Miss Dilemma (Vampire Princess) and her 'Wild Snow Wolf' prior to Trick-or-Treating...

So I have a few things going on here...all four of my Canon BP-511 Lithium-Ion batteries for my DSLRs are completely depleted. I knew it was coming - after hundreds of thousands of wedding pictures - well, they aren't designed to last forever, and I've been pushing them - recharging them overnight and then only getting three or four shots fired off before they died.

It's been rough; and I was upset that I finally had to resort to my camera phone to take actual 'Trick-or-Treat' photographs. So please bear with me until I can replace my batteries...and. become. whole. again.

It was brought to my attention that I have many international readers who may not completely grasp the concept of Trick-or-Treating so here is the jest of it, from a suburban and country viewpoint - I have no idea whatsoever how it works in larger cities...

Trick-or-Treat happens all over the country and the dates and times are usually determined by the smallest government in one's own area - be it a township, borough, district or city.

Radio stations, local television stations, newspapers, websites, schools, fire companies and government offices will all get the message out to everyone in the neighborhoods, and participation is completely voluntary.

1. the Trick-or-Treater who walks around the neighborhood, or
2. the Homeowner who sits out on the porch and passes out candy to all the little kiddos (and sometimes not-so-little), or
3. the Non-Participant who turns off all the lights in the house and hides in the basement.

Generally, the Trick-or-Treater walks around the neighborhood and says "Trick-or-Treat" upon approaching the Homeowner, who will usually gasp and exclaim, "Oh my! How scary!!!" and place a piece of candy in the youngster's bag. Scary as they may appear, my little monsters must reply with a friendly "Thank you!" or they have to go back again and say it! :o)

It's always fun to pass by the other kids and check out their costumes - like one big free parade!

Some Homeowners have as much fun as the children - getting dressed up themselves and decorating their whole houses - I've even seen some who make the kids go through a maze to get to them and then they really put on quite a scary show, complete with smoke, light and sound effects, character dummies and haunting music! There's really fun for everyone.

Unfortunately, some things about Trick-or-Treating are changing with the ever increasing paranoia of society. For example, our little town held it way before sundown which took away from the scare factor, and it was limited to only one hour (usually it's two). I've heard that other areas are forgoing it altogether.

It may be a dying tradition, though I certainly hope it is around for many years to come! It's as American as apple pie!

Feel free to add in the comments if I've forgotten anything! :o)

Mountain Man came home yesterday so that we could take the little ones 'Trick-or-Treating'. Since we missed it last year, it was of the utmost importance that we have a very scary and fun Halloween this year!

It's always nice when my husband arrives bearing gifts! This time he brought me two Chrysanthemum plants, and I'm going to have to say that burgundy mums are absolutely my number one favorite flower in the world, followed very closely by Hyacinths.

Miss Dilemma, the Chief, and the Little Guy diligently completed their schoolwork early yesterday, and at 3:00 PM, we began the transformation to a Vampire Princess, a bloody Scream, and a war-torn Gladiator.

At 5:00 PM we arrived in town...anxious to reap as many goodies as we could!

However, since our sleepy little town was the only one in the entire area that had Trick-or-Treat scheduled for Thursday night, only two days ago the powers that be feared an invasion from out-of-towners, you know, those sneaky people who want to Trick-or-Treat TWICE. So without even consulting ME, they changed the date to Saturday evening, when all the other towns are having their own Trick-or-Treat night! Problem solved.

Except that now we have to do this all over again!

In the grand scheme of things, while some aspects of life have been challenging lately, I really can't complain. After all, look at the view from my back windows! What a difference from the view I had only nine months ago! Every single time I glance outside I appreciate the miracle that life is.

I am reminded lately of the reasons we chose to live in the country - it was our dream to be isolated, to have privacy, and to be surrounded by nature in all her glory. We came here for peace, and we have found it here.

While the weather today is overcast and gray, it is a beautiful day nonetheless, like the one before it and as tomorrow will be. Waking to the soft pitter-patter of rain on the leaves begins a morning so tranquil, so cozy...honestly, it's been invaluable to my soul.

