Day after Halloween.

We spent last night playing cards with neighbors J & J.... we have no idea if trick-or-treaters came by our house after we left, but I doubt it. No one rang the bell at J & J's house, so I doubt if anyone was down on our front porch waiting for treats. Actually, I had given out Halloween treats to one of the little girls down the hill..... she came by selling things for school last week, so I let her pick out some Halloween books and pencils for herself and her sister.

My cousin F in NY sent me an eMail telling me all about the costumes of the little kids who came to her door.... the best was a brother/sister pair dressed up as Salt & Pepper shakers. My husband and I wondered last night who was giving out candy and treats back at our old house in Clear Lake.

As our own quiet Halloween night came to a close, my husband said that we really have to plan a Halloween party for next year. Well, isn't that what we both said last year? Then we get to thinking about our Clear Lake parties.... then we say that a party here wouldn't be like a party there... and then we don't do it. We have to get that thought out of our heads--- the party will be different, with different people, but it will be a party just the same and we really need to do it. So you heard it here first..... next October, my Halloween party invitations are going out the first week of October, just like I used to do. No excuses next year.

We spent the day before Halloween looking at the insides and outsides of new refrigerators. Between two appliance stores, Lowe's and Home Depot, we saw so many refrigerators that they were beginning to look the same. So many gadgets in the doors of the new models..... computers, ice three ways, water two ways, the time, the date, a little TV. Doesn't anyone make just a fridge anymore?

We finally found the one we wanted.... this one is a Whirlpool... French door on top, freezer on the bottom. No gadgets in the door. Ice-maker and filter inside and that's it. They get you with those inside filters-- at least $30 for each one. You're paying for filters for as long as you have the fridge, bringing the cost of the fridge up to heaven-only-knows-what. (And they don't make the large-size refrigerators without those little filters.)

The Whirlpool was at Lowe's, which is where we bought this blasted Samsung (which has begun making those noises again-- a sure signal that ice is building up by the fan again). We spoke to Lowe's today.... they will bring the new fridge tomorrow, and take away the Samsung. We tried our best to get a GE, but the models without all the stuff in the door were either too small inside or too awkwardly set-up, or too something. We even found a fridge made by Electrolux (the vacuum company) that we nearly bought, but then decided that the inside of the Whirlpool was bigger and set-up in a more convenient way. (I would bet that the insides of these fridge models are not being designed by a woman.)

Along with Halloween and the new fridge came another blast of summer weather.... it's been warm, nearly hot, and not a drop of rain. All the ponds in the area are either dried up or nearly dried up, unless they're being fed by a water-pipe (most of which aren't). Everyone now has very attractive super-huge holes on their property rather than ponds. Oh well.... when it starts raining again, the ponds will be filling up.

I spent this morning taking down all the Halloween decorations. There isn't a pumpkin or black cat or a witch's hat in sight... everything is packed away till next year. By the end of this week, I will be taking out the Christmas decorations..... and out will come the Santas, the little trees, the angels, the holiday china. And out will come the party invitations....... we need to have a Christmas party this year. And no, there will not be a live band like we had in Clear Lake, and no, there will not be 50 or 60 people here..... it will be a much smaller party, but a party it will be. We've got to start somewhere.... and this big old house is just crying out to have a party going on inside of it.

In case anyone is interested..... just 54 days till Christmas. Jingle Bells.