Oct 76 min read

Spooktacular

“October is crisp days and cool nights, a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book.” - John Sinor

Our October craft is Fall White Pumpkins!

Directions:

Purchase a pumpkin of any size or use an artificial pumpkin.

1. Mix equal parts white paint and water in a bowl.

2. Dip the tip of your brush in the watery paint and press the brush against the edge of the bowl to remove excess.

3. Paint the pumpkin in sections.

4. Paint 2 coats of pure white paint to completely cover the pumpkin.

5. Let the paint dry between coats.

You can paint the stem gold and stencil on a pattern. (Inexpensive stencils are available at the Dollar Tree for $1.25.) The other option is you can hand paint your own design. You can always just let the classy white pumpkin be the star of your décor this fall.

My BCD List:

I just finished listening to Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand. This story unfolds as our character, world renowned chef Deacon Thorpe has passed away. He leaves behind Laurel, Belinda and Scarlett. The three women who were married to Deacon and definitely avoid one another. However, with Deacon’s passing he also leaves behind a cottage on Nantucket. His wish is for the three of them to gather on the island to say their goodbye’s to Deacon and rasie a glass in his memory. The three along with Deacon’s best friend Buck begrudgingly come to the island to honor his wishes. As the three disembark to the cottage, they must decide who will get the master suite, the guest room and which wife will be forced to stay in the maid’s quarters? How will these three rivals stay in the same house and on the same island for the duration? There is also the drama of Deacon’s children. One by each wife who also descend upon the island. There will be secrets revealed, grudges brought to the table and loads of tears throughout. But the island holds so many special memories for the three how can they not only part with Deacon but their beloved cottage? This one folks is always a keeper. Give it a listen.

Joy by Danielle Steel. Our main character is Allegra Dixon whose mother leaves her at only six years old to live with her grandparents as her own father will not resume care for her. Her grandparents' home does not have any joy, so she retreats and finds her escape in books. She attends boarding school and meets Shep Williams, a West Point Cadet. They marry and both have careers, and all seems great until Shep is called to serve in Afghanistan. With each deployment he comes back a different man than the one she pledged to love. But she refuses to give up on finding her Joy! Let’s follow her lead and look for our own joy this October. How about it?

My DVD choices this month:

The Fabulous Four starring Bette Midler, Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally and Sherry Lee Ralph. This movie relvoves around four lifetime friends who travel to Key West Florida to celebrate their friend’s wedding. As senior citizens they begin to question their remaining years. They must look deep into their friendship, their loyalty to one another. All this and more comes out as they search for answers to decades long secrets and betrayals. This movie is not only hilarious but very thought provoking as they delve into various life decisions. Even though it’s so much fun to watch these fabulous four on screen, you will catch a tear falling down your cheek. Please check this one out.

Hannah Swensen mysteries by Hallmark. These movies star Allison Sweeney who plays Hannah, a professional baker who seems to have the knack for not only getting involved in local murder cases but ultimately helping to solve. She finds herself in the wrong place just too many times for it to be a coincidence. These movies are always full of lively characters and keep you guessing until the end when it is all wrapped up nice and neat. I just adore this series, and I hope you will enjoy watching. (PS, if you are a Days of Our Lives fan you know she played Samantha).

My Book Picks:

Bulletproof Barista by Cleo Coyle. Have you ever checked out these light mysteries? I think you should try one. This one is about a coffee shop called the Village Blend in New York. A production company wants film on location at the shop. Clare Cosi is our main character and owner of the coffee shop. She’s also something of an ametuer sleuth. As seemingly accidents start happening and a real bullet is fired from a gun how can she not try to investigate just what is afoot? But she may just end up getting in over her head with this one as a murderer lurks in the wings of the production. She continues to serve up her Bulletproof coffee along with many mouth watering recipes in this one. Give it a go. It’s a real treat and recipes are included in the book.

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin. This book explores the lives of 4 college students who bond at UVA. They are Summer, Tyson, Lainey and Hannah. They all have different goals for their future. Summer hopes to be a doctor. She’s also a runner who always pushes herself to be the best on the team. Tyson aspires to be a lawyer following in his father’s footsteps. Lainey has aspirations of being an actor and Hannah is kinda undecided. Possibly an interior designer or a furniture stager. The four are inseparable and have made it to their fourth year and ready for finals to graduate. Summer is the hardest on herself and is very concerned she won’t pass on of the hardest finals. She talks to Tyson about it who assures her she will ace it. She tries to call Hannah but Hannah is asleep and a little hungover. She sees that Summer has called and decides to wait and check with her later on. When Hannah tries to retun the call she can’t reach Summer so she decides to go to her apartment on campus. She knows the door is unlocked and lets herself in only to find her friend Summer has committed suicide. What follows this for the three left behind will break your heart. They all feel the sense of guilt that somehow they could hav prevented this if only… The remaining three make a summer pact to always be there for each other no matter what, no matter the day, hour time etc… After they graduate and move on to their respective lives Hannah has a crushing blow right before her approaching wedding day. She calls Lainey who calls Tyson and the two swoop in to do whatever it takes to make sure Hannah can get through this. They decide to forgo all they each have going on and take a trip to Capri a place they know Summer always dreamed of going. Will this trip heal these three left after all these years? Will they come to terms with something none of them can understand. How has it impacted all their lives? It’s a book like no other I have read. I absolutely can’t put it down. It’s so raw and gut wrenching but yet their story needs to be told. I only urge you to read this if you feel like walking into these waters. There are lots of hotlines for anyone who needs help in the front of the book before you even start to crack the page on chapter one. This one will stay with me as well as the characters.

So of course, after reading this one I am on a quest to read all her books and so far I have not been disappointed with any. Check out our website for her complete list. They are all keepers.

For my Nicholas Sparks fans, he has a new one. It’s called Counting Miracles. It’s on order but it’s coming people. I am trying to patiently wait for this one. His books are my other obsession. I see myself curled up with this one.

If these are not your cup of tea, remember that your library has oodles of Horror movies and scary books to keep your spine tingling this October.

Check out the Library’s Web site for new releases and best sellers.

Halloween is coming up so start filling up those big bowls with delicious treats for all the little witches and goblins heading your way.

A quick snack to put out this fall is a faux payday bar. Just mix candy corn with dry roasted peanuts. Eat together and you can’t tell the difference. So easy! It also makes a great gift. Just fill a small jelly jar with the mixture and tie on a cute ribbon.