My husband has promised that when he comes home this weekend, we'll go out for a {Sunday Drive} and get some more photographs. Hopefully, we'll be able to get some pictures before the snow comes - we're actually supposed to get a light dusting Saturday evening! Just one of many things to look forward to! That's me - always looking forward - if I looked back very often I'm afraid I might be a cynical, brokenhearted woman. Of course, my husband thinks I should toughen up and be a bit wiser to the ways of the world, but I prefer to let it go. I just let it go...and anyway, that's why I fell in love with him - because he's tough enough for the both of us.

Moving on...

The children have all had their monthly school assessments and ALL are at or above grade level. The Little Guy just had his math and reading conference this morning and I was in stitches the entire time he was speaking with his teacher - she had to stop the tests several times to go crack up! The kid is a natural comedian and the joy in my heart! I am so glad we decided to school them at home - I love being with them more than I can say, and I know from experience that once they reach a certain age...well, you just never get that time back again. Also, the difference in 'the little ones' compared to their older sisters who attended public school is so vast - they're calmer, happier, more organized, always pleasant to be around, not as demanding or destructive...I'm giving a big A+ to homeschooling so far!!!

Counting down the hours until Mountain Man:o) comes home! (Because {HOME} is in the mountains!)

I hope everyone has a magnificent weekend!

In light of recent events, I would like to clarify that I when I referred to my husband as ‘Mountain Man’ in previous blog entries it was endearingly, and certainly not literally. My husband was raised the son of a diplomat, and he himself is a very charming, intelligent, and diplomatic man. I want to make certain that I haven’t given the wrong impression in regard to his character.  

          ...

Oh, September.

I knew that we were in for a bumpy ride; however I was in no way prepared for how difficult the month would be.

My husband started his job in the big city far, far away from us, and even though he stayed in Pennsylvania to shorten his commute, he spent more money on gasoline than he made in September.

Yes, you read that correctly; he spent more to get to work than he made.

Early in the month, Miss College settled into an apartment in her quaint college town two hours away, and she had to spend tons of money on the rent and security deposit, electricity deposit, water deposit, car title, registration, tags, insurance and inspection, AND she had to save money for her October rent since her income won't arrive until the middle of the month. An income, I might add, that is just enough for her.

The children and I vowed to be patient and supportive, and we stayed home alone with no car and no way to a grocery store, and only complained after eating lentil soup for three consecutive days.

I think September almost killed us.

I have always promised myself that I would keep this blog positive, and I don't mean to complain but come on. We're not loaded - we're just normal people, trying to make ends meet.

My husband drove a total of four to six hours every day to prove his determination and strong work ethic. He did it at a financial loss. He did it knowing that his family was suffering. He did it because I kept encouraging him to keep going, to stay strong for the long term. But mathematically and realistically, how long can a family survive on a negative income?  {Hint: NOT very long!}

Shouldn’t someone who wears a suit to work, who speaks bilingually and works efficiently, who has years of management experience, who represents an organization and a country get paid more than the guy who flips burgers at McDonald’s? It’s not as though we were expecting an unreasonable amount – we just anticipated that he would make enough to pay the bills, and buy a little food and clothing here and there. You know, the things people need to survive. The sad part is that my husband accepted the position on good faith, not knowing until a week after he started that he would be making so very little during the probationary period, and even that information he had to find out by his own investigation. No one wanted to tell him how much money he was making!

We waited anxiously to hear what his offer would be after the probationary period, but that subject also seemed taboo – even the length of the probationary period fluctuated uncertainly. To this day it’s still a mystery and I simply don’t understand all the secrecy.

September, I really didn't like you very much this year.

I’m so disappointed, so frustrated, yet still so hopeful; and I wonder, after September how is it even possible that I have an ounce of optimism?

The answer I keep telling myself is that I have always loved October more…

...and that means my husband is on his way home!!!

In his absence these past few weeks (which, I might add, is becoming increasingly tormenting!) I've had plenty of time to reminisce about the days we met, and last evening I actually had a few moments to jot down what happened next.

You asked for it! :o)

Long, Long Ago

(If you're new to 'Our Love Story' you can catch up here!)

Have a great weekend!