Halloween All Things

October To-Do List

 And finally, time to Halloween all things.

Neighbor's Garage Door Decor.
Photo: V.E.V., Columbus, OH: 2025

The dead rise again.

Bats fly.

Terror strikes and screams echo, for tonight, it's Halloween.

Ghosts and goblins come out to play.

It's a night full of frights and a bag full of delights.

Door decor of  skeletons and lit pumpkin. Columbus, Ohio: September 15, 2023

Too cute to spook!

Left: Halloweens Past: First Grandson's Toothy Smile. Right: Guess Who This Is? Honolulu, Hawaii: 2017, 2022

Black cats growl and pumpkins gleam.

Left: First Granddaughter: "Put the treats in the bowl and nobody gets hurt." Honolulu, Hawaii: 2024

Right: Second Granddaughter and friend: "Smell our feet. Gimme some catnip treats or we'll pee on your feet." Columbus, Ohio: 2021

You know what they say...

You're never too old to trick or treat.

We don't need no body! Honolulu, Hawaii: 2023

Dino Trick-or-Treater: "Rawr! I've come for your soul. There is nothing you can... ooh, is that chocolate?"  Columbus, Ohio: 2022

Sticky fingers

Tired feet

One last house

Trick or Treat!

Have a spooktacular Halloween!

Go Leaf Peeping!

 October To-Do List

I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift. – Dodinsky

How best to do that?

By taking the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad excursion.

The restored vintage railcar is an operating diesel-electric and steam-powered excursion train between Akron, Ohio and the greater Cleveland area.

The air had a cool crispness to it as we drove toward the old Rockside Road.

But first, lunch.

Chimichangas, “lobster” taco, and to-go churros. Cozumel Mexican Restaurant, Independence, Ohio

A slight shower had started when we arrived at the Rockside depot which was our primary starting point for the trip.

Autumn rain, autumn wind.

Forty degrees outside. There was no gap in the clouds for the light to shine, but we stayed cozy inside.

Latrobe Inn

Time to savor the sight up close and personal.

The view didn't disappoint. Right off the bat, every leaf spoke bliss, fluttering from the autumn tree.

Japanese maples with stunning red, gold, bright green, orange, and yellow foliage dotted the landscape. Photo: V.E.V.

Leftmost: Profuse red, orange, and yellow trumpet-shaped flowers of the Esperanza vine lent a tropical ambience.

Left: Basswood yellow leaves contrasted with black branches.

Attractive bright green leaves and showy pink-purple berries of coralberry bush bordered the landscape.

I would love to live like a river flows,

carried by the surprise of its own unfolding. 

– John O’Donohue

 

The Cuyahoga River, whose name is believed to mean crooked river, wove through constantly refreshing and changing scenery.

Then, it all came to an end.

How best  to conclude a trip, but with homestyle comfort food.

Grilled tilapia and trout, apple streusel pie a la mode. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Sunbury

The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.

But now, to our favorite destination at the end of every trip – home.

Celebrate Aflak's VB End-Of-Season

 October To-Do List

Volleyball is life. Everything else is just details. – Anonymous

Aflak’s Gahanna East Lions Volleyball Team hustled.

Hit.

Never quit.

Together, they stood and made it into the Gold Bracket with a record of 12-3.

Then, made it to end of season. And that’s worth celebrating.

Girls just wanna have fun. Flanagan’s Pub. Blacklick, Ohio: October 21, 2025

Do I want BEER?

a) Yes

b) a 

c) b

Pizza is better eaten with friends.

Congrats, Aflak, on your hard work and dedication!

Thanks for believing in us, Coach!

Teamwork Makes The Dreamwork: 7th Gahanna Lions East Volleyball Team 

Today was good.

Today was fun.

Tomorrow is another one. - Dr. Seuss

Flaunt My Harry Styles-Inspired Cardigan

 October To-Do List

Leaf me alone, I'm feeling fall today. - Unknown

Do you know Harry Styles? This week, I'm featuring my hand-crocheted Harry Styles-inspired cardigan. 

