I am having technical difficulties - Please stand by...

Okay, I am having some issues with my posts.  Well, actually I am having issues with my videos. You see, when I create my videos on my Mac, they are perfect - the sound is great and the video is crystal clear. However, once I publish them, they get rough and grainy.  So, I am working on a better way to post the videos.  I tried using the Blogger video upload, but after an hour of it supposedly "uploading," I gave up. So, if anyone has any advice, let me know.

Oh, and I apologize for the links to additional videos at the end.  It's a YouTube thing.  I normally turn that feature off because, well, it's stupid.  But for some reason the YouTube site is hassling me this evening and it keeps showing up at the end of the video.  I WILL get this figured out... just bear with me...

Pumpkin Patches and Hay Mazes

So, it's that time of year again - pumpkin patches and hay mazes.  It's no secret to those of you who know me that I love fall - more specifically, I love Halloween.  But since the world has shifted from when I was a kid, and people are so concerned about political correctness, there are few, if any, school Halloween carnivals anymore. They have been replaced with cheerful, and in no way spooky, pumpkin patches and the occasional hay maze.  Sure, every now and then you will find a "fall festival" some where that reminds you of those good 'ole carnivals, but they just aren't the same.  

I never missed a school Halloween carnival.  I'm serious.  The costume contests, the game booths, the haunted houses... THE FOOD!  I could have cared less about trick-or-treating.  It was the carnival I got excited about.  I don't know why they quit having them.  I was under the impression that they were actually pretty good fundraisers for the schools.  But, for what ever reason, they are gone.  My son will never know how much fun those were.  sniff sniff....

So, Ben gets to experience pumpkin patches and hay mazes.  We never pass one by without stopping.  It's a thing with me.  There is something about that sea of orange that lures me in.  I love pumpkins.  Did I mention that already?

While we were in Dallas this past weekend, we noticed a Pumpkin Patch on the way to Granny Weez and PawPaw's.  So, we took Granny Weez with us and visited the pumpkins.  It was great.  Ben got through the hay maze and we actually got a decent photo of Ben with the pumpkins. (On a side note - trying to get photos of Benjamin is like herding cats.  It's frustrating.  It's impossible.  But somehow we manage every year to get a great photo.  So, I guess it's worth it.) 

Ben decided he wanted to throw a tantrum and refused to do anything we asked him.  I was pretty much fed up with trying to control him, Jason was picking out the perfect gourd and Granny Weez was trying to buy Peppered Pickles.  (Yeah, I know - weird.  But trust me - those pickles were fabulous!)  I lost track of Ben for maybe 2 minutes and when I went to look for him, I found him chatting it up with this pretty girl and getting his face painted.  He always manages to find the pretty girls and flirt with them.  He's gonna be trouble.

I did manage to get a few minutes of video from our visit.  

And you know, that face painting of his lasted a full day on his little cheek.  Maybe there's hope for him yet.  Maybe...

Prankin' the Neighbors

We have way too much free time here at the Scarpace house.  

Our awesome neighbors and great friends, Tony and Ligia, have the unfortunate luck of living across the street from us.  Today when we came home from running errands, we noticed that the recycling truck had left one of Tony's bags with a notice on it saying they were not able to recycle the material he had put in the bag.  We both started laughing about how he was "denied" by the recycling crew.  Since we know Tony and Ligia are good sports, we decided to have a little fun at their expense.  We printed out a huge "D-NIDE" tag (we thought it was funny to spell it phonetically) and then stuck 30 "D-NIDE" stickers (address labels) all over the bag. Our other neighbor, Mario, watched the whole thing.  I know he thinks we are insane, or weird, or both.  

After we get the bag decorated, we run back to our house and wait, flip camera in-hand, for Tony to drive up and see our little surprise.  Okay, so it's probably not "Punked" material, but we had a good laugh.  And we totally expect Tony to retaliate.

Gettin' My Blog On...

I have several bad habits.  One of which is that I record about a million television shows and movies on our DVR, and I never get around to watching all of them.  The worst part is, if my poor husband tries to record something, and he doesn't watch it immediately, I will erase it to make room for my shows - which, I don't watch.  He'll ask "hey, didn't I record blah blah blah?" And I'll say "oh, I think there was a recording error."  (Just so you know, I actually do feel bad for being straight out dishonest with my husband.  It doesn't stop me from doing it - but I do feel bad about it...)

So, one of the shows I record on a daily basis is The Martha Stewart Show.  I love Martha.  I have always loved Martha.  And don't get me started about her time in prison... but what I will say about that whole ridiculous fiasco is that Martha came out of it a changed woman.  She seemed softer and a little more "human."  Not to mention, she suddenly seemed to develop this incredible sense of humor.  Seriously.  She actually made me laugh out loud a few times.  So, I love Martha.  There, I said it.

