"Running with the Shadows of the Night"

Our annual ghost tour in our neighborhood...With so many historic homes and buildings, there are lots of eerie tales to be told.  Chris told the story again this year about a real wedding disaster that happened in the community at the turn of the 20th century.  It seems that arsenic was mistaken for baking powder...so the wedding cake was lethal.  It poisoned over 35 guest including the bride's brother.  Some thought that the father of the bride was to blame.  Anyway, Chris was able to use some of his acting talent while entertaining about 450 guest to our ghostly and macabre tour. 

Believe it or not, the boys really like dressing up and touring with Joe, Joseph's dad.  Both were in agreement that Chris was the best of the group of storytellers.

Jewel and I took a break from the haunted side of the season.  We took the girls on Saturday morning to the Disney Store's "Halloween dress rehearsal."  Goodies and crafts awaited these two princesses and made for a fun morning.  Tori's costume minus the shoes was a purchase I made years ago before we brought her home.  I found it for a steal after Halloween that year.  We only had to buy the shoes, and I got a really good deal on those, too.  The best thing about the costume, though, is the fact that she loves it, and she will even wear the crown without me begging.  Score one for Mom!

Cute Mickey treat bags...I am using T's as a pattern for a later craft to share with other kids.

The real reason for my post title...Friday and Saturday nights we were" running with the shadows" on the ghost tour, but on Sunday night, Chris took me to see one of my favorite singers from my 80s days.  Yep, I rocked out to Pat B. in my pre-teen and  teen years...Singing in the hairbrush and all. 

She and her husband have been performing together for about 35 years.  He is one accomplished and talented musician.

And for Pat, let me tell you she still has the pipes!

As of last Monday, Chris was formally voted in by the Board as the President-elect of RSCC.  He takes office on Nov. 1, but Dr. Goff is handing things over to Chris a bit at a time right now.  Yesterday, marked one of my first duty days as the "first lady." (I still laugh every time I hear it or repeat it myself!)  I am sure several of you are wondering what the future holds for me.  Well, as of last Tuesday, I turned in my resignation as a high school English teacher after almost eighteen years.  My last day of teaching will be on December 21, the end of the semester.  It is a bittersweet time for me...While I love my students and my subject area, I won't miss all the evaluations and other "leeches" that literally suck the fun out of teaching and learning.  So when January comes, I will be volunteering at J's and T's schools, fulfilling my duties at RSCC, and helping out with my niece on some Fridays.  One day I wouldn't mind going back to work part-time, but right now I have been given such a blessing to be with my children at their schools.  You had better believe that I will be taking full advantage of it.  I really think that God has brought this our way, too because I really need to focus on my health and well-being much more than I do now.  March 2012 marks my 31st year of being a Type I diabetic.  Stress is a big factor with my glucose levels, and being a teacher and a mom mixed with everything else life brings...well, let's just say that any wear and tear on my body just increases my chances of all kinds of serious issues down the road.  AND I want to be around for as long as I can to see my children grow up and grow older with my sweet husband.

Well, let's just end this now before it becomes much too heavy!  We have another full week, but the glimmer of Fall break is on the horizon!  The kids and I are rejoicing in the fact that our break is next week!!!  Yes, yes, and yes!  We have a little getaway planned with J and T for the first part, and then we have some needed days at home planned for the second part.

I hope that your Fall days are just as pretty (although a bit nippy) as ours have been!