Halloween weekend

After a couple of days of snow flurries and cold temperatures, the weekend turned sunny and warm. The hunter's moon was nearly full. Jackson was a couple of days into his orange cast on his left arm. Rylee was busy coloring Halloween pictures. The weekend began with school parties on Friday and a fright when Jack tried to retrieve a paper pumpkin in the street in front of his school.

Friday evening we went over to Dorie and Pete's house to carve pumpkins. There was a huge spread of food in their kitchen. A neighbor of theirs came by and a couple of their friends. "Hocus Pocus" was on. The pumpkin carving took place in the garage, where Ry circled on a scooter around the tables covered with plastic for the pumpkins. Jack began removing the seeds from his pumpkin and after I cleaned Ry's out I helped Jack finish scraping his. The boys were anxious to carve their own pumpkin. Jackson had made a design for his at least a month before, and he brought his drawing with him to the party. They both drew their designs in marker on the pumpkins and proceeded to carve out the faces. Cyndi helped Ry; I helped Jack a bit. Don did his usual meticulous work. Brendan, Nicholas and Lauren, along with another friend, each did one, and at some point Pete carved a couple. When they were all done, candles were placed in each of them and lit and the houselights turned off to view the glowing pumpkin faces. Then they were judged by paper ballot. Jackson declared a rule that you could not vote for your own. I voted for Jack's; Cyndi voted for Ry's. Ry's tied for the most votes with three or four.

On Saturday, we did some errands and we put a stop to all the pre-trick-or-treating candy eating and other sweets, but not before we made some cinnamon buns. I tried to fix the dryer and while Cyndi took Rylee and Jackson to a birthday party I started the traditional potato soup and croutons. For a change, Halloween was at Elley and Don's. Their neighborhood was more promising for trick or treating, as each year in our neighborhood more and more houses were dark, declaring no one was there to answer the door. The cousins had decided that we should have a haunted house, so Don draped sheets and black plastic in the garage, along with strobe lights, eerie sounds and an amplified microphone, to create a maze that was foreboding to enter. We all contributed some things we had: stuffed witches and scarecrows, masks, and such. Ry contributed a plastic shield to put on the back door. The Sanchez Sisters all dressed up as witches, becoming the "Sanderson Sisters", and their friend Ann was there when we arrived, sitting on a bench by the front door, in a very scary, and very professional, witch's costume, complete with prosthetics and makeup, which she applied herself. Other friends and family arrived. Don and I took the kids around the streets, while Pete spooked the trick or treaters daring to enter the maze. There was lots of good food inside and the usual libations. Jackson ate some good food before the candy. The children did well and spread out their bounty on the floor and did a bit of trading. The boys asked permission before they ate any candy, but I never refused them that night. Thankfully, Cyndi hid the candy afterward and it may have been forgotten.

The clocks lost an hour that night so we woke up early. We made coffee, and the boys and I went to get breakfast burritos. On the spur of the moment we thought we'd go to Santa Fe, even go to the basilica for mass. We thought of taking the train, but the Sunday schedule for returning wouldn't bring us home until late. The bells were ringing as we drove by the plaza and La Fonda. We arrived for the noon service a few minutes late after finding a place to park. The closest door took us to the south transept, the right arm of the cross on the church's floorplan, so we did not sit in the central nave. The cathedral is beautiful with paintings, statuary, and stenciling. The choir was heavenly. The archbishop sat with his crook and high hat and was attended by many clergy and laity. There were bells and incense. The archbishop gave the sermon, tying the 400th anniversary of the founding of Santa Fe with All Saint's Day and all of the ancestors who were buried beneath the floor of the cathedral.

We drove along Paseo de Peralta and Marcy afterwards to our usual Santa Fe stops--Toyopolis and JCrew--and walked about the plaza. We always are a bit unsure where to eat near the plaza on Sundays. The Shed is closed. Pasqual's, named for the patron saint of cooks, is nearby and good for a hearty brunch. Other favorites are off the plaza. So we often end up at the Ore House. Marble Brewery, from Albuquerque, has opened a new place, upstairs, near the old Woolworth's and overlooking the plaza, but they only serve pizza. I try not to go to the Ore House, but it is always pleasant to sit on their terrace overlooking the plaza. We ordered amber ales, two shots of reposada tequilla, which they served in a tall glass on a plate with salt and lime wedges, cheese quesidilla, a side of beans, french fries, a hamburger and posole. We sat in the hot sun, trying to shield our eyes. We talked with the couple at the neighboring table from Colorado. Rylee played with his new jet transformer, and Jackson and I played checkers and chess with the new magnetic travel games we bought. Afterward, we stopped at the Plaza Bakery for kids' scoops of ice cream while Cyndi walked to The Sign of the Pampered Maiden. The boys each had chocolate with rainbow sprinkles. I had vanilla almond fudge.

We ambled around the plaza. The boys ran around the obelisk and climbed up the gazebo, where a man played a flute. As Jack says, there is always something special going on at the plaza. Jack bought a beaded zipper pull from a woman across from the portico where the jewelry and pots are sold. Behind the Palace of the Governors is a new addition to the history museum, so we took a peek. It turns out Sunday is free to residents. Jackson talked with the receptionist for several minutes about where he lived, and what schools they attended, and what they bought at the toy store and on the plaza, and how he beat his dad at chess the very first time he ever played, and how something special is always happening on the plaza, and then we walked through the first gallery, which gives a fast timeline from the Anasazi to Mabel Dodge Lujan and the Taos Art Colony (about late 1920s). From there we drove home. Ry fell asleep. There was a world series game that night. Yankees won, I learned later.

I had a nice conversation with Ariel. She was at a convention at M.I.T., something to do with biological engineering. She had a press pass, and was enjoying talking to people there. She was on a break when we talked, and later Terra would pick her up to stay with her and Karl. Ariel was in good spirits, and maybe the initial overwhelming work at NYU had settled a bit. She had a few good stories about meeting editors and other people through her program, and we talked about plans for Christmas, including time in both New Mexico and Alaska with Chris. I also talked with Mom & Dad, back from a couple of days staying along the coast near Capitola on a bluff.

This morning, after my alarm went off several times, I crawled into the bed with Ry and Jack. Poor Cyndi has been battling a vicious cold. I nestled beside Ry and draped an arm across him onto Jack's leg. Jack turned in his sleep to face Ry and the two continued to sleep within an inch of their breaths. Ry placed a hand softly on Jack's cheek and a few minutes later kicked off his own covers.