Westridge Ward Halloween Party (for Jane)

These are pictures from our ward Halloween party last night. Most of these are random people, but I wanted Jane to see them seeing as how she had this entire event planned before she left for Boston. I never want to do another one of these events that Jane planned and I have to execute again, but people really had a good time, plus my chili won a prize.

I was so worried that we were going to run out of food, that I made a huge pot of chili that probably could have fed 40 people. All fresh ingredients, rotisserie-roasted meat, lots of cheese, bacon, four kinds of beans; it was great, but too much work. About four inches (20 servings?) were eaten and what was I going to do with four gallons of chili leftovers? We ended up putting it into about eight one-gallon ziplock bags and putting it in the church kitchen freezer where the Relief Society president could tell appropriate families to pick up a bag or two after church.

some of the ingredients for my chili (times two)

Late Sunday Afternoon Walk- and news

This afternoon I was feeling a bit of cabin fever, so Molly and I took a walk just before sundown hoping to see some autumn colors. This is the one picture that I took that was worth posting. It is taken at the edge of the bridge at Marcy Park near our house looking west.

On the news front, last week I was very busy at work; Arizona Monday and Tuesday, a career event downtown on Wednesday, a visit to Colorado State University - Pueblo on Thursday, and Friday a short day at work and then my Friday night "shift" at the Temple. Saturday was mostly chores around the house. It still hasn't been into the freezing temperatures yet, so there is still grass to mow (although it is growing more slowly now), leaves to rake, and some general winter prep. This week I am not traveling, although I do have two engagements tomorrow; one at Colorado School of Mines during the day and the other (an evening talk) and University of Colorado - Denver at their downtown campus. The rest of the week I get to catch up on e-mail, expense reports, and stuff that is much easier to do in the office than on the road. Yay!

Colors of Autumn

With Seth at BYU and Jane and I on the road a lot it has been difficult finding blog post themes to write about. With a bit of Autumn nip in the air I took a couple of pictures around the house; and when I down-loaded the pictures onto the computer I found a couple of pictures from our Labor Day weekend trip to Keystone and Breckenridge ski resorts.

Mom's first (and probably last) experience with a chair lift. They weren't running, but you could sit in them and they would gently rock. Very relaxing. They might make a nice backyard swing. The plaid jacket Molly is wearing was a close-out on a side-walk sale in Keystone that we paid $15 for.

This fox hat was on sale for about $300.

Even though the days and nights are getting cooler now, we haven't had frost yet and the yard is still looking pretty good. The marigolds and petunias went crazy this year, but the pansies didn't fare so well.

I'm still keeping up my wicked lawn skilz. I think I have the only privately-owned gas edger in Highlands Ranch.

The Virginia Creeper on the back fence has turned some beautiful colors.

The tomatoes this year were a big dud. Most were golf-ball size and we get a half-bowl per week.They are starting to look a bit ragged now that the temperatures are dropping. The first big frost will be their demise, but the warm days have held on a bit later than in prior years so we're still getting a few for sandwiches and salads.