Roo's Treehouse

Blog Love, Part I... (It's Good To Be Queen!)

Hi Twinklestars! Is my crown on straight? Whew! The whirlwind days of fall are here-we've had a tropical storm whatsis, Halloween (and parties galore), and Day of the Dead.  Now I'm writing a novel (for real!),  working like crazy at work, plus at work and at home there are festivities to plan, families to adopt, gift lists and purchases and wrapping to start, and holiday decorating to revel in! Oh...and a little thing called Thanksgiving! And that is why I feel justified in wearing my Queen of Everything Award Crown, hee hee! 

But even when the world takes over my 24 hours and I just cant seem to make it to the PC to say hey, you all still love me! Yes, it's true! So much, that you even give me *multiple* AWARDS!!!  (How beautiful are ya'll, I ask?) These 1st two awards are from gorgeous Deborah over at Midlife Poet , who just happens to be the proud Mommy Goddess of some of my favorite thing-er, people, um--ok, well, first there's  Milo:

(Picture of Milo stolen from Deb's blog, stolen from my blog, although I stole-so er, um.)

and Alice! Naughty, Wicked Alice. And Bad, Bad Alice. Very Cool this one!

And let's give a shout out to SPC Ryan on Veteran's Day-Hip Hip Hoorah!  Congratulations on your well deserved promotion! We are proud of you, and appreciate you, and are humbled by your commitment and support and protective soul ! God Bless You!

Like Deborah, I am awarding any of you who are reading my blog with the "Queen of All Things" and "Circle of Friends" awards, because chances are, you're a multi-tasker can do magic elf who sprinkles word love like butterfly kisses while baking cupcakes and whipping up stupendous crafts or other creative sensations and posting gorgeous pictures and generally making me laugh or cry or my heart swell with love and happiness! :-)

(Aw, take the beam of sunlight too, okay? )

This next bit o' love was given to me by the Lovely and Delicious and often hilarious fellow Floridian Alix over at Casa Hice, where every day's a party (and there's a crazy guy named Garret-read the comments on her posts, too, they are wicked!)

I think I'm to share/reveal ten honest things about me:

1. I secretly fear Dr. Phil.

2. In the "hey, that's a bad combination" department, I'm a germaphobe who works for the Department of Health. 

3. In a truly painfully honest bit of scrappy news,I am not crafty. I have drawers and shelves and jars devoted to the art of craftiness, but when it comes right down to it, I'm still in the crayon and Elmer's glue stage.

4. However, I do honestly believe there's a book or two inside of me patiently waiting to get out.

5. Ok, there's a fine line between honesty and secrets right? But I'll tell you, anyway-sometimes, in the shower, I give my Pulitzer Prize acceptance speech.

6. Well, and then there's the interview with Oprah, too.

7.I get the giggles at the most inappropriate times-meeting the Governor, presenting on a conference call, during a funeral....

8. I love old movies, especially black and whites, because I love the suspense and glamour and intrigue..oh those houses, the decor, the loveliness of shimmering silk! I can quote line after line from alot of these films, but the majority of today's movies I've forgotten before the credits are done rolling.

9. I'm a really bad vegetarian. Mostly because I eat meat. Not red meat ever. No pork. And not alot mind you, but turkeys, well. Sometimes they just must be eaten.

10. My house is a messy messy mess 75% of the time. SORRY MARTHA!

So now I pick seven peeps to bestow this honor upon. If I pick you and you don't do awards, s'alright, just let me know, and I'll make you "honorary" okay? I'm trying to pick peeps that I don't think have received this award (or at least, it's not on the sidebar or not listed under "awards" for categories on their blog), so we can get some good dirt-I mean, learn more about them:

1. Deborah at Midlife Poet

2. Cori G at Gingerbread Crumbs and Company

3. Jamie at A Forest Frolic 

4. Maggi at Just Add Glitter and Stir 

5. Laura at Rhinestone Armadillo

6. LuLu at Coastal Sisters News

7. Karen Jasper and Emily Rabbit at OPTIONS Associates

Of course the esteemed incredibly wonderful surely magical super chica Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist  is a Lifetime Awardee of Any Award Ever Given, so I think we'll just wave to her from over here ~~~~,so we don't disturb her, because she's doing something I can hardly stand to wait for any longer-she's sending more Weelings out into the World! Yippeee!

So thanks to Deborah and Alix and everyone who continue to make my day (even when I'm stalking your blog!)

♥♥♥♥

More awards to come soooonnnnn!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXOX Rhonda Roo

Dia De Bloglandia

Hola Twinklestars! Welcome to the celebration of life that once was, and yet, continues to be, via El Dia De Los Muertos, or, as it is commonly known, the Day of the Dead.

The focus is on gathering family and friends to pray for and remember those who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd coinciding with the Catholic holiday of All Saint's Day on November 1st  and All Soul's Day on November 2nd.

Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. However, there are many variations on the skulls, and even the ofrendas; during Dia De Bloglandia, our lovely hostess Stephanie RodRigvitz forgives us if we don't stick with tradition as much...and it's perfectly okay to take creative license to bring your own vision to fruition...

Grandma Imogene and Grandpa Andy were teens when they got married, and were the epitome of romance (diamonds were Grandpa's favorite gift to Grandma) and remained so until Grandpa's passing at age 73. Grandma was heartbroken, even after her own ya-ya sistergirls took her away to Paris....she passed away three years later, at age 73, to follow her true love....