So, while Jason was out working on his mural downtown today and Ben was taking a nap, I sat down and watched a couple of episodes I had recorded.  They were more than two weeks old, but I was happy I actually watched something I had recorded.  One of the episodes I watched was about blogging.  I thought it was a great show.  She had different types of bloggers on, including food bloggers, political bloggers, gardening bloggers, and yes, even Perez Hilton was on her show.  (Just a side note here.... earlier this year, I overcame an incredible addiction to celebrity gossip sites, namely Perez Hilton's.)  I love blogs - there are about a million I come across every day that I would love to read - if I had time.  I do keep up with a few on a daily basis, which when I get more time I totally intend to put on here.  

The show's guests gave some great advice on starting a blog, what to blog about and all that kind of groovy, helpful stuff.  One of the main points they made was to be sure to blog about something specific.  I don't intend to follow that advice - but I still thought it was a great tip.  There is just too much I experience and too many things I am interested in to just pick one to blog about.  Well, okay then, I guess you could say my specific blog subject is ME.  That works.  I guess.

A few months back, before our crazy summer started, I sat down and made a list of things I wanted to blog about.  (What's funny is that I can't seem to find that list now.  I do remember one of the topics I had on my list was, oddly enough, "lists."  I guess I'll need to make a new list now.  So, I have just added "make new blog list" on  my "list of things to do" for this week.)  I appreciate the outlet blogging gives me.  It's fun.  If you haven't started your own blog, I highly recommend it.  And send me a link - I would love to read what you have to say.  :)

Schedules...

Lucky me - I think have caught a stomach bug.  Ugh.  The good news is that I have the most awesome husband E-V-E-R and he let me rest all day while he watched our three-year-old.  He even made me soup and brought it to me in bed.  Awww.  :)

So, as I have laid in bed all day I have come to realize something.  We need a family schedule.  It was easier when my husband, Jason, was working as a school teacher.  We got up early, got him to work and my son and I had our little routine during the day until Jason came home.  Then it was dinner, a little TV, and then bed.  But now that Jason works from home in the studio, it's a little more tricky.  We don't have to be up at a specific time, so we end up going to bed whenever we feel like it.  Which is usually ridiculously late.  We are lucky if we happen to sneak  in a nap time for our son - which means his schedule is off, too.  So, I think this weekend we need to have a family meeting regarding our schedules... well, actually our lack of any schedule at all really.  We also need to work on getting this house organized, but trust me, that is a WHOLE other topic.  A long, cluttered topic.  Honestly.

"Change"

"Change" has become quite the buzzword lately... 

Monday was officially the first day of fall.  I love fall.  I am not a warm weather person, and living in Texas near the Gulf is just about torture for me during the summer months.  I am always so excited when fall comes around.  Even though the weather doesn't really start to get cool until mid-November here, at least I know it's coming.  It will be here soon.  EXCITING!  Change is definitely in the air.

Despite the tragic start to our summer, our family has had some incredible experiences and adventures these past three months.  Benjamin flew on a plane for the first time (which, to be honest, I was completely dreading... but he proved my worries to be totally unfounded - he was fantastic from take-off to landing).  We traveled into Canada and visited Niagara Falls.  It was magical.  Nature is awesome.  Just recently, my husband - a long-time Yankees fan - got to see one last game in Yankee Stadium (he also worked in a Mets game while he was there.)  We survived a hurricane and our city was host to some 3,500 evacuees.  Aside from gas and grocery shortages, we were so lucky.  

Changes are taking place in our home as well.  My husband went from being a full-time elementary teacher to a full-time artist.  A few days ago, we traded in our car for an SUV - we needed the room and our car was starting to have issues.  I am still getting used to the size - curbs are particularly tricky for me. 

I have decided to spend more time with my blog, explore new hobbies and find things that interest me.  I always loved my photography classes and I think with a little practice, I could actually be good.  Not like "open my own photography business" good, but more like "wow, you take fantastic family photos" good.  My husband bought me a MacBook Air with some sweet movie and photo editing software - so I plan to learn how to use all of it and get my creative, photo-taking vibe on.

We had a great summer.  We are excited about fall and all the changes it will bring.

Change... I'm ready.

...and life goes on...

About a month ago, we learned that both of my in-laws had passed away, in their home, together. There are no words to describe that kind of shock. We were all stunned. They both had serious health concerns, and they were both suffering with debilitating diseases. I guess in some way, we had all prepared for the inevitable - the day we would learn that one of them had died. But none of us were prepared to hear that they were both dead. We are all sad - we miss them both very much.

My in-laws, Carolyn and Gerald, were two of the most unique people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I will always remember Gerry's incredible sense of humor and quick wit, and I will never forget Carolyn's love for nature and animals. There is something quite spectacular about a woman who preferred a beautiful rock or unusual leaf to any fancy jewelry or expensive pair of shoes. And I will forever keep in my mind the time Gerry used the phrase "ghetto fabulous" - correctly - and meant it. Those memories are priceless. Carolyn and Gerry are irreplaceable.

Now Ben and I look up to the sky and he asks me which cloud Nana and Grandpa are sitting on. "That one, right there...."

And life goes on...