Ellipsis Movie Of The Week... Halloween (1978)

 

"You know, it's Halloween. I guess everyone deserves one good scare, huh?"

~Sheriff Leigh Bracket (Charles Cyphers)

Halloween

Disclaimer: I LOVE Halloween, and I LOVE the Halloween movies, well, most of them anyway! Let's start all the way back at the original, 1978's, Halloween. The wonderfully low budget slasher film, about an escaped mental patient with a mission to continue inflict his murderous rage on the fine folk of Haddonfield, Illinois. It's a slasher film, true enough, but it's a lot more than that, it's a film about survival! Laurie Strode is my favorite of the "final girls" because she was right around my age when the movie came out. She was a babysitter, and so was I. But she had resilience, something I desperately needed to learn. Laurie, as late as 2022, in, Halloween Ends, has taught me to get back up and keep going. Everything she says about Michael Myers, and evil in general, is 100% true. And I have used all her lessons over the years to face my very own Michael Myers. So yes, in that Halloween is just four days away, it seems like the perfect film for the movie of the week choice! Be sure to catch the newest installments in the Halloween series, Halloween,  Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends.

I'm such a nerd about these things!

And now, a little music!

Ellipsis Weekend Cooking... Graveyard Cake

 

Southern Living - Graveyard Cake - Recipe

"Halloween is what you bake of it."

~Unknown

How cute is that cake? I love it, and I have to bake it!

Now, I know this is usually all about the cooking, but I want to add something else to the mix. As you may or may not have noticed, I have been posting only a couple days a week. The thing is... I need to take it easy for the next couple weeks. The election is getting to me, and October is getting to me, my health is getting to me more than I wish it was, and as if all that isn't quite enough, Joey has been a little under the weather. He's been losing weight. We already took him to see Dr. B. and we are going to watch his weight for a couple weeks, and then go from there. It's all just a lot right now. So, I chose my two favorite days of the week for my blog, Saturdays and Tuesdays, and I've decided to focus on them. What, me, give up my eternal search for the best recipes? And me, give up on movies? Nope, not at any price! So, for the next few weeks, I will only be posting a couple days a week. Don't give up on me, I will be back in full bloggy glory soon. Until then, enjoy!

Bone Appetite!

Ellipsis Movie Of The Week... Arachnophobia

 

"It's spider season. Every year, right about now, thousands of the godless eight-legged bastards emerge from the bowels of hell (or the garden, whichever nearest) with the sole intention of tormenting humankind."

~Charlie Brooker

Are you afraid of spiders? YIKES... I am! It's called, Arachnophobia! I know they are good for the planet, and I have been bitten by more of the other creatures roaming around, but damn, it's a lifelong fear and I just haven't ever been able to move on from it! I have no idea when it began, but there it is, so let me tell you, it took a lot for me to watch this movie, for more reason than one. You see, Arachnophobia was filmed in the small coastal hamlet of Cambria, California, one of my favorite places on earth! The town is kinda famous with the coastal dwellers, for being the home of many a spider, especially the jumping spider! Finding that out made me hypervigilant about who was joining me on my tuffet! I haven't visited Cambria in years, not because of the spiders, mostly it was a matter of time, or finances, or the fact that we moved to Stockton, but I know if I am ever lucky enough to visit there again one day, I will be on watch, but so very happy to be there! Anyway, watch the movie. It's a bit creepy crawly, but it shows off the very best of Cambria, it has heart, and there are some genuinely funny moments that will remind you that phobias are, for the most part, big fat creepy liars! Personally, I think it's one of the best movies of the 90's, at least for the horror movie genre. So go have some fun! 

From the movie

Summer Wind

By Frank Sinatra

Black Cats Rule!

 

"Cats never strike a pose that isn't photogenic."

~Lillian Jackson Braun

My Tyler. I love him so much.

 He has climbed into my soul, and made himself at home.

Black cats rule!

Autumn Leaves Of The Day #19 And #20

 

"Fallen leaves of gold,

they quietly wither,

Only a touch of comfort remains in the branches."

~Sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann

The leaf you see above is a repeat. Well, I should say, it's not a repeat from this year, it's a repeat from a previous year, which is being used as a placeholder, for a leaf that I will replace it with soon. You see, there aren't many leaves to be found that aren't the same as I have already posted, or hopelessly withered on the ground, torn to pieces. It has been a dry, hot year, so unfortunately it might be a lot further into autumn, before I find any real color. I am not worried. I know I will find some in Sacramento, and some in the East Bay, it's just a matter of time until I get there. Until then, today's leaf is new, but Saturday's wasn't. I don't know, perhaps it's time to hang up this project, we'll see. 

Today's Autumn Leaf...

I know there's more to come.

Ellipsis Weekend Cooking... Halloween #2

 

Mac-O-Lantern and Cheese Bowls - Food Network - Recipe

"Halloween can never be a negative, it celebrates the imagination. Everyone is smiling, you see more of your community and neighbors than any other time, it makes people believe, young and old, that the world might be a kind, friendly, and helpful place on their journey."

~Stewart Stafford

Aren't those peppers just the cutest little things? Fun as an appetizer or for your little ones for lunch, in the days leading up to every kids favorite holiday... Halloween! I never grew up, I am still such a nerd for Halloween, so much so that I should go trick-or-treating as a box of Nerds! Anyhoo, Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I plan to make my famous Macaroni and Cheese, and put it in these cute peppers! I just need some fun, I am a good bit stressed out, have been since I got sick a few weeks back, and not helping my mood is... well... you know who. So, I am embracing the silly, and delicious! Election day is coming, and the stress is only going to get worse, but thank God, there's food, and creativity to see us through!

