to face the neighborhood, favoring instead to fly repeatedly into the kitchen window. LOL. A good witch does have a mind of her own methinks. She makes us smile anyway, and so whatever she says goes. No since pissing off a witch this close to Halloween... right?

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Leaf Of The Day

October 4th, 2015

Mood Happy

~Me :)

Latkes And Pine Trees

"Santa Claus has nothing to do with it," the latke said.

 "Christmas and Hanukkah are completely different things."

"But different things can often blend together," said the pine tree. 

"Let me tell you a funny story about pagan rituals."

~Lemony Snicket

The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story

This holiday season is fine, but everything surrounding it has been a little bit strange. Do you feel it too? I mean there is the usual stupidity... mass shootings, flaky family fights making the news, weather incidents, because for some odd reason people tend to forget what rain and snow are, and then there is the special kind of stupidity of politics... 

stupidity which usually comes with raisins on top whether you order raisins or not.

I expect stupid. Stupid has been a part of the American fabric for some time now, but I think 2014 has been a special kind of... WHAT THE FRESH HELL IS THIS?... with one scenario after another. I plan to address that later, after Christmas, for now I am concentrating on the most disturbing part of this holiday season... the lack of the heart of things. The decorations, the smiles on peoples faces, I even find myself missing the Christmas music playing in the background, like a soundtrack, as I shop. Something is missing, and it isn't because any silly made up WAR ON CHRISTMAS, it's missing because we are all mourning common sense. Remember that thing? Common sense?

Oh well, with each word I type here, I am reminded that by complaining right now it means I am passing some of the bad feelings along, and doing that right before the holiday could get me nothing but a lump of coal on Christmas morning. So, in that same spirit that I find lacking all around me, I will move on for now, and embrace feelings less negative by sharing photos I took earlier this month. They're pretty, and they remind me of all the good of the season... well... any season for that matter... nature and the gifts of color and beauty. They were taken on days when I just felt like giving up. I wanted to just throw my hands up in the air and say... OKAY YOU WIN... NO holiday spirit will happen in this house!

Fortunately, as always, my camera helped me come to my senses.

 My common senses!

Like I said at the top of this post... This holiday season is fine. There's is plenty of time for ranting and raving, and make no mistake, I plan to, but for right now I think my attention is turned toward something more important. My attitude.

The Reason For The Season

Peace On Earth, Goodwill Towards Men.

And Women.

And Cats.

And...

:)

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)