My grandfather on my mom's side, Fred, was a preacher man-the cross is for him, as is the typewriter, as he was quite fond of surfing the world wide web. He had the best sense of humor, a quick wit and a fun and thoughtful, compassionate and kind human being...and of course you know Frida, painted by the lovely Ms. Valencia. I like to think that these 2 great minds, Grandpa Fred and Frida, found each other in the after world, and had many conversations about art and life...

My Stepfather Jimmy was a fisherman, a poet, and a philosopher.......you could talk about God or politics or Andy Griffith, all while eating the delicious redfish dip he'd make. Or turkey noodle soup, day after Thanksgiving...He was there for you whenever you needed him.

I never met Cowboy's dad, but i feel like I know him. It is he who taught Cowboy to love the land, and grow things in what seems like clay. And to work with his hands, and hammer and nails and wood.....

...and Cowboy's mother, aptly named Jewel, just passed this spring. She had strong faith, and was a poet. She also loved the home shopping network ☺. She believed in ghosts, and I wonder if she might say hello in the next few days...

(I got this lovely shrine from Tristan at Enchanted Revelry, I just loved it the minute I saw it.)

Please join Stephanie's party, and celebrate the people in your life who continue to bring meaning and love into your heart, even if they have passed on.

Happy Day of the Dead!

Boo 2 U From Roo!

Happy Halloween Spooklepeeps! 

(Cupcake love 4 U from me)

Hope your Halloween is full of treats ...

(Blue sky ghosty love from powers that be...)

....and treats

(Crown luv from Melissa the Holiday Queen  4 lil ole me!)

and treats ....

(which Hedwig quickly decided was hers)

...and treats

(orange punkin love! Need I say more?)

...and uh, very few tricks. 

(Trickery courtesy of the Lost Boys...sigh)

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! XOXOXOX

Tractors and Witches and Pumpkins...

Boo! Helllooooo Twinklestars! Glad you could come! 

Isn't this fountain fun, bubbling orange and brimming with red (muhahaha!)? It can only mean one thing-it's time for Havana's Fabulous Fall Pumpkin Fest!

Ooooh let's go on the hayride! Cowboy will swoon over the tractor while we enjoy cider and sing spooky songs...

...in the comfort of a moving hay bale sectional! 

Look at the lovely Halloween displays.....

and the creepy ones, too! (I took the picture and I still don't know what that is in Mr. Bones' mouth!)

EEEK! It must be a meeting of a Witch-y variety! Let's go see all the ladies in their Hallow-creepy finery....

 Miss Havisham! Is that you? Incidentally, I am happy to find so many peeps who share my love of Great Expectations! The Bewitching Erica provided this link  about Dickens' person of inspiration for poor Miss H...and I found this link to  Restoration House, the real Satis (Manor) House!

(It is reputed that Dickens was seen at the gates of the House the day before he died-there is some speculation that he was contemplating using it in another book!)

Wow, it could almost be Vanessa's Gypsy Wagon Theatre !
Have you recuperated from the Party of the Century yet? Do you find it heartwarming that so many people keep the spirit of imagination and creativity and play firmly in their hearts forever? I do I do!

But on with the Festival...

er, or...Dog O Ween....

If we go past the Garden Tub....

and peek into the secret greenhouse (okay not so secret-it's right next to the gas station on Main Street, tee hee) we see-pumpkin elves!

Little kiddies painting pumpkins to sit upon their dining room table or front porch (under a cold and windy sky)!

while waiting for the Story Teller to come back from tasting all of the delicious fare.....

  (we could tell them a tale or two, couldn't we, my pretties?)

Yay Halloween! Have a lovely day Twinklestars! I'm off to explore some more....

XOXOXOXO

Great Exspooktations {of A Fanciful Twist Variety!}

Welcome to the Treehouse, Twinklestars! Quick! No time to lose-come with me through the secret portal, it opens up only once a year....

To a magical mystical place, where curiosities gleam in jars....

and secret spells cast themselves.....

into a batch of chicken cauldron soup!

Yummy, everyone loves-why hello there!

Aw, thank you Thing! Thing's brought you a rose, and me a book to read....do you have time for a story while you sip your soup?

Ah, yes, that's a good choice -Mr.Dickens writes so well, (and the soup might have a secret ingredient, hee hee), that you are sure you actually see...

 

poor Miss Havisham, mourning her loss. Her beloved jilts her on her wedding day, just as she is in the midst of dressing and preparing the very grand Manor House........

and when she finds she has been betrayed, time stops, literally. And she wants everything to stay exactly as it was the moment he betrayed her...but over the years, starts decaying around her.

.....very sad-and more than a little scary don't you agree?

Because it's Halloween, we can rewrite the ending! For today, Miss Havisham has refurbished a portion of the brewery into a laboratory of er, sorts....and whipped herself up a concoction (non-alcoholic)...and she felt right as rain in no time, and adopted Pip and Stella and lived happily ever after...... and perhaps that bad man would have met his come-uppance.

 

(Eek! The Eye of Newt is always trying to escape!) 

 Oh! Horace wants you to gaze into your future though his crystal ball!

He reads the cards and sees you traveling alot...lots of good times...and- Oh Goodness! Of course! You've dallied here too long! You must go to the next party!

Please help yourself to a bit of butterfly kiss, make a wish and find yourself flying to another Halloween wonderland via Vanessa's Magical Soiree!

But mind the mice as you step back through:

They don't bite. Much.

Muhahahaha

Happy Halloween Twinklestars!

XOXOXOXOXO