Cute and colorful, this sweater taken from a British label Spring/Summer 2020 Menswear collection, had sparked a Tik Tok craze. At that time, like everyone else, I had been in lockdown because of Covid, but I resolved to make my isolation time productive by crocheting a replica of this checkerboard designed design.

YouTube was helpful.

You crochet 72 granny squares that are afterward laid out (see pattern, leftmost) and sewn together.

Many years later, my creation was finished at last.

What year is it?

 It’s fall, y’all.

Keep calm and stay cozy.

                                                   October 5, 2025

Decorate Beau's Home For Fall

 October To-Do List

How about adorning your pet's house/cage with fall-themed decor?

That's exactly what I've done for Beau Bean - my adopted, inherited-from-Second-Granddaughter gerbil.

Use red and yellow color ceramic dishes for his daily ration of frozen green peas, carrots, corn, lettuce, blueberry, bit of Brioche bread, and pumpkin seed.

Hang gourd on door. 

Atop, arrange a sprig of maple leaves and mini orange balls.

It is simple and rustic. Southern Living calls it "an easy wow."

Finally, add a wooden stand-up glow-in-the-dark Boo ghost. 

Right: Bobo eyes his favorite Queen of Greens Premium lavish sweet baby green lettuce.

So there! Chirp, chirp, purr.

Home is home, be it ever so humble.

Eat Tacos on National Taco Day

 October To-Do List

'Tis the season to be fall-y. - Unknown

The air gets a little crisper, the leaves go full-on fireworks, and you live in your favorite sweater-weather pullover. For sure, it's also the perfect excuse to jump into your fall to-do list.

Why not?

There's no shortage of ways to make the most of this magical month.

Let me share with you some of the things that I plan on doing.  

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I want someone to look at me the way I look at tacos. – Unknown

Celebrate National Taco Day. It rolls through on October 4.

I know it’s early, but I’m already thinking tacos. My head says, Take a morning walk, but my heart says, Tacos.

If you want homemade tacos, you only need to grab some tortillas and stuff them with savory fillings such as the traditional carne asada, cheese, tomato, lettuce and sour cream or with more exotic delights like fish and chorizo.

Or take advantage of the many freebies and value deals that abound.

Taco Bell is pulling out all the stops to make sure it’s top of mind for the occasion. The chain will offer $1 tacos throughout the day, as well as delivery deals. Also, starting at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, a limited number of customers will receive an exclusive National Taco Day T-shirt.

Starting at 11 a.m., it will offer Cantina Chicken Soft Tacos for $1 every other hour. At 7 p.m., 100 customers will receive $160 gift cards for a year’s worth of Taco Tuesday orders.

October 3 to 7, El Pollo Loco’s Loco Rewards members can get any three chicken tacos for just $5, offering a mix-and-match deal featuring the Chicken Taco al Carbon, Chicken Avocado Taco, and Shredded Chicken Taco.

7-Eleven is celebrating National Taco Day with BOGO lunch tacos and 2 for $5 El Gran Tocino Breakfast Tacos.

Just ahead of National Taco Day, Del Taco has released a new Del Dorado Chicken Menu, including Del Dorado Chicken Tacos, among other items.

Or head to Chuy’s on October 1 and October 4 for all-day taco and drink specials. Add a ground beef taco, crispy or soft, to any dine-in entrée purchase for just $1!

Have a taco costume laying around? Dress like a taco when you go, post your photo on social media with #ChuysTacoDay to get a free, dine-in entrée of your choice that day.

Navajo Taco Delight. Chile Verde: October 8, 2025

And how about a Navajo Taco (a personal favorite) - an authentic flatbread topped with jalapenos, black olives, pico de gallo, lettuce, cheese, and a signature sauce at Chile Verde?

Es muy delicioso!

What are we waiting for? Get a taco. Eat a taco. 

After all, life is like a a taco. 

Well, not really… I think I’m just hungry.