Here is a wonderful article from New York Times Cooking, about how to make an amazing Mac and Cheese. It includes tips and a video. Just perfect for those cute little pepper tureens!

New York Times Cooking

Bone Appetite

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #18

 

"If a year was tucked inside a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour."

~Victoria Erickson

I took this photo right at the end of summer, just before autumn officially began. The leaves fell from the trees as a whisper and wink to summers end. Something truly magical happens, when the autumn light intrudes on the last breath of summer, and summer only smiles.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #16

 

"I love the trees until their leaves fall off, then 

encourage them to begin again next year."

~Chad Sugg

Ellipsis Movie Of The Week... An American Werewolf In London

 

"Have you ever talked to a corpse? It's boring."

~Jack ( Griffin Dunne )

An American Werewolf In London

I hadn't seen this movie in probably 30 years, and then there it was, right there on Prime! So, being that this is the season of monsters, real or imagined, I decided to watch it. To my surprise, it was better than I remembered it being! Corny in parts, but also compelling. As werewolf movies go, this is a pretty good one to sink your teeth into. Yes, I know, corny! But that's just the monster in me, this time of year!

Go... shoo... go watch it while it's still available! Now, enjoy this refreshing commercial from way back in the 1970, featuring, David Naughton, singing the Dr. Pepper song. Can you believe it's the same guy from the movie!? Sorry the quality isn't great, but it's cool all the same. And a nice memory of one of the greatest commercials from back in the day!

Enjoy!

Autumn leaf Of The Day #14

 

"I think seasons complete me

 for once autumn comes

I can freely fall with every leaf

I do not have to bloom

yet I must die

in every delicate line of October"

~Laura Chouette

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #13

 

"There is a subtle magic in the falling of old leaves."
~Avijeet Das

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #12

 

"How beautifully autumn leaves grow old. 

How full of light and color are their last days."

~John Burroughs

American Naturalist

Ellipsis Weekend Cooking... Halloween Part #1 Pumpkin Soup

 

Pumpkin soup - The Pioneer Woman - Recipe

"It's all just a bunch of hocus pocus."

~Max

Hocus Pocus

Hey, a ghoul's gotta eat. That being said, I am just fine with making this month, October, all about Halloween eats. Starting up... Pumpkin soup, one of my favorites! I love, love love to make soup. It's so easy to make something truly decadent, and of course soups are so versatile, both in ingredients, and time of day served! So, pumpkin soup seems like the best bet for the busy days of autumn! And to go with it, how about some wonderful, Golden Pumpkin Dinner Rolls, from, King Arthur Flour? Goodness, my mouth is watering! I must go eat now!

Bone appetite 

Golden Pumpkin Dinner Rolls - King Arthur Flour - Recipe

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #11

 

"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower."

~Albert Camus

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #7

 

"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall."

~Oscar Wilde

Summer is still doing it's fair share of collapsing. We are still experiencing hot days, but we are having gentle evenings, where the temperature drops into sweater weather. But I am not complaining, I am actually grateful that we still have some dry weather to enjoy. This year's, El Nino, is promising to be quite the gusher. Lots and lots of rainy weather is due to hit northern California in late October, or early November. The state is already planning for it, Governor Newsom has declared a State of Emergency to get out ahead of what might be coming. So, I am trying to hope for the best, because if the worst happens, getting adorable shots like this one, which Hubby helped me with, or any autumn leaf shots for that matter, could be very difficult. I am just going to deal with it when it gets here.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #80

 

"Come O' winter knock on my door,

Make me fall in love once more,

Look what autumn did to me,

Made my soul like wilted flower."

~Neymat Kahn

The Autumn's Loon

 

"Be the autumn stalwart, and colorful, amenable to change, 

the grateful breath that greets each day."

~Unknown

We took a day off from all the drama, and went to Bodega Bay! You know how much I love making the long trip to find the birdies that have arrived along the Pacific Flyway. Yesterday gave us four new birds. The Common Loon wasn't one of them, as I photographed one last October, but they are visitors in the bay each year, then they migrate back to the north, in the Aleutian Islands. Their call is absolutely haunting, I will never forget hearing it for the first time! Sometime, I'd like to stay in Bodega Bay for a few days, just to hear their call!

"The loon's call is haunting and wild, an ancient trill that's part honor song, and part warning. I've never met anyone who didn't fall quiet upon hearing it. We are all susceptible to that common magic."

~Richard Wagamese

Oh To Be A Bird In Autumn

 

Oh to be a bird in autumn

Tucked within a rosy tree

While crisp October winds sweep by

To twine about the fallen leaves

To catch a gust and take to soaring

Out above a glistening Fall

And not to miss a single thing

Be see and hear and feel it all

~Laura Jaworski

I know I have been sharing a lot of birds lately, but with the Pacific Flyway open, they are everywhere, old friends and new friends alike. All birds are fascinating, so that makes birding more than just a past time, it is my way of life. For the next few weeks, it's all about the birds and leaves. Oh, and cooking. Thanksgiving is just a couple days away! Yike... wasn't it just Halloween?

Autumn's Pavements

"You make an autumn mist taste like champagne

and turn winter rain into the elixir of life itself."

~Sanober Kahn

I just love walking, or rather wheeling around,

 in my wheelchair, in autumn.